Being released in May hasn’t seemingly limited the market for former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.According to Rick Stroud of the McCoy has drawn interest from 10 teams with offers coming in up to $11 million per season. The amount of interest has reportedly “overwhelmed” McCoy and he appreciates the decision by the Glazer family to release him when they did.McCoy will visit the Cleveland Browns on Friday. The Carolina Panthers [url=http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-clayton-fejedelem-jersey]Clayton Fejedelem Jersey White[/url] , Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts are among teams reportedly interested in McCoy as well.While the market could have potentially been even more robust if McCoy was available during the opening stages of free agency, with ten teams vying for his services it would seem McCoy can still command a pretty lucrative deal.McCoy racked up 54.5 sacks as an interior lineman during his nine seasons in Tampa Bay. Going in-depth and breaking down the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line following two major departures.The offensive line was once the strength of the Cincinnati Bengals. It took a major step back last season however, and could be an even bigger problem in 2017. With the departures of Kevin Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth, the Bengals could be in trouble.Article continues below ...Given that we’re in the dog days of summer with no NFL football, the offseason calls for an assessment of the team. We’ve been going position-by-position and looking at each group thus far.This time, we dive into the offensive linemen.Offensive Linemen*Russell Bodine (1,060 snaps; 77.7OVR, 63.6 Pass Block, 75.5 Run Block)*Clint Boling (942 snaps; 77.0 OVR, 84.7Pass Block, 55.9Run Block)*Cedric Ogbuehi (680 snaps; 39.4OVR, 35.5Pass Block, 55.9Run Block)*Jake Fisher (300 snaps; 43.5OVR, 42.5Pass Block, 52.7Run Block)*Andre Smith (182 snaps; 39.3OVR, 41.6Pass Block [url=http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-joe-mixon-jersey]Womens Joe Mixon Jersey[/url] , 38.7Run Block)Eric Winston (279 snaps; 59.5OVR, 50.3Pass Block, 70.5Run Block)Trey Hopkins(10 snaps; 50.6 OVR, 60.0 Pass Block, 45.5 Run Block)T.J. Johnson (95 snaps; 50.6 OVR, 77.8Pass Block, 49.3 Run Block)ChristianWesterman(N/A)Alex Redmond(N/A)Kent Perkins(N/A)Dustin Stanton(N/A)J.J. Dielman(N/A)Landon Lechler (N/A)<em>* = expected starter | 2016Pro Football Focusgrades in parenthesis</em>Throughout the recent playoff runs for Cincinnati, their offensive line has stood as a key strength. Football Outsiders rated them as No. 4 in pass protection in 2011, No. 3 in 2013, andNo. 5 in 2014. 2012-14 saw the Bengals stand as the No. 11 run blocking unit every year by the Football Outsiders metrics, and 2015 had them leading the entire league as a unit.2016 was a step down. They ended up being passable in run blocking, but plummeted in pass blocking efficiency.That’s immediately evident in the number of sacks allowed. From 2011-15, they were a top eight team in sacks allowed four times, giving up no morethan 30 sacks three times and never giving up more than 32 in those years. The only year where they didn’t was 2012, a seasonwhich looked similar to their 2016 blocking performance. That season, they gave up 46 sacks— seventh-most in the league.More from NFL Spin ZonePittsburgh Steelers: 5 Veterans who won’t survive 2017 training camp1 h agoOakland Raiders: Donald Penn could extend his stay for another season2h agoOne NFL player from each team you want to cook out with on Memorial Day3h agoNew England Patriots: Patrick Chung has recovered from Philadelphia woes3h agoJacksonville Jaguars: Will Leonard Fournette win Rookie of the Year?17h agoThat 2012 unit was on the upswing amid recent changes, however. Andre Smith just finished the best season of his career. Whitworth was in the midst of yet another high-end season in a career full of them. Zeitler has a good start to what would be a Bengals tenure filled with highly-graded seasons. Clint Boling improved massively from his rookie year to be at the positive level he’s held onto to this day. Kyle Cook was a decent-quality starter in the middle and would go on to give the team another year of competent play before Russell Bodine eventually replaced him.There’s little from 2016 that points to much positive movement ahead in that same vein.Zeitler’s departure leaves an unanswered hole at his vacated right guardspot [url=http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-vincent-rey-jersey]Vincent Rey Jersey White[/url] , and Whitworth’s leaves another at left tackle. The right tackle spot is just as bad off, with nobody stepping up there last year and little being done to help it this offseason. Boling and Bodine are capable guys at left guard and center, respectively, but having them stand as the best of a unit isn’t a good sign for an upcoming season.This is where the inherent penny-pinching ways of Cincinnati owner Mike Brown really hurt his franchise. He’s loosened the purse strings a bit more than he used to (this guy once flamed out on signing Warren Sapp because of allegedly messing with the incentive/guarantee structure of a contract), but even with plenty of money on the cap in recent years he’s still been reluctant to sign even his best players before they go elsewhere, even when there isn’t a replacement plan in place.Zeitler and Whitworth are perfect examples.Zeitler definitely got expensive (five years, $60 million, $31.5 million guaranteed), but this is a top-level player at his position (only six guards outperformed his 87.1 PFF grade, and he was top-10 in both pass blocking and run blocking grades). <em>T</em><em>hose are the guys you pay a premium for!</em>If cost was really that big of a problem (and with the salary cap leaving them plenty of millions to work with for them coming into the offseason, it’s a weak argument), the team should’ve made a better effort to sign him prior to or even during the season.Whitworth was a bit more defensible, but barely so. He’s 35, with 11 years of games on his body. The deal he signed with the Rams gives him$33.75 million ($15 million guaranteed) over three seasons. That is a major investment for an aging player. Even the best fall off at some point, and the older someone is the more likely that reality sets in.Without him, however, this team has no capable options in place. Ogbuehi and Fisher were brought in a couple seasons ago to prepare for this exact scenario [url=http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-alex-erickson-jersey]Alex Erickson Jersey White[/url] , but neither has been even slightly passable in their opportunities. With how long Whitworth was with the team (and seemingly on good terms with them as well), it wouldn’t be stretching the imagination to see him come back if offered something halfway decent.Cincinnati seemed to have no interest in him returning, though, and their stalwart tackle (who PFF graded as high-quality or excellent in nine of his 11 seasons so far, including a 91.3 rating last season) moved on.With the high-end veterans gone, Cincinnati is left with a couple decent starters and a cavalcade of awfulness to dig through in hopes of fielding a workable five-man unit.Bodine should be fine as the starter in the middle for at least one more season, and Boling is a decent player one his left side. Those other spots have so much left to be determined unfortunately, and none of these options should plausibly be expected to do well based on what we’ve seen to this point.Start with the tackles. Looking at what they have, the likely path would have Ogbuehi on the left and Fisheron the right. Both have been dramatically bad in their two season so far, so expecting even one of them to take over and succeed in such an important role would be a bad gamble. Relying on both to do so at the same time is a laughable farce.Aug 29, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tackle Andre Smith (71) against the Chicago Bears in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 21-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsWhat other choice do they have at this point, though? Their only other options are even worse. Andre Smith was given the boot after his production fell off a cliff in 2014 and 2015; he’s only become more of a liability since, and injuries are a major worry too. Winston was an okay run blocker last season, but his pass blocking was awful (though it must be said, itstill graded better than the other three options…somehow). He’s also 33 and hasn’t had a good season in four years.Move on to the right guard spot [url=http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-andrew-billings-jersey]Andrew Billings Jersey White[/url] , and it isn’t really a better outlook. T.J. Johnson did okay as a run blocker in 2016, but atrocious pass blocking limits his potential effectiveness in a starting role. Trey Hopkins has only 10 snaps to his name(and they weren’t good). Past that are a ton of names who either haven’t ever lined up for the team (Redmond, Westerman) or were just added as UDFAs (Perkins, Stanton).Smith actually stands to be their choice so far at guard apparently, but while positional switches have prolonged the usefulness of careers before there isno reason to expect it will be some cure-all in fixing his (or Cincinnati’s) problems.More from NFL Spin Zone5/29 – Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Veterans who won’t survive 2017 training camp5/29 – Oakland Raiders: Donald Penn could extend his stay for another season5/29 – One NFL player from each team you want to cook out with on Memorial Day5/29 – New England Patriots: Patrick Chung has recovered from Philadelphia woes5/28 – Jacksonville Jaguars: Will Leonard Fournette win Rookie of the Year?This is like trying to build a house out oftwigs and debris. Unfortunately, it’s allthe Bengals have left themselves with, so they have to make some determination with what they’ve got available.I think when it comes down to it, they’ll stick with Ogbuehi at left tackle, Boling at left guard, Bodine at center, Smith at right guard, and Fisher at right tackle. That’d be the easiest path, but I think it wouldn’t be their best one.There are a couple possibilities I’d prefer to see them attempt instead.The first would be trying one of either Redmond or Westerman at guard in the place of Smith. Neither has shown anything yet, but that could be a good thing in this case. While we don’t know if they’re good, we aren’t assured as of yet that they are bad. Smith is an aging, ineffective, injury-prone individual switching to a new position. It’s grasping at straws to hope he can magically return to effectiveness at this point in his career.Westerman is a guy who elicited comparisons to Alex Mack coming out of college [url=http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-jeff-driskel-jersey]Jeff Driskel Jersey White[/url] , and was said to be able topotentially play at any interior spot. Redmond wassaid to be a fluid mover with good field intelligence. Late-round guards have found places in starting lineups often in this league, and those profiles point to a much higher ceiling than what Smith would do. Plus, if either works out they could be a long-term solution rather than a last-ditch stopgap.The other possibility would be moving Bodine from the middle to that right guard spot. He played some guard in college so it wouldn’t be completely new to him, and it would immediately raise the prospects for that position. The center spot would be vacated to do this, but the Bengals may be better suited to handle a change there. Cincinnati did just add a center in the draft in Dielman. Westerman and Redmond both were discussed as being able to possibly slide to center in the leadup to their draft too.Comparing this with the other possibility, we end up with either a choice between Redmond, Westerman, or Dielman at center or Smith, Redmond, or Westerman at right guard. Of those, the former has a clearly better collection of potential for growth and longevity.Next: Memorial Day: NFL players you’d love to cook out withAt the end of the day, none of these are all that exciting though, and the Bengals have nobody to blame but themselves for this outcome.When they look back on another season where they allowed 40+ sacks and got their quarterback and runners clobbered, they’ll certainly regret leaving their blocking cupboard so bare.This article originally appeared on
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Looking at the foursome game-by-game."WhiteSections 2019 offseason2019 free agency2019 NFL DraftFull ArchiveLibrary 2019 NFL calendar2019 Rams regular season sched2019 Rams preseason schedMasthead Community Guidelines NFL Odds StubHub 鉁?019 Los Angeles Rams PreseasonHere’s what to look for in each of the Los Angeles Rams’ 2019 preseason gamesNew [url=http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-john-sullivan-jersey]John Sullivan Jersey[/url] ,8commentsLooking at the foursome game-by-game.CDTShareTweetShareShareHere’s what to look for in each of the Los Angeles Rams’ 2019 preseason gamesLos Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay during a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders, Aug. 18, 2018.Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsThe Los Angeles Rams’ 2019 preseason schedule came out today. It’s an interesting foursome that will help the Rams tune up their roster in an attempt to rebound from their loss in Super Bowl LIII with an appearance in Super Bowl LIV.Here’s what we’re looking at.Week 1 - @ Oakland RaidersThe Rams head north to kick off the Raiders’ final season in Oakland. It’s the second year for Head Coach Jon Gruden but just the first with Mike Mayock in the GM armchair.The latter of the two is sure to play a huge part in guiding the Raiders through the 2019 NFL Draft where they have four of the top 35 selections. We’ll have to see how much Gruden decides to let his new draft stars play.As for the Rams, it’s our first look at the new 2019 roster depth. It’s fair to assume Head Coach Sean McVay will take a similar approach to the preseason as he did last year in sitting his core starters. He did play EDGE Samson Ebukam and RG Jamon Brown who was expected to return to a starting role after a two-game suspension though RG Austin Blythe’s performances negated that return. So perhaps we’ll see some of the less-experienced starters and guys with less hold on their starting jobs play early on.For the most part though, it will be the back two-thirds of the 90-man roster in action.Week 2 - v.* Dallas Cowboys* - Game to be played in Honolulu [url=http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-todd-gurley-jersey]http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-todd-gurley-jersey[/url] , HIAh, yes. The Rams and the Cowboys. Tied together at the hip since 2015.We know Rams Owner Stan Kroenke has long turned his eye across the Pacific toward Asia. He mentioned as much in the 2016 offseason:Well...we’re halfway there!Validation game here to see how the back of the roster performs compared to the first game. I also wonder how much run the Cowboys’ starters get. Could be very interesting to see Rams backup QB Blake Bortles going against the Cowboys’ starting defense. And Tavon Austin!Week 3 - v. Denver BroncosThe final preseason game in the Coliseum. Next year, we’ll be in our new home stadium in Inglewood. So history being made...albeit kinda boring history. But history!This one’s the last functional preseason game as the fourth will be for the deepest section of the roster.So if there are key 53-man roster decisions, this game is the one that would have the most impact though much of that is down to practices and training camp and the offseason program and not preseason gameplay.With the Broncos now being led by veteran QB Joe Flacco with a potential rookie QB coming into the fold, this one has some intrigue. Plus [url=http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-nickell-robey-coleman-jersey]Womens Nickell Robey-Coleman Jersey[/url] , it’s a chance for Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips and CB Aqib Talib to link up with some former colleagues.Week 4 - @ Houston TexansStrange one, but fitting to close out the preseason. Last year’s preseason finale offensive snap count leaders? WR Fred Brown, OL Jamil Demby, OT Cornelius Lucas and OL Aaron Neary.Get your roster nerd on.What game are you looking forward to most? Any matchups you’re interested in? Which guys that barely made the 53-man roster in 2016 are looking at big matchups in these games? Did Eugene Sims create a monster? Maybe."If you’ve ever wondered why Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald chose to sport #99 when he entered the league, here’s his reasoning:When Donald was drafted by the Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft [url=http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-joseph-noteboom-jersey]Joseph Noteboom Jersey[/url] , #97 was occupied by DE Eugene Sims, a rotational defensive end. Sims hasn’t played football since 2016, spending all seven years of his NFL career with the Rams.It’s typical for a player to charge for his jersey number, though it’d be interesting to know just how much was “too much” for Donald. #97 was the number he wore in college with the Pittsburgh Panthers, so it’s understandable why he inquired when he came to the NFL.Regardless [url=http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-jamon-brown-jersey]http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-jamon-brown-jersey[/url] , #99 has worked out well for the five-time pro bowl, four-time first-team All-Pro, and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Donald continues to wreak havoc as the single most dominant player in the league, regardless of position.
