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junker-town · 5 years ago

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6 winners and 5 losers from Day 2 of the NFL Draft

AJ Epenesa, Jonathan Taylor, and Xavier McKinney were all Day 2 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Ravens’ running game got better, Carson Wentz is on notice, and Roger Goodell needs a nap.

Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft is over, and 74 more college stars saw their pro dreams come true. Players coming from programs ranging from LSU and Ohio State to Lenoir-Rhyne and Dayton heard NFL commissioner Roger Goodell call their names to shove them off on their NFL journeys.

The ripples of Friday night’s decisions won’t be fully understood for at least a decade as early-round picks fizzle and overlooked prospects rise to the top of the NFL. Even so, we can gather a pretty good idea of which players, teams, and college programs are celebrating a little bit harder than others as the draft nears its halfway point.

So who looks best after a quick glance in the rear view mirror? And which teams may need to stick their landing on Day 3?

Winner: Every team that got a first-round talent on Day 2

On Thursday night, 32 elite football players were welcomed into the NFL fraternity. But the amount of sheer talent that was still waiting to be drafted was incredible:

One personnel director calls this “the deepest second round in the last 25 years.” He believes there are 20 players available tonight that could have been first-round picks; there usually are 7-10. “There will be as many starters in this round that there are in the first round.”

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2020

So many names who were expected to be drafted in the first round — and might have been in any other year — remained on the board. Safety Xavier McKinney was a popular mock draft pick for the Cowboys or Dolphins. So was cornerback Kristian Fulton to the Raiders, edge A.J. Epenesa to the Patriots, cornerback Jaylon Johnson to the Vikings, OT Josh Jones to the Dolphins, and WR Denzel Mims to the Packers, among others.

Other players who could’ve sneaked into Round 1 included safety Antoine Winfield Jr, OT Ezra Cleveland, and even running backs D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor or J.K. Dobbins. (Please, no debates about the value of a first-round running back right now.)

All of those players were available heading into Day 2. Teams like the Colts (Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr.), Cowboys (Trevon Diggs, Neville Gallimore), Giants (McKinney), Bills (Epenesa), Jets (Mims), and Cardinals (Jones) were the ones to benefit most.

Winner: The scary as hell Ravens running game

No team had more rushing yards than the Ravens in 2019.

Lamar Jackson earned MVP honors by becoming the first NFL quarterback to ever eclipse 1,200 rushing yards. He was joined in the Baltimore backfield by Mark Ingram, who racked up 1,018 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Oh, and don’t forget about Gus Edwards, who averaged 5.3 yards per carry.

That unstoppable ground game somehow got even better Friday when the Ravens added J.K. Dobbins with the 55th pick.

Dobbins rushed for at least 1,000 yards in all three of his seasons at Ohio State. In 2019, he became the first Buckeyes running back ever to have a 2,000-yard season. That’s something Eddie George, Ezekiel Elliott, Archie Griffin, and many other great running backs didn’t accomplish.

Baltimore definitely didn’t need Dobbins’ help. Unfortunately for the entire AFC, he’ll make the Ravens — who are putting together an excellent draft — even harder to stop.

Loser: Carson Wentz

Aaron Rodgers landed on our list of Day 1 losers because the Packers drafted Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. But at least that pick made some sense. Yes, Green Bay could’ve provided Rodgers with the help he needs to win a Super Bowl, but he’s 36 and the Packers need to consider life after his retirement.

That logic can’t be applied to the Eagles’ pick, though.

Wentz is 27 and has five seasons left on his contract. It’s hard to figure out what exactly the team was thinking when it drafted Jalen Hurts in the middle of the second round. While Philadelphia knows all about the benefits of a quality backup quarterback, there were plenty of better ways to improve the roster.

Instead, there’s legitimate reason to question Wentz’s future with the franchise. A team doesn’t draft someone in the second round unless it foresees that player being a long-term fixture.

Winner: Drew Lock

The Broncos’ 2019 second-round pick gave them a lot of reason to be optimistic last year. Lock finished his rookie season 4-1 as a starter with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

On Thursday, Denver gave him some help by picking Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy with the No. 15 pick. Unsurprisingly, Lock was happy about it:

— Drew Lock (@DrewLock23) April 24, 2020

The Broncos didn’t stop there, though. In the second round, they Penn State receiver KJ Hamler with the 46th pick. Lock was excited about that too:

— Drew Lock (@DrewLock23) April 25, 2020

Suddenly, Lock has a quite the arsenal. Jeudy and Hamler are joining an offense that already had receiver Courtland Sutton and 2019 first-round tight end Noah Fant. Adding center Lloyd Cushenberry in the third round was just the icing on the cake.

