Denver Broncos
2018 Record: 6-10 (3rd in AFC West)
Head Coach: Vic Fangio (1st season)
Notable Additions: QB Joe Flacco, CB Bryce Callahan, CB Kareem Jackson
Notable Departures: C Matt Paradis, CB Bradley Roby, QB Case Keenum
-Overseeing a Bears defense that was the most feared in the league in 2018 proved to be the feat that finally earned Vic Fangio his 1st head coaching gig after 19 years as an assistant in the pros. It's a well-deserved opportunity for a grizzled vet that has been regarded as one of, if not the best defensive coordinator in the league over the past 7-8 years.
In terms of fit, the Broncos gig couldn't possibly be more ideal. GM John Elway has bucked every single trend in the league by constructing a primitive roster that emphasizes hard-nosed defense over offensive fireworks. Now that he's brought in a like-minded relic to run the operation, they might actually yield some results on the field. The mix of established cornerstone pieces (Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., Derek Wolfe) and promising young talent (Bradley Chubb, Justin Simmons, Bryce Callahan-who followed Fangio from the Bears) on defense is a great base for Fangio to work with and poaching brilliant offensive line coach Mike Munchak from the Steelers staff should help them become the run-heavy, protect a lead offense they've aspired to be during the string of middling seasons they put together after their Super Bowl win in 2015. Throw in a quarterback in Joe Flacco who enjoyed a fair amount of success following a similar blueprint with the Ravens over the past decade and you have yourself a nice little throwback team that might surprise some people in a wide open AFC wild card race.
-Speaking of Elway, his relationship with the quarterback position never fails to be hilarious. Since he lucked (no pun intended) into getting Peyton Manning during his last few prime years, Elway has essentially tried to come up with a different option every year. In 2016, 1st round pick Paxton Lynch got beat out for the starting job by incumbent 3rd stringer Trevor Siemian. In 2017, Siemian ended up getting benched for Brock Osweiler-who re-joined the team after a pair of failed stints with the Texans and Browns. Last year, he signed Case Keenum in free agency following a fluky season with the Vikings. Shockingly, none of these plans worked out and they haven't been back to the playoffs since they hoisted the Lombardi.
This season, Elway got really freaky with the shit. That's right kids, he brought in a veteran AND conquered his fear of drafting another quarterback post-Lynch. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, Flacco is a much more sensible veteran stopgap option than any of the other jabronis he's trotted out since Manning retired. He has a legit NFL starter's pedigree with several playoff appearances and a Super Bowl ring on his resume, and he's polished enough as a passer for them to open up the offense past the quick shovel pass crap that they ran extensively with Siemian/Lynch/Osweiler/Keenum when called upon. Bonus points for going the extra mile to help ease his transition to the Mile High City by giving him a group of largely unproven receivers (Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Tim Patrick, rookie Noah Fant) that mirrors what he had to work with during the bulk of his time with the Ravens.
While Flacco is likely to start all 16 games if he's healthy and/or the team doesn't fall out of the playoff picture alarmingly early, the Broncos do have a young quarterback waiting in the wings if the 34-year old doesn't prove to be a sufficient top dog. Elway traded up 10 picks to select Mizzou product Drew Lock at the top of the 2nd round of this year's draft.
Looking at Lock's intangibles and resume, it's hard not to be reminded of Lynch. He's got prototypical size, a rocket arm and more red flags (accuracy, decisionmaking, poor performances against top competition in college) than a god damn yacht club. Honestly, I think Lock is the perfect compromise option for an executive whose job could be in jeopardy if this season doesn't go down as a success. He was drafted high enough to be touted as a possible solution to their lingering quarterback problem, but low enough where he's not viewed as a coveted franchise guy and can be easily replaced if things go south (guys like Geno Smith, Christian Hackenberg and DeShon Kizer were all selected in a similar range over the past 5 years). Whenever Elway steps away from the front office, I hope his contributions in the stalling arts get their proper due.
