The Sports Insanity Network

NCAA Tournament East Preview Day 1

By Lawrence Lang

With the NCAA Tournament set to begin today here is a preview for all of today’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship – East Region.

2:00 PM 16 Norfolk State @ 1 Baylor

NF State 24-6 1st in MEAC
NF Joe Bryant Jr. (G) 16.8 PPG
Baylor 26-6 1st in Big 12
Baylor James Akinjo (G) 13.4 PPG
Baylor Looking to repeat as Champions
Looking at 1 vs 16 matchup this is the one that most likely an upset can happen

4:30 PM 9 Marquette @ 8 North Carolina

Marquette 19 -12 5th in Big East
Marquette Justin Lewis (F) 17.1 PPG
NC 24-9 2nd in ACC
NC Armando Bacot (F) 16.5 PPG
The 8 vs 9 matchup is my favorite matchup because its like flipping a coin for their seeding purpose and also when it comes to bracket challenges it’s always a tough one to pick because its the most even matchup in the opening around unlike a 16 vs 1 matchup.

7:10 PM 15 Saint Peters @ 2 Kentucky

Saint Peters 19-11 2nd in MAAC
Saint Peters Daryl Banks III (G) 11.0 PPG
Kentucky 26-7 2nd in SEC
Kentucky Oscar Tshiebwe (F) 17.0 PPG
If Saint Peters win they can become the 10th 15th seed to beat a 2nd seed in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Last 15th seed to beat a 2nd seed was in last Year tournament where Oral Roberts beat Ohio State 75-72
For Kentucky this is interesting because they are always in the conversation of a team that can win every year but somehow have gone down in going home.
- 2012 won it all
- 2014 runner up
- 2015 final four
- 2019 Elite 8
- 2022 Sweet 16 or first around ???

7:20 PM 12 Indiana @ 5 Saint Mary’s

Indiana 21-13 9th in Big Ten
Indiana Trayce Jackson- Davis (F) 18.4 PPG
Saint Mary’s 25-7 2nd in WCC
Saint Mary’s Matthias Tass (F) 12.6 PPG
Go Indiana for Grandma and because momentum is on their side after winning in the play-in game to get into the tournament.

9:40 PM 10 San Francisco @ 7 Murray State

SF 24-9 4th in WCC
SF Jamaree Bouyea (G) 16.7 PPG
Murray State 30-2 in OVC
Murray State KJ Williams (F) 18.2 PPG
With a 10 vs 7 matchup this is another fun matchup to watch, probably one of my favorites to watch because this is a situation where an upset can happen and let’s face it, upsets are always fun in the NCAA tournament.

9:50 PM 13 Akron @ 4 UCLA

Akron 24-9 3rd in MAC
Akron Ali Ali (F) 14.2 PPG
UCLA 25-7 2nd in Pac- 12
UCLA Johnny Juzang (G) 16.0 PPG
What’s interesting here is that the 13th seed has beaten the 4th seed 31 times in the last 36 years. Last year it happened twice when Ohio beat Virginia 62-58 and North Texas beat Purdue in overtime 78-69. If Akron can jump ahead early you never know we might be talking about Akron in tournament upset history.

NCAA Tournament : South Preview

By Mike Rifkin

Top Seeds

Arizona
Villanova
Tennessee
Illinois
Houston

Best 1st round matchup (7) Ohio State vs (10) Loyola Chicago. Ohio State was upset as a 2 seed last year by Oral Roberts. Loyola Chicago is a defensively sound team that will not be afraid of the big stage. I really like the Ramblers in this game.

Biggest upset ( 12) UAB over (5) Houston. The Blazers are on fire, so are the Cougars. But season ending injuries to two of Houston’s guards could be the difference, as could UAB’s three point shooting they shoot 38 percent from behind the arc. Houston’s three point defense sits at 29 percent. ( Bonus Chattanooga over Illinois)

Team to make a run: (10) Loyola Chicago. Lot of people are picking Chattanooga and rightfully so but the Ramblers bring a lot of experience to this tournament. They share the basketball averaging 15 assists per game, and they turn the ball over 12 times per game. But they have very balanced scoring throughout their lineup.