Winner: Good dogs

A fully virtual NFL Draft promised us one very important thing: a lot of good dogs on TV. But the first day was a little bit disappointing. While Giants coach Joe Judge talked about how well-versed his golden retriever Abby is about the 2020 class, she didn’t make a single appearance.

Fortunately, there was a much larger dog presence in Day 2. Bill Belichick even turned into one:

No wonder the Patriots dominated the last two decades.

Loser: Tom Brady

Thursday was a great day for Touchdown Tom, with the Buccaneers moving up one spot in the draft order to secure Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. It’s a good thing they did, because the rest of the NFC South spent Friday loading up on players to take Brady down.

First, the Panthers took Penn State edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos with the 38th pick. He made it clear what his immediate NFL goal is for the 2020 season.

Yetur Gross-Matos: I want to sack Tom Brady.

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) April 25, 2020

The Atlanta Falcons were next when they picked Auburn pass rusher Marlon Davidson at 47th overall. The All-SEC defensive lineman will likely line up at defensive tackle in Dan Quinn’s defense, which added Dante Fowler Jr. earlier in the offseason.

New Orleans got in on the pass rush party too. After not picking in the second round, the Saints traded away a 2021 third-round pick to move up and take Wisconsin edge rusher Zack Baun at 74th overall.

Brady got some help of his own in Day 2. The Buccaneers added running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn in the third round (and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the second round, which probably only reminded Brady of how old he is). But that didn’t do much to change the fact that he’s clearly in the crosshairs of the other NFC South teams.

Loser: Aaron Rodgers, again

Rodgers didn’t get his first-round wideout. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; borderline Day 1 talents like Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault, Denzel Mims, and Michael Pittman Jr. were all on the board to begin Day 2. With a little luck or another trade up the draft board — like the club did to select Rodgers’ possible replacement, Jordan Love — one of those players would be the next big addition to the Packers’ receiving corps.

Green Bay got none of those players. It got a Boston College power back with 21 collegiate receptions to his name (AJ Dillon) and a third-round tight end out of Cincinnati who had 92 catches and 1,117 receiving yards ... in four years with the Bearcats (Josiah Deguara). Instead of getting an immediate boost to his passing game, Rodgers got a couple of lottery tickets who may not make his offense any better.

Winner: Matt Hennessy

The former Temple offensive lineman didn’t just get drafted with the 14th pick in the third round Friday night by the Falcons. As the 3.14 pick, he also won a shit load of pizza.

As the 78th pick, Matt Hennessy gets free @pizzahut for a year. As the 2020 Pizza Hut Pi Pick

— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) April 25, 2020

That’s an award that should only go to offensive linemen. Congrats on the pizza, Matt.

Loser: Roger Goodell’s gas tank

The commissioner’s doing more work than usual during the draft. In a typical year, Goodell would only announce the first-round picks. The other rounds have recently been handled by trash-talking NFL alumni (who could forget Drew Pearson roasting Philadelphia?), animals, and league representatives other than Goodell reading the picks.

But this year Goodell has to read off all the selections and it seems to be wearing him out. Just look at him by the time the back half of the third round rolled around.

Roger Goodell is exhausted pic.twitter.com/TYHRjV5F8A

— SB Nation (@SBNation) April 25, 2020

There’s another 149 draft picks coming Saturday. Is Goodell going to make it?

Loser: QB Jake Fromm

Fromm had to go through the first two nights of the draft without hearing his name called. What’s even worse is that there was a camera in his living room that captured him having to wait in agony:

We still don’t understand why Fromm declared for the NFL Draft this year. He had three OK seasons in Athens, but he was also coming off his least efficient year and failed to impress at the NFL Combine.

If he had returned in 2020, his team could’ve still won the SEC East division and he would’ve gotten a chance to his boost his NFL resume with a bounce-back year. Sure, maybe he didn’t want to come out in 2021, the same year as Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields (aka Fromm’s former backup). But he’s already seen five quarterbacks go ahead of him this year. Who knows how much longer he’ll be waiting alongside his generically handsome family.