Anyone who says “tails never fails” should always remember the case of Matthew Slater.The Patriots special-teams captain believes in calling heads when it’s time to toss a coin. It paid off last Sunday in overtime against the Chiefs. It also paid off two years ago [url=http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-cameron-erving-jersey]Cameron Erving Jersey[/url] , in overtime against the Falcons.In both games, the Patriots opted to receive the opening kickoff to overtime, took the ball down the field, scored a touchdown, and won the game.Via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Slater picked up the habit from his father, Hall of Famer Jackie Slater.“Anyone who knows my family knows faith is important to us, and said, ‘God’s the head of my life, so I call heads.’ I’ve just kind of embraced it [url=http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-damien-williams-jersey]http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-damien-williams-jersey[/url] ,” the younger Slater said, according to Reiss.It has worked in two of the biggest coin tosses the league has seen, laying the foundation for the Patriots to walk off as NFL champions two years ago and AFC champions last weekend. Next Sunday, with the Patriots the visitors in Super Bowl LIII, Slater’s inevitable call of heads will determine which team controls the receive-or-defer decision that will decide which offense and which defense takes the field start the game.And who knows? Maybe he’ll be back in the middle of the field 60 football minutes later to try to run his streak of coin-toss victories in a huge spot to three. For nearly a decade, NFL Network has unveiled during the slow time the top 100 players in the league, as voted on by players. It’s never been clear which players vote or when they vote; at some point, it became clear that those who vote simply list their personal top 20, and the league takes the votes and figures it out from there.This year, it became clear that the league-owned network had changed the procedure for unveiling the top 100 [url=http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-chris-jones-jersey]Womens Chris Jones Jersey[/url] , shifting from one show per week during the slow time, with 10 players per week being unveiled, to 10 players per night on consecutive nights, starting after training camps began to open.It’s unclear why NFLN changed the approach. If the goal was to generate more interest in the series, it didn’t work. If anything, subsuming the countdown within the launch of training camps pushed the show farther into the background.Then there’s the question of whether anyone even noticed that the show wasn’t televised during its normal spot on the calender, and whether that was part of a broader effort by the league to assess whether anyone would miss it, if it goes away for good. Or, as the case may be, if it goes away until after a new labor deal is negotiated.The league already has begun tightening the belt at NFL Network [url=http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-mitchell-schwartz-jersey]Mitchell Schwartz Jersey[/url] , dumping certain studio shows in anticipation of (or to create the impression of) an eventual work stoppage. By dumping the Top 100 show, the league would be eliminating a series that celebrates the best players, a fairly aggressive passive-aggressive shot at the rank and file.Whether it continues or not, the voting process continues to be flawed. This year’s list has Aaron Donald at No. 1, Drew Brees at No. 2, Khalil Mack at No. 3, Patrick Mahomes at No. 4, Todd Gurley at No. 5, and Tom Brady at No. 6. It makes sense, when considering that the votes are typically collected during the preceding regular season. But in this specific context — the approach of a new season — it simply makes no sense. Mahomes at No. 4? Gurley [url=http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-ron-parker-jersey]http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-ron-parker-jersey[/url] , with his arthritic knee, at No. 5?Brees, who seems to be in the process of losing his footrace with Father Time, at No. 2? Brady, who has stolen Father Time’s giant hourglass and repeately whacked him over the head with it, at No. 6?As of last November or so, those selections could be justified. By February — and, more importantly, by late July — they simply no longer hold. For 2019, the jury is out on Brees and Gurley [url=http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-tony-gonzalez-jersey]Womens Tony Gonzalez Jersey[/url] , at best. And Mahomes should be no lower than No. 2, given his full body of work in his first year as a starter.Still, nobody seems to be all that fired up about it, because nobody really seems to care all that much about it. If come next year the NFL decides to lose it from the schedule, it likely won’t be regarded as much of a loss.
FOXBOROUGH [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-vincent-valentine-jersey]Womens Vincent Valentine Jersey[/url] , Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have found the next possible successor to Tom Brady in quarterback Jarrett Stidham of Auburn.Stidham, a two-year starter at Auburn after starting his collegiate career at Baylor, was selected Saturday in the fourth round with the 133rd overall pick. The pick was obtained in one of three trades the Patriots made over three days with the Los Angeles Rams, whom they defeated 13-3 in the Super Bowl.Brady will be 42 in August.The Patriots also selected Arkansas offensive guard Hjalte Froholdt, a native of Denmark, in the fourth round (118th overall). In the fifth round they took defensive tackle Byron Cowart of Maryland at the 159th pick and traded up with Philadelphia to take punter Jake Bailey of Stanford at No. 163. They recently signed incumbent punter Ryan Allen to a one-year contract.The Patriots, who made seven trades over the course of the draft, finished it with the 252nd overall pick by taking cornerback Ken Webster of Mississippi. ATLANTA (AP) — Todd Gurley says he often communicated with two other former Georgia running backs, Sony Michel and Nick Chubb [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-danny-shelton-jersey]http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-danny-shelton-jersey[/url] , during the 2018 season.Now that Gurley and Michel are having a Super Bowl reunion as the leading rushers for the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, respectively, that conversation is on hold. Gurley says he’s trying to avoid talking with Michel, his 2014 Georgia teammate, this week.At least not directly.Surrounded by reporters on Tuesday, Gurley took a few good-natured verbal jabs at Michel.“I remember when he first came in, he couldn’t run and catch,” Gurley said of Michel’s freshman season at Georgia. “I had to teach him how to do all that stuff.”Gurley taught Michel?“Yeah, I did [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-rivers-jersey]Derek Rivers Jersey[/url] ,” he said. “Hopefully everything I taught him, he doesn’t do it and he just plays like he used to play before I taught him everything.”Michel on Monday described Gurley as a “big brother” at Georgia and said “it’s pretty cool” the two will share the spotlight on Sunday.“It’s just more amazing that it’s the Super Bowl,” Michel said.“We played on the same team, and I’ve seen him grow throughout the years. He worked for everything he got, and I’m excited for him.”Michel and Cleveland’s Nick Chubb had productive rookie seasons to join Gurley in the league and strengthen Georgia’s bragging rights to be the nation’s “RBU” — the top school for running backs. It’s been a much-repeated claim since Herschel Walker won the Heisman Trophy for the Bulldogs in 1982 and was followed by such backs as Garrison Hearst, Rodney Hampton, Robert Edwards and Knowshon Moreno.Gurley said Georgia has been RBU “since I left.” Chubb, Michel, Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift have had 1 [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-cordarrelle-patterson-jersey]Womens Cordarrelle Patterson Jersey[/url] ,000-yard seasons. Holyfield, the son of former boxing champion Evander Holyfield, is entering this year’s NFL draft as a junior.Asked what makes Georgia different than other schools with more than one NFL running back, Gurley said “because we’re playing in the Super Bowl and nobody else is.”Each running back has help.The Rams boast a one-two punch with Gurley and C.J. Anderson. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady also can give the ball to James White and Rex Burkhead.Patriots center David Andrews, another former Georgia player, said he enjoys seeing the Bulldogs’ tailback tradition getting attention.“Any publicity Georgia gets, I appreciate and I like,” Andrews said.Gurley was one of the NFL’s most productive players this season. He led the league with 21 total touchdowns and ranked third with 1,251 yards rushing. He also had 59 catches as he flourished as a runner and receiver for the second straight year in coach Sean McVay’s offense .Chubb ranked 10th with 996 yards and Michel was 15th with 931 yards in the regular season. Another former Georgia player [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-patrick-chung-jersey]http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-patrick-chung-jersey[/url] , Isaiah Crowell, led the Jets in rushing following four seasons with Cleveland.Michel is the league’s top postseason rusher with 242 yards rushing and five touchdowns. That includes 129 yards and three touchdowns in a win over the Chargers.Gurley had only four carries for 10 yards in the Rams’ NFC championship game win over New Orleans. Even though he ran for 115 yards in the Rams’ playoff win over Dallas, the quiet showing against the Saints made many observers wonder if Gurley was still bothered by a knee injury that caused him to miss the final two games of the regular season.He insisted his health is not an issue.“I feel good,” Gurley said Tuesday.McVay predicted Gurley “is going to be a big part” of the Super Bowl game plan.“I think a large part of specifically when you talk about last week’s game was the play selection,” McVay said Tuesday. “I’ve got to do a much better job for Todd to get him opportunities to get going.”
