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lfthinkerwrites · 6 years ago

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A Riddle for a Bat, pt. 5

Title: A Riddle for a Bat

Fandom: Batman

Pairing: Riddlebat

Rating: T

Chapter Summary: Bruce finds out a bit more about Edward Nigma's background before their 'partnership' officially begins.

Previous Chapters: 1/2/3/4

AO3 Link

After making sure Dick was comfortable, Bruce allowed himself to sleep. By early afternoon he was up, showered and sitting at the Batcomputer. According to the news reports, all of the patients at Gotham City General had been evacuated, including Carmine Falcone. He'd have to check in with Gordon tonight to make sure that the elderly mobster had agreed to police protection. For now, Bruce was focused on background research for another person entirely.

He was looking right now at a five-year-old file picture of a man he'd obtained from the GCPD server. The text below the picture read Nashton, Edward. Cybercrime Division. Bruce considered the picture. Nigma hadn't apparently been as ostentatious at GCPD as he was now. He was wearing a blue sweater vest over a plain white dress shirt. His auburn hair hung loose, rather than the slicked back look he seemed to favor in the present. His personality, on the other hand, hadn't seemed to change much. His smirk in the old photograph was just as cocky and self-satisfied as the smirk he'd worn the previous evening. Even then, he seemed to carry himself as a man who knew the answers to all of life's questions and who wasn't shy about letting others know that. Bruce leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the desk and folding his hands in thought. What had happened in the five years between Nigma's departure from GCPD and now to make the man what he was? And why had he left GCPD in the first place?

Bruce was so engrossed in the picture that he almost didn't hear Alfred coming up behind him, carrying a tray with a plate of food and a cup of coffee. "Who is that you're looking at, Master Bruce?"

"I'm surprised you don't recognize him, Alfred," taking the cup when Alfred set the tray down next to him. He took a long sip of coffee before he continued, "He's only been on the news at least once a week for the past six months."

Alfred made a small noise of surprise. "My word. That's Edward Nigma? I hardly recognized him without any hint of green on."

"This is back when he worked for GCPD," Bruce explained. "He was part of the cybercrime division." It occurred to Bruce that every time he pulled information from the GCPD server, he had Nigma to thank for it. He reflexively scowled. "I wanted to find out as much as I can about him before I approach him tonight."

"And what have you found out so far?"

Bruce tapped a few keys. "Nothing much. He has no family listed. The earliest records I can find about him are his college transcripts from Gotham University. And according to his personnel file, he was a model employee. There were no complaints about him from other officers. There's no criminal record for him either."

"Well, I'd imagine not. Even someone as unscrupulous as Loeb was had to have some hiring standards."

Bruce took another sip of coffee. "Nigma was a hacker Alfred. He might have been able to cover his tracks before he came to GCPD." He typed a few commands on the computer. "When I encountered him at the party, I thought I could detect a bit of a New England inflection when he spoke. I'm expanding the search to include any records about him from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island."

"This Nigma character has made quite an impression on you, hasn't he Sir?"

Bruce frowned a bit at the teasing tone in Alfred's voice. "He's been operating an information network under everyone's noses for months, possibly years. I don't like that."

"No of course not. I suppose that was why you were staring so intently at his picture when I came in as well?"

Bruce said nothing but closed the picture of Nigma. He focused instead on a court record that the search had returned. It was a record from Connecticut that was over twenty years old. Bruce rubbed his chin. Unless Nigma had access to one of Ra's Lazarus Pits, this couldn't be about him. He took a look at the article anyway. "Did you find something, sir?" Alfred asked.

"It's a court transcript from Connecticut," Bruce took a closer look. "Regarding the sentence of a William Nashton."

"A relative of Nigma's, perhaps?"

"Most likely," Bruce answered. He read further. "Twenty-five years ago, William Nashton was arrested on charges that he-" Bruce paused slightly as he read the next lines. This was something he hadn't expected.

"He what, Master Bruce?"

Bruce sighed. "That he severely and repeatedly beat his son."

"Oh dear," Alfred said. "Do you think this is Nigma's father?"

Bruce leaned back in his chair. "The son's name isn't mentioned, but the timeline fits. The article says that the son was taken into foster care and never returned to his father's custody. There's no mention of any mother." This would explain why there was no family listed, as well as the lack of any information about Nigma before he was college age. He must have come straight to Gotham after he aged out of the system. Bruce closed the windows and stood up. "I think I've found out all I can about who he was before GCPD. I'm still no closer to finding out why he left, or what his connection to Thorne might be."

"Perhaps given his background, he has an inherent distaste for thugs like Thorne."

Bruce shook his head. "I don't think that's it. He'd be just as hostile towards Falcone and Maroni if that was the case. The way he spoke about Thorne in his office...there's something more personal there." Bruce's first thought was that it was connected to Nigma's departure from GCPD. Gordon had sworn up and down that Nigma wouldn't be on the take. Perhaps Thorne had approached him with a bribe and Nigma had rejected it? Loeb was believed to be in the pockets of one of the crime families. The only reason why it had never been proven was that he'd been murdered while in custody before his corruption trial years ago. If Loeb was in Thorne's pocket, that could explain the argument in his office. Perhaps he'd forced Nigma out...but then again, Gordon had been approached for bribes numerous times and he'd never been forced out. And if Thorne had thought Nigma was too dangerous to be allowed to be not on his payroll, he more than likely would have had him killed, just as he and the other families had killed people who inconvenienced them. Bruce shook his head. The more he found out about the man, the less he understood. "I'll figure it out, Alfred."

"I'm sure you will sir," Alfred said reassuringly. "In the meantime, I've made up the downstairs guest room for Master Dick to stay in while he's recovering. He and I have decided to tell the university and anyone else who may inquire that he was in a car accident to explain his leave of absence."

"Good," Bruce said. "He can help me out by monitoring the chat on the scanners and doing research."

"And I'm sure he'll be delighted to do so," Alfred said in a droll tone. "Also, Ms. Vreeland called. She insisted on taking you out to lunch since you had to leave her party early last night."

"Wonderful." Bruce was about to ask him to think of an excuse not to go but thought better of it. Veronica had taken quite a shine to Nigma. Perhaps there was something she could tell him that the computer couldn't. "Well, I do have some time to kill before I meet with Gordon."

"Bruce! Darling!" Veronica's wide smile fell almost the instant Bruce sat in the wooden chair on the opposite end of the small round table on the outdoor terrace of the Rose Cafe. "What happened to you? You look like you barely slept last night!"

Bruce had managed to clean up for his visit with Veronica, but there wasn't much he could do about the bags under his eyes. He brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose to exaggerate how exhausted he was. "I didn't," he answered truthfully. "Dick, my ward, was in a car accident last night."

Veronica brought her hand up to her mouth. "Oh my goodness! Is he alright?"

"He has a broken leg, but he'll be fine. He's staying at Wayne Manor for a bit to recover. Needless to say, I had a bit of a late night after I left."

Veronica visibly sighed with relief. "Well, that's good. That he'll be alright I mean, not that he broke his leg. And here I was, ready to scold you for not taking care of yourself!"

Bruce had to smile. Veronica could be a bit overdramatic and trying company at times, but she was deep down, a good person. "Thank you for that Ronnie."

Veronica smiled again. "No need to thank me at all, Bruce. To tell the truth, after you and Eddie left last night, the party got a bit dull." She let out a sigh. "I tried to invite Eddie out too, but he said he was busy on a case."

Here was the opening. "Oh?" he asked. "Did he at least tell you what he was working on?"

Veronica shook her head. "No. He did tell me one thing though." She took a quick look round to make sure the customers sitting around them weren't listening in before she leaned forward, conspiratorially. "He saw Batman last night."

Bruce pretended to be interested. "Oh? Did he now?"

"He did. He was very excited about it too. You should have heard him, Bruce, it was like a child meeting Santa Claus for the first time." She leaned back to laugh a bit. "It was actually quite adorable."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. From his limited experience, 'adorable' wasn't a word he would use to describe Edward Nigma. "Adorable? Really Ronnie?"

"Yes Bruce, really. Oh, I know you don't like him much, but you really should give him a chance. When he's not doing his 'genius private investigator' routine, he can actually be a little sweetheart."

Somehow, Bruce truly doubted that. "And you know this..."

Veronica took a sip out of her spring water before she answered. "Well, for starters, despite what you might think of PIs, he's not sleazy at all. He made no overtures to me, he listened to me when I told him about my problems and he didn't attempt to overcharge me in the slightest."

Just because Nigma was capable of showing basic respect to a wealthy client didn't mean he was in any way altruistic. Bruce was about to tell Veronica this when she continued, "After he recovered my diamonds actually, I stopped by his office to thank him. He was already talking to another client of his. It was a young mother and her son. When she left, I ran into her in the hallway and you know what she told me he did for her?"

"Caught her husband in an affair and made sure she got a large divorce settlement?" Bruce asked.

He was surprised by the genuine scowl on Veronica's face. "Oh Bruce, must you be so cynical? As a matter of fact, she wasn't wealthy at all. And her husband wasn't cheating on her. He was beating her."

Bruce actually was stunned by this. Nigma had billed himself as a private detective to the elite of Gotham's society. "What did Nigma do for her?" he asked, now genuinely curious.

"He helped her and her son get away from the creep. He was able to get them to a shelter and he got enough evidence about the man to get him sent to jail for years. He didn't charge her a penny either. He even gave her money to get a plane ticket out of Gotham and back to her family in Michigan!" When Bruce said nothing in response, she smiled. "Well, after hearing that, how could I not fall for him, just a bit?"

It made sense, Bruce supposed, that given Nigma's background, that he may have an aversion to abusers. But this...this didn't fit at all with the smug, self-centered man he'd met the night before. Then again...he had shown a genuine regard for Gordon the previous evening. Bruce idly listened as Veronica continued to chat. The more he found out about Edward Nigma, the less he understood him.

Bruce had been perched on the rooftop of the office building for over an hour, staring through his binoculars into the old brownstone building across the street and at one office in particular. Night had long since fallen over Gotham City and with it came the chatter of the evening crowd. As expected, the murders of Ricci and Maroni men, as well as the attempt on Falcone's life had been the talk of the town. Summer Gleason had provided continuous updates throughout the day, which Bruce had largely kept up with. When he had stopped by GCPD, Gordon had confirmed that Falcone had gone into police protection. However, his health had suffered a decline due to the stress of the attack so he would be unavailable for any further information. Maroni had lawyered up and wasn't talking to anyone. Bruce would pay a visit to him as well, but for now, the man in the office he was scoping out was his best source of information.

Dick's voice crackled in the intercom in his cowl. "Any sign of Nigma?"

"Not yet," Bruce answered. It was well after 9:00 and his search earlier didn't turn up any home address. Where could he be? Finally, Bruce saw a light turn on. "I've gotta go. There's a light on in his office."

"OK. What do you want me to do in the meantime?"

"Keep your eyes and ears open and check in with me if anything happens. I'll check in later." Bruce put his binoculars away and took out his grappling hook, aiming it at the very same fire escape he used to get into the office the previous night. He landed on it just in time to see Nigma pass in front of the window. Bruce watched as he took off his green suit jacket and hung it up on the coat rack by the front door to the office. Nigma turned to face the window and his eyes widened when he saw Bruce on the fire escape. So much for the element of surprise. Bruce slid the window open and stepped into the office. "Busy night, Nigma?"

For a moment Nigma didn't say anything. Then, much to Bruce's irritation, he chuckled. "Well well. Back again already. Am I just that intriguing, Dark Knight?"

Bruce ignored the man's jibe as he strode forward. "We need to talk. I trust you heard about the bombing at the hospital last night."

A dark look came across the man's face. "I did. I had nothing to do with, in case you're wondering."

"I know you didn't Nigma," Bruce said. He continued to advance toward Nigma, stopping only when he was barely a foot from the other man. He didn't miss how the private detective tensed up slightly, or that his face was faintly flushing. "I saw the man behind the attacks."

Nigma's expression turned into that of interest. "You did?" Then she smirked in triumphant realization. "And you don't know who he is. But you think that I do. You need my help."

"I need your informants' help," Bruce corrected. "All I need from you is to take me to them."

Nigma's grin didn't falter in the slightest. "So I take it this means we're partners now?"

Bruce glared slightly at the other man. "Here are the ground rules: this is my investigation. You follow my lead. You do exactly what I tell you to do. And you tell no one about this. Understood?"

Nigma glared back at Bruce, not wavering for a moment. "I'm a detective too, I'll have you know. And a great one. I'm not some little foot soldier you can dictate orders to. And you don't say anything to my informants without me being present." He pointed his finger directly at Bruce's face. "I've spent a long time cultivating some of these sources and I'm not about to have you scare them away!"

Bruce leaned forward so that his face was only inches away from Nigma's. He watched the other man's green eyes widen a bit from fright, and a bit from another emotion Bruce didn't want to think about. "Those are my terms Nigma. Take it or leave it." He watched as Nigma's brow creased in thought then as his shoulders sagged.

"Fine," he said at last. "Let me just get my coat back on."

Bruce took a step back and watched as Nigma put his green jacket back on and grabbed a cane from off of a hook on the wall. Bruce noticed that the cane handle was in the shape of a question mark. "I didn't realize you needed a cane."

"Just an aesthetic choice," Nigma explained. He turned to give Bruce a cheeky grin. "It has other purposes as well. Maybe you'll see." He held his arm out in a flourish. "So! Ready to go partner?"

Bruce was already starting to regret this. "Just keep the theatricality to a minimum, please."

"Oh, you're hardly one to talk, Mr. 'Dresses up like a bat and dangles thugs from rooftops'."

Bruce resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'd like to speak with your Falcone sources."

Nigma grinned. "Very well then. Your car or mine?"

"My car," Bruce said. "It's parked across the street. Don't touch anything in it."

If anything, Nigma became more excited. "Going to Pandora's Box in the Batmobile. The girls will never believe it."

"Pandora's Box?"

"Oh, you haven't heard of it? I suppose not, given your reputation for lawful behavior. It's a perfectly charming little-"

"S&M club," Bruce finished. He had to suppress a smirk of his own when he saw Nigma's look of surprise. "Somehow I'm not surprised that you're familiar with it."

Nigma's face flushed at the implication. "I don't have to take that from a man in-never mind. Shall we?"

Bruce gestured towards the front door. "After you." As he watched Nigma open the door, Bruce couldn't help but feel that he'd made a mistake. It couldn't be helped though. If he wanted answers about the gang war and about Nigma himself, he had to go through with this.

#riddlebat #a riddle for a bat #bruce finds out more about ed than he thought he would

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tkmedia · 3 years ago

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Better, worse or same? Lamar Jackson and Ravens' O look more dangerous

6:00 AM ETOWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens have been the NFL’s highest-scoring team in Lamar Jackson’s first two full seasons as a starting quarterback.So, why did the Ravens' biggest free-agent additions and their top draft pick address offense?Baltimore, which has averaged 31.2 points in the regular season with Jackson, has totaled 32 points in Jackson’s three postseason losses. After a 17-3 divisional playoff loss in Buffalo, the Ravens signed guard Kevin Zeitler and wide receiver Sammy Watkins in free agency and drafted wide receiver Rashod Bateman in the first round.With training camp starting July 28, are the Ravens better, worse or the same on offense?Here is a position-by-position analysis for 2021:

Quarterbacks

Additions: NoneLosses: Robert Griffin IIIReturners: Lamar Jackson, Trace McSorley and Tyler HuntleyBetter, worse or the same? Same, even though there will be a new primary backup to Jackson.The Ravens didn’t re-sign Griffin III, who was the least effective of Baltimore’s reserve quarterbacks. McSorley and Huntley showed more big-play potential in limited playing time. So, the upside of McSorley and Huntley cancel out RG3's experience.It’s uncertain at this point who will win the battle between McSorley and Huntley, and the Ravens will likely keep only two quarterbacks on the season-opening 53-man roster for the first time since 2017. This is a calculated risk for Baltimore, which didn’t want to use limited cap space on a viable veteran backup, especially because Jackson has proved to be more durable than many expected.Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Running backs

Additions: Nate McCraryLosses: Mark Ingram IIReturners: J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Ty’Son Williams, Patrick Ricard (FB)Better, worse or the same? SameThe loss of Ingram isn’t much of a loss. A Pro Bowl runner in 2019, Ingram was a healthy scratch in six games last season, including both playoff games.Dobbins and Edwards form one of the league’s best running back tandems. During Baltimore’s season-ending five-game win streak, they totaled 762 yards rushing and eight touchdowns.The bad news for AFC North defenses is the Ravens’ running back situation should remain the same for a while. Dobbins and Edwards are under contract through 2023.

