By Lucas Kochevar
The second wave of free agency is starting to take shape with some minor signings happening and every coach with a young quarterback is making sure the world knows that their guy "is taking major strides this offseason." The Bears head coach Matt Eberfleus doubled down on Justin Fields and Matt LaFleur is selling his fanbase on Jordan Love. It's hilarious to see these guys talk about their quarterbacks when they're only working out in shorts at this point. Reality of the situation is the public won't know anything until those meaningful snaps take place in August and September. Every team with a young quarterback has hope, but not every team will end up as a success story. There will be numerous teams competing for the first pick in the 2024 draft. In this volume of LK League Notes, I'll be breaking down the most likely teams to fall flat next season. The Biggest Losers Houston Texans The Houston Texans are on the uptick with their big draft of C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., however, they aren't there yet. The offense and defense were among the leagues worst last year. They haven't added anyone crazy to help mitigate these issues, unless those two rookies I listed earlier make an immediate impact. The Texans receiving core is lacking with Dalton Schultz as the primary pass catcher. Their running back Dameon Pierce was solid last year, but he wasn't the healthiest player. They do have the best offensive tackle in the league in Laremy Tunsil. They have some other solid players, but their left guard and center are both super young. It's just not an offense that deserves excitement, yet. The defense is super young too with names like Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley Jr., and Jalen Pitre. They have a number of rotational guys across their defense, but no one that stands out as an every down starter. I like what this team is cooking, but they're not there yet. It'll definitely be a developmental year, but missing their 2024 first round pick hurts. It'll be a disaster if this team finishes with a top three pick that goes to Arizona. They are fortunate to have an easier schedule with the NFC South opponents so maybe they'll win a couple more games to make that pick worse for the Cardinals. Las Vegas Raiders The second AFC team that I have no hope for is the Las Vegas Raiders. The team is lucky they're in a city that uses their games as a tourist stop, because they are not entertaining on their own, at all. They replaced longtime starter Derek Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo, which is like replacing a 1997 Honda Civic with a 1999 Toyota Camry. It's a lateral move, at best. They have exciting players in Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. All three are great players, but can head coach Josh McDaniels translate their production into wins? I'm not so sure. Then there's the offensive line, woof. It's certainly full of players, that's all I can say. Looking at the defense, I suppose it's also full of players. Seriously though, Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones are great. Rookie Tyree Wilson could be a big factor too, if his foot injury isn't too serious. The rest of the defense, however, is hard to look at. Last season, they ranked near the bottom in nearly every category when it comes to pass defense, notably 29th in the league in passing yards allowed. I don't know what the fix is for a secondary like this outside of taking your lumps and developing. In a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson, this could be a death sentence. I project it will be and they'll be a top five pick in 2024. Washington Commanders The fact that the Commanders managed to get eight wins last season feels like a miracle. It's crazy that Ron Rivera is also still the coach, especially when they might've hired his replacement to be on his staff. They poached Eric Bienemy from the Chiefs. He's been a popular candidate for head coaching interviews, but hasn't landed anywhere. That's the biggest acquisition they made the entire offseason. The Commanders are deciding to go with Sam Howell as their starter, similar to how the Falcons are rolling with Desmond Ridder. Howell was a popular prospect prior to his last season, but fell in last years draft. Howell has talented weapons around him and a solid offensive line. The fate of the Commanders likely is in his hands. Looking to the defense, there is a ton of names and talented players. Prior to the draft, Washington floated out some names like Montez Sweat and Chase Young for trades, but didn't do anything. The defense was better than I thought statistically, but I'm still not sold on them as a unit. They lack depth across their front seven, but I do like their secondary, specifically safety Kamren Curl. The Commanders suffer from inexperience at the quarterback position, a tough division and a coach with his future in limbo. I think it's the perfect recipe for a team that underperforms and cleans house with potentially new ownership. Arizona Cardinals The Cardinals are set up beautifully, for the 2024 draft. This team is bad, horrific and nasty. To me, this is the worst roster in the NFL, especially the defense. They'll likely be without their franchise quarterback as he recovers from a torn ACL. Outside of that, on offense they have a handful of solid players. James Conner, Hollywood Brown and Rondale Moore are an okay supporting cast. DeAndre Hopkins' future with the team is in doubt, however. The offensive line is strange, but maybe first round pick Paris Johnson Jr. can show promise. Now to the defense, they are certainly some players, similar to Vegas. All in all, I think these defense is multiple years away from being competent. When I look at this depth chart for Arizona, I see two players that might be starters on other teams. This unit will be absolutely atrocious. I know bad defenses when I see them as a Falcons fan and this might be the worse defense I've seen in the last five years. It's an all-time bad defense. That's good news for a team that's trying to tank, but it's sad for the fan base that has to watch it. It's a throw away year for the Cardinals, but they have hope with their first round pick and the Texans first rounder. Tampa Bay Buccaneers The 2021 Super Bowl champions are falling back down to the bottom of the barrel now that Tom Brady retired. The Bucs are heading into the season with Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask competing at quarterback. Despair has come quickly for Tampa fans. The Buccaneers are in a similar spot to the Commanders where they have a number of talented players, but the quarterback and coach are too questionable. Mike Evans is quietly getting up there in age and Chris Godwin is in and out of the lineup. The offensive line was in a tough spot with injuries last year. This year they're in a tough spot again, but they don't have the injury excuse. The Bucs were 25th in points per game last season and I don't see a world where that number improves. If the Buccaneers do win games this season, it'll be on the back of this defense. The defensive line is relatively young players, Shaq Barrett and Vita Vea. The linebackers have struggled in recent years and Devin White has made it known he wants to leave. The secondary has solid players as well with Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis III and Antoine Winfield Jr. They definitely are the best overall team on this list, but as I pointed out earlier, the quarterback and coaching is too shaky for me to overlook. Losing the best player of all-time has to take a toll on a franchise that has historically been one of the worst teams in league history. Forgotten Player of the Week: Asante Samuel This weeks Forgotten Player of the Week is the father of a current player. Asante Samuel played college ball at UCF and was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Samuel came onto the scene and, what's normally true with most Bill Belichick rookies, he wasn't a starter. He still managed to contribute, including two interceptions with one of those being a pick six. The next season he saw his role increase to being a starter for eight games, where he recorded one interception that happened to be a pick six. It was clear early what type of corner he was with his coverage abilities. The Patriots would go on to win the Super Bowl this season against the Panthers. In the 2005 season, he was the full-time starter and recorded three interceptions. This was en route to another Patriots Super Bowl win over the Eagles. The next season was when he truly made himself known amongst the leagues best ball hawks with a career high 10 interceptions and 24 pass deflections. In 2007 during the Patriots perfect season, Samuel was acknowledged with accolades such as the first of four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and he was a first team All-Pro. He recorded six interceptions this season. This would be his last season in New England as a contract dispute saw him leave the Patriots and sign with the Eagles. In 2008, he recorded four interceptions and tied his career-high of 24 pass deflections. In 2009, he intercepted the ball nine times and made second team All-Pro. Samuel would start to decline as he only started 10 games in 2010. Despite missing some action, he managed to get seven interceptions and his last Pro Bowl appearance. Samuel played his last season in Philadelphia in 2011 and was traded to Atlanta during the offseason. I remember Samuel on the Falcons because I never saw a player hawk the ball like he did. He recorded five interceptions in his first season in Atlanta. Quickly, however, he found himself out of the league as his last season was in 2013 at age 32. He only had one interception that season. Over the course of his career, Samuel recorded 51 interceptions, six of them were returned for touchdowns. He was one of the better ball hawk cornerbacks during his time in the league. He had at least one interception in every season he played. As I mentioned earlier, his son now plays in the league. Asante Samuel Jr. is very similar to his dad and plays for the Los Angeles Chargers. Source: Image via Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports
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By: Lucas Kochevar
It's finally time to close down the mock draft machine for the foreseeable future now that the 2023 NFL Draft has finally wrapped up. The draft saw some notable names get selected on days two and three of the draft, including Will Levis, who went early in round two. Two Heisman finalists, Stetson Bennett and Max Duggan, also found homes. Coincidentally, they're both in Los Angeles where the national championship was held, Bennett with the Rams and Duggan with the Chargers. Some teams were also able to start their draft: The 49ers, Broncos, Dolphins, Browns and Rams. A lengthy list, but they had solid picks here and there. In this volume of LK League Notes, I'm going to go over some of the picks I loved from each round outside of the first. Picks that I Loved Cam Smith, CB South Carolina -> Miami Dolphins Smith was a corner that I had a low first round grade on and him slipping twenty picks in the second round was a shocker to me. It's impressive that the Dolphins got this type of value in the second round for their first pick of the draft. I think he has a specific role in the league as a zone corner in the CB2 role early in his career. With professional coaching and learning under All-Pro Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard, he should improve. He's fairly athletic and has strong instincts around the ball. He has to clean up some of his technique in man coverage, but I think he can be a solid starter in the league. Trenton Simpson, LB Clemson -> Baltimore Ravens This is a typical Ravens pick that make you scratch your head wondering, 'How did he fall this far to them?' Simpson is a tremendous athlete that should eventually find his way into the rotation if he can improve the tendency to over commit to the run. He was a versatile player at Clemson and attacks the ball with speed and force. After the draft, the Ravens declined the fifth-year option on 2019 first round pick Patrick Queen, who plays the same position. If it wasn't obvious before, it's clear the Simpson could be the replacement for Queen sooner rather than later. Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE Northwestern -> Indianapolis Colts The Colts had a fantastic draft and Adebawore was one of the best picks they had value wise. A player that could have gone in the second or third round, Adebawore could find himself in the rotation with a strong camp. He's at a weird size that makes it hard for him to find a true position, but his strength makes him appealing as a power rusher in the league. The big key for him is to figure out how to not get washed into the pile of offensive lineman in the run game. He has the impressive raw tools, he just needs to figure out how to maximize them. Chase Brown, RB Illinois -> Cincinnati Bengals There were a couple of guys for consideration in the fifth round, but Brown to the Bengals was the pick I liked the most. There have been a few hits in the fifth round at the running back position, such as Tyler Allgeier and Aaron Jones. The Bengals taking a swing here is a good move given their backup Samaje Perine recently left and Joe Mixon seems to be in trouble. Brown was an explosive back in college with his speed and cuts. Though he doesn't have power, his elusiveness should help him make the jump. He's not stranger to being a workhorse back after last season with Illinois. I love this player and fit. Karl Brooks, EDGE Bowling Green -> Green Bay Packers If there are any Bowling Green Falcons in the comments, you understand how much of a steal this guy is. Brooks was a key leader for the Falcons throughout his time with the team. He's a great athlete and provides a unique mix of savviness and technique that should help him in the pros. His only issue is finding the right spot for him on this 3-4 Packers defense with his size. He should line up on the edge and provide good depth until he can develop into a rotational guy. Cory Trice Jr., CB Purdue -> Pittsburgh Steelers The Steelers are another team that killed the draft and their last pick was just as good as the first. Trice Jr. could have gone earlier in the draft based off of his size and tools. He likely fell due to his inconsistent technique, but it's very fixable with pro coaching. His physicality should help him make smaller receivers uncomfortable, but he can't let receivers beat him with slower closing speed. He's definitely has some work to do, but Mike Tomlin has done wonders with late-round picks before. Forgotten Player of the Week: Chad Greenway It's hard to find many players who were as consistent in their career as Chad Greenway was. This weeks Forgotten Player of the Week comes from the University of Iowa as the the 17th overall pick. Greenway came into the league and contributed immediately as he started in all 16 games. He was a tackling machine in his rookie year compiling 105 combined tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. One of those interceptions was a pick six. In his sophomore campaign, Greenway put together another season over 100 tackles and added on 5.5 sacks. The next season, he was one tackle off of another 100-tackle season. He truly hit his prime in his fourth season at age 27. He had 144 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss. The next three years he recorded over 130 tackles each year, with a career-high in 2011 with 154 tackles. He earned back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2011 and 2012. Unfortunately, father time started to make himself known as Greenway's production started to go downhill until his retirement in 2016. He finished fourth all-time in Vikings history for tackles. Greenway was an underrated player during his time in the league. He was one of the last players that fit the archetype of an off ball linebacker that compiled a consistent high number of tackles. Other guys that come to mind are Paul Posluszny, James Laurinaitis and Falcons legend Paul Worrilow. Could it be coming back with the likes of Jack Campbell? Likely not, but there is still a demand for linebackers that understand the art of tackling like Greenway did. By: Lucas Kochevar
I'm just dropping in here for a special volume of LK League Notes to talk the first round of the NFL draft. We laughed, we cried, but most importantly, we saw one team draft a running back and an off-ball linebacker in round one. The Detroit Lions are the big shocker of the night as they took the two least valuable positions with both of their top draft choices. The picks were Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs and Iowa's Jack Campbell. Both are good players, no doubt, but many people didn't have a first round grade on them. Obviously, a couple teams did, otherwise the Lions wouldn't have made such a drastic move. Drafting Campbell is whatever because he could hypothetically become a standup edge rusher or find his way in as a starting linebacker. Gibbs is the puzzling pick. They have DeAndre Swift on the roster and signed David Montgomery to a three-year deal. This has to mark the end of Swift's tenure with the Lions as him and Gibbs are a very similar style. Montgomery and Gibbs provide a duo of thunder and lightning, but it's still a peculiar pick. I don't absolutely hate it as they have three picks in the second round, but still an odd pick. The Houston Texans swung for the fences on their first round by selecting C.J. Stroud with the second pick and trading a haul to move up to three and draft Will Anderson Jr. An unbelievable coup to grab the best defensive player and a franchise quarterback. If there was ever a way to inject the Houston fan base with some excitement, this was it. It was a pricey endeavor as they traded their pick next year and some change for this, but if they wanted two high-level players, they had to pay the price. I love the gamble for this new era of Texan football. Sticking with the AFC South, I was told by a friend that I was perpetuating an issue with raw quarterbacks getting drafted higher than they should. Looks like I am as the Colts drafted one of those guys in Anthony Richardson with the fourth pick. This was a prediction I had on the money as the similarities in Jalen Hurts and Richardson's game was too much to pass up for new Colts coach Shane Steichen. The comparison doesn't mean that Richardson will come in at an MVP level, but remember the rookie version of Hurts. He had raw talent, but the passing aspect wasn't there. I think Richardson just needs more experience and helpful coaching to truly blossom. He only started thirteen games in his career. The Eagles, similarly to the Texans, left this draft with a haul. They jumped with Chicago to get the ninth pick and selected Jalen Carter, many people's best player on the board. Carter fell in the draft, but only for non-football related issues. This fit is my favorite and likely the most helpful for a young player. He reunites with multiple Georgia teammates like Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean and the Eagles other first round selection, Nolan Smith. This is helpful because someone like Carter was criticized for self-motivation from coaches, but that same criticism never came from his teammates. He was often loved by them and they always praised him. Going to a spot that has teammates, that undoubtedly have his back already, is a huge help and the talent is unbelievable for the Eagles to get. Smith also is a freak athlete and fits in well on an Eagles team that is getting older on the defensive line. The Patriots