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l0stxpieces · 3 years ago
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“Welcome to Danny’s, sit anywhere you want.” Before Allie, he had a better greeting and seemed more happy. But since then, not so much but he held it together for his family and Chloe. “Now what can I get you? And if this is about my daughter, you can piss off.” 
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your-dietician · 3 years ago
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IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden to speak to Nashville Sports Council
New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/nascar/indycar-driver-josef-newgarden-to-speak-to-nashville-sports-council/
IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden to speak to Nashville Sports Council
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Nashville IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden, coming off his first win of the season and headed into the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, will be the featured guest speaker July 13 at the Nashville Sports Council’s monthly luncheon.
Tickets for the 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. event at Nissan Stadium are available at bit.ly/3ywDjbd. Doors open at 11 a.m.
Newgarden picked up his 19th career win July 4 at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. It snapped a nine-race losing streak for Newgarden and Team Penske, the winningest team in IndyCar series history.
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Because the next race — Honda Indy Toronto — on the schedule was canceled for the second straight year due to COVID-19, the Aug. 8 Music City Grand Prix on the streets of downtown is next on the calendar.
“We’ve got some confidence with this win so I feel like we can make it all happen,” Newgarden told Autoweek. “I always believe, I’ve told these guys, I believe we can win any race we go into. Nashville would be a dream to have a great result.”
Chase McCabe of The Game 102.5-FM will moderate the discussion.
“The timing couldn’t be better for Josef to speak in his hometown coming off such a dominant win at Mid-Ohio,” McCabe said. “You can tell the team has confidence right now. I can already tell you that they’ll use that momentum from the win on top of the fact that Josef is looking for a win at his home track.” 
Music City Grand Prix:IndyCar Music City Grand Prix pole trophy will honor late driver Bryan Clauson
Nashville sports:Nashville is only U.S. city on SportsPro’s ‘Seven sports event destinations to watch’
Newgarden was tabbed by Music City Grand Prix officials as brand ambassador and spokesperson for the race.
“Anytime you have an inaugural event and you have someone of Josef’s stature and prominence in the sport from here, I certainly think that adds a great piece to the event,” Nashville Sports Council president and CEO Scott Ramsey said. “I think for all the fans that are going to attend the event, especially those from Middle Tennessee, it would be great to see the hometown guy come out in front.”
Those who have signed up to volunteer for the Music City Grand Prix will receive free admission to the luncheon.
Music City Grand Prix single-day tickets on sale
Speaking of the Music City Grand Prix, single-day tickets for the three-day event (Aug. 6-8) went on sale to the general public Tuesday. 
Tickets are available by visiting musiccitygp.com/tickets, ticketmaster.com or by calling the Tennessee Titans ticket office at 615-565-4650. Prices are $35 Aug. 6, $65 Aug. 7 and $85 Aug. 8.
With a majority of the reserved grandstands sold out (including grandstands 1, 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10), a limited amount of single-day reserved grandstand and general admission tickets will be available in grandstands 7 and 8 and the recently-added grandstand 11.
Sterling Marlin writing book
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Two-time Daytona 500 champion Sterling Marlin is writing an autobiography.
It will go back to his time growing up on a farm in Columbia, being a star quarterback on the Spring Hill football team and how he got into racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Marlin, who celebrated his 64th birthday June 30, said he should be finished with the book in a few months.
In 1995 retired Tennessean columnist Larry Woody wrote “Pure Sterling: The Sterling Marlin Story,” which focused on Marlin’s racing career.
Marlin retired from the NASCAR Cup Series in 2009 and returned to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway where he raced in the Pro Late Model series through 2019.
Belmont’s Egekeze signs another pro deal
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Former Belmont basketball star Amanze Egekeze signed a pro contract recently with Donar Groningen in Holland.
The 6-foot-8 forward from Lake in the Hills, Illinois, averaged 10.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for Gries Oberhoffen in France this past season.
Egekeze was a 2018 All-Ohio Valley Conference selection at Belmont. He helped lead the Bruins to a total of 89 victories and three conference championships.
Former Tennessean sports editor Larry Taft, five others going into sports writers hall of fame
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Six individuals will be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Thursday. 
Three are from the 2021 class — Maurice Patton, Larry Taft and George Starr — and three are from the 2020 class — Tommy Bryan, Teresa Walker and Mark Wiedmer.
The 2020 induction was canceled due to COVID-19.
Patton worked at the Review Appeal in Franklin, The Tennessean and the Columbia Daily Herald before launching his own web site.
Taft worked at the Knoxville News-Sentinel and the Democrat-Union in Lawrenceburg before joining The Tennessean. He became the sports editor at The Tennessean in 2007. He also served as director of media relations for the TSSAA.
Bryan started as a sports writer for the Lebanon Democrat in 1977 and from1981-2003 was owner and publisher of the Wilson World.
Walker began her career in 1987 and has been the Associated Press sports editor based in Nashville since 1992.
Ex-TSU star Devin Wilson named arena league player of the week
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Former Pope John Paul II and Tennessee State receiver Devin Wilson was named the National Arena League offensive player of the week Tuesday.
Wilson, who plays for the Jacksonville Sharks, had nine catches for 138 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-41 loss to the Orlando Predators.
Wilson is Jacksonville’s leading receiver on the season with 27 catches for 254 yards and five touchdowns.
DuPont names 2021 hall of fame class
Former DuPont track and field star John Flatt and his daughter Traci, a three-sport star, are in the 2021 DuPont All-Sports Hall of Fame class along with former basketball star James Ray Pugh and former football star Pete Bush, who went on to coach at the school.
John Flatt, who died in 1997, set the Midstate record in the pole vault with a mark of 11-foot-5½-inches. He broke the record the following spring at 12-1.
Traci Flatt was a volleyball, basketball and softball standout (1983-85).
Pugh was a starter on the 1953 state championship basketball team. He had 23 points and 13 rebounds in the title game and went on to star at Belmont.
Bush was one of the top tight ends in Nashville (1957-59). After an outstanding career at Austin Peay Bush began his coaching career at Goodlettsville before returning to DuPont in 1974 where he remained until the school closed in 1986.
Margie Stoll inducted into Senior Olympics Hall of Fame
Margie Stoll of Nashville was inducted into the Tennessee State Senior Olympics Hall of Fame on June 29.
Stoll has spent the last 20 years competing in the annual event. This year she set an 80-85 age group record for the Tennessee Senior Olympics in each of the six events she entered. 
Stoll also is in the USATF Masters Hall of Fame.
Others in the 2021 Tennessee Senior Olympics Hall of Fame class: Joe Sykes (Clarksville), Wayne Matthews (Crossville) and Joyce Manis (Kingsport).
Nashville’s parks and recreation receive low ranking
July is National Parks and Recreation Month and Nashville did not fare well in Wallethub’s “2021’s Best & Worst Cities for Recreation.”
The Music City was 81st out of the 100 cities in the ranking, which was based on 48 metrics connected to the benefits of recreational activities.
Living costs, the quality of parks, the accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities and the weather were taken into account.
Memphis was 90th. 
The top five cities: Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas; San Diego; Cincinnati; Tampa, Florida.
The bottom five: Fort Wayne, Indiana; Chula Vista, California; Garland, Texas; Durham, North Carolina; Oakland, California.
Crigger promoted to fulltime role at Austin Peay
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Austin Peay graduate Casey Crigger was recently named assistant director of athletics communications.
The Johnson City native started out as manager on the baseball team and spent the last four years as a member of the athletics communications staff as a student and graduate student.
He will remain the department’s primary athletics communications contact for women’s soccer and women’s basketball and will move into a secondary role for the Austin Peay football program.
Harold Eller Pro-Am registration deadline approaching
The deadline to register for the Tennessee Golf Association Harold Eller Pro-Am Tournament is July 21 at 5 p.m..
The tournament is July 26-27 at Old Hickory Country Club. Register at bit.ly/3wqKHn3.
Pro Tracy Wilkins along with armatures Gary Slayden, Kenny Wilson and Eric Emery tied pro Chase Harris and armatures Buzz Fly, Scotty Hudson and Matt Cooper for the 2020 championship at  26-under.
Registration opens July 14 for Bass Pro Shops U.S. Qualifier
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Registration for the biggest amateur fishing tournament ever on Old Hickory Lake opens July 14 for 24 hours only.
Registration for the Sept. 11 Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open Qualifier will be available at basspro.com/usopen.
The tournament with a guaranteed purse of $4.3 million is one of eight national qualifying events.
The top 40 finishers at the Old Hickory qualifier will be eligible to fish the National Championship in November at Big Cedar Lodge on Table Rock Lake in Missouri.
If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
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wsmith215 · 4 years ago
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Ranking 2020 NFL offseasons from worst to first
With the NFL universe on pause, now seems like a good time to continue our big-picture look into how each organization did during the player-acquisition period of the offseason. I’m going to run through all 32 teams and rank the work they did from worst to first.
To measure how each team performed, I’m comparing their roster, cap situation and future draft capital at the beginning of the offseason to what they have in mid-May. The most important thing a team can do is add talent, so those that made significant inroads in improving their roster will rank highly, while those that saw key pieces leave without replacements won’t. I also considered how each attacked their specific needs, how well they read the market and handled the financial side of their deals, and what they did to create future draft picks.
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For each team, I’ll include what went right, what went wrong, what they might have done differently with a bit of hindsight and what they need to do next in the months to come. Finally, and this is important: These aren’t power rankings of how these teams will perform in 2020. Some of the worst teams in the league from last season will finish at or near the top of these rankings because they were able to draft immediate-impact players at key positions, while some of the best teams shed talent or weren’t able to add much in the draft because they already had dealt away picks.
I started Monday with the bottom eight teams, and I’ll hit eight more on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then finish up with the top eight on Thursday. Jump to my last-ranked team here.
Jump to a team: ATL | BAL | CAR | CHI DET | GB | HOU | JAX KC | LAR | MIN | NE PHI | PIT | SEA | TEN
What went right: You can’t accuse new coach Matt Rhule of neglecting the defense. He transformed a Panthers unit that ranked 25th in DVOA and 31st in scoring defense a year ago, using each of his seven draft picks on the defensive side of the ball. Seven of the 10 players who lined up on more than 50% of the defensive snaps for Carolina in 2019 will not return.
On offense, Rhule was able to lure LSU offensive coordinator Joe Brady to take the same job; he’ll work with new starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The Panthers bought low on former Jets wideout Robby Anderson and could sport one of the league’s top offensive tackle combinations with Taylor Moton and the newly acquired Russell Okung.
What went wrong: My biggest indicator for these rankings is measuring the talent added versus the talent lost, and the Panthers lost linebacker Luke Kuechly, cornerback James Bradberry, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, guard Trai Turner and former league MVP Cam Newton, among others. The Turner-for-Okung trade swapped out a younger, better player who is under contract for a longer period of time for Okung, who plays a more valuable position but missed most of 2019 with a pulmonary embolism. The former Chargers and Seahawks tackle is a free agent after this season, and the Panthers don’t seem interested in evaluating 2019 second-rounder Greg Little at the position after seemingly drafting him to take over there.
Former first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater will step in as the new starter in Carolina. Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Rhule clearly intends to rebuild this team in his desired image, and that’s going to take more than one offseason. That’s totally understandable, and the Panthers took strides toward those long-term goals. In the short term, though, they might have less talent on their roster in 2020 than they did on paper in 2019, even if they never had a healthy Newton. They also locked up Christian McCaffrey, and while there’s no doubting his talent, signing running backs to massive contracts has been a dangerous game.
What they could have done differently: Given Rhule’s emphasis on physical football, I wonder if Carolina would have been better off holding on to Turner and using the No. 7 overall pick on one of the left tackle prospects, like Jedrick Wills Jr. or Mekhi Becton. First-round pick Derrick Brown, a defensive tackle, looks to be a better defender against the run than he is a pass-rusher, and in a division in which he’ll be going up against the Falcons, Saints and Bucs, I’m not sure that’s the best use of a top-10 pick.
What’s left to do: Add a cornerback. After losing Bradberry to free agency, the Panthers look to start the season with inconsistent 2018 second-rounder Donte Jackson as their No. 1 corner. On the other side, All-Name team member Corn Elder will be competing with fourth-round pick Troy Pride Jr. The second-best wideouts on the opposing teams in this division are Emmanuel Sanders, Chris Godwin and Calvin Ridley. Yikes. This is a logical landing spot for somebody like Dre Kirkpatrick or Eli Apple.
What went right: The Jaguars looked to be stuck with quarterback Nick Foles’ contract after the former Super Bowl MVP lost his job in 2019, but they managed to trade him to the Bears without having to assume any of the remaining guarantees and got a fourth-round pick in the process. Jacksonville ended up paying Foles a little over $30 million for four starts, but since that all took place before the offseason began, I’m leaving that part of the story aside. If it weren’t for the DeAndre Hopkins miracle between the Cardinals and Texans, general manager Dave Caldwell getting out of the Foles deal would be the most impressive trade of the offseason.
The Jags also took steps to move on from their disastrous move to take running back Leonard Fournette with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 draft, when Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and more than a half-dozen other running backs who have proved to be more productive were still on the board. (Seriously: Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon, Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, James Conner, Marlon Mack, Aaron Jones, Chris Carson and even undrafted free agent Austin Ekeler look like better backs than Fournette right now.) The Jaguars could have been fooled by a largely inefficient season from Fournette in 2019, but they declined his fifth-year option and desperately tried to trade the former LSU star, to no avail.
What went wrong: Boxed into a bad cap situation by years of free-agent spending and missteps, the Jaguars had little choice but to trade cornerback A.J. Bouye and cut defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. No real issue there, but the moves the Jags made with the cap space they had left were curious. Joe Schobert is a talented player, and I’m sure the Jaguars want to reset their culture, but a team that already has Myles Jack on a four-year, $57 million deal is a bad candidate to hand a big contract to another off-ball linebacker. Schobert’s five-year, $53.8 million deal means they have two of the most expensive inside linebackers in the league.
Tight end Tyler Eifert’s two-year deal came in at $9.3 million as opposed to the originally reported figure of $15.5 million, but either deal seems optimistic for a player who has pieced together one impactful season across seven years as a pro. Jacksonville understandably wanted to add a possible playmaker for Gardner Minshew, but we’re now four years removed from Eifert’s big season. The team also neglected to bring in meaningful competition for their second-year quarterback.
Yannick Ngakoue, a third-round pick in 2016, has 37.5 sacks over four seasons in Jacksonville. Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire
The Jags haven’t resolved the Yannick Ngakoue situation, with the star defensive end picking fights with ownership on Twitter and insisting he won’t play for the organization again. With each passing day, the franchise loses more and more leverage; remember last year, when the Seahawks were able to get a first-round pick for pass-rusher Frank Clark around the draft, and the Texans were forced to settle for a third-round pick when they shipped off Jadeveon Clowney at the end of August.
What they could have done differently: The Jaguars should have traded down in the first round when they had the opportunity. The Falcons were the most frequently rumored candidate to move up, likely for cornerback CJ Henderson, whom the Jags drafted at No. 9 overall. They needed a cornerback, so I have no issue with them drafting Henderson, but under Caldwell’s reign, they haven’t shown much of an aptitude for drafting. Caldwell’s picks in the top five include Luke Joeckel, Blake Bortles, Dante Fowler Jr., Jalen Ramsey and Fournette. Even if they had an excellent grade on Henderson, the Jaguars don’t really deserve any benefit of the doubt when it comes to evaluating prospects. They would have been better off adding an extra selection or two.
What’s left to do: Trade Ngakoue. I don’t like to see teams give up on star players, but it seems clear that he has no intention of signing an extension in Jacksonville, and I’d rather the team get something close to meaningful value as opposed to settling for a midround pick. It’s going to be tough with Clowney and Everson Griffen still available on the open market, but I wonder if the Jags can still coax a first-round pick out of a team like the Seahawks.
What went right: The Falcons finally acknowledged their need to rebuild on defense. Out went pass-rusher Vic Beasley Jr., cornerback Desmond Trufant, linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and defensive tackle Adrian Clayborn, and they declined the fifth-year option on edge rusher Takkarist McKinley. Atlanta finally made a significant investment on an outside player by signing Dante Fowler Jr., and it used first- and second-round picks on cornerback A.J. Terrell and defensive lineman Marlon Davidson. Thomas Dimitroff’s team projects to come away with one compensatory fifth-round pick and a pair of selections in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.
What went wrong: Fowler was the only significant veteran addition this team made to that flailing defense, as Atlanta otherwise re-signed tackle Tyeler Davison and traded a seventh-round pick for Dolphins washout Charles Harris, a defensive end who went No. 22 overall in 2017. I’m worried that the Falcons might be fooled by what happened in the second half, when they allowed a league-best 25.8% conversion rate on third downs. Research has suggested that teams that grossly outplay their first- and second-down performance on third down struggle to keep that up, and while they were middle of the pack by expected points added on first and second down during the final eight weeks of the season, they were the league’s best defense on third downs.
You could argue that they didn’t have the cap room to make many additions, but after cutting Devonta Freeman, they still found a way to hand Todd Gurley a one-year, $5.5 million deal. Even if Gurley returns to form and has a great season, this is the exact sort of organization that needed to focus on finding a cheap, multiyear solution at running back. The Falcons have committed serious resources to their offensive line, have a great passing game and desperately needed to save money for their defense.
What they could have done differently: The money they committed to Gurley could have been part of an offer for someone like Jadeveon Clowney, although it would have also required Atlanta to restructure someone’s contract, likely wideout Julio Jones. As it stands, the Falcons don’t have the cap space to even go after a veteran edge rusher like Vinny Curry or Clay Matthews.
