Wake Up Call

By: Mike Rifkin

It was a tough weekend for the New York Rangers as they lost their games to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks by a combined score of  6-2. The Rangers were shutout for the first five periods of the back to back. 

The Rangers currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division mainly because of the stellar play of their goalie Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin is 25-6-3 with a 1.95 Goals Against Average, .941 save percentage and three shutouts. Shesterkin right now is probably the frontrunner for the Vezina trophy as the NHL’S top goalie and he might even receive some Hart votes as the league’s most valuable player. 

The Rangers average 2.89 goals per game and their power play connects at 25.3 percent and those are good numbers although you would like for goals per game to go up. But the Rangers heavily rely on their top players to carry them offensively. Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox all have 50 points or more. Chris Kreider who has 34 goals has 48 points and Ryan Strome has 37 points. Then there is a gap Jacob Trouba has 24 points, Barclay Goodrow has 22, and former first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere has 16 points. Lafreniere has already matched his goal total from last season and has played very well since playing with Zibanejad and Kreider. But the Rangers can use a right winger to play with Panarin and Strome. Kappo Kakko is out with an upper body injury and Sammy Blais is out for the season with a torn ACL. In Kakko’s place the Rangers have tried a few different players to play with Panarin and Strome, most recently it’s been Dryden Hunt who has three goals on the season.

First year General Manager Chris Drury, who had a really good offseason, needs to add a top nine right wing who can create some scoring punch. Now there are two things in the Rangers favor heading into the trade deadline. The first is the Rangers have around 32 million dollars in cap space entering the trade deadline so any player they acquire they can take on the rest of their remaining salary. The second is the Rangers have a plethora of young defensemen in their prospect pool. 

Names to watch

Phil Kessel Arizona Coyotes: Kessel has six goals and 33 points in 53 games this season. The Coyotes are going to sell everyone not named Clayton Keller. Kessel is also three goals away from 400 in his career. Kessel would bring playoff experience to a team that doesn’t have much, he has tallied 34 goals and 81 points in 96 career playoff games including winning two Stanley Cups. 

Joe Pavelski Dallas Stars: Let me get started with this would be my preference but it’s not happening. Dallas is currently tied for the second wild card in the West, but if they struggle at any point and can’t come to terms on an extension for Pavelski the Rangers should be all over him. Pavelski has 61 goals and 119 points in 161 career playoff games.

J.T. Miller Vancouver Canucks: There are two different things that separate Miller from the other two guys I just mentioned. First is Miller has another year on his contract at over five million dollars and second Miller was a Ranger. Miller leads the Canucks with 20 goals and 59 points but with new management led by Jim Rutherford Vancouver could move Miller even though they sit three points out of the second wild card spot. Miller in 78 playoff games has nine goals and 44 points. 

Reilly Smith Vegas Golden Knights: Smith played for current Rangers coach Gerard Gallant in Vegas. Smith has 14 goals and 34 points in 51 games this season. Vegas has a cap issue after acquiring Jack Eichel from the Sabres. Smith also can help the Penalty Kill and is very responsible defensively. Smith in 84 career playoff games has 22 goals and 65 points.  

Chris Drury owes it to his team to go out and get the scorer they need. For one thing, when Kakko comes back it will make them deeper. Shesterkin is having one of those seasons that if they get in who knows what can happen. But one thing is for sure if the last two games proved anything the Rangers definitely need another goal scoring winger. 

Bills Season In Review/Offseason Needs

By: Lawrence Lang

For the second consecutive season the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East with a record of 11-6. The Bills hosted the Patriots in the wild card round and had the first ever NFL perfect game by scoring a Touchdown on each of their possessions 6 in total, having no punts and no turnovers, as they would route the Patriots 47-17. For the second consecutive season the Bills season ended in Kansas City in what was one of the greatest games of all time. The game would go back and forth with under two minutes left and even saw the Bills go up with 15 seconds left. But the Chiefs wound up tying the game in regulation and winning in overtime with an opening drive touchdown, winning the game 42-36.   