Player to watch : Kofi Cockburn Illinois: If Illinois is going to make a run in this tournament it’s because of the man in the middle. Cockburn averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per game, Illinois can not afford him to have a bad game.

Region Winner: (1) Arizona: Arizona was one of the most consistent teams all season. They average 84.6 points per game third in the nation, they shoot 49.6 percent from the field third in the nation. They have seven players who shoot higher than 30 percent from three including two who shoot 50 percent. Arizona is a tough out and I expect them to get to the Final Four.

Are The Toronto Blue Jays the AL East Favorites?

By: Mike Rifkin

The Toronto Blue Jays finished 2021 with a 91-71 record. That record led them to fourth place in the AL East and missed the Wild Card by one game. That has been motivation for the Jays who have been very active since the baseball lockout ended. On Wednesday morning the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Third Baseman Matt Chapman from the Oakland Athletics for prospects. Chapman had a career low .210 batting average with 27 home runs and 72 RBI. Now moving from Oakland to Toronto should help Chapman’s average especially in Toronto’s lineup he can have a huge season. But with Chapman it’s not all about the offense, it’s about his defense Chapman has three Gold Gloves and two Platinum Gloves in his career. Adding Chapman to a lineup that features Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who was a finalist for AL MVP last season and is one of the best young players in all of baseball. George Springer who was last year’s big free agent addition who had a good season but was limited to 78 games due to injuries. Bo Bichette is a young player who had a really good season in 2021 posting a .298 average with 29 home runs and 102 RBI. Bichette also added 25 stolen bases.

The Jays also added to their rotation this offseason with the signings of Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi. Gausman started his career in the AL East with the Baltimore Orioles. 2021 was Gausman’s best season in the majors going 14-6 with a 2.81 E.R.A. for the Giants. In 192.0 innings pitched he had a career high 227 strikeouts. Kikuchi signed a three year contract after spending the past three seasons with the Mariners. Kikuchi had a 4.97 ERA in Seattle, but had his best season in 2021 and was an All Star for the first time. But the Blue Jays rotation can be really special with Hyun -Jin Ryu who has been a CY Young finalist two of the last three seasons, Jose Berrios who they acquired at the trade deadline and gave a massive extension to, and Alek Manoah who went 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA as a rookie.

The Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox will all have something to say about who wins the division, but right now you have to put the Blue Jays as the frontrunner. Bigger picture the Blue Jays might be the team to beat in the American League.

Tennessee Titans offseason recap

By Bill Murphy

The Tennessee Titans finished the season with a 12-5 record, winning the AFC South for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately, after securing the number one seed and a first round bye, they lost to the eventual AFC Champion, Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional round. Head Coach Mike Vrabel was voted AP’s Coach Of The Year .

Ryan Tannehill this year threw for 3,954 yards , 22 touchdowns and rushed for 270 yards and seven touchdowns with a QBR of 67.0%, threw 14 ints and ranked at #12. Compared to last year Tannehill ranked 8^th and threw for 3819 yards , 33 tds 7 int . Tannehill’s numbers were not as impressive from previous seasons. This season Tannehill was inconsistent because there were many injuries on this offense and Tannehill himself contracted Covid during training camp .

Running Back Derrick Henry was coming off of a 2020 season in which he rushed for 2,027 yards ,17 touchdowns , 3.78 yards per carry which resulted in him winning the 2020 AFC offensive player of the year . Unfortunately , this year was not the same for Henry , he was looking sharp in the first seven weeks of the season winning two offensive players of the week, and then in week eight he suffered a Jones fracture . When he was injured he was leading the league in rushing yards , touchdowns , carries and was front runner for MVP . Henry was activated during the AFC Divisional Game in which he had 20 carries for 62 yards and scored one touchdown .