got the steal of the draft as they traded back from their pick at 14 and still managed to draft cornerback Christian Gonzalez. A top five prospect on my board slipping to 17 was shocking to see. Gonzalez is a big, fluid athlete that can play in all types of schemes. Another concern for teams with Gonzalez was that he was a quiet guy. Seriously, that was the only knock I heard on him as the night kept going. A player that doesn't like to talk to the media? No wonder Bill Belichick was happy to take him. I do love Gonzalez and I think he'll be a great fit in New England. The wide receivers came flying off the board at 20, starting with Jaxon Smith-Njigba going to Seattle. JSN fits into a receiving core as the slot guy with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. I love this pick as Lockett isn't getting younger, but for his first couple seasons he can develop as a receiver in his best position at slot. Next was Quentin Johnston for Los Angeles. A very interesting pick as I think it's the shakiest option for a first round receiver. He'll lineup opposite of Mike Williams and will make his impact after the catch. Zay Flowers was the next pick to the Ravens, who finally coughed up a huge contract to Lamar Jackson. This is a great pick with Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman, Flowers can find an explosive role in the slot. I'm very excited to see what new play caller Todd Monken has in store for him. Lastly, Jordan Addison was selected to the Vikings. With Adam Thielen leaving, the Vikings had to find a replacement that can actually threaten defenses. Addison is a solid option here and it wouldn't shock me if he turned out to be the most productive in his rookie year. The rest of the first round was largely guys in the trenches. A couple guys that were surprising to see fall out of the first round include Will Levis, Joey Porter Jr., Brian Branch and several tight ends. Levis was the big slider of the night he was projected in the top ten. This actually works out in his favor as someone will likely come up to take him and put him in a backup situation to learn from their starter. Teams to watch include the Rams, Lions, Seahawks and Raiders. Those teams all have early second round picks and could trade up to 32 if they really want him. Image via Fox By: Lucas Kochevar
Holy smokes, it actually happened! The trade that I've already made in my head has FINALLY been announced during the week of the NFL Draft. Way to steal the headlines, Aaron Rodgers. On Monday, the Jets and Packers finally came to the agreement that was all-but-confirmed. The two teams swapped first round picks and put some late to mid round draft selections in the deal. It's quite funny now that Favre and Rodgers both ended up on the Jets at age 39. It's a deal that'll surely be the talk of the league until Thursday when all eyes descend upon Kansas City for the 2023 NFL Draft. With that being said, here's my final mock draft prior to Thursday and I want to note that I don't do any trades in mock drafts as it's such an unknown what the value of these picks are. In this volume of LK League Notes, I'm just going to run through the notable selections I predict to happen. Notable Picks The first two picks in my eyes should happen in this order. Anderson and Young are the two best players in this draft and they should go this way. The Texans are the team that could throw a wrench in this, however. They seem to be unsure about anyone since it's been widely speculated that Young was going first. The tone will be set at the second pick and, as of right now, I think going with the best edge rusher is a smart decision for Demeco Ryans and co. Anthony Richardson -> Colts, C.J. Stroud -> Raiders The quarterbacks outside of Young could go anywhere in the top ten. In my eyes, the fit between the Colts coaching staff and Richardson is too good to pass up in my eyes. Jalen Hurts with a rocket arm is the easy comparison for me and I wouldn't be mad if my team rolled the dice on his potential. The news of Stroud falling has spread like wildfire and I can see him sliding, but not far. I've maintained my thoughts that he's the best quarterback when the system is clear and concise. I think Josh McDaniels and the Raiders are a great fit for this. Stroud can come in and learn the system while Jimmy Garoppolo runs the show. Will Levis -> Titans The last quarterback in the first round for me falls to 11 with the Titans. Tennessee has made it known they are ready to move on from veteran Ryan Tannehill. They also didn't like what they saw in their third round selection last season, Malik Willis. Here, I think they take another swing on a rookie with Levis. The Kentucky signal caller has been linked to the second pick, but in reality, I think he falls to around the 11-15 range. Jordan Addison -> Packers, Darnell Wright -> Jets With a trade this big, both teams will have a microscope on them. The Packers selecting a receiver here would be very funny given the fact that they never drafted a receiver while Rodgers was on the Packers. Addison to Green Bay seems like a natural fit to me and I think he can set up Love for success in his first year as a starter. He's also a good compliment to speedy second-year receiver Christian Watson. Meanwhile, the Jets go after a pass protector in Darnell Wright. The people seem to be split on Wright, but I can see him going at the end of the top half here as the Jets have questions about Mekhi Becton at left tackle. Bijan Robinson -> Buccaneers, Jahmyr Gibbs -> Chiefs The only two running backs in the first round find two very different homes. I truly don't know where Robinson will go. It's a very hard projection because his talent is off the charts, but the positional value isn't there. Tampa Bay enters the equation here because they need to find a new identity after Tom Brady retired. An offense that passed the ball relentlessly the past couple of years could take a different approach and build their attack behind Robinson. The quarterback will need help and the best way to take pressure off of him is using the running back as a catalyst. They have a ton of holes, but Robinson is a boost to their offense, no doubt. If Gibbs makes it out of the first round, it won't be long until he's drafted. i don't see him leaving the first round. The Chiefs have maneuvered around a subpar running back for a couple of seasons, but the potential to grab a pass-catching back here is too tempting for the Chiefs to pass up. Myles Murphy -> Seahawks The Clemson defensive end was a highly rated guy heading into the draft process, but a lack of hype has him slipping to 20th to the Seahawks. After getting Jalen Carter at five, adding Murphy revamps the defensive line for Seattle. The Seahawks haven't had a threatening defense since the Legion of Boom broke up. Along with their draft last year, this defense has a chance to be great at all three levels and young. Zay Flowers -> Chargers This is my favorite fit and situation for Flowers as he heads to Los Angeles to pair with Justin Herbert. Mike Williams is great, but doesn't have lightning speed and Keenan Allen isn't getting any younger. A real weapon and playmaker could be the boost the Chargers need on offense. Flowers is my favorite receiver and it wouldn't shock me if he was selected earlier than 21. Emmanuel Forbes -> Bills, Brian Branch -> Bengals In the AFC its vital to have a strong secondary. Both of these contenders address that area by trying to find some late first round talent. The Bills have felt off on defense for a couple years now under head coach Sean McDermott. Forbes slots in and provides a unique level of awareness for finding the football. He totaled 14 interceptions in college and scored on six of those plays. It's rare that a player at the best of position falls this far in the draft, but here's where I have Brian Branch getting selected. The Bengals lost their two starting safeties and need another guy in the back end. They drafted Daxton Hill last year, but Branch provides another playmaker for Cincy. Tight end is a popular pick for the Bengals here, but I think moving to the defensive side of the ball in the first round could be extremely beneficial. The NFL Draft is one of my favorite events of the sports calendar and I'm looking forward to seeing where these young players are drafted to. Good luck to everyone's team! By: Lucas Kochevar
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was due for a big payday along with a number of guys. On Monday, he officially earned his contract that made him the highest paid quarterback in the league. The star signal caller signed a five-year, $255 million deal with Philadelphia and they seem to be set for the foreseeable future. With other teams struggling to lock up their young quarterback, cough Ravens cough, the Eagles wasted no time getting this deal done. Hurts started off his career in a shaky matter as there were many questions about whether or not Hurts was the guy. Last season, he broke out with 4,461 total yards and 35 total touchdowns. This earned him second place in MVP voting en route to a Super Bowl appearance. It's a good deal as the price tag is now set for quarterbacks like Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert that are looking for their first massive payday after their rookie contract. With this news coming out, it seems like a good time to analyze the top earners at quarterback for this volume of LK League Notes. The Cream of the Crop Its no secret that quarterback is the most important position in the biggest sport in America. With this immense pressure and label, comes a huge payday. If they can perform just good enough to make it past the rookie contract, then their grandkids' grandkids will be set for life. Every year, guys get paid and earn this paycheck because the market is very willing and able to spend this money for a better product on the