Winner: Tight ends

There were six tight ends taken in the first rounds of the last three drafts. That streak ended this year, when zero tight ends went off the board on the first night of the draft. It wasn’t a shock, by any stretch. But it confirmed what many already thought about the positional group: It’s the weakest of the draft class.

The second night of the draft was another story. Now, as many tight ends (five) as quarterbacks have been selected through two nights of the draft.

Tight ends started making their comeback one-third of the way through the second round, when the Bears took Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet with the No. 43 overall pick. (Did the Bears need a tight end? Probably not.)

The third round is where things really started to pick up, though. Four different tight ends heard their name called by an increasingly sleepy Goodell: UCLA’s Devin Asiasi, Cincinnati’s Josiah Deguara, Virginia Tech’s Dalton Keene, and Dayton’s (yes, Dayton!) Adam Trautman.

Two of them, Asiasi and Keene, have been the Patriots’ only two offensive draftees so far. Belichick might not be done, either, with players like the highly athletic Albert Okwuegbunam and “Randy Moss is my dad” Thaddeus Moss still available on Day 3.

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racingtoaredlight · 5 years ago

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The degenerate’s guide to college football TV watch ‘em ups, 2019 season, week 11

I typed “Bama LSU” into tumblr’s gif search and this was the only result. I take it as a representation of my flawless technique as a writer.

Let’s see if I have the heart or interest to write anything worthwhile below. I’ve probably already done the best work possible in this world. FBSchedules and Vegas Insider are supporting this post materially, unwitting yet they be.

Saturday, November 9

Matchup Time (ET) TV/Mobile

Vanderbilt at 10 Florida 12:00pm ESPN

This doesn’t belong on television. This is not the kind of thing people should waste their lives on and I mean that for the players and coaches.

4 Penn State at 17 Minnesota 12:00pm ABC

Gophers +6.5 is an absolutely sure thing. It’s either that or there is no god. You can only choose one.

WKU at Arkansas 12:00pm SECN

Have you guys followed the whole Deadspin saga from the last few weeks? My favorite part was that Maidment guy that set the whole cycle in motion and then had to write a bunch of shitty content himself to make the site look sort of normal after everybody quit. I laughed heartily at his horrible writing but I can’t help feeling I’m that kind of brainless dummy clacking away at a company laptop to produce as little impact as possible with my unoriginal words. Anyway, enjoy this version of the Petrino Bowl.

UMass at Army 12:00pm CBSSN

Army is favored by 34.5. Army is fucking awful. It’s insane that UMass has a win over an FBS team this season. Once you get blown out by UConn, people forget all about your big win over Akron. Anyway, take UMass to cover because, as many are saying, Army is fucking awful.

Purdue at Northwestern 12:00pm BTN

As today’s contemporary children are quite fond of saying, it’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.

Texas Tech at West Virginia 12:00pm ESPN2

Long gone are the days of Holgo and... the guy that coaches the Cardinals now. They both used shitty seasons to get better money this year. So now Texas Tech vs. West Virginia is just bland gruel hardly fit for a shithead on his couch.

Maryland at 1 Ohio State 12:00pm FOX

We’re into the BCS rankings part of the season so now Ohio State is ranked #1, which I mostly agree with. I still hope they lose way more often than not but I’m sort of ambivalent here. Last year Maryland fucked up and blew a great chance to upset Ohio State and I watched it with friends who are not football degenerates a day or two after our friend’s funeral. On that note, Ohio State -44 is a strong recommend.

Florida State at Boston College 12:00pm ACCN

A week ago I would not have guessed FSU could fuck themselves so thoroughly against Miami that they’d be playing with an interim head coach this week. The rumor mill for the permanent hire in Tallahassee is hilarious: Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, Jim Leavitt and Deion Sanders. The nicest thing I saw about Deion’s resume was that he was the OC for a high school in Texas a few years ago. I don’t think that was his sham unaccredited school. That school was in Florida, wasn’t it? That’s quite the resume to put up against the other four. Coach Deion is a dream we can all have.

East Carolina at 25 SMU 12:00pm ESPNU

Condolences to SMU as Memphis didn’t continually shoot themselves in the dick like they normally do in high profile games. This should be a good bounceback game but the action on the line (moving 3 points towards ECU) tells me people didn’t really think that much of SMU in the first place.