Josh Allen : 4,407 passing yards, 63.3 completion percentage, 36 TDs, 15 Ints and 6 rushing touchdowns. 

Rushing : Devin Singletary : 870 rushing yards and seven TD’s 

Receiving

Stefon Diggs : Diggs has found new life since being in Buffalo and it showed this season racking up 1,225 yards and being Allen’s favorite target he averaged 11.9 per reception and racked up 10 tds. 

Cole Beasly :  For Beasley he didn’t show much on field but if views and opinions on Covid-19 and vaccination status put him in the spotlight he still racked up 693 yards, averaged 8.5 per reception and had 1 td. But his actions off the field with the pandemic and status on certain things might see some reaction from the Bill front office this offseason. If Beasley is cut it could save Buffalo six million dollars with a 1.5 million dollar dead cap hit.

Gabriel Davis  Davis gets the out of nowhere award for the Bills  because come postseason time this man was always open in the endzone while others like Diggs, Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders were being covered. Davis had 549 yards, averaged 15.7 per reception and had six tds.

The Bills had the number one ranked defense. Here are some of their numbers.

  • Total yards allowed per play (4.6)
  • Passing yards per play (4.65)
  • First downs allowed per game (16.7)
  • Third down conversion rate allowed (30.8%)
  • Nobody from the Defense was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time since the 2012 Steelers team.  

Notable free agents 

Jerry Hughes DE : 18 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Mario Addison DE : 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Mitchell Trubisky QB

Vernon Butler DT 

Emmanuel Sanders WR : 42 catches 626 yards, four touchdowns

Isiah Mckenzie WR : 20 catches, 178 yards, one touchdown.

Jake Kumerow WR 

With free agency on the horizon The Bills are in a slight bit of trouble on the offensive side losing three wide receivers on Diggs and Beasley left.  

Looking at the Bills they can go out and maybe land a WR in free agency Davante Adams would be out of the picture because of the amount of money he would be asking for if he decides to leave Green Bay since is destination is up in the air until Aaron Rodgers decides what he is doing.  

Two names come to mind for the Bills starting with Allen Robinson. Robinson has been looking for a QB to feed him the ball and find success with. Robinson has had success with average quarterback play. Andy Dalton gets a slide here.  He played only 12 games this season and had 38 catches for only 410 yards, the lowest of his career so far.  Buffalo would be a good fit because let’s face it Josh Allen is a good QB and Robinson would be fit right in with Diggs and Beasley ( if he his still there) and this would brig new life to his carrer cause he would finally be on a team that can actually win more than five games a year. 

The other notable WR that could be a good fit in Buffalo is D.J. Chark the 25 year old is ending his time in the nightmare that is the Jacksonville Jaguars and he could use a fresh start as well and showcase his talents in the 2022 season he only had 7 receptions for 154 yds and two touchdowns. Going to Buffalo he can be a young WR for Allen to go to when Diggs is being doubled covered and could be a good fit for Alllen in the long run if a multi year contract would be offered.  

Now at the back up QB position there is one of two things the Bills could do here and that’s just resign Trubisky or test the water. Maybe it will be time for a little magic in Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Fitzpatrick is 39 now and is an ageless beardless wonder who seems to always find himself on a team and this would be a fairytale ending if he were to come back to the Bills and call it a career. Fitzpatrick from 09-12 was the Bills QB. Fitzpatrick can also be the teacher even at the back up spot by helping Allen understand the game  maybe just a little bit more. 

NFL Draft

One move the Bills could do is trade away a few draft picks to land Cameron Jordan from New Orleans. With the Saints potentially going into a rebuild after former head coach Sean Peyton left the team. Also with Hughes and Addison in free agency this could persuade them to resign with the Bills. 

If they are looking to make a splash in the draft go out there and get themselves a few young WR’s. Garret Willson a 21 years old out of The Ohio State had three solid years in college racking up 2,213 yards and 23 td’s. 

