We’re still a few weeks away from the start of regular-season battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. This summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
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Last week, one of our Community Tailgate discussions centered around who would win the 2015 NFL MVP award. Today, we’ll shift our focus to an award that might be a little more wide open. As was the case with the MVP, there are two quarterbacks who appear to be the early favorites for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but given the growing pains typically experienced by first-year QBs, we probably shouldn’t pencil Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston in for the award quite yet.
Elsewhere in the first round of the 2015 draft, there are plenty of offensive weapons whose production may be limited in their rookie seasons due to injuries. We might not see Bears WR Kevin White at all this season, while other players – such as Rams RB Todd Gurley, Dolphins WR DeVante Parker, and Ravens WR Breshad Perriman – could see their early-season reps limited as they return from summer injuries. Among first-rounders, Raiders WR Amari Cooper, Chargers RB Melvin Gordon, and Eagles WR Nelson Agholor may be the best bets to come out of the gate strong.
Of course, it’s not just first-round picks who will be relied on to play major roles in their respective teams’ offenses this season. I expect we’ll see plenty of opportunities for players like Jaguars RB T.J. Yeldon, Panthers WR Devin Funchess, Lions RB Ameer Abdullah, Falcons RB Tevin Coleman, and Cardinals RB David Johnson, among others.
What do you think? Do you have a dark horse candidate to make a huge impact as a rookie this year, or will one of the players I mentioned above take home the hardware? Who do you think will be the 2015 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year? We’re looking forward to hearing from you, so be sure to weigh in with your thoughts in the comment section below!
I’ll take Cooper right now, with Gordon as his top competition. Both will have every opportunity to play extensively on better offenses, and Cooper being on a team that will be playing from behind more will help his chances at big stats. Since a non-first- or second-rounder hasn’t won this since Mike Anderson, the sleepers mentioned here are truly that.
I’ll go Agholor. Given his perfect fit in the offense and the chance to be on the field a ton in a fast-paced passing attack, he seems like a great bet.
If either the Titans or the Bucs has a surprisingly good year and finished at least .500, I would expect their QB will be the frontrunner for the award — when you’re a rookie QB, posting huge numbers isn’t as big a factor as leading your teams to wins.
Of course, I’m skeptical that either of those teams will win more than six games or so, which means I’m leaning toward a running back or receiver. I’ll take Gordon, but if Gurley gets and stays healthy, I think he could have a big year too.
I actually think Brandon Scherff will have the best offensive rookie season, but we all know a lineman will never win an award like this. I’ll take Cooper, as his skill set matches up perfectly with Derek Carr’s game. I see him catching a ton of targets over the middle, and he could flirt with 90 receptions in my mind.
It would have been interesting to see the ROTY vote last year if Beckham didn’t turn into a superhero those last ten games. It likely would have come down to Mike Evans and Zack Martin, with Kelvin Benjamin and Sammy Watkins stealing a vote or two as well.
Of course Martin wasn’t just good, he was good on a very good team that featured one of the best rush attacks in recent history. I think Martin could have won the award. Scherff won’t have the same opportunity, even if the other candidates don’t separate thenselves the same way Beckham did.
I know when it comes to receivers, the stats are going to matter more than winning games. Cooper seems like a lock to have a big year, and Algohor could really put up big numbers in the Eagles’ offense.
That being said, I wouldn’t totally sleep on DeVante Parker. He isn’t a far drop from Cooper physically even if he lacks polish. If the Dolphins push for a playoff spot and Tannehill can connect with Parker in the endzone, he could steal the award.