Wide receivers

Additions: Sammy Watkins, Rashod Bateman, Tylan Wallace, Deon Cain, Devin GrayLosses: Willie Snead IV, Dez Bryant, Chris Moore, Antoine Wesley, DeAndrew WhiteReturners: Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, James Proche II, Jaylon Moore, Binjimen VictorBetter, worse or the same? Better, and the Ravens are banking on it.The Ravens signed Watkins to a one-year, $5 million deal and used the No. 27 overall pick on Bateman after their wide receivers ranked last in catches and receiving yards for the second straight season. Baltimore was so desperate last season that the team signed Bryant, who hadn’t played in the two previous seasons.This group can improve even more if Brown, a first-round pick in 2019, can deliver some consistency. He finished last season strongly (six touchdowns in last six games), and he just participated in his first full offseason. Boykin and Duvernay, two former third-round picks, can earn more playing time with a strong training camp and preseason.The Ravens need to help Jackson by producing more big plays. Baltimore’s wide receivers totaled 38 catches of 20-plus yards, which were tied for third fewest in the NFL.

Tight ends

Additions: Josh Oliver, Ben Mason, Tony Poljan.Losses: NoneReturners: Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle, Eric Tomlinson, Eli Wolf, Jake BreelandBetter, worse or the same? BetterAndrews, who has 17 touchdown catches the past two seasons, really impressed coach John Harbaugh with his improved route running this offseason. Heading into his contract year, Andrews is set to cash in with another big season.The return of Boyle makes the Ravens and their running game even stronger. Boyle, who is considered the top blocking tight end in the league, missed the final seven games last season with a knee injury.One of Baltimore's more underrated moves was trading a conditional seventh-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Oliver. He flashed at times this spring and looks like a raw version of Darren Waller, who began his career with the Ravens.The NFL season is almost here. Check out one last offseason move for all 32 teams: Read more » • Full 2021 schedule | Depth charts » • Transactions | Injuries | More NFL »

Offensive line

Additions: Kevin Zeitler, Alejandro Villanueva, Ben Cleveland, Michael Schofield, Ja’Wuan James, Greg Mancz, Adrian Ealy, Foster SarellLosses: Orlando Brown Jr., Matt Skura, D.J. FlukerReturners: Ronnie Stanley, Bradley Bozeman, Patrick Mekari, Tyre Phillips, Ben Powers, Trystan Colon, Ben Bredeson, Andre SmithBetter, worse or the same? Better, at least the Ravens hope so.No group underwent more changes on the Ravens than the offensive line. There is no starter returning to the same spot from last season’s playoffs.Stanley, a first-team All-Pro in 2019, is expected to return at left tackle at some point in training camp after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 8. Bradley Bozeman, a two-year starter at left guard, has moved to his more natural position at center, which was a major trouble spot for Baltimore last season.Zeiter, the team’s biggest free-agent addition, should provide some Marshal Yanda-type stability at right guard. The Ravens made a bold move of trading Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs and replacing him at right tackle with Alejandro Villanueva, the former left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers.The major question mark is at left guard. Rookie third-round pick Ben Cleveland appears to the be the frontrunner, although he’ll have to beat out Tyre Phillips and Ben Powers. Read the full article

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acsversace-news · 7 years ago

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July 15, 1997. Andrew Cunanan slo-mos down the just-rained-on sidewalks of Miami Beach, accompanied by Ultravox's "Vienna." He passes people in friendly conversation; he passes a pair of beat cops. He comes upon Gianni Versace's mansion, the sun now shining, and as Midge Ure wails, "It means nothing to me / this means nothing to me," we see Cunanan draw on and murder Gianni again. Gianni's fingers twitch again. Cunanan looms into the sun and blocks it out to look down Starman-ishly on Gianni's body.

Later, Cunanan waits to cross the street, smugly watching cop cars scream past him before hustling over to the houseboat on the other side. Looking strangely apprehensive given everything else he's done with it, he grips the gun barrel and uses the butt to break the houseboat door's lock, then lets himself in and creeps towards the kitchen in the dark. More confident now that he's established nobody's there, he browses the cabinets, then helps himself to a bottle of champagne with an entitled puss on, typically dropping the detritus from the bottle neck onto the floor without a second thought. He switches the countertop TV on to enjoy Dan Rather's somber report on Gianni's death, then leaps over the back of a deep white couch to keep watching on the big TV in the living room (flanked, hilariously, by gold sphinxes). He hasn't quite settled in when the champagne, shaken up by its journey, self-pops on the table and scares the shit out of Cunanan.

He flops back on the couch, laughing at himself, but sits forward again when the broadcast shows side-by-side pictures of Gianni and the prime suspect in Gianni's murder -- himself (Criss, Photoshopped relatively poorly for this production onto one of the real photos often used in the wanted posters). "Oh my god," he murmurs, not stricken or fearful but almost surprised that it happened at all, much less because of him, then repeats, almost triumphantly, "Oh my god!" As the broadcast continues in VO, Cunanan climbs to the rooftop balcony of the houseboat, a curtain (I think) slung around his neck like a tuxedo scarf, drunk and turned on by his own infamy as he watches helicopters search the streets farther down the shore. He slumps into a lounge chair and swigs champers with a contented smile.

Tampa. Marilyn Miglin is packing her case before a broadcast when there's a heavy knock at her hotel room door. It's the FBI. "Is it that man?" she asks, then confirms that her children are safe before letting them inside. The agents explain that they believe Cunanan shot Gianni. Shaken, she sits down, wondering almost to herself, "When will this end?" Then she repeats it, more firmly, before proceeding to clock them for not catching Cunanan in the two months since he murdered her husband -- how many more people will die? how much more pain do they think she can take? what has Cunanan been up to all this time? "We don't know yet," the lead agent is obliged to admit, as well as that Cunanan "evaded capture" in Miami. Marilyn's are-you-fucking-kidding-me face

is particularly impressive work from Judith Light given that her fake lashes in this scene have their own congressman, post office, and vegan bakery.

The Republic Of Lashistan is decidedly unimpressed with the agent's suggestion that, given Tampa's proximity to Miami, she should leave Florida. (As am I; it's nearly 300 miles, and whatever else you might say about Cunanan's state of mind at this point, the idea that he would double back to kill a spouse, whom he would likely find at a television studio, is a non-starter.) A tear rolls down Marilyn's cheek, but she's like, incompetent says what? They want her to run, to hide "from him," but she's never missed a broadcast and she won't start today, so they can provide whatever security they want to: on with the show. On the set, Marilyn marches up to the display, chuckling forcedly about her ability to break sales records under pressure. Her co-host gently tells her she's sorry. "I need it to stop," Marilyn grits.

The next morning, Cunanan wakes up to a news broadcast describing him as a "male prostitute" serving "an affluent clientele." He puts on his glasses as the VO continues that he's articulate, well-dressed, armed and extremely dangerous, and the newest member of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. He peers expressionlessly at the Wanted card on the TV screen, then pads into the owner's walk-in closet to shop for an outfit, settling on an all-yellow number as, in the next room, Marilyn's voice talks about Lee as "a man who exemplified courage, honor, and dignity." Cunanan doesn't seem to hear this as he looks in the mirror, smirking. "We had a fairytale marriage," Marilyn tells the press, faltering just slightly. "He was…my prince." I don't know why it's here that I find myself thinking about those lost two months between when Cunanan murdered Miglin, then William Reese, and when he fetched up outside La Palazzo Versace and killed Gianni. American Crime Story really hasn't dealt with them at all, unless you count the Ronnie interlude, which only seemed to last a day or two at the end, and it's not that I think the show should have tried to fill in that gap, or that anything particularly noteworthy happened, or might have. Perhaps the Orth book has more insight, although my sense is that nobody really knows what Cunanan got up to during that time. But ACS did a great job imagining Cunanan's time with David Madson after the killing of Jeff Trail, and Darren Criss and others have said that some episodes started out twice as long as what we see on broadcast…I don't know. If there's ever a director's cut of the season, I'll certainly watch it, whether or not it contains a theory or fantasia on the missing weeks.

Anyway: back to what is covered. Cunanan heads out in his sunny ensemble, complete with yellow ball cap, and reads the L.A. Times coverage of Gianni's murder while waiting for an unsuspecting driver to drop her keys into an easily heistable purse, which she does. He tails her to an outdoor café and lifts the bag easily, walking past a wanted poster with himself on it in the café window and helping himself to her Mercedes. He's listening to, and giggling delightedly at, radio coverage bemoaning the instinct to blame the murder of a prominent Italian on the Mafia when he's forced to stop for a police checkpoint. When it's clear the cops are taking more than a cursory glance at the cars ahead of him, Cunanan U-turns it on outta there, cursing. He's parked on a side street, perusing a map, when an older guy comes out from between two houses and says Cunanan looks lost. He is; does the older guy know any way off the island besides the causeways? They seem really crowded. Older Guy sighs that every road off the island has police checkpoints at the moment. Riiiight, right, Cunanan acts: "Andrew Cunanan. It's terrible, I hope they catch him." Bold move. Older Guy asks, "What's your name, young man?" Cunanan gives the Kurt DuMars alias, then bustles as casually as he can manage back into the front seat, thanking Older Guy for his help. Older Guy watches him go.

Cunanan, in a snit, parks the Benz under one of the causeways, pitches the keys into the water, and bellows in frustration.

Back in San Diego, Mary Ann Cunanan is hunched under a blanket she's draped over the TV, I guess to hide her smoking, although she doesn't seem to have cared about that before? In any case, the effect is of a twisted ritual of prayer, especially with the saints candles and crosses on the same table.

She's creepily stroking the TV screen when there's a knock on the door. It's the cops. She unfastens the chain slowly, then opens the door to clasp one officer's shoulder and ask, "Have you killed my son?"

Cunanan, limping back to the houseboat, comes across a wanted poster altered to show him with lipstick, and with lipstick and a blonde wig.

Back at the houseboat, he peels off his shirt and slings it over a chair, then guzzles a Coke and continues to marinate in the coverage of his misdeeds.

What's more American than Coca-Cola and gun violence. Sigh. He's admiring the wanted posters of himself he's apparently collected when the coverage changes to footage of Mary Ann getting taken out of her apartment under the same blanket as before. She deer-in-headlightses at the jostling news crews and photo flashes before she's eased into the back of a cruiser. Cunanan watches, taken aback.

At the Normandy, Detectives Lori and George roust Ronnie, accusing him of lying to them about knowing Cunanan -- he stayed there, and he and Ronnie were friends. Ronnie lies again that Cunanan told him his name was Kurt, and he only just now saw Cunanan on the news; he was totally just going to call them. Det. George is like, cute; you can come with us. As he's led out of his room, Ronnie grumps to Det. Lori, "We weren't friends."

In an interrogation room, Det. Lori continues to nope Ronnie's version of events, saying Cunanan had been hiding in Miami for two months. Ronnie snorts that he wasn't hiding, "he was partying," and Lori's like, great. Where? She lists a few gay clubs, and Ronnie snarks that ohhh, okay, "the only lez on the force" must have been looking for Cunanan. Lori pulls one of her patented "bye bitch" faces

as Ronnie sarcastically muses that the other cops, they didn't care so much about finding Cunanan when he'd only killed a handful of "no-name gays." Why might that be? George snaps that they have over 400 people looking for him, and Ronnie's like, yeah, now you do, now that he's offed a celebrity. There's a little more salty back-and-forth, with Ronnie not having Lori's bluff that he's an accessory to murder and George not having Ronnie's contention that they don't really care about catching Cunanan, before George asks if he never mentioned Versace. Ronnie takes a swig of coffee and says he did nothing but, then muses that "we all" talked about Versace, about what it must be like to be so rich and powerful "that it doesn't matter that you're gay." He adds that "you were disgusted by him long before he became disgusting," which is true, and a good line, but like the rest of this speech not super-credible despite Max Greenfield's estimable efforts. Ronnie goes on that George et al. would prefer "them" to stay in the shadows, "and most of us, we oblige." People like him just drift away…get sick, nobody cares…"but Andrew was vain." He wanted to be heard, wanted people to feel his pain, "wanted you to know about being born…a lie." Lori flinches a little, possibly at the clumsiness of this writing compared with the subtler work we've gotten the rest of the season, as Ronnie concludes that Andrew isn't hiding. "He's trying to be seen."

Well, metaphorically. Literally, he's trying to get out of town, but his next effort -- breaking onto a boat at the marina in the hopes of sneaking out of Miami by sea -- is stymied when a dock "neighbor," mistaking him for the owner, comes onboard looking for "Guillermo." He's in the head, gun cocked, as the neighbor comes below decks calling for Guillermo, and when she pushes on the door and it's pushed forcefully closed in response, she knows something's hinky and hurries away. He exhales, then grabs his gear and bails, hopping from bow to bow as he tries to get out of the marina.

Which he does manage to do, and by the time he returns to the houseboat, the neighbor is leading Dets. Lori and Luke to the boat he tried to take, as he sees through a pair of binoculars. No time to feel truly trapped yet, though, as he can hear Lizzie Coté delivering a statement on the bedroom TV. She's addressing herself directly to him and saying she knows he's not the "despicable" person portrayed in news reports. He sinks to his knees, staring plaintively at her, as she goes on that she knows who he really is and loves him, "unconditionally." The Cunanan she knows isn't a violent person. "I know that the most important thing to you in the world is what others think of you," she adds (emphasis hers); he still has a chance to show everyone else what she "and your godchildren" know. It's time to end this, "peacefully." We go to the ad break on Cunanan's furrowed brow.

When we return, it's another news show, this one about Jeff Trail and David Madson, the voice-over wondering a little too pruriently, "What did these two men do in their days on the road?" This is an understated dig at the salacious coverage, and investigative judgments, that a so-called gay serial killer received -- that, somehow, the possibility that anal intercourse occurred is the most important thing to suggest and the chief aggravating factor in the case -- and is completely in line with the tone of the reporting at that time. When I say that Ronnie's dialogue speaks the truth but lands with a thud, I'm contrasting it with material like this, which is used perfectly whether it's contemporaneous footage or a bone-dry recreation. The newsmag goes on to interview Madson Sr., who defends his son as a victim, not an accomplice, as Cunanan sits and listens, sweating. It doesn't take long before Cunanan can't hear anymore, and begins lunging at the various television sets to turn them off. He stops before switching off the last one, though, to look at a picture of David that's now onscreen.

As with the Lizzie presser, and with Mary Ann as she watched footage of him, it's as though they're there with him, speaking to him. It's the only companionship he can really manage, an idea of it, a picture of it that he can turn off. And when Madson Sr. says his son is a good man -- was a good man -- that's just what Cunanan does, kicking at the off switch to silence a version of life and manhood he can't access.

Later, he sits on the beach, alone, listening to the hectic sounds of nightlife on the boardwalk, before returning to the now-emptied fridge at the houseboat. He goes through the trash and makes sure he's gotten every last blob of yogurt from a discarded cup, then spots some dog food. The attempt fails, as he can't hold down a single spoonful before horking it back up, onto the wanted posters on the counter. He's scraping his tongue with a paper towel (which he then throws on the floor, where he's also left the upended garbage) when Marilyn Miglin's segment comes on the home-shopping channel he's got on. Marilyn tells a sweet story about the perfume she's hawking, about how she wanted to go back in time and give her mother one of the luxuries she couldn't afford, working so hard after Marilyn's father died and putting every penny towards their room and board. Cunanan pulls up a chair and stares at the screen, ensorcelled by Marilyn's tale of her wonderful dad and his early death, of her wishing she could go back in time and give her mother this thing she made…"as a way of saying how special you are."

Now Cunanan's at a pay phone, calling Modesto. A cousin brings Modesto the cordless; Modesto, an array of articles about his son on his desk, wonders how much he should charge for an interview "this time," and looks horrified to hear who's actually on the phone. The second he hears Modesto's voice, Cunanan starts bawling like a child.

Modesto reminds him that "men don't cry, remember?" Cunanan tries to ignore this, sobbing that he's in trouble; he needs Modesto to come get him. Modesto says without hesitation that he'll fly right over, and to hell with the charges still pending against him. Cunanan tells Modesto where he is in Miami. Modesto repeats that he's coming, and when he does, "I will find you. And I will hug you. And I will hold you in my arms, like I used to. And it will all be okay." Cunanan leans his head against the top of the pay phone wistfully, then asks, "You promise?" Of course Modesto promises! Cunanan is to pack some clothes and get ready to go as soon as Modesto arrives. The operator breaks in to ask for more money, and Cunanan, nodding, so eager to believe his salvation is nigh, burbles that he's out of time. Modesto says again that he'll be there soon.