When things go sour [url=https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-bo-jackson-jersey]Womens Bo Jackson Jersey[/url] , an NFL team’s fan base often points to two people: the guy calling plays on the sideline, and the man behind center trying to execute them.As we get deeper into the 2018 schedule, the futures of some coaches could be tied to how their quarterbacks have struggled — or outright flopped.Doug Marrone and Blake Bortles in Jacksonville? Perhaps.Vance Joseph and Case Keenum in Denver? Possibly.John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco? Could be.Then again, each of those coaches could keep their jobs and have new QBs in 2019. And we know Jon Gruden isn’t going anywhere in Oakland, though Derek Carr might head elsewhere.Nor is Pat Shurmur, despite a discouraging first year in the Jersey Meadowlands, likely to leave the Big Apple. But the status of a 37-year-old Eli Manning is in more doubt.It would be a surprise to see Adam Gase out in Miami. Considering how much he has been out of the lineup in his seven-year career, it would not be a stunner to see Ryan Tannehill depart the Dolphins.Let’s take a look:NEW YORKManning is not a washed-up has-been. His arm remains strong, his knowledge of the game is irreplaceable and he has three enviable options in Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram.What he doesn’t have is anyone who can block with any regularity. Manning is about as mobile as Shurmur, maybe less so, and when he doesn’t get the necessary time to set himself, he’s not likely to find a comfortable place to throw.Yes, it’s time for the Giants to look for a replacement, but not necessarily someone to take over next year. How about finally improving perhaps the worst offensive line in the league and seeing what Manning can do behind it?Otherwise, Carr could wind up an option as Gruden keeps wheeling and dealing.DENVERKeenum has another year to go on the deal he parlayed his best career season (in Minnesota) to get with QB-desperate Denver. Cutting him will cost a $10 million cap hit, so unless John Elway can work a trade for that prohibitive contract, Keenum figures to be back with the Broncos.The cupboard is bare behind him, especially after Chad Kelly got himself arrested and then released. Plus [url=https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-carr-jersey]Womens Derek Carr Jersey[/url] , Keenum once again has had to learn a new offense, and he’s had some knee issues.Elway could be enticed to add a veteran who has won a Super Bowl, as he did with Peyton Manning (did someone say Flacco?), but only if he can deal Keenum.BALTIMOREFlacco, who’s had a better (but not great) season than in recent years, is bothered by a hip injury. And his eventual replacement, Lamar Jackson, was chosen in the first round of April’s draft.The massive contract Flacco earned after winning the 2012 championship as Super Bowl MVP was extended in 2016 and he is signed through 2021. But the Ravens can open up $10.5 million in salary cap space by releasing Flacco, 33, after the season, with a potential savings of $18.5 million if they designate him as cut after June 1, which would damage his value elsewhere.He won’t command the same kind of money on the open market, but he will command attention for his strong arm, solid leadership, willingness to play hurt, and, well, a pedigree that rarely reaches free agency with a few good years left.Gase in Miami certainly would like a QB who can get on the field regularly.MIAMIBrock Osweiler is the 19th starter since Dan Marino ended his Hall of Fame career. None has been a star, though Chad Pennington could have been had his shoulder not been so brittle.Gase would seem to be tied to Tannehill [url=https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-antonio-brown-jersey]Womens Antonio Brown Jersey[/url] , who has played in five games this year, none last season, because of injuries.When healthy, Tannehill helped get the Dolphins to the playoffs as a wild card in 2016, Gase’s first year in Miami. Then he was hurt for the postseason.Gase has been something of a QB guru in other stops, so a young guy who can stay in the lineup might be appealing. Or maybe a 20-something needing a change of scenery such as Jameis Winston or Bortles.TAMPA BAYPerhaps the most puzzling case of all because Winston, the top pick in the 2015 draft, should be a slam dunk as the future. He isn’t.Winston is due $20.9 million next season, the final year of his rookie deal. That’s way more than he is worth, and though the Bucs picked up his fifth-year option, they could release him in ’19 and not owe him anything; 2019 is guaranteed only in case of injury, which is why some speculate Winston may not play again this year.He comes with lots of talent, but still lacks maturity. He has had off-field issues and was suspended for the first three games this season.Do the Bucs want to start over at the position, knowing Winston’s potential remains sky high?JACKSONVILLEConvinced after coming oh-so-close to making the Super Bowl that Bortles could be their franchise guy, the Jaguars signed him to a three-year, $54 million contract that includes a $16 million salary in 2019. So there would be $16.5 million in dead money if he is cut.And, like Keenum, the numbers for a trade likely are prohibitive.But folks in Jacksonville believe, despite the current 3-6 mark [url=https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-antonio-brown-jersey]Antonio Brown Jersey White[/url] , that the Jags are built to win soon. Maybe not with the struggling Bortles, however.This history team boss Tom Coughlin has with Manning adds some intrigue, but a move for a veteran to replace Bortles might target someone younger and more mobile.OAKLANDGruden has publicly backed Carr, but it’s difficult to gauge if that support is strong or even real. Given his maneuvers to redo the Raiders, it appears with Gruden no one is safe.Gruden would love to find a Rich Gannon clone, maybe a Flacco or even a Nick Foles. And cutting Carr would create only $7.5 million in dead money, hardly prohibitive.Then again, Gruden has three first-round selections in the 2019 draft. Using one on a quarterback makes a lot of sense. The Playoffs are starting up this weekend for 8 teams with four more awaiting the winners of the Wild Card weekend to find out their opponent in the next round.Playoff SeedingAFCKansas City ChiefsNew England PatriotsHouston TexansBaltimore RavensLos Angeles ChargersIndianapolis ColtsNFCNew Orleans SaintsLos Angeles RamsChicago BearsDallas CowboysSeattle SeahawksPhiladelphia EaglesThe AFC wild card round teams will be battling it out for the right to face either the 1 seed Chiefs or the two seed Patriots. In the NFC the 1 seed Saints are enjoying their week off along with the 2 seed Rams. Let the playoff madness begin!Wild Card weekend scheduleAFCSaturday, Jan 5 1:35 pm Pacific (4:35 pm ET) on ABC#6 Indianapolis Colts (10-6) @ #3 Houston Texans (11-5)Sunday, Jan 6 10:05 am Pacific (1:05 pm ET) on CBS#5 Los Angeles Chargers (12-4) @ #4 Baltimore Ravens (10-6)NFCSaturday, Jan 5, 5:15 Pacific (8:15 pmET) on FOX#5 Seattle Seahawks (10-6) @ #4 Dallas Cowboys (10-6)Sunday, Jan 6, 1:40 pm Pacific (4:40 pmET) on NBC#6 Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) @ #3 Chicago Bears (12-4)So, while the Raiders won’t be in it there is plenty of excitement this week in football with some great match-ups.
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s defense harassed Carolina’s Kyle Allen into fumbling three times on Sunday.Unfortunately for the Texans their offense only turned those three turnovers into seven points in a 16-10 loss to the Panthers.“It’s very frustrating [url=http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-joel-heath-jersey]Joel Heath Jersey White[/url] ,” quarterback Deshaun Watson said. “Any loss is frustrating but especially when we had the opportunities. The defense created turnovers and we didn’t capitalize on most of them.”The Panthers (2-2) took a 13-10 lead with a 55-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. The Texans (2-2) were driving with about four minutes left when Watson was sacked by Vernon Butler, who caused a fumble that was recovered by Eric Reid at the Houston 33.Carolina pushed the lead to 16-10 when Joey Slye added a 26-yard field goal with 28 seconds left. Houston had a chance for the win, but Watson’s desperation throw as time expired was knocked down in the end zone by Reid.Coach Bill O’Brien was left searching for answers as to why his offense, which scored 27 points in a win over the Chargers last week, was stifled on Sunday.“It was terrible,” he said. “We’ve got to do better … I don’t really have any answers. I’ve got to go back and watch the film. I have to start like right now.”Allen was making his third career start and second this season in place of Cam Newton, who is out with a foot injury. Allen lost the ball three times on sacks, but the Texans were only able to get points out of the last one to allow the Panthers to keep it close until their defense came through with the big play late.Watson threw for 160 yards on a day the Texans had trouble sustaining drives even when given a short field after turnovers.Receiver Keke Coutee was disappointed that the offense couldn’t cash in on Allen’s mistakes.“It’s very frustrating [url=http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-zach-cunningham-jersey]http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-zach-cunningham-jersey[/url] , because we know the players we have in this locker room … so there’s no way we should be putting up that (few) points. We should be unstoppable with our offense … (and) our defense is playing phenomenal, so we’ve just got to make plays.”After failing to get any points out of the first two fumbles by Allen, the Texans got to him again early in the third quarter. Houston trailed 10-3 when J.J. Watt swatted the ball out of Allen’s hand and pounced on it to give the Texans the ball on the 18-yard line. They tied it when Watson dashed into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown with about 8½ minutes left in the quarter.Brennan Scarlett had a strip sack of Allen on Carolina’s first possession and it was recovered by Bernardrick McKinney. But the Texans couldn’t do much on the ensuing drive, which included two sacks, and had to punt it away.The Texans got left tackle Laremy Tunsil in a trade with Miami just before the season in an attempt to better protect Watson after he was taken down an NFL-high 62 times last season. So far there doesn’t seem to be much improvement as Watson was sacked six times on Sunday and has been taken down 18 times this season.“Every offensive line doesn’t want to see their quarterback get sacked, that’s just simple,” Tunsil said. “Nobody wants to see their quarterback get sacked six times so we’ve just got to get better.”The Panthers took a 3-0 lead on a 48-yard field goal with about 2½ minutes left in the first quarter.Houston got its running game going on the next drive with a 25-yard run by Carlos Hyde followed by a 40-yard gain by Duke Johnson on the next play. The drive stalled after that and the Texans settled for a 37-yard field goal to tie it with about eight minutes left in the second quarter.The Texans forced another fumble by Allen later in the second quarter on a sack by Whitney Mercilus which was recovered by Carlos Watkins. Houston was unable to capitalize on that mistake when DeAndre Hopkins threw an interception on a trick play.Watson said that their film work made them think that the cornerback would follow the tight end on that play to leave it open for Hopkins to complete the pass. When Watson saw that the cornerback didn’t do what they thought he’d do he tried to get Hopkins’ attention but it was too late.“So give them credit for staying disciplined and not running with it,” Watson said.The Panthers took advantage of that mistake five plays later when Christian McCaffrey ran 3 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-3 with about a minute left in the first half. Let’s take a look at what some arm chair general managers think Brian Gaine should do this off season"Something about the off-season has always fascinated me. Maybe it’s the ripeness-of-potential teams have - the seemingly endless possibilities of roster upgrades; fantasy football in its penultimate incarnation. Maybe it’s a memory of childhood when we used to swap trading cards [url=http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-jordan-thomas-jersey]Jordan Thomas Jersey White[/url] , dreaming of a perfect team. Or reminiscent of (re)building a roster on Madden football to fill all the depth chart holes that drive fans crazy. Whatever the allure actually is, it’s a thing for sure. This past week has had some head scratchers, thought provokers, promise-makers and a few that actually make a whole lot of sense. So, let’s dig in and discuss:From the Sporting News:23rd pick - Deionte Thompson, S, AlabamaWhile having a player like this certainly wouldn’t hurt, with the far more immediate needs at offensive line and cornerback [url=http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-johnathan-joseph-jersey]Johnathan Joseph Jersey[/url] , spending their very first pick on what amounts to a “luxury” selection makes no sense at all - unless the Texans somehow manage to plug those other holes through free agency. Now, if they let Kareem Jackson and Tyrann Mathieu walk in free agency, this suddenly makes a little more sense... Bleacher Report adds one from the “Can’t seem to get this itch off my brain” file:Again, having a player like this would be great, but it’s a luxury Houston can’t afford with their first pick unless free agency is far more kind to them than ever before. ESPN gets in on the insanity: The Texans will sign Le’Veon Bell to a deal that eclipses Todd Gurley’sNothing about Le’Veon Bell speaks to Houston ever signing him. Sure on paper he could be a huge improvement over the Texans current running back options, but a guy willing to sit out an entire year is anything but someone trying to “be the best teammate I can be.” Which translates to a big “NO” from Texans’ brass. And, to round out the “are you out of your mind?!” options, Bleacher Report steps in again:Where is the upside to signing a player clearly on the back end of his career [url=http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-ka_imi-fairbairn-jersey]Womens Ka'imi Fairbairn Jersey[/url] , who would be long odds to play 16+ games, to fill a role that desperately needs stability and chemistry in order to improve? Now, if Penn can be had for a 3rd day pick, then this starts to make a little more sense. But, giving up a 2nd rounder to rent a guy clearly ready to ride off into the sunset makes no sense at all. In sifting through all these, there is one unlikely source that brought some common sense to the “silly season” antics. iSportsWeb has some solid options: Signing Brown makes far more sense than giving up a 2nd rounder for Donald Penn.Targeting James as well as Trent Brown makes sense too. Hard to argue with this logic, either... This is the only partially-head scratching idea in the bunch from iSportsWeb, but the argument can be made to pul this trigger... And this one probably isn’t really on anyone’s radar [url=http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-ka_imi-fairbairn-jersey]http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-ka_imi-fairbairn-jersey[/url] , but really seems solid:Having an extra tackle that’s designated a tight end who can play like both is certainly something the Texans could use in their arsenal. Maybe we should add Sean Christensen to the masthead before he lands at Bleacher Report or some other site spouting crazy ideas and inane trade possibilities that only benefit other teams... What do you think? Agree/disagree with any of these? What’s the most off-the-wall, nonsensical prediction you’ve seen so far? Share it in the comments section so we can all continue to scratch our heads.