Looking at Lock's intangibles and resume, it's hard not to be reminded of Lynch. He's got prototypical size, a rocket arm and more red flags (accuracy, decisionmaking, poor performances against top competition in college) than a god damn yacht club. Honestly, I think Lock is the perfect compromise option for an executive whose job could be in jeopardy if this season doesn't go down as a success. He was drafted high enough to be touted as a possible solution to their lingering quarterback problem, but low enough where he's not viewed as a coveted franchise guy and can be easily replaced if things go south (guys like Geno Smith, Christian Hackenberg and DeShon Kizer were all selected in a similar range over the past 5 years). Whenever Elway steps away from the front office, I hope his contributions in the stalling arts get their proper due.
-A shift in the running back hierarchy could very emerge under this new regime. Undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay's speed, shiftiness and pass-catching ability allowed to him to overtake 3rd round pick Royce Freeman as the starting back pretty quickly. A combination of Lindsay bouncing back from a wrist injury that prematurely ended his 2018 season and his slimmer frame (5'8, 190lbs) could relegate him to the 2nd option in a rushing attack that figures to be prominently feeatured.
Freeman's simplistic 1-cut rushing style makes him the perfect lead back in a ball control offense. His size (5'11, 238 lbs) is great for short yardage situations and his nose for the endzone is legit-scoring 5 TD's on only 130 carries as a rookie. Sure he's not going to make a ton of people of miss or do much of anything that isn't between the tackles, but if the blocking is strong enough and his power can get a bit better, he could evolve into a Jordan Howard/Derrick Henry-type player that you can build a ground-and-pound attack around.
Bottom Line:
The Broncos are a bland, old-school football team that could manage to sneak their way into the playoffs if all of the hyped young teams (Browns, Jets, Colts) die out. What a conference.
Kansas City Chiefs
2018 Record: 12-4 (1st in AFC West)
Head Coach: Andy Reid (7th season)
Notable Additions: DE Frank Clark, S Tyrann Mathieu, RB Carlos Hyde
Notable Departures: OLB Dee Ford, DE/OLB Justin Houston, CB Steven Nelson
-Even the biggest optimists and Andy Reid believers on the planet had to be surprised by what Patrick Mahomes was able to accomplish last season. A 23-year old product of an incredibly basic college offense with only 1 prior career start in a meaningless Week 17 game under his belt leading the league's top scoring offense, registering 50 TD's/5,000+ YDS and winning MVP in his 1st season as a starting quarterback is a simply inhuman accomplishment. So what he will be able to do as an encore?
Winning MVP doesn't disqualify Mahomes from facing the line of questioning that every young QB receives following their initial breakout. Opposing teams having a year's worth of tape to study along with the pressure of expectations is a powerful combination that can sink players who don't how to handle being forced to make adjustments to their game or possess the mental toughness to deal with the adversity this rapidly-changing league throws at you. Based on the countless examples of grit he displayed last season, I feel pretty god damn confident that Mahomes won't be joining the list of QB's that flamed out after 1 promising season.
There's not another young QB in recent memory that can say that they mounted a comeback that sent the game into OT against the juggernaut Patriots in the AFC Championship Game after a wretched 1st half in which they took 3 sacks, only completed 4 passes and led the offense to 0 points. The kid just doesn't seem to get rattled by any matchup or gametime situation, which is an increasingly rare quality to have at this position. His unreal arm strength and gift for making logic-defying passes look easy also doesn't hurt. He might not lead a 35+ points per game offense or throw for 5,000+ yards for a 2nd straight season, but I'd be surprised if Mahomes didn't further establish himself as the most electric, poised and just plain best QB to enter the league since Russell Wilson with his play this season.
-Any finger pointing exercise examining why the Chiefs lost to the Patriots will most likely end with blaming the defense. Clearly the braintrust agreed because Bob Sutton was fired as defensive coordinator 2 days after their AFC Championship Game loss. While garbage time production stemming from their offense's affinity for blowing out opponents certainly inflated the stats a bit (31st in total yards allowed and 24th in scoring defense) last season, the most inexplicably revered defensive mind in the sport failed to make adjustments and no matter how hard he tried, couldn't cover up their slew of issues on the back end by repeatedly blitzing.
Reid's choice for a replacement for Sutton is.... interesting. Steve Spagnoulo, who last served as the Giants defensive coordinator from 2015-17, shares Sutton's love of blitzing at every possible juncture. Honestly probably the only differences are that Spagnoulo runs a 4-3 instead of a 3-4 and has a pretty good track record of developing secondaries-which should help balance out some of the relentless aggression displayed by the front 7.
