Linggo, Hulyo 31, 2022

Of course, the Nets would want much more than Brown. The ask probably starts with Marcus Smart and multiple picks, some unprotected swap rights, perhaps another young player. (The Nets should ask for Robert Williams III over Smart. Maybe they'd do that if talks ever develop further. Maybe they think Boston views Williams III as a non-starter.)

The Celtics might argue Brooklyn is not in a strong negotiating position. What's the best offer right now? The Toronto Raptors don't want to even discuss Scottie Barnes, sources say. Have Toronto and Brooklyn even had a detailed conversation?

Do we know for sure Phoenix has offered or will offer the best it can do for now: Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, four unprotected first-round picks and three swaps? Does Brooklyn have any interest in Miami Heat packages that don't include Bam Adebayo?

Suitors are waiting to see if Brooklyn concludes that kind of reunion is not possible. Durant could accelerate that process by publicly or privately explaining his trade request, and emphasizing he will not back off. Would such a stance mean sitting out -- as Ben Simmons did last season? I don't know. League insiders repeat the trope that Durant "is not wired that way" -- that he loves the game too much. But that is speculation. Time will tell.

Even if Durant reports, will he be content? Will he sulk? Will trade talk become a day-to-day distraction? The Nets may not want to live that scenario. It's draining. The wild card has always been whether Joe Tsai, the Nets governor, would ever mandate his front office just do a deal: take 70 cents on the dollar, end the melodrama, move on. Rival suitors are hoping for that kind of intervention.

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/34314810/lowe-jaylen-brown-kevin-durant-everything-need-know-potentially-massive-trade

[Sharp] someone forgot to tell Josh Allen’s teammate you DO NOT TOUCH the $258,000,000 QB after the whistle

https://twitter.com/SharpFootball/status/1553421768471240706

[MiamiSports] Tua to Tyreek Hill for a 65-yard touchdown at the @MiamiDolphins training camp just now.

https://twitter.com/SportsInMiami/status/1553405063762247682?s=20&t=fp1exCSr7a9APpP0d3bwSQ

Zach Randolph takes over and drops 31/11/2/1/0 in Game 6 to upset the #1 seeded Spurs as the 8 seed. This would be the Grizzlies first playoff series win in franchise history.

https://youtu.be/J-C0Dtxw-aQ

[Highlight] Wilt Chamberlain explains his late night escapades with the 20,000 women he's been with

https://ift.tt/iqTUI5W

Biyernes, Hulyo 29, 2022

[Wojnarowski] Free agent F Eric Paschall has agreed to a one-year deal with Minnesota, sources tell ESPN.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1553057272426909696

Metta World Peace explains how to run the Triangle Offense

https://ift.tt/5BbMzth

[TheVolumeSports]Draymond Green tried recruiting DeMar DeRozan to the Warriors during free agency in 2021. DeMar’s response: “F— no, I’m not coming there.”

SOURCE

Draymond Green tried recruiting DeMar DeRozan to the Warriors during free agency in 2021.

DeMar’s response: “F— no, I’m not coming there.”

TIMESTAMP:29:28

[Broncos] “After 🔟 seasons in the NFL, I’ve decided it’s time to step away from the game. Time for a new beginning"

https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1553032599953674241?t=EMjl9OBCUPazBjEkB9Zc3g&s=09

Charles Barkley: "All of a sudden, when guys start taking money, they're like 'I'm worried about civil rights in Saudi Arabia.' And that just makes me laugh. Why don't y'all worry about civil rights here in the United States?"

https://ift.tt/luPHZFk

[Newton] Sam Darnold arrives at practice to a shout from one fan ‘’that’s our starting quarterback there.’’

https://twitter.com/dnewtonespn/status/1553020865163436033?s=21&t=yaEGNgC62vTGV7cNLavOzw

Huwebes, Hulyo 28, 2022

LeBron James scores and assists on 35 of 36 straight second-half points in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals en route to 41-8-11, his second straight 41 point double-double.

https://ift.tt/nJz84SZ

[Urban] Kyler Murray with the surprise appearance with the media. It’s “disrespectful … almost a joke” that people could think he could’ve accomplished what he has without studying and preparing for the game. “This game is too hard” to do otherwise.

https://twitter.com/Cardschatter/status/1552705554606444544?t=Ou1TYu7QUwppAjBmAw6GUg&s=19

[Highlight] Jamal Murray with the MJ-esque layup on Lebron

https://ift.tt/mLHGjwb

[Amico] The Jazz do not have an interest in Knicks guard RJ Barrett as part of an exchange for Mitchell, per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report

Source

The Jazz and Knicks are still talking Donovan Mitchell trade, but the Jazz are being fairly picky. And that’s sort of the Danny Ainge way.RJ Barrett Isaiah Thomas

For instance, the Jazz do not have an interest in Knicks guard RJ Barrett as part of an exchange for Mitchell, per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report

[Jhabvala] The fan turnout for day 2 of Commanders training camp.

https://twitter.com/NickiJhabvala/status/1552668512795205633

r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season - #5-1

Welcome to the reveal for players ranked 5-1 for the r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season!

Players whose average rank landed them in places 5-1 are on this portion of the list revealed today. Players are associated with the team they finished playing for in 2021

Below you will see some write-ups from the rankers summarizing the players’ 2021 season and why they were among the best in 2021. Stats for each player are included below. Additionally, their ranks from previous years are available for y’all to see

METHODOLOGY

Link to more detailed writeup on our methodology

Step 1: A Call to Rankers right after the Super Bowl
Step 2: Rankers from each team nominated players to rank, with a 10 game minimum threshold. Players are associated with the team they played for in 2021
Step 3: The Grind. We instructed users to tier positions groups into T25, T50, etc based on 2021 regular season play only. This took several weeks as the rankers tiered each position group and discussed them. There were no individual player threads and no arbitrary position caps. Just questions and rankings.
Step 4: Users submitted their own personal Top 125 lists.
Step 5: User lists were reviewed by myself, u/mattkud , and u/MikeTysonChicken . The rankers were expected to answer questions about their lists. They were allowed to make any changes to their list, and were not forced to make any changes
Step 6: The Reveal… where we are now!

And without further ado, here are the players ranked 5-1 in the r/nfl Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season!

#5 - Trent Williams - San Francisco 49ers - Offensive Tackle

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
19	N/A	N/A	N/A	16	70	87	42	N/A

Key Stat

Highest ever graded season by PFF (96.6)

Written by: u/scmsf49

In 2014, Trent Williams met with a team doctor after discovering a growth he feared could be a tumor. He was told it was a cyst and he didn’t really need to worry about it and he decided not to get it removed. The growth got bigger over time, and Williams inquired about it with the team doctor on numerous occasions, being told the same thing each time. In early 2019 it became clear that the cyst was, in fact, a tumor. After a few tests, Williams' doctors reached out and told him they needed to see him immediately. He went into that meeting scared that he was going to be told he had to stop playing football, but realized the severity of the situation when he saw nurses with tears in their eyes unable to look directly at him while he was waiting for the doctor. He left that meeting with the instruction to get his affairs in order, now wondering who he was going to ask to raise his daughters when he was gone.

When the cancer (Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans) was removed, doctors said Williams was only weeks away from it metastasizing through his skull. His life was in genuine danger because of how long this had been allowed to develop. Williams was nevertheless relentless in his pursuit to return to football, though he was unable to physically exert himself at all during his recovery. Getting through this entire ordeal and returning to the game of football was far less assured than anyone might realize. Williams playing his best football (and some of the best the game has ever seen) at age 33 despite all of that is nearly unbelievable. To put into perspective how ridiculous that is even without accounting for the cancer, Trent’s biggest competition for the title of best tackle of his era retired at 33. It doesn’t even seem possible for him to play any better than this next season, but no one expected him to somehow play better this season after signing a monster contract last offseason.

There is no single season record for an offensive lineman to shatter. There’s no 2000 rushing yards equivalent or 20 sack threshold. To appreciate the dominance of Trent Williams, you really have to watch him do his job. Williams is one of the best players in the NFL today and is coming off as close to a perfect season, particularly as a run blocker, as we’ll probably ever see. This is how effective the 49ers were at running the ball with a running back in a given direction. That’s what Trent Williams does for this football team.

Williams is an offensive lineman with a highlight reel. This includes things like a 2 for 1 special against the AFC Champions, something Williams was regularly able to do- take one guy out of the play and immediately move on to a new target. Here’s Williams throwing a full-sized human being. another regular occurrence. If you look hard enough, there are even single game highlight reels like this 5 play montage against the Seahawks(h/t @BrandonThornNFL). One of the more memorable developments this season for Williams was his new role as an offensive tackle in motion, something that feels like overkill but it sure does look cool. Something to watch for in the future is Williams adding a receiving touchdown to this highlight reel, since he did technically receive an endzone target this year in a blowout.

He’s already proven his loyalty to Trey Lance by killing a man to set up Lance’s first career rushing touchdown in what was an extremely gutsy call - going for the TD as time expires down 17 knowing you receive the ball after the half, but that’s the kind of thing you can do when Trent Williams is your left tackle. That play is over when Williams is able to get into open space, there's no stopping him there. He said he mostly spaced out for this play and was just taking out his anger over the previous play, when he felt he was the reason Garoppolo got hit on an incompletion and he didn’t even realize what happened until Trey handed him the ball. Speaking of Trey, the quarterback change should be exciting for fans of offensive lineman highlights and plays like this that combine Lance’s mobility with the unfair speed of Trent Williams are sure to happen on a regular basis. An isolated defender in the kill range of the one they call Silverback has no chance for survival.

A player overlooked for major awards his entire career is finally getting his flowers in the form of what is somehow his first ever first team all-pro selection, the highest individual player grade in the history of Pro Football Focus (among all positions) and a 138 million dollar contract he has all intentions of playing out. Kyle Shanahan told Williams when the deal was signed he wanted him to go out and earn that sixth year (33 million dollars). After this season, I’m not doubting that. If an offensive lineman is going to be worth 33 million dollars in their age 38 season, it’s this one. As an added bonus, Trent Williams was the first offensive lineman to join the 99 clubl in Madden. All of this is warranted. Hell, it’s probably still underselling him. Williams had a phenomenal career in Washington, but he’s looking to make his post-30, post-cancer San Francisco tenure even more impressive, and he’s off to a hell of a start.

