tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69898451190163471992024-02-08T06:29:34.600-08:00Sports Blogging On A Budget: Philip Holtz's Sports BlogPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989845119016347199.post-77334167045217635262017-06-21T16:16:00.001-07:002017-06-21T16:16:26.542-07:00A Year for the Ages: My 2016<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">So today I took a step back and just really thought about the many miracles and momentous events that occurred for me in 2016, and what a year it was.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">It all started a couple of days after New Year's day. I had just broadcasted a basketball game the day before, while having a terrible headache the whole time (even though everybody said that you couldn't tell I was in pain by the way I called the game). That scared me because when I have headaches that are that painful for that long, that is a sign that my shunts could be malfunctioning. I was hoping that a good night of sleep would calm the pain down. It didn't.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">So my family took me into the hospital and they ran some tests, then came back in to tell us the results. They said that my shunts had stopped working and that they needed to do surgery. When I asked when, they said in about an hour. It was at that moment that I broke down. I was crying wondering “why now?”, but after I calmed down, I just took a deep breath and remembered that God was in control and His timing is always right. They performed the first surgery and it didn't go right. I was way out of it, didn't feel right, and didn't know what was going on so they had to perform a second surgery. That one was much more successful and I was able to go home after 5 days in the hospital. Thank God.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Luckily all of that took place during winter break from school, and since missing one day of college can almost be like missing a month of high school, I was there for the first day of classes of what would be my final semester of college. I did have to miss the next couple days with getting all of the stitches removed, but all in all it was a quick turnaround. Then in May the unthinkable happened.....I graduated....from college. Now I know what Tommy Callahan felt like when he found out he got that D+ to graduate. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Graduations never really hit me like they did everybody else, whether high school or college, because I just looked at it like a phase, and those who wanted to stay in contact would find a way to and all the others would just go on their own way.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">After graduation I had the opportunity of a lifetime when I got to travel to Alaska to broadcast baseball with my good friend Lance. When the day hit to leave I was filled with emotions of terror due to being my first flight, but mostly sadness knowing that I had to leave the love of my life for 2 months. Again I broke down crying when I had to leave her, but I knew that we would see each other soon. It turned out to be much sooner then we expected. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Just a handful of days after arriving in Alaska I started to feel kind of sick and I started getting, you guessed it, headaches. Homesickness was what I was hoping it was. Even with feeling rough I was still able to do color commentary for the first baseball game, which was still a good time. Unfortunately that would be my first and last time broadcasting in Alaska.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Another thing that I didn't point out in the beginning was that shunts can have varying life spans. They can last as long as 10+ years or as short as less than a year. I had the experience of them lasting over 10 years, now I was going to experience them lasting less than a year. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">My parents back home knew that I had been feeling rough, so they would stay in contact daily. They tried getting ahold of me one morning, but I was sleeping. The problem is, my idea of sleeping in was 8:30am. It was nearly 11am and I was still asleep. So my parents knew something was wrong and got ahold of my host family who woke me up, but I was even more out of it then I was in January. They took me to the hospital, and while it wasn't very clear of what made me sick, the doctors knew that they had to remove one of my shunts as a precaution to keep the bacteria from spreading, even though they didn't know how I got the bacteria. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Let me start this off by saying that my memory of this hospital stay is still cloudy, due to how out of it I actually was.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I do remember being scared because at that point I had had around 38 surgeries in my life, but this was the first of when I didn't have family around. I just remember it being not long after my first surgery there, and I didn't have my glasses on and just saw a blur walking towards me in normal clothes, but I could recognize the voice.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I focused and I started balling when I realized that it was my dad. Then I cried even harder when I asked how long he was staying and he said "until you are out of here."</span></div>
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<span class="s1">My next surgery was 8 days later, and it was at this time that they removed my second shunt. Then they had to give me external shunts for the time being. This way they could tell the pressure inside my brain. I had these in for over a week.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">After the second surgery, I was overwhelmingly happy because my mom and the love of my life were in Alaska as well. Once again, as if somebody was chopping a factory full of onions, I started crying again. This was definitely one of the most emotional times of my life.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Then at the end of June I had a surgery (more specifically, a left frontal endoscopic ventricular fenestration) where I no longer would need shunts. This was so surreal to me because ever since I was 2 years old I had to have shunts, and to think that I was shunt free was a lot to grasp. After a few days had passed, the surgery was deemed a success, and then they also removed the external shunts. I wasn't quite in the clear yet because of my slowed speech, memory impairment, and processing deficits that made it very difficult for me to even write, as a result of bruising in the brain. With therapy and time, I was able to heal, but I can still sense myself getting stronger and better fairly often.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">After getting to Alaska on June 4th, I was finally able to go home in early/mid July.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Now before I had left for Alaska, I made the biggest purchase of my life, but it wasn't for me. It was for my girlfriend of 2 in a half years at the time. It was a ring. The funniest thing was we would always tease joke about it. She would just joke and say "So did you buy the ring yet?" Then I would joke so much about it that she didn't believe me when I said that I had bought it, but this time I actually had bought it and she just didn't believe it. Before I had left for Alaska I decided that I was going to ask her to marry me the day after I returned home, and that would have been August 5th. So on August 5th I popped the question, and I had the person that I was going to spend the rest of my life with. It was by far the happiest moment of my life at the time.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Then shortly after that, we went on a trip with our good friends to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for 5 days. So once again I was getting on a plane, but at this point I actually enjoyed flying. Who would've thought that June 4th would be my first flight ever and in mid August I would already have been on my 6th flight. Never would have guessed that, but I wouldn't have it any other way.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">A few weeks after we had returned from vacation, I had officially had my first job in the radio field also! That was a weight off my shoulders because all I heard before and after I graduated was how difficult it was to get a job in radio. Finally I had felt like my hard work was paying off!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">About a month after getting the job, my fiancé (at the time) found out that she had gotten into grad school, so we were on the lookout for a place together. It was a fun (and stressful) time, and after a lot of looking we finally got a place. We moved in near the end of December and it was a big change, but an amazing one. What a way to end a memorable 2016 to say the least. God was definitely working.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Once again thanks for reading if you made it this far!</span></div>
Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989845119016347199.post-48360848246549441422016-02-11T06:07:00.002-08:002016-02-11T06:07:22.282-08:00Reflection on Calvin Johnson's Career<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last time that I posted any new blogs, I was a Junior in college. I'm now a Senior, and after about a year without posting anything new, I'm right back at it. The inspiration behind this post came from Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lynn Swann, when he said that he doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame because of his team's success on the field.<br /><br />
Swann played during a time when rules weren't as constraining as they are today, and players were allowed to just play for the most part. Swann played 9 seasons in the NFL, was a 3 time Pro Bowler, a 1 time First-Team All-Pro, and he finished his career with 336 catches for 5,462 yards and 51 touchdowns, which is solid, especially for when he played. He also played on Super Bowl caliber teams, where he and is team won 4 Super Bowls. His teammates included players like Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, John Stallworth, "Mean" Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount. Many of these players are currently in the Hall of Fame. Now let's look at the flip side of the argument.<br /><br />
Calvin Johnson didn't have the kind of help that Swann did with those Steelers teams. No player that Johnson has played with has been a no brainer hall of famer. However, he did play in a pass happy offense, but that doesn't make his numbers not impressive. In 9 years in the NFL, Johnson has played in 135 games, has made 731 catches for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns, while also having 555 plays go for first downs, 6 Pro Bowl Selections, and was a 3 time First-Team All-Pro. Those are very impressive numbers, and they don't stop there. He had 7 seasons where he eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving, and only 2 where he didn't. He also holds many NFL records, including most receiving yards in a single season with 1,964 yards in 2012. The year before that he became the 1st player in NFL history to have at least 2 receiving touchdowns in each of his team's first 4 games, and he is 1 of only 3 players to have multiple 1,600+ yards receiving in a single season. The other 2 are Marvin Harrison (in the Hall of Fame) and Torry Holt. He also shares the record for most 100 yard receiving games in a single season with 11, tied only with Hall of Famer, Michael Irvin. Johnson solely holds the records for most consecutive games with 100 yards receiving (8 games), most consecutive games with at least 10 catches (4 games), most receiving yards over a 5 game span (861 yards) and 6 game span (962 yards), and he was also the fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 receiving yards (115 games). He also holds a handful of franchise records for the Detroit Lions, including most receiving touchdowns in a single season (16 touchdowns in 2011), most seasons with 10 or more receiving touchdowns (4 seasons), most career 70+ yard receptions (8 catches), most games with multiple touchdowns in one half (12 games), the most receiving yards in regulation (329 yards, which is second to only Flipper Anderson in NFL history, who had 336 receiving yards in an overtime game). Calvin Johnson is also ranked 27th all-time when it comes to receiving yardage and 22nd all-time when it comes to receiving touchdowns., which are the most for a receiver that has only played 9 years. In 2011, he had the 11th greatest receiving yardage season in NFL history, and in 2012 he followed it up with having the best receiving yardage season in NFL history. In one of his only 2 playoff games of his career, he had the 7th best receiving game, yardage wise in 2012, when he had 211 receiving yards against the New Orleans Saints.<br /><br />
