If Dash doesn't have a future in football, he may have one in mechanics. A kid putting together a haunted house room with an original ride about the horrors of foot fungus and animatronics is pretty advanced.

I see him as a car dude so maybe he'll go on to restoring old cars or something if football doesn't work out.

And the Lombardi goes to:

What NFL Fanbases’ Bullshit Sob Story Deserves it All

Championship Sunday is finally upon us and boy have the scriptwriters got compelling stories this go round! With the playoffs narrowed down to the final four, we’ve got unforgettable narratives for…….almost all of the QBs still in this! Statistics, scheme, and matchups be damned (let’s be honest you’ve heard every prediction imaginable since these matchups were set).

Today we’ll be focusing on what really matters. Who has the most compelling sob story for quality Super Bowl ratings! Who could forget classics such as ‘Tom Brady Builds a Super Team to Prove it was Him All Along’ or the all star cast of Matthew Stafford, Odell Beckham Jr., and Von Miller in ‘The NFL Really Wants the Robust LA Market!’ featuring Snoop Dogg on the original motion picture soundtrack! You see a ‘may the best team win approach’ is fine for a place setter, but storylines put asses in the seats! And don’t worry, as bad as our jokes are, Jo Koy had little to no involvement in this article! So which Lombardi win makes the best headline? Here are the nominees:

Lamar Jackson

Since he declared for the draft Lamar Jackson has had to overcome widespread perception that he was closer to a skill position player than a signal caller. Many scouts questioned his ability to cut it in the pros at the Quarterback position. This stigma was so strong that Lamar fell all the way to the last pick of the First Round.

John Harbaugh believed in Lamar so strongly, that he reinvented himself and rebuilt his entire Offense around Jackson’s skill set. Shit, I would roll the dice too if my job was on the line after several middling seasons with an aging Joe Flacco! Either it works and you look like a genius or it fails catastrophically and you go out with a bang. Luckily for Harbaugh and Lamar, it was the latter with the now presumably 2x MVP set to play in his first AFC Championship game. Lamar has already shaken off the narrative of him not showing up in the playoffs just by making this game. But knocking off the QB who owns a 3-1 record over him for a trip to Sin City would be Oscar gold! Not bad for a running back.

Jared Goff

Everyone loves a comeback story. An underdog achieving in the face of adversity. A character finding a new lease on life and showing all the doubters they were wrong about him. There may not be a better archetype of that narrative than former 1st overall pick Jared Goff and the historically downtrodden Detroit Lions.

After being sent to die in Detroit, a franchise that has seemingly been in a perpetual state of rebuild for damn near the entirety of its existence, Goff watched from afar as Sean McVay gushed over his new QB Matthew Stafford and his old team held up the trophy he could never give them. Following two seasons with no playoff appearances, Goff seized the opportunity to prove to McVay that he’s not a virgin anymore by out-dueling his replacement to give Detroit their first playoff win in 30 years and keep Stafford winless in Ford Field in the post season.

Now he has the Lions on the precipice of a Super Bowl appearance with a chance to give Detroit its first ever Lombardi. Apparently the grass isn’t always greener on the other side……except in this case where it totally is seeing as how the Rams already won their second Super Bowl like two seasons ago thanks specifically to the Stafford trade, while the Lions are still fighting the good fight for Lombardi number one. But hey, everyone’s happy now right?

Brock Purdy

Is there a more inspiring yet polarizing figure in the NFL than Brock Purdy? He’s like a ‘Make a Wish’ kid that the media wants to beat the living shit out of on sight. In fact, we’re fairly certain Ryan Clark has his picture on a punching bag in his home and regularly unleashes a fury of blows onto an 8.5 x 11 cut out of Mr. Irrelevant. But why? Why does the NFL version of Michael Cera incite as much vitriol as….well Michael Cera?

As the last pick of the draft, Purdy was lucky to even make the final roster of a team that was coming off its 2nd conference championship appearance in 3 years. The depth chart in front of him featured a veteran who had taken the Niners to a Super Bowl and a guy Shanahan gave up his left nut for the year before. But Purdy was like that one sperm that ultimately reached conception, despite overwhelming odds, he just wouldn’t be denied!

Following season ending injuries to both Trey Lance and Jimmy G, Purdy took over a Super Bowl contender mid season…..and might have led them to a Super Bowl were it not for a devastating elbow injury in the NFC Championship that ended San Francisco’s dream run. One year and one UCL repair later, Purdy and the Niners picked right up where they left off and now find themselves back in the Conference Title game as if nothing happened. That’s like Greta Thunberg single-handedly fighting off an army of Exxon Oil’s greatest assassins or Joe Biden finishing a Dr. Seuss book with no assistance. We don’t know what’s up the media’s ass, but that seems pretty impressive for a game manager!

Patrick Mahomes

And then there’s Mahomes. The Meryl Streep in all of this. The one who had the least impressive performance with the least impressive story who you just know is going to spoil all the fun of the more deserving nominees. On paper, this fucker shouldn’t even be here let alone have a puncher’s chance with the way their regular season looked. But that’s what makes Patrick Mahomes, well Patrick Mahomes.

He’s like the Lebron James of football. Or better yet, the Tom Brady….of football…. Poor analogies aside, Mahomes defies all logic and drags inferior teams to the promise land. Sure the script doesn’t favor him this year, but guess what? It didn’t favor him last week against the Buffalo team that finally had him their house this postseason! Or in the Super Bowl last year against Jalen Hurts who mostly outplayed him before…..whatever this season was!

The simple fact of the matter is anyone who pays attention already knows how this ends. Mahomes is going to win the god damn Super Bowl….again. Why?!!! Because the academy, the scriptwriters, and the NFL writ large are lazy as all hell! And dynasties keep the fans coming back, just on the off chance that their pessimistic hopes of a downfall might finally come to fruition….even though they probably won’t until the NFL’s new golden boy is well past his prime. And the Lombardi goes to…….the same son of a bitch it always goes to!!!!! Hopefully we’re wrong and we get a fresh story this time around. Otherwise tune in next year for another crappy sequel with a few minor tweaks. Happy Championship Sunday!

Teez Tabor needs to learn to trust himself again to get his career back on track

Photo by Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Some guys, like Tabor, just take a little longer to get going. Getting his confidence back would go a long way to helping him grab a starting CB job.