12 Baylor at TCU 12:00pm FS1

I honestly don’t have any sort of read on whether Baylor’s 8-0 record is because they’re back to being good or if they’ve just feasted on mostly shitty teams. Which I guess is all they ever did under Briles, anyway. Well, TCU sucks this year so I’m not really excited to check in on this one unless there’s an exciting finish like TCU is driving with under a minute to score their 10th TD of the day before time expires to seal the shutout.

Georgia Tech at Virginia 12:30pm RSN

For as long as I live, I will only ever think of the 1990 game between these two whenever they match up.

Air Force at New Mexico Postponed

This game is postponed due to the death of UNM defensive end, Nahje Flowers. R.I.P.

UTSA at Old Dominion 2:00pm ESPN3

South Alabama at Texas State 3:00pm ESPN3

Charlotte at UTEP 3:00pm ESPN+

Stanford at Colorado 3:00pm Pac-12N

19 Wake Forest at Virginia Tech 3:30pm ACCN

If VPISU hadn’t fucked it at the end against Notre Dame last week they’d probably be ranked ahead of Wake Forest. After Wake Forest loses this week, the boys from VPI might actually jump over them, anyway.

USC at Arizona State 3:30pm ABC

Now this is more like it! I don’t mean this game is interesting for watchin’ ‘em up or gambling, but the part where both teams are unranked and struggling. USC just hired a new AD from Cincinnati and he... knows Urban Meyer? Or the draw of being from UC will be just too much for Urban to resist? Or Urban picked the guy himself as a condition of considering coaching in the Coliseum? Still seems less than done to me but I’m still holding out hope that Urban Meyer never coaches again and his family leaves him.

Louisville at Miami (FL) 3:30pm ESPN2

Still fading The U for now. The 9 sacks and the easy win over FSU were nice but FSU hasn’t had a good offensive line since Jameis Winston won the Heisman and things are in a bit of disarray there. Louisville is a better team than most people realize and they’ll run straight at Miami instead of whatever the FSU gameplan was last week. Things may have turned a corner in Coral Gables but I’m inclined to believe the biggest leap they made last week was beating up on a familiar foe who is very down in the dumps and ready to quit at a moment’s notice.

UAB at Southern Miss 3:30pm NFLN

UAB failed us big time last week and now they’re a road underdog. I didn’t realize the Favres had crawled back to being decent. I don’t have a take on the line but this is probably the best game that’s been stuck on NFL Network so far this year.

Georgia Southern at Troy 3:30pm ESPN+

Each year I struggle to remember which one is Georgia Southern and which one is Georgia State and each year I fail to attempt to fix that.

UConn at 20 Cincinnati 3:30pm CBSSN

UC on UC - it’s gonna be a bloodbath! The Ohesians are only favored by 34 against the sad huskies. That seems like a slap in the face to any reasonably well prepared football program, let alone a top 25 one.

Illinois at Michigan State 3:30pm FS1

Illinois is a half game up on Sparty right now and rumors are flying that D’antonio is gonna retire after the season. Now, let’s go kill Tom Izzo. Michigan State is favored by 14.5 in this game and, seriously, can they even score that much in one game? Take the Illini and know that you’re on the side of good even if your bets don’t come through.

2 LSU at 3 Alabama 3:30pm CBS

Weeks of press for this GAME OF THE CENTURY OF THIS YEAR THIS WEEK and then the BCS poll comes out and it isn’t even a real 1 v. 2 matchup. That’s funny. I keep waiting for something to go wildly wrong with LSU but also feel like Bama being favored by a touchdown seems off, especially if Tua is at less than full operational capacity.

16 Kansas State at Texas 3:30pm ESPN

I’ve thought Texas was overrated all year and look at them now. Favored by 7 at home against a better team. Even unrated Texas is somehow still overrated.

18 Iowa at 13 Wisconsin 4:00pm FOX

This has all the makings of a great all-time eyerake. Wisconsin -9 seems absolutely insane but so does Wisconsin #13.

New Mexico State at Mississippi 4:00pm SECN

A classic rivalry game.

North Texas at Louisiana Tech 4:00pm Facebook

A spirited game between the 096ers and the Karl Malone Got His 13-Year Old Cousin Pregnant While He Was In School Heres always gets the blood pumping.

