They say there are some things you can’t teach in sports. One of them is size. Another is the ability to make a jaw-dropping one-handed catch after tripping just one second prior. Bills rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins is lacking in the first department but he’s got the latter down pat.
With top-level speed, excellent agility, and soft hands, Watkins was almost universally regarded as the top WR talent in the 2014 class. So, he’s a lock to win this poll, right? Maybe not. Second-year quarterback EJ Manuel boasts a strong arm but he’s far from elite and one has to wonder how many quality balls he can deliver to Manuel. The Clemson product is also working through a rib injury which could possibly hamper him to start the season.
Moving further down the draft board, there are plenty of other wide receivers with an opportunity to make a name for themselves in year one. The Panthers overhauled their entire receiving corps this offseason and many are expecting big things out of FSU’s Kelvin Benjamin. In New Orleans, many are skeptical of what the once solid Marques Colston can do and the hype around Brandin Cooks is reaching a fever pitch. And, without DeSean Jackson, Jordan Matthews could see a lot of balls thrown his way in Philadelphia. Beyond those guys, there are even more promising WR’s from this year’s receiver-heavy draft. Who among them will have the best 2014 season?
Last night’s exhibition game against the Redskins was supposed to help the Browns’ coaching staff determine which quarterback would start for the team in Week 1, but neither Brian Hoyer nor Johnny Manziel did anything to impress. While third-stringer Connor Shaw racked up 123 passing yards on just nine passing attempts, Hoyer and Manziel combined for 22 pass attempts and only accumulated double-digit yardage (81).
Meanwhile, it was a single digit – namely, the middle one on Manziel’s right hand – that dominated most headlines, after the rookie gave the finger to Washington’s sideline in a moment of frustration. Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, head coach Mike Pettine indicated that incident probably wouldn’t be a factor in his decision on the team’s starting quarterback, but added “it will be dealt with.” As for his signal-callers’ performances, Pettine confirmed that the game didn’t make his decision easier.
“I don’t know,” Pettine said. “Neither guy really distinguished himself tonight, and we’ll have to go back and study the tape and figure out who to go with. I will lean on [offensive coordinator] Kyle Shanahan and [quarterback coach] DowellLoggains quite a bit, because they’ve watched them every day.”
The team likes Hoyer, who was solid when healthy last season and has several years of experience as a backup on his résumé. But Hoyer has only thrown 192 regular-passes during his NFL career, so it’s not as if he’s all that more experienced than Manziel, who was drafted in the first round and figures to start sooner or later. Whether the rookie is ready to step in and play right away remains to be seen, and Pettine’s decision will ultimately depend on how far along the team feels Manziel is.
What do you think? Will the Browns play it safe and go with the veteran option in Hoyer, or roll the dice with the higher-upside option in Manziel?
There always seems to be a shortage of legitimate quarterbacks to fill the needs of all 32 NFL teams. Some franchises are left searching for a starter every year, while others are left without a viable backup plan in the event that they lose their starter.
With so few quarterbacks to go around, even middling talents can become sought after every offseason. Untapped potential on one team could represent a beacon of hope to another front office or fan base. Sometimes, even the shakiest résumé could seem like an improvement.
The 49ers are having issues finding a backup quarterback at the moment, a scary proposition for any Super Bowl contender. That is only magnified by the fact that their starter, Colin Kaepernick, is known to take off with the football, exposing himself to more open field hits than a traditional pocket passer. The 49ers are built on defense and running the football, and even competent quarterback play could be able to keep them afloat in Kaepernick’s absence.
For that reason, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com suggested (via Twitter) that the team inquire on Vikings‘ quarterback Christian Ponder. Ponder was able to bring a defensive minded Vikings squad to the playoffs in 2012, mostly on the back of Adrian Peterson and his 2,097 rushing yards.
Another option for a team looking for a strong backup, or even a low end starter, would be Eagles‘ quarterback Mark Sanchez. Earlier today Chip Kellyadmitted that he wasn’t beyond listening to trade offers for Sanchez. While the former Jets passer is generally considered to have been a disaster during his first stop, it is worth noting that he played with some of the worst offensive weapons in the league. During his rookie and sophomore campaigns, when he had slightly more to work with, Sanchez brought the Jets to the AFC Championship game in both years, making him an intriguing candidate for a trade.