Cunanan puts a cassette in and packs: clothes, books, a French passport. Not sure what the music is -- sounds like Gershwin; could be Debussy; let me know in the comments, as Shazam didn't come through for me here -- but whatever the case, Cunanan is dreamy and hopeful as he lies in bed, watching the water's reflection play with the fan on the ceiling, then as he puts his backpack and a stolen garment bag by the houseboat's front door the next morning, and settles in next to them to read.

That night. No Modesto. Cunanan checks the water; he checks the entrance; nothing. Coming back in the house, he hears Modesto -- giving a TV interview in which he first and foremost denies that his son is gay, then brags about Cunanan evading the cops, then claims they've discussed the rights to Cunanan's story and Modesto is acting as the broker for those rights. As he's blathering about the life-story title that Cunanan and Modesto agreed upon -- "A Name To Be Remembered By" -- Cunanan goes from pained to angry to just...dark.

That title is really bad, almost as bad as Modesto is a parent/person, and Cunanan shoots the living-room TV rather than listen to Modesto BSing that the charges keeping him out of the U.S. "are bogus," or any other of Modesto's horseshit that probably smells a lot like Cunanan's own, even to him. And while I'm up, man has Darren Criss killed it in this role.

July 22, the day of Gianni's funeral. Waiting uncomfortably in a salon, Donatella grouses to Antonio that Gianni should be alive, that "if everybody had done their job," he would be. Antonio takes a beat, then tells her he heard the shots, and he knew -- because his heart stopped. Donatella looks down, briefly shamed in her attempt to put Gianni's death on Antonio, as he goes on that he knows her heart is broken too, but she and Santo have each other. Antonio had Gianni, only Gianni. Donatella doesn't apologize or return the sentiment, just asks what he'll do now. Antonio sighs that he'll stay in Lake Como; as Donatella knows, Gianni set it up so Antonio could stay in "one of the houses," and he just wants to stay close to Gianni. Donatella frowns, but is clearly not quite unhappy to inform Antonio that Gianni no longer owns any of the houses -- he "spent too much money," so the company had to take control of all the properties. The board of Versace now governs them. Antonio regards her with a dull "this bitch" stare until she finally meets his eye again, pulls a "…what?" face, and tells him to go to Lake Como and recuperate for a while. "And after that?" Antonio grunts. She non-answers that today is the day to say goodbye, and then both of them will start a new life. This expert "now isn't the time"-ing is too much for Antonio, whose eyes fill with tears as he says he guesses that's it, then; Donatella can just throw him aside like a piece of trash. Ricky Martin loses control of the accent, regrettably, as he pleadingly says he loved Gianni, Gianni was his life, and suddenly he doesn't matter? Donatella's look is hard to read, but I suspect she's thinking, "Not 'suddenly' for me, no," as Antonio says he has no home, no rights, nothing. She comes back toward him, saying firmly that the houses and the finances are controlled by the board. "You have a say," he presses, but he's not getting shit. "I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry for all of us!" She leaves the room in tears, not one of which is for Antonio.

The houseboat. Cunanan is kicking back with a can of dog food on the kitchen floor. Still the trash is scattered about. A huge roach scuttles across the floor, no doubt attracted to the sty-ish conditions currently prevailing, and Cunanan traps it under his drinking glass and picks it up to examine it as it sits on his palm under the glass. Little too pointed as survivor symbology goes, but Cunanan's soon enough distracted by footage of Gianni's memorial service, and all the glittery guests in their mourning attire. He hauls a huge projection system into the living room so he can watch it writ large (and because he shot the TV that was in there earlier). He projects it on the great-room wall above the doors, obliging him to look up at it, a supplicant, a worshipper, one of the congregation.

As Cunanan watches Princess Diana and Elton John dabbing at tears, Antonio numbly follows Donatella and the rest of the blood relatives into the family pew. The priest does not mention him along with the other family or loved ones, and snubs him after blessing the others in the pew; at the houseboat, as a boy soprano begins the 23rd Psalm and Antonio rises belatedly with the rest of thatcongregation, Cunanan crosses himself and kneels before the simulcast, singing along and weeping at the lines "yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death / I will fear no evil." Rain sprinkles the floral tributes outside Gianni's house, and the wanted posters of Cunanan tucked between the mailbox and its flag.

Cunanan buzzes his hair short, like a penitent, while elsewhere, a caretaker (I assume?) tells someone on the phone that he'll take care of it and writes down the houseboat's address. Not sure if he's responding to a complaint about the bugs or what, but he grabs some keys and a gun holster and heads out. Cunanan is napping next to a magazine with a Versace ad on the back when he hears the caretaker let himself in, the broken lock falling clean out of its housing. The caretaker creeps in gun-first, calling, "Is anybody here?" The only voices come from the TV, still on in the living room. "I am armed!" the caretaker calls. Cunanan appears in the hallway upstairs, also armed, and withdraws behind a wall, then fires a shot into the ceiling. The caretaker's not about sticking around, and tuck-and-rolls out of there.

Det. Luke is having a smoke when the police radio comes on with an "occupied burglary" call for all units. He and Det. Lori head over. SWAT gears up and moves out. Cunanan comes downstairs to hear a breaking-news update on "the siege at Indian Creek," which is a siege of…him. As the anchor describes the perimeter set up by the FBI and Miami police, Cunanan, coated in sweat, gawps at the screen.

After the commercial, more news reports. The cockroach, still under the drinking glass, is now dead. Cunanan sits primly on the couch in his underpants, watching the chopper shots of the houseboat from the outside, and the rattling of a close pass of a helicopter right overhead seems to make him only curious, not afraid -- but when the phone starts ringing, and the hostage negotiator outside gets on a bullhorn and tells him they only want to talk, he starts freaking out for real. The team leader outside, flanked by Dets. Luke and Lori, tells everyone to hold positions, as we see sniper set-ups, news vans behind the perimeter, and the houseboat and its fountain looking very small.

In the Philippines, Modesto crouches, childlike, in front of his TV as a newscaster notes that efforts to draw Cunanan out have failed. Cunanan locks himself in the bedroom, panting, and turns to see his younger self on the bed. If any recent narrative could hope to get away with this pasteurized processed trope food, it's ACS, but when you co-host a Beverly Hills, 90210 podcast, all you can think about is Dylan and his gooberama inner child at his father's funeral.

I know it's unfair to ACS, this reference, but you can see why it's tough for me to take this visual cliché seriously. It's nicely acted by both Darren Criss and Edouard Holdener -- with the TV calling Cunanan "a known gigolo; a man who loved the spotlight," Li'l Cunanan looks pleased with the attention, regardless of its origin; Grownanan is staring at his younger self with a mixture of confusion and fear, with perhaps a bit of relief mixed in -- but we certainly did get it without this provol-onsense. The broadcast talks about Cunanan's schoolmates voting him Most Likely To Be Remembered, and Grownanan beams at his boy self,

but when the broadcast returns to the police tape around the houseboat, Li'l Cunanan vanishes, and a light goes out in Cunanan. He's utterly alone; he doesn't even have himself. There's no there there.

Outside, it's decided that if Cunanan were going to come out, he would have. "Cut the power," the team leader says. The TV goes off inside, and the fans. The SWAT team sends a handful of smoke bombs in ahead of themselves, and breaks the door down. Cunanan scootches up to the headboard and sits in that prim way of his, officiously removing his glasses. He cocks the gun and puts it in his mouth, far back, his lips not an inch from the trigger. He's wearing no expression, but something makes him look over at himself in the mirrored sliding doors beside the bed. I took a screenshot of the moment, which is profoundly unsettling along a number of axes -- the deadness of the eyes, the way the barrel of the gun pushes his face out of shape, the visual nod to fellatio and the Möbius of self-loathing and despair then implied, in this case, at this time; the grotesqueness of this last thing Cunanan saw, which was himself -- but it felt wrong to use it. Not to mention that Cunanan in fact shot himself in the temple, but in any case, let's leave it at Cunanan finally killing himself while staring into the camera and the bang coinciding with a smash cut to Cunanan and Gianni's night at the opera, Cunanan saying in voice-over, "I'm so happy right now."

Gianni is taking his leave of Cunanan. He chucks him flirtily on the chin and starts to make his way down the stairs from the stage when Cunanan asks, "What if -- you had a dream your whole life that you were someone special? But no one believed it…not really." Gianni looks at him with compassion as Cunanan goes on about persuading people he'd do something great. Gianni tells him gently that it's not about the persuading people; it's about the doing of that great something. Cunanan should finish his novel. "Or something else!" Cunanan Manson-lampses. "Do you think I could be a designer?" Gianni's like, uhhhhh, so Cunanan adds that he knows "literally everything there is to know about fashion." Maybe he could assist Gianni, or be his protégé? Gianni isn't looking for that, but Cunanan feels that his being there, "like this, with you," is destiny. Can't Gianni feel it? When an answer isn't forthcoming, Cunanan tries to kiss him, and is put aside -- sweetly, as Gianni strokes Cunanan's cheekbone and says it's not that he isn't attractive; he's a "very interesting young man." But he wanted Cunanan to take inspiration, nourishment from the opera, and if they kiss, it's not about that anymore. Cunanan is still selling, offering dinner the next night, club-hopping…Gianni can't, he's too busy with work before he leaves town. "Another night. Another stage. Yes?" Cunanan is almost physically crushed by this courteous rejection as Gianni heads down into the orchestra pit, and the lights go out on Cunanan with a pointed thrunk.

Dets. Lori and Luke ID Cunanan's body. Luke asks if he's what Lori expected. "He's just a boy," she says. Cunanan's body is loaded into a medical examiner's van, and Lori watches sadly.

Marilyn Miglin is packing up from her broadcast when she's informed by the FBI agents that Cunanan has taken his own life. "Good," she says. "It's over." But it isn't, quite; her co-host comes upon her reading letters from viewers, letters about Lee and his acts of generosity towards them, paying their bills, career mentoring. Lee never told her "about any of it. Why…didn't he ever tell me?" Without waiting for an answer, because she doesn't want to think too closely on Lee's things not told, Marilyn says she answers all the letters, and tells the authors Lee is alive in their correspondence. She beams at a photo of him on her dressing-room vanity, adding that she's so very proud of him.

Lake Como. Santo stares out at the water, then goes in to tell Donatella the lawyers have come. Before the meeting, she has to confess to Santo that, the day Gianni died, he called her about a show she was putting together in Rome, and he had a lot of questions, and she got annoyed that he didn't trust her judgment -- so when he called back a half hour later, she didn't answer. She begins to ugly-cry. The Albinoni from the first episode of the season begins.

Antonio pours a bunch of pills onto a plate and looks at them sadly.

Bodyguards escort Donatella onto a balcony, an umbrella held over her, in slo-mo. At the edge of the balcony, she takes the umbrella without a word and heads towards a small mausoleum at the end of the property.

A metalworker brushes a brass nameplate, and polishes it with a cloth.

Antonio jams all the pills into his mouth and washes them down with wine, which we see from below, reflected in the mirrored tray holding the wineglass.

Donatella lights a candle before a photo of Gianni, under the box holding his cremains.

Antonio holds an item of Gianni's clothing to his face, then subsides into bed to wait for death.

The cemetery worker takes his bag of tools into a crypt and screws the nameplate -- which appears to belong to Cunanan -- onto the front of one of the marble cells.

A maid comes upon Antonio on the floor. "No, no no no," she gasps, shaking him and patting his face. He opens his eyes, and seems destroyed by having survived.

Donatella puts her hand flat on the box, as if to gather power from it. She looks into the etched mirror above the urn, whose design cuts her face into pieces and pulls it out of shape.

A close-up on the nameplate, which is indeed Cunanan's, pulls away, then down the long silent hall of the crypt. It keeps pulling further back, further back.

Dozens of others interred here, hundreds perhaps, behind featureless marble, with identical nameplates. Cunanan's gets smaller and smaller. The light at the end of the hallway gets further and further away. And then it's over, and then it's gone.

And so is American Crime Story's second season. It didn't work for everyone, but despite a couple of occasional quibbles, I liked it a great deal; I admire its ambition and I think that ambition is mostly realized. Fantastic performances all around, and a dimensioned meditation on what is born and what is made, on how much is destroyed when a destroyer is created.

Thanks so much for coming on this journey with me, and for supporting Previously.TV's Epic Old-School Recaps. I'll see you in the forums. Ciao, bellas.

#acs versace #previously tv #2.09 #recap #review #article #epic old school recaps #march 2018

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wsmith215 · 5 years ago

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Re-drafting the NFL – We picked 128 foundational players across all 32 teams

7:00 AM ET

NFL NationESPN

What if every NFL team had a complete do-over in building its roster? What if every single player were a free agent? What if the worst team in the league had a chance to add a Super Bowl MVP at quarterback? Or one of the worst defensive teams out there was able to plop a two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the middle of its front?

Well, let’s find out. We hit reset on NFL contracts and released every player to the open market. Then we gave our NFL Nation reporters the GM job, allowing them to re-draft the foundations for their teams. Here are the rules:

Every current NFL player is available, and salary caps don’t matter here. But we only drafted four rounds.

In those four picks, each pretend GM had to select a quarterback, a non-QB offensive player and a defensive player. The fourth pick was a wild card, open to anything.

We used the 2020 NFL draft order, with traded picks reversed, and a snaking format.

What about the other 20 starters for each team? The rest of the roster is made up of average-level NFL talent. Our analytics team identifies that as someone such as OT Donovan Smith, edge rusher Harold Landry III or CB Malcolm Butler.

Each GM was asked to draft with intentions of winning a Super Bowl within five years. Some took a harder line, while others built a base that might still need a year or two.

So how did the players come off the board? What kinds of strategies were used? Which team came out looking like a championship favorite? Our NFL Nation reporters explain their process. Plus, ESPN Stats & Information provides a nugget for each roster, and Mike Clay evaluates each foursome with a tiered draft grade (1-4). Navigate by team or skip ahead to the full list of Nos. 1-128 at the bottom.

Jump to: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

All 128 picks | Experts react

Drafted by Ben Baby, Bengals reporter

Round 1 (1): Patrick Mahomes, QB Round 2 (64): Josh Allen, DE Round 3 (65): Laremy Tunsil, OT Round 4 (128): Tyler Lockett, WR

If this squad isn’t putting up 30 points a game, it will be looking for a new offensive coordinator. On this team, points and big plays are king, time of possession is overrated and using two tight ends in a single formation is grounds for dismissal. But for that philosophy to work, it needs an elite quarterback. Fortunately, I had the No. 1 overall pick and used it on Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP who is perfectly suited for today’s modern game.

The next three picks were all about the quarterback: protecting him (Tunsil), rushing him (Allen) and catching his passes (Lockett). Expect to see high-scoring games, an exasperated opposing defensive coordinator and an exciting style that would make Hal Mumme proud. — Baby

Stat to know: Mahomes loses Tyreek Hill, who leads the NFL with 21 touchdowns of 40-plus yards since 2015 (including returns). But who is second on that list? Lockett, with 12, giving this exercise’s “Mr. Irrelevant” a great chance to continue Mahomes’ big-play production.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Mahomes was the obvious 1-1 pick. Allen has big upside but is unproven, Tunsil is a fine anchor and Lockett remains underrated.

Drafted by John Keim, Redskins reporter

Round 1 (2): Russell Wilson, QB Round 2 (63): Shaquil Barrett, DE Round 3 (66): Trent Williams, OT Round 4 (127): Terry McLaurin, WR

Wilson was a no-brainer at No. 2 overall. He consistently plays at a high level and lifts his team. He also is durable and smart. Most of the top defensive ends were gone when I was again on the board, so I went with Barrett. Now I just have to hope he wasn’t a one-year wonder (19.5 sacks in 2019).

1 Related

Williams was an easy pick for me too. He still has several high-level years remaining, but I worry about his durability. I wanted a corner next and hoped Marshon Lattimore would fall to me with the next-to-last pick. He didn’t. But I didn’t want to force the position, so I went with a young playmaker in McLaurin. With his ability to separate and all that speed, he would be a good fit with Wilson. — Keim

Stat to know: Over the past three seasons, Wilson’s 100 touchdown passes are 15 more than any other quarterback. But he could benefit from playing behind an offensive lineman like Williams; Wilson has been sacked (142 times) and contacted while throwing/rushing (356 times), the most in the league since 2017.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. I can’t fault Keim for making Wilson the second player off the board, nor Barrett and his sack production in Round 2. Williams provides an anchor at left tackle, and McLaurin supplies Wilson with a good, young target.

Drafted by Michael Rothstein, Lions reporter

Round 1 (3): Lamar Jackson, QB Round 2 (62): Derwin James, S Round 3 (67): Tre’Davious White, CB Round 4 (126): DJ Moore, WR

I thought about defense at No. 3 overall, but taking a quarterback seemed like a must. And when Jackson — who I thought would go No. 1 or No. 2 — fell to me, it seemed too good to be true. Beyond that, I made the decision to go with two defensive players before the draft even started, given the league’s lean toward passing. Since I couldn’t find any young pass-rushers I loved on the board when I was again on the clock, I instead decided to make my secondary dominant with James and White. And then I gave Jackson a speedy option to work with in Moore, who can line up almost anywhere.