I’m not quite sure how a defensive back allows a perfect quarterback rating for a whole season.

For a game? Sure.

Maybe even for a few games? Not ideal, but things happen.

But for whole season? Or in this specific case, the 12 games you were actually active? I mean that’s kind of nuts.

And yet, that is exactly what happened to Teez Tabor in coverage last year.

I don’t think I can say yikes strongly enough.

However, if reports are true, he has evidently bounced back from his rough 2018 and has put in a ton of work this offseason to try to improve as a player and turn his career around. After all, this kid was a second-round pick in 2017, and he certainly had plenty of talent when he came out.

Since he has been in the league, though, Tabor has definitely taken his lumps. There were some questions about his speed before the draft, and he ended up running a 4.6-second 40, but I’m not sure anyone would have believed he would be off to this slow of a start to his career.

The good news is Tabor has a chance this season to show his hard work has paid off.

If he really has worked on losing weight and getting faster, that could help him tremendously because what I noticed watching his film is that on almost all of the catches he allowed last season, Tabor isn’t really in bad position. He was usually maybe a half a step behind his guy if that, but he just couldn’t make a play on the ball.

That suggests he did need to work on his speed and quickness, but that he also needed to try to get his confidence back.

When guys are used to making plays all of their life, sometimes getting roasted once they get to the league can shake them to their core. I don’t care if it’s a defensive lineman who all of a sudden can’t get to the quarterback anymore, or a wide receiver who can’t seem to get open against NFL competition — being the nail rather than the hammer can do a number on anybody’s psyche.

Then you factor in all the pressure of being a high draft pick and it is easy to see how when things start going wrong for some guys, it’s hard to get back on track.

One thing I believe works in Tabor’s favor is that he will be going into his second season in the same defensive scheme this year. That means he should have a lot of familiarity with what the Lions are trying to do on defense and won’t have to be thinking so much while he plays.

That is a huge deal for any player, because when you are thinking too much or second-guessing yourself, it’s hard to play fast. And for a guy like Tabor, in particular, who already isn’t the fastest defensive back you will see, not playing up to his top speed gives him almost no chance to actually be successful.

It just so happens the Lions have a starting corner position up for grabs.

Earlier this offseason, the Lions released Nevin Lawson, who had started for the prior four seasons. Lawson is now playing for the Raiders, but the starting position he left behind is wide open from all indications. Tabor’s primary competition for that job is likely to be Rashaan Melvin, who has been a starter in the NFL but who has also bounced around quite a bit heading into his seventh year.

In normal circumstances, a second-round pick from just a few years ago would probably have a leg up on a guy like Melvin. But with the way Tabor has performed thus far in his career, if he ended up being named the starter you can just about bet your ass he actually earned it.

I don’t think anything is going to be given to him at this point, which is fine because I think he does have enough talent to deserve to start. But in order to do so, he is going to have to show this preseason that all of his offseason work wasn’t just an illusion. Tabor has to get his confidence back first and foremost, and that can only come from making plays in games.

If he can nail that job down, however, I think we will see the Teez Tabor we expected when he came out of college. In fact, he should be able to best his career marks of 42 tackles this season, and it shouldn’t be hard to improve on zero career pass breakups as well as zero career interceptions.

His first two seasons haven’t been that encouraging, but I believe Tabor can still be a very good player. For him to break out this year wouldn’t take any eye-popping numbers, and just going by stats would be a low bar anyway. As much as stats always matter, what I’d be looking for from Tabor is more a change in attitude as much as anything else.

I want to see a guy trusting his instincts and going after interceptions, rather than waiting on a guy to catch the ball and just going for the tackle. I want to see Tabor not panic when a deep ball is thrown to his guy. I want to see him bounce back from getting burnt — because everyone does every now and then — and get right back in there and make a play. If he really has rekindled his love for football, and can find his confidence, there is no telling how big of a year this kid may have this season.

Sometimes it just takes longer for some guys to really come into their own on the field. The third year is usually the litmus test, and here is hoping Tabor finds a way to pass it this season.

Confidence level: Low

Rain at first and again later

You can also find the broadcasts by other users so it would help you to find the nearest place to pray or a mosque cheap jerseys. You can also find islamic events in a particular area. Read More >>>.. But whichever side of the uniform debate wins out, it won't matter unless the team can turn its fortunes around on the court. During the Nets' 35 seasons in the NBA, the franchise has never won a championship. They've only made it to the NBA finals twice, in 2002 and 2003.

cheap nfl jerseys Simon Cowell defends school drop out joke after Michael Gove slams it as 'stupid'X Factor mogul angry at education secretary's response to his 'joke' that the secret to success is to be useless at school00:23, 17 NOV 2013Updated10:56, 17 NOV 2013Line of fire: Simon Cowell (Photo: Getty) Get celebs updates directly to your inbox+ SubscribeThank you for subscribing!Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid EmailHe's been known to reduce X Factor contestants to tears with his no nonsense remarks but Simon Cowell has now found himself in the line of fire.The millionaire, who is expecting his first child with girlfriend Lauren Silverman, has been dressed down by education secretary, Michael Gove for claiming the secret to success in life is to be useless at school and then 'get lucky'.But, the 54 year old has hit back at Gove's comments insisting the remark, made during an interview on a US radio station https://www.cheapjerseysitems.com, was a joke.In a series of Tweets, he wrote: "Wow! I read the remarks today about a joke I made in an interview. I was lucky that after failing my exams I was given a chance to work hard."I have a policy at my company that we judge people on their qualities not just their exam results."We encourage hard work and I believe everyone should have a chance to do so."I don't endorse dropping out of school, but if for some reason you don't do as well as others that [sic] you can still do well."Gove had criticised the comments, describing them as "stupid".He said that celebrities like Cowell should encourage education and not rubbish it.Mr Gove told Mail Online: "This is an irresponsible and stupid thing to say. Teachers strive every day to ensure children understand the importance of learning, hard work and discipline."Simon Cowell's comments undermine their efforts.  

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"Confidence is everything, right? In all walks of life cheap nfl jerseys. And it's not an overly confident group right now. You can't have your power play taking away from your five on five game and two of the best chances we gave up last night were right after a power play because there's that frustration building..  