The Wide receiver corps on this team was talked about a lot when this season started and that was the team of Julio Jones and AJ Brown. Julio Jones was traded to the Titans from the Falcons for a second round draft pick . Jones who is usually all pro was riddled with injuries this year Jones had 31 catches for 434 yards and a touchdown, the trade didn’t pan out in year one, let’s see what year two brings. Aj Brown battled through injuries all season. He caught 35 passes for 509 yards and three touchdowns.

The defense was a major improvement. In 2020 they ranked 25^th in defense in points allowed , 4,439 passing yards ,1,933 rushing yards . This season they ranked 11^th in points allowed, 4,169 passing yards , 1,438 rushing yards .

Cap Space

The Titans cap space is $ 214.5 million dollars which is 6.3 million dollars over the NFL cap space . The Titans could Make the following contract changes to help them get under the cap space

– Taylor Lewan, OT – Cap savings: $12.9 million ($1.79 million in dead money)

– Zach Cunningham, LB – Cap savings: $10.5 million ($0 in dead money)

– Rodger Saffold, G – Cap savings: $10.5 million ($2.37 million in dead money) – Saffold was released and signed with the Bills

– Jackrabbit Jenkins, CB – Cap savings: $7 million ($3.2 million in dead money) – Jenkins was released on Tuesday

– Kendall Lamm, OT – Cap savings: $3.3 million ($850,000 in dead money)

– Brett Kern, P – Cap savings: $3.2 million ($550,000 in dead money)

– Nate Davis, G – Cap savings: $2.68 million ($233,670 in dead money)

– Julio Jones, WR – Post-June 1 cap savings: $9.5 million ($4.8 million in dead money); Pre-June 1 cap savings: $1 million Who I believe needs to be cut because his age is showing and he is frequently injured because of his age.

Note: Titans can also restructure any of these contracts if they want to.

Additions that need to be made

Needs CB , TE ,WR

Tight Ends

Free Agents

OJ Howard TB Bucs 2021 Stats : 14 receptions 135 receiving yards

Tyler Kroft New York Jets : 16 receptions 173 receiving yards 1 yards

Both would be low cost options for the Titans.

Draft Picks

Trey McBride Colorado State : 158 catches 2,015 yards

Isiah likely Coastal Caorlina : 59 receptions, 912 yards, 12 TDs

Cade Otton Washington : 28 receptions, 250 yards, 1 TD

Cornerback

Draft pick : Andrew Booth JR Clemson : 37 tackles, 5 passes defensed, 3 interceptions

Free Agents : Sidney Jones . Seattle Seahawks : 45 tackles

Wide receivers

Free agents

Will Fuller : Miami Dolphins 4 Receptions 26 yards

Draft picks

Jameson Williams / John Metchie : Alabama

Christian Watson North Dakota state

Offensive Line

Draft Picks

Trevor Penning OT northern Iowa

IOL Dylan Parham Memphis

Free Agents

Tom Compton OT SF

Linebacker

Free Agent

Kamu Gruiger Hill LB Houston Texans

Jacob Martin Edge Houston

Draft

LB Channing Tindall Georgia

Saints Season In Review/Offseason to do list

By: Mike Rifkin

The 2021 New Orleans Saints finished the 2021 season with a record of 9-8 and just missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. After the season head coach Sean Payton stepped down, Payton went 152-89 in 16 seasons as the head coach and did win a Super Bowl. Sean Payton and future Hall of Fame Quarterback Drew Brees both arrived in New Orleans in 2006 and spent 15 seasons together. After the 2020 season Drew Brees announced his retirement, and now Sean Payton has stepped down and it truly is the end of an era for the Saints. Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will take over as the head coach.