What’s left to do: Carve out some space for a cornerback. With plenty of veteran options still available, the Falcons project to start Terrell, Isaiah Oliver and Kendall Sheffield. They are enthused about Sheffield after his rookie season, but I’d like to see them find a couple of million dollars to bring in somebody like Darqueze Dennard or even a veteran like Brandon Carr. Releasing backup running back Brian Hill would free up $2.1 million.
What went right: Kansas City mostly stayed put with its Super Bowl-winning roster, sticking to one-year deals and small deals to retain players such as quarterback Chad Henne and corner Bashaud Breeland. The Chiefs were able to convince receiver Sammy Watkins to take a pay cut, and they franchise-tagged star defensive tackle Chris Jones.
What went wrong: Breeland was arrested at gunpoint on May 1. Watkins is still earning nearly $9 million with the chance to earn $6 million more in incentives in 2020, which is a lot for a player who had been ordinary during his first two seasons in Kansas City before breaking out during the postseason. The team also didn’t resolve Jones’ future with a trade or a long-term contract, meaning it’s likely to end up getting one more year out of him before losing him as a free agent in 2021.
The Chiefs used their first-round pick on running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who should end up as one of the most productive backs in football when he takes over as the full-time starter. That’s a good thing, but when you look at recent history for this team, just about anybody who has been in that role has been among the most productive backs in football. Kareem Hunt was there as a third-round pick. Damien Williams has been a touchdown machine in the playoffs. Even before Andy Reid came to town, Jamaal Charles emerged as one of the best backs of the past decade as another third-rounder. Edwards-Helaire could be a star, but I wonder if the Chiefs would have been better off using their first-round pick on a position they’ve struggled to fill effectively, like cornerback, or targeted a wide receiver to replace Watkins.
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Louis Riddick goes through the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2020 schedule to break down some of the biggest challenges they will face.
What they could have done differently: Watkins ranks 59th in receiving yards over the past two years, placing him below the likes of Dede Westbrook, Jamison Crowder and Antonio Brown. Patrick Mahomes has been better with Watkins on the field over the past two years, but the difference isn’t enormous: He has posted a passer rating of 112.4 and a QBR of 84.7 with Watkins on the field, dropping off to 106.5 and 77.0, respectively, without the former Bills first-rounder. In a market in which every veteran wideout besides Randall Cobb failed to get the deal they were expecting, Watkins likely wouldn’t have come away with a similar deal if the Chiefs had let him go.
What’s left to do: Extend Mahomes. The team has just $1.4 million in cap space, and it’s difficult to imagine the star quarterback’s 2020 cap number staying anywhere close to its current figure of $5.3 million on a new deal, so this is going to be a difficult negotiation. His résumé over his first two years as a starter — league MVP and Super Bowl MVP — is unprecedented in modern football. Mahomes isn’t going anywhere, but can the Chiefs get a deal done now as opposed to 2021, when he will be even more expensive? And will he be the first player in football to sign a contract worth $40 million per season?
What went right: Without a first-round pick or much cap space, the Steelers had about as quiet of an offseason as possible. I liked a couple of their smaller moves in trading for Ravens defensive lineman Chris Wormley and signing tight end Eric Ebron to a two-year deal. They’re also projected to receive fourth- and sixth-round compensatory picks after losing defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and center B.J. Finney in free agency. The one key player they kept was outside linebacker Bud Dupree, who had a career year in 2019 and was retained via the franchise tag.
What went wrong: Outside of Wormley, the Steelers didn’t do much to replace Hargrave. Last year’s disastrous run with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges should have pushed them to target a significant backup quarterback behind the returning Ben Roethlisberger, but players like Marcus Mariota, Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston all hit the market and went elsewhere.
What they could have done differently: I can’t pick too many holes in what Pittsburgh did beyond the backup quarterback situation. It’s in this grouping because most teams added more talent, either through free agency or the draft. The Steelers probably feel thrilled about using their first-round pick to acquire defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick last year, but since that trade happened during the season, I’m not including it in this analysis.
What’s left to do: Upgrade behind Roethlisberger. The Steelers should absolutely be in the market for Cam Newton or Joe Flacco. If Roethlisberger returns from his elbow injury and stays healthy all season, great. If not, they can’t afford to let another dominant season from their defense go to waste because their offense is averaging one point per possession, as it did during the second half of 2019.
What went right: Nobody added more future draft capital this offseason than the Vikings. Trades produced two fourth-rounders and a fifth-rounder in 2021. They let cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander leave in free agency, with those moves expected to generate third- and sixth-round compensatory picks. Minnesota should have 12 picks in next year’s draft.
This offseason was about clearing out cap space and retooling on defense for the Vikings, but I liked that they were still able to replace Linval Joseph with wildly underrated Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce on a team-friendly deal. Moving on from corner Xavier Rhodes could be addition by subtraction. They have also so far resisted the urge to sign running back Dalvin Cook to an extension after his breakout season.
Does trading Stefon Diggs to Buffalo fit on this side of the right/wrong debate? When I wrote about the trade, I suggested it could be a win-win for both sides. With the Vikings subsequently using the first-round pick from the trade to nab wide receiver Justin Jefferson, my feelings haven’t changed. Losing Diggs will hurt the team in the short term, but for an organization that wants to run the ball and use 22 personnel, transitioning to a cheaper option alongside Adam Thielen makes sense. If they were going to trade Diggs, they did it at the right time.
What went wrong: Diggs is really good! Even if you’re optimistic about Jefferson, the chances of a first-round pick turning into a top-10 wide receiver aren’t extremely high. The team was overdue for a reboot at cornerback, and they used first-, third-, and fifth-round picks there, but I would have liked to see the Vikings target at least one low-cost veteran to try to rehabilitate under Mike Zimmer.
Mike Zimmer and the Vikings brought back ascending safety Anthony Harris on the franchise tag. Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota also didn’t re-sign defensive end Everson Griffen after the longtime starter voided his deal, and the only free agent they signed to replace him was rotation lineman Anthony Zettel. In part, the Vikings were hamstrung by franchising safety Anthony Harris, which was a bit of a surprise. While he has intercepted nine passes since moving into the starting lineup during the 2018 season, it’s not a great use of resources for them to commit nearly $23 million of cap space to their safeties in 2020.
What they could have done differently: I would have let Harris leave and used the $11.4 million in cap space created to go after an edge rusher. The Vikings reportedly shopped Harris for a draft pick, but I suspect they would have netted a fifth- or sixth-round compensatory pick if they had let him leave. They were reportedly negotiating an extension with Harris before the draft, and if they can get a deal done and reduce his 2020 cap hold, they could use the cap space to go after help at defensive end.
What’s left to do: Add a backup quarterback. Another team that needs help here! The Vikings have Sean Mannion, Jake Browning and 2020 seventh-round pick Nate Stanley behind Kirk Cousins. The newly extended veteran hasn’t been on the injury report since Week 1 of the 2013 campaign, but if Cousins were to go down, Minnesota’s playoff chances would go kaput. With Gary Kubiak taking over as offensive coordinator, the logical backup to target would be Joe Flacco, who played under Kubiak in Baltimore.
What went right: Finally freed of the last vestiges of the Joe Flacco contract, the Ravens used their newfound cap space to try to build a devastating defensive line. While they let Michael Pierce leave and decided against confirming their deal with Michael Brockers after a physical, they traded a fifth-round pick for Jaguars star Calais Campbell and signed Derek Wolfe to a one-year deal. Baltimore then found its long-term replacement for C.J. Mosley by using its first-round pick on LSU linebacker Patrick Queen.
On offense, the Ravens found the guy who will likely start for them at running back in 2021 and beyond by using a second-round pick on J.K. Dobbins. They also netted a second-round pick from the Falcons for Hayden Hurst, and while Hurst will start for Atlanta, it’s always nice to get a premium pick for your third-best tight end.
• Deaf in one ear, rookie can impact Cowboys • Chiefs want Legion of Zoom on defense • Falcons’ Mack coaching in virtual offseason • Seahawks expect these rookies to make quick impact • Cowboys’ playbook now with the Giants
What went wrong: The only disappointing thing the Ravens had to deal with was losing legendary guard Marshal Yanda to retirement. They are an offensive line factory and used third- and fourth-round picks on Tyre Phillips and Ben Bredeson, respectively, but Yanda will be missed. Wolfe was a nice Plan B, but he was a downgrade from Brockers. The Ravens didn’t really replace Hurst, and given how frequently Mark Andrews has been banged up as a pro, I expected them to use a midround pick to find a backup there.
What they could have done differently: They franchised Matthew Judon as a linebacker, which saved them about $2 million as opposed to giving him the edge rusher tag. Judon hasn’t signed his tag, and with the Ravens unlikely to sign him to an extension, they haven’t been able to trade the 27-year-old for a draft pick. Had they known Jadeveon Clowney would be available this late in the offseason, I wonder if they would have simply let Judon hit free agency, picked up a compensatory pick and signed the former first overall selection on a one-year deal. Realistically, outside of adding another tight end, the Ravens did what the Ravens do, which is draft and develop talent.
What’s left to do: Add an edge defender. Even if Judon returns, they could still use another pass-rusher. Clowney might be too rich for their blood, although I’d love to see them use what will likely be the last bargain year on Lamar Jackson’s deal to stretch Clowney onto their roster. Baltimore still has to extend star left tackle Ronnie Stanley, whose price just went up after the Laremy Tunsil deal; if the team can bring Stanley’s 2020 cap figure down from $12.9 million, it might have just enough space for Clowney.
What went right: The Eagles addressed their two obvious weaknesses heading into the offseason. The trade for Darius Slay netted them the No. 1 corner they sorely needed after years of frustrating play at defensive back, and general manager Howie Roseman went all-in for speed during the draft by adding receivers Jalen Reagor, John Hightower and trade acquisition Marquise Goodwin. The perennially creative Eagles also found a way to add a run-plugging defensive tackle by signing away Javon Hargrave from the Steelers, and the one-year, $1 million deal they gave corner Nickell Robey-Coleman might have been one of the best value signings of the offseason.
What went wrong: Solving the problem at cornerback might have created holes elsewhere on defense, as Philadelphia declined safety Malcolm Jenkins’ option and released linebacker Nigel Bradham without really replacing either veteran. Jalen Mills was re-signed and is expected to move to safety, and the Eagles appear set to hand the middle linebacker job to T.J. Edwards after he played 112 snaps as an undrafted rookie. Former Chargers linebacker Jatavis Brown also could figure in the mix, but if teams feel comfortable avoiding Slay to target other mismatches on defense, the Eagles won’t realize much of an improvement from their long-awaited move.
Could 38-year-old offensive tackle Jason Peters return to Philadelphia for another season? Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini
What they could have done differently: You could argue that they might have been better off just riding out what was a relatively cheap cornerback market and holding on to their third- and fifth-round picks. Slay is a genuine top-flight cornerback, but when you factor in the cost of both trading away a pick and signing Slay to a three-year, $50.5 million extension, would the Eagles have been better off simply signing Robey-Coleman and another cornerback, like Chris Harris Jr.? Keeping those picks would have allowed them to draft a safety to replace Jenkins or add valuable offensive line depth they don’t have after Jason Peters and Halapoulivaati Vaitai left this offseason.
What’s left to do: Add offensive line depth. The Eagles have reportedly been in talks to bring back Peters, which would be interesting; they drafted Andre Dillard in the first round last year with the expectation that he would take over for Peters in 2020, but Dillard struggled across his 337 offensive snaps last season, and this offseason will make it difficult for any young player expected to grow into a new role. If they don’t sign Peters, they would be looking at options like Cordy Glenn or Kelvin Beachum at tackle. Larry Warford will likely be out of Philly’s price range, but it could look toward someone like Ron Leary on the interior.
Come back Wednesday for Nos. 16-9 on the list.
Nos. 32-25
What went right: Hmm. We’re starting this series with the toughest question, huh? I suppose the two-year, $3 million deal the Texans gave former Eagles and Chargers defensive back Jaylen Watkins could be decent value if they slot him in the correct role. They also upgraded their special-teams coverage units by importing players such as Eric Murray and Michael Thomas. Second-round pick Ross Blacklock, Houston’s first selection in the 2020 draft, could turn into a useful interior disrupter and third pass-rusher for a team that had the league’s fourth-worst adjusted sack rate.
What went wrong: The Texans traded away arguably their second-best player for pennies on the dollar because he wanted a new contract and then overpaid for just about every one of their offseason additions. Even if they hadn’t traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a swap of fourth-rounders for a second-round pick and running back David Johnson’s bloated contract, this would be a disaster.
Coach Bill O’Brien misread the market and handed out significant deals to cornerback Bradley Roby (three years, $36 million), wide receiver Randall Cobb (three years, $27 million), kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn (four years, $17.7 million) and Murray (three years, $18 million) and even threw in a one-year, $4 million pact for backup quarterback AJ McCarron. O’Brien finished up by giving agentless left tackle Laremy Tunsil a three-year, $66 million extension, a market-shifting deal everyone saw coming from the moment the Texans traded away multiple first-round picks to acquire Tunsil without negotiating an extension as part of the pact.
Bill O’Brien and the Texans have made some head-scratching decisions this offseason, and Deshaun Watson is in line for a contract extension. John Grieshop/Getty Images
What they could have done differently: How much time do you have? Let’s start by using the window afforded them during the trading process last year to insist on getting Tunsil signed to an extension as part of that trade. The team reportedly attempted to sign Carlos Hyde to an extension before free agency; Hyde isn’t much more than a league-average running back, but if signing him meant that O’Brien wouldn’t have assumed the Johnson contract, it would have been a hidden victory for this team.
The Texans shouldn’t have traded away Hopkins, contract demands or not. The Falcons were able to satiate Julio Jones when he was three years away from the end of his deal by moving money around before handing him a deal with two years to go. And if you don’t want to follow that model, what was Hopkins going to do in a league in which the new collective bargaining makes it virtually impossible for players to hold out?
Read more: Barnwell graded more than 100 signings and trades this offseason
If O’Brien thought his relationship with Hopkins was unsalvageable and he needed to trade his star wide receiver away, that’s one thing. He simply had to get more out of that deal than an underwater running back contract and a second-round pick. Even if Hopkins wanted a new deal, the Stefon Diggs trade saw the Vikings send a less productive player with a reputation of creating drama inside his building to the Bills for a much greater haul, most notably a first-round pick. Beating the Vikings to the punch for that Bills deal would have been more defensible.
What’s left to do: Trade Kenny Stills. The Texans don’t really have a need for Stills as their fourth wide receiver behind Cobb, Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller, and the former Dolphins wideout has $7 million in unguaranteed money due on the final year of his deal. There’s an obvious fit here with the Packers, who didn’t get all of their shopping done this offseason.
What went right: Offensive tackle Germain Ifedi didn’t live up to expectations as a first-round pick for Seattle, but the Bears were able to sign the oft-penalized lineman to a one-year deal for just over $1 million, which is good value for a solid run-blocker. They will try Ifedi at guard as a replacement for the retired Kyle Long. General manager Ryan Pace also took the first steps out of the Mitchell Trubisky business, declining the quarterback’s fifth-year option while bringing in Nick Foles to compete for a starting job. While Robert Quinn’s five-year, $70 million deal is expensive, it’s for a player for whom ESPN’s pass rush win rate analysis suggests was the most effective pass-rusher in the league over the past two seasons. I also liked the flier Chicago took on former Steelers first-round corner Artie Burns.
What went wrong: Despite the fact that Foles’ contract was a disaster for the Jaguars, the Bears sent a fourth-round pick to acquire him and didn’t force the Jags to eat any of the money, instead restructuring $21 million in guarantees to come due over the next three seasons. Foles could work out as the team’s starter, but this is the equivalent of signing an expensive three-year gym membership as a college senior. There couldn’t have been much of a market for Foles, and Andy Dalton, who was cut by the Bengals after the draft, came without the pick or significant cash attached.
The Jimmy Graham deal was likely the worst contract of free agency, as a Bears team that had already committed significant assets to tight ends Dion Sims, Adam Shaheen and Trey Burton under Pace gave Graham a two-year, $16 million deal with $9 million guaranteed and a truly inexplicable no-trade clause. Graham can’t block, and he was anonymous during his time with the Packers. Chicago needed three voidable years to re-sign linebacker Danny Trevathan on a three-year, $21.8 million deal, which is like taking out a loan so you can help pay for that gym membership. There are still questions about what this team has at wide receiver and in the secondary, where it will likely need second-rounder Jaylon Johnson to start as a rookie.
What they could have done differently: Waited out the quarterback market. Foles wasn’t going to have many suitors, and the Jaguars had little leverage in moving his massive contract. Judging from the deals that Dalton and Jameis Winston signed — and the offers Joe Flacco and Cam Newton have yet to get — there was more supply in the quarterback market than demand this offseason. Wiping away the Graham deal goes without saying; if the Bears wanted to go after a versatile tight end, they were better off handing a similar deal to Eric Ebron, who signed with Pittsburgh for less money.
What’s left to do: Add a veteran cornerback. The bottom tier of the cornerback market still has plenty of options available. Guys such as Eli Apple, Trumaine Johnson and Dre Kirkpatrick were generally problems in 2019, but the Bears should be able to sign one of them for little more than the veterans minimum. I would prefer Apple, who is still only 24 and was competent for the Saints in 2018.
What went right: The Patriots finally invested at tight end, using third-round picks on Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. Franchising and retaining guard Joe Thuney gives them their best chance of building around the running game as they shift their offensive identity. Perhaps most important, they kept their dominant secondary together by re-signing Devin McCourty to a two-year deal, losing only Duron Harmon to the Lions.
Behind the 32-year-old McCourty at safety, coach Bill Belichick made obviously Belichickian additions by signing Adrian Phillips and using a second-round pick on the versatile and athletic Kyle Dugger. New England also banked three projected compensatory picks for the players it lost in free agency, including a third-rounder for quarterback Tom Brady and fourth-rounders for linebackers Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy.