field. This is simply the concept of investing and it's capitalism. Invest in the quarterback should lead to a return of a winning football team, but that's not always the result. The top five quarterbacks on yearly average is the perfect case in this, outside of the newly-paid Eagles quarterback. After Hurts, there's Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson and, finally, Patrick Mahomes. It's crazy to look at with the most talented guy in the league at sixth on the list. At thirty-nine years old, Rodgers being the highest paid is crazy too. Look at Wilson, he just had his worst year in his career. Murray and Watson weren't great this year for outside reasons, but their teams missed the playoffs. This is a trend that continues after Mahomes, as well. Twelve quarterbacks are ahead of the next closest player that doesn't play quarterback when it comes to salary. That player is Aaron Donald and he makes less per year than Daniel Jones and Derek Carr. It's simply the way the league goes and the market dictates it. I don't think there's a correlation in paying the quarterback and losing, however. In this article, it's said that 12 out of the last 15 quarterbacks in the Super Bowl since the 2015 were not on their rookie contracts. There's a myth in the football world that teams have to scramble to compete while a quarterback is on their rookie deal. This happens and teams tend to go all-in and end up screwing themselves down the road. It's an unnecessary practice. Does it help when the quarterback is cheap? Sure, but it isn't the right strategy of team building for the long term. If you spread your money across your team, while having a big money guy at the helm, that's just as good. Most teams around the league end up paying their quarterback around 15% of their cap space and that seems like a fair number for a player that leads the entire franchise. No matter how this discussion is led, it remains a fact that a single person making $51 million is insane to the average person. I understand the sentiment that it's far too much money, but there has to be a realization of how much money is flowing throughout the league. At this point in time, the scale of football is far different than any other profession in the country. The NFL, as a whole, is worth $142.87 BILLION. The Washington Commanders are close to being sold for around $6 billion. The money is unreal and the owners are swimming in a sea full of money like Scrooge McDuck. Paying quarterbacks the NFL average doesn't even really put a dent in their pockets, thus they're very willing and able to spend the money. As I referenced earlier, if the market is willing to pay this much money, then the money will be spent. It's simple economics and remember, the player is doing what's best for them and their family. In the same way that you might negotiate a raise at work, the players are doing it at their job. The scale is just vastly different. Forgotten Player of the Week: Steven Jackson Falcons fans, look away. The most recent player on this segment is someone that I looked forward to when he joined my team, but I forgot the biggest rule in football: Don't pay a running back once they turn 30. Steven Jackson entered the league in 2004 as a first round pick for the St. Louis Rams. As Marshall Faulk started to slow down, the Rams wasted no time getting his successor in Jackson. Despite only starting in three games during his rookie year, Jackson still accumulated over 600 yards and four touchdowns. His first year in the league was one of the few years he failed to rush for over 1,000 yards. His sophomore campaign featured 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns, but his third year in the league was his best. Jackson exploded for 2,334 scrimmage yards, where 1,528 of those yards were rushing. He hit double-digit touchdowns for the only time during his career with 13. He placed fourth in Offensive Player of the Year, earned second team All-Pro and his first Pro Bowl. He compiled a couple more 1,000 yard seasons, but injuries nagged him. In 2009 and 2010, he notched back-to-back Pro Bowl selections. He rushed for over 1,000 yards two more seasons after the Pro Bowls, but entering his age 30 season, he wanted a shot at a Super Bowl. The Rams weren't close to this and decided to let him walk. The Falcons were coming off an NFC Championship appearance and looked to make the next step to actually making the Super Bowl. They felt that Jackson was the missing piece and signed him. Unfortunately, this is when the wheels started to fall off for Jackson and he rushed for only 543 yards. His second season in Atlanta was better, but that wouldn't stop the Falcons from cutting him. His last season in the league was 21 rushes for the Patriots in 2015. Even though it ended poorly, Jackson has to be remembered as one of the more underrated running backs in the 2000s. His 11,438 yards rank him 18th all-time and had 69 touchdowns. Nice career for a running back. Sources: Image via Mitchell Leff, Getty Images. By: Lucas Kochevar
The second part of the power rankings discussion is here and nothing has changed, in my eyes. The biggest notable transaction was Odell Beckham Jr. finding a new home in Baltimore. A very peculiar signing by a team that doesn't have a ton of cap space. They paid a pretty penny for Beckham Jr. as he's set to make up to $18 million on a one year deal. This is interesting for a number of reasons because it seems like the Ravens last ditch effort to keep their star quarterback. Beckham Jr. add notoriety to a receiving core that hasn't had a name like Beckham's in years. Although he is coming off an ACL injury in the 2022 Super Bowl, Beckham Jr. will be healthy after taking off the previous season. Since he was a complement to Cooper Kupp on the Rams, it's unknown whether he can contribute as a WR1 and carry that workload. It'll be intriguing to see if Jackson warms up to the idea of coming back to Baltimore since Beckham signed. Now, on to the second part of the way-too-early power rankings! You can find part one here. Way-Too-Early Pre-Draft Power Rankings, Part Two The next half of the power rankings start at C tier. This is where I think the fringe playoff teams are. These guys are all hard to project and could either go 9-8 or fall to 6-10. The Dolphins stand first in the tier as they were on pace for an easy playoff clinch, until Tua Tagovailoa was hurt. The status of Tua quickly sunk their season and their defense was a no-show in the playoffs. Miami worked on that side of the ball by hiring highly coveted defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and they traded for all-pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. If Tua can stay healthy and the defense can elevate their play, the Dolphins should compete in their division. The Seahawks were also a playoff team last year, but they didn't go anywhere. They brought back quarterback Geno Smith and reunited with star linebacker Bobby Wagner. Wagner isn't what he was, but he brings a boost back to their culture. The Seahawks could find an impact player at the fifth overall pick, but right now, they seem like they'll be around the same level. The Pittsburgh Steelers are next as they look to show improvement with Kenny Pickett in his sophomore campaign. The Steelers defense should be as stellar as always, but they'll need consistent offensive production to make the next step. The next team is the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers weren't that far away from a playoff berth and now they made a trade up to the first pick. Along with that, they have a new coaching staff with Frank Reich and they've signed several impactful guys, such as Vonn Bell and Miles Sanders. They should make a leap this year, even with a rookie quarterback. The Rams are a highly volatile team. They punted away the season early last year after brutal injuries. They didn't make any big acquisitions and they did trade away Ramsey, however, they still have talented players. I also don't want to underestimate Sean McVay. The Rams will have to make serious strides on the offensive line to get back to winning, but with Matthew Stafford healthy and Aaron Donald, they can comeback. The Packers title hopes have taken a significant dip with Aaron Rodgers likely gone, but the rest of the roster is still talented. It'll be very interesting to see if Jordan Love is legit and if Matt LaFluer is a good coach without Rodgers covering up their deficiencies. This year will be big for development, but they could sneak in the playoffs if Love is serviceable. The Ravens are a complete wild card with their situation because of Lamar Jackson. Since the Beckham signing, I'm leaning towards Jackson returning. I think they'll have wild card potential if he plays, but the rest of the roster is questionable to me. With a very competitive division, I think that the Ravens could fade quickly. The next team is another AFC North division team in the Cleveland Browns. I really like the improvements Cleveland made to their defensive front and I love the gamble on Elijah Moore from the Jets. My concern comes from their consistency at the quarterback position. Deshaun Watson never found his footing last year, but if he can return to 75% of his old form, then I think the Browns will be in the same mix as Baltimore. The Broncos focused this free agency on the trenches and it could pay off for the new look Broncos. Head coach Sean Payton was the big acquisition they made this offseason and they hope that he can revive Russell Wilson, who posted a career-low 36.7 QBR. They'll get standout running back Javonte Williams back from his ACL injury and that should help take pressure off the Wilson, but my issue comes with the defense. It's largely unimpressive group outside of the secondary and I can't imagine a defense like this can survive in a division against Pat Mahomes and Justin