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That would be a sharp contrast from Crow

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Report: Eli Manning will ‘strongly consider’ requesting trade

Eli Manning has always said that he wants to finish his career with the New York Giants, but things may have changed this week when Ben McAdoo decided to bench him for the remainder of the season.

When Manning signed a four-year extension with the Giants two years ago, he had the team include a full no-trade clause to assure he would retire in New York. But if the plan is for him to be a backup in 2018, Manning may be willing to accept a trade.

According to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, people close to Manning believe the 36-year-old will consider asking the Giants to trade him this offseason.

There is no indication at all from Manning or his camp that the 36-year-old quarterback has even begun pondering whether he’ll request a trade in the offseason, but several people that know him believe he will strongly consider it, especially if the Giants won’t commit to him as their starter in 2018. They base that on their strong belief that Manning still wants to play and believes he is one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks.

The Giants probably wouldn’t mind trading Manning. Assuming they plan to draft a quarterback or develop Davis Webb into their next starter, there’s a good chance they are planning to release Manning anyway. Doing so before March 17 would save them from having to pay him a $5 million roster bonus, and it would also allow them to clear roughly $16 million off of their salary cap for next season. A trade would only save the Giants $9.8 million against the cap, but they could be interested in going that route if a team is willing to give up one or more draft picks.

Manning is already being linked to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where Tom Coughlin is in charge of football operations and Blake Bortles still looks like he is holding the team back. The Jags have an elite defense and are ready to contend now, so they might have interest in a quarterback who has proven he can win on the biggest stage.

The truth is Manning probably has no idea what he wants to do at the moment. If you saw the way he reacted to being benched, you know how much starting 210 consecutive games — the longest active streak in the NFL — for the Giants has meant to him. He’s probably not ready to think about playing for another team just yet.

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

Power Ranks: Week 3

This week in the NFL was slightly depressing for me, and it wasn’t just because I got my ass handed to me by Dyl. I’ve wanted to sort of share my thoughts on the protests through some sort of outlet, and I guess I’ll do it here, as briefly as I can since this isn’t why you guys read this. If you really don’t want to, you can skip the next two paragraphs. 

Trump, among other things, is a racist prick. However, I think he knew what he was doing when he started attacking the NFL. He (and the media) have turned what was originally Kaepernick’s protest against racial inequality into “NFL players against the flag”, all while taking attention away from the fact that his shitty attempt to take away healthcare failed. It’s really hard to get so much wrong in a four word headline, but headlines on major news outlets read “NFL protests American Flag”. What the fuck is that? Trump literally took all attention from the point of the protest and made it a race/patriotic thing, despite saying it wasn’t about race.. Twitter arguments on the subject are absurdly revealing of closeted racists that now have a reason to speak up (this sentence can be said about the entire Trump administration), and I’m sure you guys have seen the videos of people burning their NFL jerseys and swearing off the league. A bar owner in Minnesota made the doormat into his bar out of jerseys that read “Lynch Kaepernick”. This is pathetic and sad, and it’s even sadder that I could go on. I think this is what Trump aimed to do. The people angry about the protest are the people that are missing the point, or ignoring it because of their own racist agenda. Lots of bad things have come out of this, but I hope we can focus on the positives, which is that this has sparked a national discussion that you can’t be on the fence about. (Sorry Drew Brees, you sounded like an asshole when you tip toed on the fence.) Nothing will change unless something like this happens, and I’m glad that a unified showing against the bullshit intimidation methods of an attention seeking president who’s done everything in his power to make activism in the NFL about him might start a revolution.

It’s absolutely insane to me that the most influential athlete of the past year wasn’t seen Sunday, but it was incredible seeing that his presence was so strongly felt. It’s clear he’s being blackballed, but with every passing day that we talk about the reason he’s being blackballed, Kaepernick won. I guess the point of this little write up is to not forget the point of the protest. White privilege and systemic racism exist, kneeling during the anthem does not equal disrespect to the flag or soldiers, and the more we talk about it the better. Contrary to the people burning their jerseys and season tickets, I’ll watch the absolute shit out of the NFL now. I know that I usually don’t talk about anything that actually matters with you guys so this might be weird or uncomfortable to hear, I just needed to share some thoughts.

P.S.: HOW FUCKING WILD WOULD THIS WHOLE PROTEST THING BE WITH DAN AROUND? I MIGHT’VE ACTUALLY KICKED HIS ASS. SHOUTOUT ALEX FOR SAYING SOMETHING TO THE GUY.

Scott Team Update : 6-3. I will continue to post this until the Scott trifecta is under .500.

Reminder: the number I give you doesn’t matter as much as the tier I put you in, I don’t see a big difference between teams in a tier other than small details.

The “literally every draft pick I made was perfect and I have the midas touch” tier

1. Scott’s Balls 12-11-16 (Anthony “it’s been golden boy bullshit for a year and a half now, i hope karma comes and fucking stabs your cocky, complaining about Ben Watson garbage time touchdowns when literally everyone on your team has 239487239847 points, saying you could lose when Alex has Carr and Lynch when you’re up 75 ass face” Mendola) (3-0) (LW:1)

I’m not actually that mad, I’m man enough to admit its jealousy. Your team is good, I’m not sure how much I can write about it considering it’s been the same formula for three weeks, Cam sucking, Kareem Hunt 60 yard touchdowns, Chris Hogan bullshit, Gronk fucking the football, and your WR2 always doing well. (Geronimo fucking ALLISON). I’m still not 100 percent sold on the receivers, but Hogan looks for real at this point. Enjoy it while it lasts my dude. 

2. Fournette About It (Jack “closeted viking fan, non closeted clown porn enthusiast” Cleek) (2-1) (LW: 3)

I really believe in this team now that it’s been proven that the skill position guys are QB proof. When you can sustain four fantasy relevant people with Case Keenum, you know you can start any of the Vikings any given week. When you thrive with Jared Goff and Bazooka Blake Bortles as the people handing off to you, you can do anything. I like the addition of Nick Swardson, and if you could find a QB you’re never gonna lose again (other than the Vikings bye week)

The “This is a whole tier of above average inconsistent garbage” tier

3. Hammer (Tony “He’s back!” Mendola) (1-2) (LW: 7)

I know, I know, this is a meteoric rise from 7, but Tony’s team has gotten better every week, and over the course of the years there hasn’t been a single person better than him at identifying the random, shitty dudes who get 10 a week. Brady is back to being Brady, Devonta Freeman looks like a steal at the 8th pick, T.Y. showed he might be able to do something with Brissett, and Jared Cook is this year’s Richard Rodgers, the tight end Tony starts and just always gets 8. Going forward, this team should be just fine, especially if Chris Thompson can keep producing at this rate for a few more weeks.