Safety might not seem like a ton of value, but James gives me protection against both the run and pass, and he was a player I keyed on from the beginning for my roster. Age also played a part in how I built my team. I want ascending players as franchise cornerstones to build around, knowing they can still get better over the next three seasons. I found that in all four players. — Rothstein

Stat to know: Moore ranked ninth in the NFL with 1,175 receiving yards in 2019 despite catching passes from three different quarterbacks. He’ll settle in nicely with Jackson, who set an NFL QB rushing record with 1,206 rush yards last season but also had a league-high 36 passing TDs.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. The reigning MVP at third overall? That will do. Round 2 is a little early for a safety, as Rothstein alluded to, but James is a star. White was a steal at No. 67, and Moore is a good value at No. 126.

Drafted by Jordan Raanan, Giants reporter

Round 1 (4): Deshaun Watson, QB Round 2 (61): Yannick Ngakoue , DE Round 3 (68): Terron Armstead, OT Round 4 (125): Allen Robinson II, WR

If you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have a chance. It’s really that simple. And Watson has produced 64 total touchdowns in the past two seasons — only Mahomes and Wilson had more — and did it behind a really bad offensive line.

After that, I had to wait a while (57 picks) but still tabbed one of the league’s best pass-rushers in Ngakoue. Again, positional value was key. I got the most important offensive position with my first pick and the most important defensive position with my second. An All-Pro tackle in the third round helps give Watson’s line talent he hadn’t seen in Houston. And put fourth-rounder Robinson with Watson instead of Mitchell Trubisky and you’ll see the star ability. This is a core that would win multiple Super Bowls. — Raanan

Stat to know: Watson — the first player in NFL history with at least 25 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns in consecutive seasons — and Robinson should be able connect for some tough completions; Robinson had the third-most receptions (18) on tight-window throws last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. It feels like Watson remains a bit underrated by the general consensus, so I’m glad he got some respect here. And then Raanan found good value the rest of the way.

play

1:20

Stephen A. Smith makes the case for why Deshaun Watson has the best chance to challenge Patrick Mahomes as the top quarterback in the NFL.

Drafted by Cameron Wolfe, Dolphins reporter

Round 1 (5): Aaron Donald, DT Round 2 (60): Ezekiel Elliott, RB Round 3 (69): Kirk Cousins, QB Round 4 (124): Kevin Byard, S

Quarterback was my first priority, but my clear top-four options were gone. So it was between a trio of QBs with differing concerns — Carson Wentz (durability), Aaron Rodgers (age) and Kyler Murray (limited proven production) — and Donald. I took my chances with the defensive tackle. Defense wins championships, right?

I landed Cousins in Round 3 as the 24th QB off the board, and I loved the value there. I got whom I consider the NFL’s best running back in Elliott late in round 2, and he will be the focal point of my offense. I thought about taking Adam Thielen (given his chemistry with Cousins) or cornerback Xavien Howard with my wild-card pick, but I couldn’t pass on Byard. He is arguably the NFL’s best safety and a strong leader. I wish one of the big-four QBs fell to me, but I have a consistent playoff team that leans on defense, the run game and a veteran QB. My team might not be the top contender, but it could easily snag a Super Bowl in a five-year period. — Wolfe

Stat to know: Premium investment in a defensive tackle again? You’ll forgive the skepticism of Dolphins fans, but there’s a reason Donald is the most double-teamed pass-rusher in the NFL, per pass rushing metrics from ESPN and NFL Next Gen Stats. And offensively, an average O-line should be plenty for Elliott, who leads the NFL with 928 rush yards against loaded boxes over his career.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Bold move to not convert the fifth overall pick into a QB! But it’s hard to knock the selection of the league’s best defensive player, and Cousins falling to No. 69 was a good bailout. While I don’t love the Round 2 running back move, getting Byard late was a steal.

Drafted by Kevin Seifert, national NFL writer

Round 1 (6): Ronnie Stanley, OT Round 2 (59): Za’Darius Smith, OLB Round 3 (70): Daniel Jones, QB Round 4 (123): Brandon Brooks, G

I built the Chargers from the inside out, based on three tenets. First, there is a severe shortage of really good offensive linemen in the NFL. Second, finding a pass-rusher who can demand and beat double-teams is rare. Third, the No. 6 spot meant I wouldn’t have access to a young, elite quarterback.

In drafting tackle Stanley and guard Brooks, I have two of the best at their positions. They’ll give me maximum scheme flexibility and make good skill position players better. They also can help recover the inevitable fumbles of my young quarterback, whom I chose with my third pick because of the players remaining at that point. He had the most reasonable room for improvement. Smith wasn’t my first choice for a pass-rusher — I had hoped that Danielle Hunter would slip a bit further — but he fits the bill. — Seifert

Stat to know: Jones will appreciate the blocking help after seeing pressure on 32% of his dropbacks last year, the fifth-highest rate in the league. By ESPN’s pass block metrics, Stanley is one of the NFL’s most consistent blockers. Since 2018, he’s held his block for at least 2.5 seconds 93% of the time, per NFL Next Gen Stats, trailing only David Bakhtiari and Andrew Whitworth among OTs with 300 pass blocks.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Man, I hate passing on a QB with the sixth overall pick, but with age in mind, Stanley is arguably the league’s most valuable LT. And Jones has a shot and isn’t a bad flier if you wait at the position.

Drafted by David Newton, Panthers reporter

Round 1 (7): Joey Bosa, DE Round 2 (58): DeForest Buckner, DE Round 3 (71): Jarrett Stidham, QB Round 4 (122): Jedrick Wills Jr., OT

I made up my mind before the draft that if my top four QBs were gone at No. 7, I would go with the best defensive player. If you’re going to win in this league you’d better be able to create pressure, and Bosa does. And with the wild run of quarterbacks in the first round and into the second, I opted to continue building my roster from the inside out on defense and around pressuring the quarterback with Buckner.

We made every NFL player a free agent then asked our 32 NFL Nation reporters to re-draft four rounds of high-impact stars with a five-year Super Bowl window in mind. Which team is the best? • Re-drafted NFL rosters: All 128 picks » • Experts react to our NFL re-draft »

The key to my draft ultimately will be Stidham. To help him, I took Wills — the 10th overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft — in the fourth round. You can fill in receivers and running backs with average talents, but look at most Super Bowl teams, and you’ll find a solid interior core with a lot of high draft picks. I also chose to build the roster around players 26 years or younger to get the best years of their careers. If Stidham is the real deal, I’ll see you in the Super Bowl. — Newton

Stat to know: Getting to the QB was a top priority for the Panthers and they’ve solidified their line with one of the better outside (Bosa) and inside (Buckner) rushers. Bosa’s 0.78 sacks per game ranks third in the NFL over the past four seasons (minimum 40 games). And over the past two years, Buckner has 18.5 sacks when lined up at defensive tackle, third most in the league.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Bosa is great, but seventh overall is too early. There are more young, impact edge rushers than there are reliable QBs. Buckner is a fine get at 58th, but Stidham under center is a major risk, as is protecting him with an unknown in Wills.

Drafted by Josh Weinfuss, Cardinals reporter

Round 1 (8): Drew Brees, QB Round 2 (57): Chandler Jones, DE Round 3 (72): A.J. Green, WR Round 4 (121): Patrick Peterson, CB

Brees might not have five years left, but he for sure has a good one or two in him, so I immediately went into win-now mode. I followed with arguably the best pass-rusher in the NFL who no one pays attention to; Jones’ 96 sacks since 2012 are the most in that time frame.

I gave Brees one of the four best receivers since 2011 in Green, and paired Jones with a lockdown corner in Peterson. That Jones-Peterson duo will create havoc for offenses and be the cornerstone for a winning defense. — Weinfuss

Stat to know: From 2011 to ’17, Brees threw for over 3,200 yards more than anyone else in that span, while Green was the only receiver to be selected to the Pro Bowl each season.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. It’s 2020 or bust for GM Weinfuss. You may get only one year out of Brees, who is 41, and durability issues for Green, 31, make the veteran receiver risky. Jones, 30, is an elite edge, and while Peterson, 29, is a fine pick, he’s nearing the end of his prime.

Drafted by Mike DiRocco, Jaguars reporter

Round 1 (9): Dak Prescott, QB Round 2 (56): Danielle Hunter, DE Round 3 (73): JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Round 4 (120): Marshon Lattimore, CB

I wanted players age-27 or younger. Taking Prescott at No. 9 might raise some eyebrows, but he has averaged 3,944 yards and 24 TD passes in his first four seasons, and is coming off his best season. Smith-Schuster is only 23 and will be a top-five receiver as long as he’s not catching passes from Delvin Hodges.

On defense, it’s all about elite pass-rushers and corners, and only Aaron Donald and Chandler Jones had more sacks than Danielle Hunter (29) over the past two seasons. Lattimore was the defensive rookie of the year in 2017 and made two Pro Bowls in three seasons. Good, young players form a fantastic nucleus in the quest to win a Super Bowl within five years. — DiRocco

Stat to know: Prescott has posted an above-average Total QBR in all four seasons of his career and ranked fourth last year at 70.2. The only Jaguars passer to post a QBR that high since the metric began in 2006 was David Garrard in 2007. Hunter could also make Duval County forget about Yannick Ngakoue: Hunter had more sacks (14.5 to 8.0) and pressures (56 to 40) in 2019.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1, and my best draft award. I’m surprised Prescott fell to ninth. Hunter is only 25 and remains painfully underrated. Smith-Schuster might have gone in Round 1 if we re-drafted a year ago. And Lattimore is one of the league’s best corners at just 24 years old.

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1:46

Michael DiRocco breaks down why he chose Dak Prescott over other available QBs, as well as his reasons for taking Danielle Hunter and Marshon Lattimore in the Jaguars’ NFL Nation re-draft.

Drafted by Jake Trotter, Browns reporter

Round 1 (10): Nick Bosa, DE Round 2 (55): Justin Herbert, QB Round 3 (74): Chris Godwin, WR Round 4 (119): Jarvis Landry, WR

My strategy was to operate against the grain of simply taking the best QB available, and I got the league’s best young defender in Bosa. I assumed I’d still be able to get a proven QB starter with my second pick but given what was left, I opted to go with highest upside possible. Yes, the success of my draft will hinge on Herbert developing into a franchise-caliber quarterback within the five-year window. But at some point, you have to roll the dice on a QB, and Herbert has an elite skill set.

My approach then shifted to getting Herbert help on his timeline, and that includes Godwin, still just 24. I probably should’ve taken a young left tackle like Andrew Thomas or Jedrick Wills Jr. with my final pick, but Landry is a Pro Bowler and another asset for Herbert. — Trotter

Stat to know: Bosa was easily the league’s best rookie in ESPN’s pass rush win rate, beating his block within 2.5 seconds on 21.8% of his pass rushes. And counting on the unproven Herbert is a little easier to do when you’re the only team in the exercise with two of the league’s top 10 in receiving yards last year. Godwin was one of two players (Michael Thomas) with 1,300-plus and nine-plus receiving TDs.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. I don’t love passing on QB at 10th overall, but Bosa is a defensive cornerstone. Herbert is a complete lottery ticket, and the QB situation scares me. At least he’ll have weapons.

Drafted by Rich Cimini, Jets reporter

Round 1 (11): Carson Wentz, QB Round 2 (54): Odell Beckham Jr., WR Round 3 (75): Bradley Chubb, OLB Round 4 (118): Zack Martin, G

I didn’t want to build a one-year wonder. All four picks are under the age of 30, and I made the seemingly ridiculous decision to take Wentz, 27, over Aaron Rodgers, 36, with the 11th overall pick. I’m thinking long term here, folks, and I think I picked up four blue-chip talents in the prime of their careers.

Admittedly, there are durability concerns with Wentz, Beckham and Chubb, but the risk-reward factor was too good to ignore. When all three are healthy, they can be among the best at their respective positions. People tend to forget about Chubb because he missed most of last season because of a knee injury, but he’s the same player who exploded for 12 sacks as a rookie. As for Martin, he doesn’t play a so-called “premium” position, but we’re talking about the best guard in the sport and a future Hall of Famer. I like my team. — Cimini

Stat to know: Wentz averaged 299.8 yards per game from Weeks 14-17 last year, throwing seven touchdowns and zero interceptions — and his Eagles were led in receptions in that stretch by Boston Scott, Greg Ward Jr. and Dallas Goedert. Beckham and his five career 1,000-yard seasons represent a significant talent upgrade.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Well done grabbing a franchise QB in Wentz at 11, and we know OBJ has elite upside. It just felt way too early on Chubb.

Drafted by Paul Gutierrez, Raiders reporter

Round 1 (12): Aaron Rodgers, QB Round 2 (53): Von Miller, OLB Round 3 (76): Josh Jacobs, RB Round 4 (117): Henry Ruggs III, WR

Let’s make right what once went wrong, shall we? The Raiders coulda, shoulda, woulda drafted Rodgers way back in 2005, but went with speedy cornerback Fabian Washington instead. Now a grizzled vet and a future Hall of Famer, Rodgers has a massive chip on his shoulder with the Packers having drafted Jordan Love, and Jon Gruden loves vets with chips — and ‘ships. Miller, a veteran presence on defense who has terrorized the Raiders for nine years, checks another box.

Filling out this roster with youth and speed is the yin to the vet yang, so Jacobs and Ruggs — the fastest man in the 2020 draft — make for a balanced roster. — Gutierrez

Stat to know: Miller’s sack total was “only” 8.0 last year, the first time he has had less than 10 sacks in a full season. Since entering the league in 2011, Miller has more double-digit sack seasons (seven) than the Raiders as a team (four).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Rodgers might not be what he used to be, but I can’t fault taking him at No. 12. And Miller still has something left at age 31. But while Jacobs was great as a rookie, going RB is bold, especially one who hasn’t done much as a receiver. And I think there were proven star WRs available when Ruggs was picked.

Drafted by Mike Wells, Colts reporter

Round 1 (13): Joe Burrow, QB Round 2 (52): Zach Ertz, TE Round 3 (77): Quenton Nelson, G Round 4 (116): Darius Leonard, ILB

The Colts are known for selecting franchise quarterbacks (Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, anyone?). Now it’s Burrow’s turn. Honestly, it was a little surprising that Burrow was still on the board at No. 13.

Coach Frank Reich values tight ends in his offense, and Ertz is one of the best in the NFL, giving Burrow a go-to target. Who better to provide nastiness for the entire team than Nelson, who arguably was the best overall player from the 2018 draft? Franchise quarterback. Big target for said QB. Anchor on the offensive line. And then an anchor on defense with Leonard, who led the NFL in tackles as a rookie in 2018 and was a Pro Bowler in 2019. The foundation is set in Indianapolis. — Wells

Stat to know: Indy hangs on to the crown jewels of their 2018 draft class in Nelson and Leonard. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the two were the second pair of rookie teammates to each make first-team All-Pro, joining Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers of the 1965 Bears.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. There were safer QB targets at No. 13, but I can appreciate selecting an age-23 potential franchise QB in Burrow. Ertz is a safe pick, and hometown heroes Nelson and Leonard will be difference-makers for a long time.

Drafted by Jenna Laine, Buccaneers reporter

Round 1 (14): Tom Brady, QB Round 2 (51): Alvin Kamara, RB Round 3 (78): Chris Jones, DT Round 4 (115): Kenny Golladay, WR

I wanted a proven QB versus potential, and I chose Brady because of his track record, his 45 career game-winning drives and longevity — even at 42, he has missed fewer games than Ben Roethlisberger or Matthew Stafford. I also trust his “clutch” gene more than Matt Ryan. But in taking Brady though, I know my window to win will be much smaller than other teams, possibly as small as two years.

Kamara was the third-best non-QB offensive player on my board, so I was thrilled to land him. He can line up anywhere on the field and can help Brady in the screen game. I like that Jones can move all across the defensive line, and his 69 wins against double teams over the past four seasons puts him second only to Aaron Donald in the NFL, according to ESPN pass-rush metrics powered by NFL Next Gen Stats. Golladay has back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, so I consider him terrific value in the fourth round. — Laine

Stat to know: The Buccaneers drafted everything to help a soon-to-be 43-year-old quarterback. Since coming into the league in 2017, Kamara ranks third in scrimmage touchdowns (37) and fifth in scrimmage yards (4,476). And last season, Golladay had the most catches (16) and tied for the most touchdown catches (five) on throws 20 yards downfield.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. Brady on the Bucs? Pfft. Like that would ever happen. I don’t like the Round 2 running back, but at least Kamara is a receiving weapon, too. Jones is an absolute steal in Round 3, and Golladay a strong late find.

play

2:36

Jay Williams and Rob Ninkovich debate how close Tom Brady could be to surpassing Michael Jordan for greatest athlete of all time.