NFL Week 5 picks against the spread [url=http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-matt-prater-jersey]Womens Matt Prater Jersey[/url] , totals: Meet my friend Graham Have you met Graham?In 2016 an Australian road safety program conceived of the idea of a modified human capable of surviving a car crash. The result is what you see in the link above—a hideous multi-nippled abomination with a concave face and all sorts of horrifying details. In spite of its grotesque appearance, the science appears sound, and Graham seemed quite capable of survival.Of course, the image quickly became a meme on Twitter. What doesn’t? You can still see it floating out there, conjured at times for amusement of small audiences. That’s where it resides now; I have no idea if Graham actually made roads safer in Australia.But I think about Graham now and then when I think about football. In the breadth of this insanely dumb sport, we still cannot fathom just how unthinkable it is to put bodies through the rigors of American football. There are any number of Olympic sports that could have caught on at some point in ancient times to become a popular sport for America—hell we were doing it for a good while with baseball after all—and instead we’re left with near-murder every Sunday and a legacy of broken brains, broken bodies and really stupid people governing it all.Anyway [url=http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-kerry-hyder-jersey]Womens Kerry Hyder Jersey[/url] , in other notes on football being dumb, here’s a story about college football coach Mike Leach leaving a fake playsheet for the Texas Longhorns to find. I hate this story as much as I love it, for it confirms why football people have to be paranoid and delusional, but it’s also excellent because no sane, rational person should have fallen for such an obvious trap. Let’s make some picks.New York +1 vs. DenverI don’t know why I keep putting my trust in the Jets to do much of anything. However, Denver is coming off a short rest after throwing everything at Patrick Mahomes and failing in every which way imaginable. If there’s ever going to be a chance for the Jets to get back on the page and remind people how good their defense is, this seems like a proper spot.Los Angeles -5 vs. OaklandI know I don’t like road favorites [url=http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-ricky-jean-francois-jersey]Womens Ricky Jean Francois Jersey[/url] , and rest assured the Chargers are absolutely on the road here. The LA Galaxy stadium they’ve shacked up in is smack-dab in Carson and you better believe South LA is about the Raiders. What a dumb decision by the league. What a dumb, idiotic decision. But you know what? The Raiders still suck and their lone win of the season is an affront in the eyes of God. The Chargers may have struggled with a passionate 49ers squad, but they should be a touchdown favorite here. Take value.Houston -3 vs. DallasThe defining element of the Lions loss to the Cowboys was their inability to exploit the weaknesses of their opponents. Rest assured, there’s a lot of problems with Dallas right now, and Houston looks to have a better shot to match up well here. The Texans have their backs to the wall. Expect Deshaun Watson to keep looking like he’s been looking, but the Texans defense is more likely to clamp down on Zeke.Atlanta +3 @ PittsburghThe time for Steelers dominance in betting lines is over; that a three-point home field advantage is all they’ll get against this injured Falcons squad is telling. Anyway, the total at 57 is not worth taking [url=http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-anthony-zettel-jersey]Anthony Zettel Jersey White[/url] , although it would be tempting to take the over; I’m just going to put my trust in Pittsburgh’s defense to continue to look atrocious.Arizona +4.5 @ San FranciscoI like the odds on the Cardinals here. They’re an awful team, but it’s hard to go winless in the NFL and the 49ers are vulnerable and without a proper quarterback. Let’s just see what happens. Might be a loss here, but I won’t fret it much. Not that I do the work of compiling my previous week records anyway; besides what good is that to you? Records are for chumps.Cincinnati vs. Miami UNDER 49.5I can’t believe Cincinnati is good. It took all these years, and still it feels like fool’s gold. I suppose there’s never been a better time to climb onto the extremely short Aggro Crag of the AFC North, which is why I’ll have a sensible chuckle when Baltimore takes it handily in December.Kansas City -3 vs. JacksonvilleI BELIEVE IN PATTY MAHOMES.All the restDetroit vs. Green Bay UNDER 51Carolina -7 vs. New YorkBaltimore -3 @ ClevelandMinnesota +1 @ PhiladelphiaNew Orleans -6.5 vs. WashingtonBuffalo vs. Tennessee UNDER 39.5New England vs. Indianapolis OVER 50.5Seattle +7 vs. Los Angeles When the Lions drafted Teez Tabor in the second round of the 2017 draft, they hoped they found a partner at cornerback for Darius Slay.That’s not how things have played out. Tabor didn’t play much as a rookie and flopped when put in a starting role last season, which led to a benching that resulted in nine defensive snaps between Week Nine and Week 16. Tabor said last week that he responded to the rough year by doing more listening and learning.“I became more coachable [url=http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-danny-amendola-jersey]Danny Amendola Jersey White[/url] ,” Tabor said, via MLive.com. “That’s one thing. I just sat back and took it all in last year, and said, ‘Man, I just got to become more coachable.’ They all know exactly what they’re talking about. I’m the student, they’re the teacher. I got to learn from them. I’ve been trying to become more coachable. I’ve been sitting down and taking in all the information they’re giving me.”Slay hasn’t been at OTAs and that’s given Tabor more chances to show how being more coachable has paid off. The reports from practice have been positive, but Tabor said he won’t say anything at this point because he hasn’t “made any plays in this league yet.”Training camp and preseason games will likely determine whether he can find a chance to do that in a cornerback group that added Rashaan Melvin [url=http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-michael-roberts-jersey]Michael Roberts Jersey White[/url] , Justin Coleman and fifth-round pick Amani Oruwariye this offseason.
Hue Jackson doesn’t have a job [url=http://www.Bengalsjerseyproshop.com/ryan-finley-jersey/]Color Rush Ryan Finley Jersey[/url] , the first time in 32 years he has a fall with nothing to do. He hopes it’s a one-year hiatus.Despite going 8-8 in one season as the head coach of the Raiders and 3-36-1 in 2 1/2 seasons in Cleveland, Jackson wants another chance.“Oh, yeah, I mean I think I can,” Jackson said Wednesday on Charlotte’s WFNZ 102.5 FM. “I mean, just because the situation in Cleveland [didn’t work out] doesn’t mean that you can’t coach. There’s a lot of great coaches who came before me that coached there and went on and did great things. Sometimes, the situation is different. I think if people dig in and really take the time to look at the overall situation there, maybe they would understand it more. At the same time, I understand what narrative gets put out there, that’s what people know. Hopefully, people will think back to the times when I’ve put myself in that position. I had to be doing something right. To go back and be a coordinator again or be a head coach, I do believe it’s in my future. I’ve just got to go work through the process and see where it goes.”Jackson [url=http://www.Bengalsjerseyproshop.com/ryan-finley-jersey/]Cheap Ryan Finley Jersey[/url] , 53, interviewed for the head coaching job of the Bengals and the offensive coordinator job with the Cardinals during the offseason. But he isn’t likely to get to get a third chance to make a second impression as a head coach.Instead, Jackson likely is remembered for his abysmal record in Cleveland. That’s not how Jackson wants people to remember him.“Here’s a guy who knows how to overcome,” Jackson said when asked his narrative. “There’s a lot of people who would run from it all. I’m not going to run from it. At the end of the day, our staff and the people who led Cleveland, that doesn’t mean those coaches can’t coach or they don’t understand what they’re doing. Maybe that just wasn’t the right fit, the right situation for that group, and they just need to have the right opportunity to have success.”Jackson has coached for six NFL teams and at five colleges. Despite the record and the criticism he has drawn from inside the building since leaving, Jackson said he did his best coaching with the Browns.“I’ve said this before, I think during those times, it was probably some of the best coaching I did contrary to what people think, because you’re always doing anything and everything you can to find a way to win [url=http://www.Bengalsjerseyproshop.com/ryan-finley-jersey/]Ryan Finley Jersey Womens[/url] ,” Jackson said. “Now, whether it happens or not, that’s not up to me sometimes. Again, I think I learned a lot.” There's no secret to the Buffalo Bills being in the market for a quarterback.Even their players will attest to addressing that position being a priority in the days leading up to the NFL draft."This is a quarterback-driven league," veteran defensive end Lorenzo Alexander said. "And whether that quarterback is on our roster or it's somebody that we decide we want to move up and get, that's something that you always as an organization want to build around."Buffalo has no one closely resembling a franchise quarterback after trading Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland last month. Taylor, who went 23-21 over three seasons in Buffalo, wasn't part of the Bills' long-term plans despite helping them to a 9-7 finish and ending a 17-season playoff drought — the longest active streak in North America's four major professional sports.His departure leaves Buffalo with two quarterbacks with a combined six career starts (including playoffs): free-agent addition AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman, best remembered for throwing five interceptions in the first half of a blowout loss to the Chargers in his rookie season.What the Bills do have are assets in terms of draft picks — nine overall, including two in each of the first three rounds — to land one of the highly regarded prospects available by either staying put at Nos. 12 and 22, or packaging them in a trade to move up in the order.Buffalo already jumped up nine spots by swapping first-round picks in a trade that sent starting left tackle Cordy Glenn to Cincinnati last month.Brandon Beane so carefully guards his intentions the Bills general manager jokes he won't even tell his wife."It doesn't leave the building," said Beane [url=http://www.thebengalsclub.com/ryan-finley-jersey/]Ryan Finley Cincinnati Bengals Jersey[/url] , who will oversee his first draft in Buffalo after replacing Doug Whaley in May.Acknowledging having met with each of the six top-rated quarterback prospects, Beane will go as far as saying: "One of our main jobs as a GM is to find a franchise quarterback."And yet, he would still deem this draft a success without selecting one."There's a lot of good players in the draft. And that was the big thing moving from 21 to 12," Beane said."The natural assumption, I get it, is we're moving up to get a quarterback, yada, yada, yada. No, we improved our draft position," he added. "We're excited about where that moves us on our draft board, and the players that we see would be available there."OTHER NEEDSThe offensive line has sprung holes after center Eric Wood was diagnosed with a career-ending neck injury in January [url=http://www.thebengalsclub.com/ryan-finley-jersey/]Ryan Finley Jersey 2019[/url] , and left guard Richie Incognito abruptly decided to retire two weeks ago. Buffalo lacks an established receiver beyond Kelvin Benjamin, and has yet to identify a starting middle linebacker after losing Preston Brown in free agency.NO SLEEPBeane appreciates the enormity of overseeing his first draft after previously serving as Carolina Panthers assistant GM."Thanks, I won't be sleeping for the next 10 days," he said, upon being informed this might be Buffalo's most significant draft since eventual Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was selected 14th in 1983."But again, I think I'll lose sleep every year going into the draft because you're always going to have holes."FIRST-ROUND QBSThe Bills have used a first-round pick on a quarterback just three times, and only once with their first selection: E.J. Manuel, 16th overall in 2013. Kelly was selected two picks after Buffalo drafted tight end Tony Hunter. J.P. Losman was selected 22nd with Buffalo's second of two first-round picks in 2004.This doesn't include Penn State QB Richie Lucas, the first player Buffalo ever selected, and taken in the American Football League's territorial draft in 1960.OVERHAULThe roster shakeup has been so extensive, Buffalo has nine players left who were on the team in 2015 (not including Wood, who is still on the active roster for now) [url=http://www.thebengalsclub.com/ryan-finley-jersey/]Ryan Finley Jersey Mens[/url] , and only three drafted by the Bills: DT Kyle Williams (fifth round, 2006), OL John Miller (third round, 2015) and TE Nick O'Leary (sixth round, 2015).HITS, MISSES AND BARGAINSHit on LT Dion Dawkins with 63rd pick last year. Dawkins started 11 games in place of the injured Glenn, and allowed the Bills to trade Glenn. ... No one left from 2011 to 2014 draft classes, including first-round picks DT Marcell Dareus (traded to Jacksonville) and WR Sammy Watkins (traded to Rams). ... Kyle Williams remains a bargain. He is the team's unquestioned leader and started 162 games entering 13th season.