Comparing Swann and Johnson side by side, it is staggering seeing the difference in the numbers. Granted, Johnson has played in a softer and pass-happy league, but his numbers are still amazing. In the same 9 year career span, Johnson has 395 more catches, 6,157 more receiving yards, and 32 more touchdowns.<br /><br />
All of these things considered, I would have to disagree with Lynn Swann, and say that Calvin Johnson definitely does belong in the Hall of Fame. Calvin Johnson's resume is simply amazing, and it's even more impressive knowing that for a long time, Johnson was the only legitimate receiving threat for the Lions. He could be in double or even triple coverage, and still come down with the ball on a pretty regular basis. I may be biased being a Lions fan, but having watched this guy play almost every single snap of his NFL career. I would be surprised if he doesn't make the Hall of Fame. I'm not an expert by any means, but I'm just giving it my best guess. Calvin Johnson hasn't "officially" retired yet, even though he has told many players that 2015 was his last season. That being said, here is to hoping that Megatron changes his mind.<br /><br />
Being my first post in a long time, I'm okay with it, but I do hope to get back in the habit of posting more thoughts on different topics. Thank you for reading if you made it this far, and stay classy.<br />
<br />Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989845119016347199.post-75313582923850093772015-05-26T07:59:00.006-07:002015-05-26T07:59:57.556-07:00The Kobe Bryant Factor: Post-Lakers<h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px;">NBA MVP, 5-time NBA Champion, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, 17-time NBA All-Star, 4-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, 15-time All-NBA Team Selection, 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team Selection, youngest player to score 32,000 career points, only player in NBA history to have more than 30,000 points and 6,000 assists in a career. All of these accolades are claimed by Kobe Bryant, and for 19 years he has played with the Los Angeles Lakers. Could his 20th year with the team be his last? It’s very possible.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px;">Kobe Bryant has recently told the Los Angeles Lakers that after the 2015-2016 NBA season, he will not re-sign with the team. The majority of people have come to the conclusion that this will signify the end of his career, and he will retire when his 20th season is over with….but will he actually do that? Bryant has never came out and said that he will retire after his career with the Lakers comes to a close. At this time next year, Kobe will be 37 years old and there are still a few players in the NBA at that age or older that are still playing a number of minutes. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, Manu Ginobili, and Paul Pierce are just a few of them, and even though he didn’t play this year, Ray Allen, who in just a couple months will turn 40, is the reason why the Miami Heat have 1 more championship trophy is their display case after hitting a clutch 3 in game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals in order to stay alive against the San Antonio Spurs. Kobe Bryant can definitely still contribute to an NBA team, and will still be able to after next year is over, barring another serious injury.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px;">Just take a look at Bryant’s numbers to show what he can do, especially if he is on a roster where he doesn’t have to be the only player that can contribute a high amount. Before the last 2 seasons, where they were each cut short by season ending injuries, Kobe Bryant played in and started 78 games in the 2012-2013 season. In those 78 games, he shot 46.3% from the field, which is right below his career high from the 2001-2002 season, when he shot 46.9% from the field. He also averaged 27.3 points, 6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game at the age of 34, with Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace (Ron Artest), Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash. Kobe will have a lot more help this year compared to last year as well. If all goes well, the Lakers starting 5 could very well be Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, either Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns, and either Wesley Johnson or Nick “Swaggy P” Young. That’s a heck of a lot better than they had this year for sure, and at the very least it will be exciting and fun to watch. The big thing is, if the team stays relatively healthy, we will get a good glimpse at what Kobe still has left in the tank, and if it is close to what he was able to do in 2012-2013, then I think he will definitely continue his career with a team that is a serious contender for an NBA Championship, if they offer him a contract or if he simply expresses interest in playing for a particular team. That is because lately it’s been the players choosing where they want to play, while the organizations pay them less, and the player will take less money because they want to play with a particular team or player in order to win. Let’s just be real here too. No team is going to give Kobe close to the $25 million dollars that he will make next year with the Lakers. He just isn’t that kind of “max deal” player anymore. A team would most definitely offer him a contract at a discounted price though, especially if it got them closer to a championship when they are so close. His experience in the playoffs is definitely a benefit as well, having had success in winning multiple times. Kobe Bryant is just such a competitor, and he wants to win obviously, so I think he will take one last big shot at a 6th ring before calling it quits. Just my prediction.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px;">I would have no idea which team the “Black Mamba” would try to head to if he were to continue his NBA career after the Lakers, but whatever team got him would have a heck of a competitor, and depending how next season pans out, maybe a solid weapon on the court that still could contribute a solid amount. We do still have another year until we figure out if Kobe will even return for this scenario to happen, but it is fun to speculate and imagine what could be.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px;">Thank you for reading!</span></h4>
Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989845119016347199.post-75462917909402494772015-05-19T18:04:00.001-07:002015-05-19T18:06:48.825-07:002015 NFL Draft: Quarterback Analysis<h4>
Well it has been a while since my last blog post, but I'm finally back at it. It's a new day, and this blog now has a more creative and suitable name in my opinion, so let's get started.</h4>
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I don't know what a lot of you think about rookie quarterbacks, but to me it is the most exciting thing about new NFL seasons. With every quarterback there is potential to be something that we have never seen, either in a good way or a bad one. Both equally exciting. There were 7 quarterbacks taken in the 2015 NFL Draft and I had a quick analysis of what I thought about each one, and I attached some videos from the internet that I found on each player. None of the videos are my own, but they portray what I am talking about. Let's take a look.<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jameis Winston QB Florida State - 1st Round, 1st Overall Pick</b></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>2014 Season Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 13 Games, 3,907 Passing Yards, 25 Passing Touchdowns, 18 Interceptions, 65.3% Completions, 12-1 Record as a Starter</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>College Career Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 27 Games, 7,964 Passing Yards, 65 Passing Touchdowns, 28 Interceptions, 66% Completions, 26-1 Record in Games Played</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Analysis:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> I had a lot of mixed feelings when it came to watching Jameis Winston play. I can honestly say that when I watched him live, there weren’t too many plays that I saw where I was just blown away by his abilities. When I looked at a lot of his big plays, there was a lot of blown coverages and cornerbacks just not playing the ball well. The good thing there is that he can recognize the blown coverages and take advantage, and he can be able to notice when a corner is in a bad position. Those are some good traits to have, however in the NFL, there aren’t going to be as many mistakes in the secondary as Winston saw at FSU. I also like how Winston knew when to put air on the ball and when he had to put more zip on it, in order for it to get to his receiver. One thing that Jameis Winston and the Seminoles were prone to this year that will bite him if it continues at the next level, is falling behind in games early. There were many games where Winston didn’t start playing well until the 2nd half, and in the NFL you need to be on your game at all times. Going 27 games and winning 26 of them is not a fluke though either. Football is a team sport, but quarterback is the most important position on a team in my opinion, and when your program wins that much, you have to look at the quarterback. It is also well known that Winston has had many off the field issues, and that isn’t a good thing at all. With all the talent that Tampa has on the field however, with Doug Martin running the ball, and Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans catching the ball, Winston is in a good spot to succeed, with talent around him. Jameis Winston will definitely have to learn and progress, but if he can do that and mature, then it could be a good fit.</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>2014 Season Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 15 Games, 4,454 Passing Yards, 42 Passing Touchdowns, 4 Interceptions, 68.3% Completions, 770 Rushing Yards, 15 Rushing Touchdowns, 13-2 Record as a Starter</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>College Career Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 41 Games, 10,976 Passing Yards, 105 Passing Touchdowns, 14 Interceptions, 66.8% Completions, 2,237 Rushing Yards, 29 Rushing Touchdowns, 36-5 Record in Games Played</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Analysis:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> I really like Mariota as a person and as a quarterback from what I’ve seen, and if I had to pick between Winston or this guy, I would’ve taken Mariota. Just by looking at his numbers, you can see that he was smart with the football. He knew when to cut it loose, tuck it and run, or just throw it away when playing in college. He was definitely an acrobat at times with the football and it worked it college, but playing like that could get him hurt at the next level. For being such a dynamic weapon with the passing game and running game, he has a good pocket presence, and didn’t seem to get rattled that easily. He didn’t panic very much, and that is definitely a key trait to have in the NFL. He also had a few throws that definitely won’t work in the NFL, but he also does a great job of putting the ball where only his man can go and get it. A lot of people are worried, thinking that Mariota is simply a product of the system he was in at Oregon, but I’m not so sure about that. If you can throw the ball, you can throw the ball, regardless of the scheme that is being run. One thing that he needs to do however is learn to tuck the football more and secure it when he is running. He would be prone to fumbles in the NFL if that continues, so his offensive line needs to protect him. Mariota also comes with risk, but the reward is pretty tempting. His play can’t be described as anything other than “electrifying”, and that is just what Tennessee needs. With Bishop Sankey and Shonn Greene in the backfield, and Kendall Wright, Justin Hunter, and Dorial Green-Beckham out of Missouri catching the ball, this offense could be fun to watch.