Redskins‘ backup Kirk Cousins has been a leader amongst the trade rumor community, most commonly being linked with his former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in Cleveland. With Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel competing for the Browns’ job, there is no obvious need for Cousins there. Still, his body of work is good enough in a small sample size, and he has not had the time to tarnish his reputation in the same way that Ponder and Sanchez have.
The Patriots also are prepared to move on fromRyan Mallett, making it known so by drafting Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round of this past draft. Mallett had a high potential upside coming out in the 2011 draft, but never saw a meaningful snap and is now at the end of his rookie contract. The Patriots would certainly be willing to move him, but could find it difficult to get anything substantial for him.
Most would agree that none of these options represents a savior at quarterback, and all 32 teams are more or less set on their options for a starter in 2014. Even teams that have the least certain options at quarterback, such as the Vikings with Matt Cassel, the Texans with Ryan Fitzpatrick, or the Jets with Geno Smith have reason to pass on making a big move. The Vikings have hope of developing first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater. The Texans have a stopgap in Fitzpatrick, and head coach Bill O’Brien likely does not see any available options markedly better than the journeyman. The Jets have a better in-house option in Michael Vick in the event that Smith does not improve in 2014.
Even still, if a team less prepared to handle an injury to their top passer, these options could become very sought after. Other players, such as Drew Stanton of the Cardinals, Brock Osweiler of the Broncos, and Jason Campbell of the Bengals could also bring interest to a team desperate for some level of quarterback play to get through a rough patch. These players will likely not be seen as franchise quarterbacks to any team, but a front office could talk themselves into bringing one of these players in to salvage a season.
Cowboys‘ head coach Jason Garrett has been on the hot seat for a while, with a myriad of 8-8 finishes on his coaching résumé. He has finished with eight wins in each of his three full seasons as the team’s coach, after going 5-3 taking over for Wade Phillips in 2010. Garrett’s odds of being the first coach fired are set at 2/1, according to Bovada Sportsbook.
However, Garrett is far from the only coach who should be worried about his job. Raiders‘ coach Dennis Allen (4/1 odds) has been given the organizational mandate to win some football games, despite being saddled with below average talent on the roster. General manager Reggie McKenzie might have to fire Allen in order to buy himself some time to improve the depth chart.
Dolphins‘ coach Joe Philbin (7/1), Bills‘ coach Doug Marrone (8/1), and Jaguars‘ coach Gus Bradley (12/1) have yet to take their teams to the playoffs, and their owners will only accept that for so long.
Jets‘ coach Rex Ryan (10/1), Bengals‘ coach Marvin Lewis (20/1), and Falcon’s coach Mike Smith (20/1) are all in danger of being fired if they miss the playoffs in 2014, following various levels of disappointment over the past few seasons. Panthers‘ coach Ron Rivera (20/1), who is coming off a 12-4 season, but is set to take a step back, is also a possibility if the season goes south early.
ESPN’s Ron Jaworski made comments earlier this week that raised a few eyebrows, suggesting that he believed Cardinals signal-caller Logan Thomas has been the best rookie quarterback he’s seen so far this summer (link via Marc Sessler of NFL.com).
“When I plugged the tape in yesterday morning and I saw Logan Thomas, I was shocked,” Jaworski said on ESPN yesterday, referring to the Cards’ contest against Houston. “He was fantastic in this game. He’s big, strong and he can rip throws. … Of all the rookie quarterbacks that I’ve watched so far – yes, early in the preseason – Logan Thomas has been the best that I have seen.”
Even if Jaworski’s assessment of Thomas is spot-on, the sixth quarterback selected in this year’s draft may not have the opportunities for playing time that many of the guys selected ahead of him will have. Carson Palmer isn’t an elite QB, but for a Cardinals team expecting to compete for a postseason berth, he’s the more reliable option than the rookie at this point.
On the other hand, players like Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, and Derek Carr will play for teams who combined for a total of 17 wins in 2013. While the Browns, Vikings, Jaguars, and Raiders may have aspirations of a playoff spot, it would be somewhat surprising if any of those clubs actually earned one.
As such, those situations are more ripe for a rookie quarterback to receive a more significant opportunity, to help him develop and learn his new team’s system in preparation for contention in a year or two. Perhaps a strong performance from one of those rookie signal-callers in 2014 could even help his club contribute immediately.