So you’re saying there’s a chance?"WhiteSections 2018 NFL Draft2018 NFL Free Agency2018 Mock Drafts2018 Draft ProspectsMiami Dolphins NewsNFL NewsOffseason TalkDolphins hold workout with Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray New [url=http://www.dolphinsjerseyproshop.com/charles-harris-jersey/]Charles Harris Jersey[/url] ,110commentsSo you’re saying there’s a chance?EDTShareTweetShareShareDolphins hold workout with Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray Jerome Miron-USA TODAY SportsToday is a historical day in Dolphins history. After all, March 14th marks the 13-year anniversary of Drew Brees signing with the Saints. And now, we can add Teddy Bridgewater to the list of “what ifs”.But in a day that was riddled with up-and-down emotions, for good or bad, one of the draft’s top-prospects met with the Dolphins on Thursday.NFL.com’s Gil Brandt is reporting that the Miami Dolphins worked out Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray on Thursday.Miami understands the odds that Murray falls into their lap is unlikely [url=http://www.dolphinsjerseyproshop.com/jason-sanders-jersey/]Jason Sanders Jersey[/url] , but he’s the best quarterback in the draft, and plays the most important position in football. By many accounts the Cardinals are a shoe in for Kyler Murray with the first-overall pick. But if for some reason he falls, the Dolphins could do the unthinkable, and move up to draft the play-making quarterback. Time will tell how the Dolphins address the quarterback position post-Bridgewater. But if Miami has a chance to draft a once-in-a-lifetime talent like Kyler Murray, you do whatever it takes to get your quarterback. Dolphins defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick tried to trademark “Fitzmagic” in September [url=http://www.dolphinsjerseyproshop.com/kalen-ballage-jersey/]Kalen Ballage Jersey[/url] , as Ryan Fitzpatrick was throwing eight touchdown passes for the Buccaneers the first two weeks, living up to his “Fitzmagic” nickname. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ryan Fitzpatrick now are teammates, with the quarterback having signed as a free agent.鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e referring to,” Ryan Fitzpatrick said Tuesday when asked about Minkah’s attempt to trademark “Fitzmagic.”After laughter, Ryan Fitzpatrick added that he and Minkah have talked about the “Fitzmagic” nickname.“It was one of the first things [brought up] [url=http://www.dolphinsjerseyproshop.com/durham-smythe-jersey/]Durham Smythe Jersey[/url] ,” Ryan said. “We kind of smiled at each other when we met. It was a cheesy line, but I鈥檒l say it again, I think there鈥檚 enough magic to go around, especially being on different sides of the ball.鈥?The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied Minkah Fitzpatrick’s effort to squat on “Fitzmagic” earlier this year. Though Minkah could continue to pursue it, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made it clear Ryan Fitzpatrick is sufficiently known by “Fitzmagic [url=http://www.dolphinsjerseyproshop.com/jerome-baker-jersey/]Jerome Baker Jersey[/url] ,” so Minkah isn’t likely to win.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw 90 passes in the first two playoff games of the year without being sacked [url=http://www.ramsjerseyproshop.com/c-j-anderson-jersey/]C.J. Anderson Jersey[/url] , but he didn’t get out of the first quarter of Super Bowl LIII without winding up on the ground.Rams defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers got to Brady on a first down play on the third Patriots possession of the night and it looked for a moment like it might be the second Patriots turnover of the game as well. Brady lost the ball on his way down, but center David Andrews was able to fall on the ball.Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for 14 yards to set up a makable third down, but Aaron Donald pressured Brady into an incompletion that led to a Kyle Allen punt.The Patriots ran 22 offensive plays and gained 113 yards in the first quarter [url=http://www.ramsjerseyproshop.com/eric-weddle-jersey/]Eric Weddle Jersey[/url] , but that punt followed an interception and a missed field goal to keep them from putting any points on the board. That’s nothing new for the Patriots as they have a total of three points in the first quarters of the nine Belichick-Brady Super Bowl appearances. The Los Angeles Rams are hosting the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football in a crucial matchup that will have a resounding effect on the NFC playoff picture.To get a better sense of the opposition this week, I linked up with Jeff Berckes from Windy City Gridiron, the SB Nation community for Bears fans.We have to start on the offensive side. What’s going on? Is it as simple as pinning it all on QB Mitchell Trubisky or [url=http://www.ramsjerseyproshop.com/austin-blythe-jersey/]Austin Blythe Jersey[/url] , as I’d suspect, are the more widespread issues?While you guys are 4-5, it’s not as if the losses have been overwhelming. Aside from the Saints game [url=http://www.ramsjerseyproshop.com/sean-mannion-jersey/]Sean Mannion Jersey[/url] , you guys lost the other four games on average by less than five points. In three of those, you guys didn’t score a point in the fourth quarter. So part of the story here is coming up just short. Is there something tangible there? Is it something from Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy that’s too passive or aggressive late? Something from Trubisky that’s just not able to muster the requisite performance late to carry the team over the line?Over to defense. It’s one of the league’s best especially in light of not getting much support from the offensive side. What’s the strength of the defense? Is it the pass rush? The secondary? The linebacking corps?It’s Year 2 for Nagy and 3 for Trubisky. Is there a chance that there’s a new starting QB for you guys in Week 1 of 2020? If so, what would have to happen for that chance to bear out? And if not [url=www.ramsjerseyproshop.com/jamon-brown-jersey/]Jamon Brown Jersey[/url] , why not?Let’s look at the big picture. While this season’s disappointing, last year was the Bears’ first playoff action since 2010. Certainly Matt Nagy built up some capital with that season that hasn’t been entirely erased by 2019. But the pressure will obviously be back on next year. What are you looking for in the offseason? What are the major roster needs? Any coaching staff issues that could use change?Thanks to Jeff for the time.
When people complain about how Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid manages his use of timeouts [url=http://www.thechiefsclub.com/nick-allegretti-jersey/]Super Bowl Nick Allegretti Jersey[/url] , I have often remarked that, in the 26 years I have been covering the team, not a single one of the seven head coaches of the Chiefs had gone without being accused of poor timeout management.“What’s more likely?” I always ask. “Is it that every single Chiefs head coach has been bad at managing timeouts, or that most fans focus on this when it turns out another timeout is needed at the end of a close game?”One Wednesday, two different sources pointed us to some new research conducted by Paul Noonan at our sister SBNation blog Acme Packing Company. This data suggests that Reid’s management of timeouts might not be as bad as you think.NFL Network’s show Good Morning Football brought up Noonan’s research on the air — and on Tuesday, I also got an e-mail from Arrowhead Pride reader Ian Buckley, who said he’d originally seen it mentioned on NBC Sports Pro Football Talk.Thanks for that tip [url=http://www.thechiefsclub.com/nick-allegretti-jersey/]Football Nick Allegretti Jersey[/url] , Ian!Back in October, Noonan first sought to figure out if Green Bay Packers then-head coach Mike McCarthy was wasting more timeouts than other NFL head coaches (Sound like something you’ve thought about Andy Reid?). To figure this out, he downloaded NFL play-by-play data, counting the number of early timeouts for every team.Noonan concluded in October that McCarthy was, in fact, “wasting” more timeouts than other NFL head coaches, but he also noticed that successful teams like the Los Angeles Rams called plenty of early timeouts [url=http://www.Chiefsjerseysproshop.com/mecole-hardman-jersey/]Mecole Hardman Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys[/url] , too.So now that the Packers season has concluded, Noonan downloaded the play-by-play data for the whole 2018 season.This time, he took a somewhat different approach.Noonan also made the cutoff for early timeouts in the first half three minutes instead of five, because he’d seen in the previous data that most first-half timeouts are called in the final three minutes.And he also eliminated timeouts called before punts or field goals from his calculations.So what remains are what teams are able to do — either offensively or defensively — after calling a timeout.I’ve copied Noonan’s data and removed the columns for total EPA so you can focus on the key numbers — the raw numbers of timeouts called on offense and defense, and the average EPA for the successive play — and also included rankings (in parentheses) for each value.Ready to be a little surprised?Timeouts and EPAWhat we see here is that in 2018, Andy Reid called about an average number of early timeouts — almost all of them on offense.But most importantly, he got more benefit from having called those offensive timeouts than any other coach in the league.What this data does not take into account is the reason a timeout is taken — which can’t really be determined from the raw play-by-play data [url=http://www.Chiefsjerseysproshop.com/mecole-hardman-jersey/]Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys 2019[/url] , and it sometimes isn’t even clear if you’re watching the game.Is the timeout taken because it’s third (or fourth)-and-long in a critical game situation, and you want to be sure that you’re calling the right play?Or is it because the play clock is about to expire... or you have too many men on the field... or the defense lined up in a way that would crush the next offensive play?There’s just no way to know any of this from the raw data.But here’s what we know: once a timeout is called — for whatever reason — coaches always have more time to figure out what to do on the next play.And in 2018, Andy Reid benefited more from those offensive timeouts than anyone else.Having said that, it should be noted that there’s a little bit of bias built-in to this data.A very good offensive team will tend to do better on offense whether a timeout is called or not, so it’s not a surprise that teams like the Chiefs and Rams would be near the top.Still, there are other teams near the top that aren’t offensive powerhouses, so it might be interesting to see how these post-timeout numbers would line up compared to the EPA average for all a team’s offensive (and defensive) plays.In any case [url=http://www.Chiefsjerseysproshop.com/mecole-hardman-jersey/]2019 Mecole Hardman Kansas City Chiefs[/url] , this is a fascinating project that Paul Noonan undertook, and my hat is off to him!I invite you to read his October article — and the most recent one, too — to learn more. The Chiefs headed home to Kansas City without wide receiver Tyreek Hill on Sunday night because Hill remained in a Jacksonville hospital after suffering a sternal clavicular joint injury in the win over the Jaguars.Medical personnel were concerned that the injury, which occurred at the spot where the clavicle comes into the sternum, could lead to other problems and wanted to monitor Hill overnight. All appears to be OK on that front because there are multiple reports that Hill is heading back to Kansas City on Monday.A timeline for Hill’s return to action has not been put in place at this point. His fellow wideout Sammy Watkins said that he expected the team to be without Hill for seven or eight weeks.If that’s accurate, a stay on injured reserve could be a consideration for Hill. Watkins, Mecole Hardman [url=http://www.Chiefsjerseysproshop.com/mecole-hardman-jersey/]Mecole Hardman Jersey Cheap[/url] , Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle are the other wideouts on the 53-man roster.