In 2021 there was a question of who would succeed Drew Brees for the Saints and the Saints signed a familiar face. Former number one overall pick Jameis Winston, somebody the Saints played when he was a member of the Buccaneers, was signed to a one year deal. Winston played ok with a 59.0 completion percentage 1,170 yards, 144 touchdowns and three interceptions. Winston was limited to seven games before he tore his ACL against his old team. They then tried Trevor Siemian, Taysom Hill, and Ian Book even got a start. Taysom Hill is best used as an offensive weapon then as a quarterback, Book and Siemian are not the answer. The Saints are one of the teams engaged with Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The Saints do have one of the best running backs in the league in Alvin Kamara. Kamara had 898 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while adding 439 yards and five touchdowns receiving. Kamara was ok in 2021 but the inconsistent quarterback play and the limited amount of weapons really hampered him when he did play. After the Pro Bowl Kamara was arrested for Battery, so we will see what happens in regard to a suspension. Taysom Hill added 374 yards and five touchdowns rushing.

The Saints receiving group will get a boost with the return of Michael Thomas who missed all of 2021 with Ankle surgery. Prior to 2020 Thomas had three consecutive seasons with 100 plus catches and over 1,000 yards. In Thomas’s absence young players like Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harris stepped into bigger roles. Marquez Callaway led the Saints with 698 yards and six touchdowns last season. Tight Ends Adam Trautman and Juwan Johnson combined for 422 yards and six touchdowns.

The Saints have one of the best defenses in the NFL. They were third in points allowed allowing 19.7 points per game and seventh in total defense giving up 318.2 yards per game. They were eighth in sacks with 46. Veteran Cam Jordan led the team with 12.5 sacks and former first round pick Marcus Davenport put up a career high nine sacks and forced three fumbles. They were also in the top 10 in turnover differential with a +7. Cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, CJ Gardner-Johnson, and P.J. Williams each had three interceptions. Safety Marcus Williams, who was third on the team in tackles, departed for Baltimore, but the Saints signed former Jet Marcus Maye to replace him.

The Saints have restructured a lot of their contracts to get under the cap. Now as I mentioned earlier the Saints are one of the teams who are in on Deshaun Watson from the Texans, but what is plan B in case they don’t acquire him. For me that would be bringing back Jameis Winston. We have seen how the quarterback market has developed over the past week and depending on his health going with Jameis is probably the best option for the Saints if they cannot land Watson. Either way they are going to have to find a way to bring back left tackle Terron Armstead.

Draft

RD 1 (15) Charles Cross OT – Mississippi State – If Armstead leaves that leaves a gaping hole, and Cross can fill in nicely. Names to watch : Malik Willis QB Liberty, Kenny Pickett QB Pittsburgh, Trevor Penning OT Northern Iowa

RD 2 (49) Isaiah Spiller RB Texas A&M : With some uncertainty around Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram getting older the Saints could use another running back. Spiller is a very effective runner who could help the Saints.

RD 3 ( 98) Bryan Cook Safety Cincinnati : Good safety who could benefit from a veteran like Malcolm Jenkins. Used to play corner so he can help in coverage and is a very good tackler.

Young AFC Quarterbacks Winning In Free Agency

By: Mike Rifkin

The NFL’s tampering period is not even two days in but the biggest winners are the young quarterbacks in the AFC, as they have seen their teams spend money to help surround them with talent.

Let’s start with the reigning AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals who had one massive need and that was to protect quarterback Joe Burrow. Throughout the season Burrow was sacked 70 times the third most in NFL history, including a Super Bowl record seven times. Burrow was sacked 51 times in the regular season, the most of any quarterback one season removed from ACL surgery. The Bengals signed former Buccaneer Alex Cappa to a four year 40 million dollar contract. In 2021 Cappa did allow five sacks, after allowing zero in 2020. The Bengals also signed offensive lineman Ted Karras to a three year eighteen million dollar contract. Karras and Cappa have won a combined three Super Bowls (Karras 2, Cappa 1) with Tom Brady as their quarterback. Karras brings some versatility as he has the ability to play either Center or Guard. I expect the Bengals to keep building up the offensive line whether through free agency or the draft but right now they are doing the number one thing they had to do this offseason.