4. Aegon Targaryen M’FVCKA (Alex “weirdly been quiet” Ahn) (2-1) (LW: 2)

I’m not sure if you’ve been quiet because nobody’s accepting trades, or you just don’t talk to me specifically because I just laugh at all the trade offers, but its been a strange start of the season, I almost miss the crappy trade offers because it at least made us talk. Anyways, nobody can really blame you for losing to Anthony’s golden boy bullshit, but your team did REALLY bad last week. The main reason you’re dropping down to 4 is that Lynch, the Crow, and your QB’s just don’t look consistent. Jeffery (maybe) and Tyreek are gonna be just fine, and Elliott is Elliott, but the rest of your team doesn’t really look good or bad, just kinda meh. It’s a good team that needs to find consistency. That being said, I’m calling it now, Matt Ryan reads these and he’s gonna drop 400 yards and 3 TD’s on my ass for suggesting he’s gonna keep regressing. 

5. Rick and Jordy (Chris “also should kinda change the name” Gatzow)    (1-2) (LW:4) 

You’re only in dead last place because of how weird the victories have been this year, but I still think your team is about average. I’m a lot lower on it than I was at the beginning of the year, but only because so many guys haven’t shown up yet. Julio has had the yurds, but not the touchdowns. Baldwin only looked good because Wilson put up a shitload of garbage time points. T West doesn’t look nearly as good as he did at the beginning of the season. Delanie Walker is having a down year because of how many weapons that Tennessee offense has. I’m not sure if Cooper and Howard are gonna get 0 or 20 on any given week. This tier was full of inconsistent teams that I think are okay, and your team is the most inconsistent of the bunch in my opinion. 

6. Don’t Trust a Younghoe (Dylan “name change time now?” Jessop) (1-2) (LW: 8)

Dropping Younghoe might’ve been the best thing you did (You’re welcome bitch) since Succop looks legit this year. Your record and points scored don’t suggest you should be this high, but holy shit I don’t think that many people know about how much points you’ve left on your bench, I know part of that is your own foolish decisions, but had you been starting the right dudes you may be the second or third highest scorer. I think the longer the year goes on, the more you’ll figure your own team out. This team is deep as hell. You’re sitting Michael Crabtree AND Gilislee this week, that’s impressive as hell. If CJ and Demarco can get slightly more consistent, you’re gonna be scary, Watkins dropping that low looks scary now.

7. Mixon it Up (Alec “Chris really ruined this and made me write so much more on these rankings by losing, and also ruined an amazing meme that nobody’s gonna see now” Bernstein (1-2) (LW:9)

Alright, the joke and tier is over. I really was doing it only because you talked shit about your ranking, and I was TOTALLY right for the first two weeks. But last week was more along the lines of what I think you envisioned with your team. Granted, Wilson only got his points because it was garbage time and they needed to come back, but he got 35 nonetheless. Lamar Miller, as we’ve said, will get 8 or 9 a week but he’s not gonna let you down. Mixon looks like he’s on the upswing. Green/Beckham, for as bad as they had been before this week, are about as scary a duo as you can have at WR. Eifert dying sucks, but Graham is such a nice fantasy tight end and I’m upset nobody else got him/someone dropped him in the first place (cough cough ALEx). I still don’t think your team is good, but it deserves to be in this tier just because it’s shown you can break 100. That’s more than...

The teams that can’t break 100 or even 90 can say tier

8. Scott’s Penis (David “slowly realizing I used 100% of my luck the year i won” Chinchilla) (1-2) (LW: 6)

I’m only ranking myself 8 because I’m the only one of the remaining teams that’s broken 90. Dyl hasn’t broken 90 either, but he’s left like 2903847298347 points on his bench so he deserves a bit more than this embarrassment down here. I don’t even know what to say. QB is so bleak without Luck that I just dropped Jared Goff and picked up Trevor Siemian and felt like that was an upgrade, how sad would that sentence have been last year? Hyde is my only good player, Ajayi and McCoy are in bad situations (McCoy especially, the Bills REFUSE to give that guy the ball inside the 45 yard line) and my receivers are just so MEH. I have no faith in any of my receivers getting more than 9, and Reed might’ve ALREADY died for the year. I think my team really really sucks, but not because of a lack of talent, just all my players are on teams that can;t seem to score. I’m finding myself rooting for the other team to do bad more than I am for rooting my team onward to victory.

9. Beshoy and some Backups (Beshoy “Aaron Rodgers vs. The World” Halim) (1-2) (LW:5)

We’ve talked a lot about our teams and while I think your top three are better than my top three, I think the rest of your team is a whole hell of a lot of not number one guys. You get Martin back after this week, but I still have little faith in some of your guys. I think Henry can be for real, that offense might be able to sustain two RB’s, but that remains to be seen. Cohen could be good, but Jordan Howard came back from the dead last week (multiple times). Thielen is always gonna be the #3 red zone target in that offense, but the good thing is that he has a clear yards floor. Idk what Blount will be doing going forward, but at least he’s definitely the battering ram down at the goal line. I really hope this turns around for you, but as of now, much like with my team, things look bleak. 

10. Scott’s Jizz (Scott “just being disrespected at this point” Felgenhauer) (2-1) (LW:10)

I know you’re gonna be upset again, but I don’t know what you want me to say...Ajayi has played in two games and scored less than three in one of those two, and he��d be your second best running back on your team. Dak and Dez have been REALLY nice so far, and I trust Kelce, but everything else on the squad is just such a random dart or a bad player. Mike Thomas finally had his good game, as did Jackson/Dez/Dak and you STILL only scored 80. I am rooting for you and hope you win more games, but I can’t rank you any higher until you get literally anything out of your RB’s.