</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>New Orleans Saints - Garrett Grayson QB Colorado State - 3rd Round, 75th Overall Pick</b></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>2014 Season Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 13 Games, 4,006 Passing Yards, 32 Passing Touchdowns, 7 Interceptions, 64.3% Completions, 10-3 Record as a Starter</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>College Career Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 37 Games, 9,190 Passing Yards, 64 Passing Touchdowns, 27 Interceptions, 61.8% Completions, 18-18 Record in Games Played</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Analysis:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> I didn’t know a whole lot about Garrett Grayson going into this year’s draft, but after doing a little more research on him, I think he could do well learning behind Drew Brees. The thing that I like most about Grayson is that he improved year after year. Take his junior and senior years for instance, where he was the starter for Colorado State. During his senior campaign, he completed a higher percentage of his passes compared to the year before, threw for more yards on fewer attempts than the year before, threw for more touchdowns than he ever had before, and that was while throwing less interceptions. He improved statistically in every category, and he lead his team to an 18-9 record over his last 2 years. That shows great production, and it shows that he learns as he goes on, and he’ll be learning from on of the best in Drew Brees in the next few years. His throwing motion was a little different, compared to what you normally see. He threw sidearm for a good chunk of his passes, but he was obviously comfortable looking at his numbers. He seemed to make good decisions, and in the NFL, that is insanely important. Now he didn’t face the cream of the crop, competition wise, playing in the Mountain West Conference, but if you can throw, you can throw. If they stuck around, Grayson would have some talented receivers if they keep progressing in Nick Toon and Brandin Cooks for the years to come when he would be seeing more playing time hopefully. This guy definitely has some promise.</span></h4>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsiHgClvJTI<br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>St. Louis Rams - Sean Mannion QB Oregon State - 3rd Round, 89th Overall Pick</b></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>2014 Season Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 12 Games, 3,164 Passing Yards, 15 Passing Touchdowns, 8 Interceptions, </span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">62.3% Completions, 5-7 Record as a Starter</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>College Career Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 47 Games, 13,600 Passing Yards, 83 Passing Touchdowns, 54 Interceptions, 64.6% Completions, 16-25 Record in Games Played</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><u>Analysis:</u> Even though his stats from 2014 don’t jump off the page, I definitely wouldn’t sleep on Mannion. He has been pretty solid overall. Take his 2013 season as an example. He threw for over 4,500 yards, 37 touchdowns, all while completing over 65% of his passes. He lead them to a 7-6 record, but they also scored nearly 35 points per game. Sure, the team didn’t even break 20 points once during the team’s toughest streak of the schedule, when they faced #8 Stanford, USC, and then played at #21 Arizona State, while losing all 3. Those kind of games can’t be put on solely one player, even though it is the quarterback’s job to put points on the board. He definitely has room to improve, but he did solid in his collegiate career. Looking at some of his highlights, he does have a lot of arm talent. He was able to put great touch on many of his passes, and he put it in places where only his receivers could get it. He also took a few chances with double coverage, and that’s okay as long as he doesn’t get carried away, but in the NFL secondaries are a lot more talented. He does seem to make good decisions, though he can be caught holding on to the football for too long. I think Mannion could be a solid pro, even if he does start off learning behind Nick Foles, which seems to be more than likely. Oh yeah, he also is the all-time passing leader for the PAC-12 conference in the NCAA, which is nothing to slouch at. Players he is ahead of in that category include Carson Palmer, the #2 overall pick Marcus Mariota, and that quarterback who plays for Indianapolis. I think his name is Andrew Luck, and if you didn’t know, he is kind of an awesome quarterback. Not bad company to be in.</span></h4>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0W0MnAS_Kc<br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>New York Jets - Bryce Petty QB Baylor - 4th Round, 103rd Overall Pick</b></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>2014 Season Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 12 Games, 3,855 Passing Yards, 29 Passing Touchdowns, 7 Interceptions, 63.1% Completions, 10-2 Record as a Starter</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>College Career Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 37 Games, 8,195 Passing Yards, 62 Passing Touchdowns, 10 Interceptions, 62.7% Completions, 28-6 Record in Games Played</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Analysis:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Bryce Petty was my favorite quarterback in this class, especially when it comes to getting the most bang for your buck. NFL QB Camp guru Jon Gruden said that Petty may have the most natural arm talent in this entire draft. When looking at a lot of the throws that he made this past year, and over his entire college career, it is hard to disagree. Some of the concern for drafting Petty came from some of his prior injuries. He suffered a spinal injury where some of the bones in his spine were cracked, and he also suffered from a concussion in college. If those injuries don’t linger in the NFL, then that could be a score for the New York Jets, who drafted him. Watching some of his highlights, he had very good touch on a lot of his throws and was able to drop it right into his receivers hands, without the defense being able to get their hands on it. There were also some plays where his receivers had to stop or come back to the ball, but in the NFL, that can be a problem if it were to continue. Baylor was a very pass happy team with Petty on board, but he showed time and time again that he could carry the load and do big things. He had a good final year, and completed a high percentage of his passes in college. I think he is in a good situation as well with New York, where he will be able to compete for the starting job right away. The two other quarterbacks that he is competing with in my eyes are Geno Smith, who hasn’t lived up to the hype after being selected in the 2nd round in 2013 NFL draft, and Ryan Fitzpatrick has never been a consistent starter in the league. With Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and Devin Smith now to throw to, to go along with Steven Ridley, Chris Ivory, Zac Stacy, and Bilal Powell in the backfield, Petty would have solid talent around him.</span></h4>
<h4>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S9Tx2kbGMI<br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Green Bay Packers - Brett Hundley QB UCLA - 5th Round, 147th Overall Pick</b></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>2014 Season Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 13 Games, 3,155 Passing Yards, 22 Passing Touchdowns, 5 Interceptions, 69.1% Completions, 644 Rushing Yards, 10 Rushing Touchdowns, 10-3 Record as a Starter</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>College Career Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 40 Games, 9,966 Passing Yards, 75 Passing Touchdowns, 25 Interceptions, 67.6% Completions, 1,747 Rushing Yards, 30 Rushing Touchdowns, 29-11 Record in Games Played</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><u>Analysis:</u> Near the end of the 2013 college football year, there were a lot of projections that I saw that had Brett Hundley going as high as in the top 10 of the first round of the draft, and even after a very good 2014 season, Hundley still fell all the way to the 5th round of the draft. A steal for the Green Bay Packers, who now have a pretty viable backup quarterback to step in if anything were to happen to Aaron Rodgers, and there aren’t many better quarterbacks to learn from than him. That is saying a lot, coming from a Detroit Lions fan. Brett Hundley is a great duel threat quarterback, and you can tell that just by looking at his numbers. He started all 3 years that he was at UCLA, and he never completed less than 66% of his passes in a season, never threw for less than 22 touchdowns in a season, and never threw more than 11 interceptions in a season. Those are good numbers for any quarterback, but then you have to add in the fact that he ran the ball when he had to, and ran it well. He ran for over 600 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, and the year before that he had over 700 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has a good enough frame that he could take some punishment from running the ball that much, but he needs to be careful playing like that in the NFL. It is beyond me why he slid this far down in the draft, and it could be a tough break because honestly he could probably go in and compete right away for a starting job for a handful of teams. I guess we will see what happens later down the road.</span></h4>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2-V_AbmAn0<br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Denver Broncos - Trevor Siemian QB Northwestern - 7th Round, 250th Overall Pick</b></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>2014 Season Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b> </b>11 Games, 2,214 Passing Yards, 7 Touchdowns, 11 Interceptions, 58.2% Completions, 5-6 Record as a Starter</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>College Career Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 44 Games, 5,931 Passing Yards, 27 Passing Touchdowns, 24 Interceptions, 58.9% Completions, 23-20 Record in Games Played</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><u>Analysis:</u> Being a 7th round draft pick doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed a spot on an NFL roster by any meaning of the word, and it may be tough for Trevor Siemian. He will have to beat out Zac Dysert for the 3rd, and more than likely, final quarterback spot on the roster. Dysert was also a 7th round draft pick out of Miami University in Ohio, but he also has had time to watch and learn the NFL game for a year. And learning by watching Peyton Manning up close is a great opportunity, so it will be tough. In 2014, Siemian struggled with Northwester, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, and that isn’t a recipe for success. In the Wisconsin game specifically, he was just all over the place overthrowing players, putting the ball out of reach or too low for wide open guys to catch. He did finish his career with a winning record in games played, but I just don’t see that translating in the NFL. I may be wrong here, but there were other quarterbacks that I would’ve taken before him, but I also am not an NFL scout. We will see if he can make the roster.</span></h4>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mscfAZQ1D0<br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Biggest Surprise - Rakeem Cato QB Marshall - Undrafted</b></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>2014 Season Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 14 Games, 3,903 Passing Yards, 40 Touchdowns, 13 Interceptions, 59.2% Completions, 482 Rushing Yards, 8 Touchdowns, 13-1 Record as a Starter</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>College Career Stats:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 53 Games, 14,079 Passing Yards, 131 Touchdowns, 44 Interceptions, 62.7% Completions, 34-18 Record in Games Played</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Analysis:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> I absolutely do not understand why Rakeem Cato didn’t at the very least get a shot to make it with an NFL roster, at least until the preseason. It’s one thing if you don’t perform on the field, but if a player like this guy doesn’t get a shot, I just don’t understand. Cato finished with the 3rd most passing touchdowns in the nation last year, behind only Marcus Mariota from Oregon and Brandon Doughty from Western Kentucky, who handed Marshall their only loss of the season by just 2 points. The guy nearly threw for 4,000 yards and ran for 500 yards, while scoring just under 50 combined touchdowns last season. That alone is great, and the guy won games. Being 34-18 is pretty darn good, and Cato started pretty much his whole college career. He played in 3 bowl games as well, and he won them all. He wasn’t just a one season wonder either. He was impressive throughout his career. His story is an awesome one as well. Rakeem Cato didn’t get signed because of his size, since he was under 190 pounds and just over 6 feet tall. However, he did get signed by the Montreal Alouettes from the Canadian Football League. Hopefully he can make the most of his chances there, and prove the doubters wrong. I’m rooting for you Cato.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n05xRojLuao<br /></h4>