Given the reported lack of faith the players had developed in Sutton's scheme over the course of last season, it's kind of shocking that Reid brought in a guy who runs a very similar defense as a replacement. I get that head coaches like to tap guys they have familiarity with as top assistants (Spagnoulo worked under Reid for 8 seasons while he was with the Eagles), but hiring somebody with a radically different philosophy seems like it would've been a more logical choice for a group that desperately needs to change.
Given the reported lack of faith the players had developed in Sutton's scheme over the course of last season, it's kind of shocking that Reid brought in a guy who runs a very similar defense as a replacement. I get that head coaches like to tap guys they have familiarity with as top assistants (Spagnoulo worked under Reid for 8 seasons while he was with the Eagles), but hiring somebody with a radically different philosophy seems like it would've been a more logical choice for a group that desperately needs to change.
Even though I do believe Spagnoulo is a better coordinator than Sutton, their personnel makes me wonder whether or not a notable improvement is possible this season. Former Seahawk Frank Clark is a couple notches below the departed Dee Ford as a pass rusher, entrusting Tyrann Mathieau to slide into the field general role once occupied by the great Eric Berry is a ballsy move considering his merely so-so play over the past few years, their linebacker situation (Reggie Ragland, Anthony Hitchens, Damien Wilson) is still a disaster with no positive outcome in sight and Steven Nelson's exit in free agency could prove to be a sneaky huge loss for an already mediocre secondary. Their championship dreams are likely riding on whether or not Spagnoulo can whip up a passable dish out of questionable ingredients after spending a year away from the kitchen. Good luck chef.
-The offensive dropoff so many expected to come when Kareem Hunt got released last November just never happened. Damien Williams' transition to the starting role was about as seamless as possible as the ex-Dolphins backup picked up 572 scrimmage YDS (362 rushing, 210 receiving) and 8 TD's in his 5 starts including 2 in the playoffs. The Williams hype train that was going full bore in January has taken a couple of hits ahead of the 2019 season.
Leading that slowdown was a hamstring injury Williams suffered around the start of camp. In his absence, rookie Darwin Thompson impressed the hell out of the coaching staff with his explosiveness and seemingly leapfrogged ailing veteran Carlos Hyde, who was initially brought in to be Williams' backup, on the depth chart. Reid has since stated that he might employ a committee to both protect Williams-who has never been a starter over the course of an entire season and give Thompson more opportunities. Williams made a convincing statement that he's both healthy and ready to be this team's workhorse back in last week's preseason contest by taking a screen pass 62 YDS to the house on a highlight reel worthy play. We'll see before too long if that was enough to table Reid's desire to utilize a committee.
-No one on the Chiefs roster benefited more from the arrival of Mahomes than Tyreek Hill. Pairing Hill's unreal speed with Mahomes' arm strength created a downfield matchup nightmare that honestly couldn't be stopped. Hill's rare talent is also the reason the league chose to not suspend him for an alleged domestic incident involving his 3-year old son.
Even though the charges were formally dropped, the audio evidence that at the very least heavily implies that Hill broke his child's arm still would've been more than enough for the league to bury a lesser talent. It's a different story when it's a reigning All-Pro that happens to be one of the most dynamic offensive playmakers in the league.
Even though the charges were formally dropped, the audio evidence that at the very least heavily implies that Hill broke his child's arm still would've been more than enough for the league to bury a lesser talent. It's a different story when it's a reigning All-Pro that happens to be one of the most dynamic offensive playmakers in the league.
Ratings went up last year for the 1st time since 2015 and the excitement that the Chiefs offense provided definitely played a key part in that resurgence. Suspending the top receiver on a very popular team a year after they've improved viewership for the 1st time in 3 years likely would've caused a hit in the wallet that the shot callers didn't want to take. In a league that almost always screws up the discipline for violence-related incidents, this is a contender for the most disgusting and baffling piece of insufficient punishment to-date.
Bottom Line:
The Chiefs bare a striking resemblance to most of the Saints teams (powerhouse offense/trash defense)of the Drew Brees era, which means a strong regular season followed by a pre Super Bowl exit seems like its going to be in the cards once again this year.
