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Darron Cummings/Associated Press
‘Tis the season to get buzzing.
Actually, there’s never a time of year when there isn’t a ton of buzz swirling around the players and teams in the National Football League. With OTAs wrapping up and minicamps soon to follow, fans are getting the first looks of their favorite teams in 2018.
Whether it’s the league’s new faces, old ones returning from injury or the numerous happenings off the field that can impact the action on it, there’s no shortage of rumors and speculation swirling about. Some is spot-on. Some couldn’t be further from the truth.
We’re here to determine the difference, with a 1-10 scale in which the higher the number, the more it smells like a pasture in June.
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AJ Mast/Associated Press
All is well in Indianapolis. Really. It is.
Of course, it’s been well over a year since Andrew Luck threw a full-sized football, and according to Zak Keefer of the Indy Star, Luck may not begin throwing until after veteran minicamps conclude later this month.
However, new Colts head coach Frank Reich continues to insist that the team isn’t worried about Luck’s surgically repaired right shoulder.
“I’m completely comfortable with him throwing when he’s ready, when the doctors say he’s ready,” Reich said. “I’ve been around long enough time, he’s been around the league a little bit, he’s totally engaged in every aspect of what we’re doing mentally, the physical part for a guy like him, now you gotta work at it, but I’m not worried about that. I’m comfortable with the process in place.”
B.S. Meter: 14/10 (If he’s “fine,” I’m the Queen of England)
What, me worry?
The idea that the Colts aren’t at all concerned about their $123 million quarterback still not throwing is laughable. It’s also an old story, given that we heard essentially the same thing last June…and July…and August.
Then a supposedly routine procedure cost Luck an entire season and then some.
The Colts can say they have no fears about the availability of Luck for the 2018 season until the blue on their face matches the team’s jerseys.
If anyone’s buying that at this point, I know of a sweet piece of oceanfront property near Yuma that’s available cheap.
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Chris Szagola/Associated Press
There was a time when cornerback Sidney Jones appeared to be a mortal lock to be drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. But an Achilles tear at Washington’s pro day ended those dreams and cost Jones most of his rookie season.
The Philadelphia Eagles rolled the dice on Jones in the second round, and it appears that gamble may be paying off.
As Albert Breer wrote for the MMQB, Jones, who has been lining up as the starting slot corner in OTAs, has been “turning heads” in workouts. This comes after a report from Jeff Kerr of 247 Sports that the 6’0″ 181-pounder had impressed head coach Doug Pederson this offseason.
“Well, I think [Sidney is] definitely in the mix,” Pederson said. “What he did towards the end of last season and had a chance to get in that last game there with Dallas really boosted his confidence going into this offseason. Now that he’s had a full offseason with [defensive backs coach Cory] Undlin and [defensive coordinator Jim] Schwartz’s defense, he’s definitely going to be in the mix.”
B.S. Meter: 2/10 (It’s an early but promising development)
If there’s a caveat with this one, it’s this: At this point in the offseason, it’s not exactly hard to find positive reports about a player. A lot more guys are “turning heads” than not, and coach-speak is rampant.
Everyone’s great. All is well. Kumbaya.
However, Jones was widely viewed as a Round 1 prospect before his injury for a reason, and he’s now had a full calendar year to get right physically.
It’s too early to go anointing anyone, but if Jones is at or near 100 percent, he could go a long way toward shoring up what many view as the Eagles’ biggest weakness: the defensive backfield.
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Chris Carlson/Associated Press
Speaking of anointing, how about those Chargers?
After winning six of their last seven games last year to finish 9-7, the Los Angeles Chargers are getting a fair amount of offseason run as a contender in the AFC West. In fact, I recently called the Chargers the most underrated team in the NFL.
Tight end Hunter Henry tearing his ACL just hours after that article went live is 100 percent not my fault—I think.
Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn told Albert Breer of the MMQB that he’s heard the rumblings about how good his team is, although he admitted he wished his team hadn’t.
“That’s kind of the same message we’ve been giving our team: Don’t take the cheese,” Lynn said. “Thing is, we shouldn’t even be having this conversation. These expectations, I understand we finished the season pretty strong, but we were still 9-7. We’re not content or happy about being 9-7. We don’t want to be that team. We want to be a lot better than that team.
“The biggest expectation they’re gonna hear are the ones they get right here in this building, from their coaches, from myself, from people in this organization. It’s nice to get a pat on the back from your friends, your relatives, all that. But their expectations won’t be any higher than ours in this building.”
B.S. Meter: 3/10 (They rather are)
The Henry injury was a blow, but this still looks like the best team in the AFC West.
The Chargers have a proven veteran quarterback, skill position talent aplenty even without Henry, a solid secondary and one of the league’s best one-two pass-rush punches. And the only team that finished ahead of L.A. in the division last year (Kansas City) is breaking in a quarterback (Patrick Mahomes II) who has all of one career start.
Lynn may not like all the attaboys the Chargers are getting before they even play a game, but they are going to keep coming—including in the form of the best Super Bowl odds of any team in the division, according to OddsShark.
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Ron Jenkins/Associated Press
One more from Breer, and then we’ll move on. The man’s a buzzsaw of information.
Get it? “Buzz”saw? HA! I kill me!
There’s been a lot of hand-wringing regarding the state of the Dallas passing game with the release of wide receiver Dez Bryant and the retirement of tight end Jason Witten. But Breer said the feeling at Valley Ranch is just the opposite—that for quarterback Dak Prescott, it’s a matter of addition by subtraction.
“I’ve heard a lot of people bemoan,” Breer said, “how Dallas is sending Dak Prescott up a creek without Dez Bryant, and so it’s been interesting to hear that the buzz coming out of that building reflects the opposite. There’s a belief that this could unlock Prescott’s strength, which is to play the position like a point guard does—seeing the field and throwing to the open guy, unburdened by the feeling of having to keep Bryant engaged.”
B.S. Meter: 7/10 (Who needs receivers? Dak does.)
There’s one small problem with this theory: Who’s going to be open?
Yes, Allen Hurns has a 1,000-yard season on his professional resume—catching passes from Blake Bortles, no less. But that was in 2015. In the two seasons since, Hurns hasn’t even hit 500 yards and has missed 11 games due to injury. Rookie Michael Gallup was highly productive at Colorado State, but Dallas is a long way from Fort Collins. And if Deonte Thompson and Terrance Williams are open, it’s probably because defenses just chose to ignore them.
Bryant may not be the receiver he once was, but even Bryant circa 2018 would likely be better than what the Cowboys presently have.
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Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press
He’s a bit biased, but Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins told John McClain of the Houston Chronicle that he has Texas-sized aspirations for what he and quarterback Deshaun Watson can accomplish in their second season together.
“It gives me chills sometimes to think what we did in the little time we had together, but seeing him mature, not just on the field but off the field, I can’t wait,” Hopkins said. “Honestly, I feel like I set the standard high for myself and him, so I think we can be the best in this league. I think he can be the best quarterback. I know I can be the best wide receiver. That’s our mindset coming into the season.”
Hopkins had his second huge season in three years in 2017, reeling in 96 passes for 1,378 yards and 13 touchdowns. Watson was similarly productive before tearing his ACL in practice, setting an NFL record with 19 touchdown passes in his first seven games.
B.S. Meter: 5/10 (Depends on Watson’s health)
On one hand, it’s not especially hard to imagine a healthy Watson/Hopkins duo living up to this proclamation this season. In Watson’s six starts in 2017, Hopkins racked up 38 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns—including an eye-popping 8/224/1 stat line in a Week 8 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Hopkins’ numbers were better with Watson than without, although not by a sizable margin.
On the other hand, Watson has now blown out his knee twice, and the second-year pro could be scrambling a lot behind an offensive line that surrendered the second-most sacks in the NFL in 2017.
This one splits right down the middle.
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Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Most of the offseason buzz in the Windy City has centered on the development of Mitchell Trubisky and the additions to the receiving corps, but a second-year jump from the Chicago Bears’ young quarterbacks isn’t the only thing the team is hoping for in 2018.
Chicago is also hopeful that a patchwork pass rush (on paper) can generate pressure on NFC North quarterbacks in 2018.
As Brad Biggs reported for the Chicago Tribune, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is confident that a group headlined by Leonard Floyd, Sam Acho and Aaron Lynch can get the job done.
“There is a little bit of question there of depth and depth quality,” Fangio said. “But we are confident that the guys we have there, somebody will surface to be the two starters and couple of backups we need.
“Time will tell. We think that Leonard, when he’s healthy, has proven to be proficient enough. Lynch has had a checkered career, to say the least, but there has been some display of talent throughout his career at times. Hopefully we can get that to be more consistent. Sam Acho made some improvements last year in that area. We’ll see how Isaiah [Irving] and these young guys come along.”
B.S. Meter: 6/10 (They should be worried…at least a little.)
It’s worth pointing out that the Bears finished 2017 tied for seventh in the NFL with 42 sacks. But just over a third of that production either left in free agency or was cut loose. Someone on the team is going to have to step up.
The most likely candidate is Floyd, who was a first-round pick back in 2016. Floyd’s shown flashes, but he’s also missed at least four games in each of his two seasons and has yet to register more than seven sacks in a campaign.
Lynch had 12.5 sacks over his first two seasons, but has just 2.5 over the last two. Acho has 17 career sacks spread out over seven NFL seasons.
If Fangio is going to generate consistent pressure with this bunch, it’s going to take one heck of a coaching job.
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Steven Senne/Associated Press
It’s been a bumpy offseason for the New England Patriots. Before the team lost Super Bowl LII, there were reports that a rift was widening between the team’s star quarterback, owner and head coach.
More news was made recently when former Patriots edge-rusher Cassius Marsh told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle that he’s much happier as a 49er than he ever was as a Patriot.
“They don’t have fun there,” Marsh said. “There’s nothing fun about it. There’s nothing happy about it. I didn’t enjoy any of my time there. It made me, for the first time in my life, think about not playing football because I hated it that much.”
Marsh’s statements made it back to Darth Hoodie himself, and as Mike Florio reported for Pro Football Talk, Belichick quickly dispelled the notion that the Pats don’t party all the time.
Or not.
“We feel what’s important to us is to win,” Belichick said. “So that’s really what we’re trying to do. Yeah, we’re focused on what we’re doing, trying to get better and taking each day we can to try to improve our football team. Not really focused on what everybody else is doing.”
So, there you have it: Bill Belichick hates fun.
B.S. Meter: 7/10 (The Patriots are, well, the Patriots)
It almost seems silly to be talking about this, but there’s been a lot of smoke this offseason that the Patriot Way is wearing thin on some people. That may well be the case. Over the NFL’s history, even some of the best head coaches ever to prowl the sideline have shown to have a shelf life. Times change. Bill Belichick, from all indications, does not—ever.
Not his personality. Not his clothes. Nothing.
That could be causing some friction in the locker room. Or the friction may have always been there and we’re just learning more about it because even Tom Brady’s favorite breakfast cereal gets two segments on SportsCenter.
Speculating on speculation is just part of the world we live in.
But you know what else is fun? Winning lots and lots of football games, especially for professional athletes who have been hyper competitive from the day they could walk.
The Patriot Way may not be for everyone. But if you told every player in the NFL they could switch teams and go not have fun in New England, three-quarters would be out the door and headed to Boston.
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Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
The Oakland Raiders in 2018 are all about old faces in new places, whether it’s head coach Jon Gruden, wide receiver Jordy Nelson or tailback Doug Martin.
Martin has consistently been mentioned as a standout in organized team activities. Per Kyle Martin of the team’s website, fullback Kevin Smith has been impressed with what he’s seen from the seventh-year veteran..
“Doug’s a great player,” Smith added. “He’s a natural running back. You see him out there in OTAs and he moves like a running back. It’s like he was born to do it. It’s fun to have guys who have the experience and know what it feels like to have some success. Working towards that success in the offseason is exciting. We’ve got a nice little stable back there.”
Quarterback Derek Carr was also blown away.
“He’s been one of the hardest workers since we got here in Phase 1, hands down,” he told Raiders.com. “He’s been one of the guys out there that just every day sticks out doing something where you see why he’s a Pro Bowler. I guess you don’t see why he got let go, but you’re thankful that we have him.”
B.S. Meter: 4/10 (June and September are not the same thing.)
This one isn’t so much as B.S. as it is camp-speak—an exercise in tempering expectations.
Sure, Martin’s looked good in shorts and shells. But that’s a far cry from game action. When last we saw Martin in that capacity, he was averaging 2.9 yards per carry for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year. He averaged the same amount the year before after topping 1,400 yards on the ground back in 2015.
In other words, while early reports on Martin are promising, they are just that: early.
Marshawn’s Lynch’s gig as the Raiders’ lead tailback isn’t in jeopardy—yet.
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Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
The idea of a team or NFL employee testifying that the league and its teams did indeed collude against Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid (as was alleged both in lawsuits levied by the players and recently by Kaepernick’s attorney) would be huge development in that saga. But this next one could be a truly earth-shaking development that could have a massive impact on the league in 2018.
As Latifah Muhammad reported for Vibe (via Yahoo Sports), writer and activist Shaun King tweeted earlier this week that a number of NFL players have indicated they are prepared to sit out games this season.
“Several star NFL players have told me they are considering sitting out the season until the de facto ban of Eric Reid and Colin Kaepernick is removed and both men are given spots back on rosters,” King said.
“They aim to get 25% of the players to sit out with them.”
B.S. Meter: 9/10 (VERY little chance)
A significant percentage of NFL players sitting out actual games in protest for any reason would be an unprecedented development that could shake the league to its very foundation. We’ve never seen anything quite like that.
But it’s not going to happen.
There may well be a great many players who are highly displeased both with Kaepernick and Reid not having contracts and with the NFL’s new national anthem policy. A few may even be ready to stand up and sit out.
A few is all it would be.
The biggest issue facing the NFLPA in recent work stoppages is that many of the players grow antsy and cave in when the paychecks stop. As much money as some NFL players make, most also have significant expenses. Many just aren’t financially prepared for a significant amount of time without income.
It’s awfully hard to imagine upward of a quarter of the NFL’s players taking a stand that could cost them hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of dollars, regardless of how strongly they feel Kaepernick and Reid have been unfairly treated.
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