The latest2018 NFL trade grades: The 30 most impactful of the past 365 days | ESPNThe 10 Biggest X Factors That Could Decide Super Bowl LIII | The Ringer Chiefs great Johnny Robinson should finally get that Hall of Fame call Saturday | Kansas City StarThe 1 Prospect Each NFL Team Needs to Grab in the 2019 Draft | Bleacher ReportAround the leagueFor NFL players [url=http://www.chiefsjerseysproshop.com/tony-gonzalez-jersey/]Tony Gonzalez Jersey[/url] , adding Jr., II and III to their jerseys is deeper than you think | Yahoo! SportsRedskins name Rob Ryan inside linebackers coach | NFLThe Bears’ plan to improve their NFL-leading defense | NBC SportsBaker Mayfield vs. Saquon Barkley: Who’s NFL’s offensive rookie of year? | ESPNSteelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster: ‘Let’s stop all the B.S.’ | NFLIn case you missed it at Arrowhead PrideFive free agents that fit in Steve Spagnuolo’s defenseReport: NFL considering allowing challenges of officials’ judgment callsRoger Goodell comments about Chiefs’ upcoming Mexico City game, Raiders’ home and Kareem Hunt’s futureFollow Arrowhead Pride on Social MediaAP Facebook Page: Click here to like our pageAP Instagram: Follow @ArrowheadPrideAP Twitter: Follow @ArrowheadPrideAP Editor-in-Chief: Pete Sweeney: Follow @pgsween610 Sports Twitter: Follow @610SportsKC Claiborne is a former 2012 first-round pick, who played seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets." Kansas City Chiefs NewsReport: Chiefs sign cornerback Morris ClaiborneNew,595commentsClaiborne is a former 2012 first-round pick [url=http://www.chiefsjerseysproshop.com/derrick-thomas-jersey/]Derrick Thomas Jersey[/url] , who played seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets.CDTUPDATE: 9:25 a.m. Arrowhead TimeThe signing of Morris Claiborne is now official, per the Kansas City Chiefs’ official Twitter account.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="pzUH8J">The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to terms with free agent Morris Claiborne, according to a report from friend-of-the-site Terez Paylor of Yahoo! Sports.NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport chimed in with the contract details.Claiborne, 29, is a 5-foot-11 [url=http://www.chiefsjerseysproshop.com/christian-okoye-jersey/]Christian Okoye Jersey[/url] , 192-pound cornerback who played college football at LSU. Claiborne’s time at LSU included two crossover years (2010-11) with current Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu.Claiborne entered the league as the Dallas Cowboys’ sixth-overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. Claiborne spent five seasons with the Cowboys before catching on for two years with the New York Jets. The NFL announced Monday that Claiborne would be suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.Pro Football FocusClaiborne started 73 games (77 games) over the course of seven seasons in the NFL. During that span, he compiled 251 tackles (204 solo), including six tackles for loss, seven interceptions, 49 passes defensed [url=http://www.chiefsjerseysproshop.com/marcus-allen-jersey/]Marcus Allen Jersey[/url] , one forced fumble, four fumble recoveries and two touchdowns. According to 2018 Pro Football Focus marks, Claiborne graded as the Chiefs’ third-best cornerback on their current roster. Our in-house medical expert, Aaron Borgmann, noted that Claiborne has missed 35 games “mostly to soft tissue injuries.” That includes 12 missed games due to a torn patella tendon in 2014 and nine missed games due to an injured groin in 2016.Instant analysisClaiborne provides the Chiefs the comfort they lost when Keith Reaser tore his Achilles earlier this training camp. In my opinion [url=http://www.chiefsjerseysproshop.com/larry-johnson-jersey/]Larry Johnson Jersey[/url] , he will compete with D’Montre Wade for that fourth cornerback spot (the first outside cornerback off the bench) once Week 5 rolls around. Claiborne will miss the following games: Week 1 at Jacksonville, Week 2 at Oakland, Week 3 vs. Baltimore and Week 4 at Detroit.Even with no suspension, I doubt Claiborne would challenge Charvarius Ward and Bashaud Breeland for their starting roles, as it stands now.2018 highlights
BALTIMORE (AP) — Without high-tech cameras and updated monitors [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-joe-thuney-jersey]Joe Thuney Jersey[/url] , TV viewers would not have been able to see Justify win the 2018 Preakness.At least not nearly as clearly as they did.When the fog descended on Pimlico Race Course, everyone was blinded to the track. But NBC Sports’ use of the “BatCam” and high-definition monitors in the broadcast booth for the first time allowed announcer Larry Collmus to call the race – providing viewers accurate play-by-play – despite not being able to see the horses.Much of the same technology will be utilized again at the Belmont on Saturday. In fact, it could be used at all Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup races to ensure fans at home can see the race sometimes better than those at the racetrack.“They put you in the best seat in the house,” said Drew Esocoff, who has directed NBC’s Triple Crown telecasts since 2011. “These cameras, whether they’re high-def or 4K, also allow for better manipulation of video: zooming in, zooming out without major degradation of the video quality. It just makes the viewing experience better and you’re also looking at it on high-def monitors. Compared to what you saw 25, 30 years ago, it’s night and day.”Viewers benefit from some of the same technology that allowed NBC to broadcast the foggy Atlanta Falcons–New England Patriots NFL game in 2017 because unique camera angles can be used to show the action that may otherwise be obscured by weather. The monitors, which won’t be seen by viewers, are essential for Collmus, especially at the Preakness and other races where infield festivities block his view of the backstretch.Collmus, who has been the voice of all Triple Crown races on NBC since 2011 [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-cyrus-jones-jersey]Womens Cyrus Jones Jersey[/url] , could have used the technology four years ago when he called American Pharoah running through the driving rain in the Preakness on the way to being the sport’s first Triple Crown winner since 1978. The monitors that were put in because of an additional infield concert stage last year actually turned out to be a Godsend because the fog forced him to call the entire race off them.“I call races through a pair of binoculars, my normal routine, and last I looked, they don’t work in the fog,” Collmus said. “I just looked out over the track and realized, hey, you’re not going to be able to see anything. … I was completely dependent on camera shots.”After preparing for the situation by setting up anticipated camera angles that could show the race, Pierre Moossa, who directed Justify’s foggy Preakness victory because Esocoff was at a graduation, shifted from shot to shot.The television production truck parked outside the grandstand was full of white screens. As soon as Moossa saw the flash of a horse and gave the American viewing public the chance to see far better than anyone at Pimlico.The biggest difference from inside the production truck was the addition of the zip-line “BatCam” camera similar to the SkyCam used in football. Without that, the race would’ve been run almost blind with no video record to show for much of it.“It was the first year we had ever had that at the Preakness Stakes,” Moossa said. “That was able to be low enough to be able to cover the backstretch. If that camera wasn’t there, you would not have seen any horses for the entire backstretch. There was no other way to cover it.”The good news for viewers is now races can be called in almost any conditions.FOX Fantasy AutoForm a Racing Team, Compete for PrizesPlay Now! Let’s be real [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-tom-brady-jersey]http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-tom-brady-jersey[/url] , if we’d been talking about this back in September, we’d just be grateful to have plays, period. Like, anything that worked on a remotely consistent basis. We’re all definitely used to the September Scaries by now with the Belichick Patriots, but that doesn’t make you want to smash your head on the bar or fight a Yankees fan any less when we’re in the thick of it.Fortunately, all of that silliness was cured with a date with Miami and a 38-7 thrashing of a then-undefeated Miami Dolphins amidst cries of IS THIS THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD IN THE AFC EAST?? Hey, if Miami is all it takes to cure what ails ya, Bernd, I can put that on the company card, right?Meanwhile, with the current-day Patriots offense sharing Batman’s philosophy of “I’m whatever Gotham/New England needs me to be”, nobody’s mistaking them with Chiefs and their Mario Kart Blue Shell offense, but New England’s certainly hung plenty of points on the board over the weeks that Octoberfest’s been available. That’s what makes this assessment from ESPN a bit of an “O RLY?” situation:K, no surprises at the top there [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-brandon-bolden-jersey]Brandon Bolden Jersey[/url] , cool cool cool cool cool, Chiefs & Chargers, seems legit, no Patriots, but that’s...wait, they’re at THE BOTTOM? Well, bottom-ish, but yeah. With “explosive plays” being defined as a 15+ yard run or a 20+ yard reception, the Patriots are barely meeting the zombie apocalypse standard of “just run faster than the guy next to you” down in the basement outpacing the Bills, Cardinals, and Titans...and nobody else.(Gotta be honest though, it feels great to see the Eagles right down there with us. Hey, as long as they’re having fun, am I right?)In case you missed it [url=http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-dont_a-hightower-jersey]Womens Dont'a Hightower Jersey[/url] , our resident salary cap nerd enthusiast Brian Phillips crunched the numbers on what exactly the deal was with the Pats offense looking like most of us in the gym on January 2nd, and here’s the TL;DRFast forward to the past few weeks, and Rob Gronkowski not operating at full Gronkitude sure isn’t helping either, but just like it’s been for the past, um, 15 years, a trip to the Bills this weekend also tends to cure what ails ya.Even if “what ails ya” in this case means not piledriving the NFL in quite as spectacular a fashion as last year, or the year before that, or the year before that, or....Also: bet?Oh, it’s percolating, my fellow Matt...it is DEFINITELY percolating.