Los Angeles Chargers
2018 Record: 12-4 (2nd in AFC West)
Head Coach: Anthony Lynn (3rd season)
Notable Additions: OLB Thomas Davis, QB Tyrod Taylor, P Ty Long
Notable Departures: WR Tyrell Williams, TE Antonio Gates, CB Jason Verrett
-Melvin Gordon has easily been the most vocal of the large group of players that are currently holding out for a new contract. He publicly stated during a mid-July press conference at SportsCon in Dallas that while he hoped to remain a Charger, he wanted a new contract and implied that he wouldn't play again until they or another team gave it to him. That stance has further intensified in recent weeks and new reports from league insiders believe he's willing to miss regular season games if a deal doesn't get done.
Unfortunately for Gordon, he's trying to play hardball with the most stubborn organization in the NFL. Just a few years ago, owner Dean Spanos and GM Tom Telesco had a bitch of time trying to sign Joey Bosa because of their reluctance to give him $20+ mil in guaranteed money on a ROOKIE DEAL. When you're dealing with organization that spent 5 months haggling over the value of a team-friendly contract for the #3 overall pick in the draft, you might as well just chock up the L and collect a year's worth of game checks before you go elsewhere to get your money. There's better odds of Chargers fans outdrawing the fans of their opponent at a home game than there is of Spanos and Telesco giving Gordon the 13+mil a year he's asking for.
Further destroying Gordon's odds of getting a new deal is the other backfield options the Chargers currently have. Unlike the Cowboys who have built their offense around Ezekiel Elliott, the Chargers have proven they can get by without Gordon. While neither are terrific between-the-tackles runners, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson managed to fair just fine leading a committee during Gordon's absence with a sprained knee last season-registering 421 scrimmage YDS, 3 TD's and helping lead the team to a 4-0 record while the 2x Pro Bowler was sidelined. Their natural pass-catching skills paired with the speed/cutting ability they have to get around the edge makes them nice pieces that OC Ken Wisenhunt should be able to scheme around without incident.
It also helps that they have a top-tier quarterback in Phillip Rivers and an explosive receiver group (Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, Mike Williams, Travis Benjamin) that should open the door for their young running backs to enjoy a season-long ascent. A full season holdout is certainly possible for Gordon and considering his tendency to get banged up (he's only appeared in 16 games 1 time during his 4 years in the league so far), that may not be the worst thing in the world.
It also helps that they have a top-tier quarterback in Phillip Rivers and an explosive receiver group (Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, Mike Williams, Travis Benjamin) that should open the door for their young running backs to enjoy a season-long ascent. A full season holdout is certainly possible for Gordon and considering his tendency to get banged up (he's only appeared in 16 games 1 time during his 4 years in the league so far), that may not be the worst thing in the world.
-The Chargers don't have the same luxury of having an adequate replacement lined up for safety Derwin James-who suffered a stress fracture in his foot during training camp and is slated to be out until at least mid-November-that they do with Gordon. Behind a lethal combo of speed, instincts and range, James took the NFL by storm as a rookie, racking up 105 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 INT and 11 passes defensed-which helped him earn 1st team All-Pro honors.
As terrific as the raw numbers were, his versatility is what really made James special. Gus Bradley could deploy him at either safety spot, slot corner or inside linebacker to keep opposing offenses off-balance throughout the game. Is their secondary going to be doomed in James' absence? Probably not. Desmond King and Casey Hayward are as strong of a cover corner duo as there in the league right now and converted special teamer Adrian Phillips made a surprisingly smooth transition to the starting free safety spot in the back half of 2018. However, his Swiss Army Knife skill set was an incredibly valuable weapon for this group and even if rookie Nasir Adderley or Rayshawn Jenkins steps in and exceeds expectations filling his place in the starting lineup, they likely won't be able to replicate the impact his dynamism made on this defense as a whole.
-Considering the checkered history of this franchise, it's hard to not consider the possibility that the Chargers are in for another snake-bitten season in 2019. In addition to Gordon's holdout and James' injury, left tackle/cornerstone of a below average offensive line Russell Okung is currently dealing with an undisclosed medical issue that may cause him to miss the start of the regular season.