Georgia State at ULM 5:00pm ESPN+

ESPN+ games don’t count as watch ‘em ups. Does anybody in the comments actually pay for this shit? It seems insane. $8/month for access to 30 For 30 that you effectively already have and the + is the absolute worst filth college sports can throw at you.

FIU at Florida Atlantic 6:00pm Stadium

Really have no idea what to tell you. I think I understand both of these teams and then I’m proven wrong week after week. I’m rooting for FIU if that helps.

Appalachian State at South Carolina 7:00pm ESPN2

South Carolina is favored by 5.5. That’s more than the homefield bump. Does App State run the same offense as Georgia where the QB isn’t allowed to throw past the line of scrimmage and running backs are encouraged to run straight into the backs of their offensive linemen?

Missouri at 6 Georgia 7:00pm ESPN

Hey, speaking of Georgia! They don’t get nearly enough credit for being the worst team in America to watch for entertainment purposes. It’s like Kirby Smart is trying to take all of the late career criticism that Mark Richt faced at UGA and The U and reach the same end point by the time he’s coached four season in Athens.

Utah State at Fresno State 7:00pm CBSSN

Jordan Love. I just don’t know. He’s like a more careless version of Josh Allen. Is somebody really going to draft that in the first round? He has a year of eligibility left. I don’t know if he’s due to graduate in time but if he could find his way to Missouri that might really benefit both parties.

Washington State at California 7:00pm Pac-12N

A fine specimen of Pac-12 After Dark but only like 8% of the country can even watch it legally.

15 Notre Dame at Duke 7:30pm ACCN

On a positive note, whatever happens in this game we can all laugh at the losers.

Liberty at BYU 7:30pm ESPNU

Bergie’s Watch ‘Em Of The Year!

Tennessee at Kentucky 7:30pm SECN

Let’s go whiskey!

5 Clemson at NC State 7:30pm ABC

Clemson is outside looking in at the CFP! Panic! They’ll be #3 next week!

Iowa State at 9 Oklahoma 8:00pm FOX

In the parlance of our times, Iowa State is a messy bitch who loves drama. Will the Sooners get bailed out if things are tight at the end? Absolutely. But I would still put a dime or even a quarter on the Cyclones to keep it closer than 14.5.

Wyoming at 22 Boise State 10:15pm ESPN

I think if I surveyed the commenterate here they mostly hate Boise State and that tells me you’re a bunch of idiots. A nothing program rising like they did without a Phil Knight or an oil magnate backing them and they play their home games at night on blue turf? How do you joyless pricks live with your humorless brains? I fucking love MWC football and I love the blue turf. This is a great game. Long live the Potatoes.

Nevada at San Diego State 10:30pm ESPN2

The real late night games are all MWC this week and that is fucking beautiful. Just look at this. SDSU was ranked last week but then we switched over to CFP rankings and those pricks couldn’t just give us one more group of five school. Nuhvaddduh is OK this year and SDSU isn’t quite rolling up the rushing yards they have for the past five years so maybe this will be entertaining even beyond the pretty laundry?

San Jose State at Hawaii 11:00pm Spectrum Sports

I don’t actually know what Spectrum Sports is now that I think about it. This is, on paper, a pretty even matchup. If you want to keep yourself occupied into the early morning hours, SJSU at +7 seems a decent value in these here puffy, darkened eyes.

#saturday post #watch em up #degenerate football #football #gambling #tv #rtarl watches tv

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buddyrabrahams · 7 years ago

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20 NFL free agent signings who have paid off most this season

The 2017 NFL regular season is nearing the end with only three games remaining. With so many games having been played, evaluating previously signed free agents becomes a bit easier. And more often than not, the mid-season and post-season grades for such signings vastly differ from their pre-season grades.

Case in point: Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Washington Redskins. It didn’t appear to be much of an investment on the surface, and some could have considered the deal a steal. But after substantial struggles early in the season, Pryor was lost to injury and the Redskins were out $6 million. Needless to say, not every high-profile deal is a good one.

Though the Pryor signing turned out to be a bust, many others yielded excellent results for their teams this season. Here’s a look at 20 free agent signings that have paid off this season (in no particular order):

20. Barry Church, S, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have been wheeling and dealing in recent years, so they’ll be well featured on this list. First up is safety Barry Church, who was signed to a four-year, $26 million contract this offseason. Although he’s playing slightly worse than a season ago, he’s still been a solid addition to Jacksonville’s defense. In 13 games, Church has recorded 60 tackles (47 solo), one sack, five passes defensed and two interceptions. He’s also warranted a 83.7 Pro Football Focus grade.