Still, for now, veterans like Brian Hoyer, Matt Cassel, Chad Henne, and Matt Schaub remain penciled in as starters, so there’s no guarantee that any one of those rookies makes a huge impact this season. What do you think? Which rookie do you expect to have the most productive 2014 campaign?
It’s been a little over a week since we heard that a decision on Josh Gordon would be made in about one to three weeks, so an announcement from the league on the Browns wideout could come any day now. Facing a year-long suspension for repeated violations of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, Gordon and his representatives made the case at his appeal hearing earlier in training camp that the penalty was unwarranted, and that Gordon’s positive test – which barely passed the league’s strict threshold, was a result of second-hand smoke.
Given the way the league’s appeal system works, hearing officer Harold Henderson will have to make an all-or-nothing judgment on Gordon, either upholding the initial year-long suspension or wiping out the ban entirely, allowing the Browns receiver to play in Week 1 and beyond. As such, it was expected that the NFL and NFLPA would attempt to negotiate a settlement, perhaps reaching a compromise that saw Gordon’s suspension reduced, but not altogether eliminated.
As of last Thursday, no settlement talks between the two sides had taken place. However, there’s no guarantee that’s still the case, five days later. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report indicated yesterday that the league would “like to find a way” for Gordon to play for at least a portion of the 2014 season, in part because a year-long ban for a transgression most fans don’t view as significant would create bad PR for the NFL coming so closely on the heels of Ray Rice‘s modest two-game penalty for an ugly domestic abuse incident.
From the perspective of Browns fans – and fans of the NFL in general – a season without Gordon, who racked up an incredible 1,646 receiving yards in just 14 games last season, would be a huge disappointment, but there isn’t a ton of wiggle room when it comes to the league’s policy relating to substance abuse. So a settlement may be Gordon’s best chance of seeing the field this year.
What do you think? Will Gordon’s suspension eventually be upheld, eliminated, or reduced?
Earlier this weekend, both Jim and John Harbaugh went on the record to discuss their displeasure with practices being open to the media. The brothers think that reporters overstate the impact of in-practice fights as a result of a lack of substantial news during the monotonous days of training camp. The Ravens’ coach believes that “99 percent” of practice conduct is great and positive, and is disheartened by what he feels is disproportionate negativity in the media.
What do you think? Should NFL personnel have to put up with the fact that football is a business and the media deserves total access? Or has news coverage become so intrusive that it detracts from the product that teams are able to put on the field?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!
The NFC South was a two-team race in 2013, with the 12-4 Panthers ultimately eking out the division title over the 11-5 Saints. However, unlike in most of the NFL’s other divisions, the defending NFC South champions aren’t the frontrunners to take the crown again in 2014 — betting side Bovada.lv has New Orleans as the odds-on favorites to win the South.
The Saints certainly look good heading into the season, having added first-round wideout Brandin Cooks to an already explosive offense and signed star safety Jairus Byrd to fortify the secondary. But they aren’t a lock to win one of the league’s most intriguing divisions.
According to Bovada, the Panthers aren’t even the second-most likely club to win the South in 2014. That distinction goes to the Falcons, who won the division in 2012 before unexpectedly slipping to 4-12 last season. Having revamped their offensive and defensive lines this offseason – with rookie tackle Jake Matthews, guard Jon Asamoah, and defensive linemen Paul Soliai and Tyson Jackson among the new additions – the Falcons are poised to bounce back.
Another 2013 underperformer, the Buccaneers, shouldn’t be ruled out as a contender either. As our Zach Links detailed last night, Tampa Bay’s ’13 season was derailed by controversy surrounding then-coach Greg Schiano and then-quarterback Josh Freeman, but the club has made a number of interesting offseason moves, including signing defensive end Michael Johnson and drafting Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans. The Bucs’ success – or lack thereof – this coming season may hinge on Josh McCown‘s performance under center, since the roster is certainly loaded with plenty of talent at other positions.
And of course, last season’s division champs shouldn’t be overlooked. A candidate for regression, Carolina’s cap struggles forced the team to part ways with a few key contributors, including longtime Panther Steve Smith, and there are questions about whether Cam Newton will have enough weapons to utilize. But this is still a strong team, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, where few clubs have a scarier pass-rushing duo than Carolina’s Greg Hardy and Charles Johnson.