Obviously, there's a point of no return with injuries and they're not even close to being there yet. Even with their current absences, they still have a terrific offense, a solid front 7 led by a pair of dominant pass rushers (Bosa, Melvin Ingram) and an exciting secondary with some of the most underrated talents in the league. However, even if shit doesn't go completely sideways like it often does with this franchise, this season will pose some interesting on-and-off field challenges that could derail the season.
Will Gordon's holdout serve as a distraction? Can Rivers and the passing game continue to thrive if Okung ends up missing time? Will there be a hangover from last season's embarrassing playoff exit and if so, can he get them back on track mentally? Anthony Lynn handled the lone bit of serious adversity (the 0-4 start they endured in 2017 courtesy of missed field goals/extra points) he's faced during his tenure as HC thus far well, so there's every reason to be pretty confident that he's equipped to handle the rigors of an ugly season where everything that can go wrong does if one ends up materializing in 2019.
Bottom Line:
Despite their abundance of talent and encouraging early signs that Anthony Lynn could be a great NFL head coach, there's too much uncertainty surrounding this team right now to believe they'll be able to match, let alone improve upon their 12-4 record in 2018.
Oakland Raiders
2018 Record: 4-12 (4th in AFC West)
Head Coach: Jon Gruden (2nd season)
Notable Additions: WR Antonio Brown, S Lamarcus Joyner, T Trent Brown
Notable Departures: TE Jared Cook, G Kelechi Osemele, WR Jordy Nelson (retired)
-5 short months ago, there were questions about whether or not the Steelers got a big enough return (3rd and 5th round picks in this year's draft) in the trade that sent star receiver Antonio Brown to the Raiders. Now, there's an increasingly popular notion that Steelers may have won the deal simply by getting Brown off their roster.
A honeymoon period was bound to occur after his wish to get out of Pittsburgh was granted, but Brown has made up for those blissful months of silence by bringing a whole lot of drama to the Bay Area over the past few weeks. The Oakland stop of the AB circus got off to a roaring start after it was revealed that the foot injury that kept him out of practice at the start of camp was a result of frostbite he suffered from not wearing the proper footwear in a cryogenic chamber. Within 24 hours of the frostbite diagnosis, things somehow managed to get even nuttier when it was revealed that Brown was threatening to retire if he couldn't wear his old helmet that didn't meet the league's new safety regulations.
This chapter of the AB saga may have reached its conclusion following his unsuccessful 2nd attempt to win a grievance against the league to try and continue to wear his precious old helmet, but you truly don't know what the hell could piss him off next and launch the next episode of the league's finest 1-man soap opera. I'm sure Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin and the rest of the Steelers organization are all very sad that this sideshow is now happening in someone else's building.
The off-field distractions are hardly the only concerns about Brown's transition to Oakland. Brown disenchantment with catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger was believed to be the primary reason behind his trade demand. Roethlisberger's game has its share of serious flaws: His struggles on the road are well-documented and his gunslinger mentality leads to some ugly INT's/dangerous passes that put his receivers' health at risk. However, the fact of the matter remains is that he's a top 5-10 quarterback in the league and will likely find himself in Canton someday. I have a sneaking suspicion he will realize just how good he had it during his 9 years in Pittsburgh once he plays with Derek Carr.
Carr just hasn't been the same player after he broke his fibula at the end of 2016 season. His confidence must've shattered with his leg because he's been a jittery mess under center for the past 2 seasons, posting a career-low 19 TD's last season and a career-high 13 INT's the season prior to that. Considering how quickly he lost patience with a constant risk-taker in Roethlisberger, playing with someone as gun shy as Carr might cause him to snap after a couple of series. Anything short of a raging dumpster fire when he actually takes the field should be considered a triumph at this point.
A honeymoon period was bound to occur after his wish to get out of Pittsburgh was granted, but Brown has made up for those blissful months of silence by bringing a whole lot of drama to the Bay Area over the past few weeks. The Oakland stop of the AB circus got off to a roaring start after it was revealed that the foot injury that kept him out of practice at the start of camp was a result of frostbite he suffered from not wearing the proper footwear in a cryogenic chamber. Within 24 hours of the frostbite diagnosis, things somehow managed to get even nuttier when it was revealed that Brown was threatening to retire if he couldn't wear his old helmet that didn't meet the league's new safety regulations.