Then there are the Los Angeles Chargers who were one Brandon Staley mistake away from making the playoffs last season. The Chargers have been very active this offseason by extending receiver Mike Williams who had a career season last season and got a three year 60 million dollar contract. . Last week the Chargers acquired All Pro Edge Rusher Khalil Mack from the Bears in exchange for draft picks. Mack in seven games due to a foot injury in 2021 had six sacks. Pairing Mack with former first round pick Joey Bosa who had 10.5 sacks in 2021 should give the Chargers a dynamic pass rush, after having 34 sacks as a team in 2021. The Charger defense gave up 4.6 yards per carry and 138.9 rushing yards per game and they beefed up the defensive line by signing Sebastian Joseph-Day from the Rams. Joseph-Day has 137 tackles and six sacks in three seasons. The Chargers defense had 21 takeaways but still managed a -1 turnover differential. They should get a boost after signing J.C. Jackson from the New England Patriots on a massive five year contract. Jackson was second in the NFL with eight interceptions in 2021. Jackson has 25 interceptions in his career. Putting Jackson with Chris Harris will kick Asante Samuel Jr. into the slot along with Derwin James and Nassir Adderley should give the Chargers one of the better secondaries in the NFL.

Then there are the New York Jets who signed Guard Laken Tomlinson from the San Francisco 49ers. Tomlinson played for Jets coach Robert Salah and Offensive Coordinator Mike Lafleur while in San Francisco so he already knows the offense that they will run. The Jets also brought in CJ Uzomah from the Bengals on a three year contract. Uzomah had career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns for the Bengals last season.

Last are the Miami Dolphins who brought in new coach Mike Mcdaniel who like Mike Lafleur and Robert Salah comes from the 49ers. They brought in running back Chase Edmonds who has a lot of upside and speed. They also signed receiver Cedrick Wilson from the Cowboys. Wilson had a breakout season for the Cowboys with 45 catches, 602 yards and six touchdowns. Putting Wilson in the slot with Jaylen Waddle who had a great rookie year and Devante Parker on the outside and tight end Mike Gesicki who got the franchise tag should give Tua some nice weapons. The Dolphins also signed offensive lineman Connor Williams to a two year contract. Williams in 2021 allowed 13 pressures, the second fewest in the NFL, and was ranked as the eleventh best guard in the NFL by PFF. I expect Miami to sign at least one more offensive lineman.

Then there are the Jacksonville Jaguars who have been extremely active in helping the development of last year’s number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence. First they brought in Super Bowl winning coach Doug Pederson to coach the team after the Urban Meyer failure. On Monday the Jags brought in receivers Christain Kirk (4 yrs 72 million dollars) and Zay Jones (3 yrs 24 million dollars). Kirk, a former second round pick, had 77 receptions for 982 yards and five touchdowns for the Cardinals last season. Did the Jags overspend here? Probably but Kirk is still only 25 years old and can really help the Jags. Zay Jones, another former second round pick, had 47 receptions 546 yards and a touchdown last season for the Raiders. The Jags also signed former first round pick tight end Evan Engram from the Giants. Engram had 46 catches for 408 yards and three touchdowns. One of the things that has hampered Engram is that he does have a lot of drops, but there is a lot of upside in all three of these guys. The Jags also are trying to fix the offensive line by signing guard Brandon Scherff to a three year 49.5 million dollar contract. Scherff is a five time Pro Bowler and an All Pro who played the last two seasons on the franchise tag in Washington. The Jags also worked on their defense by signing Foye Oluokun to a three year contract. Oluokun led the entire NFL in tackles last season.

All five of these AFC teams have spent some money for different reasons. For the Bengals and the Chargers it’s about winning a title before having to pay their quarterbacks. For the Dolphins, Jets and Jaguars it’s about seeing if they made the right choice on their quarterback before possibly re-entering the market. All in all this is a very good start to free agency from these teams.