#4 - Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers - Quarterback

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
1	73	95	N/A	11	29	2	26	3

Key Stat

Over the past two seasons, he has thrown 38 Touchdowns and 0 interceptions against NFC North opponents

Written by: u/futur3perfect

Introduction

The man. The myth. The legend. Aaron Rodgers has been performing at a high level for 17 years now. He is also the only member of the 2005 NFL draft class who is still under contract. The fact that he is playing so well, at the same age when Peyton Manning fell off a cliff into his second Super Bowl ring, would be astounding in and of itself if it wasn’t for some guy named Tom Brady.

Entering the 2021 season, the Packers had put together back-to-back 13-3 seasons under new head coach Matt LaFleur, winning the NFC North each year but flaming out in the NFC Championship Game. Rodgers was also coming off of his first MVP season since 2014. Would this be the season where he defended his MVP and finally got over the Super Bowl hump?

Season

It was a memorable season, both on and off the field. It certainly didn’t start out well. Perhaps resting starters during the pre-season has some downsides, as the week 1 game against Jameis Winston and the Saints was a disaster. You didn’t have to squint to tell who looked like the better QB. Rodgers was 15/28, threw 2 interceptions, and had only 133 yards as the Packers lost 38-3. Jameis threw 5 TDs. After the game, people starting questioning whether Rodgers was finally showing his age. Aaron, in his post-game comments, said it was only one game. That proved prophetic, as after week 1 Rodgers looked like his old self with bounce back games against Detroit (22/28, 255 yards, 4 TDs) and SF (23/33, 261 yards, 2 TDs).

Week after week, Rodgers lit up the efficiency stats. His yardage numbers were not eye-popping, but he kept on throwing TDs, avoiding interceptions, and the team kept winning. There was a small hiccup in week 9, when an“immunized” but unvaccinated Rodgers was out for COVID. The Packers started Jordan Love and scored a total of 7 points in a 13-7 loss to Mahomes and the Chiefs. Unfortunately, we have still not seen Patrick Mahomes vs. Aaron Rodgers (outside of the golf course) as Pat missed their match-up in 2019.

After coming back from COVID (and showing the world his feet), Rodgers had an iffy start in week 10. He went 23/37 for 292 yards and threw an uncharacteristic interception with 0 TDs. No worries, though, as the Packers rolled the Seahawks 17-0. And in week 11, despite losing to Minnesota, Rodgers had one of his best games of the season, throwing for 385 yards and 4 TDs.

If there's one way to describe how Rodgers play, it's that he makes it look easy. He's the Federer of football, poetry in action. He throws from the pocket. He throws on the run. Despite his age, he can still move, like when he juked out Jalen Ramsey in the Pack's week 12 win over the future Super Bowl champions. He has elite vision and a cannon for an arm. Check out this throw to Tonyan through traffic in week 2. Seriously, if you watch nothing else, watch that highlight. It's unreal how he zips that ball in there.

If you didn’t see him week in and week out, you might think that Rodgers is too conservative. People think he doesn’t take enough shots down field due to his low INT numbers and his reputation for throwing the ball away. But they're wrong. He repeatedly throws deep and puts the ball into windows so small that they’d feel at home on a doll house. It's just that he makes it look so easy, it can be hard to recognize how difficult it is. By the end of the season, Rodgers and the Packers were 13-4 (Rodgers went 13-2 when he played the whole game) and kings of the NFC North once again. This regular season success was all the more impressive based on the amount of injuries they had to overcome: superstars Za'Daruis Smith, David Bakhtiari, and Jaire Alexander missed practically the entire season. Both Robert Tonyan and Elgton Jenkins missed over half of the season. But Rodgers' fantastic play and mind-meld with Davante Adams helped overcome a challenging year.

Final stats for Rodgers’ 2021 season are as follows:
4115 yards (10th)
68.93% completion percentage (3rd)
111.9 passer rating (1st)
69.1 QBR (1st)
89.6 PFF grade (4th)
37 TDs (4th)
4 INTs (1st)

Remember that 2 of those INTs were in the week 1 debacle against the Saints. After that point, he threw 37 TDs to 2 INTs. As other MVP candidates faltered down the stretch, Rodgers kept on producing and went on to win his 2nd MVP award in a row. People like to bring up Brady, who had a fantastic season as well, but what Rodgers lacked in volume he more than made up for on a play-by-play basis and advanced metrics. As this article from Bill Huber details, if Rodgers had the same number of attempts as Brady, he would have thrown for 5,572 yards and 50 touchdowns!

Legacy

Aaron Rodgers is a sure-fire hall-of-famer and has been for years. His place as a top 5 QB of all-time should not be in question. He is the first player to win back-to-back MVPs since Peyton Manning in 2008-2009. If he three-peats next year, he would be the only player to do it in the entire history of the NFL other than the last hall of fame Packer QB…Brett Favre. He would also tie Peyton’s record with his 5th overall. That is something to play for. Along with his TD and efficiency numbers, this would give him an almost unassailable case as the most talented QB of all time and, in my opinion, put him solidly #2 behind Tom Brady in the GOAT debate.

But he will have an uphill battle for a 3rd MVP in a row. His defense is good, probably even great, which is not something that has been true for most of his career. But the offense has big question marks. The departure of Davante Adams puts a huge spotlight on a wide receiver room that has no true cut #1, and maybe not even a true #2. The recent placing of David Bakhtiari on the PUP list makes you wonder if the all-pro LT will ever see the field again. So if Rodgers can put up similar numbers as he did the last two years, based on the level of difficulty, he should win his 3rd MVP in a row. But that is a BIG if.

More important for his legacy, perhaps, is getting that second ring. Despite his excellence, Rodgers’ run of incredible regular seasons has only been matched by the disappointment he has found in the postseason. Back in 2010, it seemed inevitable that he would be back in the Super Bowl before too long. But the years kept rolling by and despite some amazing plays the playoff frustrations continued. Rodgers is not the reason for many of the heartbreaking losses over the years, though he should shoulder some of the blame for merely being good instead of great. But he has, undoubtedly, been good enough to make a couple more Super Bowls. Compare his numbers to Brady in the 2021 NFC Championship Game:

Brady. 20-36, 280 YDS, 3 TD, 3 INT.

Rodgers. 33-48, 346 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT.

Without knowing more, it would be easy to assume the Packers, and not the Bucs, won. But we all know how it ended.

Now that the Jorden Love fiasco is over and the Packers re-committed to Rodgers this offseason and made him the highest-paid player in the NFL (aav is just over $50 million a year), it seems likely he will finish his career in GB. So the main question becomes: can he get that elusive second ring? If he wins another one, there’s a distinct chance he could retire on top. Either way, when the end comes, it will be a sad day. Year in and year out, Rodgers has been a baaad man and does things with the football that I’ve never seen anyone else do. So sit back, enjoy the ride, and whatever happens, don’t forget to that Rodgers still owns the Bears.

#3 - T.J. Watt - Pittsburgh Steelers - EDGE Rusher (EDGE)

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
4	9	72	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Key Stat

First person to lead the league in sacks in consecutive seasons since Reggie White in 1987-88

Written by: u/KyleC66

Trent Jordan Watt continues to be one of the most underrated and disrespected players in the NFL even after having an all-time great season. He was the Defensive Player of the year and tied the NFL sack record (22.5 sacks) while only playing in 15 games. His 2021 campaign was full of ups and downs coming off multiple hamstring injuries that nagged him all season while continuing to produce at a nearly unstoppable pace. TJ has put himself in the grasp of becoming the Steelers all-time sack leader and is cementing his legacy in Pittsburgh, where defenses have reigned supreme. He is now the 7th player in franchise history be awarded DPOY following in the footsteps of Steelers greats like Joe Greene (2-time), Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Rod Woodson, James Harrison, and Troy Polamalu. With the kind of pedigree and motor that TJ possess I expect him to continue to grow and cement himself in the history books over the next 3-6 years as another all-time great Steeler.

It all started when TJ was passed up by 29 other teams coming out of the University of Wisconsin in the 2017 draft where he was drafted 30th overall by Kevin Colbert & Co. Listed at 6’4, 252lbs, many were worried he was not a twitchy athlete and his lack of snaps at OLB, which he had only played for 2 seasons at Wisconsin after being recruited as a TE. His 2017 campaign was nothing to sniff at for a rookie with 7 sacks, 1 interception (in his first game) and 1 forced fumble. His growth continued, making his first Pro Bowl in 2018 after recording 13 sacks and 6 forced fumbles, this is when he started to perfect his patented punch. In 2019 he got his first All-Pro, while also ranking 3rd in DPOY and receiving his 2nd Pro Bowl after logging 14.5 sacks, 2 int, and logging an NFL leading 8 forced fumbles. 2020 it is arguable that he should have won DPOY instead of Aaron Donald, leading the NFL with 15 sacks and 23 TFL and forcing 2 fumbles. In 2020 he also recorded his 2nd straight All-Pro and 3rd Pro Bowl appearance. TJ has continued to grow every year in his somewhat short career and at the age of 27 has not even scratched the surface of how dominant he could become.

2021 was a year for the record books, in which the NFL sack record should have been broken but due to some sketchy refereeing it was only tied, and it was almost broken with only 15 games played. TJ’s stats speak for themselves, He led the league with 22.5 sacks and 21 TFLs, while also recording 5 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries; and in the playoff loss against the Chiefs his first defensive touchdown. These stats do not tell the entire story of how much of an impact TJ provided to the Steelers. His nose for game changing plays is what truly made this a special season for Watt. For example, lets take a look during this overtime thriller against the Seattle Seahawks, TJ brings down Geno Smith and forces a fumble on the play putting the Steelers in FG range to end the game. Against the Ravens in Week 13, on a crucial 2 point conversion, TJ forced a poor throw from Lamar Jackson to end the game. These are a few moments where Watt just is an absolute monster and imposes his will on others. His production over the last 3 years is nearly unmatched and the amount of game changing plays are what makes Watt not just productive but truly a force to be reckoned with. It is hard to say how many sacks Watt could have had this season due to his injuries, but he was averaging 1.2 per game. It’s almost impossible to think Watt wouldn’t have gotten at least a half sack against the Chargers, Bengals, or half the Lions game. TJ could have had 25+ sacks this year if he was healthy all year.

At the young age of 27, Watt still realistically has 8 more years of high-level play and with 72 career sacks and 22 forced fumbles he could easily end up in the top 10 in either. With the continuation of growth on this Steelers team it’s likely that Watt will have a team around him that will allow him to thrive and grow even more. TJ will continue the legacy of amazing 3-4 pass rushers and exemplify what it is to bleed black and gold!

#2 - Cooper Kupp - Los Angeles Rams - Wide Receiver

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
N/A	82	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Key Stat

First player since 1992 to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TD’s with no ties

Written by: u/PhAnToM444

Introduction

The scrappiest of players. Brings a lunch pail so big it bullies your lunch pail for money. He's not a gym rat, he is the gym. Not the first in or last out, because sleeps under Sean McVay's desk. The kind of guy you'd want to date your daughter, but too late he already did.