Herbert. The New England Patriots are in a critical year as they brought in a new offensive coordinator for Mac Jones and it's been reported that the Patriots brass aren't entirely confident in him. I don't think they've made many improvements from last offseason and could easily be the worst team in their division. The regression from the Titans has been tough to watch. Ever since the A.J. Brown trade, it feels like they've made a misstep in every transaction. This offense will be a brutal watch this year and it'll take a hell of a coaching job by Mike Vrabel for the Titans to be competitive. The Saints are another team that I think will look rough. They seem pretty mediocre on both sides of the ball as cap hell has forced them to let good players walk. They have a chance to win the division, but that's not saying much. Atlanta is the next team and the Falcons have made a ton of moves to try and improve their defense. The draft will be huge for them as they can go in any direction. This is a big year for Arthur Smith and co. since they finally had the cap space to make moves and shape the team in their own way. If Desmond Ridder is the starter, and that's a big 'if', he'll be under the microscope. Last, and also least, the F tier. This features many teams that I just don't see it yet. Some of them have promising futures, but some of them have to go back to the drawing board. The Bears seem committed to Justin Fields and will look to keep his upward trajectory going in development, especially with receiver D.J. Moore coming from Carolina. Dan Snyder is in the midst of selling the team and that's the only good news for Commander fans. The team is bad and Ron Rivera feels like a lame duck coach. The Buccaneers are in complete rebuild mode, despite having the attitude of trying to compete. Any team that has Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask competing for the starting job is not serious about winning. The Colts feel far away, but if new coach Shane Steichen and their rookie quarterback are any good, then the Colts could be a surprise team. The Texans are moving in a positive direction and I loved their coaching hire, but they're are still years away. The only thing I can say about the Raiders and Cardinals is 'good luck' because these guys are awful. That concludes the power rankings and I think this draft will be monumental for those F tier teams. Forgotten Player of the Week: Shawne Merriman This weeks 'Forgotten Player of the Week' goes to Shawne 'Lights Out' Merriman! When I was a young boy, I remember playing Madden on my Nintendo DS, which had laughably bad graphics, and Merriman was a killer. The San Diego Chargers had an array of very fun players throughout the 2000s and Merriman was that guy on the defense. In a league that was very dependent on off-ball linebackers, Merriman was among the league's best in his first couple seasons. Coming out of Maryland, Merriman exploded onto the scene with 10 sacks, 57 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. This rookie season earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl. His second season was step up as he earned 17 sacks, 63 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. He also forced four fumbles and was voted third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Along side that, he was voted First-Team All-Pro and was invited to another Pro Bowl. His third season was where he started to regress. He still managed to get 12.5 sacks, 68 tackles and 19 tackles for loss. He was voted a Second-Team All-Pro and earned his third Pro Bowl. After this season, he only started double-digit games one more time in 2009. After the Chargers and a short stint with the Bills, he retired after the 2012 season. Although his prime was short, Merriman was a force on defense for the Chargers and remains a fan favorite to this day. Sources: Stats via pro-football-reference By Lucas Kochevar
The first wave of free agency and trades finally seemed to slow down and it's time for a way-too-early power rankings! I'm trying to cover my basis as someone that writes about the NFL and I'm not quite at the level of tiering NFL quarterbacks here in the offseason. Teams will still change a ton from now to training camp. In the grand scheme of things, I think teams are about 70% done with their team construction with the draft and second wave of free agency in front of them. There are still ways teams can move up and down, but overall this is where I see these teams heading into draft. Along with this, I'm going to try and start highlighting a forgotten player from my time watching football. Way-Too-Early Pre-Draft Power Rankings The way this opens up is the clear two best teams in my eyes. The Kansas City Chiefs are the reigning champions with the best quarterback in the league. It's hard to dethrone them from the number one spot right now and I won't be the hot take guy that does that. They still have a solid receiving core, despite losing Juju Smith-Schuster. They also replaced Orlando Brown Jr. with Jawaan Taylor. They made some high upside signings to their defensive front-seven, but losing Thornhill will be tough as he was a good captain for the back end. The second team on their level is the San Francisco 49ers. Despite the obvious concerns about the quarterback position, the 49ers have the best roster in football. With dangerous weapons all over and a terrifying front-seven on defense with Javon Hargrave coming in, the 49ers will be a threat to any team on both sides of the ball. The secondary and offensive line lost some players, but the brain trust of GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shannahan should help cover their losses. The next tier and team at third is the NFC champion from last season, the Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts is still the guy for Philly, but the impact of losing both coordinators and a good amount of talent could set them back. I still like what they're doing and I think a mega extension will be on the way for Hurts. The Rashaad Penny signing a really under-the-radar as he was having a very good year before he got hurt and rookie Kenneth Walker III popped on the scene. Along with the solid mid-level signings, they're looking at two first round picks in the upcoming draft at 10 and 30. The two teams that I think are relatively close to the Eagles are the Bengals and Cowboys. These teams are much riskier than the Eagles, but they seem like they have a solid base to build off of last year. The Bengals still have Joe Burrow, a top five quarterback in my eyes, and many dangerous weapons that are still on their rookie deals. The defense took a small hit, but they still have both their coordinators and their division is full of teams that are not quite there yet. The Cowboys are undergoing a lot of change, but with some key trades, I think they'll be better off. With Ezekiel Elliot gone, it'll be the Dak Prescott show. It's very interesting because he was atrocious towards the end of last season, but if he can get back to elite-level play, I think the Cowboys will once again compete with the Eagles. The next tier of teams are my teams that seem like good bets to be in the playoffs. I'm assuming the Rodgers trade to New York happens here and they would likely compete for the division with Buffalo with Rodgers and a tenacious defense. Starting off with the Bills, they had a brutal year. They had all these expectations thrown on them, they had the whole deal with the weather moving them from their home and then Damar Hamlin. It was an emotionally taxing season and it's no wonder they ran out of gas. I think they'll comeback to form and be a solid team fighting for the one seed. Right now, however, they seem incomplete in their construction of the team. The Jaguars are also a team that I can see hanging around in the AFC. Trevor Lawrence has another year under his belt, as well as many of his young teammates, and they should win their division with a dangerous offense. Then, there are the Chargers. They often underperform and find ways to lose games they should win. I give them a higher ranking here because Justin Herbert is that good. I think he'll have a great year and compete for MVP, if they can stay healthy. The NFC teams in this tier starts off with the Lions. Detroit is America's team in the sense that they are the lovable losers. They haven't been this exciting in years and they're on an upwards trend. Jared Goff had one of his best years last season with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. He's getting a healthy Jameson Williams to add-on a receiving core that already has one of the most underrated receivers in the league, Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Giants are returning their core pieces on offense and they've signed some very underrated names in free agency, like Bobby Okereke. Daniel Jones should be able to improve too in his second season with Brian Daboll. The Vikings were very disappointing last season, but they still have a ton of talent on offense. I think they'll take a step back, but still remain in the playoff mix. This will be a two-part series as I'll post about the second half thoughts next week! Forgotten Player of the Week: Julius Thomas After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, Thomas rarely saw action and only recorded one catch for five yards in his first two seasons. That would quickly change in 2013, one season after Peyton Manning's arrival to Denver. Thomas saw a dramatic increase in action after his opening performance that season. Against the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens, Thomas was a massive target catching five passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas and Manning would connect ten more times in the endzone this season. With 65 catches and 788 yards this season as well, Thomas would earn his first Pro Bowl selection. A