<h3>
Now I am in no way, shape, or form an "expert" on this, I just did this for fun and I could be way off on all of these players. I hope that all of these players can succeed in their football careers, and it will be fun to watch their careers unfold, especially with how much talent there was in this year's quarterback class. Only time will tell, but I'll have my popcorn ready as I watch it unfold.</h3>
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As always, thanks for reading!</h4>
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Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989845119016347199.post-1011322241875635002015-04-15T05:30:00.001-07:002015-04-15T05:30:40.006-07:00Accolades and Question Marks: A Look at the 2015 NFL Retirement Period<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For this next blog entry, I decided to look at a little different aspect of the NFL game. People always seem to talk about the up and comers and players that are in their prime, but I wanted to take a look at the other side of the coin here, and check out the retirements from this offseason. </span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This was a much more interesting retirement period, compared to others from recent memory. Many high profile players called it quits, along with some young players that hadn’t been in the league for more than the length of their rookie contracts. Definitely not something you see everyday, so let’s take a look.</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>The Less Surprising Retirees</b></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Let us look at the most recent retiree, cornerback Ike Taylor for the Pittsburgh Steelers. At age 34, in 12 NFL seasons, he was a very consistent player when it came to playing time. Before last season, he had only missed 7 games in 11 years, but this past year he missed 11 games. From a durability standpoint throughout his career, that is what you want from a player. He has compiled over 600 combined tackles in his career, to go along with 140 pass deflections, 14 interceptions, 1 touchdown, and 3 sacks. Very solid numbers from a player at the cornerback position. The only issue my father had with Taylor, as a lifelong Steelers fan, was that he seemed to drop so many possible interceptions. That’s probably why he wasn’t a wide receiver, but he did have an impressive one as a corner.</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now sticking with the same team, but a different player in 8 time pro bowl safety, Troy Polamalu. It was sad to see Troy retire, especially because ever since I started to watch NFL football, it seemed like Polamalu was in the starting lineup for the Steelers. You could see him declining last year, but he has been a cornerstone for Pittsburgh for so long, it is going to be different seeing somebody else playing his position. Like Taylor, Troy has been with the Steelers for 12 years. In those 12 years, he has made countless eye popping plays that blew your mind. He gathered up 771 combined tackles, 32 interceptions, 110 pass deflections, 12 sacks, 14 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, and 3 touchdowns. Wow is all you can say, especially if you had the privilege of watching him over the years. He was a very soft-spoken player, but his play was everything but. He played like an animal, and treated every snap like it was his last. A future hall of fame player, without a doubt in my mind.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>The More Surprising Retirees</b></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To start off with this category, I feel like Patrick Willis is one of the first names that comes to mind. While 30 years old isn’t necessarily “young” in NFL terms, it isn’t an age that you expect players of Willis’ caliber to retire at. The man was a beast to say the very least, and he was the face of that 49er’s defense in my opinion. After being selected #11 overall in the 2007 NFL draft, he has lived up to his expectations, and then some. In 8 years, he made 7 pro bowls. That is the definition of domination at your position. In 112 games played, Willis finished with over 900 combined tackles, while breaking the 100 combined tackle mark in a season 6 times, with 174 combined tackles as a rookie. That number is pretty darn impressive to say the least. He also finished his year with 20.5 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 8 interceptions, 53 pass deflections, and 2 touchdowns. A great career to celebrate, even if it did end a little earlier than we all expected. Willis also could be under serious consideration to make it to Canton, Ohio as a hall of fame linebacker.</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Stephen Schilling is the next player to definitely surprise people by retiring at the young age of just 26 years old. In just 4 years of play in the NFL, he played for 2 different teams. He played for the Seattle Seahawks last season, and before that he spent his first 3 years with the San Diego Chargers, after being selected in the 6th round in 2011. He was never a solidified starter in the league, but he got playing time in 26 games, while starting 5 in his career, and 3 of them came in 2014. He played college football at the University of Michigan, and was a Lombardi Award nominee, which celebrated a college offensive lineman, who had great play on the field, while still having the type of discipline that Vince Lombardi portrayed. A promising outlook, but unfortunately ending earlier than expected.</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next up is the former #8 overall pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2011, Jake Locker. Coming out of the University of Washington, many thought that he could potentially be the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft, but that turned out to be Auburn standout, Cam Newton. Locker didn’t do what Tennessee was hoping, as he only started 30 games over 4 years. That’s less than half of what the team played over that 4 year span. He finished his career with just under 5,000 yards passing, 27 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, and a 57.5% completion rate. Though he didn’t really excel in the pros, it was very surprising that he called it quits because he still had the skill set to remain on an NFL roster. Locker however wanted to be able to get out of the NFL while still being in good health, and it is hard to fault him for that.</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now onto Jason Worilds, who was also from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 2nd round draft choice from Virginia Tech played a total of 5 years in the National Football League. This is especially surprising because of his output for the team so far in his career. In 73 games throughout his career, he brought down the quarterback 25.5 times, and 7.5 of those sacks came just last year, which was the 2nd most in his career for a single season. He also finished his career with 4 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries. Though he wasn’t a standout that offenses planned around, Worilds was still a solid starter and he had some good upside, while showing flashes of great play. Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers are known for their development of linebackers, this is still a loss for their defensive unit and a big surprise for anyone who watched him.</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The last player that retired out of nowhere, who was definitely the most surprising retiree, is linebacker Chris Borland from the San Francisco 49er’s. At just 24 years old, Borland hung up his cleats after just his rookie year. In his one year with the team, Borland compiled over 100 combined tackles, 5 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, and 1 sack, which earned him consideration for rookie of the year. He definitely had a lot of upside coming out of college after playing at the University of Wisconsin, and after being selected in the 3rd round in last year’s draft. Many players had mixed reviews about his retirement, with some questioning his commitment and just wanting the money and running, while others were very comforting and understanding as to why he did it. Borland quickly diminished those who criticized him by giving back 3/4 of his signing bonus, since he only played 1/4 of his rookie contract. That definitely had to take a lot for him to walk away from the game he loved, but it’s hard to argue with a guy who cherishes his health more than his paycheck.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Whether this turns into a more common thing in the NFL or not, this was definitely a surprising retirement period in the NFL. Only time will tell if this trend will continue.</span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As always, thank you for reading!</span></h4>
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Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989845119016347199.post-51524564113678063072015-04-02T07:00:00.001-07:002015-04-02T08:44:32.858-07:002015 NFL Mock Draft and Brief Analysis<h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jameis Winston QB, Florida State</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s no secret that Tampa Bay is very interested in taking a quarterback with their #1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. Head coach, Lovie Smith has made it clear that he likes Winston, and it seems like he is a bigger fan of him rather than Marcus Mariota. There were also rumors that the team’s current QB, Mike Glennon, has been looked at as a possible trade commodity. Winston would be in a great situation with Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans to throw to, along with Doug Martin running the football.</span></h4>