Cooper Kupp did something so transcendent that we're lucky to get two of these types of seasons in the NFL per decade. Not only is he the fourth player in the modern era to take home a triple crown, and the third WR to ever win OPOY, and the ninth to win Super Bowl MVP, he shattered records on the way. In the same way that you did when you watched 2007 Tom Brady, or 1983 Eric Dickerson, or 2006 LT, Cooper Kupp stuck out like a sore thumb in every game. It was just immediately apparent that “oh he’s just better than all of the other guys and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it.” Everyone knew exactly where the ball was going, and it didn’t matter.

Now, playoffs aren't a part of these rankings, but they simply have to be brought up here. He somehow separated himself from the field even further. The previous total yards record including the postseason was 1,977, set by Larry Fitzgerald in 2008. Cooper Kupp had 2,425. The previous record for total receptions was 156 set by Michael Thomas in 2019. Cooper Kupp had 178. This was the best overall WR season in NFL history, and if you ask me, it's not even particularly close. Most of the previous WR records were very “spiky” seasons, with one category being very impressive but the others more mediocre. Or a large amount of volume came from a handful of outlier games. Or they didn’t continue to contribute into the postseason.

Kupp’s 2021 was consistently dominant across the board, and will be one for the history books. And to think he did it taking most of his snaps from the slot, it’s unbelievable. If you showed me that game log before the season, I’d have thought it was someone’s 99 Davante Adams in Madden Rookie mode.

I look forward to another season that makes enemy combatants say things like:

“I know people don’t believe Kupp is a top 5 WR but that’s because they smoke crack”

“Well, that's how he gets open. He reads defenses better than most QB's. Got it.”

And “It pisses me off how good he is”

Legacy

So where does this leave Kupp moving forward — aside from forever cemented as a Rams legend, an inevitable 30 for 30 episode, and one of the greatest displays of football skill to ever grace the gridiron? It's actually kind of hard to say. Even though Kupp has always been very good, and extremely underrated… how do you project a player’s future after that massive of an outlier season?

With that said, this doesn’t feel like a flash in the pan. Nothing about what Kupp did last season felt unsustainable or particularly lucky. It seemed to be a result of wildly improved QB play, a revitalized offensive system, and a bona fide leap in skill that took him to his full potential. Barring a disaster, Kupp should continue to carry a lot of fantasy teams, act as one of the most reliable receivers in the league, and keep building on a mid-career push for the Hall.

The Rams locked Kupp up this offseason through 2026, so we’ll have plenty of time to watch what could become the most dominant QB/WR connection continue to develop and flourish for years to come. Start making the cast for the bronze statue now. I can’t wait.

#1 - Aaron Donald - Los Angeles Rams - Interior Defensive Line (IDL)

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
2	3	1	1	1	2	43	N/A	N/A

Key Stat

Despite being double teamed on 66% of his snaps, still had a 26% pass rush win rate highest in the NFL among DTs

Written by: u/Projinator

Another year has passed, and we're a year closer to Aaron Donald being universally considered for the greatest defensive player of all time. While plenty of people, myself included, have him in that conversation already there are still folks out there who think he's in a tier below. AD is the beacon of consistency, and I don't feel that it's appropriate to leave this write up as just a synopsis of just this season. His seasons are all largely similar. He remains far and away the most productive defensive lineman in the league, doubled at the highest rates in the league while leading the league in pressure rates. He once again makes his supporting cast a tier better, even 1st ballot HOFers in Von Miller who struggled with injuries and some dip in production had an immediate resurgence after playing next to Donald. No, instead of droning on about things we already know, I'm going to be making my case on what Donald needs to do to be the greatest defensive player of all time.

For starters, lets take a gander at the above listing of accolades. His 7th selection to the AP All-Pro 1st team puts him 3 selections behind tying Jerry Rice and Jim Otto for the record. At the age of 31, he has a real shot at getting this record. He just needs one more selection to tie the record for the most 1st team selections for a defensive player, joining Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Schmidt, and Bill George as the current defensive leaders with 8 selections. His 8th consecutive selection to the Pro Bowl is tied with new teammate Bobby Wagner for the longest active streak in the NFL, however he still needs 6 more consecutive appearances to tie the record with fellow Ram Merlin Olsen at 14, and a 7th additional appearance would have him tie the record for most Pro Bowl appearances at 15 with Tom Brady (unless that bastard keeps playing well).

Last year during this write up, I made some assumptions that Donald would need to accomplish over the next three years to become the undisputed (or as undisputed as reasonably possible) GOAT. Those assumptions were that he'd maintain his average of 11 sacks per year, which he exceeded by 1.5 by nabbing 12.5 for the year. I also made the assumption that he'd make the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, both of which occurred. The only item he wasn't able to accomplish last year was win the Defensive Player of the Year, something that took a defensive end tying the sack record to take away from him. A 4th DPOY award would break the tie and give him the record for the most such awards in NFL history.

As we're all aware, Donald checked the last missing accolade of his list in 2021, winning the Super Bowl. Though he was not given the Super Bowl MVP, it's inarguable that he wasn't just as deserving of it as Kupp and managed to seal the game away in its final moments, a moment that will forever be iconic and will be the first play mentioned during his HOF induction. Donald getting a ring while in the back half of his prime is something that has cemented his name in the conversation amongst GOATs. It was the one thing that separated him from Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White, and now that he has that chip the only remaining question is this; does Donald want to keep playing? Shortly after winning the Super Bowl the conversation shifted around Donald as his threat of retirement became real. The picture at least is more clear with his new raise, but he only remains under contract for the next three years.

Your guess is as good as mine, but I think Donald is the type of player that will keep playing until he physically can't anymore, and being within marginal distance of being the greatest of all time has to be a motivating factor, and lets face it; it's an accomplishment that is well within reach. A defensive tackle with 10 1st Team All-Pros, 15 Pro Bowl Appearances, 1 SB ring, 4 DPOYs, and 150+ sacks will be extremely hard to argue against being the GOAT, and if Aaron Donald remains healthy over the next three seasons while playing an additional two seasons at sub-prime levels, all these accolades are will within reach.

Join us next week for the post-mortem thread, where we’ll release the complete list from every ranker, breakdown the composition of the full list, and more

Link to Positional Tracker Sheet

Link to Ranker Reveal Sheet

Link to Hub

[Scotto] There’s a school of thought from some that Brooklyn could get under the luxury tax by moving both Durant and Irving. While Joe Tsai has clearly shown a willingness to pay the luxury tax for a championship-contending team, it may appeal less to him it's merely a playoff calibre team.

I don’t think deep down in their hearts within the organization that the Nets want to move Durant. That’s why the asking price is so exorbitant.

Jaylen Brown would represent, in my opinion, as of now, the best individual player that they could potentially get back for Kevin Durant. Brown could be an All-Star player for the next seven years. From Boston’s perspective, Derrick White is expendable following the trade to acquire Malcolm Brogdon. Nets general manager Sean Marks has long been a fan of Marcus Smart from afar, according to league sources. I’d also say Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard would appeal more from their salaries compared to White and given their ages and upside. Ime Udoka also enjoyed coaching Durant in Brooklyn.

https://hoopshype.com/lists/nets-celtics-rumors-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving-jaylen-brown-marcus-smart-grant-williams/

Most Rushing Yards By A QB In NFL History

https://ift.tt/4CYdnta

[Kleiman] The Patriots offensive play-caller is former Lions head coach Matt Patricia, according to the NFL Network. Patricia called the plays on the 1st day of Patriots camp and is listed as the Senior football advisor/Offensive line coach on the team

https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1552647813707681792?t=wIYpYchxBRcC99eZiVg7qA&s=19

Miyerkules, Hulyo 27, 2022

[Detroit Lions] Dan Campbell joins in for some Up Downs to start camp

https://twitter.com/Lions/status/1552282364679684103?s=20&t=kAuEpPVCe4cdoX3SrYWeHQ

[Smith] Kyle Rudolph says Tom Brady called him earlier in the summer to say, “We need you down here.”

https://twitter.com/ScottSBucs/status/1552304956924887041

[Kayla Burton] So far the connection between #Patriots QB Mac Jones and WR DeVante Parker is evident. Parker catching a couple of TD passes in red zone offenses here at Training Camp. Oh, and he’s loving his new crowd.

https://twitter.com/Kay_Breezy22/status/1552300313247465472

Kendrick Perkins with a sick behind the back feed… straight to Kobe.

https://youtu.be/qhFjjSunRGw

Our boy big Perk was just the gift that kept on giving back in the day.

By Giving I mean giving Thunder fans anxiety

And the other teams the ball when he inevitably turns it over when he tries to do too much.

Good times… Miss ya big guy.

[Nehm] The Bucks have released their new "Fear the Deer" Statement Edition jerseys for the 2022-23 season.

Source

The Bucks have released their new "Fear the Deer" Statement Edition jerseys for the 2022-23 season.

Some additional images

Not gonna lie, these are fucking solid.

A much-needed NBA jersey W after the hyper-minimalist Jazz and Cavs jerseys.

[Alex Kozora on Twitter] Najee Harris says he didn’t found out from Mike Tomlin he’d be a Steeler. His first phone call congratulating him came from Snoop Dogg.

https://twitter.com/alex_kozora/status/1551605972271071234?s=21&t=4hM6x-hVShqLwbSeWJp_og

[Rapoport] The #Bucs have officially signed FA WR Julio Jones, giving him a 1-year deal worth $6M base salary with a max value of $8M, source says.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1552304120639406080

[Daniels] Matt Patricia has a walkie-talkie and is calling offensive plays here at practice during this full-team period

https://twitter.com/MarkDanielsPJ/status/1552300841360506880

2022 Offseason Review Series: Kansas City Chiefs

Hello! My name is MahomestoHel-aire (shoutout to those of you who get the pun) and this is the official r/nfl Offseason Review for the Kansas City Chiefs. This is my first time doing this, however, I did have a past life writing several in-depth guides for Madden forums, so I am sort of familiar with the territory you could say. I put a lot of work into this with the goal of making it a worthwhile read for both Chiefs fans and non-fans alike of all levels of knowledge, so I sincerely hope you enjoy. It is quite long, just an FYI, so I’m going to shorten up a few of the sections in the main post and expand on them in the comments. Many thanks to the writer for the Bills u/ThePizzaDevourer for that idea. Let’s get into it!

