Well now that all of the colleges are out recruiting at some of the high school spring games, it looks like a time to predict who will be finishing as the top four teams in the country. Last year, we saw a battle of the two most recent powerhouses in college football (Florida State vs. Oregon), and college's two top coaches (Saban vs. Myer). Who knows what we will see this year.
Looking at top rankings of current players on the rosters, appeal of new additions to the starting core, and who is in the lead for a Heisman, I am left to look at the finals as that following:
1. TCU
2. Ohio State
3. USC
4. Ole Miss
TCU has been one of the favorites for this year since the end of last season. With losing only one offensive player, along with having the current Heisman front-runner, Trevone Boykin, still on the roster, it makes sense that TCU should get to the final four.
It may be difficult to believe, due to a weak Big-12. Baylor will not be as much of a threat without Bryce Petty and West Virginia without Clint Trickett. These weaker games do not merit the number one ranking. That is because this TCU team is primed to do what we saw Florida State do in 2013. TCU will mop the floor with every opponent they face. Without some key players like Malcom Brown and Kevin White no longer in the conference, no one is there to stop them from overtaking Ohio State for the number one spot.
Speaking of Ohio State, why are they at two? Ohio State always seems to lose that one game in the season that makes their championship hopes look dim. This year, I look at three games for the defending champs to be wary of: Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Wisconsin.
Virginia Tech was the one in 14-1 for the Buckeye's last year. This was due to a last minute pick-six made by the Hokie defense. Having a top 25 recruiting class does not help Ohio State's chances either along with being on a neutral field for the game. Michigan State is always a contender for the Big-10 East. With that game being right at the end of the regular season, we could see MSU QB Conner Cook trying to cement his candidacy for a Heisman vote.
Why is Wisconsin on the list? They don't even play OSU. That is because this is the Big-10 Title Game rematch. Wisconsin will be hurt from losing their best offensive weapon in Melvin Gordon, but Wisconsin, like Michigan State, is always in contention for that title, especially with a weak Big-10 West in their favor.
Moving on to USC. Will this be the year they rise once again? I believe so. While having lost DT Leonard Williams and WR Nelson Agholor to the draft may not help, USC has a great starting QB in Kessler along with a recruiting system that could be described as "reloading."
USC is my pick for being the Pac-12 Champions due to the loss of Marcus Mariota in Oregon and Brett Hundley for UCLA. They have a strong schedule with a predicted six ranked match-ups.
Finally we have Ole Miss. With the loss of Bo Wallace, this will be my dark horse. Mel Kiper already has numerous players on both sides of the ball ranked in his top 15 on offense, defense, and Seniors. While they do have a difficult away schedule, playing Alabama, Florida, Auburn, and in-state rival Mississippi State, they have a lot of upside.
If Laquon Treadwell returns to the competitive state he was at before his injury, Ole Miss could be sitting pretty as the SEC Champs. Treadwell averaged about 13 yards per reception before breaking his leg against Auburn last year.
What about the other teams? The other possible teams that could be here are not due to a list of reasons. My first five out due to the game that will decide their fate:
Alabama loses to Ole Miss
Mississippi State loses to Alabama
Florida State loses to Georgia Tech
Arizona loses to USC
Oregon loses to Arizona State
Monday, May 25, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Ray Rice's Second Shot?
It has been over a year since former Pro-Bowl Running Back Ray Rice got into an altercation with his (at the time) soon-to-be wife in an elevator. After the news was outed, the Ravens #1 running back's contract was terminated and he was suspended for an indefinite amount of time. Earlier today, Rice was exonerated of the charges after he had spent the year in a recovery program to make sure this kind of tragedy would not happen ever again. So the question remains: will he get another shot in the NFL?
Rice entered the League in 2008 as a 2nd round pick out of Rutgers University. In six seasons with Baltimore, Rice had accumulated over 6,000 yards, 3 pro-bowl appearances, ranked in the NFL's Top 100 Players for 3-consecutive years (2011-13), and a Super Bowl ring. Rice, amazingly, has also been injury free over his career. Impressive for a back who is only 5' 8".
Everything about Rice says sign him immediately. Teams should be scrambling for a chance to get this once in a lifetime back. But the actions of Ray have greatly damaged his reputation. But this has not kept teams at bay.
Supposedly, five teams are interested in Rice. For the teams interested, this could spell Super Bowl Bound in the next few years. Especially since some of the interested teams were in the playoffs this past year.
Dallas Cowboys
With DeMarco Murray gone, and many people not sure about who will be the true starter for Dallas, Rice would be ideal to Dallas. Granted, Dallas has already signed former Raider Darren McFadden. Also, today the team had workouts with five-year veteran Ben Tate along with former Cowboy, Felix Jones.
Rice could choose to go with a team that may have the best offensive line next year, and is a starting RB and a sub-par secondary away from a Super Bowl. This would be an ideal spot for Rice.
Cleveland Browns
This seems like the least likely of possibilities for Rice. The past two years, the Browns have spent three picks on Running Backs: Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West, and Duke Johnson. Adding a fourth to the fray would not be an idea for this once lone workhorse back. Rice would be looking for a place where he can go after another championship. This team is still pretty far from making the playoffs.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders did a great deal of work this off season. Oakland added 13 players from all over the league and on every side of the ball. This includes two running backs: Trent Richardson and Roy Helu Jr. This team has the same problem as Cleveland. Players who have reached the top want to be back there. This teams does not offer the fast track to that dream.
New England Patriots
The reigning Super Bowl Champions are without a true starting back. Having lost both Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen in free agency, the Pats are looking at three guys to lead them: Jonas Grey, LeGarrette Blount, and Rookie Ty Gaffney.
Grey did well last year for the few games he played, breaking a New England rushing record. Granted, his best game was against a team with some major defense problems. Blount cannot stay out of trouble for his own good, having been suspended yet again. Gaffney has promise, but rarely is a rookie back ready to go from day one. Rice going to New England could happen, and we all know that Brady is hungry for a fifth ring. Rice would be the ideal fit for this team, considering that they run a similar offense as they did in Baltimore
Indianapolis Colts
This team, like the Patriots, are in need of a good starter. Over the past few years, the depth chart for the Colts running backs kept getting smaller and smaller. Injury after injury for Indy. Now adding seasoned vet Frank Gore to the mix, it would look as though they have a fighting chance in the run game. This could be another good fit, but is Rice ready to give up playing time?
Can Rice return to his former glory? I think the better question is, should he be allowed to?
Rice entered the League in 2008 as a 2nd round pick out of Rutgers University. In six seasons with Baltimore, Rice had accumulated over 6,000 yards, 3 pro-bowl appearances, ranked in the NFL's Top 100 Players for 3-consecutive years (2011-13), and a Super Bowl ring. Rice, amazingly, has also been injury free over his career. Impressive for a back who is only 5' 8".
Everything about Rice says sign him immediately. Teams should be scrambling for a chance to get this once in a lifetime back. But the actions of Ray have greatly damaged his reputation. But this has not kept teams at bay.
Supposedly, five teams are interested in Rice. For the teams interested, this could spell Super Bowl Bound in the next few years. Especially since some of the interested teams were in the playoffs this past year.
Dallas Cowboys
With DeMarco Murray gone, and many people not sure about who will be the true starter for Dallas, Rice would be ideal to Dallas. Granted, Dallas has already signed former Raider Darren McFadden. Also, today the team had workouts with five-year veteran Ben Tate along with former Cowboy, Felix Jones.
Rice could choose to go with a team that may have the best offensive line next year, and is a starting RB and a sub-par secondary away from a Super Bowl. This would be an ideal spot for Rice.
Cleveland Browns
This seems like the least likely of possibilities for Rice. The past two years, the Browns have spent three picks on Running Backs: Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West, and Duke Johnson. Adding a fourth to the fray would not be an idea for this once lone workhorse back. Rice would be looking for a place where he can go after another championship. This team is still pretty far from making the playoffs.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders did a great deal of work this off season. Oakland added 13 players from all over the league and on every side of the ball. This includes two running backs: Trent Richardson and Roy Helu Jr. This team has the same problem as Cleveland. Players who have reached the top want to be back there. This teams does not offer the fast track to that dream.
New England Patriots
The reigning Super Bowl Champions are without a true starting back. Having lost both Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen in free agency, the Pats are looking at three guys to lead them: Jonas Grey, LeGarrette Blount, and Rookie Ty Gaffney.
Grey did well last year for the few games he played, breaking a New England rushing record. Granted, his best game was against a team with some major defense problems. Blount cannot stay out of trouble for his own good, having been suspended yet again. Gaffney has promise, but rarely is a rookie back ready to go from day one. Rice going to New England could happen, and we all know that Brady is hungry for a fifth ring. Rice would be the ideal fit for this team, considering that they run a similar offense as they did in Baltimore
Indianapolis Colts
This team, like the Patriots, are in need of a good starter. Over the past few years, the depth chart for the Colts running backs kept getting smaller and smaller. Injury after injury for Indy. Now adding seasoned vet Frank Gore to the mix, it would look as though they have a fighting chance in the run game. This could be another good fit, but is Rice ready to give up playing time?
Can Rice return to his former glory? I think the better question is, should he be allowed to?
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Can Dallas Win Without Murray?
It seems like the Dallas Cowboy's run game has been one of the biggest questions this offseason. Since losing the league's leading rusher to their conference rival, it seems as though Dallas has done next to nothing about replacing DeMarco Murray. While there has been much speculation around the league as to what Dallas' plan is, Owner and GM Jerry Jones has outright said that he feels that this year's core of running backs can be better than last year's group.
Looking at the actual moves this offseason for the run game, Dallas has made one move that seems to have made sense: signing Darren McFadden from the Raiders. The former first rounder was supposed to be one of the answers for the Raider's downward spiral in the NFL. Since entering the league in 2008, McFadden has only had one season where he has reached over 1,000 yards. Another interesting fact is that this past season was McFadden's first season to play all 16 games in the regular season.
But with only 534 yards to show for this past season, what makes the Cowboys think he could be the solution to losing the OPOY? While it could just be the owner's diehard love of former Arkansas players, Dallas may be looking to do what most of the NFL is looking at: a duel running back system.
In the past few years, it has been an idea for some teams without a workhorse back to use a duel system. In the past, we have seen groups such as C.J Spiller with Fred Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, and Ryan Matthews with Danny Woodhead. In each of these duos, one of them is known for getting hurt upon occasion. With a duel system, it puts less work on one guy to do it all. Dallas may look to use the duel system with McFadden and Randle, a 3rd year out of Oklahoma State.
While teams like Seattle and Green Bay have some of the NFL's top backs in the league, and rarely have to switch out, the duel back is still as system that can work. For now. Without a Lacy or Lynch at the Cowboy's disposal, it looked as though Dallas would address that problem in the draft.
With Dallas having the 27th pick in this past year's draft, it was hard to guess where they would go with having lost Murray, but also having many holes to fill on defense. With the top two backs, Gurley and Gordon, off the board before the halfway mark, Dallas was smart not to gamble on one of the other backs so early. This is also due to the fact that through many scouting reports, none of the players ranked below Gurley and Gordon were seen as possible workhorse backs.
Now there has been talks about Dallas trading for the highly coveted Adrian Peterson, but the Vikings seem to be looking for more than just the offer of a 2016 First-Round Pick. Don't look for Peterson to be dawning the blue and white anytime soon.
There has been some other speculation of one other player to add to the core. This information has just hit recently. The Bear's Running Back Matt Forte is looking for a trade.
After the signing of Jacquizz Rodgers in free-agency, along with drafting Ka'Deem Carey (Arizona) and Kendall Langford (Michigan State) over the past two years, it looks as though the Bears may be closing the door on the vet. With Forte hitting the trading block earlier today, it will be interesting to see how Dallas, along with other teams, react to the action.
All of the speculation aside, staying with the backs available to them right now, it is hard to see how Dallas can win with this host of backs. Granted, having signed LSU OT La'el Collins, and having what some may call the best offensive line in NFL History, we will just have to wait and see if McFadden can be the running back people expected him to be after being picked fourth overall in 2008.
Looking at the actual moves this offseason for the run game, Dallas has made one move that seems to have made sense: signing Darren McFadden from the Raiders. The former first rounder was supposed to be one of the answers for the Raider's downward spiral in the NFL. Since entering the league in 2008, McFadden has only had one season where he has reached over 1,000 yards. Another interesting fact is that this past season was McFadden's first season to play all 16 games in the regular season.
But with only 534 yards to show for this past season, what makes the Cowboys think he could be the solution to losing the OPOY? While it could just be the owner's diehard love of former Arkansas players, Dallas may be looking to do what most of the NFL is looking at: a duel running back system.
In the past few years, it has been an idea for some teams without a workhorse back to use a duel system. In the past, we have seen groups such as C.J Spiller with Fred Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, and Ryan Matthews with Danny Woodhead. In each of these duos, one of them is known for getting hurt upon occasion. With a duel system, it puts less work on one guy to do it all. Dallas may look to use the duel system with McFadden and Randle, a 3rd year out of Oklahoma State.
While teams like Seattle and Green Bay have some of the NFL's top backs in the league, and rarely have to switch out, the duel back is still as system that can work. For now. Without a Lacy or Lynch at the Cowboy's disposal, it looked as though Dallas would address that problem in the draft.
With Dallas having the 27th pick in this past year's draft, it was hard to guess where they would go with having lost Murray, but also having many holes to fill on defense. With the top two backs, Gurley and Gordon, off the board before the halfway mark, Dallas was smart not to gamble on one of the other backs so early. This is also due to the fact that through many scouting reports, none of the players ranked below Gurley and Gordon were seen as possible workhorse backs.
Now there has been talks about Dallas trading for the highly coveted Adrian Peterson, but the Vikings seem to be looking for more than just the offer of a 2016 First-Round Pick. Don't look for Peterson to be dawning the blue and white anytime soon.
There has been some other speculation of one other player to add to the core. This information has just hit recently. The Bear's Running Back Matt Forte is looking for a trade.
After the signing of Jacquizz Rodgers in free-agency, along with drafting Ka'Deem Carey (Arizona) and Kendall Langford (Michigan State) over the past two years, it looks as though the Bears may be closing the door on the vet. With Forte hitting the trading block earlier today, it will be interesting to see how Dallas, along with other teams, react to the action.
All of the speculation aside, staying with the backs available to them right now, it is hard to see how Dallas can win with this host of backs. Granted, having signed LSU OT La'el Collins, and having what some may call the best offensive line in NFL History, we will just have to wait and see if McFadden can be the running back people expected him to be after being picked fourth overall in 2008.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Draft Day Recap: Tampa Bay Bucs
With the First Pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Bucs select: Their Franchise Quarterback of the Future!
The Bucs made a splash with their first pick out of the gate. With little controversy surrounding who they would pick at number one. Jameis Winston of Florida State University boasts a 27-1 record as the starting quarterback and has a BCS National Championship and a Heisman to back up why he went number one. But lets look at how Tampa Bay addressed the rest of their team's needs from the second round onward.
Round 2: Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State Round 5: Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska
Round 2: All Marpet, C, Hobart Round 6: Kaelin Clay, WR, Utah
Round 4: Kwon Alexander, ILB, LSU Round 7: Joey Iosefa, FB, Hawaii
Team Needs: QB DL OL LB WR
The Bucs addressed their number one need right off the bat, no problem. As the draft moved on to the next few days, the Bucs stayed to their game plan of drafting only their needs for awhile.
On day two, the Bucs took Donovan Smith from Penn State and All Marpet from Hobart. Both of these picks address that key offensive line help that the Bucs desperately need. In the past two seasons, the Bucs have yet to have a RB reach 1,000 yards. This is due to the lack of communication on the line and the fact that the RBs keep getting injured due to the heavy workload they have themselves, without a line. One of these RBs includes Doug Martin, who is entering his fouth year and has not yet had his option picked up for a fifth year.
Martin had over 1,000 yards his rookie season, but has not hit 500 in the past two.
The addition of an Inside Linebacker will help relieve that defense of having so much pressure put on all-star Gerald McCoy. Alexander had 83 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 12 games with LSU last year. With Tampa giving up almost 115 yards on the ground per game, Alexander is sure to be there difference to stop the run whether it is off or in between the tackles. While there was no help on the line in the draft, do remember the Bucs signed veteran DT Henry Melton.
Finally, they address the Wide Receiver depth issue. With Jackson close to retirement, Tampa is hoping that Mike Evans will be able to take over as their future number one receiver. With both receivers standing at 6' 5", Winston has just been given two wide outs that are the same size of his former teammate and savior of the Championship, Kelvin Benjamin.
With both of the Bucs' picks, Bell and Clay, at 6' 1" and 5' 10", these will not be like the two big men. But they do represent speed which is needed by the Bucs receivers. Bell, who ran a 4.42, and Clay, a 4.51. Look to be those speedy slot receivers. These are the men that can make a difference in a game. Smaller receivers like T.Y. Hilton and Julian Edelman have become big-time targets for their QBs as the seasons go on. Bell and Clay look to become that type of player.
Adding to the running game is not what people would think the Bucs need, but a big guy like Iosefa? While Iosefa is not the type of FB like Mike Tolbert, they will look for this 247 pounder to be a lead blocker for Martin or Rainey in the future to set the outside edge.
Overall, Tampa Bay can rest easy for a bit, knowing that, on paper, their draft looks good. Are all of the pieces there to make a run for another Super Bowl? In time, maybe. I look at this team and say that the Bucs can finish the year at a solid 8-8. But this all depends on how Winston can play with the big boys in the NFL.
Tomorrow, I will be looking at the Titan's Draft Class.
The Bucs made a splash with their first pick out of the gate. With little controversy surrounding who they would pick at number one. Jameis Winston of Florida State University boasts a 27-1 record as the starting quarterback and has a BCS National Championship and a Heisman to back up why he went number one. But lets look at how Tampa Bay addressed the rest of their team's needs from the second round onward.
Round 2: Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State Round 5: Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska
Round 2: All Marpet, C, Hobart Round 6: Kaelin Clay, WR, Utah
Round 4: Kwon Alexander, ILB, LSU Round 7: Joey Iosefa, FB, Hawaii
Team Needs: QB DL OL LB WR
The Bucs addressed their number one need right off the bat, no problem. As the draft moved on to the next few days, the Bucs stayed to their game plan of drafting only their needs for awhile.
On day two, the Bucs took Donovan Smith from Penn State and All Marpet from Hobart. Both of these picks address that key offensive line help that the Bucs desperately need. In the past two seasons, the Bucs have yet to have a RB reach 1,000 yards. This is due to the lack of communication on the line and the fact that the RBs keep getting injured due to the heavy workload they have themselves, without a line. One of these RBs includes Doug Martin, who is entering his fouth year and has not yet had his option picked up for a fifth year.
Martin had over 1,000 yards his rookie season, but has not hit 500 in the past two.
The addition of an Inside Linebacker will help relieve that defense of having so much pressure put on all-star Gerald McCoy. Alexander had 83 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 12 games with LSU last year. With Tampa giving up almost 115 yards on the ground per game, Alexander is sure to be there difference to stop the run whether it is off or in between the tackles. While there was no help on the line in the draft, do remember the Bucs signed veteran DT Henry Melton.
Finally, they address the Wide Receiver depth issue. With Jackson close to retirement, Tampa is hoping that Mike Evans will be able to take over as their future number one receiver. With both receivers standing at 6' 5", Winston has just been given two wide outs that are the same size of his former teammate and savior of the Championship, Kelvin Benjamin.
With both of the Bucs' picks, Bell and Clay, at 6' 1" and 5' 10", these will not be like the two big men. But they do represent speed which is needed by the Bucs receivers. Bell, who ran a 4.42, and Clay, a 4.51. Look to be those speedy slot receivers. These are the men that can make a difference in a game. Smaller receivers like T.Y. Hilton and Julian Edelman have become big-time targets for their QBs as the seasons go on. Bell and Clay look to become that type of player.
Adding to the running game is not what people would think the Bucs need, but a big guy like Iosefa? While Iosefa is not the type of FB like Mike Tolbert, they will look for this 247 pounder to be a lead blocker for Martin or Rainey in the future to set the outside edge.
Overall, Tampa Bay can rest easy for a bit, knowing that, on paper, their draft looks good. Are all of the pieces there to make a run for another Super Bowl? In time, maybe. I look at this team and say that the Bucs can finish the year at a solid 8-8. But this all depends on how Winston can play with the big boys in the NFL.
Tomorrow, I will be looking at the Titan's Draft Class.
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