What went wrong: The Patriots had Brady at quarterback, and now they have Jarrett Stidham. Even a diminished Brady would still project to be a playoff-caliber quarterback with the sort of defense this team had in 2019; the same thing isn’t clear with Stidham, who appears to be the Week 1 starter. Losing Brady is one thing, but the Pats neglecting to make a meaningful move for someone like Andy Dalton seems shortsighted and stubborn.
Franchising Thuney means New England has a league-high $28.6 million of its cap committed to guards in 2020, nearly $7 million more than any other team. The Thuney tag cost the Patriots valuable cap space and eliminated their leverage in dealing with Rob Gronkowski when he wanted to return, forcing them to trade their legendary tight end to the Bucs for a midround pick. The Pats also lost three members of their starting front seven with Collins, Van Noy and defensive tackle Danny Shelton leaving town. While I have faith Belichick will replace those guys in the long term, the defense should take a step backward in 2020.
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Bill Belichick is confident Jarrett Stidham will be able to lead the Patriots’ offense.
What they could have done differently: When Brady was clamoring for more money during the summer of 2019, the Patriots gave him a “two-year deal,” which was really an $8 million raise and a ticket to free agency after the season. Given that Brady ended up netting only a two-year, $50 million deal on the open market, this team could have made him a credible multiyear offer to stick around for the remainder of his career.
Would Brady have taken that kind of offer if the Pats had made it at this time last year? It’s impossible to say. Given what both sides had to gain, though, it’s not hard to imagine a common ground where the Patriots could have given him a new deal with two years of guarantees and a voidable year or two attached to help create short-term cap space. (The Pats used that space on Antonio Brown, which is another thing that didn’t go well.)
Belichick is obviously not stupid; the Patriots chose not to make that sort of offer for a reason. Stidham’s performance over the next couple of years will make it clear whether the legendary coach was right to move on from the most fruitful relationship in NFL history.
What’s left to do: Clear out cap room and wait. New England should be targeting veterans who come available now that we’re on the other side of the post-June 1 window. (I know that sounds weird, but in the NFL, the middle of May comes after June 1.) Belichick can clear out about $5 million by cutting backup running back Rex Burkhead and offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor or gin up another $3 million or so by releasing safety Terrence Brooks and tight end Matt LaCosse. The Pats should be in the market for a veteran tight end, but more important, it’s money they could put toward someone like Cam Newton or Joe Flacco, if they’re healthy enough to compete with Stidham and Brian Hoyer.
What went right: The Lions went all-in on rebuilding their oft-frustrating secondary, trading cornerback Darius Slay and replacing him by signing Desmond Trufant and drafting Jeff Okudah at No. 3 overall. On paper, the trio of Okudah, Trufant and Justin Coleman would rank as one of the best cornerback combinations in the league. Trading for safety Duron Harmon completed the defensive back makeover. They will miss Slay, but even with him on the field last season, they allowed a passer rating of 97.4, which would have been the eighth-worst mark in the league.
What went wrong: Coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn elected to rebuild most of their defense by acquiring the players Bill Belichick didn’t want to keep, a move that typically turns out poorly for other teams. Jamie Collins’ three-year, $30 million deal seemed particularly onerous for a linebacker who was a mess outside of New England during his run with Cleveland. The Lions will now start four former Pats on defense in Collins, Harmon, Trey Flowers and Danny Shelton. They look perilously thin along the defensive line, and while Belichick has been able to mold middling players into contributors across his front seven, Patricia’s players have generally been better elsewhere than they were playing for him in Detroit.
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The Lions also weren’t able to parlay the No. 3 draft pick into a bidding war between the Chargers and Dolphins, forcing them to stay put. Okudah should be an impact cornerback, and I don’t have any issue with them drafting him, but this team could have sorely used an extra first-round pick. Detroit used its second-round pick on running back D’Andre Swift, and while he is a talented player, this isn’t a roster that can afford to use two second-round picks on running backs across three years. You could argue Kerryon Johnson is a sunk cost, but the Lions could have addressed running back with one of a number of veterans at minimal cost.
Instead, Detroit hit free agency yet again, and its deals were questionable. Trufant hasn’t lived up to expectations over the past three seasons. The five-year, $45 million deal it handed Halapoulivaati Vaitai pays the former Eagles swing tackle like he is an upper-echelon starter. It sure looks reminiscent of the big deal that Detroit handed former starting right tackle Rick Wagner, which didn’t work out.
What they could have done differently: Resisted the urge to go after as many former Patriots as possible. The Collins deal is a mess, and under Belichick, the Patriots have exhibited the ability to develop players such as Shelton and Harmon into useful contributors. Patricia and Quinn are trying to buy them instead. If the Lions couldn’t trade down in the first round, they should have used their second-rounder on a position that’s tougher to fill than halfback.
What’s left to do: Add defensive line help. Detroit signed Nick Williams to a two-year deal after he impressed with the Bears in his first significant stretch of pro action as a 29-year-old, but it needs another pass-rusher to mix in on a rotational basis. I’d love to see the Lions sign Jadeveon Clowney, but more realistically, this would be a landing spot for somebody like Jabaal Sheard on the edge or Marcell Dareus on the interior. Hey, one of those guys used to play for the Patriots!
What went right: The Rams acknowledged sunk costs and made the difficult decision to essentially erase their 2018 offseason by releasing running back Todd Gurley and trading away receiver Brandin Cooks. They rebuilt their defensive line around Aaron Donald by signing Leonard Floyd and A’Shawn Robinson, and when Michael Brockers failed his physical with the Ravens, they brought him back at a reasonable price. L.A. is expected to add third- and fourth-round compensatory picks in the 2021 draft for losing linebackers Dante Fowler Jr. and Cory Littleton in free agency.
What went wrong: As I wrote about in my winners and losers column, the Rams didn’t address their needs. They used their two second-round picks on replacements for Gurley and Cooks; shouldn’t Sean McVay be able to coach up a running back and third receiver without having to use the team’s top picks? Their offensive line is still seriously troubling, and while they re-signed veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth, the 38-year-old committed 14 penalties last season, up from 12 over his prior two seasons combined. The Rams have two other line starters coming off season-ending knee injuries, and they added only Jamil Demby and seventh-round pick Tremayne Anchrum.
They didn’t replace Littleton, and while defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has a track record of molding inside linebackers out of unlikely places, Phillips is gone too. The Rams were ninth in defensive DVOA last season, and they will go from Phillips’ decades of experience to 37-year-old Brandon Staley, who has spent only three years in the NFL. They also lost longtime special-teams coordinator John Fassel, who will be replaced by former Central Michigan coach John Bonamego.
Sean McVay and the Rams have parted ways with several key contributors this offseason, including wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Perhaps more disconcertingly, it seems L.A. is either struggling with cash flow or going to present itself as such for the time being. It still hasn’t paid Gurley or Clay Matthews owed bonus money, which led to Matthews filing a grievance with the league. Last week, the Rams reportedly applied for a $500 million loan from the league to help finance cost overruns on their new stadium while simultaneously asking for a 30-year repayment term, which is double the typical length. These two issues likely aren’t directly related — the bonuses for Gurley and Matthews are a drop in the bucket relative to the stadium costs — but it’s fair to wonder whether the organization is in position to meet the lofty contract demands of star corner Jalen Ramsey.
What they could have done differently: As was the case with the Texans and Tunsil, the Rams should have negotiated an extension with Ramsey when they made their trade with the Jaguars. It would have been more difficult, given that they made the deal in the middle of the season, but even agreeing on the broader framework of an extension would have gone a long way. Given how Marcus Peters has played since leaving the Rams, it’s fair to argue that this team should have just held onto him and its two first-round picks, but that’s another conversation altogether.
The Rams didn’t have a first-round pick in April, and they won’t have one in next year’s draft, either. With that in mind, they badly needed to use one of their second-round picks this year on helping their offensive line. The organization was spoiled by what happened in 2017 and 2018, when the line stayed remarkably healthy and free-agent imports such as Whitworth and John Sullivan played at a high level. The line was a mess last season, and Jared Goff just isn’t good enough to overcome heavy pressure. He posted a league-worst passer rating of 34.5 under pressure. Even if second-round pick Cam Akers turns into a superstar, the Rams should have waited to target a running back.
What’s left to do: Sign Ramsey (or wide receiver Cooper Kupp). Both Kupp and Ramsey are in the final year of their respective deals, and the Rams don’t want to head to the 2021 offseason with the two stars vying for one franchise tag. They also will have to work on deals for tight end Gerald Everett and defensive backs John Johnson III and Troy Hill next year, and while some of their pending free agents will be allowed to leave, they probably want to lock up at least one of their big two before the season begins. Ramsey will look to reset the cornerback market and will be asking something in the range of $20 million per season.
What went right: In a market in which teams were aggressively paying for potential at offensive tackle, the Packers got a reasonable price in replacing Bryan Bulaga with Rick Wagner on a two-year, $11 million pact. While it wasn’t the first-round wide receiver Packers fans were craving, Devin Funchess could deliver good value on a one-year, $2.5 million deal as a second or third wideout. And while it’s not ideal for their chances of winning in 2020, if Green Bay did add its quarterback of the future when it drafted Jordan Love with the 26th pick, it would obviously push this offseason way higher than it ranks now.
What went wrong: In an offseason in which the draft was full of wide receiver talent and veteran wideout prices were depressed, the Packers really couldn’t come away with more than Funchess? Taking Love was one thing, but using a second-round pick on bruising running back AJ Dillon seemed more egregious. It also seemed to hint that Aaron Jones’ future after the season lies outside of Green Bay, which is unlikely to make many Packers fans happy.
The decision to move on from Bulaga also was curious, given that he signed a relatively friendly deal with the Chargers. It’s possible the Packers weren’t given an option to match, but if they could have signed Bulaga for three years and $30 million, they should have brought back their stalwart right tackle.
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They didn’t do much to address their defense. While they improved from 29th to 15th in DVOA after a spending spree in free agency last year, they are unlikely to be as healthy on the defensive side of the ball in 2020 after their starters missed a total of four games all season. They replaced linebacker Blake Martinez with Christian Kirksey, which should be a positive if Kirksey stays healthy, but I was surprised Green Bay didn’t try to do more to add depth on defense.
What they could have done differently: Realistically, even if the Packers wanted Love in Round 1, they should have gone out of their way to get one of the remaining wideouts in the second round. I’m not often an advocate for trading up, and it’s possible that opposing teams were quoting astronomical prices to the Packers after seeing how their fan base reacted to the Love pick, but they should have moved up in the second round to get someone like Laviska Shenault Jr. or Denzel Mims. Dillon basically has to turn into Derrick Henry for that pick to work, and both the track record and NFL career span of backs like Henry aren’t great.
What’s left to do: Acquire a veteran wideout. I mentioned Kenny Stills earlier, and a trade for the Texans wideout makes total sense.
What went right: The Seahawks added significant offensive line depth, re-signing Mike Iupati and signing the likes of B.J. Finney, Brandon Shell, Cedric Ogbuehi and Chance Warmack, before drafting Damien Lewis in the third round. With a thin depth chart at wide receiver behind starters Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, they were able to get a steal by adding Phillip Dorsett on a one-year deal for the veterans minimum. They also added some modestly priced depth at defensive end by signing Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin, and they made what looked to be an excellent trade in acquiring cornerback Quinton Dunbar from Washington for a fifth-round pick.
What went wrong: Dunbar’s near-term future appears to be uncertain after a warrant was issued for his arrest on armed robbery charges. The Seahawks will be able to get by without him, but they still haven’t acquired a primary pass-rusher after letting Jadeveon Clowney leave this offseason. The former first overall pick is still a free agent, but Seattle was 30th in adjusted sack rate with him and could be even worse without him. The two-year, $23 million deal the team gave defensive tackle Jarran Reed had a player-friendly structure, and it kept the franchise aligned with a player who was suspended for six games after being accused of domestic assault last year.
While it’s obviously too early to make significant judgments about draft picks, Seattle’s first-round selection of off-ball linebacker Jordyn Brooks was widely seen as a stretch for both the player and the positional value. The Seahawks have proved broader consensus wrong in the past — Metcalf and quarterback Russell Wilson come to mind — but Brooks will have to be great to overcome the needs this team had on either side of the line of scrimmage. Most of the offensive linemen Seattle added simply weren’t very good in other places, with Finney as an exception. The one-year, $7 million deal the Seahawks gave Greg Olsen was also a lot for a 35-year-old tight end with one healthy season over his past three years.
Jadeveon Clowney had a successful season in Seattle, and he hasn’t found a team in free agency. Could he return to the Seahawks? Jeffrey Vest/Getty Images
What they could have done differently: I would suggest that they should have traded down from No. 27, but I’m not sure there was much of a market for the pick. The Packers moved up to 26 to draft Love, but after that, no team moved up in the draft until the Colts did so at No. 41. Taking a player at a more significant position would make sense to me, such as offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson or defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos.
The depth approach Seattle took to its line was interesting, but adding a second guaranteed starter behind Finney would have been helpful. Shell appears likely to start at right tackle, but on a two-year, $9 million price tag, I would have liked to see the Seahawks try to finally find a pass-protecting tackle for Wilson by going after Bryan Bulaga.
What’s left to do: Bring back Clowney. A one-year reunion makes sense for both sides, given that the Seahawks are likely to be a playoff contender and Clowney wants to restore his free-agent stock on a winner. Seattle has about $15 million in cap space, which is a little more than what he might hope to land on a one-year pact at this point. General manager John Schneider could clear out $5.4 million by releasing backup pass-catchers Jacob Hollister and David Moore.
What went right: The ideal situation for the Titans would have been retaining quarterback Ryan Tannehill and franchising running back Derrick Henry, which is what ended up happening. Tennessee hasn’t yet come to terms on an extension with Henry, which I’m considering a plus given how poorly contracts have aged for running backs. It also lost right tackle Jack Conklin, but it replaced the former All-Pro by re-upping Dennis Kelly and using its first-round pick on Isaiah Wilson.
What went wrong: Losing Conklin and cornerback Logan Ryan cost the team two valuable starters, and I’m not sure the Kelly/Wilson combination or free-agent corner Johnathan Joseph are going to be as valuable in their absence. The Vic Beasley Jr. signing locked the Titans in on a one-year deal for a pass-rusher who has been successful for 1½ of his five pro seasons and didn’t offer any ability to keep him if he exceeds expectations.
Most notably, to get the Tannehill deal done, the Titans practically guaranteed their breakout quarterback three years and $91 million, which is a huge investment for a player whom the Dolphins paid $5 million to sell for a fourth-round pick at this time last year. He was one of the league’s best quarterbacks last season, but he has a lengthy injury history. The Titans also want to build around running the football, which makes a $31 million quarterback an expensive accessory.
What they could have done differently: I’m not sure the Titans had much of a choice, but even limiting the Tannehill deal to two guaranteed seasons would have been a much better deal. With hindsight, it’s fair to suggest they might have been better off letting him hit the market and going after somebody like Nick Foles or Andy Dalton at a much cheaper price. Likewise, for a team that has expressed interest in Jadeveon Clowney, the Titans would have been better off just signing Clowney to a one-year deal as opposed to Beasley. Some of that is hindsight, but the Beasley and Tannehill deals raised questions before we even saw how the rest of those respective markets worked out.
What’s left to do: Let Henry play out his franchise tag. When he was asked about a possible extension in January, Henry said the six-year, $90 million extension that Ezekiel Elliott signed with the Cowboys was “the floor.” Elliott’s deal paid him $37.6 million over its first three years.
Henry’s franchise tag is worth $10.2 million in 2020. If the Titans franchised him two more times, in 2021 and 2022, they would end up paying him $40.1 million, which is right about what Elliott’s deal included after accounting for cap inflation. They also would retain the leverage of going year to year with the ability to opt out if Henry gets hurt or doesn’t live up to expectations. The NFL’s running back economics are absolutely warped, and it’s unfair to Henry after his production over the past year and a half, but the Titans will likely regret it if they give him a Zeke-sized deal.
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junker-town · 5 years ago
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Our grades for every pick in the 1st round of the 2020 NFL Draft
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Tua Tagovailoa, Javon Kinlaw, and Chase Young were all taken in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Minnesota Vikings played the first round perfectly while others did not.
In what was supposed to be a bizarre 2020 NFL Draft, things felt pretty normal. Through the first 12 picks, at least.
Then things started to get a little weird. Tampa Bay made the first trade of the night to go get a blocker for Tom Brady. Some teams that were expected to take a wide receiver in the first round didn’t. Some teams that we didn’t expect to take a wide receiver in the first round did.
The back half of the first round was filled with trades and some questionable selections. At least that’s how they look initially. And that is why we’re here with some instant, premature grades.
These grades are based on a combination of factors starting with player value. After that, filling need and personnel fit are considered. Of course, these are way too early. We’ll re-visit them in a few years to see the true value.
1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
Burrow becomes the 15th quarterback since 2000 to be taken first in the draft. Many of those picks — like David Carr, JaMarcus Russell, and Jameis Winston — haven’t worked out. Obviously the hope is that Burrow does. He’s the best quarterback in the draft and goes to a team that badly needs one.
Grade: A+
2. Washington: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State
Washington doesn’t really need Young. The team has taken defensive linemen in the first round in three consecutive drafts, most recently Montez Sweat last year. If the team has a strength, that is it. Still, Young is overwhelmingly the best player in the draft. He has every trait you want in a 4-3 defensive end, from length to an incredibly fast first move.