This chapter of the AB saga may have reached its conclusion following his unsuccessful 2nd attempt to win a grievance against the league to try and continue to wear his precious old helmet, but you truly don't know what the hell could piss him off next and launch the next episode of the league's finest 1-man soap opera. I'm sure Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin and the rest of the Steelers organization are all very sad that this sideshow is now happening in someone else's building.
The off-field distractions are hardly the only concerns about Brown's transition to Oakland. Brown disenchantment with catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger was believed to be the primary reason behind his trade demand. Roethlisberger's game has its share of serious flaws: His struggles on the road are well-documented and his gunslinger mentality leads to some ugly INT's/dangerous passes that put his receivers' health at risk. However, the fact of the matter remains is that he's a top 5-10 quarterback in the league and will likely find himself in Canton someday. I have a sneaking suspicion he will realize just how good he had it during his 9 years in Pittsburgh once he plays with Derek Carr.
Carr just hasn't been the same player after he broke his fibula at the end of 2016 season. His confidence must've shattered with his leg because he's been a jittery mess under center for the past 2 seasons, posting a career-low 19 TD's last season and a career-high 13 INT's the season prior to that. Considering how quickly he lost patience with a constant risk-taker in Roethlisberger, playing with someone as gun shy as Carr might cause him to snap after a couple of series. Anything short of a raging dumpster fire when he actually takes the field should be considered a triumph at this point.
-Hiring Jon Gruden as a head coach/executive after 9 years away from the game seemed like an ill-advised move at time and based on the dreadful 1st year results, that feeling remain firmly in tact. So what would Mark Davis do as an encore? Bring in another TV guy to be Gruden's #2 of course!
I honestly loved Mike Mayock as an analyst. His commentary was insightful and the amount of preparation that he did for each NFL Draft was remarkable. However, trusting a veteran broadcaster to run your team is a wild move. The beauty of being on TV, behind a keyboard or really anywhere else besides an NFL front office is that there's no consequences when you're wrong about a player's ability/fit on a team. Just because you can provide a detailed scouting report doesn't mean you're a brilliant talent evaluator and based on the moves he made during his 1st rosterbuilding cycle as "general manager" (Gruden is still pulling the strings on all personnel moves), there's plenty of reason to question his ability to evaluate talent when there's real stakes.
Free agency kicked the Mayock regime off with a bang when they signed Trent Brown to a record-breaking deal (4 years/$66 mil/$36.5 mil guaranteed) for a tackle. Brown was a merely functional left tackle on a line that has no shortage of high-end talent and was coached by a legend in Dante Scarnecchia whose legacy is defined by getting the most out of every player he coaches. Now that he's under the watchful eye of Tom "I almost killed Russell Wilson" Cable on a line that only has 1 legit piece on it (center Rodney Hudson) and returning to the right side of the line, the poor work ethic and unreliable play that defined his tenure with the 49ers will more than likely return.
Mayock promptly followed that up by revealing the emphasis he placed on bringing in "high character guys" in his opening press conference was total bullshit by signing Vontaze Burfict and Richie Incognito. Nothing says "we cherish character" like a locker room that features the guy who is pissed that he was too young to get in on the sweet action of BountyGate and the guy at the center of the Dolphins bullying scandal who also threatened to shoot up a funeral home last fall.
You can't even use the "but they're talented!" excuse with these guys. Burfict has been wretched whenever he's been healthy enough to play over the past couple of years and Incognito was out of the league last season. Obviously rostering nothing but high quality human beings is a borderline impossible task, but don't go out and say that you're all about building a culture defined by class then turn around and sign a couple of the most despicable individuals currently playing in the league.
If you thought the head-scratching decisions were going to stop in free agency, you're in for a rude awakening. While there was some good value picks along the way (Josh Jacobs, Maxx Crosby, Hunter Renfrow), the bizarre picks at the top of the draft overshadowed a lot of the positives.
Selecting edge rusher Clelin Ferrell 4th overall was a move that legitimately rendered me speechless. I thought Ferrell was a very solid prospect that was a bit underrated overall, but there was absolutely no juice surrounding him as a top 5 pick and they likely could've landed him when they picked again at #24.