A second choice the Bills could go with is Jameson Williams out of Alabama in three years he racked up 1,572 yards and 15 tds. Coming from Alabama you are on the radar since it’s Alabama and there is always high praise from their players.  Williams tore his ACL during the national title game. 

Whether it’s through free agency or the draft expect the Bills also to target the cornerback position and add another edge rusher. The Bills are interesting because either they make moves in the offseason to get players or they rely on the draft. With this case I would go after a player in the offseason then rely on the draft. Relying on the draft wouldn’t be a bad thing you save money and would just be giving out rookie contracts. Plus you can stockpile young talent but also with having seven draft picks you can also make moves to get players. In the Brandon Beane/ Sean Mcdermott era the Bills have drafted very well. 

The Bills should be fine heading into the 2023 season as they should be the favorites to win the AFC East for a third consecutive season. Ever since TB ( you know who) The Bills have controlled the East and it’s their time to shine and for them to rule. They should be one of the heavy favorites in the AFC.

Ravens 2021 Season In Review/ Offseason Needs

By: Mike Rifkin

The Baltimore Ravens 2021 season can be summed up in two words: injury plagued. The Ravens were one of the top teams in man games lost. Among those missing games include Quarterback Lamar Jackson who missed the final four games of the season due to an ankle injury. Running Backs JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards both tore their ACL before the start of the season. Left Tackle Ronnie Stanley got hurt in the season opener and then underwent Ankle surgery. Rookie receiver Rashod Bateman missed the first five games of the season due to Core Muscle Surgery. In December the team lost star corner Marlon Humphrey to a torn Pectoral muscle. Marcus Peters, the other All Pro corner tore his ACL in training camp. Despite the injuries the Ravens still finished with an 8-9 record. 

Despite playing in four fewer games Lamar Jackson had the same completion percentage as he did in 2020 with 64.4 completion percentage 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Lamar added 767 yards and two touchdowns rushing . Jackson is in line for a new contract and probably will receive one, the thing we will have to wait on is the money but Jackson has earned a new deal. 

Baltimore’s top two running backs JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards both tore their ACL prior to the start of the season. Because of that Baltimore turned to veteran running backs Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray who combined for 1,077 yards and 11 touchdowns. Despite the injuries the Ravens still averaged 145.8 yards per game rushing, which was third in the NFL. Baltimore was thirteenth in Passing yards per game averaging 233.0 per game. Tight end Mark Andrews led the Ravens in receptions (107), yards (1,361) and touchdowns with Nine. Andrews was sixth in the NFL in yards and was tied for fifth in receptions. Marquise Brown also had over 1,000 yards receiving on 91 catches and six touchdowns. Something that Brown will have to correct are his drops, as over the last two seasons he has a combined 13 drops. Rookie receiver Rashod Bateman, who missed the first five weeks due to core muscle surgery had 46 catches, 515 yards and a touchdown. If Bateman can stay healthy there will be an increase in his numbers, but even so still think the Ravens can use another receiver whether that’s addressed in free agency or draft. 

The calling card for the Ravens has always been their defense. In 2021 the Ravens defense was 25th in yards allowed, allowing 363.4 yards per game. The Ravens were 24th in sacks with 34 and had 15 takeaways which gave them a -11 turnover differential. The only teams with worse differentials were the Bears, Jets, Jaguars and Panthers. In 2020 the Ravens were seventh in yards allowed allowing 329.8 yards per game, fourteenth in sacks with 39 and had a + 4 turnover differential as they forced 22 takeaways. Even though injuries played a major role the Ravens relieved Don “Wink” Martindale of his defensive coordinator position. Coach John Harbaugh decided to hire Mike Macdonald who was the defensive coordinator for John’s brother Jim at the University of Michigan. Macdonald was the Ravens defensive backs coach in 2017 and linebackers coach in 2018. Macdonald will inherit a defense with a lot of talent. Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey are one of the best corner duos in the NFL. Linebacker Tyus Bowser had a career high seven sacks. Rookie linebacker Odafe Oweh had five sacks and three forced fumbles. Second year linebacker Patrick Queen led the team with 98 tackles. Veteran pass rushers Justin Houston and Calais Campbell are both free agents. 