Grade: A+
3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
After considering a trade down, the Lions stood pat to take the best cornerback in the draft. It’s a pick that makes sense. No team in the NFL gave up more passing yards per game than Detroit last season, so it needs Okudah. In the Ohio State product, the Lions get a man coverage corner with excellent athleticism for the game. He’s a Day 1 starter. This grade would be higher if the Lions didn’t force themselves into this pick by disenfranchising, and ultimately trading, Darius Slay.
Grade: B+
4. New York Giants: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
The expectation was that the Giants would take an offensive tackle here. But did they take the right one? Thomas is considered to be the classic “high-floor, low ceiling” type of prospect. That’s in part because he played a ton of games at Georgia. As it has been stated throughout this draft process, the top four offensive tackles could come off the board in a random order. That’s what this represents.
Grade: B-
5. Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
This is a gamble, but it could pay off huge. Tagovailoa had numerous injuries in college, the last being a fractured hip. But when Tagovailoa was healthy, he was arguably the best quarterback in this draft. Tagovailoa is a magician in the pocket with his ability to move around. But sometimes he moves around a little too much and he’ll put himself in danger. The question now becomes about how soon Miami will put Tagovailoa on the field. In the end, the Dolphins did tank for Tua.
Grade: B
6. Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
The Chargers badly needed to land a quarterback in the first round, and they didn’t have to trade up to get one. Despite what head coach Anthony Lynn said, it was impossible to see his team banking on Tyrod Taylor, a quarterback who has started just 46 games in nine seasons. Which Herbert are the Chargers getting, though? Is it the one who holds on to the ball too long or the big-armed 6’6 athlete? Are they getting Cam Newton or Paxton Lynch?
Grade: B-
7. Carolina Panthers: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
This pick either had to be Brown or Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons. Carolina’s run defense last season was abysmal, and only got worse when Luke Kuechly surprised everyone and retired. Not only that, but the Panthers lost Vernon Butler and Gerald McCoy on the defensive line this offseason.
Brown is a monster of a defensive tackle. To me, he’s the new version of Fletcher Cox of the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown is hard to move off the spot and can collapse the pocket with his power. The only issue is how well his pass rush game will translate to the NFL. If it does, Brown should be a superstar in the NFL.
Grade: A-
8. Arizona Cardinals: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
From a best player available standpoint, Simmons is a slam dunk of a pick for the Cardinals. Given general manager Steve Keim’s drafting history, he tends to like defensive players who are versatile. Sometimes it works out (Tyrann Mathieu) and sometimes it doesn’t (Hassan Reddick). The problem with this pick is that Simmons can’t block for Kyler Murray on offense. That’s maybe the one thing Simmons can’t do. This pick is akin to Derwin James falling to the Chargers in 2018.
Grade: B
9. Jacksonville Jaguars: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
This was one of the first surprises of the first round, and it was only a mild surprise. Jacksonville’s secondary is a barren wasteland after the Jaguars moved on from Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. They needed to make this pick to help rebuild a defense that has fallen apart in the last two years.
Grade: B-
10. Cleveland Browns: Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama
The Browns needed a left tackle in a bad way. They signed Jack Conklin in free agency, so the choice of a tackle was pretty telegraphed. There is some projection with this pick, though. Wills played the majority of his snaps at right tackle in college. The assumption is that he’ll be able to effortlessly move sides because of his ability to pass block. We’ll see how well that goes.
Grade: B-
11. New York Jets: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville
This was a smart move by the Jets. They could have taken a wide receiver here, but decided it was more important to block for young franchise quarterback Sam Darnold. Becton is a physical specimen who moves around with ease despite being 360 pounds. The Jets can find receivers later in the draft. They can’t find a blocker like Becton.
Grade: A
12. Las Vegas Raiders: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
Al Davis has risen to make the pick of a speed-first receiver over teammate Jerry Jeudy or Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. Ruggs is a deep threat, sure, but he’s also a run-and-catch receiver who can line up on the outside or in the slot. Ruggs should be a playmaker for the Raiders. That’s what you expect out of a wide receiver who runs a 4.27-second 40-yard dash. But he seems much riskier than Jeudy or Lamb.
Grade: C+
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
The Buccaneers moved up a spot in an effort to get the blocker they need at right tackle. With Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to go with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, suddenly the Buccaneers appear to have one of the NFL’s best offenses. It only got better with the addition of Wirfs, who I rated as the top offensive tackle in the draft this year.
Grade: A+
14. San Francisco 49ers: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
The 49ers made the right move making a no-risk trade with the Buccaneers to drop down a pick and get a fourth-round selection (No. 117) in return. Then they took a defensive lineman over a wide receiver. The 49ers originally got the 13th pick from the Colts for DeForest Buckner. Kinlaw in the closest comparison to Buckner in this draft. So basically they got a cheaper player to do the same thing.
Grade: B
15. Denver Broncos: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
This pick was a steal for the Broncos. Jeudy was the best wide receiver in the draft, and he shouldn’t have lasted until the 15th pick. Jeudy is an excellent route runner who runs crisp, smooth patterns. He can play on the outside or in the slot for the Broncos and he has good speed too. Jeudy has very few flaws in his game.
Grade: A+
16. Atlanta Falcons: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson
When Henderson went ninth overall, the Falcons taking Terrell seemed more likely. Terrell was widely considered the third-best cornerback in the draft, and he fills a big hole for the Falcons. Terrell is a willing press coverage cornerback, with the speed to make up space. He just has to get a little better down the field at the catch point and with his tackling. His skill level is high, though.
Grade: B-
17. Dallas Cowboys: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
This pick was a little strange given the Cowboys just gave Amari Cooper a five-year, $100 million contract. Also consider that Michael Gallup is a solid No. 2 receiver who had 113 targets last season. And that running back Ezekiel Elliott is on a six-year, $90 million contract. Lamb is unquestionably a great player. But how much is he going to see the ball on this offense?
Grade: C+
18. Miami Dolphins (via Pittsburgh Steelers): Austin Jackson, OT, USC
After taking Tagovailoa at No. 5, it was evident the Dolphins had to get an offensive tackle here. The choices were between Jackson and Josh Jones of Houston. Look, Miami is still rebuilding, which makes it perfectly fine to take the player with more perceived upside in Jackson. It was a surprise to see him go pro because a lot of people thought he could be a top-10 pick in 2021. Jackson is a true left tackle with good athleticism, especially out on the second level.
Grade: B
19. Las Vegas Raiders: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State
This is a risky pick for the Raiders. Few thought Arnette would be a first-round player. He nearly bolted from Ohio State after the 2018 season but was convinced to return to Columbus. Arnette is a physically gifted cornerback who defends receivers throughout their routes. That could lead to him being a penalty magnet in the NFL. By the time Arnette gets to his second contract he’ll be 29, so he enters the NFL as an older prospect.
Grade: D
20. Jacksonville Jaguars: K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU
When the Cowboys took Lamb instead of Chaisson, it seemed apparent this would be the pick for the Jaguars. Chaisson is a special athlete for a pass rushing edge player. He’s a player who can stand up or rush with his hand down. Pairing Chaisson with Josh Allen gives the Jaguars two bookend edge players.
Grade: A
21. Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
Like the top offensive tackles, the way the wide receivers came off the board was going to be different from what most expected. That was evidenced in this pick over Brandon Aiyuk of Arizona State, Justin Jefferson of LSU and Denzel Mims of Baylor. The Eagles obviously had to get a wide receiver with their first pick. You just have to wonder if they could have traded down and still gotten Reagor.
Grade: C+
22. Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
This might be my favorite pick of the first round. Some thought Jefferson could go as high as the 14th pick. For whatever reason, he slipped to the 22nd pick. He torched defenses from the slot last year at LSU to the tune of 111 receptions for 1,540 yards. It’s true, the Vikings have Adam Thielen in the slot. But Jefferson’s game lends itself to playing more on the outside than he did in college.
Grade: A+
23. Los Angeles Chargers: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
Los Angeles moved its second- and third-round picks to get back into the first round to take Murray ahead of the Saints. Murray is a three-down linebacker who can make plays all over the field. He comes down against the run in a hurry and he can move sideline-to-sideline. There’s a risk trading up, but the linebacker class this year is suspect. Having Murray and Derwin James on the field at the same time makes the Chargers’ defense a lot of fun.
Grade: A-
24. New Orleans Saints: Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan
If the Saints truly view the 2020 season as their all-in year, it’s understandable why they would pick Ruiz. You have to think the Saints wanted Murray, which is why the Chargers jumped to No. 23 to snag him. Ruiz is a plug-and-play interior offensive lineman who can play center or guard for the Saints.
Grade: B
25. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State
On a team that was light on draft picks, the 49ers gave up pick Nos. 31, 117 and 176 to move up five slots. That’s a big gamble for the 49ers. While they don’t have a ton of needs, the back of the first round is deep in wide receivers. While there’s something to say about getting the player you covet, the only picks the 49ers have left are Nos. 156, 210 and 217.
In regard to the pick itself, this is the type of wide receiver the 49ers needed to get. Aiyuk is an explosive playmaker who can make defenders miss after the catch.
Grade: C+
26. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
This is the single most stunning selection in the first round by a long shot. The Packers traded into this pick, and the thought was that it would be a for a wide receiver for Aaron Rodgers. Instead they picked the veteran’s successor. This pick could pay off big down the road. And a quarterback on a rookie contract is almost priceless in today’s NFL. And Love is a player who needs to sit at least a year to fix some of his flaws. But with Rodgers, the Packers should push to win now.
Aaron Rodgers in March on the possibility of the Packers drafting a quarterback: "No matter who you bring in, they're not going to be able to beat me out anytime soon."
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 24, 2020
Grade: D+
27. Seattle Seahawks: Jordyn Brooks, LB, Texas Tech
Just about every Seahawks fan was certain Seattle would trade down and out of the first round. It’s a staple of general manager John Schneider. Then Schneider didn’t and took a player most thought would be there in the second round. Other than trading down, going against the grain is Schneider’s specialty. That’s why prematurely grading Seattle’s picks are the hardest of any team. And it doesn’t help that Seattle fans keep receipts.
At any rate, Brooks gives the Seahawks a hard-hitting linebacker with excellent football IQ. Brooks is arguably the best tackling linebacker in the draft, and made a ton of plays in 2019 when he had 20 tackles for loss.
Grade: C
28. Baltimore Ravens: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
This was the pick the Ravens needed to make. He is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker with a high motor, Queen can patrol the middle of the field for the Ravens and make a ton of plays. His comparison for me was C.J. Mosley. After building out their defensive line this offseason, Queen fits a big need for the Ravens, and he was the best player available.
Grade: A+
29. Tennessee Titans: Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia
Sometimes picks that are even in the back of the first round are obvious. That was the case with Wilson and the Titans. You could see this one coming from a mile away if you thought about it a little bit. Wilson, one of the youngest players in the draft, excels as a run blocker on the right side. That’s exactly what Tennessee, a run-first team, needs to replace Jack Conklin. You can quibble about the value of taking Wilson here — the knock is his uneven pass blocking — but you can’t argue about his system fit.
Grade: B+
30. Miami Dolphins: Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn
The odd thing about this pick is that the Dolphins just gave a huge contract to Byron Jones this offseason, they still have Xavien Howard and have a big need at safety. They could have had Xavier McKinney of Alabama with this pick, for instance. Igbinoghene is a wide receiver turned cornerback who has speed on top of speed. It’s true, NFL teams need three good cornerbacks. But the Dolphins could have found a slot cornerback later in the draft.
Grade: C+
31. Minnesota Vikings: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
This is a perfect fit for Mike Zimmer’s defense. Gladney is a nasty cornerback who will get physical with wide receivers. He’s aggressive coming up to play the run, and knows how to get off a block.
Grade: A
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU
This is another tremendous team fit. There was plenty of speculation leading up to the draft that the Chiefs could be a team that takes a running back in the first round. Edwards-Helaire is an excellent runner who stays low to the ground. But his real value at the position is as a receiver. He’s going to catch a ton of passes in Kansas City’s offense. The only issue is the positional value of a running back in the first round.
Grade: B
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asecretsummer-rpg · 7 years ago
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Activity Check
( hiatus has ended ) ( 24 hour warning )
@brooke--ford, @theandrewbates, @brendan--matthews, @ronald-hall, @cameron--brady, @elliot-everett, @adrian-wallace, @victoria--james, @finlay-burke, @chase--gordon, @isabel-pierce, @ricky-henderson, @noelle--whitfield, @austin-ramsey, @harvey--newell, @emma--williamson, @theericmattews
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Just a quick reminder that a semi hiatus means that you will still post on your characters before they hit one week of inactivity. If you know you will not be able to do this, please ask for a full hiatus! (and try to give us an end date if possible because these typically end at 2 weeks)
Anybody who currently plays 10+ characters will not allowed to take on any more. You may possibly be allowed to drop and switch out but you may not add any new characters to your current lot.
If certain characters are continually being put on the activity warnings, posted on simply to keep them, and then left inactive again for a further three days (and repeat) there is a chance they will be taken from the player to avoid hoarding and other issues.
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Please like this post when you have read it so we know who has seen and understands.
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xlewandowski · 5 years ago
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NFL Mock Draft — 2020
Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, it’s mock draft time!
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for my annual mock of the 1st Round in the 2020 NFL Draft. 
I’m going to start off my article with a little additional information; I will be listing out my top players for each position. 
Lets just jump in, shall we…
Quarterback 1. Tua Tagovailoa 2. Joe Burrow 3. Justin Herbert 4. Jalen Hurts 5. Jordan Love
Running Back 1. D’Andre Swift 2. Jonathan Taylor 3. Clyde Edwards-Helaire 4. J.K. Dobbins 5. Cam Akers
Wideout 1. Jerry Jeudy 2. CeeDee Lamb 3. Justin Jefferson 4. Henry Ruggs III 5. Tee Higgins
Tight End 1. Cole Kmet 2. Thaddeus Moss 3. Albert Okwuegbunam 4. Hunter Bryant 5. Harrison Bryant
Offensive Tackle 1. Tristan Wirfs 2. Jedrick Wills Jr. 3. Andrew Thomas 4. Mekhi Becton 5. Austin Jackson
Interior Offensive Lineman 1. Cesar Ruiz 2. Lloyd Cushenberry 3. Netane Muti 4.Nick Harris 5. Joan Jackson
Defensive Line 1. Chase Young 2. Derrick Brown 3. Javon Kinlaw 4. K’Lavon Chaisson 5. Yetur Gross-Matos
Linebacker 1. Isaiah Simmons 2. Patrick Queen 3. Kenneth Murray 4. Zack Baun 5. Willie Gay Jr.
Cornerback 1. Jeff Okudah 2. CJ Henderson 3. Kristian Fulton 4. Trevon Diggs 5. A.J. Terrell
Safety 1. Xavier McKinney 2. Grant Delpit 3. Antoine Winfield Jr. 4. Jeremy Chinn 5. Ashtyn Davis
And kickers and punters obviously don’t matter.
Now, before I jump into the actual picks I know that there are some debatable rankings, mainly at the quarterback and the wideout position.
I ranked Tagovailoa over Burrow because Tagovailoa is a more proven player; he had been a star with Alabama for a few years, while Burrow had one season of greatness, though yes, it may have been the greatest collegiate quarterback season ever it was still only one. It’s also worth noting that he (Burrow) transferred from Ohio State to be the starter at LSU, not compete for the starting position at Ohio State had he stayed. Lastly, is the age; Burrow will be 24 this year, while Tagovailoa has just turned 22.
The other ranking that may catch people off guard is the ranking of Ruggs III being my fourth wideout. To most there is a top tier at the position, that being Jeudy, Lamb and Ruggs III in whatever order. My top tier is Jeudy and Lamb and then the second tier would be Jefferson and Ruggs III. I have Jefferson ahead of Ruggs III solely because I trust the size of a player like Jefferson more than the speed from Ruggs III. Speed is sometimes deceptive; look around at the NFL landscape, how many of the fastest players (at their respective positions) are the best or at the top? Now of course that is an even bigger debate, but for me I’ll trust a guy who is only 0.1sec slower but is a bigger human being.
Now, now is the time!
Let’s get this baby rolling! 
Please note, I will not be predicting trades in this mock. Trades are inevitable, though with everything going on in the world this time around I wouldn’t be surprised if there are less trades than typically. My prediction, because that’s what this article is all about, is 5 trades.
Cincinnati Bengals — Joe Burrow, Quarterback Remember what I said about the Tagovailoa comparison above? Forget it! Cincinnati is going all in on the former Heisman, National Champion. Burrow has the ideal size that you want in a quarterback, and though he may be a touch older than the front office would like, with age comes maturity, and Cincinnati needs that and a vocal leader to bring them back to relevancy.
Washington Redskins — Chase Young, Defensive End Arguably the best player in the draft, and if it wasn’t for his (questionable) suspension in the middle of the Buckeyes season he would have set the NCAA sack record. Young is a generational edge rusher and adding him to an already loaded front in Washington will give you 2019 San Francisco vibes when the 49ers added Nick Bosa.
Detroit Lions — Jeff Okudah, Cornerback How does Matt Patrica want to build his team? All signs point to him chasing the successes he had in New England, and though that hasn’t worked for him, he’ll still keep trying… It’s unfortunate for Okudah as he is head and shoulders the top cornerback in this years class with a good combination of length, speed and aggressiveness. Just pull a Jalen Ramsey in a few years, Jeff!  
New York Giants — Tristan Wirfs, Offensive Tackle As badly as the Giants need defensive playmakers, taking Wirfs, the most complete offensive tackle in the draft as well as an Iowa alum, seriously, check the track record of Iowa offensive lineman - they are tremendous! Wirfs will help solidify the picks of Saquon and Daniel Jones in the previous two drafts, Dave Gettleman’s job depends on it.  