Najee Harris has been mocked to the Raiders time and time again by fans who want to see him and his former Alabama teammate [url=https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-bo-jackson-jersey]Bo Jackson Jersey White[/url] , Josh Jacobs, reunited and wearing silver and black. So I decided that I should share my preliminary scouting report on him for a special Monday edition of our Draft Hunt series.Last year, Sports Info Solutions published their first iteration of their Football Rookie Handbook, and this year, my fellow cohort Will Osgood and I will both have a few featured scouting reports in the book. One of the preliminary reports that I submitted was on Harris, whom I asked to be assigned due to his Bay Area upbringing and exciting play style.To order last year’s 2019 Football Rookie Handbook, follow this link. The 2020 edition will be available for pre-order soon and will be shipped prior to the NFL combine. It will feature a plethora of reports on players at every position, coupled with relevant charting stats that give you a detailed, objective viewpoint of each prospect.To understand the grades on this report a little bit better, let’s look at Sports Info Solutions’ grading scale:9 — Rare8 — Excellent7 — Very Good6 — Good5 — Sufficient4 — Mediocre3 — Marginal2 — Poor1 — RejectThe Football Rookie Handbook has a lengthy description of what each trait means, so check it out to get more info on how scouts grade NFL prospects.Note that these grades don’t reflect how well the player performed in college, but how he projects to perform in the NFL. All critical and positional factor grades reflect the level that the scout, myself in this case, is projecting the player to reach by the first game of their second season in the NFL.OverallNajee Harris is a running back from University of Alabama who has been a member of a back-by-committee power-zone approach for the last three seasons. Harris was touted as a five-star prospect in high school, and was ranked as the No. 1 overall running back and No. 2 overall player in the class of 2017 by 247 sports. He is tall with broad shoulders and thick, long legs. He’s a tough runner, but tends to simply go through the motions when he knows the ball isn’t coming his way.Run GameHarris is a violent sledgehammer with an upright running style. He almost never goes down on first contact, bouncing off would-be tacklers or churning his legs for extra yards. He’s patient behind the line of scrimmage, showing trust in his blockers as he allows plays to develop and scans the defense to find a running lane. Once he hits the hole, however, Harris can get tunnel vision and tends to miss obvious cutback lanes. He seeks contact on the second level rather than running toward open space. Harris tries to call upon a large bag of tricks to add flash to an otherwise typical power running style, using an array of jump-cuts, spins, hurdles and stiff arms. His cuts and spins usually slow him down more than anything, however, while oncoming defenders are either stymied or straight up thrown to the ground by his powerful stiff arm. When he runs with decisiveness and gets away from finesse moves, he shows efficient and effective power running and can be a little reminiscent of Derrick Henry. Harris has the long speed to hit a home run, but his average quick-twitch acceleration limits his ability to break off big plays. He’s got long, powerful strides and polished footwork, but he’s heavy-footed and doesn’t have the juice to simply plant-and-go when he sees an open lane.Pass GameHarris is often disinterested in the passing game unless the ball is coming his way, yet he is still able to make a positive impact with athleticism alone. Alabama got him more involved as a receiver as this past season wore on, and he was able to routinely take advantageof slower linebackers on screens and flat routes. His routes are sharp when he knows he has a chance to be targeted, otherwise he’ll run them lazily. As a pass protector, Harris has the ability to be special when engaged. He stands far too high in his stance as a blocker, and for almost any running back that would be a death sentence as a blocker [url=https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-carr-jersey]https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-carr-jersey[/url] , but Harris is so big that he still manages to stonewall blitzing linebackers.Last WordAt the next level, Harris projects as a downhill power back who thrives in a power-running scheme and cashes in on goal line and short yardage situations. Considering the limited tread on his tires and his consistent health at Alabama, he doesn’t have the wear and tear of a typical college power back. Harris is an emerging threat a receiver and his build and low center of gravity will allow him to become a high-level pass blocker with some seasoning. With his size and natural toughness, Harris could contribute on an array of special teams if he is properly engaged. ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — A week off helped cure the Oakland Raiders offensive woes even with Amari Cooper and Marshawn Lynch not around.The defense still is plagued by all the problems that have been evident all season and a major reason why the Raiders are such a big disappointment in Jon Gruden’s first year back as coach.The Raiders (1-6) allowed Marlon Mack and the Colts to run for 222 yards, gave up three touchdown passes from Andrew Luck to his trio of tight ends and failed to generate a sack or takeaway in a 42-28 loss that came after what players and coaches felt was the best week of practice for the defense all season.“Well it just wasn’t good enough,” Gruden said Monday. “I’m not going to sit up here and say much more. We have to do a better job collectively. Getting off blocks, staying in the right gap and making physical tackles and knocking them backward. Those areas, it’s hard to practice live. It’s hard to practice against the exact look you’re going to see at full speed, as you know. But we are practicing well. We are practicing hard.”The results just aren’t there. The Raiders have allowed their most points (218) through seven games since 1961 and rank third worst in the league in third-down defense (49.4 percent), second worst in scoring defense (31.1 ppg), last in run defense (144.7 ypg) and last in sacks (seven).Oakland even made several changes in personnel with defensive backs Gareon Conley, Karl Joseph and Nick Nelson; and linebackers Jason Cabinda, Kyle Wilber and Nicholas Morrow all getting their most extensive playing time of the season as searches for answers.But that didn’t help at all as the Raiders allowed 42 points for the second straight game at the Coliseum.“We’re looking for more consistency. We’re looking for somebody to step up, not only on game day but during the week,” Gruden said. “We’re still working through who are the best corners, who is the best combination for us in every situation. Hopefully we can settle on it soon.”The one positive to take away from the game was the performance of the offense in a week after the team traded Cooper and placed Lynch on injured reserve, knocking out the No. 1 receiver and lead running back.Playing behind a healthier offensive line that provided much more time than it did the previous game in London on Oct. 14 against Seattle, Derek Carr had perhaps his best game yet under Gruden.Carr threw three touchdown passes, ran for a fourth score, completed 17 straight passes at one point and perhaps most importantly, committed no turnovers for just the second time this season.“I think we’ve tried to be creative. I think anyone will tell you that the injuries on the offensive line, multiple injuries at left guard, right tackle, can stymie you, it can make things tough on everyone,” Gruden said.“An 11-hour flight can make things doubly hard. I’m not going to say anything other than yesterday we had a good rhythm, we were able to finish some drives. I think Derek Carr showed you what kind of quarterback he is when he gets legitimate pass protection and gets some balance. That was exciting.”The offense got a boost in the running game with Doug Martin playing his best game yet in place of Lynch. Martin ran for 72 yards on 13 carries and caught two passes for 17 yards in his most prolific game since 2016.But Martin also lost a key fumble in the fourth quarter with Oakland trailing by seven, sealing another loss.“He’s a good player,” Gruden said. “He had the fumble. Obviously, that will be remembered by a lot of people and rightfully so. But, what a performance he had yesterday. He picked up a couple blitzes. He ran with authority. He can catch the ball. He has a great stiff-arm, still. He still has a lot of life in his legs.”NOTES: Gruden is hopeful LG Kelechi Osemele could return from a knee injury this week. … OL Backup OL T.J. Clemmings will go on IR soon with a season-ending knee injury. … DT Eddie Vanderdoes could return this week from a major knee injury in last year’s season finale.
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Somehow, Watson started all 16 games despite being sacked a whopping 62 times.That’s simply not sustainable, and the Texans have focused on trying to improve the blocking. But only so much can be done in one offseason to make those five spots better, and it remains to be seen whether the moves made in the offseason will make a difference. (Vikings and Panthers fans would advise Texans fans to temper dramatically their expectations regarding free-agent arrival Matt Kalil.)It also would be helpful to develop a solid alternative to receiver DeAndre Hopkins [url=http://www.texansjerseyproshop.com/vyncint-smith-jersey/]Vyncint Smith Jersey[/url] , who continues to be one of the best receivers in the league. Defensively, it likewise would be helpful to develop cornerbacks and safeties who can cover opposing receivers more effectively than they did in the playoff loss to the Colts.Complicating matters in 2019 for the Texans will be the likelihood that both the Colts and the Jaguars will be better. The Titans, while perhaps too inconsistent to win the division, are talented enough to be dangerous — especially to a team that doesn’t take Tennessee as seriously as it should.Beyond the AFC South, teams like the Patriots, Browns, Steelers, Ravens, Chiefs, and Chargers provide serious impediments to maximum playoff seeding [url=http://www.texansjerseyproshop.com/jordan-thomas-jersey/]Jordan Thomas Jersey[/url] , and to success if/when the Texans get back to the playoffs. Which could once again make the Texans an odd man out when the AFC Championship game arrives.But, hey, at least the Texans won’t be able to blame their failure to take the next step on their General Manager. HOUSTON (AP) — When DeAndre Hopkins had a chance to make a play in overtime on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, Houston’s star receiver was intent on redeeming himself after losing a rare fumble in the third quarter.He did that with a spectacular 49-yard catch and run that got the Texans in scoring range, and Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 36-yard field goal to lift the Texans to a 19-16 win.Hopkins, who finished with 151 yards receiving, grabbed a short pass from Deshaun Watson and twice spun away from would-be tacklers to stretch the play.“I fumbled, so I knew I had to make a play,” Hopkins said. “There was a lot of guys downfield but I wasn’t trying to go down easy. A field goal would win the game and I knew that. I knew where I was, and I felt guys coming around me.”Coach Bill O’Brien said Hopkins approached him after the fumble and simply said: ‘I’ll make up for that.’ Watson knew he would do that when he threw the ball his way.“Playmakers make plays whenever we need him [url=http://www.texansjerseyproshop.com/brandon-dunn-jersey/]Brandon Dunn Jersey[/url] , and that was a situation where we needed him to make a play,” Watson said. “I threw it up for him to make a play, and he did what he had to do.”The Cowboys got the ball first in OT but had to punt when Zach Cunningham stopped Ezekiel Elliott for no gain on third-and-1. Coach Jason Garrett defended his decision not to go for it.“We just felt like at that point in the game, the way our defense was playing, the idea was to pin them down there,” he said.Houston was just 1 of 5 in the red zone on Sunday, with Fairbairn making four field goals to help the Texans to the victory.It is Houston’s first win over the Cowboys (2-3) since the team’s first game on Sept. 8, 2002, ending a three-game losing streak to Dallas. The Texans (2-3) did it in front of a franchise-record crowd of 72,008 [url=http://www.texansjerseyproshop.com/dylan-cole-jersey/]Dylan Cole Jersey[/url] , which was peppered with plenty of Cowboys fans.Houston defensive end Jadeveon Clowney didn’t realize the Texans hadn’t beaten the Cowboys in 16 years, but did understand the importance of the victory.“This is a big win, not just for us but for the city of Houston,” he said. “Cowboys are America’s No. 1 team. For us to go out there and win at home was very big for us. We needed that win.”Deshaun Watson threw for 375 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Texans, who won in overtime for the second straight week.Dak Prescott had 208 yards passing and a touchdown but threw two interceptions for the Cowboys. Elliott, who entered the game as the NFL’s leading rusher, was limited to 54 yards rushing.“We just haven’t gotten it going on offense,” Prescott said. “I don’t know if there’s one thing you can pinpoint, but we’ve got to figure it out.”The Texans were driving late in the fourth quarter when Xavier Woods intercepted Watson, who threw under heavy pressure [url=http://www.texansjerseyproshop.com/trevor-daniel-jersey/]Trevor Daniel Jersey[/url] , with 10 seconds left and returned it 15 yards to give Dallas the ball at its 47. Kareem Jackson nearly intercepted Prescott on the next play before his Hail Mary on the last play of regulation was knocked down in the end zone by receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who came in to play defense.A 27-yard pass interference call by Byron Jones on a ball intended for Hopkins got Houston to the 1-yard line in the third quarter. But two failed running plays followed by an incomplete pass forced another field goal which gave the Texans a 16-13 lead with about 8 1/2 minutes remaining.The Cowboys tied it up on a 48-yard field goal with less than six minutes left. That drive was highlighted by a 44-yard pass by Prescott to Tavon Austin that he made after escaping sacks by J.J. Watt, Brandon Dunn and Zach Cunningham.Prescott’s second interception came when Johnathan Joseph broke up a pass and rookie Justin Reid caught it just before it hit the turf in the third quarter. The Texans drove to the 3-yard line on the ensuing possession before the drive stalled and Fairbairn kicked a 21-yard field goal to tie it at 13-13.Hopkins fumbled after a catch early in the third quarter and it was recovered by Jourdan Lewis and returned to the Houston 16. The Cowboys regained the lead when Prescott found Allen Hurns in the back of the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown pass that made it 13-10.The Texans drove to the 2-yard line later in the second but Watson’s pass on third down fell incomplete and they settled for a 20-yard field goal to push the lead to 10-6.INJURIESHouston RB Lamar Miller, who dealt with a chest injury this week, was active but did not play. … Texans CB Kayvon Webster left the game in the first quarter with a quadriceps injury and didn’t return.COUTEE’S DANCEThe Texans took their first lead when rookie Keke Coutee, who made his debut last week, scored on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter. Coutee celebrated his first career touchdown with a dance called the Shiggy Challenge from a Drake song called “In My Feelings” which includes the line: “Kiki do you love me?”He had previously said he didn’t like that song because he was tired of everyone singing it to him but seems to be past that now.“I just gave the people what they wanted to see,” he said with a laugh.UP NEXTCowboys: Host the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.Texans: Host the Buffalo Bills next Sunday.