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Division: AFC West (colloquially known as The Division of Death)

Previous Season Results: 12-5, 2nd seed, lost in the AFC Championship

Coaching Changes - Hirings (detailed analysis in the linked comment - will be added shortly)

Name	Previous Team	Previous Position	New Position	Grade
Matt Nagy	Chicago Bears	Head Coach	QB Coach	C
Joe Cullen	Jacksonville Jaguars	Defensive Coordinator	Defensive Line Coach	B-
Brendon Daly	N/A	Defensive Line Coach	Linebackers Coach	B+
Rod Wilson	Coastal Carolina	Inside Linebackers Coach	Defensive Assistant	B+

Coaching Changes - Firings

Nobody! Though I would like to give a massive thanks to Mike Kafka, even though he will never see this, who did an excellent job as the QB coach for several years before being hired as the new OC for the New York Giants. Much of the fanbase figured he would be the heir to Reid and it was sad to see him go.

Players Lost - Free Agency (2021 primary starters in bold)

Name	Position	New Team/FA/Retired
Austin Blythe	C/OG	Seattle Seahawks
Anthony Hitchens	MLB	Free Agent
Mike Hughes	CB	Detroit Lions
Melvin Ingram	DE	Miami Dolphins
Kyle Long	OG	Free Agent
Tyrann Mathieu	S	New Orleans Saints
Ben Niemann	LB	Arizona Cardinals
Dorian O'Daniel	LB	Free Agent
Alex Okafor	DE	Free Agent
Byron Pringle	WR	Chicago Bears
Jarran Reed	DT	Green Bay Packers
Mike Remmers	OT/OG	Free Agent
Demarcus Robinson	WR	Las Vegas Raiders
Daniel Sorensen	S	New Orleans Saints
Charvarius Ward	CB	San Francisco 49ers
Armani Watts	S	Indianapolis Colts
Darrel Williams	RB	Arizona Cardinals

Players Lost - Traded (2021 primary starters in bold)

Name	Position	New Team	Compensation
Tyreek Hill	WR	Miami Dolphins	2022 1st, 2022 2nd, 2022 4th, 2023 4th, 2023 6th

Who we'll miss: (at the link - will be added shortly)

Who we wish well but are happy to see go: (at the link - will be added shortly)

Players Signed - Futures

Name	Position
Omar Bayless	WR
Dicaprio Bootle	CB
Cortez Broughton	DT
Matt Bushman	TE
Shilque Calhoun	LB
Brandin Dandridge	CB
Austin Edwards	DE
Daurice Fountain	WR
Jordan Franks	TE
Josh Gordon	WR
Darius Harris	LB
Gary Jennings Jr.	WR
Roderick Johnson	OT
Devon Key	S
Cornell Powell	WR
Mark Vital	TE

Players Signed - Re-signed (projected starters in bold):

Name	Position	Years	Total Salary
Blake Bell	TE	1	1.27 million
Chad Henne	QB	1	3.26 million
Jerick McKinnon	RB	1	1.27 million

Notable Re-signings:

There are surprisingly zero re-signed players who are projected to start, but all three could find themselves in a significant role down the line. Blake Bell is projected to be the TE2 again alongside Kelce in two TE sets, which is always useful, however, those plays are likely to be rare and Jody Fortson could definitely take that spot from him. More on that in a bit. Jerick McKinnon meanwhile won’t be a starter straight away, but he very well could be eventually, however, it is quite the crowded RB room. For now, he seemed to have showed enough last year to where the Chiefs were willing to hold onto him. Finally, Chad Henne looks to slot in behind Mahomes as the superstar’s backup once again, and will get the types of playing time that a QB2 usually does.

Players Signed - New Signings (projected starters in bold)

Name	Position	Previous Team	Years	Total Salary
Deon Bush	S	Chicago Bears	1	1.18 million
Jermaine Carter	LB	Carolina Panthers	1	1.77 million
Geron Christian	OT	Houston Texans	1	1.18 million
Corey Coleman	WR	New York Giants	1	965,000
Ronald Jones II	RB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1	1.50 million
Evin Ksiezarczyk	OT	Buffalo Bills	Unknown	Unknown
Elijah Lee	LB	Cleveland Browns	1	1.05 million
Justin Reid	S	Houston Texans	3	31.5 million
Austin Reiter	C	Los Angeles Rams	1	1.03 million
JuJu Smith-Schuster	WR	Pittsburgh Steelers	1	3.25 million
Taylor Stallworth	DT	Indianapolis Colts	1	1.18 mil
David Steinmetz	OT	Washington Football Team	Unknown	Unknown
Marquez Valdes-Scantling	WR	Green Bay Packers	3	30 million

Notable signings:

Justin Reid - Justin Reid isn’t Tyrann Mathieu, but he’s certainly going to try to be, as their de facto replacement for him in the Chiefs lineup. From everything that I’ve read about him, the former Houston Texan seems to do his best work when the defense isn’t fully reliant on him to play well, such as in 2018, when he had his best year of his career to this point (3 picks, 10 PD, 2 FR, 2 TFL and 88 combined tackles). That shouldn’t be an issue for the Chiefs, who have a good core of young DB’s that can hold their own. He’s also versatile, able to play all over the field, but will likely stick to his main position of FS more often than not, which will hopefully help as well.

Juju Smith Schuster - JuJu also does his best work when he has teammates around him who can take the pressure off, and the Chiefs have that in spades at receiver, as well as a QB that excels at getting the ball to his receivers by any means necessary. While his last full season wasn’t bad at all (97 receptions for 831 yards and 9 TD’s) he hasn’t quite yet found that 2018 form yet (111, 1426 and 7). But if there’s anyone that can unlock his full potential, it’s Reid and Kansas City.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling - MVS was a YPR stud in his four years with Aaron Rodgers, tallying 123 catches in each of his four years as a Packer and averaging a stunning 17.5 yards per catch. That said, his catch percentages were less than stunning, with his career mark hovering at just under 50%, so the Chiefs coaching staff will need to work with him on that. At the end of the day though, MVS still has that deep play ability, and Mahomes is one of the few QB’s in the league who can do just as much with that as Rodgers could.

Ronald Jones II - Jones II got the really short end of the stick last season, barely getting any reps in multiple games early on before eventually being replaced entirely by Leonard Fournette. Still, he showed off what he could do the year prior, with 978 rushing yards, 7 rushing TD’s and an excellent 5.1 YPC. The fifth year vet will likely slot behind CEH as the team’s primary RB2 and third down/goalline back, similar to the role Darrel Williams held for a couple years. That said, he is also likely the player next in line for CEH’s spot, should the latter disappoint or have to miss any time.

Taylor Stallworth - The Chiefs might have picked up a one year wonder in Stallworth, or they found an up and comer who could find himself in a rotational spot. Long thought of as a pass rush specialist who was a major liability against the run, Stallworth turned it around in a big way last year, tallying 12 run stops with career highs in sacks (3.0), tackles (16), TFL (4) and QB hits (12). With the Chiefs struggling to find defensive line help, the future is unknown but potentially bright for the soon to be 27 year old.

Players Traded For

Name	Position	Previous Team	In Exchange For
Lonnie Johnson Jr.	CB	Houston Texans	2023 7th

Draft

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
1	21	Trent McDuffie	CB	Washington

McDuffie was a projected Top 15 pick that dropped several spots lower than expected, which is automatically a plus. He’s not necessarily the size that Veach or Spags typically like, but that honestly signifies more than anything that the team has a lot of confidence in his athleticism, versatility and in particular, his intelligence. I expect him to be an immediate starter in the slot, with the ceiling of an All-Rookie selection. Grade: A-

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
1	30	George Karlaftis	DE	Purdue

Karlaftis gets hate he doesn’t deserve simply because drafting him meant the Chiefs didn’t get a WR in the first round. That said, he was absolutely a better value than just about anyone left on that board, WR’s included. The Chiefs desperately needed an NFL-ready DE with a good floor and they got one in Karlaftis. He’s a pure power rusher with some serious strength and, to use a buzzword that the draft broadcasts loved, a crazy high motor. Not to mention: he’s only 21. Barring anything crazy, he should be the Chiefs Week 1 starter opposite Frank Clark. Grade: A

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
2	54	Skyy Moore	WR	Western Michigan

I did some serious research before the draft into the wide receivers I really wanted and felt would be a perfect fit in the Chiefs offense, regardless of round projection. In the end, I came up with three: Jameson Williams, Garrett Wilson and Skyy Moore. For those of you who don’t remember, there were three WR’s drafted in the four picks before the Chiefs took Skyy Moore, and the Chiefs actually traded down from the spot where the first of those three WR’s were taken. Veach has said they were fine with taking any of them, but I was not. I wanted Moore. Why? Because he fills in a LOT of gaps that Hill left behind. He isn’t as fast as Hill, but his release and ability to separate quickly are top notch. He can line up all over the field, including in the backfield, and has some great CIT skills for a smaller guy. And he’s still very much fast, with a 4.41 40. It will be quite interesting to see how exactly the Chiefs utilize their four main WR’s and who will wind up sitting the bench more than they see the field, but regardless of what happens this season, Moore is the type of player who can be a key weapon for Mahomes for many, many years. Grade: A

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
2	62	Bryan Cook	S	Cincinnati

Cincinnati had easily one of the best defenses in college football in 2021, in large part to safety Sauce Gardner, who was drafted 4th overall, but also guys like Brian Cook. Cook is a hard hitter who tackles extremely well while still staying reliable in coverage, which already sounds like an upgrade to Sorensen. That said, his athletic upside and versatility is limited, and he was a bit of a stretch that they probably could have waited for if they still really wanted him. I see him likely being the third safety in the Chiefs nickel and dime packages, with the potential to take over a starting safety spot if he develops into something further. Grade: B-

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
3	103	Leo Chenal	LB	Winsconsin

My favorite pick of the draft. A liability in coverage but a fantastic run stuffer and blitzer with top level power, instinct and blistering straight-line acceleration, Chenal will hopefully be the answer to both the pass rush woes of late and the run defense issues of the past several years. But that doesn’t even come close to describing this dude. Let’s just run through some of his combine/pro day numbers:

40 yard dash: 4.57

10 yard split: 1.5

Broad jump: 10.08’

Vertical: 40.5”

Bench: 34 reps (and he has a video of him doing 40)

That absurd athleticism is much of the reason why he scored a 9.99 out of 10 on the Relative Athletic Score scale (RAS), which ranks 4th out of every LB in college football from 1987 to now. To put that into perspective, DROTY and athletic specimen Micah Parsons scored a 9.59. Chenal has him beat in most categories.