Baltimore has about 9.8 million dollars in salary cap space. Baltimore can free up cap space by releasing offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva which would create six million in savings and a 3.3 dead cap hit, but if Villanueva decides to retire his salary would be forfeited. Cornerback Trayvon Young’s release would save 5.8 million dollars with a 3.3 million dead cap hit. Receiver Myles Boykin would save the Ravens 2.5 million dollars with only 214,000 in dead cap. Guard Ben Powers can save the Ravens 2.5 million dollars with 174,000 in dead cap. Powers could also be traded. 

  1. Sign DJ Jones DT 49ers: Baltimore wants to get younger on defense. Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams are both free agents. Jones had 56 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles. 
  2. Sign Trent Brown OT Patriots : The goal of the offseason has to protect Lamar Jackson. Signing Brown would definitely help that.
  3. Sign Allen Robinson WR Bears: Robinson had a down year in 2021 ( who on the Bears didn’t.) but he is a very good receiver and putting him with Brown, Bateman and Andrews gives the Ravens another reliable receiver. 

Draft:

RD 1 (14) Trevor Penning OT Northern Iowa: Can play either tackle position and can help in the run blocking game. Other names to consider : Ahmad Gardner Cornerback Cincinnati, Jordan Davis DT Georgia

RD 2 (45) Travon Walker DT Georgia: If Baltimore goes offensive line in the first round they should beef up the defensive line in the second. As noted Brandon Williams is a free agent and Walker is a good run stuffing replacement. Other names to consider: Kyler Gordon Cornerback Washington, Jaquan Brisker Safety Penn State

RD 3 (76) Christopher Allen Edge Alabama.: Injuries played a role during Allen’s time at Alabama, but the upside is a Ravens type of  pick. Other names to consider Verone Mckinley Safety Oregon, Myjai Sanders Edge Cincinnati

RD 3 (100) Jalen Tolbert Receiver South Alabama: Really good route runner that can high point the football and has a lot of upside. Other names to consider Brandon Smith linebacker Penn State, Sam Williams Edge Ole Miss

2021 Giants Season In Review/Offseason needs

By: Jeff Knapp and Bill Murphy

The 2021 season for the NY Giants is over and with a 4-13 record under Joe Judge and Judge’s tenure  is finally over. 

The team ranked 31st in total passing yards and receiving yards, 24th (almost 25th) in total rushing yards, dead last in total TDs with 24. The offensive game calling was horrendous and that is giving horrendous a bad name. One amazing example was the called QB sneak from their OWN 4 yard line on 3rd and 9.

The O-Line was ranked 28th (slightly improvement from last they were ranked 31st)at 54% with pass block win rating, but oddly enough ranked 14th in run black winning percentage at 71% even though you would never guess that being ranked 24th in total rushing yards.

Defensively, the Giants ranked 30th in pass rush win rate at 34% and ranked 24th at 29% in run stop win rate. They ranked 17th in total sacks, 29th in total tackles, 24th in forced fumbles and 12th in INTs.  Last Year they ranked  dead last at 32nd with 31% Pass rush win rate , they ranked 13th with  30%. run stop win rate,  ranked 12th in total sacks, last year  with  30 sacks   . 

DC Patrick Graham seemed to play a lot of loose coverage and allowed way to many of the easy underneath passes.

When thinking about which players come to mind when thinking of underperforming I quickly think of many players but a few come to mind.