PICKS

Aegon Targaryen M’FVCKA (Alex) over Scott’s Penis (David)

UPSET SPECIAL BABY VVVVVV

Beshoy and some Backups (Beshoy) over Scott’s Balls 12-11-16 (Anthony)

Hammer (Tony) over Mixon it Up (Alec)

Don’t Trust a Younghoe (Dyl) over Scott’s Jizz (Scott)

Fournette About It (Jack) over Rick and Jordy (Chris)

Last week : 2-3

Season: 100-0 (fuck you guys)

2018 NFL mock draft: An early run on quarterbacks

Plenty of teams are desperate for signal callers, so much so that four could be top 10 picks in April

The NFL will always be a league about the haves and have nots at quarterback. A handful of teams that will have a top 15 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft have proven they have a big need at the game’s most important position.

This week’s projection sees five quarterbacks get taken in the top 11 picks. The last time anything close to that happened was in 1999 when five were taken in the top 12 picks.

The over-drafting of quarterbacks, of course, means players who are more highly rated will drop. After Week 13, here’s how the 2018 draft could play out.

As always, the pick positions are based on the latest NFL draft order.

1. Cleveland Browns - Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

Believe it or not, the Browns actually have pieces in place on offense, with young tight ends David Njoku and Seth DeValve and Corey Coleman and the returning Josh Gordon at wide receiver. Unfortunately, it looks like using the 52nd overall pick in this year’s draft on DeShone Kizer was a wasted selection. At the top of the draft, the Browns can go after whomever they deem as the top quarterback. Rosen has good size and a quick release

2. New York Giants - Sam Darnold, QB, Southern California

The Giants are cleaning house this week, firing head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese. Although Eli Manning will return as the starting quarterback, at 36 he’s obviously not the future in New York. With this high of a pick, the Giants are guaranteed to get a shot at a top quarterback. Darnold is considered by many to be the draft’s top quarterback and after starring in Los Angeles at USC, he should be able to handle the New York spotlight.

3. San Francisco 49ers - Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Something about picking at No. 3 instead of No. 2 makes taking Barkley a little better for some reason. Maybe it’s because it’s a little closer to No. 4 where Leonard Fournette was taken this year and Ezekiel Elliott in 2016.

4. Denver Broncos - Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

Losers of eight consecutive games, the Broncos are in a tailspin. The Broncos should strongly consider taking a quarterback here. Mayfield is a polarizing player, but Denver general manager John Elway could fall in love his confidence and passion for the game.

5. Indianapolis Colts - Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State

The Colts should hope that Barkley falls this far. If he doesn’t, the consideration could be LSU running back Derrius Guice and a pass rusher. The Colts have some decent pieces on defense, but desperately need an edge rusher.

6. Chicago Bears - Connor Williams, OT, Texas

It’s time for the Bears to get serious with their offensive line. Otherwise the development of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky could be slow, and painful. A player like Williams could slot directly into one of the starting offensive tackle spots.

7. Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans) - Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama

The Houston Texans have lost five of six games, inching the Browns higher each week. If a player like Fitzpatrick is available, the Browns should pounce. Whether he’s playing coverage safety or cornerback, the Fitzpatrick would be a starter for the Browns straight away.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Arden Key, DE/OLB, LSU

The Buccaneers have the fewest sacks in the NFL, and desperately need to hit on an edge rusher this offseason. Key may start his career as a situational pass rusher, but if he’s used correctly he can make an impact.

9. Cincinnati Bengals - Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

The Bengals have to go offensive line early and often in the 2018 draft, and McGlinchey has a little extra value because he’s a tackle. He can play on the left or right for the Bengals.

10. Arizona Cardinals - Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

Even with his inconsistencies, Allen remains a good fit for the Cardinals. On draft weekend they should consider a trade down to attain extra draft capital and still get him.

11. New York Jets - Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

Although the Jets have had a better season than expected, and Josh McCown has played fairly well, they should still think of the future with a quarterback. If he’s coached right – and he would be by ace offensive coordinator John Morton – Jackson can be a sensation in the NFL.

12. Washington - Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

Washington’s offensive line has had issues this season because of injuries. While a player like Nelson won’t help if Morgan Moses or Trent Williams get hurt, he can help sure up the inside. Having Nelson and Brandon Scherff would give Washington one of the league’s best guard pairings.

13. Miami Dolphins - Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma

It would be fun to change this pick up and give Miami a cornerback or linebacker, but the needs on the offensive line are too great. Brown could factor in at tackle, or even get a look at guard.

14. Los Angeles Chargers - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

Potentially not wanting to create an Eli Manning situation with an already fractured fanbase, the Chargers could opt to just let Philip Rivers play until he decides to retire. With that in mind, the Chargers could turn to a defensive line where tough decisions will have to be made in the offseason about Corey Liuget and Brandon Mebane.

15. Dallas Cowboys - Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

There isn’t a linebacker with more range in the draft next year than Smith, who was sensational on Saturday in the SEC Championship Game. Sean Lee’s health has made him something of a liability, so Smith could be seen as a replacement or partner at linebacker.

16. Oakland Raiders - Derwin James, S, Florida State

This is another pick that continues to stick just because James is so good and we’re getting a little deep into the first round. He can be a utility player in the NFL, working at safety, linebacker and even as a blitzer.

17. Detroit Lions - Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

There’s plenty of directions Detroit could take here. Obviously a defensive tackle or edge rusher will be considered, and if Ohio State center Billy Price lands in the first round this could be a destination. But Guice would finally give the Lions a legit lead running back.

18. Buffalo Bills - Vita Vea, DT, Washington

You have to wonder if the Bills will package their two first-round picks to move up on a quarterback (spoiler: that possibility will be explored in next week’s mock draft). For now, lets focus on fixing the run defense, which has suffered since Marcel Dares was trade several weeks ago. Vea is a dependable run stuffer who will take up multiple blockers and make the linebackers behind him better.

19. Green Bay Packers - Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Obviously this could be a pass rusher like Harold Landry of Boston College. But it’s hard to ignore the draft’s top wide receiver this deep into the first round. That’s particularly true considering that the contracts of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb will get long looks this offseason.

20. Atlanta Falcons - Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan

If Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson slips because of the position he plays, the Falcons should pounce on him. If he’s gone, defensive tackle is arguably the team’s biggest need anyway. When the Falcons hired Dan Quinn as head coach, he said he wanted to be “fast and physical.” That’s exactly what Hurst provides in the middle of the defense.

21. Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs) - Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas

The Bills need a linebacker who can fly around the field and make plays, and that’s what Jefferson offers. His athletic ability can help mask the mistakes of his teammates.

22. Baltimore Ravens - Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU

If Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome can be criticized for something, it’s his inability to draft wide receivers. He should be able to take another stab at it in 2018. A player like Sutton is a very good athlete with size at the position, and he should quickly become Joe Flacco’s top target.

23. Seattle Seahawks - Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State

This should be pretty simple for the Seahawks. Rankin, who is officially headed to the Senior Bowl, is the best offensive tackle available.

24. Carolina Panthers - Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

It would be easy to work in a wide receiver like James Washington of Oklahoma State or Christian Kirk of Texas A&M here. But Ferrell is too good of a pass rusher to not take at No. 24 overall. On an absolutely loaded Clemson defensive line that may have four fist-round picks, Ferrell is the most consistent at generating a pass rush.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars - Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma

My philosophy about teams that are finally starting to threaten as a playoff team – which Jacksonville is obviously doing at 8-4 – is to fill needs with safe but good talent. That’s Andrews, the top tight end in the 2018 draft. He’s a player that can be added to give the offense another element in the pass game. Andrews has one of the higher floors of any player in the draft.

26. Tennessee Titans - Harold Landry, DE/OLB, Boston College

The versatility and sheer size/athleticism combination Ohio State’s Sam Hubbard is still intriguing for Tennessee. But Landry is far too good of a pass rusher to continue free falling.

27. Los Angeles Rams - Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa

Like the Jaguars, the Rams are a team that has made a push to the playoffs this season. So if they go for an easy fix with a good player, it would be hard to overlook a cornerback. If the Rams have been the breakout team in the NFL this season, Jackson has been the breakout player in college football.

28. New Orleans Saints - Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama

The Saints seem to always be in need of a linebacker, and it looks no different heading into the offseason. Evans has had a rocky 2017 season because of injuries, but he can play the middle or the weak side in the NFL.

29. Philadelphia Eagles - Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

An offensive tackle should get a look here, but it can be hard to find one while picking in the back half of the first round. Instead, the Eagles could turn to cornerback where Ward has put together an incredible 2017 season that has him soaring up draft boards.

30. Pittsburgh Steelers - Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama

The fourth Alabama first-round player comes off the board in Harrison. He’s a reliable safety who can come up and work the run or drop back and rely on his quickness in pass coverage.

31. Minnesota Vikings - Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn

At some point 39-year-old Terence Newman will prove he is mortal. That could come after this season. If so, the Vikings could find a new partner for Xavier Rhodes in Davis. He’s another member of this group of cornerbacks that are taking the first round by storm.

32. New England Patriots - Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State

Hubbard, a junior expected to go pro, was a high school safety who converted down to base defensive end and moonlights as rush middle linebacker. Tell me what Bill Belichick wouldn’t love about him.

Why the first ever draft pick said no to the NFL

Ranking the 10 best quarterbacks in the NFL

The NFL has morphed into a high-powered passing league, which means wide receivers have become paramount to a team’s overall success. We recently ranked the top 10 talents in the league.

But all talented receivers need an equally talented quarterback to throw to them. And while some can find success without an elite gunslinger (see: DeAndre Hopkins), they generally go hand-in-hand.

At the end of the day, the quarterbacks get all the glory (and on the other side of the coin, all of the blame). So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 best quarterbacks currently getting it done in the NFL.

10. Eli Manning, New York Giants

This spot could have just as easily gone to Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer or a handful of others, but what’s a list without a little controversy?

Eli Manning is the NFL’s current iron man, having started 199 consecutive regular season games and 211 consecutive games overall. In fact, since taking over for Kurt Warner in 2004, Manning has never missed a start. It’s one of the more underrated and overlooked aspects of what makes Manning a top-end quarterback.

Although the Giants’ offense as a whole struggled in 2016, Manning still managed to pass for 4,000-plus yards and 25-plus touchdowns for the third consecutive season. He’s eclipsed 3,200 yards passing in 12 straight seasons and thrown for over 4,000 yards six different times.

While many focus on his interception totals, which have dropped since the departure of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, Manning ranks in or near the top 10 in almost every single major passing category all-time. In 2017, he will eclipse 50,000 passing yards for his career and he already has 320 touchdowns to his name. He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion, two-time Super Bowl MVP, four-time Pro Bowler and now has more talent at receiver than he’s ever had before.

If Manning keeps his iron man streak alive, he could realistically end next season with over 52,500 yards and 350 touchdowns for his career, making him only the sixth player in league history to compile those numbers.

9. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger is one of the most consistent and tough quarterbacks in the NFL. Unfortunately, that extends to his health and is the primary reason he’s not placed higher on this list.

Only three times in his 13-year career has Roethlisberger played in all 16 of the team’s regular season games, and in one of those seasons he was limited to only 17 touchdowns.

Still, despite that one downfall, Roethlisberger has been near dominant when healthy. He’s compiled a career record of 123-60, thrown for over 300 touchdowns and will likely eclipse 50,000 yards passing in 2017. He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time Pro Bowler and won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2004.

Roethlisberger has passed for 3,000 yards or more in 11 consecutive seasons (4,000-plus in four of those seasons) and has thrown 20 or more touchdowns in six consecutive seasons. He also has a career completion percentage nearing 65 percent, so it’s easy to see why he ranked within the top 10.

8. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

Derek Carr signed a five-year, $125 million contract with the Raiders this offseason that speaks far more to what he’s going to do as an NFL player than what he’s already done. But either way, make no mistake about it, Carr deserved that massive deal and he’ll prove it in the years to come.

Carr may only check in at No. 8 right now, but he’s trending in the right direction. He’s become a young leader for the Oakland franchise both on and off the field, and he’s singlehandedly turning the team’s recent misfortunes around.

If not for a broken fibula suffered in Week 16, Carr would have eclipsed 4,000 yards passing last season and, quite possibly, reached the 30-touchdown threshold for the second consecutive year. He also completed a career-high 63.8 percent of his passes, which speaks to his rapid development.

Perhaps most impressive of all were Carr’s career-low six interceptions. Not once did he throw two or more in a game, which — paired with his rising completion percentage — tells the tale of what’s to come.