Drafted by Jeff Legwold, Broncos reporter

Round 1 (15): Drew Lock, QB Round 2 (50): Travis Kelce, TE Round 3 (79): Isaiah Simmons, ILB Round 4 (114): Courtland Sutton, WR

Working off the five-year window, the line between current production and youth with room to grow had to be considered with the selections. The quarterbacks came off the board quickly with 10 already gone, so I made my biggest gamble on potential with Lock.

I had gone in thinking quarterback, edge rusher and cornerback, and I gave a long look at Von Miller with my second pick. But in the everyday NFL world, edge rushers often develop the most quickly, so that was a position that could be addressed later in a full-team build. I decided to get a little more offense with Kelce instead. I might have gotten a little impatient there, and if we re-did it, I would lean defense in the second round. Defensive versatility came in the third with Simmons, the top player on my 2020 draft board, and I think Sutton was a Round 4 steal. — Legwold

Stat to know: Kelce and Sutton serve as a strong inside-outside tandem. Kelce’s 69 catches between the painted numbers trailed only DeAndre Hopkins and Michael Thomas in 2019. Sutton averaged just under 17 yards per catch on targets outside the numbers, which ranked 10th. The duo could help justify the presence of Lock, who was selected before Matt Ryan and Kyler Murray.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Legwold showed his faith in Broncos GM John Elway by taking Lock over safer QB options and then Sutton in Round 4. Kelce is a good, safe pick at No. 50. Simmons is risky, but there’s obviously big upside for the 2020 first-rounder.

Drafted by Vaughn McClure, Falcons reporter

Round 1 (16): Matt Ryan, QB Round 2 (49): Cameron Jordan, DE Round 3 (80): CeeDee Lamb, WR Round 4 (113): Jeff Okudah, CB

Eleven quarterbacks were drafted before my selection, and I’m one of those who believes Ryan is still a top-10 quarterback despite his age. You need your franchise QB, and he gives you almost a 70% completion rate and durability (one missed game over the past 10 seasons).

A consistent pass-rush is also a must, and Jordan has averaged 13.5 sacks over the past three seasons. Pressure up front then needs to be coupled with great coverage, and all signs point to Okudah being a shutdown corner for years to come. Lastly, one NFL executive said Lamb will be a Pro Bowl receiver this year. As a rookie. Imagine how bright his future is then. — McClure

Stat to know: The Falcons get a big boost on defense with the addition of Jordan, who has the third-most sacks over the past three seasons (40.5). Atlanta ranks 27th in sack rate over that same period (5.6%).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Ryan, 35, figures to have a few years left, so getting him 16th overall is a strong value. And the underrated Jordan is a nice get, too. But Lamb and Okudah went before many proven stars at their positions.

Drafted by Todd Archer, Cowboys reporter

Round 1 (17): Kyler Murray, QB Round 2 (48): Tyron Smith, OT Round 3 (81): Keenan Allen, WR Round 4 (112): Maxx Crosby, DE

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The game is about quarterbacks, pass-rushers, pass protectors and big-play ability. I bet on Murray because I wanted to make sure I had a QB who can make plays when things break down. I went with Smith because he remains one of the best left tackles in the game.

In the third round, I got cute and it hurt me. I wanted to take DeMarcus Lawrence but thought maybe his five-sack season in 2019 would make him slip to the final round. I’m happy with Allen, but I could have gotten a comparable receiver in the fourth while shoring up the pass-rush first. Needing to take a defender with my last pick, my choice was down to Crosby and Jeff Okudah. A pass-rush makes a secondary better, and Crosby’s 10 sacks in 2019 lead me to believe he will have bigger things to come in the future. — Archer

Stat to know: Murray likes to get the ball out quickly and had the second-most pass attempts (285) with fewer than 2.5 seconds from snap to throw. He’ll enjoy throwing to Allen, who has been the model of consistency with the third-most receptions since 2017 (303) and 1,100 receiving yards in each of the past three years.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. Archer had to be shocked Murray was still on the board at 17th overall. I sure am. Both Murray and Smith were steals, and I do like the Allen get at No. 81. Crosby was probably a reach, but he flashed as a rookie.

Drafted by Brooke Pryor, Steelers reporter

Round 1 (18): Teddy Bridgewater, QB Round 2 (47): Minkah Fitzpatrick, S Round 3 (82): Mitchell Schwartz, OT Round 4 (111): DK Metcalf, WR

At No. 18, I felt like I was in no-man’s land. The top-tier QBs were off the board, and the some of the best skill players were also gone. I decided to go with Bridgewater because he has shown potential of jumping into the next tier of QBs, and I think a couple of years in New Orleans have made him even better. Then I focused on getting a game-changing defensive player. A young Swiss Army knife talent like Fitzpatrick more than fits the bill.

Next, I wanted to give Bridgewater durable support in an offensive weapon and a protector. I went with Schwartz for that protection, though I almost chose Orlando Brown. Schwartz has a Super Bowl ring, so I ultimately chose experience over youth, but I believe Brown is on his way to becoming a mainstay in the league. Metcalf was my final pick. Sure, he had a good rookie season, but I’m still not over his pre-draft workout photos. No way could I pass on a guy as jacked as him. — Pryor

Stat to know: Can Fitzpatrick replicate the impact he had on Pittsburgh’s defense last year? After he joined the team before Week 3, the Steelers’ defense led the NFL in Total QBR allowed (39.1) and tied with the Panthers for the league lead in sacks (49).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. I would’ve aimed younger at No. 18, and the jury certainly remains out on Bridgewater. He has made only six starts over the past four complete seasons. But it’s hard to fault any of Minkah, Schwartz and Metcalf selections.

Drafted by Jeff Dickerson, Bears reporter

Round 1 (19): Jimmy Garoppolo, QB Round 2 (46): Derrick Henry, RB Round 3 (83): Jerry Jeudy, WR Round 4 (110): Eddie Jackson, S

I was determined to draft a quarterback in Round 1 and felt fortunate that Garoppolo was available. At 28 years old, he tied for fifth in touchdown passes (27) and took his team to the Super Bowl last year. And Henry, the NFL’s rushing champion, was a no-brainer for me in the second round.

I wanted another offensive weapon, so I used my wild-card pick on Jeudy. My only regret is that I took Jeudy over Amari Cooper, who went four spots later. Hindsight is 20-20, but there’s no time to second-guess in my war room. I wrapped up the draft by addressing defense with ascending Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson. Translation: 12 victories and a berth in the conference championship game, at minimum. — Dickerson

Stat to know: Which two teams led the NFL in play-action passing yards last year? Henry’s Titans (1,694) and Garoppolo’s 49ers (1,614). There might be a play-action pass or two in this Chicago playbook.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Garoppolo appears legit, and getting him at 19th overall is a nice value. Henry doesn’t catch enough balls to go at No. 46, and as Dickerson acknowledged, it was risky to go Jeudy over proven commodities. I would’ve looked elsewhere on defense, too, but Jackson is solid.

Drafted by Lindsey Thiry, Rams reporter

Round 1 (20): Christian McCaffrey, RB Round 2 (45): Bobby Wagner, ILB Round 3 (84): Jared Goff, QB Round 4 (109): Dante Fowler Jr., DE

The top tier of quarterbacks were off the board, so I held out, anticipating a few midtier options would remain available after the initial first-round run. It made sense instead to get the multipurpose McCaffrey, who last season led the league with 2,392 scrimmage yards. Because of the snake format draft, it also made sense to select an elite defensive player in Wagner in the second round.

My quarterback gamble paid off in the third round, as I was able to take Goff. He might have had a down season in 2019 but still has plenty of potential given he helped the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018. A good-to-elite pass-rusher is always important in forming a successful defense, and Fowler — coming off his most successful season to date with 11.5 sacks — seemed like an obvious great value. — Thiry

Stat to know: McCaffrey became only the third player in NFL history to record 1,000 rush and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season (Marshall Faulk and Roger Craig). But he also led all running backs in receptions and receiving yards on play-action, which should help Goff, who in 2018 threw a league-best 15 play-action TDs.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. McCaffrey is incredible, but my analytically-inclined brain can’t get behind an RB at 20th overall. Wagner is a great get, Goff isn’t a bad find in Round 3 and Fowler is off the board a bit too early.

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2:43

Max Kellerman, Booger McFarland and Christian McCaffrey can’t agree on who’s the best running back in the NFL between McCaffrey, Zeke Elliott and Saquon Barkley.

Drafted by Tim McManus, Eagles reporter

Round 1 (21): Baker Mayfield, QB Round 2 (44): Chase Young, DE Round 3 (85): Lane Johnson, OT Round 4 (108): A.J. Brown, WR

I bought low on the 25-year-old Mayfield, believing circumstance dragged him down last season and that he’s poised for a sharp ascent entering Year 3. Given that we’re looking at a five-year window to pursue a championship, I can’t think of an edge rusher I’d rather bet on than the exceptionally-gifted Young, who led the FBS with 16.5 sacks last season.

I would have preferred a left tackle in Round 3, but it would have been a forced pick given the players available, and you can sleep well knowing Johnson is going to take care of business on his side. With the main priorities checked off the to-do-list, I gave Mayfield an explosive skill position player to lean on in Brown. — McManus

Stat to know: Expect plenty of big plays. Mayfield has the fourth-most completions of at least 20 yards downfield (56) over the past two seasons. Now he gets to throw to Brown, who led all rookies in receiving yards (1,051) last season and averaged the second-most yards per reception (20.2) in the NFL.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Mayfield remains an unknown, but I like the upside dart throw at No. 21. We know Johnson is an elite OT, and while Young and Brown are less of sure things, both have elite upside.

Drafted by Marcel Louis-Jacques, Bills reporter

Round 1 (22): Michael Thomas, WR Round 2 (43): Josh Allen, QB Round 3 (86): Matthew Judon, OLB Round 4 (107): Micah Hyde, S

With so many QBs off the board by the time my first pick came around, I wanted to focus on getting a bonafide playmaker for whichever QB I ended up with. And you can’t do too much better than Thomas. Then Allen’s ability to extend plays and move the chains elevated him above the remaining QB candidates in the second round, especially if he develops on the same trajectory in Year 3 that he did in Year 2. Judon provides this defense with a high-level pass-rusher, while Hyde secures the secondary as one of the league’s most underrated and versatile safeties. — Louis-Jacques

Stat to know: If you’re sticking with Allen, the only qualified passer who didn’t complete 60% of his passes in either 2018 or 2019, then pairing him with Thomas is as good as it gets. NFL Next Gen Stats tells us Thomas led the NFL with a plus-12.7% catch percentage above expectation last season. That’s great news for Allen’s accuracy; he ranked 31st out of 32 last year in off-target percentage on short throws (17%).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Thomas may be the most valuable non-QB in the league. But can Allen get him the ball? And Nos. 86 and 107 feel a little early for Judon and Hyde, respectively.

Drafted by Mike Reiss, Patriots reporter

Round 1 (23): Sam Darnold, QB Round 2 (42): T.J. Watt, OLB Round 3 (87): Amari Cooper, WR Round 4 (106): Frank Clark, DE

A trusted personnel evaluator relayed that any good team would primarily focus on four areas — QB, pass-rusher, CB and left tackle. But picking at No. 23, there was concern with the quality of QB that would be there. So it was a pleasant surprise to see Darnold still available (he got the nod over Matthew Stafford due to age). Two top pass-rushers in Watt and Clark create the foundation for a defense that will attack with the pass-rush, while Cooper in the third round was simply a case of not letting an unexpected opportunity with a high-end player pass.

I was hoping All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson would fall to No. 87 in the third round, but it figures the Colts (No. 77) ensured that wouldn’t happen. Cooper was a nice consolation prize. — Reiss

Stat to know: The Patriots are the only team in this exercise that has two different pass-rushers with 20-plus sacks over the past two seasons.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. I appreciate the objectivity of taking Darnold over Stidham, but the locals may not. Landing Watt at No. 42 is a steal, and Reiss did a solid job filling the roster out with Cooper and Clark.

Drafted by Mike Triplett, Saints reporter

Round 1 (24): Khalil Mack, OLB Round 2 (41): Ryan Ramczyk, OT Round 3 (88): Jamal Adams, S Round 4 (105): Philip Rivers, QB

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I obviously went with the “best available” strategy since I was the last person to draft a QB. I considered Kirk Cousins in Round 2, but since 17 QBs were taken before I even made my first pick, I never felt like there would be a major drop-off if I waited. I’m happy with Rivers in the short term while I develop a future replacement — maybe even Taysom Hill.

Meanwhile, I landed a top-10 overall talent in Mack at No. 24 and a steal in Adams at No. 88. My toughest choice was Ramczyk at No. 41 over fellow OTs like Tyron Smith, Laremy Tunsil and Terron Armstead. But Ramczyk is obviously a great fit with the Saints, just turned 26 and is widely regarded as the league’s top right tackle. And we could move him back to his college position of LT if needed. — Triplett

Stat to know: The passing game was a priority on both sides of the ball. Mack is one of two players since 2014 with 60.0 sacks and 20 forced fumbles (Chandler Jones). Last season, Adams had the second-best completion percentage relative to expectation when the nearest defender, trailing only Eddie Jackson, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. And Adams has 12.0 career sacks, which is most among all defensive backs over the past five seasons (Adams debuted in 2017).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Mack is great, but also 29 years old and not a QB. That’s a risky move at No. 24. I like the Ramczyk and Adams picks, and Rivers is a great short-term QB find at No. 105.

Drafted by Courtney Cronin, Vikings reporter

Round 1 (25): Ryan Tannehill, QB Round 2 (40): Davante Adams, WR Round 3 (89): Arik Armstead, DE Round 4 (104): Harrison Smith, S

I grabbed Tannehill, who I see as a top-15 QB talent, with my first-round selection and built around him. The 2019 season was the best of Tannehill’s career, and I believe bringing a true No. 1 receiver like Adams into the mix will allow him to carry over that success for the next three to five years. Adams has the second-most receiving touchdowns (28) over the past three seasons and shows up when it counts the most, with 45 catches for 687 yards and six touchdowns in eight playoff games.

The value I got for a pass-rusher (another key part of a Super Bowl team) in the third round, when I landed Armstead coming off a 10-sack breakout season, made me feel like I was building a solid, balanced team. I chose Smith with my wild-card pick because when a future Hall of Famer is available, you take him, especially one who makes plays all over the defense. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he’s the only player in the league with 20-plus interceptions (23) and 10-plus sacks (13) since 2012. — Cronin

Stat to know: Adams is Tannehill’s only above-average skill player, a spot in which he’s familiar. Over the past two years, Adams is one of six wideouts who has accounted for over one-quarter of his team’s targets, joining Michael Thomas, DeAndre Hopkins, Jarvis Landry, Keenan Allen and Julio Jones.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Cronin is betting that she’ll get the Tannehill of 2019. We’ll see. But Adams, Armstead and Smith were good, safe picks.

Drafted by Sarah Barshop, Texans reporter

Round 1 (26): DeAndre Hopkins, WR Round 2 (39): Saquon Barkley, RB Round 3 (90): Derek Carr, QB Round 4 (103): Tyrann Mathieu, S

No elite quarterback available at No. 26? No problem. The player I took instead only needs an average one to be an All-Pro. Hopkins is in his prime and has put up huge numbers with the likes of Brian Hoyer, Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage throwing him the ball.

I was shocked to see Barkley on the board for my next pick, so I opted to go for the best running back-wide receiver combo in the league. Carr is coming off a strong season without elite playmakers to throw to, so he was an easy third-round pick. I wanted J.J. Watt but couldn’t risk missing out on the best of the remaining quarterbacks. Besides, Mathieu — who was voted by his teammates as the MVP of the reigning Super Bowl champions — is an ideal leader and playmaker to lead the defense. — Barshop

Stat to know: The non-O’Brien Texans welcome back Hopkins and pair him with Barkley, both of whom rank third at their positions in scrimmage yards since 2018. And Carr quietly set career-highs in Total QBR and yards per attempt last season, and would have the two best weapons of his career.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. I am shocked Barshop took Hopkins over David Johnson. Wait, no I’m not. Speaking of running backs, I would’ve passed on one in the second round, but at least it’s the young, dynamic Barkley. Carr was a strong value, and Mathieu’s versatility is a terrific get.

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DeAndre Hopkins joins Jalen & Jacoby to rank himself against the elite wide receivers in the NFL like Michael Thomas and Julio Jones.