19. Rick Wagner, OT, Detroit Lions

Wagner signed a five-year, $47.5 million deal this offseason and has rewarded the Lions with 12 starts through 13 weeks. And while he hasn’t been perfect, he has earned a 81.7 PFF grade, which is good for 10th-best among tackles in the NFL. Needless to say, for a team that struggled along the offensive line in 2017, Wagner has helped provide some much-needed stability.

18. Logan Ryan, CB, Tennessee Titans

The Titans signed Ryan to a three-year, $30 million deal this offseason, which is essentially a one-year deal with an out in 2018. Whether or not Tennessee chooses to exercise that right remains to be seen, but given how he’s played this season, that seems increasingly unlikely. To go along with an 81.3 PFF grade, Logan has recorded 59 tackles (47 solo), 11 passes defensed and two stuffs. The one knock against Ryan is that he’s yet to record an interception.

17. Ted Ginn, WR, New Orleans Saints

Ginn signed a modest three-year, $11 million deal with the Saints this offseason and expectations varied. On one hand, Ginn is aging, but on the other, Drew Brees became his quarterback. The latter proved to be most valuable as the receiver has seen his catch percentage rise to 77.2% and his yards per game hit a career-high of 52.2 through 13 games. He’s also on pace for a ninth season with 1,000-plus all-purpose yards.

16. Antoine Bethea, S, Arizona Cardinals

After signing a three-year, $12.75 million deal with the Cardinals, expectations were somewhat high for Bethea. Not through the roof mind you, but high enough that he needed to play better than his career average. To date, Bethea has done exactly that, earning a PFF grade of 82.5, while recording 51 tackles (41 solo), one sack, seven passes defensed and three interceptions.

15. Nickell Robey-Coleman, CB, Los Angeles Rams

The Rams signed Robey-Coleman to a one-year, $855,000 deal to add depth to their secondary. Rather than a warm body taking up space on a depth chart, Robey-Coleman has turned into a more than serviceable player for Los Angeles, earning a 81.4 grade from PFF. In 12 games, Robey-Coleman has recorded 39 tackles (31 solo), one forced fumble, nine passes defensed and tied a career-high with two interceptions. It’s not always about big names or flash; sometimes it’s just about remarkable value.

14. Stephon Gilmore, CB, New England Patriots

The Patriots went far outside their norm when they signed Gilmore to a five-year, $65 million deal this offseason. It was one of the richest contracts they’ve given out and it didn’t look good when Gilmore struggled early on. He has since rebounded, recording 34 tackles (32 solo), seven passes defensed and two interceptions. Gilmore has also boosted his PFF grade up to 86.0 through 14 weeks.

13. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams

There was a bit of shock when the Rams signed Woods to a five-year, $34 million deal considering he had never reached 700 or more yards and his career high for touchdowns was five in 2014. Los Angeles saw a fit however, and they made the leap. Woods has subsequently rewarded them with 47 receptions for 703 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. If not for a few lingering injury issues, Woods’ numbers would be even better.

12. Julius Peppers, DE, Carolina Panthers

When the Panthers signed Peppers to a one-year, $3.5 million deal it felt nostalgic. Few expected him to produce in any real way as a reserve, but he’s done exactly that from a sheer pass rushing perspective. His run defense may be lacking, but with 9.5 sacks on the season in limited reps, he’s more than earned that relatively minor contract.

11. DeSean Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers spent a significant chunk of change to add DeSean Jackson to a group that included Mike Evans, inking him to a three-year, $33.5 million deal during free agency. Through 14 weeks, Jackson has earned an 83.2 PFF grade, which is 12th-best among all receivers league-wide. And in what’s been an under-performing offense, Jackson has hauled in 49 receptions for 657 yards and three touchdowns. He’s still got it even if the Bucs offense doesn’t.

10. Tre Boston, S, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers signed Boston to a one-year, $900,000 million contract in the later stages of free agency, and there was no guarantee he’d even make the team. Not only did he make the team and earn a starting role, but Boston has also played better than many anticipated in 2017. Through 13 games, he’s recorded 63 tackles (46 solo), seven passes defensed and four interceptions to go along with an 82.9 PFF grade.