Top five on this list is in the very near future for Carr.

7. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Early in his career, Matthew Stafford was a true gunslinger. He could rack up yards and touchdowns with the best of them, but it would come at the cost of a lower completion percentage and a higher interception total.

In the last three years, Stafford has gotten away from that style of play to some degree and, as a result, his completion percentages have risen and his interception totals have fallen. And never was that change more evident than last year when Stafford finished the regular season with 4,327 yards, 24 touchdowns, a career-low 10 interceptions and a completion percentage above 65 percent.

For a player who has thrown for over 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in a season, some of those numbers may feel lacking. But perhaps more importantly than anything else, Stafford prevented offensive mistakes in 2016 en route to only his third winning season in the NFL.

With a little bit more time and some added offensive weapons, it will be interesting to see just how good this new and improved Matthew Stafford can be.

6. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson struggled at times during the 2016 season, but he eventually rounded back into shape and finished the year off strongly. However, some of those struggles did some real damage to his year-end numbers — particularly his five-interception performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 13.

Despite that poor game, which added to a career-high 11 interceptions, Wilson still finished the season with some impressive statistics and the newly-proven ability to bounce back.

Wilson passed for over 4,000 yards for the second consecutive season and pushed his overall record as a starter to 56-23-1. He also has that one Super Bowl championship you can’t overlook. And although his touchdown numbers were down and interceptions were up last year, he continued to prove he’s an ascending quarterback capable of getting things done through the air and on the ground.

Although he didn’t run as often in 2016, Wilson still gained 259 yards rushing and maintains an average of 5.6 yards per rushing attempt for his career. It’s that added element that makes Wilson so much more dangerous than many of his peers. With a few more adjustments, perhaps he can propel himself into the top five league-wide.

5. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck has had some ups and downs over his first five seasons, but he’s shown glimpses of a truly elite player. In fact, if not for an injury-riddled season in 2015, the perception of Luck might be very different.

That down year — a year in which he played poorly when he was able to take the field — was sandwiched between two remarkable seasons. In 2014, Luck completed nearly 62 percent of his passes for 4,761 yards and a league-leading 40 touchdowns. Then, in 2016, the former first overall pick bounced back and completed a career-high 63.5 percent of his passes for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Luck has already been named to three Pro Bowls, but he now seems to be hitting his stride. And while it may have taken him a few years to really round into shape, Luck is more than capable of propelling himself into the top tier group of quarterbacks throughout the league.

If the Colts can find a way to keep Luck upright (he was sacked 41 times in 2016), he might be higher on this list a year from now.

4. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

An argument could be made that Drew Brees deserves a higher ranking on this list and it would be entirely warranted. In fact, if the Saints were a better overall football team, perhaps that would be the case.

Either way, the 38-year-old Brees will be enshrined in Canton one day and remains one of the truly elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

In his 16th professional season, Brees completed 70 percent of his passes for 5,208 yards and 37 touchdowns. It was the fourth time in his career he’s eclipsed 5,000 yards passing and the 11th consecutive time he’s eclipsed 4,300 yards. It was also the ninth time — also consecutive — he’s thrown for more than 30 touchdowns. On two other occasions (2011 and 2012) he has thrown 43 touchdowns or more.

Brees has led the league in passing seven times and in touchdowns four times. He’s a 10-time Pro Bowler, a four-time All-Pro, a two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year and so on and so forth. Needless to say, he’s won a lot of awards and broken quite a few records.

The most amazing thing about Brees is that he doesn’t appear to be slowing down. At this pace, he could be effective well into his 40s.

3. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

It took Matt Ryan a few seasons to establish himself as one of the best in football. But since 2011, there’s been very little doubt about his status among the NFL’s elite.

With his NFL MVP performance last season, Ryan has now strung together six consecutive seasons with 4,150-plus yards and at least 26 touchdowns. He has eclipsed 30 passing touchdowns twice during that span and was only two shy of 40 in 2016.

Ryan has been named to the Pro Bowl four times, and he earned his first All-Pro nod last year. Unfortunately, Ryan and the Falcons weren’t able to hold on long enough for him to add “Super Bowl champion” to his rapidly increasing resume.

Still, at 32 years old, Ryan has room to grow as a quarterback and has a roster talented enough to potentially make Atlanta contenders for the next several years.

2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

It’s still hard to believe the San Francisco 49ers selected Alex Smith in the first-round of the 2005 NFL Draft instead of Aaron Rodgers, but hindsight is always 20/20.

Since then, Rodgers has won the NFL MVP award twice, been named to six Pro Bowls and earned three All-Pro nods. He also led the league in touchdown passes in 2016 and owns several all-time records, including the most consecutive seasons with a passer rating of over 100.0 (six, 2009-2014).

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Rodgers’ game is his accuracy coupled with decision-making. He has completed over 65 percent of his career passes and only twice eclipsed double-digit interceptions (13 in 2008 and 11 in 2010). On six separate occasions, Rodgers has thrown 30-plus touchdowns and fewer than nine interceptions.

If not for the next guy, Rodgers would easily be the No. 1 quarterback in the NFL.

1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Tom Brady may be the obvious No. 1 to conclude this list, but what he’s managed to accomplish since being selected in the sixth-round of the 2000 NFL Draft cannot possibly be overstated. In fact, Brady has already made a legitimate case to be considered the greatest of all time and he’s not even finished yet.

Brady is already fourth all-time in passing yards (61,582), touchdowns (456) and completions (5,244). He’s a 12-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro, five-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Super Bowl MVP and two-time NFL MVP. And those are just some of the incredible numbers and awards Brady has amassed throughout his career.

It’s consistency that sets Brady apart, however. No matter who his receivers, running backs or tight ends, the veteran is routinely the best or among the best passers in the league on a year-by-year basis. He’s had eight consecutive seasons of 3,500 or more passing yards and 25 or more touchdowns. In fact, only injury and a suspension have prevented a more impressive string.

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2tT9O52

5 NFL free agents who could still land with the right team

It’s not too late for teams to parse through the free agency market for a boost.

Colin Kaepernick has been a free agent for three months. NFL teams have provided plenty of reasons why the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback hasn’t been scooped up yet, but it’s really not that hard to figure out.