Drafted by Brady Henderson, Seahawks reporter

Round 1 (27): Mike Evans, WR Round 2 (38): Jalen Ramsey, CB Round 3 (91): Ben Roethlisberger, QB Round 4 (102): DeMarcus Lawrence, DE

Eighteen quarterbacks were already taken, and I went into the draft prioritizing a wide receiver or left tackle as my non-QB offensive player. Evans was the choice at No. 27 because he’s younger than Julio Jones and more trustworthy than Tyreek Hill.

Jared Goff was tempting at No. 38, but I went with Ramsey with the hopes that Roethlisberger would still be there for my third pick. He was. My thinking: The difference between Goff and Roethlisberger is smaller than the difference between Ramsey — arguably the NFL’s top cornerback — and any defenders who would be available at No. 91. It was a toss-up between Lawrence and Frank Clark for my final pick, but I went Lawrence because of his superior pass rush win rate. — Henderson

Stat to know: What better way for Roethlisberger to get his career going again after missing all but two games last season than throwing the ball to someone like Evans, who joined Randy Moss as the only players with 1,000 receiving yards in each of their first six seasons.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Evans is a difference maker but a bit bold of a pick in Round 1. Landing Big Ben in Round 3 was a nice save, while Ramsey and Lawrence are tremendous gets on defense.

Drafted by Jamison Hensley, Ravens reporter

Round 1 (28): Matthew Stafford, QB Round 2 (37): Julio Jones, WR Round 3 (92): J.J. Watt, DE Round 4 (101): Stefon Diggs, WR

As one team official said long ago, you need a strong-armed quarterback to compete in the AFC North. Stafford was too obvious. The only other worthy quarterbacks available were either too young (Tua Tagovailoa) or too risky because of health (Cam Newton).

The Ravens’ mindset is to take a running back next, but Jones was sitting there at the No. 37 overall pick. As Baltimore showed time and time again in the 2020 NFL draft, you take the best player available. The Ravens have traditionally had vocal leaders on defense, so it made perfect sense to take someone like J.J. Watt. For the wild-card spot, the targets were running back Nick Chubb and kicker Justin Tucker. But both were selected in the five picks before I was on the clock. The top player left at the No. 101 pick, in my opinion, was Diggs. — Hensley

Stat to know: Stafford ranks sixth in passing TDs over his career (237), but his teams have ranked in the top 12 in scoring defense only once. Enter Watt, whose Texans defenses have ranked in the top 12 in scoring defense in six of his nine career seasons.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Stafford was one of the steals of the draft, as the 32-year-old remains an above-average starter. This team will have a short window with Jones and Watt nearing the end of their primes. Will Diggs dig being second in line at WR?

Drafted by Turron Davenport, Titans reporter

Round 1 (29): Tyreek Hill, WR Round 2 (36): Cam Newton, QB Round 3 (93): Fletcher Cox, DT Round 4 (100): Jaire Alexander, CB

How can I generate chunk plays through the air and keep opposing teams from doing the same? On offense, Hill is a receiver who can score any time he touches the ball and one of the NFL’s best deep threats. To further take advantage of that, I got Newton because of his downfield accuracy. The current real-life free agent can also extend plays to give Hill even more time to break free from coverage.

Defensively, I had Cox targeted, figuring he’d drop because of his sack numbers. He’s a disruptive player who impacts the quarterback and consistently stops running plays behind the line of scrimmage. Getting a top-level coverage corner like Alexander to match up with opposing WRs makes the pass defense complete. — Davenport

Stat to know: Could Hill’s speed turn Newton back into Superman? Hill has 43 catches of at least 30 yards since entering the league in 2016, the most in that span. Newton’s average pass distance traveled 10.3 yards in his 2015 MVP campaign, third-highest in the NFL. But that dipped to a career-low 7.0 air yards per attempt in 2018, which ranked 30th.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Davenport landed a game-changer in Hill at No. 29 and quickly found him a QB (albeit a risky one) in Newton a few picks later. Cox and Alexander are both defensive disruptors.

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Domonique Foxworth explains why Cam Newton hasn’t lived up to expectations during the nine years he has been in the NFL.

Drafted by Rob Demovsky, Packers reporter

Round 1 (30): Tua Tagovailoa, QB Round 2 (35): David Bakhtiari, OT Round 3 (94): Darius Slay, CB Round 4 (99): Justin Tucker, K

Picking at No. 30 wasn’t ideal for finding an established quarterback who’s better than average. But if you’re running the Packers, you better have a quarterback who can keep the franchise relevant. The ceiling is higher for Tagovailoa than any of the experienced guys who were still available. And you better protect him with an All-Pro tackle (yes, Bakhtiari is a left tackle and Tua is left-handed so he wouldn’t necessarily be protecting his blind side, but he’s elite). You’d love a pass-rusher, too, but the sure-fire disruptors were gone by Round 3. A shutdown corner is next-best in terms of importance, and I got that in Slay.

As for the kicker, why the heck not if you can get the best one in the league? The league-wide field-goal percentage last season was 81.6% (the lowest since 2009, according to ESPN Stats & Information) so having a kicker who’s coming off a 96.6% season (28 of 29) might win a game or two. Besides, it’s my team, and I’ll do what I want! — Demovsky

Stat to know: Keeping Tagovailoa upright is priority No. 1, and Bakhtiari will help a lot. He was the best pass blocking offensive tackle in the NFL, according to ESPN’s pass block win rate, sustaining 96% of his pass blocks for at least 2.5 seconds.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Tua was arguably as good as Burrow pre-injury, so landing a 22-year-old potential star QB at No. 30 is an excellent value. Demovsky then protects him with one of the best in Bakhtiari, adds a top CB in Slay and then takes … a kicker?

Drafted by Nick Wagoner, 49ers reporter

Round 1 (31): George Kittle, TE Round 2 (34): Myles Garrett, DE Round 3 (95): Jameis Winston, QB Round 4 (98): Grady Jarrett, DT

With the 31st pick, I planned to wait on QB, and I wanted either the best player at a lesser position where there’s a sizable drop-off or someone who is elite at a premium position. I believe I checked each box with Kittle and Garrett, respectively.

I would have waited to take Winston with my final pick, but Kansas City still needed a quarterback, and he was the clear best option at that point. Finally, I would have preferred a top corner with my last selection, but Jarrett is one of the most underrated players in the league, and I liked him better than any of the corner options available. So I figured I’d give Garrett a running mate to get after quarterbacks. — Wagoner

Stat to know: Over the past two seasons, Kittle’s 2,430 receiving yards trails only Travis Kelce among tight ends. That should help Winston, who in that same span has completed 64% of his passes to tight ends, fourth-worst of any quarterback with at least 100 such throws. Meanwhile, the “Arrett Brothers” should provide pressure on the quarterbacks. Last season, Jarrett was second in pass rush win rate among interior defenders, while Garrett was fourth off the edge.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. Kittle and Garrett are arguably the best at their respective positions, Winston is a great QB flier at No. 95 and Jarrett is an elite DT. I like it a lot!

Drafted by Adam Teicher, Chiefs reporter

Round 1 (32): Stephon Gilmore, CB Round 2 (33): Dalvin Cook, RB Round 3 (96): Nick Chubb, RB Round 4 (97): Tyrod Taylor, QB

I was guided by the “best player available” philosophy throughout and was pleasantly surprised at the availability of the NFL’s top cornerback in Gilmore and a couple of versatile backs in Cook and Chubb. But having seen how the draft unfolded, I made a mistake in waiting until my second wave of back-to-back picks to get my quarterback.

• Early rankings: Kiper » | McShay » • Meet the QBs » | Lawrence v. Burrow » • Predicting risers, sleepers, more » • Projecting the top 10 picks for 2021 » More NFL draft coverage »

I anticipated a better selection of QBs being available when I passed the first time around, and I was wrong. Instead of Cook, I should have gone for a veteran like Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr or Jared Goff, or even a younger player like Justin Herbert or Jarrett Stidham. But now I’m stuck with a journeyman at the game’s most important position, and I’m afraid I’m doomed to a lowly record and a much higher draft pick next year. — Teicher

Stat to know: Virtually the opposite of the real-life Chiefs, this Kansas City team will be run-heavy. It features a backfield with last year’s second-ranked (Chubb) and seventh-ranked (Cook) rushers in rushing yards per game. And when he was a starter from 2015 to ’17, Taylor’s 1,575 rushing yards and 14 rushing TDs trailed only Cam Newton among QBs.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Starting with the league’s best corner was great, but back-to-back running backs and a 30-year-old borderline backup QB is problematic.

ALL 128 PICKS OF THE RE-DRAFTRound 1

1. Cincinnati: Patrick Mahomes, QB 2. Washington: Russell Wilson, QB 3. Detroit: Lamar Jackson, QB 4. N.Y. Giants: Deshaun Watson, QB 5. Miami: Aaron Donald, DT 6. L.A. Chargers: Ronnie Stanley, OT 7. Carolina: Joey Bosa, DE 8. Arizona: Drew Brees, QB 9. Jacksonville: Dak Prescott, QB 10. Cleveland: Nick Bosa, DE 11. N.Y. Jets: Carson Wentz, QB 12. Las Vegas: Aaron Rodgers, QB 13. Indianapolis: Joe Burrow, QB 14. Tampa Bay: Tom Brady, QB 15. Denver: Drew Lock, QB 16. Atlanta: Matt Ryan, QB 17. Dallas: Kyler Murray, QB 18. Pittsburgh: Teddy Bridgewater, QB 19. Chicago: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB 20. L.A. Rams: Christian McCaffrey, RB 21. Philadelphia: Baker Mayfield, QB 22. Buffalo: Michael Thomas, WR 23. New England: Sam Darnold, QB 24. New Orleans: Khalil Mack, OLB 25. Minnesota: Ryan Tannehill, QB 26. Houston: DeAndre Hopkins, WR 27. Seattle: Mike Evans, WR 28. Baltimore: Matthew Stafford, QB 29. Tennessee: Tyreek Hill, WR 30. Green Bay: Tua Tagovailoa, QB 31. San Francisco: George Kittle, TE 32. Kansas City: Stephon Gilmore, CB

Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Donald & Lamar Jackson ESPNRound 2

33. Kansas City: Dalvin Cook, RB 34. San Francisco: Myles Garrett, DE 35. Green Bay: David Bakhtiari, OT 36. Tennessee: Cam Newton, QB 37. Baltimore: Julio Jones, WR 38. Seattle: Jalen Ramsey, CB 39. Houston: Saquon Barkley, RB 40. Minnesota: Davante Adams, WR 41. New Orleans: Ryan Ramczyk, OT 42. New England: T.J. Watt, OLB 43. Buffalo: Josh Allen, QB 44. Philadelphia: Chase Young, DE 45. L.A. Rams: Bobby Wagner, ILB 46. Chicago: Derrick Henry, RB 47. Pittsburgh: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S 48. Dallas: Tyron Smith, OT 49. Atlanta: Cameron Jordan, DE 50. Denver: Travis Kelce, TE 51. Tampa Bay: Alvin Kamara, RB 52. Indianapolis: Zach Ertz, TE 53. Las Vegas: Von Miller, OLB 54. N.Y. Jets: Odell Beckham Jr., WR 55. Cleveland: Justin Herbert, QB 56. Jacksonville: Danielle Hunter, DE 57. Arizona: Chandler Jones, DE 58. Carolina: DeForest Buckner, DE 59. L.A. Chargers: Za’Darius Smith, OLB 60. Miami: Ezekiel Elliott, RB 61. N.Y. Giants: Yannick Ngakoue , DE 62. Detroit: Derwin James, S 63. Washington: Shaquil Barrett, DE 64. Cincinnati: Josh Allen, DE

Round 3

65. Cincinnati: Laremy Tunsil, OT 66. Washington: Trent Williams, OT 67. Detroit: Tre’Davious White, CB 68. N.Y. Giants: Terron Armstead, OT 69. Miami: Kirk Cousins, QB 70. L.A. Chargers: Daniel Jones, QB 71. Carolina: Jarrett Stidham, QB 72. Arizona: A.J. Green, WR 73. Jacksonville: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR 74. Cleveland: Chris Godwin, WR 75. N.Y. Jets: Bradley Chubb, OLB 76. Las Vegas: Josh Jacobs, RB 77. Indianapolis: Quenton Nelson, G 78. Tampa Bay: Chris Jones, DT 79. Denver: Isaiah Simmons, ILB 80. Atlanta: CeeDee Lamb, WR 81. Dallas: Keenan Allen, WR 82. Pittsburgh: Mitchell Schwartz, OT 83. Chicago: Jerry Jeudy, WR 84. L.A. Rams: Jared Goff, QB 85. Philadelphia: Lane Johnson, OT 86. Buffalo: Matthew Judon, OLB 87. New England: Amari Cooper, WR 88. New Orleans: Jamal Adams, S 89. Minnesota: Arik Armstead, DE 90. Houston: Derek Carr, QB 91. Seattle: Ben Roethlisberger, QB 92. Baltimore: J.J. Watt, DE 93. Tennessee: Fletcher Cox, DT 94. Green Bay: Darius Slay, CB 95. San Francisco: Jameis Winston, QB 96. Kansas City: Nick Chubb, RB

Round 4

Who is No. 1 in the latest NFL Football Power Index? Go to Ratings

97. Kansas City: Tyrod Taylor, QB 98. San Francisco: Grady Jarrett, DT 99. Green Bay: Justin Tucker, K 100. Tennessee: Jaire Alexander, CB 101. Baltimore: Stefon Diggs, WR 102. Seattle: DeMarcus Lawrence, DE 103. Houston: Tyrann Mathieu, S 104. Minnesota: Harrison Smith, S 105. New Orleans: Philip Rivers, QB 106. New England: Frank Clark, DE 107. Buffalo: Micah Hyde, S 108. Philadelphia: A.J. Brown, WR 109. L.A. Rams: Dante Fowler Jr., DE 110. Chicago: Eddie Jackson, S 111. Pittsburgh: DK Metcalf, WR 112. Dallas: Maxx Crosby, DE 113. Atlanta: Jeff Okudah, CB 114. Denver: Courtland Sutton, WR 115. Tampa Bay: Kenny Golladay, WR 116. Indianapolis: Darius Leonard, ILB 117. Las Vegas: Henry Ruggs III, WR 118. N.Y. Jets: Zack Martin, G 119. Cleveland: Jarvis Landry, WR 120. Jacksonville: Marshon Lattimore, CB 121. Arizona: Patrick Peterson, CB 122. Carolina: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT 123. L.A. Chargers: Brandon Brooks, G 124. Miami: Kevin Byard, S 125. N.Y. Giants: Allen Robinson II, WR 126. Detroit: DJ Moore, WR 127. Washington: Terry McLaurin, WR 128. Cincinnati: Tyler Lockett, WR

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Biggest Week 10 injury questions for all 32 NFL teams

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Biggest Week 10 injury questions for all 32 NFL teams

7:48 PM ET

NFL NationESPN

After missing recent action, Patrick Mahomes and David Johnson could be back in their respective teams’ active lineups this weekend, and A.J. Green could finally make his 2019 debut.

Our NFL Nation reporters update the top injury question for every team heading into Week 10, with intel gathered directly from the source:

Jump to: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE NO | NYG | NYJ | OAK | PHI | PIT | SF SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

AFC EAST

The Bills are in a better position than most in terms of overall team health. Cornerback Kevin Johnson was limited in Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury but did not don a red “non-contact” jersey; this bodes well for his availability Sunday. He’s one of three outside corners on Buffalo’s 53-man roster and his depth is needed as the team prepares for Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

Two key veteran starters — center Daniel Kilgore (knee) and safety Reshad Jones — (chest) have missed the past three games, but each could be nearing a return this Sunday; both are practicing for the second consecutive week, and coach Brian Flores deemed them close to a return. It could signal the return of the Dolphins’ best active defensive back in Jones and offensive captain in Kilgore. — Cameron Wolfe

The Patriots held their lone practice of the bye week, and starting safety Patrick Chung (heel/chest) was one of just two players not spotted at the beginning of the full-pads workout (tight end Benjamin Watson was the other). So the bye comes at a good time for Chung, whose ability to match up with opposing tight ends and help in run support makes him a key cog to the defense. — Mike Reiss

Running back Le’Veon Bell (knee) didn’t practice Wednesday (his first miss of the season), but the team is cautiously optimistic that he will be able to play against the Giants. Even if he plays, it could mean more carries for Bilal Powell and Ty Montgomery. Tight end Chris Herndon (hamstring) is probably 50-50. He’s practicing on a limited basis, but he hasn’t been able to cut loose yet. — Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

There really isn’t much of an injury question for the Ravens this week. Ronnie Stanley, the Ravens’ starting left tackle, missed Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury but is expected to play Sunday against the Bengals. If Stanley surprisingly can’t suit up, James Hurst would fill in for him. The only other Baltimore player who missed practice because of an injury is guard Marshal Yanda, who is dealing with a cold he picked up from his children. — Jamison Hensley

Before Wednesday, A.J. Green (ankle) appeared on track to make his season debut this weekend. But after he missed practice Wednesday, that appears up in the air. If he doesn’t have a full practice Thursday, Green could be in jeopardy of missing another game. This is already the longest injury absence of his NFL career. — Ben Baby

Defensive end Olivier Vernon did not practice while nursing a knee injury suffered Sunday. Coach Freddie Kitchens has called him day-to-day. The good news is that safety Damarious Randall has returned from a hamstring injury, while left tackle Greg Robinson was practicing despite an ankle injury. Tight end Ricky Seals-Jones (knee) was limited to the side, which means for the moment Cleveland has only two healthy TEs, Demetrius Harris and former practice-squad member Stephen Carlson. — Jake Trotter

Will running back James Conner play Sunday? Still recovering from an AC injury to his shoulder suffered in the final minutes of the victory against the Dolphins, Conner didn’t play against the Colts. Conner is expected to be limited in practice this week, but “perk up” in later practices, per coach Mike Tomlin. If Conner can’t go, the Steelers will again lean heavily on Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds — who were ineffective in the red zone in the Week 9 win. — Brooke Pryor

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Field Yates and Stephania Bell give an update on James Conner’s shoulder injury and how fantasy managers should handle him.