Chargers Season In Review/Offseason Preview

By: Mike Rifkin

The 2021 Los Angeles Chargers had an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a win or tie vs the rival Raiders in the final week of the regular season. Thanks to a dubious mistake by first year coach Brandon Staley the Chargers lost the game and missed out on the playoffs with a record of 9-8 finishing third in the AFC West. The Chargers have already made some big splashes this offseason.

The Major reason they are able to make these splashes is that quarterback Justin Herbert is still on his rookie contract. Herbert in his second season had a 65.9 completion percentage, was second in the NFL with 5,014 yards, 38 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Herbert is one of the young premiere quarterbacks in the NFL, but the Chargers understand that their window to win is soon because after next season they are going to have to pay Herbert big money.

Herbert has a very good supporting cast starting with Running Back Austin Ekeler who in 2021 was the lead back for the first time, following the departure of Melvin Gordon who signed with division rival Denver. Ekler had 911 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing. Ekler is also one of the best pass catching running backs in the NFL, in 2021 he had 70 receptions for 647 yards and eight touchdowns. The 70 receptions were third on the team. All Pro receiver Keenan Allen led the team with 106 receptions (7th in NFL), 1,138 yards and six touchdowns. Former first round pick Mike Williams had a breakout season with a career high 76 receptions for a career high 1,146 and nine touchdowns (not a career high). Williams picked the right year to break out because before free agency began the Chargers signed Williams to a three year 60 million dollar contract. Tight end Jared Cook and receivers Jalen Guyton and Joshua Palmer combined for 112 catches for 1,365 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Chargers offense averaged 27.9 points per game which was fifth in the NFL.

The Ch The Chargers defense gave up 27.0 points per game and already this offseason they have worked to fix that. Last week the Chargers acquired All Pro Edge Rusher Khalil Mack from the Bears in exchange for draft picks. Mack in seven games due to a foot injury in 2021 had six sacks. Pairing Mack with former first round pick Joey Bosa who had 10.5 sacks in 2021 should give the Chargers a dynamic pass rush, after having 34 sacks as a team in 2021. The Charger defense gave up 4.6 yards per carry and 138.9 rushing yards per game and they beefed up the defensive line by signing Sebastian Joseph-Day from the Rams. Joseph-Day has 137 tackles and six sacks in three seasons. The Chargers defense had 21 takeaways but still managed a -1 turnover differential. They should get a boost after signing J.C. Jackson from the New England Patriots on a massive five year contract. Jackson was second in the NFL with eight interceptions in 2021. Jackson has 25 interceptions in his career. Putting Jackson with Chris Harris will kick Asante Samuel Jr. into the slot along with Derwin James and Nassir Adderley should give the Chargers one of the better secondaries in the NFL.

Draft

RD 1 (17) Garrett Wilson Receiver : Ohio State : This would have been Jordan Davis before the signing of Day. Wilson adds an element of speed to the offense. Wilson is a good route runner. Other names to watch: Drake London USC, Jordan Davis DT Georgia, Trevor Penning OT Northern Iowa.

RD 2 (48) Jalen Wydermyer : Tight End Texas A&M: Needs to work on run blocking but can give the Chargers another weapon to help Herbert.

RD 3 (79) Deangelo Malone: Edge Western Kentucky : Even with the addition of Mack the Chargers can use more pass rush especially in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr and now Russell Wilson. Malone would benefit from learning from two of the best pass rushers in the league. Malone is also good at stopping the run.

The AFC West has had one heck of a start to the offseason, but with that said the Chargers need to win with Herbert on his rookie contract. The pressure is on Brandon Staley now with all the moves the Chargers have made.