notable catch that Thomas had this season was Manning's record-breaking 51st touchdown. Manning broke the single-season passing record with 55 touchdowns and Thomas was a popular target. Although he played in less games in 2014, Thomas proved once again why he was one of the NFL's best redzone targets. Thomas compiled another 12 touchdown season. This was enough to earn him his second Pro Bowl and he was in line for a big payday. The Broncos failed to meet expectations after an early exit against the Colts in the divisional round. Thomas tested free agency and quickly found a suitor with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who paid him $46 million over five years. This is, sadly, where it started to go downhill for him as he wasn't close to double digit touchdowns the rest of his career. The first season for the Jaguars was promising with 489 yards and five touchdowns, but his second season with the team was the beginning of the end. He struggled to stay on the field as he started in only six games, where he managed 281 yards and four touchdowns. This would be his last season in Jacksonville as he was traded to Miami. Thomas played more games than the season before, but only had 388 yards and three touchdowns in Miami. In the March of 2018, the Dolphins released Thomas and effectively ended his NFL career. The highs were high and the lows were low, but Thomas was ultimately a very effective tight end and carved out a good career as a big time redzone threat. By: Lucas Kochevar
The league descended upon Phoenix once again, but this time they're in town for the annual league meetings. This is the spot where all the coaches, general managers and owners come together and essentially give a status report. The owners are the main attraction as they go to figure out what new rules to implement for the fans to hate. It's crazy to think pass interference was actually a reviewable thing a couple years ago. It's also a great time for fans to pick up on news nuggets for their team. The biggest nugget that happened on one of the first days was more like a gold mine for reporters to start their day harassing Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. Lamar Jackson has remained silent for awhile since free agency started, but he decided it was time for the NFL world to know publicly that he requested a trade from the Ravens back on March 2. It's fairly obvious this is the main topic for this volume of LK League Notes, but I also want to drop my running back rankings prior to the draft. Lamar Jackson's Best Fits Lamar Jackson is good. I'll be the brave person in the room to say it. I think the 26-year old former MVP is pretty good at football. I can understand the argument against Jackson. He doesn't light the world on fire as a consistent passer and injuries are a concern. First of all, the accuracy isn't excellent and there has been a slight dip since his MVP year, but he's been in an offense that doesn't prioritize passing in a way that makes his life easier. Wide receivers have been vocal about the organization doing a poor job putting them in the best position to succeed and I think Jackson suffers because of this. I think it's clear that he's had flaws these past couple seasons, but they aren't to a level that's unfixable. His injuries are the other issue and I think it's hard to hold against him since 80% of the time, injuries are freak accidents. Even then, Jackson has started at least 12 games every season beside his rookie year, where he was still behind Joe Flacco. When he does play, he wins. He's compiled an impressive 45-16 record since he's been in the league and Jackson is the headline in a vast majority of those wins. He's a highlight factory who lights up the field with his dual threat abilities. He's up there already as one of the most dangerous running quarterbacks ever. He's a quarterback that can raise your team's ceiling and there are teams that need to reconsider their quarterback situation and give the Ravens a call. Atlanta Falcons Before I address any of these teams, I should note that all three of these teams have publicly denied interest in Lamar. I personally think these guys make the most sense at this current time. The Falcons have to be at the top of this list. Although they have spent a decent number of their cap space, the Falcons could work around it to fit Lamar in and outside of the money, the fit makes sense. Arthur Smith came in his first year with Matt Ryan and nothing truly clicked. There was a flaw in Smith's offense and Ryan, because Ryan at this point wasn't able to move nearly as much as Smith required. In his second season at the helm, Ryan was traded and Mariota came in. The stylistic difference was massive from the two quarterbacks, but the offense was producing a more cohesive plan. The plan was to avoid passing the ball with Mariota at all cost and they were winning games. It was not because of Mariota, but in spite of him. Even if you support Desmond Ridder from his limited sample size, it's hard to justify the gamble of a very unproven player when Jackson is right there. I provide this background because you can get the better mobility of Mariota and a much better passer than him with Jackson. Where Lamar was the focal point in running the ball on certain plays in Baltimore, Smith's offense gives more flexibility with making the decision to run the ball or pass. The typical Run-Pass-Option offense isn't what Smith is running per se, but the way he can scheme an offense to build upon the run game to set up the play action game is admirable. The execution hasn't been the most crisp, partly due to him and the talent he's given. I do think this year is the biggest make or break year because they've finally had the cap space and can truly shape the roster with talent they want. Jackson could be the cherry on top. He would come into an offense that helps him and would have weapons around him that could be better than anything he's worked with in Baltimore. On top of that, the city would undoubtedly support the team and he would fill the Michael Vick-sized hole in people's hearts. It's a fit that truly makes too much sense. Indianapolis Colts This team is in one of the trickiest positions I've seen in quite sometime. They were on the verge of the playoffs just two seasons ago, but one Carson Wentz misstep and whatever last year was has ruined them. The Colts are in a precarious position at this point in the offseason because they haven't made any big tweaks to their roster and largely look like they're running back the majority of the team. The one piece missing is unfortunately the hardest one to find, quarterback. They seem destined to draft whoever falls to them on draft night, you can read about those guys here. They signed Gardner Minshew to bridge the gap, as well. I've failed to mention the fact that they hired a new head coach with Shane Steichen. The former Eagles offensive coordinator comes over to try and right the ship. Still, he has the tall task of trying to find a quarterback for the next decade in Indianapolis. Instead of gambling on the tools of Anthony Richardson or some other player, why not go after the best talent on the market? A proven commodity that can also go to a team that can utilize him properly. As I mentioned, Steichen was the former Eagles OC and worked with Jalen Hurts to form a lethal offense. With Lamar, he can quickly go back to running the same style of offense that can explode on the field behind running the ball. Once again, Lamar would go to a team that has better weapons than anything he saw in Baltimore. Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. would take pressure off Lamar to do it all and this big three could be one of the best in the league. I think it's unlikely due to Jim Irsay's comments, but the potential of this just seems like a dream for a team in a winnable division. New England Patriots This one is much more fun than realistic, but since rapper Meek Mill made the plea to Patriots owner Robert Kraft, maybe it could happen? That likely wouldn't be the reason but Kraft kept the door open saying along the lines if Bill Belichick wanted him, they would get him. It was a very interesting quote from the owner of the team. The Patriots have been aggressively non-committal to Mac Jones as the starter and the Patriots have lacked a certain amount of excitement since Tom Brady's departure. Jones made the playoffs his rookie year, but after a 47-17 beat down, nothing has been positive from him. He started off last season with a poor showing before being out with a back injury. Rookie Bailey Zappe gave the Patriots some juice and when it was time for Jones to comeback on Monday Night Football against the Bears, the fans were not welcoming as they booed him after a terrible interception. From there, the Patriots had a good stretch because of a weak schedule, but it never truly clicked for them. What better way to juice up your fanbase than to go out and acquire Jackson. The move would be interesting for many reasons. Belichick has never had a quarterback as dynamic or unique as Jackson and he could bring his winning ways over to New England to help them in a very tough division. With the Jets on the verge of acquiring Aaron Rodgers, the Patriots can find themselves in the basement of the AFC East, something that Belichick has never had during his tenure. The fit makes sense for their offense, as well. After firing Matt Patricia as OC, the Patriots brought back old friend Bill O'Brien. It often gets forgotten because of how bad he was a general manager, but O'Brien made the Texans into a multiple time division winner. On top of that, he coached Deshaun Watson and Bryce Young, two quarterbacks that use their legs to help their passing attack. Although the skillsets are different, the styles overlap enough that I think Jackson could fit in. For the first time in the article, the Ravens may have the better skill position group, but the Patriots aren't far off. It seems like a longshot, but I could definitely see the argument for why it could work. These are just a few spots that I think can work for Jackson, but it certainly doesn't stop there. I think teams like the Packers and Dolphins are wild cards to get in on the Jackson sweepstakes, but who knows if there's any real interest at this point. I'm a fan of his game and I think he brings a game-breaking potential to any team. Running Back Rankings