Miami Dolphins — Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback The last time Miami passed on a shorter quarterback with a major injury the year prior was Drew Brees. Not this time. Tagovailoa is the player that Miami essentially set their sights on WAY back in September when they were getting blown out. Tank for Tua exists solely because of Miami. This is their guy, and if you think some late chatter is going to change their minds then you are dead wrong. Tagovailoa brings excitement and hope back to a Dolphins franchise that hasn’t had it since another Dolphin dawned #13.  
Los Angeles Chargers — Justin Herbert, Quarterback Herbert is a calm, cool and collective guy. He’s not a rah-rah guy. I guess what I’m trying to say is, he’s a California guy. He fits the LA market to a T and aside from quarterback, that is exactly what the Chargers need, a market(able franchise quarterback). Herbert has all the intangibles that you want in a quarterback; I would compare him to a more accurate Josh Allen.
Carolina Panthers — Isaiah Simmons, Linebacker Out is Kuechly. In is Simmons. I don’t want to say that Simmons can replace Kuechly right off the bat, but he brings the sideline-to-sideline and passion to the game that is eerily similar. On top of that Simmons has the athleticism to play both safety spots as well as slot corner. Simmons is one of the few can’t-miss-prospects in this years draft. But just to throw some doubt (shade?) in your mind, remember that Seattle thought linebacker Aaron Curry was a can’t-miss-prospect in ’09.
Arizona Cardinals — Derrick Brown, Defensive Tackle First surprise of the draft! Most, if not all, have Arizona taking an offensive tackle to further protect Kyler Murray. I believe that the current offensive line that Arizona has put together is average, but there have been plenty of great offences, Super Bowl winning offences that win with an average o-line. Kyler has the escapability to make an average line good, just look within their division, Russell Wilson has had (at best) an average o-line his entire career. I give the nod to Brown here as it’s the defence of Arizona that needs to step up; aside from Chandler Jones and Patrick Peterson, Arizona needs an infusion of talent on the defensive side to truly soar.
Jacksonville Jaguars — Xavier McKinney, Safety The Jags are an interesting team in this years draft, as they are clearly rebuilding though there are so many positions that need to be filled/upgraded. I want to go offensive tackle here, but going with a pick that makes sense isn’t Jacksonville’s style. Under the Caldwell/Marrone regime defence has been there go-to in the 1st round. McKinney has the ability to play both safety spots as well as corner, he’s a player that can be thrust into the starting lineup and would feel seamless.
Cleveland Browns — Jedrick Wills Jr., Offensive Tackle Cleveland is the biggest beneficiary of Arizona and Jacksonville going against the grain as it’s been no secret that they are in desperate need for o-line help. New head coach Kevin Stefanski knows the difference what a good offensive line can do for a quarterback - just ask Kirk Cousins when he was the OC for Minnesota. Wills Jr. provides Cleveland with a winners mentality and is in the mix for the best tackle in this years draft. It’s a no-brainer.  
New York Jets — Henry Ruggs III, Wideout The most glaring needs for the Jets have been offensive tackle and wideout, I went with the latter on this one, but not necessarily the name you thought. Ruggs III gets the nod here as New York and Darnold need a game changer at the wideout position, a true home run hitter. Ruggs III is what Robby Anderson could never develop to be. Adam Gase has a tendency to take risks in the 1st round, he has to hit eventually, right?  
Las Vegas Raiders — Jerry Jeudy, Wideout It’s almost poetic that Jon Gruden selects a true number one receiver from Alabama after having a true number one receiver from… Alabama. Look, Gruden just wants to a build a team his way… I don’t want to say that Jeudy is an Amari Cooper clone, but… This is what I wrote about Cooper in 2015 “…Cooper is the best wideout in the draft and has the better hands and route running…”, now I know that wasn’t groundbreaking stuff, but it still holds true for Jeudy.  
San Francisco 49ers — CJ Henderson, Cornerback There’s a reason San Francisco made the trade for a premium pick, my guess is that they know how good their defensive line is (plus how expensive it’s getting) but also know how their corners were exposed in the Super Bowl. As good of a corner Richard Sherman is, he’s never been a fast guy and with his speed starting to slip it’s time to find a successor. Enter Henderson who is a well sized corner with the only real issue being his tackling, but on a 49ers defense with their GM being a former DB with impeccable tackling skills, I think he’ll pick it up just fine.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Mekhi Becton, Offensive Tackle Easy, easy pick. Tampa needs to protect Brady at all costs. With Becton they easily get the highest ceiling lineman in the draft. Brady has a knack for making his tackles look elite, but with Becton, I don’t think he’ll need to try very hard.
Denver Broncos — CeeDee Lamb, Wideout Denver has been a good landing spot for a wideout, and the chips fall in that direction as well. Lamb is arguably the best wideout in this years class with great hands, route running and body control. He’ll be added to an offensive that could be sneaky good with a ton of young talent; add in Lamb alongside Sutton, Fant and the big arm of Lock and they could be building something special in Denver.
Atlanta Falcons — Andrew Thomas, Offensive Tackle Atlanta is in limbo with this pick, do they go along the defensive line which they have swung and missed too many times, or do they go along the offensive line where they’ve dealt with injuries the last few seasons? Here I’m going with the local Georgia Bulldogs kid, Andrew Thomas. In him, Atlanta finally finds a bookend tackle to pair with Jake Matthews. Atlanta was at it’s best when they were scoring a ton of points, and signing Todd Gurley to a 1-year deal tells me that that is the direction they want to go.  
Dallas Cowboys — Cesar Ruiz, Centre Even with a ton of defensive linemen still on the board, Dallas stays true to themselves and drafts the best centre in the draft to replace Travis Frederick to his shockingly but unsurprising retirement. Similar to Tyron Smith back in 2011, Ruiz is a young player at just 20, but with Dallas’ elite offensive line, Ruiz will fit right in and learn from some of the absolute best.
Miami Dolphins — Javon Kinlaw, Defensive Line Miami adds a gem at the 18th spot with Kinlaw, who has outstanding length, size and explosiveness for a man his size. For as bad as Miami was last year, they are building something special down there in South Beach. With the free agent acquisitions and adding game changer draft picks, maybe Flores was right in selling the farm last year to restock in this years draft.
Las Vegas Raiders — Yetur Gross-Matos, Defensive End Mike Mayock loves the potential and the versatility, Gross-Matos (underrated name) gets the nod as he has tremendous upside with the ability to add to his already 6’5 frame. Playing him opposite last years picks in Ferrell and Crosby, Oaklan…uhh Las Vegas starts to build depth along a defensive line that can match up against a trending upward division that is the AFC West.
Jacksonville Jaguars — Kenneth Murray, Linebacker Despite the addition of Joe Schobert, the Jags look to further strengthen their linebacking core. Murray needs development in coverage, though that is typically anchored by Myles Jack. Murray has the potential to develop into a hybrid of Schobert and Jack as he is the perfect blend of athleticism and instincts.
Philadelphia Eagles — Justin Jefferson, Wideout Philadelphia may have shown their hand a little bit in addressing the cornerback position through free agency and acquiring Slay, so it’s no secret (or surprise) that they target a wideout in the 1st round. Jefferson exploded this past year for LSU as he provides the perfect blend of speed, size and hands. He will finally provide Wentz with a reliable, healthy target that he has needed throughout his entire tenure of being an Eagle.  
Minnesota Vikings — K’Lavon Chaisson, Defensive Line Out with the old and in with the new! Minnesota and Everson Griffen opted to mutually part ways this off-season and though corner and wideout may be a bigger priority, they are pleasantly surprised to see Chaisson still available this late in the draft. Chaisson already has the move and explosion to excel at the d-end position, the one thing he needs is a bit more mass. The challenge is accept by head coach Mike Zimmer who has a knack in getting the most out of his front seven.
New England Patriots — Zack Baun, Linebacker Baun is the typical do-everything-player that Belichick absolutely loves (though you’d never know). Baun plays best as an outside backer with experience rushing off the edge, think Mike Vrabel in his prime and to a lesser extent, Tedy Bruschi. I know some are thinking Jordan Love here, but I suspect that Belichick is holding on with his belief in Jarrett Stidham; I also believe that if Jalen Hurts is available in the second that’s when New England would give thoughts to upgrading their quarterback position.
New Orleans Saints — Jordan Love, Quarterback Drew Brees is done after this year, right? I mean, how much more heartbreak can this man sustain… Sean Payton finally finds the real successor to Brees (sorry Taysom) in Love. Love has the potential and the raw ability to be great in this league, though I do feel he needs a little seasoning, and who better to learn from then one of the all-time greats. Patrick Mahomes has been the lazy comparison for Love, to me I feel he fits more of a Cam Newton mold; time will tell.
Minnesota Vikings — Josh Jones, Offensive Tackle Minnesota has been trying to revamp their line for what feels like a few years now. Jones gives them a potential impact blocker for the future. The knock on him is that he is a raw player that needs to improve in the running game, which can be viewed as a knock as Minnesota loves to run the ball, but with an elusive back like Cook and a more statuesque quarterback in Cousins, Minnesota opts for improvement in the pass game.
Miami Dolphins — Lucas Niang, Offensive Tackle Miami wisely invests in an offensive tackle after securing their quarterback of the future in Tagovailoa. Niang is one of the most well-rounded tackle prospects in the draft, though he doesn’t have eye-popping measurements he has the ability to grow and be a day one starter for the Dolphins.  
Seattle Seahawks — Trevon Diggs, Cornerback Seattle is always a hard team to predict, as they either, by an analysts standpoint, reach for a guy that would have been available in later rounds (see Bruce Irvin, James Carpenter, Rashaad Penny…) or they trade out of the spot all together. This year however they take a corner with a ton of upside and can be a bit of hothead and/or vocal (like his brother, Stefon). Diggs brings a ton of athleticism, which is perfect as sometimes his aggressiveness gets in the way.
Baltimore Ravens — Patrick Queen, Linebacker Baltimore missed more than they thought when CJ Mosley cashed in a year ago. Queen has a winning pedigree and will give Baltimore exactly what they were missing when they got gashed continuously by Derrick Henry in the playoffs. Queen isn’t at the Ray Lewis level of linebacker, though I can see him easily matching (if not passing) the level that was Mosley.  
Tennessee Titans — Austin Jackson, Offensive Tackle Sometimes it’s as easy as addition from subtraction. Tennessee didn’t want to shell out top dollar for Jack Conklin who, in his own right is a very good tackle, but the price tag was out of reach. Jackson fills the void, and though he has some deficiencies; he has room to bulk and add strength, he won’t be asked to take the premier left tackle spot as Taylor Lewan has that position locked down.
Green Bay Packers — Tee Higgins, Wideout Aaron Rodgers needs another receiver. Aaron Rodgers can’t do it all himself. Aaron Rodgers expresses frustration with his receiving core… There are dozens of these statements and all showcase the same thing, Aaron Rodgers needs help, and that’s ok! Who doesn’t?! Higgins give Rodgers a big-bodied redzone threat that he has never had (at the wideout position). He won’t light you up with his speed, however his catch radius is phenomenal. He reminds me of another former Clemson Tiger, Mike Williams.
San Francisco 49ers — Jeremy Chinn, Safety It was a coin flip between Jeremy Chinn and Grant Delpit. Both are two of the bigger safeties in the draft, and both can play multiple positions, the difference is what those other positions are; where Delpit is more finesse, Chinn brings the hammer as he can play the hybrid safety/linebacker position. Infuse Chinn into a Robert Saleh defence and the potential is endless.
Kansas City Chiefs — Kristian Fulton, Cornerback The lone weakness working against Kansas City is their secondary, they have elite and depth at almost all positions aside from cornerback, nothing close to a lockdown corner. Fulton sticks to his receivers like glue; press coverage is unbelievable. His only real knock is he has above-average speed and was suspended for a year, que the Marcus Peters comparisons. Andy Reid has never been wavered by character issues.
Well there you have it!
Thank you for taking the time to read my prediction for the 1st Round in this years 2020 NFL Draft. If you have been reading since the start back in 2013, thank you for the support. 
This year should definitely be an interesting year, as we will be witnessing the first every virtual draft. How will it go down? Will it get hacked? Did the NFL really need to announce that Roger Goodell will be making the picks from his basement which is probably a palace? Tune in!
Enjoy the draft next Thursday ladies and gentlemen! There is literally no excuse seeing as we are all locked inside, and unless Netflix releases Tiger King: The Exotic Return, we’ll all be tuning in #ratings
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l0stxpieces · 3 years ago
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tag drop for austin ramsey
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phooll123 · 5 years ago
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New on Sports Illustrated: Week 15 Visionary Plays: Bold Fantasy and DFS Predictions
Don't set your DFS lineup without consulting Dr. Roto's Week 15 visionary picks.
Quarterbacks
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If you think, like I do, that the Bucs have an interest in getting Winston to 5,000-plus passing yards this season, he will need to average about 295 yards per game to accomplish that goal. So long as his thumb holds up, I think Winston not only gets those passing yards, I think he adds two or three passing touchdowns as well.
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Tannehill continues to defy expectations and has put up terrific fantasy numbers all season. Las Vegas has this week’s over/under against Houston at 50 implied points, which is the highest point total of the week. Considering the Texans will be keyed in on stopping Titans RB Derrick Henry, look for Tannehill to have another huge week throwing the football. I also like how his rapport has improved with first-round draft pick WR A.J. Brown.
Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
Watson is a great quarterback, but he becomes even greater when he has time to pass—and when WR Will Fuller is in the lineup. Both things are expected to happen in Week 15. The Titans' pass rush is good, but not good enough to force Watson to throw earlier than he wishes, plus Fuller is expected back from a hamstring injury. Look for Watson to have a huge week.
Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
For weeks, we have seen that the Vikings' defense is stout against the run, but soft against the pass. This should play right into the hands of Philip Rivers. Rivers has many mismatches on the field including RB Austin Ekeler out of the backfield, WR Keen Allen in the slot, and WR Mike Williams on the outside. I can see all three players making a significant impact on this game's outcome.
Running Backs
Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks
What do you get when you put a running back on a team which likes to run 25-to-30 times a game against the worst run defense in the league? You get a lock-and-load start in seasonal and DFS formats! Carson might be the chalkiest play of Week 15, but he also should be the best play. The Seahawks want to run the ball often, and with Rashaad Penny’s injury, Carson will get all the carries he can handle. Start him with full confidence on Sunday.
Patrick Laird, Miami Dolphins 
Laird has emerged as a late-season threat, particularly in PPR formats. In Week 15, look for Laird to once again get 15-to-20 touches, which could be way more valuable this week against the soft Giants' defense than it was against the Jets' second-ranked run defense. Laird is what I like to call a
sneaky start—and one who might pay huge dividends to fantasy owners.
Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers
Mostert has picked up his play in recent games and has impressed the coaching staff so much that they admitted that he is the team’s new lead back. What makes Mostert special is that he not only has great power out of the backfield, he also catches the ball fluidly, and is big enough to stay on the field in short yardage situations. Mostert is not likely to get 20-plus touches in the 49ers' running back by committee offense, but I think he should be able to get 15 touches, which should still help his fantasy owners.
DeAndre Washington, Oakland Raiders
I am basing this selection on the thought that the Raiders will shut down starting RB Josh Jacobs with a shoulder injury. Jacobs was inactive in Week 14, and with the Raiders out of the playoff hunt, it makes little sense to risk their star player in a meaningless game. Washington should get the opportunity to be the early-down running back against a Jaguars defense which has obviously quit on the coach. Washington will split carries with Jalen Richard, but if there is a TD to be scored, Washington will have the best chance to score it.
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans
The Titans are without starting CBs Malcolm Butler and Adoree Jackson in what has become a must-win game for both teams. Deshaun Watson should have time to throw, which only makes Hopkins more deadly in the passing game. Look for him to have eight or nine catches for 100-plus receiving yards and a TD. You drafted Hopkins as the first or second overall wide receiver back in August for games like this—hopefully it pays off!
Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns
Landry has been getting the lion’s share of the targets from Mayfield over the past month (more than 30%), and the Cardinals are one of the worst team at covering slot receivers in the league. Landry should be well on his way to another fantastic game in Week 15.
Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions
Sometimes it pays to be contrarian and this week, Amendola is a great contrarian play. Most people will gravitate towards playing WR Kenny Golladay, but the Bucs will most likely double cover him, which should leave room for Amendola to navigate the middle of the field. With Marvin Jones on injured reserve, Amendola is the best weapon the Lions have to consistently move the chains.
Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
Amari Cooper is going to draw Rams CB Jalen Ramsey in shadow coverage this week, leaving Gallup as Dak Prescott's main target in the passing game. Gallup has shown that he can handle the workload (he has two 100-plus yard receiving games in the past month) and he has terrific hands. Even better is that Gallup has failed to score a TD in the last four games, which makes him due to find the end zone if you believe in positive regression.
Tight Ends
George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Kittle is a target-share monster (24%) who plays on practically every offensive snap. He is Jimmy G’s go-to guy, and he should be able to find plenty of room to operate against the Falcons this week.
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns 
This week, the Cardinals (who are still the worst team in the league at covering opposing tight ends) play the Browns, which means that Njoku is in play. Njoku has always been a good red zone player and it seems likely that he will find pay dirt this week.
Darren Waller, Oakland Raiders
With Tyrell Williams dealing with a heel injury, and Hunter Renfroe still not healthy either, the Raiders have been featuring Waller for the past month. He has 21 catches on 28 targets in that time and has become Derek Carr’s first option in the passing game. The Jaguars' defense has looked like it has given up as of late, so I think that Waller is in a great position to make a few plays and find the end zone at least once.