This was already an A+ pick before you even look at the fact that they got him at 103 somehow. Fantastic value for a guy who has the best chance of becoming a superstar out of the Chiefs entire draft class in my opinion. Grade: A+

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
4	135	Joshua Williams	CB	Fayetteville State

The first DII player taken in the draft, Joshua Williams was also the second CB taken by the Chiefs in the draft and the exact opposite of McDuffie when it comes to size, standing at 6 foot 3 with near 33 inch arms. Williams is potential personified, with great athleticism, nice short-burst speed and decent mechanics for his experience level. If the coaching staff can build on those attributes, he could be something special. And it’s well worth mentioning here that the Chiefs have been excellent at drafting and developing mid-round corners in recent years, with the likes of Fenton and Sneed. Grade: B+

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
5	145	Darian Kinnard	OT/OG	Kentucky

Kinnard was noticeably upset that he dropped as low as he did. I like that. I also like shoring up the tackle position, which as we’ll get into is probably the weakest of all the positions on the team, offense or defense. Kinnard is pure power, with big long arms and a lot of strength but concerning agility and footwork. He has the ability to play guard too, a position that requires less of those last two traits, but will almost definitely be a backup in that regard. To get a potential starter in the 5th round though, especially one who is coming in with a chip on his shoulder, is nothing but good value to me. Grade: B-

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
7	243	Jaylen Watson	CB	Washington State

Round 7 picks are for long-shots with potential, and I think Watson is definitely a worthwhile long-shot to take on. While not the most athletic, Watson is tall, lengthy and physical, and overall has the traits to potentially carve out a role someday on the outside. That said, a third corner might have been the wrong choice here. We’ll see. Grade: C+

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
7	251	Isaih Pacheco	RB	Rutgers

Pacheco, meanwhile, is an excellent long-shot to take a chance on. With top-end speed (4.37 40, fastest among all RB’s at the combine), good agility and explosiveness as well as above-average blocking for his size, Pacheco could definitely make the starting roster and maybe even find himself in a rotational role sooner rather than later. Plus, his attitude is excellent, as he’s spoken openly about being willing to play wherever they need him to and just wanting to be on the field. Keep an eye out for this guy in the preseason. Grade: A

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
7	259	Nazeeh Johnson	DB	Marshall

This feels a lot like a pure special teams pick, and with all due respect to the great Dave Toub, I don’t like that. There needs to at least be some potential for a player to play their actual position when you draft them in my opinion. Johnson had great numbers at his pro day, a 4.38 40 time and near 11 foot broad jump among them, but there’s really just not much upside for him to ever carve out a role in the defense. Not to mention, that makes half of the players drafted DB’s. Grade: D

Overall Draft Grade: B+

UDFA

Name	Position	College
Mike Caliendo	OG	Western Michigan
Jack Cochrane	LB	South Dakota
Dustin Crum	QB	Kent State
Jerrion Ealy	RB	Ole Miss
Tayon Fleet-Davis	RB	Maryland
Nasir Green	S	Wake Forest
Kehinde Oginni	TE	N/A
Gene Pryor	T	Hawaii
Mike Rose	LB	Iowa State
Justyn Ross	WR	Clemson

Other Team-Related Off-season News

Orlando Brown refusing to play under the franchise tag is concerning, given the importance of the position he plays and the lack of depth the Chiefs have in that spot. We just found out recently that he won’t be reporting to training camp, at least initially, which makes the possibility of him sitting out part or all of the regular season a bit more likely.

Other than that, there’s really not much aside from Mahomes’ announcing he’s having a son. With that kid’s ridiculous genetics, I expect that new development to affect the team one way or another in about 21 years.

Positional Group Strengths and Weaknesses, Overall Grades and Rankings

I need to preface this by saying that when it comes to the grades, they’re weighted. That means that while there is a pretty big drop off between QB1 and QB2 on the Chiefs, the QB1 is one of the best QB’s in football, and as the QB1 he influences the grade a lot more than the QB4. For simplicity's sake, let’s say 40%, 30%, 20% and 10% in this case, and I give them an A+, C-, C+ and C-, respectively. That along with the weighting equals the grade you see below (you can even check on a grade calculator if you’d like).

Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne, Shane Buechele, Dustin Crum

Biggest strength: Mahomes.

Biggest weakness: If they lose Mahomes, they’re likely cooked.

Overall Grade: B

(Very) Rough Ranking among the NFL: Top 12

Backfield: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ronald Jones II, Jerick McKinnon, Derrick Gore, Isiah Pacheco, Jerrion Ealy, Tayon Fleet-Davis, Michael Burton (FB)

Biggest strength: Potential. I’ve already discussed Pacheco and Jones II, but Gore and McKinnon both showed flashes of brilliance last season, and Gore is only in his fourth year. CEH meanwhile is in his third year and still has the ceiling of a premier RB and valuable receiver out of the backfield, he just hasn't quite managed to break through it yet.

Biggest weakness: Durability. Clyde has had his fair share of injury issues, as has Jones II, but it’s McKinnon that has had the most trouble, leading to the Chiefs largely keeping him benched until the postseason last season in order to protect his health.

Overall Grade: C+

Rough Ranking: Bottom 15

Receivers: Mecole Hardman, JuJu-Smith Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Corey Coleman, Daurice Fountain, Josh Gordon, Omar Bayless, Gary Jennings, Cornell Powell, Aaron Parker, Justin Watson, Justyn Ross, Travis Kelce, Blake Bell, Noah Gray, Jody Fortson, Jordan Franks, Mark Vital, Matt Bushman

Biggest Strength: Depth. When one of those first four WR’s is your WR4, that’s a very good thing. The Chiefs will have the ability to pick and choose when it comes to the three receivers they put on the field.

Biggest Weakness: No true WR1. While the depth is there, there’s no real indicator who is going to take the lead role at the position, if there will ever be one at all. A role like that may not be necessary, but it feels important.

Overall Grade: A-

Rough Ranking: Top 8

Offensive Line: Creed Humphrey, Joe Thuney, Trey Smith, Orlando Brown Jr., Andrew Wylie, Lucas Niang, Darius Kinnard, Austin Reiter, Nick Allegretti, Mike Caliendo, Chris Glaser, Vitaliy Gurman, Geron Christian, Roderick Johnson, Evin Ksiezarczyk, David Steinmetz, Prince Tega Wanogho

Biggest Strength: Interior. The Chiefs have two stellar starting OG’s in Thuney and Smith along with an even better center in Creed Humphrey, and together they may just be the best offensive interior in football.

Biggest Weakness: Exterior. The tackles are another story. Brown Jr. has yet to sign, and there’s not much depth past him. Their best hope if he sits out is that Darius Kinnard pans out in a big way and Niang is able to hold down the fort on the other end. Otherwise they may need to sign someone else.

Overall Grade: A-

Rough Ranking: Top 8

Defensive Line: Frank Clark, George Karlaftis, Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, TTershawn Wharton, Mike Danna, Taylor Stallworth, Joshua Kaindoh, Shilique Calhoun, Austin Edwards, Kehinde Oginni Hassan, Cortez Broughton, Khalen Saunders

Biggest Strength: Upside. Karlaftis has the abilities necessary to make an immediate impact in his first year, and Jones will be back at his best position for good after a stint at DE in 2021. There is definitely a good chance that the dismal sack numbers from last year will improve, among other things.

Biggest weakness: Run defense. For many years the Chiefs have largely struggled with stopping running backs, allowing the 2nd most YPC in 2021. The Chiefs drafted Bolton last season and Chenel this year to help stifle that, but the line is still in desperate need of a true brick wall DT.

Overall Grade: B-

Rough Ranking: Top 15

Linebackers: Nick Bolton, Willie Gay, Leo Chenal, Jermaine Carter Jr., Jack Cochrane, Darius Harris, Elijah Lee, Mike Rose

Biggest Strength: Speed. Bolton is a literal lightning bolt with absurd acceleration and Gay can scoot as well. Chenel’s 4.53 40 ranked 7th among LB’s at the combine.

Biggest Weakness: Inexperience. Willie Gay will be going into just his third year in the NFL and that is as many as the other two have combined. That said, this is probably the weakest weakness of all the groups.

Overall Grade: A-

Rough Ranking: Top 8

Secondary: L'Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton, Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Justin Reid, Juan Thornhill, Bryan Cook, Deandre Baker, Dicaprio Bootle, Brandin Dandridge, Nasir Greer, Lonnie Johnson Jr. Chris Lammons, Jaylen Watson, Zayne Anderson, Deon Bush, Nazeeh Johnson, Devon Key

Biggest Strength: Corners. Sneed, Fenton and McDuffie are a darn good core, even without any particularly notable names. Sneed is quickly making a name for himself however, with excellent speed, tackling and coverage skills. Last year, he made the second most defensive stops of any cornerback in the NFL. Other corners with some upside like Deandre Baker are waiting in the wings as well.

Biggest Weakness: Leadership. Losing Matheiu not only meant losing a valuable safety, but also a longtime team captain who was the epitome of leadership. Whether or not it’s Sneed, Reid or someone else who fills that spot, they’ll need to figure it out.

Overall Grade: B+

Rough Ranking: Top 10

Special Teams: Harrison Butker, Tommy Townsend, James Winchester

Biggest Strength: Power. Butker has made 13 of his last 16 kicks from 50+ yards out, and his longest on the season has touched 56 or above in three straight years. Elsewhere, Townsend averaged the 10th highest average punt yardage in 2021.

Bonus: Dave Toub. Since he became the team’s Special Teams Coordinator in 2013, Kansas City has allowed just one return touchdown in total.

Biggest Weakness: Those darn extra points.

Overall Grade: A

Rough Ranking: Top 5

Projected Starting Lineup

QB: #5 Patrick Mahomes

It’s Patrick Mahomes. Cue Tai Verdes’ “A-O-K”.

RB: #25 Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Disappointing so far, but there is still a glimmer of hope for the third year LSU alum, who has quietly averaged 4.4 YPC in his career, but really needs to start getting more involved in the passing game.

FB: #45 Michael Burton

As solid as solid gets. He likes showing up at opportune times and I like that he does that.

TE: #87 Travis Kelce, #81 Blake Bell, maybe #88 Jody Fortson

The fact that people argue over who is the best TE between Kelce and several players several years younger than him shows how incredibly talented he is, and I’m just hoping that they can find a viable TE2, because you know Reid has a whole section of 2 TE sets just waiting to be used.