Jacksonville Jaguars Season Review/Offseason Preview

By:Noah Trombley

The Jacksonville Jaguars season can be summed up in two words, Urban Meyer. The first year head coach had the absolute worst one season a head coach as ever had. The Jaguars went 3-14 for last place in the AFC south division and another number one overall pick. To list all the reasons why Urban Meyer is the worst coach in NFL history would take way too long for this article, just google anything on Urban Meyer’s time in Jacksonville and you will find many many articles discussing this very fact. Talking about number one overall picks, quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a rough year and did not look like the hot prospect he was made out to be. He finished the season with a 59.6 comp %, 3641 yards, 12 TD and 17 Int’s. To be fair to Lawrence the play calling and schemes that head coach Meyer introduced were absolutely dreadful and did not play to Lawrence’s strengths at all. He was sacked 32 times during the season, the receivers constantly dropped passes and the running game was almost nonexistent. Lawrence will need plenty of more help in order to ascend to the level many people believe he can achieve.

The Jaguars have hired former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson as their new head coach to pair with Lawrence. Pederson brings a lot to the table as he is a former SuperBowl winner and two time NFC East champion. He worked with Carson Wentz while in Philadelphia and made Wentz the best in his career and he was on his way to being an MVP candidate in 2017 before going down with injury. While Pederson’s time in Philly and with Wentz ended very badly you can’t deny he brings a steady presence to the sideline of the Jaguars, which is exactly what they needed, and with this change of scenery Pederson could possibly recapture the magic he had during the Eagles 2017 SuperBowl run.

The Jaguars finished last in points per game (14.9), 28th in points given up per game (26.9), and finished with the worst turnover margin in the league with a -1.2. Both sides of the ball need a lot of work down in Jacksonville.

Free Agents:

Sign Allen Robinson to pair with Christian Kirk and create a great WR duo to give Lawrence two amazing weapons

All the moves the Jags have already done have been fantastic, such as signing Kirk at WR and Brandon Schreff to protect Lawrence.

Draft Day:

Rd 1 (1): Ikem Ekwonu, Offensive Lineman North Carolina State, this is as simple as it gets, take the best lineman available and protect Trevor Lawrence even though youve signed multiple lineman already the whole line needs to be rebuilt completely

Rd 2 (32): George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue, pair him with Josh Allen and watch the front seven soar next year

Rd 3 (65): Calvin Austin III, WR, Memphis, add a number 3 option to the kirk/robinson duo

Rd 3 (70) via CAR: Quay Walker, Linebacker, Georgia, keep adding pieces to get that defense back to 2015 elite form

NEWS OUT OF METS TRAINING CAMP

By Mark Halpern

The season hasn’t begun yet, and the Mets are filling the headlines by making trades, signing new free agents to the team, Steve Cohen not caring that he has a luxury tax built in for him. However, yesterday one of the Mets premiere players had a brush with death. Mets All-Star first baseman Pete “The Polar Bear” Alonso was on his way to Spring Training when a car ran a red light and t-boned Alonso’s car, causing it to flip over three times. Pete’s wife and family were following in the car behind and witnessed the wreck and still are all in shock of what happened next. After the car stopped, Alonso kicked out the windshield and walked away unscathed. The pictures of the wreck were horrifying, and Pete was going to be checked out by local area hospital and Mets training personnel. Many times, Alonso said that he is surprised he is alive today.

On other news, Jacob DeGrom was straightforward with reporters this morning, saying that he fully plans to opt out of his contract at the end of this season. Now before all of us Mets fans go and commit Harry Carey just yet. Players of his high caliber have these clauses built-in for many reasons. First and foremost is the money. I don’t care who the player is; money is the big part. With Scherzer signed for more than DeGrom this, it makes sense for Jake to opt-out so he can leverage himself to be making the most money a pitcher has ever been paid. The second reason is that players might not be getting along with the organization and wants to leave. Putting opt-outs in contracts after a short period in a contract lets players choose where they want to play. DeGrom was quoted that he would love to remain a Mets for the rest of his career. So, we have that going for us. Finally, destination plays a big key. Players want to play in more important markets for the opportunity and the Marketing aspects so they can make as much off themselves as possible before they are told they can’t play the kid’s game anymore. If DeGrom wins the Cy Young this year and the Mets win the World Series, Mike Trout’s contract number will look very small, and that is how the old man sees it.