The running back class this year has a massive amount of range from speed guys to power guys to pass catchers to balanced guys. Of course, these players will slide in the draft and go much later than they probably should and that's just the modern NFL. The positional value of a running back is at it's lowest point ever. It's harder and harder for running backs to get the big extension because it's so easy to find one in the draft. I still think it's a valuable spot because having a great running back can open up the passing game and vice versa, however, that isn't the reality in today's NFL. This year I think the margins between the backs is minimal, outside of the top guy. The number one running back on my list is Bijan Robinson and I think it's the unanimous opinion among many people. He's a complete back that can lose defenders with his speed and shrug them off with his power. I love his game and he's a fit for any offense. The second guy is Jahmyr Gibbs and he's drawn many comparisons to Alvin Kamara. I'm not quite sure I see it as I think he's more like Tony Pollard. A high end RB2 that can catch the ball and be a good change of pace from a bell cow back. After that it's more of a drop off, but I think these are guys that can be impactful. Tyjae Spears is a fun back that can do similar things as Robinson, but is smaller. Achane is a straight-line runner, similar to Tevin Coleman in my eyes. Chase Brown is a balanced back that might be able to steal a starting job in the preseason. Roschon Johnson is a guy that I didn't write a profile about, but he's up there for talented backs in this draft. He's a guy that runs like an 18 wheeler. I think an offense similar to the one the Titans used with Derrick Henry the last couple years would be the best use of his skills. Sean Tucker is the fastest slow-looking player I've seen. I don't know exactly what that means, but it's true in my eyes. It seems like the defenders just slowly start lagging behind him until he eventually scores. Zach Charbonnet is a big body with broad shoulders that is a real bell cow back. The opposite of Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh is a pass catching back that has solid speed. As a Georgia student myself, I've seen McIntosh make a big time catch down the field at least once a game. He should be a valuable piece for an NFL team. Israel Abanikanda was a touchdown machine and made the Pittsburgh offense competent. He's an underrated athlete with his speed and is rising up draft boards. Kendre Miller was very solid for TCU and can slip through tackles to break big runs. Tank Bigsby was a big piece for Auburn during his time and he's similar to Charbonnet with carrying the ball over 30 times a game, then he's ready for 30 more. Evan Hull runs bashfully and has a similar style of acceleration as Sean Tucker does, where he slowly just beats the defender to the outside and breaks off big runs. Mohammed Ibrahim is the most productive running back in Golden Gopher history. Along with Abanikanda, Ibrahim had 20 touchdowns, but an Achilles injury two seasons ago will hurt him. Chris Rodriguez Jr. had some trouble off the field, but when he played, he runs with good power. Eric Gray is similar to Rodriguez Jr., but is a better receiver. Keaton Mitchell and Camerun Peoples were at smaller schools, but were common fixtures in their respective offenses. Zach Evans was a bigtime recruit that never reached his potential but he could reach that in the league. Lastly, Deuce Vaughn is super fun and has great speed, but he's a very small player. Similar to the wide receivers, running backs get pushed down the board due to the abundance of them. There are some hidden gems that'll shine and there are guys that won't be able to make it week one. Make sure to check out the full profiles on five of the guys mentioned above. Sources: Image via Gary McCullough, AP Photo. Stats found from here By: Lucas Kochevar
Another week, another lack of an Aaron Rodgers trade. The Packers are making sure to hold out for all the picks, while the Jets are likely waiting for the Packers to calm down on their asking price. Speaking trades, there have been a few notable names that have been on the move. The Cowboys have been active on this front and they picked up two very productive guys in Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks. The former defensive player of the year, Gilmore, should add to the Dallas defense a dependable number two cornerback on the other side of Trevon Diggs. Cooks should provide relief for star receiver CeeDee Lamb. I think it definitely will raise the ceiling for the Cowboys. They'll still need Dak Prescott to up his play if they want to go anywhere as he largely underperformed at the end of last season. Their NFC East foe, the Giants, also added a big time weapon with tight end Darren Waller. Now that they've tied down quarterback Daniel Jones, they decided to really go after some weapons to help him out. Waller was a breakout star over his years with the Raiders, but injuries have held him back. With breakout coach Brian Daboll, Waller looks to capture that magic back. The last big move that happened recently was cornerback Jalen Ramsey finding a new home in Miami. The Rams moved off of the star corner after finally deciding the price tag wasn't worth the dip in quality of play. Ramsey adds on to a defense that was fairly effective last season. They added notable defensive coordinator Vic Fangio over the offseason and he should also help utilize Ramsey. There are still a number of names out there that'll likely be moved, but I'll talk about those when the time comes. In this edition of LK League Notes for volume 20, I wanted to go back to the year 2000 and just remember some fun names from the game. The 2000 NFL Season I've been a historian of the game for as long as I can remember. I went to the Canton when I was younger to see the NFL Hall of Fame. I corrected the tour guide when he failed to remember that Brett Favre had the record for all-time interceptions. The early 2000's is still a hard time for me to remember because of how random it feels. The Super Bowl champ was the defensive-led Ravens and they blew out a Giants team with Kerry Collins at quarterback. The poster for the Super Bowl featured Kerry Collins vs Trent Dilfer. That seems absurd given the talent in the league at that time. As I stated earlier, the Ravens blew out the Giants 34-7 on the back of a four interception performance from the Ravens defense Speaking of those Ravens, the defensive player of the year was Ray Lewis. In the prime of his career, Lewis was a force to be reckoned with. The defensive rookie of the year was also a linebacker, who was fairly notable to football, Brian Urlacher. A substantial difference in this season was the importance of certain positions. The offensive rookie of the year was actually someone I've never heard of, running back Mike Anderson. A very fascinating player, Anderson actually enlisted in the military after high school. He played on the contact football team and was seen by a JUCO coach. He was honorably discharged and pursued football at a JUCO school, where the coach I mentioned earlier worked. After a couple seasons, he transferred to Utah, where he played with future star receiver Steve Smith Sr. He was drafted by the Broncos and rushed for 1,487 yards and 15 touchdowns under Mike Shannahan's famous zone-blocking scheme. He only rushed for over 1,000 yards one more time over a seven year career. He was a very intriguing player and I don't want to say it was a failure of a career since he was able to make it in the league after a very non-traditional path. He wasn't the only running back to receive big time awards. Marshall Faulk was named the NFL MVP, as well as the offensive player of the year. Faulk seems to be a very deserving candidate for the award as he was in the midst of four straight seasons rushing for over 1,300 yards and receiving around 1,000 yards on top of that. Out of this legendary run, Faulk had his career high 26 total touchdowns, including 18 rushing. Faulk was a star attraction on top of the NFL world as a big time run for running back during the 90's and early 2000's with the year 2000 as his exclamation point. The MVP results are also a real treat to look at with names. Donovan McNabb was second in voting and Eddie George was third. The league leader in passing was fifth place in voting. He was some young gun named Peyton Manning with 4,413 yards. Another shocker was Rich Gannon at third place, even though he captured his MVP two years later, I never think of him when I consider early 2000's quarterbacks. Names that come to mind are guys like Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and, to a smaller degree, Daunte Culpepper. These type of names are littered throughout the passing leaders leaderboard. The names listed above are some fantastic quarterbacks, but there are some names that have been forgotten through the years. Jeff Garcia was close behind Manning and actually had some good years with the 49ers before turning into a backup in his later years. A name that I wasn't familiar with at all was the third place guy in passing yards, Elvis Grbac. The career backup was a late bloomer as he never truly got off the ground until he was 29 with the Chiefs and in his second year as the full-time starter, he threw for 