WR: #11 Mecole Hardman, #19 JuJu Smith-Schuster, #83 Marquez Valdes-Scantling, #24 Skyy Moore

I’m genuinely excited to see what this core can do. Hardman has been a bit of a disappointment to date but showed some serious improvement late last year. Meanwhile, JuJu will finally get a shot at playing with a star QB who knows what the outside of the pocket looks like, MVS will finally get a shot at playing with a star QB who knows what his family looks like, and Skyy Moore will finally get the chance to play with a star QB in general. It’s going to be fun.

LT: #57 Orlando Brown Jr.

I’m going to hold out hope here. Please sign. Please, please sign. And Veach, please give him a deal TO sign. I do not want Wylie on either edge.

LG: #62 Joe Staley

I don’t really follow individual OL rankings, but I do like looking at the block win rate charts for whatever reason, and Staley was 1st among all OG’s in pass block win rate last year. So safe to say we’re fine here.

C: #52 Creed Humphrey

Creed Is Good.

RG: #65 Trey Smith

After the draft all I saw about Trey Smith was that he was a ridiculous steal and that other teams would regret letting the Chiefs get him. When training camp started, I’m pretty sure it took him less than a day to grab and keep the starting job. Remember that pass block win rate ranking I mentioned earlier? Smith was second behind Thuney by 1%, and third in run block win rate. So yeah. Trey is good too.

RT: #77 Andrew Wylie, maybe #75 Darian Kinnard

Definitely the weakest position of the five, and unfortunately a key one for a QB who loves rolling out in that direction. Really hoping Kinnard pans out here, or Niang returns from his injury, because seriously, Wylie is not it at the tackle position.

DE: #56 George Karlaftis, #55 Frank Clark

Look, I like George Karlaftis a lot. I think he’s going to be great. But the dude needs a new nickname. There can only be one “Greek Freak”, and “Greek Freak II” like Reid offered isn’t going to cut it. He needs something more original.

Oh and yeah, Clark needs to step it up. Hopefully Karlaftis can give him the help that he’s shown can increase his own output.

DT: #95 Chris Jones, #91 Derrick Nnadi

Chris Jones on the other hand doesn’t need anybody’s help. He’s a dominant force as always. Derrick Nnadi is a quieter but perfectly viable nose tackle who will retain the spot from the departed Reed after having held it down for the three years prior.

LB: #54 Nick Bolton, #50 Willie Gay, #54 Leo Chenel

Out of all the players on the defense last year, my favorite was definitely Nick Bolton. Watching him burst through the line or race around the offensive tackles faster than anyone else never got old. That dude can fly. His one major weakness is pass coverage, but that’s where Willie Gay comes in, who is the Chiefs first real coverage MLB since Derrick Johnson. Rounding out the group is Chenel, who will bolster both the pass rush and the run defense. As the athletic profile I mentioned earlier suggests, his ceiling is massive.

CB’s: #38 L’Jarius Sneed, #27 Rashad Fenton, #21 Trent McDuffie

First of all, if you haven’t yet I highly encourage you to look up Sneed’s life story. It’s incredible.

Secondly, this is going to be his first real chance at a permantent outside corner position, with McDuffie likely to play the slot. Sneed has played outside corner in the past with a learning curve but overall success. On the other side will be Fenton, a wildly underrated corner who was ranked 6th in PFF’s CB grades last year. In no way am I saying he’s the sixth best CB in the NFL, but that’s worth at least something, as are his mere two misses out of 103 tackle attempts in his career, especially for a team that notoriously struggles to wrap up.

S: #20 Justin Reid, #22 Juan Thornhill, maybe #6 Bryan Cook

As discussed earlier, Justin Reid is the younger replacement to Matheiu and will look to make an immediate impact in the vacant spot as well as bounce back from a rough 2021. Thornhill and Bryan Cook could be fighting for the other safety position, which is detailed more in the link below.

K: #7 Harrison Butker

For some insanely odd reason, Butker has an issue with extra points. It’s not just odd because he has the second highest FG% in history (min. four years), or because his career numbers from 50+ yards (71.4%) brushes up against the legendary Justin Tucker’s (72.7). No, it’s because extra points are 33 yards, and he’s literally better at kicking field goals from 30-39 yards by 2.2%. In 2020, he missed just three FG’s over the course of the entire regular and postseason, including 6 for 6 from 50+ yards, yet missed enough extra points to where his XP% for the year dipped into the 80’s. Last year he only missed three XP including the playoffs however, which were his best numbers since his rookie year, so hopefully he’s got it figured out.

P: #5 Tommy Townsend

I really honestly only bothered addressing the ST in detail so I could rant about Butker. But Trevor Lawrence is honestly well worth mentioning, as he placed a league leading 54.1% of his punts inside the 20 yard line last year, while no other punters were better than 48.2. Special thanks to CBS for that info, who ranked punters this year for some reason.

KR: #11 Mecole Hardman, maybe #24 Skyy Moore

PR: #11 Mecole Hardman

I pretty much address these two positions in the link below, so here’s a clip of Mecole Hardman flying past pretty much everyone on the field en route to a punt return TD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boq3UcqysBo

Position Battles and Players to Watch (at the link - will be added shortly)

Season Game-by-Game Predictions

Preseason Predictions:

Nobody cares about the preseason scores but I like to be thorough, so have an entirely non-serious section as a break from all the (mostly) serious stuff.

Preseason Week 1: Chiefs @ Bears

Chiefs football is back baby! But Mahomes isn’t playing and it’s on a random Saturday at noon. Hardly anybody is watching this game past the first quarter and most of those still tuning in fell asleep in their recliners. For Bears fans, this is a season-long tradition. Bears 3 Chiefs 8

Preseason Week 2: Chiefs vs. Commanders

Mahomes plays a drive, McLaurin makes a great grab, but the game winds up being delayed and ultimately canceled when a FG attempt from Washington kicker Joey Slyle hits one of the uprights, bringing the whole thing crashing down. Luckily, there were no injuries due to this incident, however, Carson Wentz got hurt somehow anyways. Chiefs 9 Commanders 5

Preseason Week 3: Chiefs vs. Packers

Aaron Rodgers is scheduled to play in this one and finally face off against Mahomes for at least a couple of drives, but has to bow out at the last minute due to illness from ingesting a scented candle. The Packers are forced to start Jordan Love, who shocks the world by out-dueling Mahomes and company with a couple of TD passes and 60 yards on the ground. One of those sentences is realistic. Chiefs 6 Packers 19

Regular Season Predictions (detailed breakdown in the link, warning, it's a lot, multiple comments needed a lot - will be added shortly):

Week 1 - Chiefs @ Cardinals: W

Week 2 - Chiefs vs. Chargers: L

Week 3 - Chiefs @ Colts :W

Week 4 - Chiefs @ Buccaneers: W

Week 5 - Chiefs vs. Raiders: W

Week 6 - Chiefs vs. Bills: L

Week 7 - Chiefs vs. 49ers: L

Week 8 - Bye (bye bye)

Week 9 - Chefs vs. Titans: W

Week 10 - Chiefs vs. Jaguars: W

Week 11 - Chiefs @ Chargers: W

Week 12 - Chiefs vs. Rams: L

Week 13 - Chiefs @ Bengals: W

Week 14 - Chiefs @ Broncos: W

Week 15 - Chiefs @ Texans: W

Week 16 - Chiefs vs. Seahawks: W

Week 17 - Chiefs vs. Broncos: L

Week 18 - Chiefs @ Raiders: W

Final Record: 12-5 (1st in division, 2nd seed)

I’m supposed to predict the range of records the Chiefs could finish at as well as their divisional finish here, but wow is that hard to do. I think I’ve made a convincing argument for my 11-5 finish, division winning season in the detailed breakdowns, but in all honesty that is the middle of a significant range of possibilities. Let’s say that the more spread out offense doesn’t quite pan out, and the defense struggles even more than expected. At that point, you’re likely looking at more of a 10-7 record, which will probably be enough to get a wild-card spot, as unless the division splits every series and doesn’t ever have a true leader, that’s not likely good enough to win it. That’s the lower end.

On the other hand, let’s say that the well-rounded approach works wonders for both Mahomes and Reid’s playbook, Mahomes goes on a second MVP campaign, the many young pieces on the defense bring that unit back into relevance and even then some, and the Chiefs wind up edging out the Bills (or another team) for the bye with just two losses. That’s the high end. Approximately five games of difference. The Giants would have made the playoffs last year with 5 more wins. It’s just too big of a disparity.

Regardless of whatever happens, I would still feel that playoffs is a safe bet for Kansas City, and after that, their ceiling until further notice is a Super Bowl victory. If you want to think that the players lost means that it isn’t, that’s fine. But this is a team that has gone through four years of coaching and roster changes, many major injuries, slumps and other setbacks, and hosted the AFC Championship every single one of those years. That is consistency through adversity that cannot be ignored. I can’t go against that.

Offensive Scheme

If there’s one thing I should pay more attention to in football but do not, it’s scheme. If there’s one offensive scheme that is more complex and hard to explain than any other, it’s Andy Reid’s. In short: this is going to be a bit rough, and I’ll do my best.

Primarily, the Chiefs use a West Coast offense, which can be simply described as using horizontal passing plays instead of running to stretch the defense and allow for potential deep play opportunities (both in the form of a deep pass or run). However, Reid uses a version that implements concepts from the college level and it’s one that he became known for, due to being one of the first head coaches to really prove that college strategies can work consistently in the NFL. This particular West Coast variation blends in a popular type of college offense known as the Spread offense, a scheme that involves placing the QB in shotgun formation and having the receivers spread out all over the field. It also utilizes some play types that originated at the college level like zone read, which involves the QB reading the DE and making a quick decision on what to do with the ball as a result, and the Air Raid offense, which stretches the field horizontally and vertically with deep routes and crossing patterns. Both of these play types require an especially talented offense in order to work properly, hence why so few teams use either in the NFL, where talent is everywhere and the difference between good and bad teams is much, much smaller than in college.

But of course, this is far from all that Andy Reid’s offense is, or why he is widely regarded as one of the greatest play designers ever, as his creativity is off the charts. The Chiefs typically play with three WR’s and a TE. Reid and the coaches around him have long said he wants to do more with two TE sets, but just hasn’t found the player for it. Variation certainly isn’t an issue however, because those receivers line up all over the place. On one play, they might be spread out in a typical Spread formation, all across the field. On another, they’ll all be lined up on one side aside from a single man on the other. On a third, two of them could be in the backfield. Reid moves around players like a kid messing with refrigerator magnets: tossing them wherever and seeing what sticks. These are the plays where the fundamentals are largely abandoned and Andy Reid looks insane, but it’s the good insane, not the “Tua is the most accurate passer in the league '' insane, because they usually work. And when they don’t, we just laugh and move on, because so many of them have worked that no respect or reputation is lost when one dramatically fails. Not to mention, Reid is always adjusting too. So chances are that play will have a rebirth at some point, it’s just a matter of when.