On offense Daniel Jones had another regressive season. He threw for 2,428 yards(2,943 yards in 2020 ) with 10 TDs(11 tds in 2020) and 7 INTs(10ints 2020). He was 26th    (19th  in 2020 ) in the league in passer rating and his 10 TDs over 11 games ranked him 30th and was sacked 22 times. To put his season in perspective, Trevor Siemian on the Saints only started 6 games and had  11TDs. Joe Burrow was sacked 51 times and still had 4600 yards passing with 34 TDs. His Offensive line had a pass block win percentage of 54% while the Bengals o-line had a win percentage of 49%. 

Top dollar WR Kenny Golladay who signed a 4 year $72 million had a less than subpar year for averaged 2.3 catches a game 0 TDs averaged 37 yards per game had 37 receptions over 76 targets ranking him 69th in the league for targets. Out of the 30 players ranked 70 to 100 in targets 28 of them had more receptions. 

Evan Engram was targeted 73 times with only 46 receptions. 5 drops. Point of reference, Stefon Diggs had 5 drops too, but he was targeted 164 times.

Saquon Barkley was injured and missed 4 games. Had 60 less attempts than in 2019 both with 13 games

The Entire O-Line minus Andrew Thomas

On defense Dexter Lawrence had 2.5 sacks, free agent signing Adoree Jackson had only 1 INT and 8 PD. The defense as a whole in 2020 were ranked 9th in the league and in 2021 ranked 23rd. They pressured the QB 25.5% in 2020 and 20.1% in 2021 and they also gave up more yards, TDs and points in 2021 than in 2020 and had less sacks than in 2020.

I’m not saying that the Giant players were all completely inept and underachieved because there were some bright spots on the team. On Defense LB Tae Crowder led the team with 130 total tackles and also had 2 INTs. Rookie LB Azeez Ojulari led the team with 8 sacks, 2nd year Safety Xavier McKinney led the team with 5 INTs and was also 3rd on the team in solo tackles and finally LB/DE Quincy Roche might have   had only 2.5 sacks and 38 tackles but he didn’t play the entire season but was originally a 6th round pick by the Steelers and was released and the Giants were lucky enough to pick him up. That gives the Giants a low money value with a high upside rookie.

Over on the offensive side of the ball LT Andrew Thomas, who was really under the gun in 2020 but stepped up in 2021 by only allowing 1 sack in 608 snaps. Free agent signing RB Devonte Booker might have had only 593 yards and 2 TDs, but his 4.1 ypc were up there with Joe Mixon, Elliott and Henry and better than Antonio Gibson, Josh Jacobs, Najee Harris, Alvin Kamara and his own teammate Saquon Barkley. Finally, K Graham Gano was perfect on extra points. 29 for 33 in field goals and only missed 1 from less than 49 yards.

With so many holes to fill and not enough cap space to buy a bag of M&Ms, the Giants will have to release a few players and possibly get some budget players going into the 2022 season. Currently the Giants have roughly $13,000 in cap space and entering 2022 they will be about $12 million in the hole. I’m thinking they will cut about $20 million to get to where they need to be. 

As GM there would be a handful of FAs that I would keep on the team going into 2022. Let’s take a look at the FAs that the Giants wouldn’t want to or could resign. TE Evan Engram, who had 5 drops over 73 targets, and if you compare that to Stefon Diggs who also had 5 drops, but with 164 targets would have to go. He would be looking at possibly 7 million a year for a man who has all the gifts in the world but just can’t get it done when he is needed the most. As a Michigan fan, I’d love to keep Safety Jabrill Peppers, but I’m sure he’d want something in the range of about 12 to 13 million a year and that won’t cut it for the season he had last year. If you have followed Giants football for more than 1 minute, you know all the reasons why Nate Solder will not and can not come back. Mike Glennon would under no circumstance set foot in Metlife stadium in any capacity other than hotdog vendor. 

The top FAs that the Giants should and would keep with me would be DT Austin Jackson who had his best year as a pro in 2021. He is young and showed good promise to be with the team for years to come. The next player I would resign is DE/LB Lorenzo Carter, who came off an injury plagued season a year ago and put up his best season and had 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. I know earlier I said I wouldn’t keep TE Evan Engram, but if the Giants could sign him to a prove it 1-year contract for no more than $2.7 million, then I’d give him a chance.