Their other 2 high picks besides Jacobs falls into a similar camp. Jonathan Abram was an overly aggressive, undisciplined college player that lacked the polish and versatility of many of the other top safeties in this class while corner Trayvon Mullen is a long press corner with a ton of question marks surrounding his instincts/ball skills. There's always the chance that these guys will make myself and the rest of their doubters looks like idiots, but I'd be very surprised if they are able to shed the overdrafted label that's been placed upon them.
I honestly loved Mike Mayock as an analyst. His commentary was insightful and the amount of preparation that he did for each NFL Draft was remarkable. However, trusting a veteran broadcaster to run your team is a wild move. The beauty of being on TV, behind a keyboard or really anywhere else besides an NFL front office is that there's no consequences when you're wrong about a player's ability/fit on a team. Just because you can provide a detailed scouting report doesn't mean you're a brilliant talent evaluator and based on the moves he made during his 1st rosterbuilding cycle as "general manager" (Gruden is still pulling the strings on all personnel moves), there's plenty of reason to question his ability to evaluate talent when there's real stakes.
Free agency kicked the Mayock regime off with a bang when they signed Trent Brown to a record-breaking deal (4 years/$66 mil/$36.5 mil guaranteed) for a tackle. Brown was a merely functional left tackle on a line that has no shortage of high-end talent and was coached by a legend in Dante Scarnecchia whose legacy is defined by getting the most out of every player he coaches. Now that he's under the watchful eye of Tom "I almost killed Russell Wilson" Cable on a line that only has 1 legit piece on it (center Rodney Hudson) and returning to the right side of the line, the poor work ethic and unreliable play that defined his tenure with the 49ers will more than likely return.
Mayock promptly followed that up by revealing the emphasis he placed on bringing in "high character guys" in his opening press conference was total bullshit by signing Vontaze Burfict and Richie Incognito. Nothing says "we cherish character" like a locker room that features the guy who is pissed that he was too young to get in on the sweet action of BountyGate and the guy at the center of the Dolphins bullying scandal who also threatened to shoot up a funeral home last fall.
You can't even use the "but they're talented!" excuse with these guys. Burfict has been wretched whenever he's been healthy enough to play over the past couple of years and Incognito was out of the league last season. Obviously rostering nothing but high quality human beings is a borderline impossible task, but don't go out and say that you're all about building a culture defined by class then turn around and sign a couple of the most despicable individuals currently playing in the league.
If you thought the head-scratching decisions were going to stop in free agency, you're in for a rude awakening. While there was some good value picks along the way (Josh Jacobs, Maxx Crosby, Hunter Renfrow), the bizarre picks at the top of the draft overshadowed a lot of the positives.
Selecting edge rusher Clelin Ferrell 4th overall was a move that legitimately rendered me speechless. I thought Ferrell was a very solid prospect that was a bit underrated overall, but there was absolutely no juice surrounding him as a top 5 pick and they likely could've landed him when they picked again at #24.
Their other 2 high picks besides Jacobs falls into a similar camp. Jonathan Abram was an overly aggressive, undisciplined college player that lacked the polish and versatility of many of the other top safeties in this class while corner Trayvon Mullen is a long press corner with a ton of question marks surrounding his instincts/ball skills. There's always the chance that these guys will make myself and the rest of their doubters looks like idiots, but I'd be very surprised if they are able to shed the overdrafted label that's been placed upon them.
-Gruden famously said after his team struggled to generate sacks following the trade of Khalil Mack right before the start of last season that it was hard to find a good pass rusher. Apparently, it's also hard to find a defense that can stop the run, pass or prevent opponents from scoring at will. The Raiders finished 32nd in scoring defense (29.2 points allowed per game), 32nd in sacks (13 in 16 games, a whopping 17 behind the 2 teams that finished tied for 30th), 30th in rush defense (140.6 YDS allowed per game) and 19th in pass defense (240.8 YDS allowed per game) during their nightmare 2018 campaign. That type of universal incompetence is honestly staggering and makes them the obvious favorite to be named the worst defense in the NFL heading into this season .