And guess what? That’s STILL not all. Because Reid not only invents plays himself, he steals them from all over. From all over the NFL? No. Football. NFL. College. High School. CFL. Freaking European games. Can you name a single European football team? I can’t. Coaches have described conversations where he’ll bring up a play he found from 1910. That was a full decade before the NFL even BEGAN. Then he’ll tweak whatever play it is so that it’ll work in the modern day, and eventually release it on an unsuspecting foe. And this is the one part I feel I can talk about in full confidence, because no matter whether you’re a scheme mastermind or barely know what a draw play is, you know for a fact that that is a mad scientist level of dedication, where they’ll travel to the ends of the earth just to find a specific ingredient that they need for whatever they’re making because they are that committed to their craft. That is precisely who Andy Reid is, a mad scientist of offensive schemes, and I just have to say, it is amazing.

Defensive Scheme (at the link - will be added shortly)

Conclusion

Are we done? Oh wow, we’re done! If you read all of this AND the detailed rundowns in the comments, I applaud you as a true fan. That, or you have far too much time on your hands. Perhaps it’s both. Did I spend far too much time on this myself in retrospect? Definitely. Do I care? Not really. It was a fun project to engage in after work and keep my writing skills sharp right before I start writing some not so fun college admission essays, so thank you so much to u/PlatypusOfDeath for keeping this going for ll these years, and thanks to you all, even if you’re only reading this single paragraph for some reason. Go Chiefs!

Link to Hub

Martes, Hulyo 26, 2022

Jaylen Brown in May: Certain times in the year, there actually was a retrograde, which means the planets was spinning in the opposite direction and I know at that moment, the energy was about to change

https://ift.tt/g9r4MYU

[Slaughter] Bengals' Mike Brown: "We're trying to prepare to find a way to keep Joe here, keep Chase here, keep Higgins here and keep Boyd here for example, it's gonna be a real challenge for us." Adds: "I sort of like how Mahomes said he doesn't care what those guys are getting"

https://twitter.com/MarkVSlaughter/status/1551639056152514562?s=20&t=N37q8nrnYBdSQtO80M86pw

[Wojnarowski] Free agent F Juancho Hernangomez is finalizing a one-year deal with the Toronto Raptors, sources tell ESPN.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1551964600479977475

r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season - #10-6

Welcome to the reveal for players ranked 10-6 for the r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season!

Players whose average rank landed them in places 10-6 are on this portion of the list revealed today. Players are associated with the team they finished playing for in 2021

METHODOLOGY

Link to more detailed writeup on our methodology

Step 1: A Call to Rankers right after the Super Bowl
Step 2: Rankers from each team nominated players to rank, with a 10 game minimum threshold. Players are associated with the team they played for in 2021
Step 3: The Grind. We instructed users to tier positions groups into T25, T50, etc based on 2021 regular season play only. This took several weeks as the rankers tiered each position group and discussed them. There were no individual player threads and no arbitrary position caps. Just questions and rankings.
Step 4: Users submitted their own personal Top 125 lists.
Step 5: User lists were reviewed by myself, u/mattkud , and u/MikeTysonChicken . The rankers were expected to answer questions about their lists. They were allowed to make any changes to their list, and were not forced to make any changes
Step 6: The Reveal… where we are now!

And without further ado, here are the players ranked 10-6 in the r/nfl Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season!

#10 - Deebo Samuel - San Francisco 49ers - Wide Receiver

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Key Stat

1405 receiving yards is the most ever by a player with 50+ rushes in NFL history, 286 ahead of 2nd (1966 Charley Taylor)

Written by: u/scmsf49

Deebo Samuel finished the 2021 season with the 3rd most yards from scrimmage in the NFL behind only Cooper Kupp and Jonathan Taylor. He led all qualified players in yards per catch and obliterated the rest of the league in yards after the catch - more on that later. He was a first team all-pro, albeit by a far slimmer margin than appropriate, likely for the same reasons some are unsure where exactly he belongs on this list. It’s difficult to evaluate this season from an objective standpoint because we’ve never seen anything quite like it. Percy Harvin had a season where he ran the ball 50 times pretty effectively, but he didn't break 1000 receiving yards - Deebo broke 1400. Harvin also did not have more than 5 carries in a game that season. Deebo had no fewer than 5 carries in a game once he became a runner. The guy averaged 113.1 yards per game through the first 8 games playing wide receiver, then averaged 108.3 over the last 8 games playing wideback. He maintained his production while turning 40% of his total yards into rushing. There’s nobody else who could come close to doing that.

It’s time to talk about Deebo Samuel, the wide receiver. The rushing prowess displayed this season distracted from the fact that he’s one of the best legitimate wideouts in the league. He just also happens to moonlight as the most efficient running back in the league. He led all wide receivers in yards per route run when lined up out-wide this season. He led the league in receiving yards through 7 games, pushing Kupp before the evolution. His 4 150+ yard receiving games led the league this season, and 3 of those came in those first 8 games when he was a full time receiver. Even if he truly does decide against continuing to play “wideback”, he’s still the most dangerous big play receiver in the league and an undeniably elite weapon. Deebo is the type of player who gives you 83 yards on a 3rd and 20 screen and makes you feel dumb for not expecting it. Deebo made it very clear that he is capable of doing what other top receivers do. No one else is capable of doing what Deebo did.

To put Deebo’s season into context using a direct comparison, Deebo's receiving stats are nearly identical to Ja'Marr Chase for the year, with both guys a mile ahead of the other WR1s when it comes to yards per reception, though Deebo leads Chase by a full 2 yards after the catch per reception. For receivers with over 1000 yards, the top 3 in YAC/reception were Deebo at 10.0, Chase at 8.0, and Kelce at 6.1. Deebo’s YAC/R over expectation was 5.2, in case you read those numbers and thought that was simply schematic. All the major receivers in Shanahan’s offense (Deebo, Kittle, Aiyuk) are in the top 10 for this not because Shanahan makes the plays for them, but because the ability to make plays as an individual after the catch is paramount in this offense. It’s the main thing Shanahan looks for when drafting receivers. Deebo’s unparalleled ability to make plays after he gets the ball are what enables this offense, not the other way around. He’s so insanely good at this that the team started handing him the ball in the backfield halfway through the season.

After his role shift, Deebo ran the ball 53 times for 343 yards - 6.5 yards per rush, though his season total was 6.2 because of some early season sweeps. By EPA, he’s the best rusher in the league by a mile. Deebo’s 0.39 here is almost double that of second place Lamar. He scored on the ground 8 times in 59 rushes (13.5% of carries). He set the single season record for rushing touchdowns by a receiver while only running the ball for half the season. The 49ers ran the ball 64 times in Deebo's 78 snaps in the backfield, roughly 50 of those going to him. Teams knew what was about to happen when he went back there and there was nothing they could do about it. Perhaps the best example of this came in the playoffs against the Cowboys. The second he got the ball everyone on the field focused on him and he scored anyway, despite having only a 0.7% chance to do so per Next Gen Stats.

The 49ers were 7-1 in the regular season when Deebo ran the ball 5 or more times. In the sole loss against Tennessee, he had 159 receiving yards (109 of which came after the catch in a game where he got virtually no help from his quarterback). The Niners averaged 149 rushing yards per game during this stretch compared to 108 per game for the rest of the season. Deebo’s involvement in the run game was crucial for this team turning the season around. Kyle Shanahan found a way to get the ball into the hands of the most dangerous player in the league and it nearly got his team back to the Super Bowl in a year where the team started off 2-4 and lost to Colt McCoy.

Deebo’s big play ability as both a rusher and a receiver was instrumental in saving the 49ers’ season, and he even threw a touchdown pass in a week 18 must-win game against the eventual Super Bowl champions. Whenever the team needed a big play, Deebo delivered. Whether that be a 40 yard touchdown on 4th and 5, or a crucial touchdown on 3rd down, down 14 in a week 18 comeback with the playoffs on the line, the man always delivered.

It’s impossible to mention Deebo Samuel without addressing his tumultuous offseason. It’s still not totally clear whether this was purely about money or if Deebo genuinely does not want to continue running the ball, but 49ers fans (and fans of exciting football) have to hope that this is not the last we’ve seen of the wideback era, especially with the possibility of read options now on the table with his new quarterback. If Deebo truly is only a wide receiver moving forward, we can’t really complain too much. The guy was on track for 2000 receiving yards through 7 games. He’s the most lethal offensive weapon in the sport. Pay the man.

#9 - Jonathan Taylor - Indianapolis Colts - Running Back

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Key Stat

Peaked over 22 MPH three times in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016), most by any player

Written by: u/ghettogoatsauce

Running backs hailing from the University of Wisconsin since the turn of the century have had a rough go of it in terms of public perception. Ever since the Heisman winner Ron Dayne only had a mediocre career in the NFL, we've heard the same question time and time again. How much of John Clay/Montee Ball/James White's success in college was due to their own talent? How much of it was because Wisconsin’s offensive line had the equivalent of five 3-ton diesels starting every game? Today, my friends, we get to leave that behind (bonus points to Melvin Gordon for shaking the narrative). I doubt the narrative will go away for future Wisconsin RB prospects, but the Colts 1st-team All Pro and 2nd year RB Jonathan Taylor will never have to hear such slander again after a campaign that has firmly entrenched him as a Top 2 (my top 1, I know, biased!) RB in the NFL.

Indianapolis may not have a major league baseball team (sorry AAA Indians), but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a top-tier home run hitter. You will not find a current RB more explosive than Jonathan Taylor was last year. Here’s a fun chart from after Week 15 that I personally like. In addition to charts saying he’s explosive, there’s a literal measurement of his speed to look at, too. He had the 1st, 4th, and 5th fastest ball carrier speeds from the past year. No one else appears more than once in the top 20. Not Tyreek Hill, not Ja’Marr Chase, not any other jet-fuel-speed burners. Nope, it’s the guy who’s 5’10” 226 lbs. (Sidebar: I did see Derrick Henry was number 6. Jesus, that guy’s scary). Of course, speed isn’t everything. If you have the tunnel vision of a Trent Richardson, you’ll never get to top speed. Thankfully, this is not the case for Taylor. Take this play against the Dolphins out of shotgun. A sweep to the left side, and would you look at that, he identifies the gap and is gone. He’s also a YAC(ontact) monster. In our next case, it’s some simple shiftiness to beat a stacked box against Buffalo. Two jump cuts puts Levi Wallace on the ground and it’s an easy stiff arm for Taylor in this short run to the endzone. Here’s another double cut combo that, this time, has fellow Top100 acolyte Casey Hayward reaching for air. You’ll of course find that the majority of his YAC comes on missed arm tackles where Taylor is simply undeterred. No being knocked off-balance. No slowing down. Just throwing out the arm to deflect and moving on as if nothing happened. In this play against the 49ers, he bounces off (or they bounce off him) of 3 separate defenders and damn near accelerates fast enough to score. He’s not an incredibly violent runner, but he fights for extra yards with the best of them. While fighting for those yards, he’s managed to only fumble 1 time in 372 total touches. Hard to imagine that at one point people were worried about his “fumbling problem” Of course, in the modern NFL, there’s one last thing you need to be a truly complete RB. Pass catching. He’s pretty good at that too! If only SOMEONE threw a damn checkdown more often. Please credit the NFL YouTube channel for the clips I was able to use above.