9. Jabaal Sheard, EDGE, Indianapolis Colts

Sheard played relatively well during his time with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, but he wasn’t exactly considered a premier free agent when he signed a three-year, $25.5 million deal with the Colts this offseason. Despite that, Sheard has put together a career-year on film, earning an 89.7 grade courtesy of PFF, which puts him in the top 10 league-wide. He has 42 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 13 games this season. His numbers may not leap off the stat sheet, but his tape certainly does.

8. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

After two down seasons in Chicago, Jeffery signed a one-year, $14 million prove-it deal with the Eagles and essentially proved it midway through the season, earning an extension. And while his numbers don’t erupt off the stat sheet, Jeffery has reestablished himself as a red-zone threat, scoring eight touchdowns in 13 games this season. He’s also hauled in 52 receptions for 732 yards.

7. A.J. Bouye, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars

It was widely expected that A.J. Bouye was ascending as a player and would establish himself as one of the premier cornerbacks in football, which is why the Jaguars signed him to a five-year, $67.5 million deal. Ultimately, that appears to be money well spent as Bouye has earned a 89.3 grade from PFF to go along with his 45 tackles (43 solo), 16 passes defensed and six interceptions while turning the Jags’ defense into a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

6. Josh McCown, QB, New York Jets

When the Jets signed McCown to a one-year, $6 million deal, no one knew what they’d be getting. It was never guaranteed McCown would start or even play, and if he did, there were questions about what sort of product would be put on the field. With only one or two wins expected on the season, McCown helped Gang Green exceed those expectations by completing 67 percent of his passes for 2,926 yards and 23 total touchdowns (18 passing, five rushing). Unfortunately a broken hand will end his season, but that won’t keep us from recognizing how well he played in 2017.

5. Andrew Whitworth, OT, Los Angeles Rams

The common perception entering free agency was that no quality offensive linemen were available, and more specifically, none would come at a decent price. The Rams signed Whitworth to a three-year, $33.75 million deal, which seemed fair for the market. After 14 weeks of the regular season, that now seems like a bargain. Whitworth has been a lock at tackle for Los Angeles and is graded out (82.9) as one of the best tackles in all of football courtesy of PFF.

4. Zach Brown, LB, Washington Redskins

PFF may not be high on Brown this season, grading him out at 50.9, but his one-year, $2.3 million deal wasn’t overly risky and he’s certainly earned every penny of that thus far. Brown leads the NFL with 177 tackles through 14 weeks, and 84 of those have been solo tackles. He’s added 2.5 sacks, two passes defensed and a career-high 12 stuffs. Brown’s game may not be an A+ all the way around, and he’s dealing with a foot injury, but considering the minimal investment, Washington hit a home run.

3. Micah Hyde, CB, Buffalo Bills

The Bills signed Hyde to a five-year, $30.5 million this offseason that essentially has an out after year three. The contract was heavily front-loaded in terms of yearly cash, so there was some concern about the deal. However, Hyde has erased those concerns by playing quite well this season, earning a PFF grade of 83.2 and recording 65 tackles (54 solo), 11 passes defensed and five interceptions in 13 games.

2. Calais Campbell, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have used a ton of resources to build up their defense in recent years, and that didn’t change when they signed Calais Campbell to a four-year, $60 million contract this offseason. Given his age and career production, it seemed like a potentially risky move for Jacksonville. However, Campbell has made that gamble pay off in a huge way, recording 47 tackles (33) solo, three forced fumbles and a career-high 12.5 sacks in 13 games.

1. Jason McCourty, CB, Cleveland Browns

When the Browns signed McCourty to a two-year, $6 million deal during free agency, they weren’t entirely sure what they were going to get. But it was a low-risk, high-reward type of move and it ended up paying huge dividends. McCourty revitalized his career in Cleveland and has established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the game. In 11 games this season, McCourty has recorded 51 tackles (43 solo), 12 passes defensed, three interceptions and one touchdown. He also has a PFF grade of nearly 90.0.

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2jT2VLz

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junker-town · 8 years ago

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NFL free agency 2017: Winners and losers from day 1

It was a great day for offensive linemen. Not so much for Brock Osweiler.

We’re not even 24 hours into free agency, and already it feels like the league’s entire landscape has shifted. Just wait until we finally get a Tony Romo decision!