What do you think? Who wins the NFC South in 2014?
As is the case with most other divisions around the NFL, the team that wore the crown a year ago heads into the 2014 season as the favorite to do so again — last year, the 10-6 Eagles beat out the Cowboys and Giants for the NFC East division title, and Philadelphia is the frontrunner to take the division this year as well.
Few other divisions in football have been as balanced over the last decade than the NFC East, however. Within the last five seasons, all four teams have finished atop the East at least once, and in the last seven years, no club has won the division more than twice. While the Eagles, even without DeSean Jackson, are favored in 2014, their three challengers all have solid rosters, and could topple Philadelphia if things break right.
Last year’s runner-up – Dallas – has finished with an 8-8 record for three straight seasons, and the pressure will be on this season to improve upon that mark. The club had limited cap flexibility to make offseason upgrades, but made several signings on the defensive line, and added Zack Martin to a talented offensive line that already features multiple stars. There are question marks at a few areas on the field, particularly on the defensive side, where linebacker Sean Lee will miss the season. But the Cowboys have some upside.
So too do the Giants, who got off to a horrendous start in 2013 and couldn’t make it back to .500, as Eli Manning set a new career high in interceptions (27). With a new offensive coordinator and scheme in place, there’s optimism that Manning can limit the turnovers. And while there were plenty of veteran departures, the team was active in free agency adding replacements, including cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, running back Rashad Jennings, and guard Geoff Schwartz.
As for the Redskins, a 3-13 team a year ago, they aren’t viewed as a consensus cellar-dweller. Betting site Bovada.lv gives Washington 4:1 odds to win the East, just behind the Cowboys and Giants, and a healthy Robert Griffin III should singlehandedly boost the team’s win total. With receiving playmakers DeSean Jackson and Andre Roberts added to the mix, and a new coach and offensive coordinator on board, the Redskins’ offense could once again look like the exciting, dangerous unit we saw two years ago, during Griffin’s rookie season.
What do you think? Do any of last year’s non-playoff teams have the talent to take down the Eagles, or will Philadelphia become the NFC East’s first repeat division champion since 2004?
It was only a few years ago – in 2010 – that the 7-9 Seahawks won the NFC West, earning a playoff spot by virtue of a tiebreaker with the 7-9 Rams. The division may have been a punchline at that point, but much has changed since then. In 2013, the NFC West’s four teams combined for an impressive 42-22 record, while no other division in the conference even had a .500 overall record.
The Seahawks took advantage of a division win and a first-round bye, en route to a Super Bowl victory, and they’ll head into 2014 as the favorites to repeat. Having re-signed a handful of key contributors, including defensive end Michael Bennett, the club looks poised for another great season. But there are plenty of notable departures to consider as well – wide receiver Golden Tate, defensive end Chris Clemons, tackle Breno Giacomini, and cornerback Walter Thurmond were among the free agents who signed elsewhere, which could open the door for another team to take the division crown away from Seattle.
The top contender is likely San Francisco, a team that won 12 games of its own in the 2013 season and gave the Seahawks everything they could handle in the NFC Championship Game. Like their division rivals, the 49ers didn’t undergo a major roster overhaul in the offseason, with Antoine Bethea representing the club’s only real significant free agent addition. But there’s so much talent on both sides of the ball that the Niners enter the season as a legit Super Bowl contender without having made any major changes.
One of last year’s most surprising teams, the 11-win Cardinals, were unlucky to miss out on the playoffs, but turned plenty of heads by nearly keeping pace with the Seahawks and Niners all year long. While Arizona may be a candidate for regression in 2014, another strong season from Carson Palmer should keep the team competitive, and newly-signed tackle Jared Veldheer should help ensure that Palmer has the time he needs to find Larry Fitzgerald and co.
The dark horse in the West is St. Louis, the division’s only sub-.500 team last season. Because they’d acquired Washington’s first-round pick for the 2014 draft, the Rams were able to add potential stars on both sides of the ball, selecting offensive tackle Greg Robinson and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. In the NFL’s toughest division, the Rams will have an uphill battle to leapfrog the three clubs above them. However, the amount of talent on the roster, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines, will make St. Louis a tough team to play in 2014.
What do you think? Are the Seahawks headed for another division title, or can another NFC West club unseat them?