Browns Season In Review/ Offseason Preview

By: Mike Rifkin

The 2021 Cleveland Browns were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL. After going 11-5 in 2020 and being competitive with the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the playoffs the Browns took a step back by going 8-9 and missing the playoffs.

In 2020 Baker Mayfield had a 62.8 completion percentage 3,563 yards 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. After that season there were people in the media who were talking about the Browns giving Mayfield a major extension, the Browns declined to do so and Mayfield will play this upcoming season on his fifth year option. In 2021 Mayfield posted a 60.5% completion percentage 3,010 yards 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 14 games. Mayfield was limited to 14 games due to a torn labrum. 2022 will be a make or break year for the Browns whether it’s for the Browns or some other team.

In 2020 the Browns were third in the NFL in rushing and Nick Chubb had 1,067 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2021 Chubb was second in the NFL in rushing with 1,259 yards and eight touchdowns. Kareem Hunt added 386 yards and 5 touchdowns but was limited to 8 games due to calf and ankle injuries. The Browns were fourth in the NFL in rushing averaging 145.4 yards per game.

The Browns will look somewhat different at receiver. During the season they released Odell Beckham Jr. who went on to win the Super Bowl with the Rams and they have given Jarvis Landry permission to seek a trade. But the Browns did trade for former first round pick Amari Cooper who in 2021 with the Cowboys posted 68 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. Four times in his career Cooper has posted over 1,000 yards. 2021 was a breakout season for Donovan Peoples-Jones who posted 34 catches for a career high and a team high 597 yards and three touchdowns. Cleveland also put the franchise tag on tight end David Njoku who had 36 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns in 2021. Even though Cleveland has added Cooper, watch them address receiver in free agency or through the draft.

The Browns defense in 2021 was fifth in yards allowed allowing 311.5 yards per game, ninth in sacks with 43, and had a -3 turnover differential. The defense starts with Myles Garrett who was third in the NFL in sacks with 16.0. Garrett has posted 58.5 sacks since being the number one overall pick in 2017. Last offseason the Browns signed another former number one overall pick in Jadeveon Clowney to a one year contract to team up with Garrett. Clowney had nine sacks, a number he hadn’t reached since 2018. Former first round pick cornerback Denzel Ward and free agent addition safety John Johnson tied for the team lead with three interceptions each.

The Browns have a little over 23.5 million dollars in cap space prior to the Cooper trade. Trading Jarvis Landry would open up some room, as would restructuring the contract of tight end Austin Hooper.

Free agency

Sign a veteran quarterback : If the Browns are not sold on Mayfield they should bring someone in who can challenge him for the starting job.
Sign Dante Fowler Jr : Jadeveon Clowney had nine sacks last season and will want to get paid big time. Fowler has moved around the league but did have five sacks for the Falcons last season.
Re-sign Rashard Higgins : Higgins numbers went down significantly in 2021, whether that was because of Mayfield’s struggles or not remains to be seen. With Odell Beckham gone and Jarvis Landry potentially being traded, keeping a guy Mayfield is familiar with could help both parties.

Draft

RD 1 (PK 13) : Treylon Burks Wide Receiver Arkansas : I want to preface by saying if one of the two elite pass rushers are here they are the pick. Burks is a big, fast receiver who is dangerous in the open field and will be very helpful for Baker Mayfield.

RD 2 (PK 44) : Nik Bonitto Edge Oklahoma : Quick Athletic edge opposite Myles Garrett which could help the undersized Bonitto.

RD 3 (PK 78) Christian Harris Linebacker Alabama : Pairing Harris with Jermiah Owusu – Koramoah would give the Browns an exciting linebacker duo with a lot of speed.

RD 3 (PK 101): Jalen Tolbert Receiver: South Alabama: Excellent route runner who can make plays in the middle of the field. If Landry is traded Tolbert could be an interesting option to replace him.