Believe it or not, Taylor is, as of today, only 23 years old, wrecking the NFL in this fashion. He has a long way to go to reach anywhere near the all time greats, but he’s definitely got the potential. I mean, his age 22 season, he led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. No one has led the league in rushing yards that young since Edgerrin James in 1999 AND 2000. All while no one else was within 500 yards of him. That hasn’t happened since CJ2K in 2009. Taylor was in his own stratosphere last year! If he can keep up his insofar great durability, he’s got a chance to be in Canton (I know, I know not there yet). We only hope him and Derrick Henry can be healthy next year so we can settle that Top 2 RB debate.

#8 - Davante Adams - Green Bay Packers - Wide Receiver

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
5	70	33	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Key Stat

Rodgers and Adams are the 5th QB-WR duo in NFL history to both make the AP All-Pro 1st team in consecutive seasons

Written by: u/IMissHarambe878

Davante Adams had himself another outstanding season in 2021, proving himself to still be a top wide receiver in the league. In 16 games, he found himself ranked with the following stats:

• 2nd in receptions (123)

• 3rd in receiving yards (1553)

• 5th in receiving TDs (11)

• Adams found himself averaging 12.6 yards per reception, while averaging 97.1 yards a game. Not to mention he also had a 72.8% catch rate

Keep in mind he played one game less than Kupp, Jefferson, Chase, Hill and Diggs. But what actually makes Davante so good at what he does? Adams is one of, if not the best, route runner in the league. His ability to create separation from opposing CBs is elite (sometimes multiple defenders), using his speed as well as quick, flowing movements to break away and run his crisp routes seamlessly. Below are a few examples of why Adams is so good at what he does:

Davante tearing apart the Bengals defense

And again for good measure

Adams breaking a Vikings DBs ankles

A beautiful fake bubble screen slant against the SB Champs

Adams’ fellow WRs at Green Bay aren’t the greatest (despite MVS and Lazard both being decent in their own regard), and that helped the opposition apply pressure on Adams. He has the talent and skill to thrive as a WR1 and has shown for many years why he is deserving of the $140 million/5 years contract that the Raiders signed him for. Adams is a huge loss for Green Bay, and it will be interesting to see how the Packers attempt to replicate his success over the past seasons. I fully expect Adams to still be top 20 in this list next year and I expect him to provide an immediate impact out in the West. Las Vegas, please take good care of him.

#7 - Myles Garrett - Cleveland Browns - EDGE Rusher (EDGE)

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
9	N/A	54	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Key Stat

PFF pass rushing grade of 90+ in each of the last three seasons

Written by: u/KingDing-a-Ling13

Introduction

Cleveland Browns 1st round draft picks preceding Myles Garrett: Corey Coleman, Danny Shelton, Cameron Erving, Justin Gilbert, Johnny Manziel, Barkevious Mingo, Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Phil Taylor, and finally ending the misery, Joe Haden. That’s nine straight 1st round picks that completely busted. Coming out of Texas A&M with 31 career sacks in three seasons, a 9.99 Relative Athletic Score, and looking like a slam dunk first overall pick, Myles Garrett still had to overcome the ghosts of the busts before him. Three Pro Bowls, two All-Pros, and 58.5 sacks later, and it’s pretty safe to say Garrett is not a bust. Following his 2020 season which was thrown off course by a clash with COVID, and a 2019 season which was cut short by a clash of heads and helmets, 2021 was poised to be a statement year for Myles. He delivered, proving once again to be possibly the best pass rusher in the league.

2021

Myles Garrett has, in my opinion, the scariest pass rush move in the NFL: his pure speed rush. There isn’t anything super technical that makes this move so scary. It is pure athleticism from Garrett with a ridiculous amount of bend for a person his size. He got on the sack board with this move in Week 1. Garrett bursts past Orlando Brown and completely changes his direction with a couple foot plants into the ground. Any other EDGE rusher moving as fast as Myles does is going to end up 10 yards behind the quarterback, but the strength of his bend makes the impossible possible. He does almost the exact same move against the Steelers on this play. Here’s the same move again against the Ravens that resulted in a strip sack scoop-and-score for Myles. Underrated left tackle Jonah Williams tried to kill this move, but he failed, and Burrow was stricken down to the ground. That speed rush is absolutely terrifying for left tackles to handle, and it’s not the only time Garrett demonstrates his speed. Watch him get after Justin Fields on a broken-down play. Garrett lines up on the inside and beats his initial blocker, but the pocket completely collapses and there’s too much traffic to reach Fields. When Fields begins to roll out, Garrett is at a standstill. Garrett has such great acceleration though that he manages to just barely get to Fields, who ran a 4.45 40 yard dash. He would finish the game with 4.5 sacks, one of the most dominant and destructive single-game performances of 2021. Garrett isn’t just about speed, either. He absolutely demolishes the left tackle, throwing an incredibly large human like a ragdoll. Even when getting chipped and doubled, Garrett is still a major threat. Going against rookie sensation LT Rashawn Slater, Garrett gets chipped by the RB and simply channels the momentum shift into a spin move around Slater. Put one, two, or even three guys on Garrett and he still might get the sack. Garrett finished the 2021 season with a career-best 16 sacks and had the 3rd-most pressures in the league per PFF, earning his second consecutive 1st Team All-Pro selection. This man is a special, special talent that will terrorize opposing quarterbacks for years to come.

Legacy

Recently becoming only the second most controversial player on the Cleveland Browns, it seems like the only person that can stop Myles Garrett is himself. 2021 was only Garrett’s second full season, for both reasons out of his control and himself being out of control. If he can avoid trouble with the league and injuries, Garrett is a perennial threat for the sack title and Defensive Player of the Year. While it’s too early to say for sure, he is on an early career trajectory towards enshrinement in Canton.

#6 - Tom Brady - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Quarterback

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
31	N/A	[data expunged]	2	6	12	7	19	6

Key Stat

Older than 63 current members of Congress, and played against 2 of them

Written by: u/mtzehvor

What more can I say about Tom Brady that hasn’t already been said - even just the stuff mentioned on offseason posts alone on this subreddit could probably fill a couple of these writeups. Unless you’re a Pats or a Bucs fan, you’re probably sick to death of hearing about him, and probably rightfully so; turns out there’s only so much you can say about one person before you start repeating yourself.

But it’s also really, really hard to not talk about Tom Brady, because he’s been so good for a really, really long time. Tom Brady has broken virtually every metric that we assess quarterbacks by. Since Brady came into the league, a team that “only” won one or two Super Bowls with a star quarterback has gone from a solid run to a disappointment who wasted their career. A quarterback in their mid-late 30s has gone from being viewed as on their last legs to still being a viable candidate for a team to build around and chase a Super Bowl for five or so years. Brady has been around in the league for so long that you have to adjust his stats for the era when comparing him to himself.

And yet, it’s tougher than it seems to pinpoint why Brady has been so successful for so long. He isn’t the most athletic, and he doesn’t have the strongest or maybe even most precise arm. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still been able to launch it over the years, thread the needle, and even juke the league’s best linebacker out of his shoes when he needs to. But he likely won’t wow you with pure physical prowess as consistently as some of the most athletic QBs in the league will.

But what Tom will do, and what I’d argue he has consistently done better than anyone in league history, is outwit you. If I had to pick a word to define Brady’s career in a nutshell, it would be adaptability. When you go up against Tom Brady, you better either have a team designed specifically to beat him or have a defense that is exceptionally deep top to bottom; because if you don’t, Brady will wind your weakness and exploit it, again, and again, and again, and he does it better than anyone else I’ve seen. You like zone defense? Yeah, Brady’s seen every zone you can possibly drawn up and will carve it like Thanksgiving turkey. You wanna play man? Unless you’ve got a secondary filled with All Pros, you better be ready for him to just run rub and option routes and beat you with underneath throws to the likes of Troy Brown and Danny Amendola. You wanna bring pressure? Good luck disguising it against Brady, who will pick it up and get it out so fast that even Joey Bosa will ask him to hold onto the ball for longer.

A lot has changed since Tom Brady joined the league. The NFL has gone from a game where a decent fullback was an important part of an offense to the position seemingly barely existing. Passing stats have exploded, rules have changed, and the talk of the NFL has quickly shifted to “is your QB athletic enough to win games single-handedly?” In that light, it’s perhaps fitting that it’s the wily old vet who is still winning Super Bowls and posting All Pro caliber seasons; just like he did all those years ago. Because Tom Brady adapts. Doesn’t matter what the landscape of the NFL is like, or seemingly how old he gets. He’ll still put up big numbers, he’ll still win games, and he’ll still be in the running for the Super Bowl at the end of the year. And 2021 was no different. A year after claiming his seventh Super Bowl at 43 years old, Brady played like he was two decades younger. A league leading 5316 yards, 43 TDs, 67.5% completion percentage, 7.41 ANY/A, and 102.1 rating. There’s a realistic argument to be made that if a few balls hadn’t bounced off his receivers hands, he might have wound up with MVP. I know we’ve all gotten used to the idea of Brady being good, but it is just difficult to repeat how utterly insane someone playing this well at 44 is.

Accuracy? Don’t worry, Brady’s can still drop it in with the best of them. Arm strength? Still got it. His legs, which have never been his strength, can still get him out of a jam. He’s even capable of a circus play or two. But, in my mind at least, Tom’s defining moment from the last season didn’t come in a win. It was leading his team back from a 27-3 deficit, with a plethora of injuries and Rams defenders in his face all day long. If you were watching that game, you probably felt that even when the Bucs went down by 24 points, it wasn’t over. And when Tom led them back to a tie, it was almost expected. That, right there, is the Tom Brady effect. No other quarterback does that.