Ian Thomas, Carolina Panthers
I have a feeling that the Seahawks' lack of success in covering the tight end has been overlooked, but that is something that fantasy owners can take advantage of this week. Rams TE Tyler Higbee had seven catches for 116 yards against Seattle, and I am hoping that Ian Thomas follows suit with a similar week. With the Panthers' season winding down and the team failing to make the playoffs, Thomas should get every opportunity to show that he can take over for Greg Olsen and be next season’s starter.
More Advice From SI Fantasy
— Week 15 PPR Rankings from FullTime Fantasy: QB, RB, WR, TE
— Kevin Hanson's standard and half-point PPR Rankings: QB, RB, WR, TE, DST, FLEX
— Frankie Taddeo’s Week 15 streaming options: Darius Slayton, Jimmy G and more
— Jaime Eisner’s stock watch on the players trending up and down
— Jaime Eisner’s waiver wire, in case any of them are still available
— Mark Deming’s Target and Snap Report combs through the data for fantasy nuggets
— Dr. Roto's Week 15 Start / Sit column can help you with your tougher lineup decisions
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junker-town · 5 years ago
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The Eagles are a dysfunctional mess, on and off the field
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Things haven’t gone well for Carson Wentz and the Eagles in 2019.
The Eagles’ problems are starting to pile up, Gardner Minshew suddenly looks like a rookie, and Sam Darnold’s body is rejecting itself.
In retrospect, the warning signs that not all was right in the Eagles’ locker room have been there since January.
A week after the Eagles’ playoff loss to the Saints, a PhillyVoice report was not flattering to quarterback Carson Wentz. In the article, which cited several anonymous sources, Wentz was described as “selfish.” That was in stark contrast to his backup, Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, who was beloved in the locker room and on the field when he was running the offense.
Many teammates publicly jumped to Wentz’s defense and denied there was any truth to the report. The hullabaloo quickly died down. Foles moved on the Jacksonville, and Wentz got a hefty new contract. The Eagles entered the season as a potential Super Bowl contender, thanks to a stacked roster that included a healthy Wentz, stout offensive line, dominant pass rush, and a strong group of playmakers.
Then the season started and the Eagles haven’t looked anywhere close to elite. They’re now 3-4 and only three teams have turned the ball over more than them. The Week 4 win over the Packers seems more baffling by the day, especially in comparison to Philly’s recent woes: blowout losses to the Vikings and the Cowboys. Dallas ran roughshod over its rivals in JerryWorld, handing the Eagles a humiliating 37-10 defeat after head coach Doug Pederson had more or less promised his team would win. Instead, for the first time since Pederson took over, the Eagles have given up more than 30 points in back-to-back games.
The situation might be even messier behind the scenes. Unnamed players have ripped Wentz and the offense, and criticized general manager Howie Roseman for not trading for Jalen Ramsey. Veterans Malcolm Jenkins, Lane Johnson, and Brandon Graham can’t seem to agree on whether the team has accountability issues. The cracks are showing, threatening to collapse the Eagles’ season fast.
Panic index: Perhaps winning will cure all, but things might get worse before they get better. The Eagles face a tough upcoming slate against the Bills, Bears, Patriots, and Seahawks, before they get an early December reprieve (Dolphins, Giants, Washington).
If the season goes belly up, then changes will come in the offseason. And who knows. Maybe Foles can find his way back to Philadelphia again.
Gardner Minshew looks like a rookie all of a sudden
Minshew Mania was fun while it lasted, but the Jaguars’ rookie quarterback doesn’t look like a sensation anymore. After nine touchdowns and one interception in his first five games, Minshew has one touchdown and one interception in his last two. He completed less than half his passes in those underwhelming performances and was lucky to get through them with just one pick.
If Bengals cornerback B.W. Webb hadn’t been wearing a cast on his arm, he probably would’ve caught at least one of the two passes Minshew lobbed directly his way.
The problem for Minshew has been a complete breakdown of his pocket presence. The poise he showed earlier in the year has devolved into panic — even when there’s no pressure at all. One of those bouts of pocket anxiety cost the Jaguars a touchdown against the Bengals.
What. Is. He. Doing. Back. There????? Minshew get it together bro pic.twitter.com/jteejitHGY
— Laurie Fitzpatrick (@LaurieFitzptrck) October 20, 2019
Earlier in October, it looked like Nick Foles had no shot at reclaiming his spot as the starter in Jacksonville this season. But if Minshew can’t get his mojo back, the veteran may have to step in after all once he comes off injured reserve.
Panic index: Earning Rookie of the Week honors in four of the first five weeks made it easy to forget that Minshew was a sixth-round pick in April. Struggles were always to be expected. They’re only surprising now because Minshew managed to avoid them for a month.
It’s too early to say that a couple bad games mean we’ll never again see the version of Minshew who was tearing up the league earlier this fall.
Sam Darnold is literally falling apart, folks
And no, we’re not talking about the fact that he threw four interceptions against the Patriots on Monday night. Physically, Sam Darnold is falling apart.
Earlier in the season, Darnold missed three games after he contracted mononucleosis, which enlarged his spleen. During a press conference when he was talking about his recovery, he talked about actively not trying to die:
"I wanna make sure that I'm safe out there, and that I'm not gonna die" – Sam Darnold pic.twitter.com/w0J1MiZ2TL
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 3, 2019
When he was finally cleared to return against the Dallas Cowboys, he had to wear protective pads that provided extra cushion for his spleen:
Sam Darnold from the Jets will be wearing these protective shoulder pads pic.twitter.com/v1YCWujUhW
— ENRIQUE CABEZUELA (@Enrique66573043) October 13, 2019
Although Darnold’s outing against the Cowboys was impressive — he threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns — he came back to earth against the Pats, completing just 34 percent of his passes for 86 yards. Oh, and he’s seeing ghosts now? That’s what ESPN’s cameras caught him saying while he was mic’d up on-air:
Sam Darnold is mic’d up and he came to the sidelines and said, “I’m seeing ghosts.” (Via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/9MoM6Rkmo5
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) October 22, 2019
Unfortunately the jokes don’t exactly stop there, as Darnold is suffering another, um, very strange injury:
Sam Darnold had a toenail removed, per Gase. He'll be fine.
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) October 22, 2019
We’re not sure why Darnold’s body is basically rejecting his existence, but get well soon, Sam.
Panic index: Surely Darnold won’t add to his weird injury history this week, right?
Oh, the Jets are playing in Jacksonville. Then yeah, he’s definitely leaving there with a new disease.
Melvin Gordon’s contract year could not be going much worse
Gordon sat out the first four weeks of the 2019 NFL season while angling for either a trade or a contract extension that would pay him like a top-five running back. He got neither, and returned to the Chargers’ lineup in Week 5 in hopes of being the spark LA had been missing. A big performance wouldn’t just thrust the club back into the playoff race, but also boost the veteran tailback’s value as free agency looms in 2020.
Yet Gordon has only added to the Chargers’ misery. In three games — all losses — he’s run for a grand total of 81 yards, needing 36 carries to get there (a 2.3 YPC average). While he scored his first touchdown of the season on a Philip Rivers pass in Week 7, that’s not what he’ll be remembered for after an eventful Sunday in Nashville.
Instead, it will be the two stuffed runs at the goal line late in the fourth quarter of a 23-20 game — the latter of which resulted in a game-ending fumble that took away Los Angeles’ shot at kicking a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.
"I don't want them to gain another yard... If they cross the line of scrimmage, I'm going to take every last one of you out. You make sure they remember the night they played the #Titans." pic.twitter.com/o4Pb5CBpAQ
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 21, 2019
That was bad. And it’s so, so much worse when you consider what Austin Ekeler, the man who’d taken over RB1 duties in Gordon’s absence, did on the very same afternoon:
Melvin Gordon - 18 touches for 29 total yards, 1 TD, and 2 (really 3) fumbles. Austin Ekeler - 12 touches 125 total yards, a TD and 0 Fumbles.
— Bolts From The Blue (@BFTB_Chargers) October 20, 2019
Panic index: Gordon can still attribute some of these struggles to rust, but the fact he’s getting so badly outplayed by someone who’d been a situational back in 2018 is troubling. General managers won’t easily forget that when they’re sorting out their free agent budgets next spring — nor will they forget that, so far, 2018 has been the only season Gordon’s averaged more than four yards per carry.
It’s only going to get tougher for the Bears
The Bears are off to a rocky start, with a 3-3 record after a 12-4 season a year ago. They have an incredible defense, but an offense that has been stagnant under the watch of third-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. They still have plenty of time to turn things around, but unfortunately for them, their schedule doesn’t get any easier.
While they will be favored against teams like the Chargers and Lions, both teams are capable of putting up numbers that Trubisky can’t touch. They have the Rams in mid-November, as well as an upcoming game against the Eagles.
December is where it gets really tricky, though. They have a four-game stretch against the Cowboys, Packers, Chiefs, and Vikings. They have already lost to the Packers once while beating the Vikings, but Minnesota looks a lot better now than they did a couple weeks ago.
Unless they make a trade, this is Trubisky’s show going forward and that, so far, hasn’t been working.
Panic index: The Bears can’t afford to drop any “winnable” games with their December stretch. If they’re on the outside looking in on the playoffs by the time those games roll around, they may be in trouble. It all starts with beating the Chargers next, and potentially sweeping the Lions.
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investmart007 · 6 years ago
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The Latest: Giants cornerback Eli Apple out with groin issue
New Post has been published on https://www.stl.news/the-latest-giants-cornerback-eli-apple-out-with-groin-issue/171048/
The Latest: Giants cornerback Eli Apple out with groin issue
The Latest on the second Sunday of the NFL regular season (all times EDT): 10:15 p.m.
New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple won’t return to an NFC East showdown against the Dallas Cowboys because of a groin injury. The injury was announced in the third quarter with the Cowboys leading the Giants 13-0.
The Cowboys scored on the third play of the game when Tavon Austin beat cornerback Janoris Jenkins deep on a 64-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott.
Giants punt returner Kaelin Clay injured an ankle and was announced as out at halftime, but returned in the second half. ___ 7:05 p.m. The Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos are trying to stage big second-half rallies.
Matthew Stafford threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Michael Roberts with 3:27 remaining, and the Lions trail San Francisco 30-27. Detroit was down 30-13 with 11:21 left.
Denver was down 19-7 in the third quarter, but is now trailing Oakland 19-17 after a 1-yard TD run by Case Keenum with 5:58 to play in the fourth. ___ 6:50 p.m. Detroit running back LeGarrette Blount has been ejected for coming off the sideline to shove a San Francisco player.
Blount took exception to Elijah Lee pushing Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford as he stepped out of bounds. Blount was standing on the sideline right in front of the play and went on the field and pushed Lee.
Blount was assessed a personal foul and ejected for the play. San Francisco leads the Lions 30-20 in fourth quarter. ___ 6:45 p.m. Eight months later and with the stakes not nearly as high, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots need another fourth-quarter comeback against Jacksonville. Blake Bortles has staked the Jaguars to a 24-10 lead going into the fourth with three touchdown passes.
The Jaguars were up 24-3 and in a rhythm when Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore punched the ball loose after a reception by DJ Chark Jr. Brady then threw a touchdown pass to Chris Hogan, who beat Jalen Ramsey on a slant.
Brady led the Patriots from a 20-10 deficit in the AFC title game in January. ___ 6:20 p.m. The Detroit Lions have lost standout cornerback Darius Slay to a concussion.
Slay left in the third quarter, and if he misses additional games that could be a big problem for the Lions, who face questions about their depth at cornerback beyond Slay.
Shortly after Slay left, the San Francisco 49ers took a 27-13 lead over Detroit in the third quarter on a 66-yard touchdown run by Matt Breida. ___ 6 p.m. On a day when extra points have been anything but routine, the Los Angeles Rams are doing just fine despite an injury to their standout kicker.
Greg Zuerlein injured his groin during pregame warmups, so the Rams have simply gone for 2 — and converted — after each of their three touchdowns. They lead Arizona 27-0 in the third quarter.
Punter Johnny Hekker is handling the kickoff duties and also made a 20-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, yet another team had issues with a PAT when Oakland had one blocked in the second quarter at Denver. — Joe Reedy reporting from Los Angeles. ___ 5:50 p.m. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was on the mark in the first half against Denver, completing 18 of 19 passes for 158 yards.
His only incompletion came in the first quarter when he failed to connect on a short pass with Jordy Nelson. Carr’s longest completion was 23 yards to Nelson.
On the flip side, Case Keenum of the Broncos was just 5 of 11 for 38 yards with an interception deep in Oakland territory. Keenum has thrown four interceptions in his first two games in a Broncos’ uniform.
Oakland leads 12-0 at halftime. ___ 5:10 p.m. A rough day for kickers is getting even worse.
Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein is questionable to return after injuring his groin during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals.
Zuerlein was the NFL’s leading scorer last season, but was placed on injured reserve late in the season due to a back injury. After Todd Gurley’s 11-yard touchdown early in the second quarter opened the scoring against Arizona, the Rams tried a 2-point conversion and were successful.
Earlier, Cleveland’s Zane Gonzalez missed two field goals and two extra points in a 21-18 loss to New Orleans. His last attempt could have tied it in the final seconds.
Green Bay and Minnesota played to a 29-all tie . Daniel Carlson of the Vikings missed two field goals in overtime, and Mason Crosby missed one at the end of regulation for the Packers.
Miami’s Jason Sanders and New York’s Jason Myers were both wide on PATs in the Dolphins’ 20-12 victory over the Jets. Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell missed an extra point against Kansas City, and Tampa Bay’s Chandler Catanzaro did so as well against Philadelphia. — Joe Reedy reporting from Los Angeles. ___ 4:55 p.m. Teams in Jacksonville and Denver are contending with some unusually high temperatures.
It was 97 degrees at kickoff for the Jaguars and Patriots, with a heat index of 107. According to the NFL, it is the hottest game since Green Bay played at Arizona in 2003.
Meanwhile, Denver’s game against the Raiders is the hottest home game in franchise history for the Broncos, at 92 degrees.
The Patriots and Jaguars lost starters on consecutive plays. New England defensive end Trey Flowers was being evaluated for a concussion after he was struck in the head by teammate Keionta Davis. On the next play, the left knee of Jacksonville left tackle Cam Robinson buckled during pass protection. He was helped off the field until taking steps gingerly on his own. ___
4:40 p.m. Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat on a cooler for the national anthem, while Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas and linebacker Brandon Marshall went inside the tunnel.
Lynch rode a stationary bike just before the anthem before taking a seat behind the bench. He was surrounded by team personnel.
Elsewhere, Marquise Goodwin of the 49ers, who was out of uniform because of injury, raised a fist during the anthem before San Francisco’s game against Detroit. ___ 4:30 p.m. The NFC North showdown between Minnesota and Green Bay has lived up to the hype.
The teams are in overtime, tied at 29, after Kirk Cousins threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen with 31 seconds remaining in regulation. Thielen somehow came up with that pass despite two Green Bay defenders in the area, and Cousins threw to Stefon Diggs for the tying 2-point conversion.
That Minnesota drive was aided by a roughing the passer call on Clay Matthews, after Green Bay appeared to have an interception. Mason Crosby missed a 52-yard kick that would have won it for the Packers at the end of regulation.
Minnesota’s Daniel Carlson missed a 49-yard field goal attempt on the first possession of overtime. ___ 4 p.m. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes has thrown for six touchdowns — and there’s still plenty of time to go.
Mahomes hit Tyreek Hill for a 29-yard score with 13:42 to play in the fourth quarter in Pittsburgh. He’s now thrown 10 TD passes through the first two weeks of the season, breaking the record of nine that was shared by Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Charlie Johnson.
Mahomes’ six touchdowns also tied Hall of Famer Len Dawson for the most in a single game in Kansas City history and tied the most allowed by the Steelers.
Kansas City leads 42-30 in the fourth quarter as it tries to win in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1986. ___ 3:40 p.m. It’s slipping away again for the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns, seeking to end an 18-game winless streak, have wasted a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter at New Orleans. Tyrod Taylor threw an interception, giving the Saints the ball at the Cleveland 18, and New Orleans eventually scored a touchdown to take an 18-12 lead with 2:40 remaining.
Now it’s on Taylor and the Cleveland offense to try to rally. The Browns opened the season with a tie against Pittsburgh, but they haven’t won since Dec. 24, 2016. ___ 3:15 p.m. It’s been a rough second week of the NFL season for placekickers. Not on field goals so much, but extra points.
Five were missed before any of the early Sunday games ended. In Dolphins-Jets, both Miami’s Jason Sanders and New York’s Jason Myers were wide on PATs.
Cleveland’s Zane Gonzales missed at New Orleans, as did Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell against Kansas City, and Tampa Bay’s Chandler Catanzaro against Philadelphia.
At least the Steelers made up for Boswell’s error by later making a 2-point conversion. ___ 3:05 p.m. Could this finally be the day for the Cleveland Browns? Cleveland, which went 0-16 last season, snapped a 17-game losing streak with a season-opening tie against Pittsburgh. But it wasn’t a win.
Now the Browns lead New Orleans 12-3 after three quarters. Cleveland’s defensive coordinator is Gregg Williams, who held the same post in New Orleans when the Saints won their only Super Bowl. The Browns have contained the New Orleans offense and scored the game’s lone touchdown so far on a 1-yard run by Carlos Hyde in the third quarter. ___ 3 p.m. The defending champions have their hands full again. The Philadelphia Eagles trail Tampa Bay 27-7 in the third quarter after a pair of 75-yard touchdown passes in the first half.
Ryan Fitzpatrick connected with former Eagle DeSean Jackson for one of those TDs on the first offensive play of the game. Philadelphia had to hold on late for an 18-12 win over Atlanta in the season opener. ___ 2:50 p.m. It took nearly 95 minutes, but the Buffalo Bills finally reached the end zone.