AFC SOUTH

The Texans hope their secondary will benefit from the bye week. On Tuesday, coach Bill O’Brien said cornerbacks Bradley Roby (hamstring) and Lonnie Johnson (concussion) as well as safety Tashaun Gipson (back/wrist) are trending in the right direction to be ready to play against Baltimore in Week 11. — Sarah Barshop

2 Related

A possible positive sign for the Colts: Quarterback Jacoby Brissett (knee) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday just days after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee in the first half against Pittsburgh. However, coach Frank Reich said it’s not a “slam dunk” that Brissett plays Sunday against the Dolphins. “This guy is as tough as they come, but we’ve got to do the right thing for him and for our team,” Reich said. “We will just see how it plays out. He is our quarterback. We want him to play and if he’s ready to play, then he will be the starter.” Brian Hoyer will start if Brissett doesn’t play. — Mike Wells

The bye week is coming at the perfect time for wide receiver Dede Westbrook and cornerback D.J. Hayden, both of whom missed Sunday’s game with shoulder/neck injuries. Coach Doug Marrone said both should return to practice Monday, and would be on track to play the following Sunday. In fact, Marrone said he anticipates linebackers Leon Jacobs (hamstring) and Quincy Williams (hamstring) will return to practice Monday as well. That’s three starters and a key reserve the Jaguars will have back for the Colts. — Mike DiRocco

Center Ben Jones missed last weekend’s game against the Panthers due to a concussion, and reserve swing lineman Jamil Douglas started in Jones’ place. Jones was on the field for the individual period Wednesday, and coach Mike Vrabel said Jones is progressing but still not cleared from concussion protocol. — Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

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With the Broncos on their bye week, the health of right tackle Ja’Wuan James continues to be a question that affects the team’s offense. Essentially, the Broncos would like, at minimum, to rotate Elijah Wilkinson and Garett Bolles at left tackle because Bolles continues to struggle to avoid, and then rebound from, penalties in games. But they can’t use Wilkinson to do that when James is not in the lineup, because Wilkinson is starting at right tackle. James played 10 snaps in the season opener when he suffered a knee injury. He injured the same knee 22 plays into the next game he played — Week 8 against the Colts. So with James having been in the lineup just 32 plays all season, Denver continues to try to make do on the offensive line. As Broncos players adjourned for their bye-week break, coach Vic Fangio said, “I don’t know that yet” when asked if James would be able to play Week 11 against Minnesota. — Jeff Legwold

The starting quarterback spot for Sunday’s game against the Titans looks to be Patrick Mahomes’ to lose. The Chiefs increased his workload in practice Wednesday as they began preparations for the Titans. If his knee holds up, there’s a good chance he will play. But Chiefs haven’t committed to that yet, so this could again come down to the end of the week. — Adam Teicher

Linebacker Denzel Perryman is dealing with a knee injury he suffered during last weekend’s victory over the Packers. Perryman did not practice this week, and is questionable for Thursday’s road game against the Raiders. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said Perryman will be a game-time decision. Perryman has recorded 20 combined tackles over the past three games, so the Chargers could use the Miami product in the lineup. — Eric D. Williams

Center Rodney Hudson missed the win against the Lions after suffering an ankle injury 10 plays into the Raiders’ loss in Houston on Oct. 27. And right tackle Trent Brown went down three plays into the Lions game with a knee injury, though he tried, unsuccessfully, to return while wearing a knee brace. On such a short week, it’s hard to see either O-lineman returning to face the Chargers on Thursday. Which would mean more snaps for center Andre James and tackle David Sharpe, who have both acquitted themselves well in replacing Hudson and Brown thus far. — Paul Gutierrez

NFC EAST

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With a quick turnaround following Monday’s road game, the Cowboys did not have a padded practice Wednesday, and Amari Cooper was a spectator. Cooper hurt his knee in practice last week and banged it into the turf against the Giants, but continued to play. The hope is that rest will help him play Sunday. Leighton Vander Esch (stinger) was on the field for the workout and the belief is he will be able to return after sitting out Monday. If he can’t, then Sean Lee will continue to see action. Safety Jeff Heath has 12 stitches on his knee that could affect his status this weekend, but the expectation is he will be able to play against Minnesota. — Todd Archer

Tight end Evan Engram ruled himself out this weekend against the Jets with what the Giants are calling a “mid-foot sprain.” He wore a boot Wednesday on his left foot. The MRIs were sent to foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson, but Engram said the belief is that it’s not the dreaded Lisfranc injury. He “dodged a bullet,” as the TE put it. Engram’s hope is that he can return after the Week 11 bye for the game against Chicago. — Jordan Raanan

Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery suffered an ankle injury late in Sunday’s victory against the Bears, but he didn’t seem overly concerned about it after the game. However, couple this latest ailment with the calf strain that hindered Jeffery for much of the first half of the season, and this becomes a much-needed bye week for the veteran, who will have to carry the load now that DeSean Jackson is sidelined for the remainder of the season. “I’m going to take care of my body, that’s about it,” Jeffery said of his plans this week. “I’m not doing too much. Just treatment.” — Tim McManus

Quarterback Case Keenum is still in the concussion protocol, but it might be a moot point because there’s a good chance Dwayne Haskins will continue to start. The bye week will be good for running back Derrius Guice, who is expected to come off the injured reserve list after spraining his left knee. The Redskins hope having an extra week — he would have been eligible to return this week — will help Guice. The week off should also benefit right tackle Morgan Moses (pectoral injury), who should be fine, and defensive lineman Tim Settle, who underwent platelet-rich plasma treatment for a hamstring injury. His status remains uncertain. — John Keim

NFC NORTH

The Bears made it out of Philadelphia with only one noteworthy injury: Nose tackle Eddie Goldman is dealing with a thigh issue. Goldman has just 16 total tackles on the season, but he’s a large body who clogs running lanes up the middle. The Eagles rushed for 146 yards against the Bears in Week 9. Ex-Bear Jordan Howard ran for 82 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. Goldman played only 11 of 89 defensive snaps in that loss. — Jeff Dickerson

Matthew Stafford (hip/back) was limited in practice, and at this point it doesn’t seem that concerning. But considering the quarterback has had issues with the hip and back over the past season-plus, it’s going to be worth monitoring as the week progresses. Starting guard Joe Dahl (ankle) missed practice as well, which likely means Kenny Wiggins and Graham Glasgow will start for the second consecutive game. Tracy Walker (knee) missed practice again Wednesday, too. But the main one to watch, for now, is Stafford. — Michael Rothstein

Yes, Davante Adams returned last weekend from a four-game absence due to turf toe. And yes, he caught seven passes Sunday against the Chargers, but he still didn’t look like the Adams of old. And here’s why: “I’m obviously healed at this point but as far as being a thousand percent back to myself, I wouldn’t quite say I’m quite there yet,” Adams said. “But I’m able to do a lot of things right now and do what I can to contribute.” — Rob Demovsky

The Vikings are considerably more banged up entering Week 10 than they’ve been at any point this season. Adam Thielen (hamstring), C.J. Ham (ankle) and Ifeadi Odenigbo (shoulder) were held out of practice Wednesday, while Trae Waynes (ankle) and Stephen Weatherly (groin) were limited participants. Thielen aggravating the hamstring injury he initially sustained in Week 7 could put him at risk of missing more time while he heals. When Dalvin Cook dealt with a similar injury last season, Minnesota eventually shut the running back down for several weeks to let him recover instead of allowing him to practice on a limited basis and testing out his hamstring ahead of several games to determine whether he could go. It feels like this could be the course of action Minnesota takes with Thielen to get him back fully healthy as the Vikings look to make a push for the playoffs down the stretch. — Courtney Cronin

NFC SOUTH

Quarterback Matt Ryan, who missed the Falcons’ Week 8 game against Seattle with a sprained right ankle, was limited in practice Wednesday. Coach Dan Quinn stopped short of declaring Ryan ready to play against the Saints on Sunday, but Quinn said during last week’s bye he was optimistic about Ryan’s return. “Feel good,” Ryan said after practice. “Feeling a little bit better every day. That’s what you do when you have something like this. You just try and focus on daily improvement, try to get back to yourself as fast as possible.” Ryan said he always prepares to start, so his mindset hasn’t changed going into this week. He hadn’t missed a game since December 2009 before he was inactive for the loss to the Seahawks. — Vaughn McClure

Defensive end Vernon Butler was having back issues and went for an evaluation Wednesday, so the Panthers signed Wes Horton, who had been with the team previously. Horton knows the system, so it should be an easy adjustment if Butler can’t play Sunday at Green Bay. Butler had stepped up since the loss of Pro Bowl defensive end/tackle Kawann Short. — David Newton

The bye week served the Saints well. They had every player on the practice field Wednesday, including running back Alvin Kamara (ankle/knee), tight end Jared Cook (ankle) and wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith (ankle). Kamara was listed as limited, so it’s possible the Saints might lighten his workload a bit to keep him fresh. But he should still be a big part of the offense. — Mike Triplett

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Stephania Bell expects RB Alvin Kamara will be active Sunday coming off the Saints’ bye week.

Coach Bruce Arians said tight end O.J. Howard (hamstring) would be good to go this weekend after missing the past two games with a hamstring injury, and Cameron Brate continues to play through sore ribs. On the defensive side of the ball, Arians said “there’s a chance” outside linebacker Carl Nassib (groin) will play, but it’s unlikely backup Anthony Nelson (hamstring) will. Cornerback Carlton Davis, who suffered a hip injury during warmups against the Seahawks, is also a question mark at this point. — Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Right tackle Justin Murray (knee) did not practice again Wednesday, putting his status for Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay in doubt. If he can’t play, Justin Pugh will likely line up at right tackle again and Mason Cole, whom coach Kliff Kingsbury called Arizona’s most valuable lineman because of his versatility, will play left tackle for a second consecutive game. Meanwhile, running back David Johnson (ankle), who missed the past two games and most of the Week 7 game against the Giants, declared that he’s “definitely playing” this weekend, though Kingsbury wasn’t dealing in absolutes. “Hopefully we see what we want this week and we can get him back out there,” the coach said. — Josh Weinfuss

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks has been ruled out against the Steelers as he continues to recover and seek opinions from specialists for the two concussions he suffered last month. In Cooks’ absence, Josh Reynolds is expected to start. Sean McVay also said outside linebacker Clay Matthews, who was sidelined after Week 5 after breaking his jaw, and running back Malcolm Brown, who was inactive the past two games because of an ankle injury, were on track to play. — Lindsey Thiry

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Stephania Bell contemplates how fantasy managers should handle Brandin Cooks due to the uncertainty of his return from his latest concussion.

Reinforcements are on the way for the 49ers’ offense in the form of left tackle Joe Staley (fibula) and fullback Kyle Juszczyk (sprained MCL), both of whom are expecting to play Monday night against Seattle. The question is whether right tackle Mike McGlinchey will also be back from his knee injury. McGlinchey is hopeful that he will return, and said it’s not so much about healing as getting his wind back. “I think I’m just about through the rehab process and it’s about becoming a football player again,” McGlinchey said. — Nick Wagoner

Wide receiver Josh Gordon passed his physical and will practice Thursday when the Seahawks get back to work ahead of their Monday night game against the 49ers. Gordon still has a new offense to learn, and the Seahawks have to figure out where he might fit within it. But coach Pete Carroll said Gordon is “ready to go” physically after dealing with a minor knee injury that landed him on injured reserve with the Patriots. — Brady Henderson

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theuniversitychallengereview · 7 years ago

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Episode 8 - Sheffield Hallam vs Newcastle

I’m going to start this week’s blog by pitching you a TV show, after which I will try and tenuously link it to The Challenge.

Okay, so you know how after elections have been held, there is coverage through the night on just about every channel apart from the porn ones (or maybe even the porn ones, I’ve never checked) and Dave (which is showing reruns of the last election) with a wide variety of guys called David and Jeremy offering up cutting analysis and maybe a few jokes here and there until Laura Kuenssberg blows her whistle and Big Ben Bongs (RIP) to bring about the end of proceedings. The problem with this is that the results are announced before the game even begins, with the ominous sounding of the exit poll toll.

They all sit around debating whether or not the exit poll is right when there’s a very big chance that it’ll be right and an even bigger chance that any inaccuracies won’t be big enough to swing the results in any meaningful way. It takes all of the sporting thrill out of the event, so I am proposing exactly the same show, but without the exit poll.

I mean, I stay up all night to watch anyway, because there are a bunch of fantastic charts, but if there was no inevitability about it all then you could really live in the moment of each constituency announcement. (If anyone from the television is reading this please get in touch) Likewise with Brexit, that would have been an absolutely exhilarating ride for the full ten hours.

Sheffield Hallam, as well reaching the quarter finals of University Challengein 2001, is also a parliamentary constituency. Specifically it was the old seat of Nicholas William Peter Clegg, who lost it in May and then proceeded to make an interminably long speech which, despite feverish flicking through the myriad channels of dirge, I never could escape from.

Like post exit-poll election night TV, University Challenge could also be said to be rather predictable. The last four finals have been all Oxbridge affairs, and half of all series champions have come from those two Universities. This is due in part to the fact that both have dedicated quizzing societies and a great number of exceptional quizzers. But they also get to enter five teams each a year.

When University Challenge went on hiatus in 1987, the Oxford University Quiz Society limped on for a few years and disappeared all together in the early 90s. It was given the kiss of life when Magdalen won consecutive titles just before the turn of the millennium. In those early years of the Paxman era, the triumphs of the Oxbridge colleges, helped by the fact they had multiple entries, spurred them onto the creation of the quizzing dynasty that still exists. Success breeds success.

The University of Manchester is also an example of this, and other institutions with growing quiz societies like Edinburgh and Warwick are steadily improving as they look to challenge the ancient duopoly. If more spaces were open to non-Oxbridge entrants then perhaps we would see a surge in enthusiasm for quizzing spread across more Universities.

Naturally, given the high concentrations of talent, the Oxford and Cambridge “superteams” would be even harder to beat at first, but not unbeatable, given the element of chance in the knockout format. And after a few years, with the appearances divvied up more widely throughout the country, I think there would be a proliferation of interest in quizzing much as there was in Oxford post-revival, and that the gap would even itself out a bit.

I’m not sure why I’ve decided to give this spiel today when the match features no Collegiate teams, but I started my bit about the banning of exit polls without any idea of how I was going to segue and I think I kinda found a throughline (deliciously tenuous, as promised) so I can’t afford to waste it.

Hallam’s quarter final came on their only appearance, whereas Newcastle have made the last eight five times, putting them sixth for the Paxman era, though they've never made it any further, putting them joint forty-ninth for semi-final appearances. At least one of them would have the chance to have the chance of reaching the round robin again by making it to the second round.

Not that either side seemed particularly bothered in taking that chance over the first few questions, with a couple of starters sailing off into the ether, bothered only by a neg from Newcastle’s Reynard. His teammate Nielsen dug them out of the minuses with the first of five ten pointers - the highest of the show.