With just enough hindsight to pass judgement, we can look back at the moves made during a wild first day of free agency and spot a few clear winners ... and some painfully obvious losers.

This is our list from day one.

Winners

The Texans

The one thing Houston needed to do this year was find away out of their biggest mistake in free agency last year. But getting rid of Brock Osweiler and his giant contract seemed all but impossible ... until the Cleveland Browns and their hunger for draft picks changed all that.

Does this put the Texans in position to get Tony Romo? Maybe! This deal is going to have far-reaching effects on the rest of the NFL too.

The Browns

Cleveland now has a boatload of draft picks, which could come in handy if they want to make a run at a certain Patriots backup quarterback. If that doesn’t happen, then they’ve probably spent a little too much money to get a second-round pick, but they have some flexibility with Osweiler at least.

The Buccaneers offense

Because the DeSean Jackson deal was one of the first ones reported on Thursday morning, you can be forgiven if you forgot about it in the excitement of the day. You’ll be reminded of it constantly throughout the season. The Bucs offense is going to be deadly, the kind of unit that can keep pace with the Falcons in the NFC South.

Teams that needed offensive linemen

Was there a more glaring need around the NFL last season than offensive linemen? The Vikings got Riley Reiff. The Rams signed Andrew Whitworth. The Lions replaced Reiff with Rick Wager, an upgrade in pass protection on the right side. The Chargers landed Russell Okung.

Denver bolstered their interior line with Ronald Leary. New Orleans signed Larry Warford.

No position group went off the board faster, and it’s not a surprise at all. Offensive line, especially tackles, are becoming a tougher position for teams who want plug and play guys out of the draft. And most teams don’t have the luxury of a draft and develop approach.

Titans special teams

Don’t overlook the value of good special teams. Tennessee signed Brynden Trawick, Darren Bates and Nate Palmer, a trio of special teams aces, who will give them a big advantage in terms of field position on both sides of the ball. Start shaving off an average of a few yards of every return, and makes life easier for the defense. The flip side of that is true as well, give Marcus Mariota a shorter field to work with and watch the magic happen more frequently. Now, all they need to do is find a return man.

The Patriots

Dwanye Allen is a steal for the Patriots, who will pay him around $10 million for the next two seasons. He’s a versatile tight end who can create even more matchup problems.

They pulled off another big surprise when they signed Stephon Gilmore, who becomes their new No. 1 corner. New England has never really shied away from spending on corners. Now they have a secondary rivaling any team in the AFC.

We’re not used to talking about the Patriots being big players on day one of free agency, but these moves only up the odds of another trip to the Super Bowl.

Losers

Kirk Cousins

He was adamant about a trade, but when the team told him that wasn’t going to happen, the next report had Cousins willingly signing his franchise tag. So much for leverage!

Washington’s NFL team

Not content just to fire GM Scott McCloughan over petty turf wars, they had to assassinate the man’s character in the process by putting out reports that it was his drinking that got him fired, a complete change of script from where the team was just two weeks ago.

Was told late in the season of jealousy up top and how they'd one day use McCloughan drinking as an excuse to can him. Exactly what happened

— Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) March 10, 2017

Source who knows Skins brass told me months ago this was EXACTLY how it would end. It was most cynical thing I'd heard. Then it happened.

— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) March 10, 2017

Washington fired their general manager on the first day of free agency. And they handled it about as ugly as they could have. This team might have a legitimate claim to being the worst institution in Washington, and that’s really saying something.

Chicago Bears

I’m sure Mike Glennon is fine as a backup quarterback. Making him a bridge starter is big stretch, based on his prior performance. Investing $19 million guaranteed ($45 million all together) in a career backup because you were bidding against yourself is harder to excuse. This is not how teams get better.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s password security

An Instagram goodbye to Boston ... is there a more fitting way to bid farewell these days? But wait! It was not to be. It turns out that Jimmy might have been hacked.

The Panthers

Almost every team that needed offensive line help found someone. And most of the signings look pretty good ... except for the Panthers and Matt Kalil. No team was more desperate for o-line help than the Vikings, and they willingly let Kalil, the fourth overall pick in 2012, walk.

An incentive-laden deal would change the perception of this signing entirely. Instead, the Panthers shelled out $55 million over five years, with $25 million guaranteed. This after the Michael Oher deal blew up in their face last year. WHY DO YOU HATE CAM NEWTON, PANTHERS????

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