The Bills were the last NFL team that hadn’t scored a touchdown this season, but Chris Ivory scored on 1-yard plunge with 11:06 left in the third quarter against the Chargers. The TD cut Los Angeles’ lead to 28-13.
— John Wawrow reporting from Orchard Park, New York. ___
2:45 p.m. So much for Ben Roethlisberger’s achy right elbow.
The 36-year-old quarterback has thrown for 278 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied from an early deficit to pull into a 21-all tie with Kansas City.
Roethlisberger missed two days of practice last week after injuring the elbow late in a Week 1 tie in Cleveland.
Kansas City led the Steelers 21-0 after the first quarter. ___ 2:35 p.m. The Cleveland Browns are making another credible bid to end their winless streak.
The Browns took a 6-3 lead into halftime against the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans has moved the ball in stints, but has two turnovers on fumbles after receptions. The Saints also have missed a field goal.
Cleveland now has eight takeaways this season, including six in the season opener against Pittsburgh. That game ended in a tie, snapping a 17-game losing streak for the Browns.
Facing the Browns appears to have brought about a remarkable transformation of New Orleans’ defense, which gave up more than 500 yards in a 48-40 loss to Tampa Bay in Week 1. ___ 2:20 p.m. Calvin Ridley has scored his first NFL touchdown.
Ridley, a first-round draft pick out of Alabama, hauled in an 11-yard scoring pass from Matt Ryan with 4:03 left in the first half, pulling the Atlanta Falcons into a 10-all tie with the Carolina Panthers.
On third-and-8, Ridley broke toward the middle on a slant, beat cornerback Donte Jackson and made the catch crossing into the end zone. He celebrated with an emphatic spike before being mobbed by his teammates. ___ 2:10 p.m. Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins are dueling at Lambeau Field. Rodgers’ 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Davante Adams with 12:28 left in the second quarter gave the Green Bay Packers a 14-7 lead over the Minnesota Vikings. Rodgers is wearing a brace on his injured left knee.
He’s limited and slower than usual, though Rodgers does have some mobility. Rodgers is also getting outstanding protection from his offensive line after getting sacked to end his first series.
Cousins, meanwhile, hit his first nine passes for the Vikings. Minnesota gave up a special teams touchdown on a blocked punt. ___ 2 p.m. Atlanta Falcons safety Damontae Kazee has been ejected from the game against Carolina for a vicious hit to the head of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
Newton was struck after running for 10 yards on a fourth-and-4 play in Falcons territory.
The quarterback was sliding to the turf at the end of the play when Kazee dove low to deliver a helmet-to-helmet hit that snapped back Newton’s head. Teammate Torrey Smith raced in to deliver a hit that sent Kazee to the turf, also drawing a personal foul penalty but not an ejection.
Several skirmishes broke out. Newton was finally able to get up and head to the medical tent. As he walked off the field, he took off his helmet and let out a defiant scream.
While officials sorted out the penalties, Newton was quickly examined and returned to the field without missing a play.
Six plays later, Newton threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright, giving the Panthers a 10-3 lead.
Kazee was making his second career start. He is the first player ejected for the league’s new helmet rule this season. — Paul Newberry reporting from Atlanta. ___ 1:55 p.m. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is picking up right where he left off in the season opener. The 22-year-old threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter as the Chiefs raced to a quick 21-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mahomes threw four touchdown passes in a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the opener.
The Steelers finally got on the board in the second quarter to make it 21-7. The Chiefs are trying to win in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1986. ___ 1:40 p.m. Rookie quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Josh Allen are facing early deficits.
Darnold got off to a better start than he did in the New York Jets’ opener at Detroit, when he threw an interception on his first career pass. But Darnold was picked off late in the first quarter against Miami on Sunday, and the Dolphins took advantage of a short field to take a 7-0 lead over the Jets.
Allen made his first start for the Buffalo Bills, but they fell behind 14-0 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Buffalo finally got on the board with a field goal in the second quarter.
The Bills remain the only NFL team that hasn’t scored a touchdown this season. ___ 1:25 p.m. Blaine Gabbert started at quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, though Marcus Mariota is active against the Houston Texans.
Mariota hurt his elbow in the season opener, a 27-20 loss at Miami. Gabbert came out with the offense for its opening series after the Titans stopped the Texans’ opening drive. It was the 46th start of Gabbert’s career.
Rookie coach Mike Vrabel dipped into a bag of tricks to get the Titans on the board first on a fake punt . Safety Kevin Byard threw the ball to wide-open rookie Dane Cruikshank. He ran down the right sideline and faked out Texans returner Tyler Ervin for a 66-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
— Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tennessee ___ 1:20 p.m. Aaron Rodgers started for the Green Bay Packers against the Minnesota Vikings, wearing a brace on his left knee. Rodgers completed three passes on Green Bay’s first drive, which ended with a punt.
The Packers later took a 7-0 lead with a special teams touchdown. Geronimo Allison blocked a punt deep in Vikings territory after rushing up the middle. The ball was recovered by rookie Josh Jackson, who jumped to secure the ball and landed in the end zone.
Rodgers was questionable coming into the game after hurting the knee in the season-opening, come-from-behind win over Chicago.
The Packers operated out of a shotgun or pistol formation on Rodgers’ first drive. ___ 1:05 p.m. Miami Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson again took a knee during the national anthem, this time before the team’s game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
All of the Jets players linked arms, along with coach Todd Bowles and CEO Christopher Johnson while standing together on the sideline during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Last Sunday, Stills and Wilson also took knees, and were the only players in the NFL to do so.
Colin Kaepernick, then with the San Francisco 49ers, sparked the anthem controversy by kneeling during the pregame ritual in 2016 — his way of protesting police brutality and social injustice in America. He thanked both Stills and Wilson on Twitter last week for “their unwavering strength by fighting for the oppressed.”
League-wide, only about 10 players participated in any form of protests. On Thursday, Stills insisted that his pregame statements are not going away.
“It’s something I’m committed to forever,” he said.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Chargers tackle Russell Okung stood behind the line of Los Angeles players with his right arm raised and hand in a fist before the game at Buffalo.
— Dennis Waszak Jr. reporting from East Rutherford, New Jersey. ___ 12 p.m. The NFL Foundation will contribute $1 million to Hurricane Florence relief efforts.
That contribution will be distributed to organizations that will address the immediate needs of those impacted throughout the Carolinas and other areas.
“The NFL family sends its support to the individuals, families and communities affected by Hurricane Florence,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Sunday. “Natural disasters like this are devastating. As communities in and around the Carolinas recover and rebuild, we hope these funds will provide some measure of relief in the days, weeks and months ahead.”
NFL fans are encouraged to text FLORENCE to 90999 to donate $10 to American Red Cross Hurricane Florence relief.
By  Associated Press
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zeroviraluniverse-blog · 7 years ago
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Are Jacksonville Jaguars the favorite in the AFC in 2018? - Jacksonville Jaguars Blog
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Are Jacksonville Jaguars the favorite in the AFC in 2018? - Jacksonville Jaguars Blog
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Even with recent cuts and the departure of two front-line players who signed elsewhere, the Jacksonville Jaguars are a slightly better football team right now than they were when they lost in the AFC Championship Game.
The New England Patriots, who beat the Jaguars 24-20 at Gillette Stadium to advance to the Super Bowl, and Pittsburgh Steelers are not.
So it’s logical to argue that what has happened over the past week should make the Jaguars the slight favorite to win the AFC in 2018. That’s over the Patriots, who have played in three of the past four Super Bowls (winning two). And over the Steelers, whom the Jaguars beat twice at Heinz Field last season.
In Andrew Norwell, the Jaguars landed arguably the best non-quarterback player available in free agency. Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire
Certainly, other teams in the AFC improved significantly through free agency, specifically AFC South rivals Houston and Tennessee. The Texans added safety Tyrann Mathieu and cornerback and former Jaguars nickelback Aaron Colvin, while the Titans added cornerback Malcolm Butler and running back Dion Lewis.
The Los Angeles Chargers, who barely missed the playoffs last season, added center Mike Pouncey. The Denver Broncos may have found a quarterback in Case Keenum, and the Oakland Raiders gave Derek Carr an additional playmaker in Jordy Nelson.
But the Jaguars’ addition of 2017 first-team All-Pro left guard Andrew Norwell is arguably the free-agent signing of most impact in the AFC. Per Pro Football Focus, Norwell had just 42 negative blocks in the running game (8.7 percent of all his run blocks) and didn’t allow a sack or quarterback hit all season. His pass-blocking grade of 90.0 was significantly higher than that of any Jaguars guard last season.
Norwell was arguably the best non-quarterback player available in free agency, and the signing was a perfect fit. He should help make the running game consistent and prevent the late-season drop-off that saw the Jaguars rush for 51.3 yards per game less in the final six weeks of the season than they did in the first 11.
Losing receiver Allen Robinson to the Chicago Bears hurts, but it may not be as significant as it first seems. The Jaguars went 10-6 and won their first division title since 1999 without him last season and added Donte Moncrief, re-signed leading receiver Marqise Lee and are expecting big strides from second-year players Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook.
The Jaguars tried to bring Colvin back but he wanted to be a starter outside. They still have Pro Bowlers Jalen Ramsey (a first-team All-Pro) and A.J. Bouye, and while Colvin was a good tackler he didn’t make a lot of big plays: 14 pass breakups and no interceptions in 48 regular-season games. That includes just seven pass breakups when he started 15 games on the outside in 2015.
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The Patriots suffered much more critical losses. Left tackle Nate Solder left for a big contract with the New York Giants (four years, $62 million with $35 million guaranteed). His Super Bowl benching aside, Butler was one of the Patriots’ best defensive players. Lewis was a significant part of the offense. Danny Amendola, who signed with the Miami Dolphins, led all players in receptions and receiving yards in the postseason.
New England does get receiver Julian Edelman and linebacker Dont’a Hightower back from injuries and they still have Tom Brady, but the offensive line is weaker and the pass rush needs work. The Patriots will win 11-plus games and the AFC East title and will be in contention for home-field advantage in the playoffs again, but the Jaguars nearly — and should have — beat them in January.
The Steelers didn’t lose significant players but they didn’t gain any, either. Their best defensive player (Ryan Shazier) isn’t going to play in 2018 as he recovers from spinal stabilization surgery.
This doesn’t mean the Jaguars are by any means the clear favorite to win the AFC. There are a lot of things that must take place for that to be the case:
The elite defense must stay healthy again (linebacker Telvin Smith was the only starter to miss a start) and players must produce at similar levels.
Blake Bortles has to continue to improve and take care of the football the way he did last season.
Leonard Fournette must stay healthy, have a complete understanding of the offense and produce at a higher level than he did as a rookie.
The Jaguars must navigate a first-place schedule that includes the Patriots, Steelers and the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The draft and inevitable injuries obviously will play a large role in what happens in 2018, but the Jaguars’ work in free agency, which includes adding tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and beefing up special teams, arguably should make them the slight favorite to win the conference.
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buddyrabrahams · 7 years ago
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15 biggest disappointments of NFL Week 12
Week 12 saw an abbreviated Sunday schedule on account of the Thanksgiving Day slate of games, but there were still plenty of top performers — and not-so-top performers.
We had some highly-touted players who didn’t live up to expectations, others who were unlucky to have the days they did, some who failed to keep their cool, and some who were targeted by opposing gameplans and simply couldn’t beat them.
Here’s a list of 15 big disappointments from Week 12’s games.
Blake Bortles, QB, Jaguars
Can we put this man out of his misery yet? Please? Bortles threw for 160 yards, no touchdowns, and one horrible interception that changed the game in the final minutes. Said interception set up the winning Arizona field goal. Bortles is lucky that he has an elite defense behind him, because he certainly hasn’t done anything to put the Jaguars in the playoff race.
Michael Crabtree, WR, Raiders
This was the first game of Michael Crabtree’s NFL career in which he was held without a single reception. Of course, that wasn’t really all a matter of performance; it was mostly down to the fact that he was ejected in the first quarter of Oakland’s game against the Denver Broncos for fighting with old enemy Aqib Talib. The Raiders won without him, but it was Crabtree who lost his cool and started the altercation. He’s also been accused of sucker-punching another opponent. Whatever his feelings toward Talib, he’s got to be smarter than that.
Denver’s top wide receivers
Sure, a lot of the Broncos’ struggles can be pinned on the quarterbacks. Paxton Lynch was ineffective when given the chance to play and, while Trevor Siemian actually scored points, his resume is unconvincing as well. Whoever you want to blame, Denver’s two big-name receivers — Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders — did very little. The two combined for eight total catches and 30 yards. It wasn’t for lack of effort. Together, they were targeted 14 times. They, along with their quarterbacks, simply did not make the necessary plays.
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals
Fitzgerald fell victim to Jalen Ramsey on Sunday — that and the fact that he had Blaine Gabbert throwing to him. Fitz was targeted plenty — eight times in all — but caught only three passes for 12 yards. Fitzgerald had been very good for four of the previous five weeks, so this is just a hiccup, as well as a testament to how good a corner Ramsey is. It doesn’t make his outing any less disappointing, though his Cardinals did escape with a win.
Leonard Fournette, RB, Jaguars
The Arizona Cardinals dim,d to Fournette what the Jaguars probably feared they would — they jammed up the box and forced quarterback Blake Bortles to try to beat them. The Cardinals clearly put an emphasis on stopping Fournette, and they succeeded. He was limited to only 25 yards on 12 carries. It’s no coincidence that Arizona ended up winning the game thanks in large part to a Bortles mistake. It’s easier said than done, but that’s the blueprint for beating Jacksonville.
Chicago Bears
Few expected the Bears to beat the Eagles — they were two-touchdown underdogs — but Chicago didn’t even put up a fight. They were down 24-0 before finally scoring, and they lost 31-3 in a game that was never competitive. Jordan Howard managed just six yards on seven carries as the Bears fell behind early, forcing them to abandon the run. Mitchell Trubisky was a total zero, throwing for just 147 yards and two interceptions. Tarik Cohen rushed for -11 yards. Even after starting with the ball at the Philly 42 for a possession in the first quarter, the Bears couldn’t come up with any points. It was a disappointing game all the way around.
Mike McCarthy, head coach, Packers
Give Mike McCarthy credit for having his team competitive with the Super Bowl contender Steelers on the road. With Aaron Rodgers injured, that’s no easy feat. But when you look at the chance Green Bay had to get the win, a few awful decisions stood out. First off, McCarthy made an indefensible decision to attempt a 57-yard field goal in the third quarter with his team up 21-14. Mason Crosby hasn’t made a kick that long since 2013. He’s missed three field goals all season. Combine the distance with the poor playing surface at Heinz Field, and the likelihood of Crosby making that were very low. Yet McCarthy attempted the kick, which was missed badly. Pittsburgh then got great field position at the 47 and drove for a touchdown to tie it. Green Bay should have punted and forced Pittsburgh to work much harder for the touchdown. That really helped the Steelers get back in the game.
Then with the game tied at 28, McCarthy should have been playing for overtime on the team’s final possession. Instead, he was throwing a pass on second down and trying to get into field goal range. Jamaal Williams went out of bounds on a catch, sparing Pittsburgh a timeout and helping the Steelers to eventually win the game. If McCarthy were so intent on winning the game in regulation, he should have just gone for two after the previous touchdown. Once he went conservative, he should have stuck to that strategy.
Paxton Lynch, QB, Broncos
Lynch’s Sunday was doubly bad. The Broncos didn’t score when he was in the game, he completed only nine of his 14 pass attempts for just 41 yards, with one turnover. You have to feel for the guy, though. After spending pretty much the entire season injured and watching the team’s other quarterbacks falter, he finally got his first start. Then he injured his ankle and was knocked out of the game. One can understand why he got emotional. It’s a tough break for him, but Lynch simply wasn’t good enough in the first place.
Greg Olsen, TE, Panthers
Olsen’s return from a Week 2 broken foot was much-heralded, but offered little in the way of results. He made one catch — a ten-yarder. His connection with quarterback Cam Newton looked rusty, he wasn’t terribly involved in the offense, and to make matters worse, he reaggravated the foot injury. It doesn’t appear as serious as the one that already cost him most of the season, but anyone expecting Olsen to make a triumphant return came away very disappointed.
New Orleans Saints’ offense
The Los Angeles Rams deserve a world of credit for their defensive effort on Sunday against the high-powered New Orleans offense. A group that is near the top of the league in points scored, passing yards, and rushing yards was held to a modest afternoon by their standards. They had 14 first downs and limited Drew Brees and the Saints to 223 yards passing, a substandard total for them. If nothing else, the Rams proved that it is possible to slow down the New Orleans offense.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Jets
The Jets tight end has had an excellent season, but he picked an awful time for his first drop all year. The drop came in the first quarter when he was wide open in the end zone. Seferian-Jenkins will be having nightmares about that one, especially in a game that the Jets ended up losing by one score (they settled for a field goal on that possession). Even worse was the fact that, for the second time this season, he had what looked like a touchdown catch controversially reversed on replay. In the end, he only came away with two receptions for 27 yards. He won’t be feeling good about this one.
Alex Smith, QB, Chiefs
The calls for Patrick Mahomes are only going to get louder after this one. Opposing defenses are more or less daring Smith to beat them with his arm, and he continues to not do it. Smith managed just 199 yards and did little to move the offense in a 16-10 loss. The Chiefs maintain that Smith is their starter and they have no plans to change that, but if this keeps up, they really should think about making a switch.
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers
Coming off a huge week against the Miami Dolphins, Stewart crashed back to earth hard on Sunday against the Jets. The Panthers’ offense had its share of issues, but Stewart’s inability to get a run game going was a major one. While he managed his third touchdown of the season, he put together only 26 yards despite a solid 15 carry outing. Hopes were raised for him after last week, but it seems Panthers fans should temper expectations.