Brexit made its first appearance of the series (and its second of this blog post) with the picture starter on Googling data. I was then tricked by the bonuses on similar graphs for the searching of three politicians into thinking that the colour of each line represented the party affiliations of the relevant persons. So I was initially very confused by how the blue line could be Nick Clegg (although...), and then vindicated with my guess of Nicola Sturgeon for the yellow line. I’d realised by the time of the red line that I’d been wrong, and Hallam missed the obvious gimme of Dave C for what would have been the only bonus points they picked up all day.

Newcastle like to play quickly when they know their bonuses, though on one occasion this backfires and they interrupt Paxman with an incorrect answer. Fortunately it was the correct answer to the next question - maybe they’d just been trying to take the Two Ronnies Mastermind sketch to futuristic territory.

And talking of predicting answers, pretty much the exact question on the Big Dipper that Brian Jackson got caught for cheating on in Starter For Ten came up, though sadly no one buzzed in before it had been asked. It was one of several Astronomy questions on the episode, some of which were quite delightful, but some of which were tedious ‘which one of the planets’ type things. There are only eight planets in the solar system and you tend to be able to eliminate at least five even if you have no idea what the question is on about so I don’t know why there are always so many of them.

I watched the 2000 Grand Final between Oriel and Durham today, and one of the bonuses essentially amounted to ‘which planet comes after Uranus’. I know Pluto was still alive and kicking back then, so they could maybe have gone for that, but its definitely a sign that the questions weren’t all “much harder back in the day” as is often said.

Regardless of the question difficulty, tonights match was the lowest scoring of the past ten years (and possibly twenty five, I haven’t finished the stats) with the combined total of 210 points being lower than Bristol, Southampton and Warwick achieved on their own already this series.

Final Score: Sheffield Hallam 40 - 170 Newcastle

Hallam certainly won’t be here for the highest scoring loser play-off (they’d be shoe ins if it was lowest scoring losers) and Newcastle will need to up their game if they’re going to have any hopes of making the quarter finals for a sixth time, or the semis for the first.

#university challenge #newcastle #sheffield hallam #bbc2 #jeremy paxman

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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The 6 best offensive lines in the NFL right now

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Retired NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz checks in on the top two tiers of OLs a quarter of the way through the season.

Every quarter of the NFL season, I’ll be doing an offensive rankings of sort. I don’t like to rank 1-32, because there are always many units that are close in the rankings. So I’ll use the tier system. Heading into the season, we had the Eagles, Cowboys, Saints, Patriots, and Steelers in the upper tier, followed closely by the Packers, Bears, Colts, and Chiefs.

Let’s see where the offensive lines stand now.

The upper tier after four weeks of the regular season has three of the five from the preseason rankings: the Eagles, Cowboys and Saints. The Patriots’ injuries have slid them down, while the Steelers just haven’t been the same — possibly because of the quarterback situation, but more because they lost their offensive line coach, Mike Munchak, to the Broncos.

It’s also worth mentioning, as longtime NFL reporter John Clayton told me last season, the rule of 150. If your starting offensive line has a combined age of 150 or over, it declines fast due to older players’ diminishing skills and injuries. I hadn’t heard about it, but it applied last year to the Atlanta Falcons, whose OL got worse as the season went along. With a younger right tackle, the Steelers are right at 150, so according to Clayton’s theory, their OL is supposed to decline, which is showing just a bit.

But enough about which ones have fallen. Let’s get to the best of the best right now. These are no order, FYI.

The top offensive line tier

There are just three in this group, at least so far this season.

Philadelphia Eagles

It’s no surprise the Eagles are in this upper tier. They are monsters in the trenches, even with some injuries hampering them. What makes the Eagles’ offensive line so unique is they have big bodies. Brandon Brooks at right guard and Jason Kelce at center are playing at their usual high levels. Both tackles, Lane Johnson and Jason Peters, are ranked in the top 10, according to Pro Football Focus.

As a unit, the Eagles are 12th in adjusted line yards, second in power rank (needing 2 yards or less on third or fourth down), and eighth in stuff rate, all of those according to Football Outsiders. These rushing numbers are all without having an elite-level running back.

In pass protection, they are a physical group, highlighted by Johnson. Their tackles are almost always on an island and give Carson Wentz plenty of time for work.

Here are some highlights of their offensive line, brought to you by Brandon Thorn. If you want weekly offensive line breakdowns and videos, he’s the man to follow.

Brandon Brooks is one of the biggest guards in the NFL, but is also one of the most skilled. Through the first 3 weeks he's shown some impressive variance in his sets & hands. - Snatch & trap - 'Flash' technique - Jump set This after tearing his Achilles 8 months ago pic.twitter.com/J0qppO23Yy

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) September 26, 2019

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys might be the “best” offensive line through the first four weeks. I know, the Saints ate them up in Week 4, but one game shouldn’t change my opinion, or yours, for that manner.

I said before the season that Cowboys center Travis Frederick was the single most important addition for a contender. Having him back has solidified the offensive line and added some protection at left guard, where Connor Williams struggles at times. Zack Martin and Tyron Smith have been their usual excellent selves, and La’el Collins, fresh off a new contract at right tackle, is currently the highest-ranked tackle by Pro Football Focus.

The film backs up how Collins is playing:

Such a great rep by La'el Collins here to get the snatch in vs. Jordan 1v1 & put him on the turf pic.twitter.com/yVLz16Akc2

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 2, 2019

The Cowboys are fifth in adjusted line yards, first in power rank, and seventh in second-level rank, which measures the yards earned between 5-10 on a given run. That shows me the Cowboys are opening up massive holes for the running backs. They are also playing smart football, which is something needed when running some of these RPO-style plays, as evidenced by Smith here:

Y’all ... freaking clinic footwork and execution by the @dallascowboys LT Tyron Smith on Dak Prescott’s long run. The Redskins run a gap exchange to force Dak to pull the ball and Tyron’s footwork and prep allow him to make a tougher block than it looks. Great work pic.twitter.com/V9IJFn3eSU

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) September 17, 2019

New Orleans Saints

The Saints had an outstanding offensive line last season and returned four starters — all but center Max Unger, who retired. His replacement came in the form of Erik McCoy, a rookie from Texas A&M. He’s had his ups and downs, but luckily for the Saints, his ups have been higher than his downs.

Look at this finish by McCoy against the Cowboys:

Erik McCoy having a strong night. pic.twitter.com/bSbS7w3XAZ

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) September 30, 2019

What I love most about the Saints’ offensive line is their versatility. They run a wide variety of run schemes and they excel in their ability to execute those blocks. Here’s an example from Week 1:

This might be the best blocked run play of week 1! All of the @Saints lineman get a plus on this toss play, including rookie center Erik McCoy. Huge hole for Kamara to sprint through. Notice the finish by everyone! up!! @CoachPaintCH pic.twitter.com/5FG1uT11Ag

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) September 12, 2019

While they are big road graders, they also have nimble feet in pass protection, and their right tackle is one of the best in the game.

The second offensive line tier

A few units are knocking on the door of the first tier, but aren’t quite there yet.

Baltimore Ravens

Their offensive line has been great rushing the football. I was wrong on my prediction about Orlando Brown Jr., as I saw him more like Ereck Flowers. The big man has been powerful in the run game, leading this unit to the second-best adjusted line yards rate, while also being third in second-level yards. Also, Brown understands the pass pro isn’t passive.

There's some serious power behind Orlando Brown Jr.'s strikes pic.twitter.com/JtMG6NyNbR

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) September 25, 2019

Lastly, left tackle Ronnie Stanley has come into his own and is having a Pro Bowl-caliber start to his season.

Indianapolis Colts

The fighting Quenton Nelsons! This dude is amazing at his job, as you’ve seen with the hundreds of videos I’ve posted in the last three seasons (including his last year at Notre Dame). The Colts are ninth in running back yards and seventh in adjusted sack yards.

They weren’t in the upper tier entering the season because of their right side, which is still the side of the line that’s holding them back. Don’t worry, though. They are still an above-average unit.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers continue to have a terrific tackle pass protection unit, led by left tackle David Bakhtiari. Their issue is at right guard, where Billy Turner hasn’t played well, and it’s messing up their pass protection at times. It’s hard to protect at tackle when the quarterback can’t step up in the pocket. The right guard is vital to the pass protection success.

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gizedcom · 4 years ago

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Guerin Emig: A vote of conscience, confidence for Chuba Hubbard as Big 12 Offensive Player of Year | OSU Sports Extra

Sam Ehlinger will likely be the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, scheduled to be announced this week, which is both sensible and predictable given Ehlinger’s accomplishments and the fact he plays the most important position on the league’s most scrutinized team.

I believe he will be first team All-Big 12 quarterback at the end of 2020, assuming there is a 2020 season.

I also believe Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard will be Offensive Player of the Year.

Consider this a vote of conscience, Hubbard having joined basketball coach Mike Boynton as the moral compass of OSU athletics the past several weeks.

Consider this primarily a vote of confidence.

I like Hubbard because I’m confident he is going to be as active in OSU’s offense as he was last year when he touched the ball 351 times.

Wait, you say. Remember what Mike Gundy said last January before the world went insane?

“I don’t see Chuba getting 30 carries a game like he did last year.”

I also remember Gundy saying five minutes later: “We need to have Chuba more involved in the throwing game. It makes us a better offense.”

What’s more likely to happen this season — Gundy giving No. 2 running back LD Brown more carries? Or Hubbard adding to his 23 receptions total from 2019?

I doubt Hubbard equals Joseph Randle’s 43-catch production out of OSU’s 2011 backfield. Surely, though, he can get in the 30s. He caught seven passes at West Virginia alone last fall.

Gundy and newly-installed offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn want Spencer Sanders targeting Tylan Wallace, Dillon Stoner and Landon Wolf downfield, no doubt. They want Sanders handing off to Hubbard more than flipping him screen passes.

I’m confident handing off to Hubbard will be just as effective this year as it was last. Meaning, I’m confident of the following…

* That OSU will figure out a way to play a couple non-conference games.

Hubbard rushed for 477 yards and six touchdowns against Oregon State and Tulsa. It was man barreling over boys.

It would have been the same this September, only now Oregon State isn’t playing in Stillwater and who knows whether the Big 12 will join the Pac-12 and Big Ten in wiping out non-conference games?

* That OSU will figure out a way to fortify an offensive line missing Johnny Wilson, Marcus Keyes and Dylan Galloway from the one that blew open holes a year ago.

Hubbard will be depending on Teven Jenkins and Bryce Bray, the two full-time returning starters, primarily, but also on West Virginia transfer Josh Sills, who should be a starter, and on coach Charlie Dickey, who is charged with rebuilding half his line.

* That Tylan Wallace stays healthy.

With Wallace out wide, defenses must play OSU’s run game honestly. That happened the first half of 2019, before Wallace tore up his knee. Then defenses cheated a little closer to the box and Hubbard’s production dipped.

* That Hubbard stays healthy.

“Chuba was beat up the last part of the season and didn’t practice much,” Gundy also said last January.

He’s going to get beat up again this season. It’s the life of a 2,000-yard running back, no matter how carefully he is protected.

Hubbard still cleared 100 yards in his last three regular-season games of 2019, but he didn’t have the same burst. He got a month of rest before the Texas Bowl, then averaged 8.2 yards per carry against Texas A&M.

I have confidence Hubbard will pick up where he left off when he gets his first touch of 2020, that he’ll keep getting touches both in the run and pass game, that he’ll keep cutting back into wide swaths created by his replenished line, that he and Wallace will be healthier deeper into the season, and that the end result will make him 2020 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

Here’s my Preseason All-Big 12 ballot

Spencer Rattler, Spencer Sanders, Brock Purdy, Charlie Brewer, Alan Bowman and Skylar Thompson make this the deepest position in the conference. No quarterback is more proven, or valuable, than Ehlinger.

Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State

Hubbard is obvious. I went with Brooks over Pooka Williams and Breece Hall because of opportunities. Brooks should get plenty of touches with Trey Sermon now at Ohio State.

Wallace is also obvious. I have no idea about the second receiver. Brennan Eagles of Texas? T.J. Vasher of Texas Tech? Charleston Rambo of OU? I sort of think Rattler spreads it around. Parchment should get 15 targets a game at KU.

Charlie Kolar, Iowa State

Wanna drive Big 12 defensive coordinators crazy? Ask them about trying to cover Kolar.

Jack Anderson, Texas Tech

Start with Humphrey and then draw names out of a helmet, honestly.

Wyatt Hubert, Kansas State

Darius Stills, West Virginia

JaQuan Bailey, Iowa State

The Sooners’ Ronnie Perkins would get consideration were he not suspended for the first five games of the upcoming season.

Three triple-digit tacklers from a year ago. OSU’s Amen Ogbongbemiga is a fourth. He narrowly misses the cut.

Anthony Johnson, Iowa State

A leap of faith here on Brown, assuming Grinch’s defense is ready to take the ball twice as much as it did a year ago.

Iowa State safety Greg Eisworth is my nickel.

Austin McNamara, Texas Tech

Joshua Youngblood, K-State

Watch now: Thurman Thomas among former Cowboys interested in showing Mike Gundy, OSU a better way

A look at OSU running back Chuba Hubbard’s career so far

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard (30) carries the ball up the middle against against the Texas A&M Aggies during the fourth quarter of the 2019 Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX, Dec 27, 2019. ERIK WILLIAMS/for the Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard (30) looks to block Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Demani Richardson (26) while carrying the ball during the second quarter of the 2019 Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX, Dec 27, 2019. ERIK WILLIAMS/for the Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (right) was named to the Preseason Walter Camp 2020 All-American first team. ERIK WILLIAMS/for the Tulsa World, file

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (left) tries to avoid Oklahoma’s DaShaun White during the bedlam football game in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, November 30, 2019. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Chuba Hubbard breaks free for a touchdown during Oklahoma State’s football game vs. TCU on Nov. 2, 2019 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. DEVIN LAWRENCE WILBUR/For the Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (30) carries the ball during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va., on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson)

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (30) runs with the ball during the first half of the NCAA college football game against Texas Tech, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Brad Tollefson)

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard blows a kiss to the Oklahoma State fans after their 34-27 win over Iowa State after an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney)

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (left) and Hunter Anthony (right) celebrate a touchdown against Kansas’ during a football game in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, November 16, 2019. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (left) is hit by Baylor’s JT Woods (right) during a football game in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, October 19, 2019. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard warms up against Baylor during a football game in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, October 19, 2019. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Chuba Hubbard celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during Oklahoma State’s football game vs. No. 24 Kansas State in Stillwater, Oklahoma at Boone Pickens Stadium, on September 28, 2019. DEVIN LAWRENCE WILBUR/For the Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (center) is brought down just short of the goal line by Texas defenders during a football game in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, September 21, 2019. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard (30) stiff arms Tulsa Golden Hurricane safety Cristian Williams (3) during the NCAA football between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (left) runs downfield against McNeese State at a football game in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, September 7, 2019. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard (30) poses for a portrait during the Oklahoma State Football media day in Stillwater on August 3, 2019. Tulsa World File photo

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs the ball during Oklahoma State’s Spring Weekend at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla. on Saturday, April 20, 2019. IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2019

Running back Chuba Hubbard makes a catch at football practice during Oklahoma State’s first day of fall camp at the Sherman E. Smith training center in April 2019. DEVIN LAWRENCE WILBER/For the Tulsa WOrld

Chuba Hubbard in 2018

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard raises his arms as he scores a touchdown during a football game against Missouri State at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., on Thursday, August 30, 2018. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2018

Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs through an attempted tackle by Boise State Broncos safety DeAndre Pierce (4) during the NCAA football between the Boise State Broncos and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. on Saturday, September 15, 2018. IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2018

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (bottom) is brought down by Iowa State’s Will McDonald during a football game at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, October 6, 2018. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2018

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (center)heads downfield against Texas during a football game in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, October 27, 2018. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2018

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (center) runs downfield under pressure from Oklahoma’s Curtis Bolton (right) at the Bedlam football game in Norman, Okla., on Saturday, November 10, 2018. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2018

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard runs past a pack of West Virginia defenders including Dravon Askew-Henry (right) during a football game at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, November 17, 2018. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2018

Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard runs breaks away from Missouri linebacker Cale Garrett during the first half of the Liberty Bowl NCAA college football game in Memphis, Tenn., Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. JOE RONDONE/The Commercial Appeal via AP

Chuba Hubbard in 2017

Running Back, Chuba Hubbard, 30, runs a pass during a drill at Oklahoma State’s first practice at the Sherman E. Smith practice center in Stillwater on Sunday July 30, 2017. Tulsa World file

Chuba Hubbard in 2017

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard warms up against Texas Christian during a football game at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, September 23, 2017. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Chuba Hubbard in 2017

Justice Hill (left) and Chuba Hubbard sign autographs during Fan Appreciation Day at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, August 4, 2018. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Video: Eric Bailey and Guerin Emig break down Bedlam

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