Clearly, you have to shake things up when you're putting out such a universally sucky product on the field and shake things up they did with a slew of moves in the offseason. In addition to the aforementioned additions (Ferrell, Abram, Mullen, Burfict), the Raiders brought in plenty of people to compete for starting spots on the defensive line (Ethan Westbrooks, Corey Liguet), linebacking corps (Brandon Marshall, Te'Von Coney) and the secondary (Lamarcus Joyner, Nevin Lawson).
Outside of Joyner, who has been a pretty solid ballhawk safety for a while now, I don't expect any of these guys to make a real impact in 2019. You just can't close a talent gap this significant in a single season plus a lot of the guys they brought in are either rookies facing significant learning curves or veteran role players that have never or are no longer capable of excelling in a featured role. Pair all of these gaping holes with a schedule that features dates with offensive heavyweights from both conferences (Packers, Texans, Vikings) as well as their potent divisionmates and you've got a formula that should make DC Paul Gunther barf every week before kickoff.
Clearly, you have to shake things up when you're putting out such a universally sucky product on the field and shake things up they did with a slew of moves in the offseason. In addition to the aforementioned additions (Ferrell, Abram, Mullen, Burfict), the Raiders brought in plenty of people to compete for starting spots on the defensive line (Ethan Westbrooks, Corey Liguet), linebacking corps (Brandon Marshall, Te'Von Coney) and the secondary (Lamarcus Joyner, Nevin Lawson).
Outside of Joyner, who has been a pretty solid ballhawk safety for a while now, I don't expect any of these guys to make a real impact in 2019. You just can't close a talent gap this significant in a single season plus a lot of the guys they brought in are either rookies facing significant learning curves or veteran role players that have never or are no longer capable of excelling in a featured role. Pair all of these gaping holes with a schedule that features dates with offensive heavyweights from both conferences (Packers, Texans, Vikings) as well as their potent divisionmates and you've got a formula that should make DC Paul Gunther barf every week before kickoff.
-Alright time to say some nice things about the Raiders:
-Darren Waller has a very inspiring backstory (he's a recovering drug addict getting another chance to start in the NFL) and I think he'll do very well in this tight end-friendly system!
-Even though this offensive line pretty much stinks, I wouldn't be surprised if Jacobs ate well this season. There's no proven traditional running back behind him on the depth chart (pass-catching specialists Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington are projected to be the top backups) and he's a tough/elusive enough runner that he should be able to find yards regardless of the quality of blocking in front of him.
-Hudson is a strong contender for best center in the league and I don't even think a stiff like Cable can ruin him!
-Their fans are among the most loyal and passionate in the league, so it's a major bummer that they're about to get their team taken away from them. I'm still not convinced Las Vegas is a good market for sports and even if it proves to be, their securing of an NFL franchise shouldn't have come at the expense of a fanbase that has stood by their team through countless years of suffering and already had to deal with their team being moved out of town once before. Fuck Mark Davis, the Nevada politicians and all of the other shady pricks that were involved in brokering this relocation.
Bottom Line:
The possible farewell season in Oakland is shaping up to be a properly sole crushing-farewell for a fanbase that truly deserves better than a perpetual trainwreck ran by a washed-up clown that's in way over his head.
-Even though this offensive line pretty much stinks, I wouldn't be surprised if Jacobs ate well this season. There's no proven traditional running back behind him on the depth chart (pass-catching specialists Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington are projected to be the top backups) and he's a tough/elusive enough runner that he should be able to find yards regardless of the quality of blocking in front of him.
-Hudson is a strong contender for best center in the league and I don't even think a stiff like Cable can ruin him!
-Their fans are among the most loyal and passionate in the league, so it's a major bummer that they're about to get their team taken away from them. I'm still not convinced Las Vegas is a good market for sports and even if it proves to be, their securing of an NFL franchise shouldn't have come at the expense of a fanbase that has stood by their team through countless years of suffering and already had to deal with their team being moved out of town once before. Fuck Mark Davis, the Nevada politicians and all of the other shady pricks that were involved in brokering this relocation.
Bottom Line:
The possible farewell season in Oakland is shaping up to be a properly sole crushing-farewell for a fanbase that truly deserves better than a perpetual trainwreck ran by a washed-up clown that's in way over his head.
Projected Standings:
1.Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
2.Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
3.Denver Broncos (8-8)
4.Oakland Raiders (5-11)
No comments:
Post a Comment