Aqib Talib, CB, Broncos
Talib really can’t help himself. While he wasn’t responsible for starting his latest fracas with Michael Crabtree, he certainly finished it, and got himself ejected in the process. Talib has to walk a finer line on things like this — he’s gotten in a lot of trouble with the league before, and this latest altercation could land him a suspension. His absence from the game also allowed Derek Carr to pick apart a weakened Denver secondary on the way to a win. He has to keep his cool more effectively.
Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
If you are a big Cowboys fan, your Thanksgiving was probably frustrating. The Cowboys got blown out at home by the Chargers 28-6, allowing the game to turn into a laugher in the second half. Dak Prescott passed for just 179 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, including a 90-yard pick-six. Prescott has now gone three straight games without a touchdown pass, and he’s failed to generate double-digit points in any of those games. Not coincidentally, all three poor performances have come without Ezekiel Elliott, who is serving a suspension.
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l0stxpieces · 3 years ago
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tag drop for bailey ramsey-pierce
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auburnfamilynews · 7 years ago
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Tigers ran wild in this one, last season.
     War Eagle, everybody! It’s time now for another Auburn football preview! On October 22nd Auburn will travel to the state of Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks. My initial reaction is that this is very much a “trap game” on the schedule, and it will be a difficult gig. It will be Auburn’s 8th game in a row without a break, and it comes on the heels of a tough road trip to LSU.
     The perception is that Auburn always struggles on the road at Arkansas, but that’s not really true, up examining the results from the past. Auburn actually has a winning record in Fayetteville, at 6-5, since the Hogs joined the SEC. Arkansas was very fortunate to hold on in overtime the last time Auburn visited, with a very mediocre Tiger unit in 2015.
     This year, The Auburn Tigers will have opened the season with Georgia Southern, then traveled to Clemson. Auburn will then enjoy an early homecoming game against Mercer, before traveling to Missouri, prior to a home clash with Mississippi State. The Rebels follow at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the following week, before a road trip to LSU. Auburn then travels to Fayetteville to fight Arkansas. Arkansas opens in Little Rock against Florida A&M, then hosts TCU in week 2. Then, Arkansas has a bye week, to get ready for Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas. Arkansas then closes out September with New Mexico State. October is not kind. Arkansas plays at South Carolina, and at Alabama, before hosting Auburn. Both teams may be pretty beat up, for this game.
     Last season, Arkansas had streaks where they were pretty good on offense, but the offensive line had real problems protecting quarterback Austin Allen, who was sacked more than any other SEC quarterback, and threw the most interceptions. Arkansas returns 4 offensive line starters, but loses star left tackle Dan Skipper. Arkansas also loses nearly every pass catcher with experience, as well as star tailback Rawleigh Williams, who hung it up a couple of months ago after his second scary injury at the Arkansas spring game.
     Arkansas was pourous on defense last season, and sent defensive coordinator Robb Smith packing. The Razorbacks then hired former Auburn defensive coordinator Paul Rhodes (2008), and he is tasked with installing a 3-4 defense. That’s a tough deal usually, in the first year. Adding to the woes is that Arkansas had trouble fielding 3 capable linebackers last season, much less the 4 that this defense needs. Arkansas lost 6 starters on defense, including 5 in the front 7, to graduation.
     Arkansas was respectable on special teams last season, and should be again this year, although the Razorbacks will have to find some kick returners. Kicker Cole Hedlund should be solid, punter Blake Johnson should have a strong leg, and punt returner Jared Cornelius has experience.
Auburn defensive line vs. Arkansas offensive line: Auburn brings a big, athletic defensive line back this season. Likely starters at tackle are junior Dontavius Russell and sophomore Derrick Brown. Sophomore strong-side end Marlon Davidson was a beast on A-Day. The buck side will likely be manned by a combination of junior Jeffery Holland and senior transfer Paul James III. Auburn has a good bit of depth behind the starters, as well. From left to right, the starting offensive line for Arkansas should be sophomore Colton Jackson, junior Hjalte Froholdt, senior Frank Ragnow, junior Johnny Gibson, and junior Brian Wallace. These guys had their hands full last season, even against the Auburn backups. They’ll figure to have difficulty again this year. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn linebackers vs. Arkansas backs: The Auburn Tigers have a good cross-trained quartet of upper echelon SEC-caliber linebackers. Junior Deshaun Davis, senior Tre’ Williams, junior Darrell Williams and junior Montravious Atkinson can play all three positions, and we might see any combination of these players out on the field at a given time. With the retirement of Rawleigh Williams, Arkansas turns to sophomore Devwah Whaley, and freshman Maleek Williams to tote the rock. Whaley did have 602 rushing yards off the bench, last season. Arkansas runners averaged just 0.8 yards per carry against Auburn, last year. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn corners vs. Arkansas receivers: Auburn has a fairly good combination of starting corners, in junior Carlton Davis and sophomore Javaris Davis. The Tigers are hoping that Jamel Dean will be healthy this fall, as he is one of the fastest players on the team. Sophomore Jeremiah Dinson could move over from nickelback, if needed. Senior Jared Cornelius headlines a young Razorback receiving corps. He’ll likely be joined by junior Brandon Martin in the starting lineup. Cornelius caught 32 balls last season. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn safeties vs. Arkansas secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn’s starting unit features seniors Tray Matthews and Stephen Roberts at safety, and sophomore Jeremiah Dinson at nickel back. There’s not much depth here, beyond senior Nick Ruffin, who’ll probably see as much playing time as the starters. The Tigers are solid here, as long as no one gets hurt. Sophomore Austin Cantrell moves into the starting tight end spot, after catching 13 balls as a freshman last season. Arkansas only completed 3 passes to fullbacks last season, and 21 to tailbacks. Quarterback Austin Allen had a big year last year with 25 TD passes, but also was sacked quite a bit, and threw 15 interceptions. He’ll likely be better, but the cast around him looks young. Advantage: Even.
Punting: Sophomore Ian Shannon will likely get the nod as Auburn’s starting punter, after a couple of years of waiting in the wings. Shannon has looked good on A-Day a year ago, in warmups. The Tigers gave up only 19 punt return yards last season, on 6 punts, for a stifling 3.2 yards per return. The Tigers are still auditioning for the punt returner job. It’s thought that senior Stephen Roberts has the inside track, after returning 6 punts last season for 100 yards. For Arkansas, sophomore punter Blake Johnson steps into the starting lineup, after booting 2 punts for a 47 yard average last season. We didn’t get to see him punt this spring, as the Arkansas spring scrimmage was basically just an indoor practice session. Arkansas gave up 5.6 yards per return last season, and return man Jared Cornelius had 12 returns for 85 yards. Advantage: Auburn.
Kickoffs: Daniel Carlson was very good kicking off last season, notching 57 touchbacks on 72 kickoffs. When Auburn did allow returns, opponents averaged only 18.0 yards per return. Junior Kerryon Johnson is Auburn’s most experienced return man returning, and he averaged 22.2 yards per return last season. Sophomore Conner Limpert will reprise his role kicking off for the Razorbacks again this season, after hitting 9 touchbacks on 43 kickoffs last season. Arkansas allowed 20.6 yards per return last season, while averaging just 18.6 yards per return, and they’ll have to find some new return guys, this season. Advantage: Auburn.
Place kicking: Auburn sophomore Daniel Carlson is the man for Auburn. Carlson was 28 of 32 on field goals, and perfect on extra points. One of Carlson’s misses was a block by Vanderbilt. For Arkansas, junior Cole Hedlund hit on 5 of 7 field goals, and all 25 of his extra point tries. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn offensive line vs. Arkansas defensive line: It’s still not settled who’ll start for Auburn on the line, although the starters looked pretty good on A-Day. It seems the tackle spots are set, with seniors Darius James and Braden Smith. Senior Austin Golson will likely start at center, although Auburn is bringing in senior transfer center Casey Dunn from Jax State. If Dunn starts, Golson could move to guard. Also transferring in this fall is former Florida State starting guard Wilson Bell. Bell is expected to start at one of the guard spots. If Dunn does not beat Golson out, the other likely starting guard would be sophomore Mike Horton. Arkansas expects to go with a rotation at nose tackle, between senior Bijhon Jackson and sophomore Austin Capps. Ends should be sophomores McTelvin Agim and T. J. Smith, with junior Armand Watts getting significant playing time as well. I just don’t see these guys matching up with what Auburn has, up front. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn backs vs. Arkansas linebackers: Auburn features junior H-back Chandler Cox blowing open holes. Running behind the big H-back will be massive junior Kamryn Pettway, and the shifty junior Kerryon Johnson in reserve. Arkansas was still trying to put together a starting lineup at the end of spring drills. Our best guess is junior Dre Greenlaw and sophomore De’Jon Harris inside, and junior Randy Ramsey and senior Karl Roesler outside. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn receivers vs. Arkansas corners: At the end of spring, it looked like Auburn’s two starting outside guys were sophomore Nate Craig-Myers and sophomore Darius Slayton. Both guys can fly, have good height, and great hands. Redshirt freshman Marquis McClain had a great A-Day, and is someone to watch out for on the outside, as well. Arkansas will counter with a veteran pair of corners who were pretty good, last season. Senior Henre’ Tolliver and junior Ryan Pulley will start. Advantage: Even.
Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Arkansas safeties: Auburn has potential threats here, starting with wickedly fast junior slot receiver Will Hastings. Sophomore Eli Stove can also fly. Tight ends Jalen Harris and Sal Cannella are expected to be a big part of the passing game as well. Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is likely the starter in the opener. In 6 games as a freshman at Baylor, Stidham was electric. That trend continued during A-Day this spring, as Stidham was deadly accurate, and showed great mobility. Arkansas moves guys with experience up to start, this season. We’ll likely see senior De’Andre Coley and junior Santos Ramirez at safeties, and Kevin Richardson II at the nickel spot. Advantage: Auburn.
     I was quite worried about this matchup earlier this spring, as Arkansas has typically been pretty tough later in the season. I figured that the 56-3 beatdown Auburn put on this team last season was an outlier. However, my research this week was surprising. Arkansas will be a young team this season, and I didn’t see many answers during their spring practice. I do expect that defensive coordinator Paul Rhodes will eventually have a good product on the field, but the 3-4 isn’t the easiest thing to operate in year one, typically.
     Auburn decisively whipped this team up front on both sides of the ball last season, and Auburn wasn’t the only one. My biggest takeaway after watching a big chunk of the Arkansas spring practice is that I’d be really worried, if I was a Razorback fan. Those guys have a really tough road ahead, playing in the SEC West.
Prediction: I was thinking upset special here, earlier, but there is no way Arkansas wins this game unless Auburn has horrible injury luck next season. Tigers don’t play their best in this one, but it doesn’t matter. Auburn 37, Arkansas 24.
The post A Long Trip to Fayetteville. (Previewing Auburn at Arkansas.) appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.
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junker-town · 5 years ago
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The Rams played their last card by trading for Jalen Ramsey
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The Rams are betting it all on a five-man core. If that doesn’t work out, they’re screwed.
The Rams’ defense was lost. A 3-0 start had devolved into a 3-3 record by mid-October, and suddenly Los Angeles was left staring up at the Seahawks and 49ers in their own division. If the season ended today, the reigning NFC champions would be stuck on the outside of the playoffs looking in.
Head coach Sean McVay is hoping one of the league’s best cornerbacks can help his team find its way.
Los Angeles swung the biggest trade of the 2019 regular season to date by freeing Jalen Ramsey from Jacksonville’s football purgatory. He now stands as the crown jewel of a secondary that has allowed more than 290 passing yards per game in a three-week losing streak. His presence gives the team an immediate replacement for boom-or-bust corner Marcus Peters, who was traded to Baltimore hours earlier, and aging veteran Aqib Talib, who was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week.
The Rams’ theory is that Aaron Donald will be able to pressure opposing quarterbacks into mistakes downfield, then Ramsey — or the extra help defense available to shadow receivers Ramsey isn’t covering — will clean up that mess. It’s an idea that sounds great in theory. Los Angeles will pair two of the league’s most dominant defenders in hopes they’ll be able to hold things down long enough for a dormant offense to roar back to life.
But if that doesn’t add the extra gear that turns an NFC Champion into a Super Bowl one, LA doesn’t have many other options to find the missing piece that could push them from good to great. Adding Ramsey means the Rams’ core is effectively set for the foreseeable future. If this group can’t bring a title to the west coast, it may be a long time before Los Angeles contends again.
This is what the Rams are now, because there aren’t many other ways to add high impact help
Ramsey is an inexpensive addition, salary cap-wise, in 2019. The fourth year of his rookie contract only pays him $2.3 million this fall. But that number jumps to $13.7 million in 2020, and that’s only in the unlikely scenario the team doesn’t sign him to the market-setting contract extension he’d been angling for in Jacksonville. Instead, he’ll likely be paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $16 million annually starting next season.
The Rams will have no choice but to pay up after sending a Khalil Mack-esque ransom to Florida for the All-Pro corner. And that means cap space is going to be a rarity in Los Angeles for the next three seasons.
Depending on the terms of Ramsey’s extension, the Rams will likely have five different players who will make $13 million or more next season. Donald, Ramsey, Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, and Brandin Cooks are slated to take up nearly $109 million in cap space next spring. Using a salary cap estimate of $204 million and Ramsey’s current contract, that means more than 53 percent of the team’s space will be devoted to just five players. Factor in outstanding cap hits for Robert Woods ($9.17m), Tyler Higbee ($8.6m), and Rob Havenstein ($7.8m) and you’ve got just $70 million left for the 45 other guys on the active roster.
And that’s without re-signing veterans like Talib, Michael Brockers, or Andrew Whitworth, all of whom will be free agents in 2020.
How can the team fill those gaps? They’ve only got an estimated $22 million to work with in cap space as is next season, though releasing some combination of Woods, Clay Matthews, and Eric Weddle could push that number over $30 million. Per Spotrac, that’s only the 27th-most spending room in the league for the upcoming season. Ramsey’s sure-to-be-costly extension will only further stuff a cap situation that ranks 23rd and 28th in 2021 and 2022, respectively, when it comes to available cash.
So adding high impact free agent help is out. The Rams’ meager spending money will instead go toward filling the gaps left by the starters who are set to depart in free agency in the immediate future.
That leaves the draft as LA’s primary talent pipeline. Rookie contracts give teams an inexpensive way to add vital players to the lineup. The Rams’ best shot at adding an impact starter the next two seasons now belongs to the Jaguars, who hold their first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 (as well as their 2021 fourth-round pick). This hasn’t held Los Angeles back in recent years — they also traded away Day 1 selections in 2017 (to draft Goff a year earlier), 2018 (to acquire Cooks), and 2019 (a trade back from No. 31 that eventually net a second-round pick and two third rounders).
This strategy worked out for McVay’s team, so they dialed it up again. The Rams have found useful talent in Day 2 and beyond by adding starters like Cooper Kupp, Joseph Noteboom, Brian Allen, John Johnson, and Sebastian Joseph in recent years. Their upcoming exodus of free agents will likely deliver a handful of compensatory picks in 2021 and beyond as well. The bad news is those selections are no sure thing (depending on who the team signs the next two offseasons) and wouldn’t come until the end of the third round at the earliest.
With few reliable options left to acquire impact players, the Rams you see now are the Rams you’re going to get, more or less, through 2020. And while there’s no doubt Ramsey’s addition will help, he may not be the panacea this struggling team needs to rise back to the top of the NFC.
A smothering defense might not be enough if the offense remains stuck in neutral
From Week 1 of 2018 to that year’s conference championship game, the Rams scored 33.4 points per game. In their seven games since — Super Bowl 53 and Weeks 1-6 of 2019 — they’ve averaged 22.3 points per game.
There are several concerning factors behind LA’s fall back through the stratosphere. Todd Gurley has battled a handful of injuries that threaten his status as an every-down back. His 4.2 yards per carry is more than a half-yard dropoff from his previous two seasons. His 15.6 touches per game are a career low.
His inability to break open defenses has had an effect on his quarterback’s play. Jared Goff spent much of 2018 as a legitimate MVP candidate, but he’s backslid considerably since then.
This has happened even after Kupp has returned from a torn ACL to emerge as one of the league’s most reliable targets. So what’s to blame?
A leaky offensive line is a good place to start. The Rams’ pass blocking ranks 31st in the league through six weeks, per PFF — ahead of only the hapless Dolphins this fall. After a stellar 2018, right tackle Rob Havenstein’s blown block rate has increased by 250 percent. Interior lineman Austin Blythe’s outlier 2018 has led to a major regression in 2019. Joseph Noteboom was useful at guard, but he’s out for the season with a torn ACL. He may soon be replaced by a newly-acquired backup from another struggling offensive line, former Brown Austin Corbett.
Getting Noteboom back in 2020 will help, but left tackle Andrew Whitworth is 37 years old and, as previously mentioned, not under contract after this year. The Rams may be in the market for a blindside protector soon. That’s typically a need filled on the first day of the draft or with an expensive foray into free agency. Neither is an option for the Rams, and the offensive line woes that have kept Sean McVay’s offense stuck in quicksand may not only be an early 2019 problem.
Give Los Angeles credit; they’re going for it. The Rams have sold off some blue chip stocks — i.e. a growing list of first-round picks — for the assets needed to keep riding the momentum of their recent breakthrough. There’s no questioning the team’s talent on both sides of the ball. Adding an All-Pro cornerback, however, may not be the cure-all LA needs to plug up the growing number of holes that threaten to sink its Super Bowl hopes.
Adding Jalen Ramsey is, objectively, a good thing for McVay. But it’s an expensive acquisition any way you look at it. Los Angeles is building its present by mortgaging its future. If that doesn’t pay off in 2019 or 2020, this whole deal could go bust for the Rams.
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