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<br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2. Tennessee Titans - Leonard Williams DE/DT, USC</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Many look at Williams as the top prospect in this year’s draft, and it just so happens that the Titans could use help on the defensive line. Marcus Mariota has been rumored to be liked by the Titans organization, but the team has also been said to be all in with quarterback Zach Mattenberger. With that, I think Williams will be the pick.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Brandon Scheriff OT, Iowa</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Blake Bortles was sacked 55 times last season as a rookie. That isn’t good, especially for the team’s quarterback of the future. There are many other positions that are a possibility for the Jaguars, but offensive line makes the most sense.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4. Oakland Raiders - Amari Cooper WR, Alabama</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Derek Carr threw for over 3,000 yards, 21 touchdowns, with only 12 interceptions. That was without many big time playmakers on the offense. If the Raiders took Cooper, he would play opposite of James Jones, and that would be a solid receiving core, and it could help Carr out a lot.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">5. Washington Redskins - Dante Fowler Jr. OLB, Florida</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Washington has a few issues to address in this draft, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they traded back or just spent this pick on an offensive lineman. Fowler Jr. is a great player though, and could definitely compliment and help out the Redskins’ defense. Pairing him opposite of Ryan Kerrigan could be a dynamic duo on the defensive side of the ball.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">6. New York Jets - Marcus Mariota QB, Oregon</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The New York Jets have done some good things so far in this offseason, mainly bringing back Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, while also adding Buster Skrine. Also on offense, they traded for Brandon Marshall to team up beside Eric Decker. Todd Bowles has done well so far, and I expect him to cement a new quarterback to signal a new era with the the Jets. I think Mariota would do well with this team, and it would be fun to watch.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">7. Chicago Bears - Vic Beasley OLB, Clemson</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Bears defense is definitely not their defense of old, so I think this would be a good pick for them to try and start to get this defense back to where they used to be. They have to start somewhere.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">8. Atlanta Falcons - Shane Ray DE, Missouri</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Atlanta could use a dominant defensive presence, and Ray could definitely help in that area. With his size (6’3” 245lbs.), Ray would be a versatile weapon, and could possibly line up at linebacker in certain packages. This would be a good pick for the Falcons.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">9. New York Giants - Danny Shelton DT, Washington</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Giants are pretty set on the offensive side of the ball, and the offensive line can be addressed a little later in the draft, so I see them focusing on defense, and on the interior of the defensive line is where I see them needing the most help. Shelton could definitely help this unit and give them an intimidating defensive line when teaming up with Jason Pierre-Paul and Cullen Jenkins.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">10. St. Louis Rams - Trae Waynes CB, Michigan State</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Waynes was a stud corner on the college level, and could help any team that needs help in the secondary, and the Rams are one of those teams. He would pair well with Janoris Jenkins, and could help this already solid defense.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">11. Minnesota Vikings - La’el Collins OT, LSU</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Collins could step in right away for Minnesota, as he would help an offensive line that gave up the 39 sacks to their starting quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater. This would help give Bridgewater more time, and it would open up more holes along the offensive line for their running game.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">12. Cleveland Browns - Kevin White WR, West Virginia</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If White is available, I don’t think Cleveland will hesitate at all to take him, especially after Josh Gordon got suspended for the entire 2015-2016 season. He would join newly signed Dwayne Bowe and he would definitely help out whoever is playing quarterback for the team.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">13. New Orleans Saints - Randy Gregory DE, Nebraska</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After his recent legal issues, Gregory could definitely fall in the draft. If he is there at 13, then I would expect the Saints to take him. He could definitely strengthen the Saints defense and he would be a great compliment to pair with Cameron Jordan on the opposite side. This is of course if they don’t trade Drew Brees to the Buccaneers for the number 1 pick, who would then be Jameis Winston.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">14. Miami Dolphins - Shaq Thompson OLB, Washington</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Miami could definitely use an offensive guard here, but there aren’t any that are worth taking this high, so if they stick with this pick, I think it would be a smart pickup to get Thompson. He could step in immediately and help the Dolphins defense at the linebacker position.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">15. San Francisco 49ers - Malcolm Brown DT, Texas</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The 49ers have faced some tough losses with Chris Borland and Patrick Willis this offseason by retirements. I expect them to address the defensive side with these losses, and though it isn’t at linebacker, I see Malcolm Brown being a good pick. He could help with the losses that the 49ers have suffered and step in and help right away.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">16. Houston Texans - Andrus Peat OT, Stanford</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This would be a smart move for the Houston Texans. Peat would be a big help for a Texans offense who has questions at quarterback at the moment, and he would help their offensive line quite a bit. If they were to trade down however, I wouldn’t be surprised.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">17. San Diego Chargers - Todd Gurley RB, Georgia</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With the loss of Ryan Matthews, the Chargers need a starting running back to carry the load for the team, and Gurley could be that guy. Even though he had a serious injury to his knee, he seems to be on track to heal correctly. Big risk player, but he also comes with big reward potential. The past 3 seasons at Georgia, Gurley has averaged over 6 yards per carry. No matter what level, that is impressive.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">18. Kansas City Chiefs - Ereck Flowers OT, Miami (FL)</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Chiefs didn’t have a single receiving touchdown from a wide receiver last season, so that is also a huge possibility here, but Alex Smith was sacked 45 times last year. If he doesn’t have time to throw from the pocket, it doesn’t matter who he is throwing the football to.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">19. Cleveland Browns (From Buffalo) - Eric Kendricks ILB, UCLA</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This pick would make sense, and it would complete a very intimidating linebacker core that already includes Paul Kruger, Barkevious Mingo, and Karlos Dansby. This defense would be scary, and it can only help them keep pace with the rest of the AFC North.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">20. Philadelphia Eagles - Eli Harold OLB, Virginia</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Chip Kelly has made the most noise in the offseason this year, and it isn’t a secret that he is looking to make a run this year. With Harold, that would strengthen a linebacking core that is led by newly acquired Kiko Alonso. It isn’t a flashy pick, but it would be a good one.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">21. Cincinnati Bengals - Landon Collins SS, Alabama</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Collins is a very talented player out of Alabama, which is pretty much a breeding ground for NFL players. He would certainly help the Bengals secondary.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">22. Pittsburgh Steelers - Kevin Johnson CB, Wake Forest</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Steelers defense has been acquiring many young and talented defensive players in the early rounds of the draft in past years, and I look for that trend to continue. Johnson would pair well with Cortez Allen, and he could fill the void with the loss of Ike Taylor.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">23. Detroit Lions - Melvin Gordon RB, Wisconsin</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With the loss of Reggie Bush, Detroit may be looking for a back to fill that role. Theo Riddick played well last year when called on, but having three capable running backs is very intriguing. I think guard is a bigger need, but none are worth taking this high.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">24. Arizona Cardinals - Alvin Dupree DE, Kentucky</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Dupree would probably play outside linebacker in Arizona’s scheme, and I think he would definitely help fill a need for a team that is looking for a push to make it to the big game, especially with Carson Palmer running out of time to win that big game at quarterback.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">25. Carolina Panthers - Marcus Peters CB, Washington</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Panthers are a tough team to figure out. They have the capability to beat any team that they square up against, but they also have the capability to lose to any team as well. I think Peters would definitely help their secondary that doesn’t have any shutdown corners.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">26. Baltimore Ravens - DeVante Parker WR, Louisville </span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If Parker is still on the board at this time, then I think it is a no brainer for the Ravens. With the loss of Torrey Smith, they need somebody to help fill the void that he left, and Parker could do just that.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">27. Dallas Cowboys - Arik Armstead DT, Oregon</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Dallas Cowboys are almost a complete team, and I think with this pick, Armstead would be smart. Defensive tackle looks to be about the weakest spot for this team, so I see them taking care of that right away.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">28. Denver Broncos - Cameron Erving C, Florida State</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Peyton Manning only has a couple years left in the league, and to make sure that he can be the best that he can be, the Broncos should draft a player to protect him. Erving could be that player, and it would be a smart pick for them.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">29. Indianapolis Colts - T.J. Clemmings OT, Pittsburgh</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After obtaining Frank Gore and Andre Johnson in free agency, the Colts top priority should be to keep Andrew Luck upright, so he can totally utilize the weapons he has at his disposal. Clemmings can help with that objective.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">30. Green Bay Packers - P.J. Williams CB, Florida State</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With the loss of Tramon Williams leaving for Cleveland, the Packers are weaker at the cornerback position, and in a division with Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, and Alshon Jeffery, I don’t know if the Packers will take their chances. Williams could help them.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">31. New Orleans Saints (From Seattle) - Jake Fisher OT, Oregon</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Saints received this pick from the Jimmy Graham trade with Seattle, and I think Jake Fisher would be smart here. Giving Drew Brees as much time as possible is only a bad thing for opposing defenses, but never for the Saints’ offense.</span><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">32. New England Patriots - Jaelen Strong WR, Arizona State</span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If Strong were to still be available, Bill Belichick would be very tempted to give Tom Brady another target to throw to. Brady turns average receivers into seemingly great ones, so imagine what he could do with Strong, who is already greatly talented.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As always, thanks for reading this everybody. It seriously means a lot. Now this is my best guess as to what will happen, though in reality I may only get a handful right, but hey that’s the fun of it.</span></h4>