With quarterbacks like Blaine Gabbert, Mark Sanchez, and EJ Manuel getting work, it’s clear that Kaepernick’s human rights protests during the playing of the national anthem in the 2016 season are the reason why teams are steering clear.

But Kaepernick isn’t alone. There are other well-known veterans still trying to find a job, and the reason they’re not on a team is pretty apparent: age.

“I know I’m getting up in my years, which is fine, but I still have plenty of years to play,” former Cleveland Browns tight end Gary Barnidge told SiriusXM Blitz on Monday. “As long as I get the opportunity, I think teams will have no problem with that. They’ll see that I’m still ready, because the first seven years of my career, I never got an opportunity to start, so I didn’t have the wear and tear on my legs. I didn’t have any of that kind of stuff.”

Other players weren’t as lucky when it came to avoiding wear and tear. Robert Griffin III is just 27, but the quarterback has racked up injuries in his brief NFL career. There’s reason to doubt if he can even come close to finishing a full 16-game season.

For a few of the veterans who have reached June without a team, there’s some good news. The market isn’t completely closed and there are still a couple of logical landing spots for each of them.

Colin Kaepernick

New York Giants co-owner John Mara told MMQB that he heard from many fans who threatened to boycott games if Giants players protested the way Kaepernick did.

No matter where Kaepernick ends up, there will be an inevitable backlash from a portion of that team’s fans who strongly opposed the quarterback’s decision to kneel. While Kaepernick has said he won’t continue to kneel during the national anthem in 2017, he’s still without a team and that’s likely the reason why.

On the field, he’s a dual threat who finished 2016 with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions — more than respectable numbers for a passer on a team with a shaky offensive line and the worst wide receiver corps in the NFL.

The Seattle Seahawks have emerged as a possible landing spot for Kaepernick, who visited them last week. However, the likelihood of him joining the team continues to drop with every day he remains unsigned since the visit. SiriusXM Radio’s Pat Kirwan, who is close to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, said this week that he doesn’t think a deal will get done:

Jim miller doesn't believe Seattle will sign Kaep and I agree

— Pat Kirwan (@PatKirwanRFN) May 30, 2017

Still, it’s the team that seems like the most likely to sign Kaepernick before the summer ends.

Team prediction: Seahawks

Gary Barnidge

From the Pro Bowl in 2015 to the scrap heap after the 2017 NFL draft, it was a quick 180 for Barnidge in Cleveland. After 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns during his breakout season, Barnidge followed it with 612 yards and two touchdowns in 2016.

He was still a strong contributor to the team, but the Browns are looking to get younger and did so at the tight end position by drafting David Njoku in the first round. That meant Barnidge was dropped before the end of draft weekend.

Barnidge’s hunt for a new team was delayed because he opted to enjoy some of his offseason and attend the Kentucky Derby. Before that, he visited the Buffalo Bills, and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos are other teams that have shown interest.

All three make sense, but the Broncos are the team with the least proven commodity at tight end. There are currently eight tight ends on Denver’s roster — including fifth-round pick Jake Butt — but the likely starter is Virgil Green, a seventh-year veteran who set a career high with 237 yards in 2016.

Barnidge can provide much more than that.

Team prediction: Broncos

Ryan Clady

When Ryan Clady’s option wasn’t picked up by the New York Jets, he looked like a plug-in starter at offensive tackle who wouldn’t stay on the market long. He had a visit with the Seahawks — a team in need of offensive line help — but didn’t get scooped up.

Maybe that deal will finally come for the four-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle after OTAs show teams what they’re working with. For now, it’s a little puzzling why he’s still available.

Clady doesn’t come without concerns. He’s on the wrong side of 30, has missed 37 games in the last four years, and had a significant drop-off in the quality of his play in 2016.

But there’s always a need for offensive linemen in the NFL, and Clady looks like one who can still contribute. He also would likely come cheap on a short-term deal.

Seattle didn’t sign Clady in March, but it could still use depth and help along the offensive line even after adding Luke Joeckel and Ethan Pocic. Clady could provide that.

Team prediction: Seahawks

Robert Griffin III

Just five seasons ago, Robert Griffin III was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In 2012, he put up 3,200 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and 815 rushing yards, with another seven touchdowns on the ground. But that season ended with an ACL tear that was a sign of things to come.

Griffin has yet to play a 16-game season in his career, and his chance at redemption with the Cleveland Browns was ruined with a shoulder injury in Week 1.

RGIII, my dude, why do you hate being healthy? http://pic.twitter.com/C79Aa1fa5B

— Mike Tunison (@xmasape) September 11, 2016

But at this point in his career, a team doesn’t need 16 games out of Griffin. He’s on the hunt for backup duty, and Griffin’s a high-quality option for teams that have offenses tailored to his skills.

The Seahawks are among those teams, but the Carolina Panthers are another enticing option.

When Cam Newton was sidelined with a concussion for a game-and-a-half last year, Derek Anderson took over. The backup threw two touchdowns and five interceptions in 2016 and brings a much different skill set than Newton.

Griffin could presumably do better than that, if asked, and provide more continuity for an offense that relies on Newton’s dual-threat abilities that are lost with Anderson under center.

Team prediction: Panthers

Mario Williams

The Miami Dolphins parted ways with Mario Williams in February, and there hasn’t been any word of interest for the four-time Pro Bowler since. That’s unsurprising considering he recorded just 1.5 sacks in 13 games in 2016.

It was a big swing and miss for the Dolphins, who signed the former Texans and Bills pass rusher to a two-year, $17 million deal a year ago. Another team won’t make the same mistake investing in Williams.

But that doesn’t mean a team won’t take a flier on one of the most dominant pass rushers of the last decade. Only DeMarcus Ware and Jared Allen have recorded more sacks than Williams in the last 10 years.

He may be done, but injuries may have contributed to his poor 2016 and there are plenty of pass rushers who have continued to find production into their 30s. If a team could snag Williams on a cheap, one-year deal, they may get a rotational pass rusher worth a handful sacks.

The Oakland Raiders could be one of those teams. The defense has few pass-rushing threats after Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin, and it could stand to bolster its front seven with a rotational rusher. Trent Cole and Elvis Dumervil are other options, but Williams has the strongest career résumé.

Team prediction: Raiders