Follow along for the final day of the 2019 NFL Draft."We’ve finally reached the final [url=http://www.lionsfansclub.com/isaac-nauta-jersey/]Youth Isaac Nauta Jersey[/url] , and most exhaustive, day of the NFL Draft. Saturday will see over 130 players drafted, spanning four rounds and seven hours. The Detroit Lions have already made three picks thus far, to varying degrees of popularity. The one that has drawn the most chatter is undoubtedly second-round pick Jahlani Tavai, whom many had not heard of when Detroit called his name as the 43rd overall selection. T.J. Hockenson and Will Harris were more traditional picks for the Lions, though there has been some criticism of those picks, as well.The Lions enter the final leg of the draft with still a few positions of need. Will they find a starting-caliber guard? Is it too late to snag a No. 2 outside corner to put opposite Darius Slay? Will the Lions grab that backup quarterback that we’ve all speculated about for the past four months. Here’s a look at the five picks they have entering Saturday.Lions remaining picksRound 4 [url=http://www.Lionsjerseyproshop.com/austin-bryant-jersey/]Austin Bryant Detroit Lions Jersey[/url] , Pick 9 (111 overall)Round 5, Pick 8 (146 overall)Round 6, Pick 11 (184 overall)Round 7, Pick 10 (224 overall)Round 7, Pick 15 (229 overall)The fourth round starts at 12 p.m. ET Saturday. You can follow along with the Twitter list below:Tweets from https://twitter.com/chriswesseling/lists/nfl-draft-coverage If you thought Matthew Stafford was reconsidering the game of football or even just coming back to play this season after his latest back injury, you clearly don’t know Matthew Stafford. On Monday, Stafford talked to the media for the first time since missing the Chicago Bears game on Sunday [url=http://www.lionsfansclub.com/isaac-nauta-jersey/]White Isaac Nauta Jersey[/url] , breaking his streak of 136 consecutive starts. He made no qualms about it, he intends to play this year and is going to do everything in his power to make it happen. “I’m going to do everything I can to be out there. You guys know that,” Stafford said. “I think that that’s just something that’s kind of going to be a decision probably week-to-week on whether or not I can make it out there, but I’m going to do everything I can to try and be out there as soon as possible.”Last week, Stafford went through practice as he normally did. He was throwing the ball well, he was taking as many reps as he normally would—maybe even more, according to Stafford. But on Friday [url=http://www.lionsjerseyproshop.com/luke-willson-jersey/]Luke Willson Jersey[/url] , the team did some “additional scanning” on Friday per head coach Matt Patricia and found results they did not like. Though Patricia and Stafford decided to keep that medical information private, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Stafford had fractures in his back. The results caught Stafford by surprise.“Yeah, it surprised me,” Stafford said. “Definitely had a bunch of discussions and a bunch of people look at it to try and see if there was anything I could possibly do to help my chances and play.”The Lions had several meetings throughout the weekend, including one final one on Sunday morning. It was at that point that Patricia decided, with the consultation from his medical staff, that there was nothing they could do to allow Stafford to play safely.“There was another conversation Sunday [url=http://www.lionsjerseyproshop.com/sylvester-williams-jersey/]Sylvester Williams Jersey[/url] ,” Patricia said. “So we had to meet again and go through that on Sunday morning and at that point we made the decision that it wasn’t safe, and we couldn’t figure out a way to do it.”Stafford ultimately said the team made the “correct decision” but any conversations about sitting him long-term haven’t even crossed his mind at this point.“That’s not my thinking at the moment. My thinking is to try to be out there as soon as I possibly can to help us win.”
As Bengals’ fans [url=http://www.Bengalsjerseyproshop.com/trayveon-williams-jersey/]Trayveon Williams Jersey Womens[/url] , we haven’t been having the greatest time this season. Our team is 0-11, and the only bright spot is that we have almost completely secured the first overall pick with every other team in the NFL having at least two wins. As far as what we can take away from what is happening on the field, the snaps tell only part of the story to what may be a bigger problem. The Bengals only ran 58 plays to the Steelers 74. How does that happen? Well the Bengals were 1/12 on third down conversions, which resulted in a ridiculous amount of three-and-outs by the offense. The Steelers also managed to put a few first downs together despite their offensive struggles.We have to start with one takeaway that needs to be taken seriously. Rookie quarterback Ryan Finley (58) can’t play the entire game again if he is going to look like that. Outside of throwing up two prayers that Tyler Boyd answered for him, he again looked inaccurate as well as late on plenty of throws. I get you want to evaluate the young guy, but at the cost of being able to evaluate the rest of your offense? Twice now Finley has faced two drives where he could lead his team down the field to tie or take the lead, and in both games he looked lost. We are at the point where we have to wonder if Finley can even make the team next year as a backup. It may be time to give Jake Dolegala a shot to show what he can do. Maybe he is the backup of the future.The theme of these final games is evaluation, and this week the Bengals were planning on making a move in the name of that. Billy Price (58) was going to be sat in order to start Alex Redmond at left guard. However, Redmond hurt himself during the pregame workout [url=http://www.thebengalsclub.com/trayveon-williams-jersey/]Trayveon Williams Cincinnati Bengals Jersey[/url] , so Price played the entire game. The one issue I have with this is the offensive line is obviously a unit that will see some major turnover (hopefully). Why do we need to see Redmond again? We haven’t seen Michael Jordan since early in the season and Fred Johnson hasn’t got to play at all. I’d rather see no stone left unturned than lifting the same stones over and over just to find that the turds still haven’t turned into diamonds.Germaine Pratt (46) seems to be getting eased into playing more. He was still replaced at times by the three-headed monster of Hardy Nickerson (9), Jordan Evans (4) and LaRoy Reynolds (4). Hopefully we get to the point where the rookie can receive the kind of snaps that Nick Vigil (70) is getting.You know what helps a struggling offense? Only playing Tyler Eifert 22 snaps. This seems like a huge problem of trying to make the players fit a coaches scheme rather than scheming around the players you have. You may not be able to throw the ball to Eifert 30 times a game, but even just having him out there takes attention away from these other receivers who are struggling to gain separation. C.J. Uzomah played 36 and Cethan Carter exited the game early with a concussion. If Cincinnati was only going to play Eifert like this then they should’ve just traded him at the deadline.With a healthy Carl Lawson (35) back on the field, we have seen a pretty nice rotation at defensive end. Sam Hubbard (64) still leads the pack with Carlos Dunlap (65) right behind him. You can tell this is helping Dunlap and Hubbard who were playing close to every snap there for a few games without Lawson. Also Lawson has looked like his old healthy self the past two games with a sack in each one.Bengals’ snap count takeaways from their loss to Steelers#POS.NAMESnapsPercentage of snaps#POS.NAMESnapsPercentage of snaps If this edition of 49ers-Ravens — filled with elite players, fourth-down gutsiness and top-notch defense on a rainy afternoon — was indeed a Super Bowl preview, everyone’s in for a treat in February.What Baltimore’s 20-17 victory over visiting San Francisco on Sunday showed was that Lamar Jackson is as good as it gets. In addition to being a, if not the, leading MVP candidate, he’s as fun to watch as anyone in the sport. It also highlighted that teams can still thrive by running [url=http://www.thebengalsclub.com/trayveon-williams-jersey/]Trayveon Williams Jersey 2019[/url] , that San Francisco is loaded with playmakers on both side of the ball and that watching John Harbaugh and Kyle Shanahan match wits makes for good theater.And then there’s this: These clubs are both good and evenly matched. It took Justin Tucker’s 49-yard field goal on the final play to determine the outcome.“Hopefully,” 49ers coach Shanahan said, “we can earn an opportunity to maybe get a chance to play them some other time.”Jackson ran for one TD and also threw for one for Baltimore, which has won its past eight games and took over as the AFC’s No. 1 seed when the New England Patriots lost at night to the Houston Texans 28-22.The Heisman Trophy winner at Louisville gained 101 yards on the ground, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for at least 100 in four games during one season; the Ravens are 12-0 when he tops 70 in his nascent career.Jackson also pulled off yet another juke that left a defender, this time K’Waun Williams, tumbling to the turf.Only two teams, both way back in the 1970s, have run for more yards through 12 games than Baltimore has.“We left another statement out there on the field [url=http://www.thebengalsclub.com/trayveon-williams-jersey/]Trayveon Williams Jersey Mens[/url] ,” Ravens receiver Willie Snead said, “that we were for real.”So did the 49ers, who are 10-2, just like the Ravens.They can run, just like the Ravens, with Raheem Mostert carrying 19 times for 146 yards, including a TD that went 40. And they can play defense, just like the Ravens.“God willing, we make it to the end [url=http://www.thebengalsclub.com/trayveon-williams-jersey/]Youth Trayveon Williams Jersey[/url] ,” San Francisco’s DeForest Buckner said, “hopefully we go against them again.”Fans might be thinking the same.Here are other top topics after the NFL’s 13th Sunday:CAN I CATCH IT? YES, YOU CANThe play of the day — maybe of the season — belonged to the Miami Dolphins and Jason Sanders, the league’s first kicker to catch a TD pass in 42 years. In the second quarter of Miami’s 37-31 win over the imploding Philadelphia Eagles (more on their terrible division below), the Dolphins sent out their field goal unit for a play at the 1 but lined up in a bizarre-looking formation: five men, including Sanders, split wide left, and four men way off to the right. Matt Haack — a punter by trade, and holder on kicks — took the snap and flipped the ball to a wide-open Sanders in the end zone. Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said he’d seen the trickery in practice. “I didn’t think it would ever be called in a game [url=http://www.thebengalsclub.com/trayveon-williams-jersey/]White Trayveon Williams Jersey[/url] ,” Fitzpatrick said. “But pretty cool. Pretty cool that it worked.”NO O-FERSo Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals no longer have to worry about joining the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions as the only outfits to go 0-16. With Andy Dalton back from his benching, the Bungles managed to get to 1-11 by beating the New York Jets 22-6.NFC LEASTPhiladelphia’s loss at lowly Miami was the third consecutive defeat for the Eagles, dropping them to 5-7. The Giants were beaten 31-13 by Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in something just shy of a blizzard; New York’s eighth setback in a row makes it 2-10 and further imperils coach Pat Shurmur’s job status. And the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys have lost two straight to sit at 6-6 after the Buffalo Bills topped them 26-15 on Thanksgiving Day. The only team in the division to put a game in the “W” column lately is the going-nowhere Washington Redskins, who “improved” to 3-9 by taking back-to-back wins — at the slumping Carolina Panthers 29-21 Sunday, and against the Detroit Lions last week.Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich