New York Giants Offseason Preview

By: Jeff Knapp

The New York Giants ended the 2022 season with a much improved 9-7-1 record finishing 3rd in the NFC East, clinching a playoff spot, defeating the Vikings in the opening Wildcard round, and finally coming up short in the Divisional Round to the future NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles. This was a highly successful season after not only going 4-13 last season but having to play under an entirely new coaching staff. The Giants will enter the 2023 draft this offseason with the 25th pick. 

The Giants will enter into free agency with about $45 million in cap space and will need to plug up some holes on both sides of the ball, including what to do about Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. 

On the offensive side of the ball, the Giants were ranked 18th in total yards per game with 333.9, 26th in passing yards a game with 185.7, 4th in rushing yards per game with 148.2, and 16th in points per game with 21.5.

Fourth-year and former 1st-round pick QB Daniel Jones who is in the last year of his contract after the Giants declined his 5th-year option, threw for 3205 yards (15th ranked), 15 TDs (21st ranked), 4 INTs (tied for 4th fewest) and took 44 sacks (5th most). This was his best overall season since his 2019 rookie season. He has made tremendous strides in securing the ball and using his legs more intelligently.

RB Saquon Barkley came back from an injury-plagued 2020 season and took a small step back 2021 season to finish up with 1312 rushing yards and 10 TDs to go along with his 57 receptions out of the backfields for 338 yards.

Their receiving core was banged up with Isaiah Hodgins missing nine games, Daniel Bellinger missing five games, Wan’Dale Robinson missing 11 games, and Sterling Shepard missing 14 games, all due to injury.

The two biggest receivers for the Giants, Darius Slayton and Richie James, ended the season with 70 catches each and under 800 yards receiving (724 & 569), and under 5 TDs (2 &4). The biggest surprise was the emergence of WR Isaiah Hodgins, who missed the early part of the 2022 season. Daniel Bellinger will be a more significant part of the offense going into the 2023 season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants’ defense was the 18th-ranked defense giving up 21.8 points per game, ranked 13th with 41 sacks, but sadly ranks dead last in INTs with 6. 

With an improved defense from 2021, some aspects left us wanting an improvement, especially in the DB area, although some of that was because of the injury to Zavier McKinney, who was out for eight games. With that said, some bright spots were on that side of the ball. I want to spotlight Safety Julian Love, who finished with 124 tackles, one sack, and 2 INTs. We also have to allow the spotlight to shine on LB Azeez Ojulari, who finished with 14 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 3 Forced Fumbles after only playing six games. Rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux started slowly but finished with 49 tackles, four sacks, 2 Forced Fumbles, and one fumble recovery for a TD. I was also happy to see the accomplishments of LB Jaylon Smith, who had 88 total tackles over 13 games. I’m excited to see what happens if he plays an entire season.

With free agency on the horizon, they can keep some of their most productive players and move on from others.

As of this writing, 2/27/2023, these are my thoughts on FA and the Draft

There are a few players I believe the Giants should try and resign are

  1. WR Richie James
  2. WR Darius Slayton
  3. FS Julian Love

The elephant in the room is what they should do regarding Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones. They can only Franchise one of them. When it comes to Jones, he is loved by his teammates, but has he hit his ceiling? If the Giants want to give him another 4–6-year contract, let’s hope not. With the possibilities of the Giants also talking to Derek Carr, and I’d think every team needing a QB or on the fence will be talking to Lamar Jackson, DJ will be the financially cheaper of those three options. If they can get Barkley for four years, they might not have the cap space for Carr or Jackson.

Since the NFL is a business, there will be players moving on. The following players are a few they might need to move on from, and they are

  1. WR Sterling Shepard
  2. SS Tony Jefferson
  3. LB Oshane Ximines
  4. CB Fabian Moreau

With free agency starting in mid-March, there are many free agents they should go after. After giving up over 44 sacks, they need to sure up that OL to compliment the two young tackles in Thomas and Neal. With that said, I’d start 1st with Guards Matt Pryor or Isaac Seumalo. From there, I’d look into adding the WR core due to the injury bug that hit them in 2022. The five that caught my eye were Ju Ju Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers, Allen Lazard, Parris Campbell, and Mecole Hardman

Some defensive names they might want to target

  1. DE Yannick Ngakoue
  2. DE Matthew Ioannidis
  3. DE Jadeveon Clowney
  4. S Jessie Bate
  5. S Vonn Bell
  6. S Donovan Wilson

Adding just some of those on both sides will give them an upgrade at the O-line and add to the ability to cut down on passing yards per game with the possible additions to the DB roster. 

Let’s also not forget who might become cap casualties once teams like the Bucs, Saints, Vikings, Chargers, Jags, and Bills start releasing players. 

With those holes hopefully filled or improved during the free agency period, they head into the 2023 draft with the 25th pick.

With the 25th pick, the Giants have four different options. 

Option A: Fill the most needed spot on the roster, WR. The four names that stand out as possible targets are (in no particular order:

  1. Jordan Addison
  2. Quentin Johnston
  3. Jalin Hyatt
  4. Zay Flowers

Option B: If all those top receivers are off the board and are not interested in trading down, there are 3 DBs they can take:

  1. Joey Porter Jr.
  2. Deonte Banks
  3. Christian Gonzalez

Option C: Stay committed to fixing the O-line and choose either:

  1. OT Broderick Jones
  2. OG O’Cyrus Torrence

Option D: Add to the D-Line or the LB core with the following:

  1. Lukas Vann Ness
  2. Trenton Simpson

New York Jets: An Offseason Preview 

By: Ross Mazin

The New York Jets certainly had some high points last season and exceeded expectations. They ultimately fell short of making the playoffs. The Jets finished 7-10 and lost their final six games. The main culprit of these losses was the offense. Zach Wilson struggled most of the year. Wilson had a 54.5 completion percentage, 1,688 yards, six touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Wilson was benched at points for Mike White and Joe Flacco. There are games Wilson cost the Jets, none more than the two games against the New England Patriots. The Jets could have made the playoffs if Wilson had played well in those games. 

  Overall they did ok, and I’d give them a grade of a C plus. The bright spots were rookies Sauce Gardener and Garrett Wilson, who won offensive and defensive rookie of the year, respectively. Breece Hall was another bright spot with 463 yards and four touchdowns in seven games before tearing his ACL. The Jets’ defense was fourth in yards per game and were in the top ten in sacks. But as a team, they were at the bottom of the league in turnover differential at -7. Only the Raiders, Saints, and Colts had a worse turnover differential than the Jets. 

If the Jets want to improve, they have to sign a quarterback like Derek Carr or trade for Aaron Rodgers. Anything outside of those two is an undersell. I want to hear about something other than Jimmy Garoppolo or Ryan Tannehill. Go big or go home. They might be trying to lure Rodgers in by bringing in his former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett; if the Jets land Rodgers another way to make him comfortable is to add his teammate Allen Lazard, who has become a big weapon for Rodgers in the last two seasons. Jets quarterbacks were sacked 42 times last year, so no matter who the quarterback is, they have to sure up the line. I’d also like to see them look at the safety market, which has some good names on it. Tashaun Gipson, Taylor Rapp, and Vonn Bell all make sense. 

DRAFT

RD 1 (13) Paris Johnson – OT – Ohio State – Johnson was solid at Ohio State and is viewed as a top lineman in this draft. With uncertainty around the Jets line, this pick feels like a no-brainer. 

RD 2 (43) Demarion Overshown – LB – Texas. The Jets can use linebacker help, especially with us needing to know the future of Kwon Alexander. Overshown is a very effective blitzing linebacker. 

RD 3 (74) – Wanya Morris – OT Oklahoma – Very athletic tackle who is a better pass blocker than run blocker. He needs to improve in some areas but has a very high upside. 

  Cardinals Season In Review/Offseason Preview

By: Mike Rifkin

The 2021 Arizona Cardinals were the talk of the league when they started 7-0; then they lost four of their final six games before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams on wildcard weekend. Before the 2022 season, the Cardinals’ front office extended Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury and Quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray signed a five-year 230.5 million dollar contract with 160 million dollars guaranteed. Murray’s contract will make him the third highest-paid quarterback in the NFL going into the 2023 season behind Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. 

But Murray will miss part of the 2023 season after he tore his ACL in December. Before the injury, Kyler Murray had a 66.4 completion percentage and threw for 2,368 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Murray added 418 yards rushing and three touchdowns. The team kept the details of Kingsbury’s extension private, and Kingsbury was fired after the Cardinals finished the 2022 season 4-13. Kingsbury was 28-17-1 in four seasons as the Cardinals coach. The Cardinals hired Eagles defensive coordinator Johnathon Gannon as the team’s next head coach.

 Whether it’s Murray or someone else, one of the things Gannon has to fix is the offensive line. Cardinals quarterbacks were sacked 46 times last season, seven more than they gave up in 2021. This offense has many options, no matter who the quarterback is. James Conner had another solid season in Arizona with 782 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games. Hollywood Brown, who the Cardinals acquired in a draft day trade with the Ravens and played with Kyler Murray at Oklahoma, had 67 catches for 709 yards and three touchdowns. DeAndre Hopkins, limited to nine games due to injury and a suspension for PEDS, had 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns. Tight End Zach Ertz had 47 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns before tearing his ACL and MCL in November. 

Gannon will take over a defense that was 21st in yards allowed allowing 348.9 yards per game. They were near the bottom of the league with 36 sacks and a -5 turnover differential. The Cardinal defense gave up 26.4 points per game. The Cardinal defense will be without one of their leaders as after this past season, JJ Watt announced his retirement from the NFL. Watt led the Cardinals with 12.5 sacks in 2022, including six in the last five games. Gannon led an Eagles defense in the top three in yards allowed, sacks, and turnover differential. The Eagles’ defense allowed 20.2 points per game.

The Cardinals will enter the offseason with around 20 million dollars in cap space. They can make some space by trading DeAndre Hopkins. The star receiver turns 31 this summer, so the Cardinals might look to get younger at the receiver position. Hopkins can be sought after by many teams, which could put the Cardinals as a beneficiary when it comes to draft capital. Cutting veterans Robbie Anderson, Markus Golden, and Colt McCoy could help the Cardinals save 17 million dollars. 

Offseason Moves

  1. Trade DeAndre Hopkins. Teams that could be interested include the Giants, Bears, and Jaguars.
  2. Sign a Veteran QB: If Kyler Murray is out until midseason and Colt McCoy is a cut candidate, the Cardinals need a quarterback. Three names make sense: Andy Dalton, Teddy Bridgewater, and Jameis Winston (if cut). Any of the three could hold the fort down until Kyler comes back. 
  3.  Sign Yannick Ngakoue – The Cardinals were at the bottom half of the league in sacks. JJ Watt retired, and Ngakoue has at least eight sacks every year of his career.
  4. Sign Ben Powers – Time to beef up the Offensive line to help the investment of Kyler Murray. Powers has been great for the Ravens and can seek a big payday. 

Draft 

RD1 (3) – Will Anderson – EDGE: Alabama. The Cardinals have lost Watt and Chandler Jones in consecutive offseasons. The Cardinals add the best pass rusher in the draft.

RD 2 (34) Cam Mitchell – CB – Northwestern: The Cardinals cornerbacks could be better. Mitchell is a solid corner with good size in a division with some big receivers.

RD 3 (66) – Xavier Hutchinson – WR – Iowa St. If the Cardinals move on from Hopkins, they must fill the void. Hutchinson is a solid route runner with good hands. 

Houston Texans Season In Review/Offseason Preview

By: Jeff Knapp

The Houston Texans ended the 2022 season with a horrible 3-13-1 record finishing last in the AFC and going into the 2023 draft with the 2nd pick and 12th pick from the Cleveland Browns as a part of the Deshaun Watson trade. 

The Texans go into free agency with about $41 million in cap space and have many holes to plug on both sides of the ball. 

On the offensive side of the ball, the Texans were ranked 31st in total yards per game with 283.5, 196.7 passing yards a game (25th), 86.8 rushing yards a game (31st), and 17 points per game (31st)

2nd year starting QB Davis Mills threw for 3118 yards (16th ranked), 17 TDs (16th ranked), 15 INTs (tied for 1st), and took 31 sacks (15th most). He took a step back a bit compared to his 2021 rookie season.

Rookie RB Dameon Pierce missed the last four games of the season with an ankle injury. He still finished the season with 939 rushing yards and 4 TDs to go along with his 30 receptions out of the backfields for 165 yards and 1 TD.

Their receiving core was banged up with Brandin Cooks missing four games, Nico Collins missing seven, and Amari Rodgers missing 11. Rookie 2nd round WR John Metchie missed the season after being diagnosed with Leukemia.

Although Brandin Cooks missed four games, he still led the team in receptions and receiving yards with 699. TE Jordan Akins had a good year ending with 37 receptions and 5 TD. 

On the defensive side of the ball, their defense was the 27th-ranked defense giving up 24.7 points per game, and was ranked 19th with 39 sacks. 

Even with a defense that left little to be desired, some bright spots were on that side of the ball. I want to spotlight Safety Jalen Pitre, who finished with 146 tackles, one sack, and 5 INTs. We also have to spotlight LB Christian Kirksey, who finished with 124 tackles, three sacks, and 2 INTs. 

Lastly, 2022 1st round pick Derek Stingley Jr. had a solid start to his career but sadly only played in 9 games after suffering a hamstring injury which the Texans decided to put him on IR not further to aggravate his injury with a season already finished. He had 35 tackles, one sack, and 1 INT in those nine games.

With free agency on the horizon, they can keep some of their most productive players and move on from others.

As of this writing, 2/27/2023, these are my thoughts on FA and the Draft

There are a few players I believe the Texans should try and resign are

  1. OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
  2. WR Chris Moore
  3. TE Jordan Akins

If they can keep those three players, there are a few they might need to move on from, and they are

  1. OLB Kevin Pierre-Louis
  2. RB Rex Burkhead
  3. CB Tremon Smith
  4. WR Phillip Dorsett

With free agency starting in mid-March, there are a few free agents they should go after. After giving up over 30 sacks, they need to sure up that OL. With that said, that’s where I’d start 1st. I’d look at RTs George Fant or Mike McGlinchey to play opposite Laremy Tunsil. From there, I’d look into the Guard position and try for Isaac Seumalo or even Justin Pugh, who can at least be better than what they have at that position.

With the WR core how it was last season, they will look at the draft for help, but they should look at signing 1 of the better FA receivers, including Allen Lazard, Jakobi Meyers, or Marvin Jones. If they add Jones along with Lazard or Meyers and pick up an excellent rookie receiver, they are on the right path.

On the defensive side, there are a few names that they might want to target

  1. FS Jordan Poyer
  2. DT Dalvin Tomlinson
  3. DT Fletcher Cox
  4. DE Yannick Ngakoue

Adding just some of those on both sides will give them an upgrade on the O-line to protect the QB and the added force upfront from getting after the QB.

Let’s also not forget who might become cap casualties once teams like the Bucs, Saints, Vikings, Chargers, Jags, and Bills start releasing players. 

With those holes hopefully filled or at least improved during the free agency period, they head into the 2023 draft with the 2nd and 12th pick (from Cleveland). 

With the 2nd pick, the Texans have plenty of options. 

Option A: If the Bears trade the #1 pick to another team looking for a QB, they still have the option to get whoever is left after that team takes Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, or Will Levis. 

With the 12th pick, they can either go WR with Quentin Johnston or Jordan Addison.

Option B: They are committed to Davis Mills OR can land Lamar Jackson in free agency, which is a HUGE if they trade back to 4th (Colts), 7th (Raiders), or 9th (Panthers), so those teams can pick a QB, and the Texans pick up an O-lineman with that pick and then still go WR with the 12th. They take a DT or LB with their second 2nd round pick to go with their 1st 2nd rounder earlier. Receivers to target are Quentin Johnston and Jordan Addison. 

Option C: Trade back with their 12th pick if both significant WR threats are off the board and take one of 5 possible 1st-round O-linemen that might be left on the board.

In A New York Minute

By : Mike Rifkin

On Monday night, the Knicks beat the Celtics 109-94 for their sixth consecutive win. The win puts the Knicks in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, meaning they would make the playoffs without playing in the play-in tournament.
One of the bright spots for the Knicks has been their defense. Over the last six games, they have forced double-digit turnovers in five of those games. They have won the rebounding battle in five games as well. A big reason for that has been the return of Mitchell Robinson, who returned from a fractured thumb. But in three games since returning, Robinson has a double-double in each game, including 10 points and 13 rebounds last night.
Julius Randle has been playing great as well. Randle had 23 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in the win over the Celtics. Over the last six games, Randle is averaging 28.5 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He is also shooting 38% from three-point range.
Then there is Jalen Brunson, the best free agent signing of the offseason and one of the best the Knicks have made in a long time. Brunson’s play has been consistent all season long. Over his last six games, Brunson is averaging 26.0 points per game, 5.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds.
Brunson’s former Villanova teammate Josh Hart, whom the Knicks acquired at the trade deadline, has been a great addition. Hart is averaging 13.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists during the win streak. But the most important number is 63.2, which Hart shoots from a three-point range. Hart is also averaging 1.2 steals per game.
The other guys have stepped up as well. Immanuel Quickley, who had 23 points in the win over the Celtics, is averaging 15.8 points per game over the last six games. Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, and Isaiah Hartenstein have had moments during the stretch.
The Knicks’ next three games are massive. They will play the Nets and Heat, competing for that fifth seed before a rematch with the Celtics in Boston.

What If (Pro-Wrestling Edition)- What if AEW and WWE came together and mashed the best of the best in each specialized battle royal? Part 1

By Allison Weiner

Welcome to What If? (Pro Wrestling Edition). In this series, I give a predicament that could or could have potentially happened in the pro wrestling universe. In this blog, I would like to discuss in my 2nd edition of this blog……What if AEW and WWE came together and mashed the best of the best in each specialized battle royal?

How will this be done? Let’s look at the famous battle royals that WWE and AEW have. Those would be the Royal Rumble for WWE and the Casino Battle Royale and the Royal Rampage for AEW. The Royal Rumble is usually a 30-man or woman battle royal where each person gets a number and after the first 2 entries come out, one will enter in after a small period of time. The Casino Battle Royale is similar to the Royal Rumble, but instead of it being one at a time, whichever 21 people have a certain suit they drew will enter at a certain time.  Finally, The Royal Rampage is like the Royal Rumble, but with 2 rings.

I have decided to bring in a Forbidden Door/Worlds Collide Battle Royale Mashup that the women competing will participate in a 21-Woman Casino Battle Royale due to wanting the best quality superstars. The tag teams will compete in a 24-tag team Royal Rampage as it would be interesting to see a match like this with the use of 2 rings. Finally, we will bring back the Greatest Royal Rumble and make it a 50-man Royal Rumble.

*Disclaimer: Jon Moxley and Roman Reigns are not on any of these lists as they deserve a match of their own, and Bray Wyatt is not on any list as we have only seen 1 match out of him since his return to WWE. Cody Rhodes and MJF are not on this list as I feel either of them will face the winner of the 50-man Royal Rumble at a PPV of their choice and could face each other in this type of event.

Below are the entries for each famous battle royal….

AEW WomensWWE WomensAEW Tag TeamsWWE/NXT Tag TeamsAEW MensWWE Mens
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.DBecky LynchBest Friends
(Baretta & Taylor)		Imperium
(Kaiser & Vinci)		Kenny OmegaDrew McIntyre
Ruby SohoNatalyaButcher & The BladeStreet ProfitsNick JacksonSheamus
SarayaBayleyDark Order
(Reynolds & Silver)		Judgment Day
(Priest & Mysterio)		Matt JacksonGunther
Jaime HayterAsukaHouse of Black
(Matthews & King)		The O.C.
(Gallows & Anderson)		Chris JerichoThe Miz
Nyla RoseLiv MorganGunn ClubViking RaidersHangman Adam PageBrock Lesnar
AthenaBianca BelairTop Flight
(Dante & Darius Martin)		Brawling Brutes
(Holland & Butch)		Darby AllinBobby Lashley
RihoRaquel RodriguezYoung BucksLegado Del Fantasma
(Wilde & Escobar)		Sammy GuevaraSami Zayn
Hikaru ShidaShayna BaszlerFTRAlpha AcademyBryan DanielsonKevin Owens
Toni StormRhea RipleyLucha BrosThe Creed Bros.Brody KingSeth Rollins
Jade CargillCharlotte FlairRed Dragon
(O’Reilly & Fish)		Gallus
(Mark Coffey & Wolfgang)		Malakai BlackFinn Balor
Alexa BlissJAS
(Menard & Parker)		Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin Jay LethalDamian Priest
The AcclaimedUsosAdam ColeDominick Mysterio
HookRey Mysterio
Jungle Boy Jack PerryBraun Strowman
Claudio CastagnoliAJ Styles
Wheeler YutaShinsuke Nakamura
Mark BriscoeKofi Kingston
Samoa JoeXavier Woods
Max CasterElias
Anthony BowensAustin Theory
Orange CassidyRandy Orton
WardlowMatt Riddle
Eddie KingstonJohnny Gargano
CM PunkTomasso Ciampa
Ricky StarksEdge

Stay tuned for part 2 of this edition of What If?

Comment Below how your entry prediction and who should win each famous battle royale.

Singing The Blues

By: Mike Rifkin

Thursday night, after the Blues lost 3-2 in overtime to the Canucks, Head Coach Craig Berube let his frustrations out on his team. Berube said, “A lot of our best players aren’t doing their jobs.” Berube continued to say, “Our best players don’t play with any passion, no emotion, and no inspiration at all. They don’t play inspired hockey. You cannot play in this league without emotion, grit, and being inspired. They’re getting paid lots of money, and they’re not doing the job. End of story.” 

For the Blues, it was their fourth consecutive loss, and they are 3-6-1 in their last ten games and are currently 11 points out of a playoff spot. But Berube is right; his best players have struggled over this stretch. Robert Thomas has zero points and is a minus -8 in the last four games, Jordan Kyrou has one assist and is a -6, Braden Schenn has zero points, and minus 3, and Justin Faulk has a goal and assist and is a minus-5. Thomas and Kyrou have eight-million-dollar extensions that kick in starting next season. Brayden Schenn is signed through 2028 with a cap hit of 6.5 million dollars, with a full no-trade clause. Justin Faulk is signed through 2027-28, also at a cap hit of 6.5 million dollars. To show the struggles this team has had, both Kyrou and Schenn are -28 on the season, Thomas is -7, and Faulk is -16. These players are four of the Blues’ top six scorers.

 With this team 11 points out of a playoff spot, management has already started selling off pieces. They traded star winger Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers and their captain Ryan O’Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs. There has been chatter around forward Ivan Barbashev as well. 

But if you take the trade talks away, the Blues, for me, have been the biggest disappointment in the NHL. They were a team that could still compete for the Stanley Cup, which they won in 2019, but they haven’t played well all season. This team last year was third in the Central Division. They beat the Minnesota Wild in six games before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche in six games. The most telling stat about the Blues is that last year they were +69 in goal differential, and this year they are -34. 

The guy that needs to get a finger pointed his way is goaltender Jordan Binnington. Binnington, who was fantastic when the Blues won the Cup, has struggled since. Every year since winning the Cup, Binnington’s Goals Against Average has risen, and his save percentage has dropped. This season the save percentage is .894, while the GAA is 3.28. Because of salary cap reasons, the Blues traded Ville Husso to the Red Wings. Husso is 23-13-5 with a 2.85 GAA and a .907 save percentage. Binnington is signed through 2027-28 with a six-million-dollar cap hit. But the other thing that will drive people crazy about Binnington is his tough-guy antics. 

The Blues are the most disappointing team in the NHL this season, even though they have started to sell off pieces. They will continue to be one fascinating team over the next week until the trade deadline and the summer. 

Gearing Up For Something Big

By: Mike Rifkin

Let’s be honest about the 2022 Tennessee Titans. They collapsed. They were 7-3 before losing their final seven games to finish with a 7-10. On Wednesday, the Titans announced they had cut Left Tackle Taylor Lewan, Wide Receiver Robert Woods, Linebacker Zach Cunningham, and Kicker Randy Bullock. These four moves save the Titans 37.7 million dollars in salary cap space. The Titans entered this offseason about 23.3 million dollars over the cap. 

I don’t believe the Titans are done, either. Next on the list might be quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who, if the Titans cut, they’d get hit for 9.6 million dollars on the cap. If they keep Tannehill, they would owe him 36 million dollars. Tannehill last season played in 12 games and had a 65.2 completion percentage for 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The Titans also drafted Malik Willis in the third round of the NFL Draft last year, but most experts still think he needs to sit. Willis played in eight games and didn’t throw a touchdown pass, but he did rush for one and threw three interceptions. With Tannehill injured and Willis not ready, the Titans turned to Josh Dobbs to play in the final two games of the regular season. 

With Tannehill a potential cap casualty and Willis not ready to start, I wonder if the Titans will enter the quarterback market. But I’m thinking about the deep end of the market. There are two names. Aaron Rodgers, who was linked to the Titans last offseason, was one of them. Many people don’t think Rodgers will stay in Green Bay, and a change of scenery is likely. Why not go to the AFC South and win a division that isn’t that strong? The other name I have been thinking about is Tom Brady. Brady announced his retirement, but do we think it’s real this time? He will play football once football season starts, and he’s not in a uniform. Brady played with Titans coach Mike Vrabel in New England for years, so they could likely lure Tom back for one more year. It was also announced that Brady’s contract with Fox will not start until 2024, so let the speculation begin. 

The Titans made some big moves on Wednesday, and now we wait to see what’s next. Do they go big game hunting on a quarterback, or do they consider this a rebuild/retool now? Either way, it will be a curious off-season for the Titans

    Colts Season In Review/Offseason Preview

By: Mike Rifkin

The 2021 Indianapolis Colts ended their season with a bad taste in their mouth. The 2022 Colts never got the taste out. The Colts finished the season with a 4-12-1 record and were arguably the biggest disappointment in football. But with one of the major disappointments, hopefully, there were some realizations. Head Coach Frank Reich was fired during the season and was replaced by former Colts Center Jeff Saturday. The Colts announced hiring Shane Steichen to be their next head coach. Steichen was the Eagles’ Offensive Coordinator this past season.

Since Andrew Luck retired before the 2019 season, the Colts have placed band-aids at the quarterback position. A bandaid means that it’s a veteran quarterback who isn’t the long-term solution. They used Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz, and this past season traded for Matt Ryan from the Falcons. Ryan completed 67% of his passes and had 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In 12 games played, Matt Ryan was sacked 38 times. Matt Ryan, Nick Foles, and Sam Ehlinger were sacked 60 times, which was second in the NFL. In 2021 the Colts gave up 32 sacks. 

Jonathan Taylor had an MVP-caliber season in 2021, where he ran for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns. He averaged 106.5 yards per game. 2022 was a different story. Taylor was limited to 11 games due to injury and ran for 861 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 78.3 yards per game. In 2022 Taylor had two 100-yard rushing games; he had 10 in 2021. 

Michael Pittman was coming off his first 1,000-yard season with a good 2022 with 99 receptions for 925 yards and four touchdowns. There was a significant drop off between Pittman and the second leading receiver Parris Campbell, who had 63 catches for 623 yards and three touchdowns. Rookie Alec Pierce had 41 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns. 

In 2021 the Colts’ defense was middle of the pack regarding total defense. The defense was near the bottom of the league regarding sacks but was second in turnover differential. In 2022 the Colts’ defense improved in total yards and jumped into the top ten in sacks. They were last in turnover differential at a -13. They were +14 in 2021. Shaquille Leonard, who in 2021 had 122 total tackles, eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four interceptions, was limited to three games this season due to back surgery. 2021 first-round pick Kwity Paye had six sacks; the trio of Paye, Yannick Ngakuke, whom the Colts got from the Raiders, and DeForest Buckner combined 23.5 sacks. Linebacker Zaire Franklin was fourth in the NFL with 167 tackles. 

FREE AGENTS/TRADES TO TARGET

  • Nate Davis/Ben Powers – The Colts’ offensive line was dreadful last season. One of these two guys can fix them.
  • Trade for DeAndre Hopkins – if Hopkins is available, the Colts should look into it. Hopkins tortured the Colts for years as a member of the Texans. It also might not cost a lot to acquire him. The Colts need a game-changer at receiver, whether it’s Hopkins, Odell Beckham, or someone else. 
  • Sign Jamel Dean – Last offseason. The Colts brought in Stephon Gilmore. Dean is 26 years old and has been solid for the Bucs the past few seasons; he and Gilmore could create a dynamic duo. 

DRAFT 

RD1 (4) – CJ Stroud – QB – Ohio State. : Could the Colts move up and take Bryce Young? Sure, but if they stay at four, there’s a good chance the Ohio State quarterback will be there for them. Stroud could fit perfectly with Shane Steichen.

RD 2 (35) – Antonio Johnson – CB/S – TEXAS A&M – Long corner who might have to transfer to safety but gives the Colts a solid DB.

RD 3 (79) – Mike Morris – Edge- Michigan. Yannick Ngakoue is set to hit the free agent market. They can replace him with Morris, who can play in either a 4-3 or a 3-4. Morris does have to improve as a pass rusher, but he is solid against the run. This pick would reunite Morris with Kwity Paye, whom he played with at Michigan. 

FEAR OF INJURIES IN THE W.B.C

(THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC)

By Mark Halpern

         Well, we have waited with great exuberance for Baseball to get here, and that time has arrived, but fans of most MLB teams are going to be worried about their star players going off to play in the Olympics of Baseball.

       The World Baseball Classic begins in just about three weeks, and players from all over the world will be participating. It is a great way to bring Baseball together worldwide as the game is played strategically different almost anywhere in the world you go. However, fans of MLB are pretty worried about injuries to their star players and have some asking why the organizations don’t tell them no. The reason is that no team wants to be looked at as holding anyone back from representing their country. So organizations might persuade their players from playing but won’t hold them back either. 

   As a New York Mets fan, I am extremely worried because our entire lineup is basically playing. Players have arrived at their spring training facilities, and the players playing in the WBC will leave in under two weeks to practice with their respective teams. The Mets are poised to have one hell of an AMAZIN  season, and an injury or two to any of them could potentially put speed bumps in the way of that. This doesn’t just go for the MLB but for all countries with their young and veteran stars of their respective teams. Injuries can happen, and if any do, I hope they are so minor that we don’t hear about them.

    I understand what this event means to the entire world, and it will bring the world to its feet just like the World Cup and Olympics do for fans of the world; that is how the old man sees it.