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Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989845119016347199.post-29485228942754074582015-03-26T21:34:00.001-07:002015-03-26T21:34:47.330-07:00Basketball, Broadcasting, and Life Lessons<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For this blog I’m going to switch things up a little bit, and take a minute to reflect on critical life lessons that I have learned through my life, while involved in sports so far. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Patience. That is the first thing that I can honestly say that I really learned about while broadcasting in college and playing basketball now and in my teenage years. When playing basketball you have to be patient and wait for plays and other opportunities to open up, and sometimes when you try to force something that isn’t there, you turn the ball over. This is a critical lesson in life, and it can apply to anybody. In life, there are many things that are out of our control for the time being, and all we can really do is wait, and sometimes things will open up, and we will realize that it was all for the better. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case, but we always hope and try to have faith that something good can come out of any situation. As one of my former teachers tells his students, “90% of success is not what happens to you, but it’s how you react to what happens to you”. That is an amazing quote, and it rings true that no matter what happens in life, basketball, or anything else, always keep moving forward and focusing on becoming better. Other times in life things will open up quickly, and we need to take advantage of it fast, or else the chance will be gone. Much like driving in an open lane on the basketball court, but if you hesitate for even a split second your shot can get blocked. So always remain patient, and know when to take your chances, and when to relax and wait.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The second big thing that I learned about was teamwork. Before basketball, the most organized sport that I played was 2 on 1 or 2 on 2 football, and in that situation there is only so much that you can do with only one more option on the field, other than yourself and giving the ball away to the other team. When I started playing basketball, I had to learn about my teammates and how they played the game and what their strong suits were and whatnot. This gave me the best chance to help my team, by getting it to the right players at the right time. Unfortunately that player wasn’t me, even though I thought it could be going into open gym tryouts on the first day. Looking back at it now, I’m really happy I stuck with it because I see how much better I’ve gotten, but my goodness I was terrible out there when I first started. Anyways, back to teamwork. It takes all 5 guys on the court on your own team contributing, in order to have the best product out there as possible, giving your team the best chance to win. Broadcasting is very similar to this as well. Everybody always gives the broadcasters the credit for being so talented in their delivery and in the ways that they tell us about the game and what is going on. However, there is so much more than that going on behind the scenes. There is a board operator, without whom nobody would be able to hear the broadcasters calling the game, a halftime reporter, and everybody else who puts in the work so that the broadcasters can be connected to the radio waves and to TV signals. Everybody plays a crucial role in life, and sometimes the best game plan is to work together, even though it can be a bit of a struggle sometimes.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This next one is more personal to me, but for me it is very true as well. Though it may be tough, try not to get your hopes up when the outcome of a situation is in the hands of another person, and not your own. Many people may disagree and say that is negative, but in my eyes, the only time I will be very excited about an opportunity is when it is my responsibility to make it happen, and not somebody else’s responsibility. My reasoning behind that is this. If I were to take a situation, say a game winning shot in a pick up basketball game for instance, I would much rather myself take the shot than somebody else, because if I take the game winning shot and miss, then I have nobody to blame but myself. I take the loss, learn from it, and move on. Now if the ball was in somebody else’s hands when the game was on the line and they miss, I will often think about what would have happened if I had the last shot. That may be selfish, and I realize that, but I don’t like trying to put an outcome like that in the hands of another, even though essentially, that is what they are doing if I take the last shot. I suppose I should stick with one on one basketball in that case. Don’t get me wrong though, I do have faith in many people, but it’s finding out the people that you can put your faith in that is the hardest. Take an interview for a position for instance. I try not to get my hopes up for things like that because I can only do so much to sway their decision, and at the end of the day, it isn’t in my hands. Sure I’m always confident that I can do the job well that I’m applying for, but that isn’t the same as having confidence in the interviewer to see the same things that I see in myself. The way I always look at it is that it isn’t my loss. I did what I could do, I know that I would’ve given 100%, and at the end of the day, I still believe in myself and my abilities just as much as I did before that interview. So having given my reasoning, that is why I don’t like to get my hopes up when the outcome of a situation is in the hands of another person.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Those are just a few things that I have learned through these past years of my life through basketball and broadcasting, and I will continue to try and learn and grow in every situation that I am placed in.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Those were just some thoughts that were weighing on me, so just had to get them off and out there. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.</span><br />
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Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989845119016347199.post-43883125792933165732015-02-17T07:10:00.001-08:002015-02-17T07:10:36.060-08:00New York Jets Cap Situation and Possible Outcomes<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Well my first blog is out of the way, and I think it turned out fairly well. Had to make a few changes here and there from small errors, but overall I made it out alive and I think it turned out well. So this is blog number 2 and I will be doing a very similar format.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now when somebody mentions the New York Jets, what is the first thing to come into your mind? Mark Sanchez and his infamous “butt fumble”? Former head coach Rex Ryan and his interesting antics? Tim Tebow just in general? Or who could forget 2008, when the team brought in 39 year old Brett Favre to try and give them a spark, which eventually ended in a 9-7 season with Favre throwing 22 interceptions and the Jets missing the playoffs. I guess that is a spark, but not necessarily one that you want for your team, giving the ball away that many times. The Jets have seemingly been more of a media circus than an NFL franchise in recent memory.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But hey, it’s a new year and a new team, Mark Sanchez is out of New York, Rex Ryan is now trying to turn the Bills around in Buffalo, Tebow is an analyst for the SEC Network, and Brett Favre was recently endorsing Wrangler jeans, seemingly finished with his NFL career. Oh, and John Idzik is no longer the general manager. So perk up Jets fans, because things are looking up! Now without further adieu, let’s take a closer look at this team, starting with their own free agents.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><u>Resigning Period</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now the New York Jets have the 4th most cap room in the NFL this offseason with about $45.5 million to spend on players. This should give them some flexibility with what they want to do in free agency, but first they have to decide which players they want to re-sign. Starting off this list is inside linebacker, David Harris. Harris is 31, but he still is playing at a very respectable and solid level. This past year, Harris racked up 124 combined tackles and 6 sacks, which was a career high. He also had 2 forced fumbles and a pass deflection. In my opionion, that is a solid year. Harris made about $5 million dollars last season, and if the Jets could get him for about the same amount or a little less, then I think it would be a good investment to keep this guy in Jets colors.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Kyle Wilson is next up on my list of free agents for the Jets to try and re-sign. While cornerback isn’t a glaring need for the Jets, with Dee Milliner coming off of injury, Marcus Williams starting on the opposite side, and Darrin Wells playing one of the nickel spots, Wilson is a solid player. He has played all 16 games in all 5 seasons of his career with the Jets. He was able to get 26 combined tackles, 1 sack, and a pass deflection this year, but playing at the nickel there isn’t a lot of pressure to get killer stats. He made about $1.2 million dollars last year, which may be a tad high, but if the Jets could get him for at most $1 million per year, I would bring him back. He would demand more if he would’ve gotten more production, but if he continues with his lack of forced turnovers, I think that is a fair value.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Another player slotted to become a free agent is offensive guard Willie Colon. Now I’ll be honest, I don’t know the exact effectiveness of Colon, but I do know that he started all 16 games for the Jets the past 2 years and Geno Smith was one of the least sacked quarterbacks in the NFL this last year. Given those stats and the fact that he has had a pretty consistent and solid career, I would vote for him to stay with New York. He made $2 million last year with the Jets, and if that is what it takes for your quarterback to stay upright, then I would be in favor of paying around that same amount.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The last free agent I wanted to look at for this team is safety Dawan Landry. Now the man has been in the league for 9 years, and has only not played all 16 games in the season once in his career. That demonstrates the durability of this guy, and that is nothing short of awesome. Last year he had the 2nd most combined tackles for a single season in his career with 106, and that went along with 1.5 sacks and one pass deflection. That is a solid season and with his effectiveness throughout his career, I think he will be solid again next year. Last year he made $1.5 million, and if they can get him for around that same number, then again I would say get this man signed and back on the Jets sideline.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><u>Offense</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Starting off with this offense, you have to start with the quarterback. Now Michael Vick got some playing time last year, but being 34 years old and a free agent, I don’t really see him being a Jet. That leaves Geno Smith. Now in college, he was a stud at West Virginia. He had an amazing senior year, completing just over 71% of his passes, throwing for 5 yards over 4,200, and 42 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions. His transition to the NFL however, hasn’t been the smoothest. In 2 seasons, he has started 30 games, thrown for 5,571 yards, with 25 touchdowns to 34 interceptions. He did have the same number of touchdowns to interceptions last year, but having 13 of each isn’t that good either. That’s without mentioning that the most yards he has thrown for in a single season is just over 3,000, and that isn’t impressive in NFL standards. I could see a new starter here next season, as a way of a fresh start for their new head coach Todd Bowles. As mentioned earlier, Geno Smith was one of the least sacked quarterbacks in the NFL, so I think offensive line is pretty well set, unless Colon doesn’t re-sign or the team just wants a security blanket if one of the starters goes down to injury at some point in the season. As my high school’s head coach would always say, “When in doubt, draft linemen.” Can’t really argue there.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now at running back, this team has a few a solid player in Chris Ivory. Chris Johnson’s option was declined by the team, which to me was a little surprising since they proved to be a solid one, two punch, with both rushing for over 600 yards (Johnson had 663, Ivory had 821). They also both averaged over 4 yards per carry, and the duo scored 7 touchdowns on the ground combined (Johnson had 1, Ivory had 6). You would like to see the top running backs to get in the end zone a little more, but the team was 3rd in the NFL in rushing, so I wouldn’t nitpick that so much. With the release of Johnson, they need another running back (Bilal Powell was also released). Now I could see them going after another running back to compliment Ivory in the offseason.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Receivers were a little inconsistent this year, with nobody breaking the 1,000 yard receiving mark, but they do have solid pieces in this group. That group starts with wide receiver, Eric Decker. Decker signed a 5 year deal, worth up to $36.25 million just a year ago, after 2 straight 1,000 plus yard seasons with the Denver Broncos. He did solid for the Jets, just not astonishing. He had 962 yards and 5 touchdowns on 74 catches. He’ll definitely start next year, but I would think the team would like to see his stats go up. Percy Harvin starts on the opposite side of Decker, and after being traded from the Seattle Seahawks for a draft pick, he had 29 catches for 350 yards and a touchdown. 5 of those 29 catches went for 20 yards, so his big play ability is still there. The big issue with Harvin is that he gets injured quite a bit, and he hasn’t played in more then 9 games in a season since 2011. In 7 years, Harvin has only played all 16 games in a season once, which can scare some teams. Their number 3 receiver is Jeremy Kerley, and he had one touchdown last year, off of 38 catches for 409 yards. That is a solid season, just not for a starting receiver. With Kerley’s lack of big production, and Harvin’s lack of durability, many see them going after a starting caliber receiver in the offseason, and I would have to agree. That would make Kerley the 4th receiver, and put Harvin in the slot, where he can be very dangerous. Jace Amaro and Jeff Cumberland are the 2 main tight ends for the Jets, and I think they are going to be okay in that area. Amaro is coming off of his rookie year, having caught 38 passes for 345 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not bad for a rookie tight end, and with time he’ll only get better in my opinion. Jeff Cumberland had 23 catches for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns as the number 2 tight end, also not bad. While these numbers may not jump out, the Jets did have the worst ranked passing offense in the league, and with new pieces and a new offensive coordinator, I see things improving</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is where the Jets have been solid for a while now. Last year they finished 14th ranked against the pass, and 5th ranked against the run, so this defense is pretty good. It all starts up front with their defensive line. Lets start with Sheldon Richardson, who will be going into his 3rd NFL season. Last year, he had 66 combined tackles, 8 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass deflection. That is a good year, and an improved year, compared to his rookie season. Next up is Muhammad Wilkerson. He will be in his 5th NFL season with the team this next year. This last year he had 55 combined tackles, to go with 5 sacks, a forced fumble, and 5 deflected passes. A little down from 2013, when he had 10.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, but this guy is very good and we know he is capable of playing great football. At nose tackle in their 3-4 defense, they have Damon Harrison, who is also going into his 3rd NFL season. He has started all 32 games for them the last 2 years, and last year he had 55 combined tackles, but other than that was held in check. Maybe I’m wrong, but I would think that the Jets would want a nose tackle that could be a little more disruptive, so I could maybe see them going after one in the offseason. Overall, this group up front is pretty solid.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Onto the linebackers. This group consists of Quinton Coples, Demario Davis, Calvin Pace, and David Harris (if he re-signs). I covered Harris’ impact and my thoughts on him earlier, so I’ll cover Quinton Coples first. He plays the right outside linebacker position, and he had a solid season, gathering 35 combined tackles, a forced fumble, and a career high in sacks with 6.5. That is a pretty solid season for Coples, and I think the team will be quite pleased if he can repeat that output, or even raise it a bit. Now to Demario Davis, who played the right inside linebacker spot. He had a good year, holding the most individual tackles on the team with 79, and had the 2nd most combined tackles on the team, which was also a career high for him with 116. He also had 3.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and 5 pass deflections. Those are some solid numbers for the 3 year pro, and I think he also did well enough to hold down that spot next season. The last linebacker to cover is Calvin Pace, the left outside linebacker, who will be entering his 13th NFL season. In 2014, he had 39 combined tackles, to go along with 5 sacks and 3 deflected passes. That is also a solid year, and just last year he was able to get 10 sacks, so there is some fuel left in the tank for the veteran. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jets started looking for a young player to sit behind him and learn, then when Pace was done with the team, the younger player can step in and give the team some solid contributions.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Last up, the secondary. This group starts with Dee Milliner. He only saw action in 3 games this year, before an injury took him out for the year, but he showed the league what he could do in his rookie campaign, when he finished with 45 solo and 56 combined tackles, to go with 3 interceptions. He was the 9th overall pick in the 2013 draft out of Alabama, so the Jets have high hopes for him. Starting opposite of him is Marcus Williams, an undrafted corner out of North Dakota state. He will be going into his 2nd year, and as a rookie he played 8 games, finishing the year with 37 combined tackles, an interception, and 7 pass deflections. A solid year for starting halfway through his rookie season, and going undrafted. Even if the Jets do re-sign Kyle Wilson however (see above), I could see them going after another corner that may be a better option, but I could see it going either way. At free safety, the team started rookie Calvin Pryor out of Louisville. The guy did solid, getting in on 60 combined tackles for the season, as well as a pass deflection. I think with time those numbers will increase and he can be a safety in the league. Starting next to Pryor was Jaiquawn Jarrett, a pro going into his 4th year in the NFL. He had his best year as a pro, starting 14 games, Jarrett had 41 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, 2 interceptions, and 2 deflected passes. Those are some good numbers for the guy, and I only look for him to improve, being only 25 years of age. I really like this defensive unit as a whole.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><u>Draft/Free Agency</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Let’s go back to the offensive side of the ball to start, and the first position I think the team will be looking to change is quarterback. I see Geno Smith being more of a backup in the NFL, and with that being said, in the first round, if either of them are there, I see the Jets taking one of the two Heisman Trophy winners from the past 2 years in Jameis Winston from Florida Stata or Marcus Mariota for Oregon. Personally, I like Mariota better, but the Jets just need a fresh start at quarterback. If neither of them are there, they could look at players like Brett Hundley from UCLA in the 2nd round. I don’t think any free agent quarterbacks are the answer for the future for the Jets. At running back, I could see them looking at a few players. In free agency, I could see them looking at Justin Forsett, Stevan Ridley, or Jacquizz Rodgers. All of them would provide some flash in the backfield. If they choose to look in the draft, I think a player like Cameron Artis-Payne from Auburn could help or earlier they could look at Ameer Abdullah from Nebraska or Duke Johnson from Miami. They have more pressing needs, but who knows what they’ll do. Receiver is also an area of need for the Jets, and they could very well go after Amari Cooper from Alabama with their 6th pick. This years free agent class is full of receivers as well, so if they choose they could go after Dez Bryant, Randall Cobb, Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, Torrey Smith, or Demaryius Thomas, unless of course they re-sign with their current teams before free agency beings. Any of those receivers could help the Jets. Also in the offseason, offensive as I said may be targeted, in case Colon leaves or somebody gets hurt. I could see them taking somebody like Cedric Ogbuehl from Texas A&M or Donovan Smith from Penn State, closer to the middle rounds. I would stick to the draft with this position for New York, unless they want to spend more on players like Bryan Bulaga, Michael Oher, or somebody like that.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On defense, they may try to go after a defensive tackle/nose tackle. They could go after somebody like Ellis McCarthy from UCLA or Xavier Williams from Northern Iowa. Both of those players are big bodies to play that nose tackle spot. I could also see them going after free agents like Nick Fairley or Ndamukong Suh. There were rumors that Suh wanted to play in New York, so it may work out that way. They may need help at linebacker, so in the draft they may target somebody like Tony Washington from Oregon later in the draft, or someone like Taiwan Jones from Michigan state in the later rounds. In free agency they may try to get somebody like Bruce Carter or Malcolm Smith. Both good players already, and also pretty young, so they could immediately compete for a linebacker spot. They may also go after Akeem Ayers if David Harris doesn’t re-sign. Finally, at corner in the draft, they may try to get somebody like P.J. Williams from FSU or Quinten Rollins from Miami of Ohio early in the draft, or go a player like Josh Shaw from USC later on in the draft. In free agency, they may go after somebody like Brandon Flowers, Antonio Cromartie, Tramon Williams, or Walter Thurmond. All of these players could start right away for the Jets, and help in the secondary. They could also help Dee Milliner and other young players learn and progress.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><u>Outlook</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My prediction is that this team with be much improved and win about 8 games this year, if they make changes to most of the changes that I mentioned. I see them being more competitive than last year too. They have some challenging games but I think they will do well. It happens to be a bonus as well that Rex Ryan is coaching within the division. I’m interested to see the reaction he gets from the Jets home fans.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Thanks for reading if you made it this far, and I hope you found this to be a good read.</span></div>
Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989845119016347199.post-44879663659751134932015-02-10T17:12:00.002-08:002015-02-11T15:16:38.644-08:00Jacksonville Jaguars Cap Situation and Possible Outcomes<div style="font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now that the 2014-2015 NFL season has officially came to an end, with the New England Patriots hoisting the Lombardi trophy, it is officially time to start looking towards the part of the season where every single fan of losing teams have hope that their team will finally stop the losing trend, and every fan of winning teams hope that their team can keep their main core of players in tact in an effort to make a push towards the big game.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now for the most part, many of the winning teams will keep winning games next year, while quite a few of the losing teams will keep disappointing their fans, and have them thinking about the next year and the one after that (Don’t worry, having followed the Lions since the Joey Harrington days I just wait for the team to implode and get yet another top 10 pick, even when they have many talented players).</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So we’ll see where I go with it in the future, but for my first blog post I thought that I might look at one of most sad franchises in the NFL from the past couple years, and take a look at what they could do to possibly “right their ship” to an extent, in order to try to make it back to the playoffs. A feat that the franchise hasn’t been able to accomplish since 2007. Ladies and gentleman, the Jacksonville Jaguars.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since their 11-5 season in 2007, where they lost in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs to the undefeated 16-0 New England Patriots, the Jaguars have struggled to say the least. Ever since that last playoff game, the Jaguars have went 34-79 in 7 seasons. That is saying a lot considering the team had a 4 year span, from 2004-2007 where they had a combined record of 40-24. Just think about that for a second. In a 4 season span, the franchise had 6 more wins than they have been able to pile up in the last 7 seasons combined. That’s just unfortunate.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Resigning Period</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Fortunately for them however, they have the most cap space in the NFL with just under $61 million dollars to spend. In my eyes they only have 4 fairly large decisions to make regarding their own free agents, starting with defensive end Tyson Alualu. He made about $3 million dollars last year and in 5 years of starting, he has only had 13 sacks combined and only 2 last year and only 30 tackles, which was his lowest output of his career. So I wouldn’t be surprised if they cut bait with him. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Another player they may resign is linebacker Geno Hayes. He didn’t have a very good year last year, but it wasn’t terrible either. Stats wise he had 51 tackles and 2 sacks. Not too much output, but he did only account for about $1 million against the cap, so if I was the Jaguars, I may be inclined to sign him, but it could go either way. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Another player that may be resigned is Alan Ball at cornerback. He only started and played in 7 games last year, but he was able to rack up 22 tackles, 3 pass deflections and an interception as well. Not too bad for only getting 7 games of playing time. He played last year for about $1.3 million, and if the Jags could get him for around the same number I say sign him. Dwayne Gratz seems to be the only solid, young corner on that team, so they could use some help when it comes to depth. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Finally, I would say they should resign Cecil Shorts at wide receiver. Shorts had 557 receiving yards last year with only 1 touchdown, but he is only 2 years removed from having 979 yards with 7 touchdowns, so some potential is there. He accounted for $1.5 million last year, and if they could also get him for around the same price I would also say sign the man.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Offense</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If they were able to sign Ball, Hayes, and Shorts for roughly the same number as last year, then they would be looking at about $58 million dollars in spending money. Focusing on Jacksonville’s offense, I like the direction that this team is headed. Assuming Shorts stays, they have a solid, young receiving core with Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson, and Marqise Lee all finishing their rookie campaigns with over 400 yards each. Also not to mention Justin Blackmon may be coming back after missing the entire season due to suspension. He was the 5th overall pick by the Jaguars in 2013 and he brought in 29 catches for 415 yards and a touchdown his rookie year. If he can stay out of trouble, that is just another weapon that they could use in their arsenal. When it comes to their tight ends, Mercedes Lewis leads the way. Having been in Jacksonville for 9 seasons, last year was his least productive since his rookie season in 2006, gathering only 18 catches for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns in 8 games played. Clay Harbor is their second tight end, who finished the year with 26 catches and 289 yards and 1 touchdown. Neither of these guys seem to be the answer at tight end, since Lewis is past his prime and Harbor just isn't that standout starter. This position also may be a need in this offseason.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Former Michigan quarterback, Denard Robinson, lead them in rushing after being made into a running back in the NFL. He had 582 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4.3 yards per carry last year, showing some potential. Being under 200 pounds at the running back position could cause some concerns, so they may try to draft one or bring one in through free agency to split the load with Robinson. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Blake Bortles finished his rookie year with just under 59% completions and just over 2900 yards passing with 11 touchdowns, compared to 17 interceptions. Not very productive, but being his rookie year I’ll give him a pass, especially with the atrocious play of the offensive line. The Jaguars gave up 71 sacks last year as a team, finishing last in the NFL and Bortles was on the receiving end of 55 of them. You can’t expect your QB to be effective with that lack of protection and time in the pocket, so I see offensive line being the #1 focus in the draft or offseason. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Defense</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now onto the defensive side of things, starting with the defensive line. As a unit with their starting front 4 in Chris Clemons, Sen’Derrick Marks, Red Bryant, and Roy Miller, they were able to compile 18.5 sacks. But that can be skewed considering 16.5 of them were between 2 players (Clemons with 8 and Marks with 8.5). Marks’ 8.5 sacks was a career high for him. By the looks of it, Clemons and Marks look like the only 2 players along that front that are safe from any change. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Paul Posluszny leads the linebacker group, even thought he only played 7 games last year due to injury, but he still managed to compile 69 combined tackles, and 2 sacks. When starting at least 12 games in a season, he’s been able to get over 100 tackles each year, which is pretty impressive. Telvin Smith was a rookie this past year, drafted in the 5th round out of Florida State. He was able to play all 16 games, getting 104 combined tackles, along with 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and 4 pass deflections. I wasn’t able to see him play this year, but by those numbers I think he did enough to get another shot next year. Geno Hayes, if resigned, could be a candidate for being replaced (see stats above). His stats weren’t staggering, and that could result in him being placed as a back up. They could draft his replacement, or maybe go after somebody in free agency.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now onto the secondary. Demetrius McCray and Dwayne Gratz were the starting corners, with Johnathan Cyprien and Josh Evans being the duo of safeties. Cyprien and Evans were 2 of the top 3 tacklers on the team this past year. Let’s start with Evans, who will be going into his 3rd year. He had 90 combined tackles to go along with 2 fumble recoveries. You may want to see more stats rather than just tackles, but being only his 2nd year and showing improvement, I think he’ll be safe. Cyprien is also going into his 3rd year, after getting 114 combined tackles this past year, following his 104 combined tackles in his rookie campaign. He also had 4 pass deflections, but other than that he didn’t have any takeaways or sacks, but he is in the same boat as Evans, so I think he also gets a pass. Now lets check out these corners. Lets start with Demetrius McCray. Though he raised his stats from his rookie year, he still didn’t have a great year. He had 49 combined tackles and 3 deflected passes. Of course he wasn’t exactly expected to be great after being selected in the 7th round from Appalachian State in 2013. Dwayne Gratz was also drafted in 2013 in the 3rd round out of Connecticut. Gratz had 55 combined tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception for a touchdown, and 9 pass deflections. He was definitely the more improved of the 2 and I think he proved himself to get a starting spot next year. They could also be looking for a corner in this upcoming draft or in free agency with the lack of production from McCray.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Draft Free Agency</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Looking towards the draft/free agency they have a lot of flexibility with their cap space. I would guess that they would look for a RB at some point. In free agency, I could see them sign somebody like Jonathon Dwyer, since he could add some power running to compliment Denard Robinson’s speed, or in the draft I could see them going after a player like T.J. Yeldon from Alabama in the 2nd or 3rd round. He could add some power running and possibly be the "thunder" to Robinson's "lightening". Tight end is also a need, and free agents like Jordan Cameron, Charles Clay, Jermaine Gresham, and Julius Thomas all could be big upgrades if they don't choose to resign with their respective teams. In the draft they could look at big body players like Nick Boyle from Delaware or Blake Bell from Oklahoma in the later rounds of the draft, both standing 6'6". Offensive line has to be the top need for this team, and if they look for that in free agency, they may target players like Bryan Bulaga or Michael Oher to help protect Bortles. They may also draft one as soon as the first round, in a player like offensive tackle Brandon Scheriff from Iowa. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On the defensive side, at defensive end they may look at players like B.J. Raji or Jason Pierre Paul in free agency, and maybe Randy Gregory early in the draft or someone like Mario Edwards Jr a little later in the draft. Raji could also help and play defensive tackle as well with his size. At defensive tackle they will almost certainly take a look at Ndamukong Suh and Terrance Knighton is also scheduled to be a free agent, and in the draft they may target somebody like Leonard Williams from USC in the 1st round or maybe somebody like Christian Covington from Rice, whom they could get in the middle rounds of the NFL draft. When it comes to the linebackers in free agency, Justin Houston is a huge name and would make an immediate impact on that defense. Other options could include Jason Worilds if he doesn't resign with the Steelers, and in the draft they could look at somebody like Jordan Hicks from Texas in the middle rounds or draft one higher like Nate Orchard from Utah or Lorenzo Mauldin from Louisville. Looking at the last glaring need at cornerback, they could take somebody like Nick Marshall from Auburn or Doran Grant from Ohio State in the middle rounds of the draft. In free agency they could look at players like Antonio Cromartie or Brandon Flowers.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Outlook</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Jaguars do still have a tougher schedule next year, and by my best guess I think they will win about 4 games. When facing teams like the Colts twice, Dolphins, Falcons, Panthers, Chargers, Patriots twice, Saints, and the Ravens, they may have some trouble. They will definitely show improvement however from this past year, in my own opinion.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">If you made it this far, thank you for taking time to read my first blog and hopefully there will be many more in the future.</span></div>
Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786017994304141813noreply@blogger.com0