4,169 yards and made the pro bowl. Other notable guys on the passing yards list include the late Steve McNair on the Titans, Ryan Leaf on the one-win Chargers and 34-year-old Troy Aikman, who retired after the season. Before I get back to naming dudes around the league, the standings also tell an interesting story. Starting from worst to first, the Chargers, who lived in San Diego at the time, had one win. It was the worst in the league as no team was 0-16 in NFL history at that point. The Cardinals, Browns, Bears and Falcons were still just as bad as they are today. The Titans and Giants were the respective one seeds in their conferences, led by the quarterbacks I mentioned earlier. The other teams in the playoffs make sense given the talent they had, but there were two surprises to me. The Dolphins won the AFC East, despite not having legend Dan Marino, who retired the year prior. The Denver Broncos also won 11 games to get a playoff berth under Brian Griese, the son of Super Bowl winning quarterback Bob Griese. This was a year after the Broncos won the Super Bowl and legend John Elway decided to hang it up. Looking at the Pro Bowl is the best way to see all the legends that played the game back in this year since it actually mattered compared to todays version of the Pro Bowl. Some big time names on this list include 23-year-old Randy Moss, Tony Gonzalez, Terrell Owens and Orlando Pace. Corey Dillon and Warrick Dunn were notable running backs on the team. Rod Woodson at age 35 made the Pro Bowl during this second renaissance in his Hall of Fame career. Left guard Bruce Matthews and wide receiver Cris Carter are also older players that managed to make the Pro Bowl during this season. There truly were stars everywhere on the field during this game and countless Hall of Famers. The last trip down memory lane I wanted to look at was the NFL draft that followed this season in 2001. This draft featured a strong crop of Pro Bowlers and future Hall of Famers. The first overall pick in this draft was traded by the Chargers to the Falcons. With that pick, the Falcons drafted big name Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick. A very noteworthy player, who has remade his image, Vick was a highlight machine during his playing days. The Chargers used their pick on Hall of Famer and one of my favorite players ever, LaDanian Tomlinson. A few other Hall of Famers include defensive end Richard Seymour and offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson. Some future Hall of Famers include Justin Smith, Reggie Wayne, Drew Brees and Steve Smith Sr. It was a fascinating year to look back on and it's always fun to just go back and take a look at all the legends of the game that were in their prime or starting to blossom before our eyes. Sources: Image via Baltimore Ravens. Information on Mike Anderson here. Stats and more found here. By: Lucas Kochevar
Jets fans, you can finally breathe. Aaron Rodgers finally addressed his future by stating he wants to go to the Jets. Nothing official has happened, but his time in Green Bay is over. The Packers seem to be happy to let him leave and move on with Jordan Love. Rodgers has largely been a headache for the Packers these past two off-seasons and now he'll move on to the Jets, who were missing a quarterback last year as Zach Wilson crumbled. It'll be intriguing to see how both teams play next year, but I'm sure the Jets will be a very popular pick by media pundits to make the Super Bowl. The quarterback landscape in the NFC looks very bare now that Rodgers is gone. It'll be intriguing to see how teams approach this since the NFC looks wide open now. Outside of this whole drama, free agency has been going on and several guys have chosen to leave their teams. In this LK League Notes, I'll pick out some big headline moves and my thoughts on the team moving forward into next months draft along with a 2023 college football look ahead. Big Names on the Move... LT Orlando Brown Jr. to the Bengals Brown went on the market after Kansas City promptly decided to move forward with RT Jawaan Taylor from the Jaguars. Brown has been insistent on playing left tackle in the league since he played for Baltimore during his first contract. The Bengals decided to roll the dice on Brown after another subpar year for their offensive line. Jonah Williams has been the starter at left tackle for the Bengals, but with this, Williams is likely on the move. Brown is a step up from Williams and will be tied to Cincinnati through his prime years since he's only 26. It's a win-now move for the Bengals, who famously don't hand out big contracts. They've lost a number of players on their defense, but I'll give them benefit of doubt that they can handle these loses since they haven't lost either of their coordinators. The Bengals championship window will remain open as long as they have Joe Burrow and if they can protect him, they'll have a great shot in the playoffs. I think the Bengals understand this, hence the big signing of Brown. A solid move for a contender in the AFC. DT Javon Hargrave signs with the 49ers Another big fella jumps teams to a contender in the NFC. Hargrave was a force in the middle for the Eagles last season as Jordan Davis was learning the ropes and Fletcher Cox is getting up there in age. He played the best ball of his career in a contract year and looks to keep that success up with the 49ers. The 49ers invested draft capital in DT Javon Kinlaw a few years ago, but since he hasn't quite panned out yet, the 49ers were aggressive and signed Hargrave to pair with Kinlaw. It's a risky signing since Hargrave just turned 30, but with their scheme, they look to have him wreak havoc in the middle while Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead are on the outside. An already loaded San Francisco defense manages to get better to compete against the Eagles and more in the NFC. S Jessie Bates commits to the Falcons One of the worst kept secrets during the buildup to free agency was the Bates and Falcons buzz as several players on the Falcons were posting about hanging out with Bates. Now that it's official, Bates is a big time acquisition by Atlanta as he can be a game changer on the back end for Atlanta. The Falcons haven't had a true playmaking safety since the Super Bowl year and Bates will provide that and much more at safety for Atlanta. The Falcons brought over Ryan Nielson from the Saints to be their new DC and he helped several players get paid during his tenure there such as Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams. Bates should plug in and play a big role to bring together the Atlanta secondary, similar to how he did in Cincinnati. The bar is very low for improvement with the Falcons defense, but I do think they can make a big improvement with Bates and the other free agents they brought in. A Look Ahead to the 2023 College Football Season Its never too early to look ahead for college football. It truly is a year-long sport with all the recruiting, transfers, and the season full of games. For this, I want to highlight certain quarterbacks and sleepers to watch for. Of course, Georgia is the big team to highlight coming off back-to-back national titles. They're returning a number of players, including star tight end Brock Bowers. They aren't returning their starting quarterback, however, as he's finally moving on to the NFL. Redshirt junior Carson Beck is the early favorite for the job as he's patiently waiting for his chance, but don't count out underclassmen Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton. The two big names at quarterback around the country are Caleb Williams, the reigning Heisman trophy winner at USC, and Drake Maye, North Carolina standout. Around the SEC outside of Georgia, there will be new starters at Alabama and Tennessee. LSU and Arkansas manage to keep their guys in Jayden Daniels and K.J. Jefferson, both of them are solid dual-threat quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Kentucky brings in Devin Leary, a transfer from North Carolina State that I'm very high on as a pocket passer. South Carolina brings back Spencer Rattler, who had a strong end to last season. Outside of these guys, multiple teams will have question marks at quarterback. The Pac-12 will have an interesting group of guys at quarterback with many talented arms coming back. I think Washington is the most underrated team in the conference with Michael Penix Jr. at the helm. He had a tremendous year and they're also returning their top receiver Romeo Odunze. Oregon has Bo Nix coming back and he was terrific for the Ducks last season. Washington State has a solid dual-threat guy in Cam Ward Jr. and Cam Rising is returning for Utah. A name that's drawing a lot of buzz is Shedeur Sanders at Colorado, who is the son of new head coach Deion Sanders. I'm a bit skeptical on him, but it'll definitely draw my eyes this year. A lot of the other conferences are a bit shaky at quarterback, but there are definitely some talented guys. Jordan Travis at Florida State is one of those talented guys and the Seminoles could win the ACC with him. I also like Taulia Tagovailoa at Maryland to put up some big time numbers. For me, there's a breakout guy with Tanner Mordecai at Wisconsin. The transfer from SMU was very good during his time with the Mustangs and will get a shot with new Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell. A few big name places that will bet on their young guys include Ohio State and Clemson. These are just a handful of names that the common fan can point out as noteworthy players for this upcoming year. Of course, I'm sure that there will be some under-the-radar guys that no one saw coming. Sources: Image via Chris Petersen, Getty Images |
Lucas KochevarI love sports and I'm a local fan of the Falcons, Hawks, and Braves. You can find my quick thoughts and more on my twitter @lucaswkochevar |