Being that the Giants will be about $12 million in the hole next season and will need to clear out some cap space, the following men will have a high chance of being on the chopping block. The one big issue will be all the dead money going into 2022 that the Giants will have to eat, which is just for one season, but will count against them in the cap.

P – Riley Dixon will save the team around $3 million and only $320K in dead money. TE, Kyle Rudolph will end up going especially if the Giants keep Engram at a bargain price. Cutting Kyle will save the Giants $5 million but will count as $2.5 million in dead money. Next would be WR Sterling Shepard, who would get cut after June 1st to save the Giants more money. By doing that the Giants would save $8.5 million and will count as 3.9 million in dead money in 2022 & 2023. I love what Blake Martinez has done for the Giants, but if he isn’t going to be healthy enough to compete for an entire season next year, it’s time to move on. Blake would save the Giants $8.4 million but will count as $5.5 in dead money. Lastly, James Bradberry who would be $9.7 in dead money, will save the Giants $13.1 million in cap space. 

That would be a saving of $29.4 million but count as $22 in dead money for next year.

With these savings the Giants can look to lower cost FAs in 2022. A few that come to mind would be:

QB Mitchell Trubisky as a low cost to compete with Jones. Trubisky  worked with Dabbol in Buffalo  they have a relationship.

QB AJ McCarron 

QB Marcus Mariota 

QB Jimmy Garoppolo   301 comp/ 441 attempts  68.3%  20 td  12 int 

32-14 as a quarterback ,took the 49ers to the super bowl 

 QB Teddy Bridgewater 66.9% 3052 yards  18 td 7 int 

Most of these guys can at least compete with Daniel Jones.

G Lucas Patrick from Green Bay

G James Daniels from Chicago Bears  1 tackles Pff Pass blocking grade of 69.3 , was a top offensive line in Iowa .Daniels is a young guy that has become one of the best guards in the NFL.

CB PJ Williams from New Orleans 42 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 INTs

Hassan Reddick  Car  OLB 68 tackles 11 sacks. Has the fifth most sacks in over two years The Giants have had an eye on him in the past 

TE Ricky Seals-Jones from Washington 30 recs on 49 targets and 2 TDs

TE Mo Alie-Cox from Indy 24 recs on 45 targets, 4 TDs and 13.2 YPR

DE Charles Harris from Detroit 65 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 2 FF

DE Rasheen Green from Seattle 48 tackles and 6.5 sacks

LB Kyzir White from LA Chargers 144 tackles, 1 sack, 2 FF and 2 INTs

Dante Fowler ATL 36 tackle 4.5 sacks.He’s still young and can help the defensive line become more dynamic.

Hayden Hurst TE ATL:  26 reception 221 yards 3 touchdowns  there is a connection with Giants Tight ends Coach who use to be tight ends coach for the Ravens

OL Laken Thompson SF  

Lastly that leaves the Giants at the 2022 Draft, where the Giants have two 1st round picks at #5 and #7, a 2nd round pick (#38) and two picks in the 3rd Round (67 &81), giving them 5 picks in the top 100. The Giants have so many holes to fill, so now the question is do they take two O-linemen like Evan Neal, Charles Cross or Tyler Linderbaum with those 2 picks or do they get the best player available if they happen to fall to #5 or 7 like DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, S Kyle Hamilton , CB Derek Stingley Jr. or LB David Ojabo  ? The other option is to get one OL and one from Defense.  

I would go O-Line if the 2 best available are O-linemen. A great line will help the Giants stay consistently good if and when we get a good QB or even if the QB is just average, just like the Titans.  If the Giants decide to abandon Daniel Jones and go to a quarterback they should think about Sam Howell .Now, if a disruptive DE like Thibodeaux is available at 5, then you get him. 

This should get the Giants on a path to making a run for the wildcard or at least be in the hunt going into the last week or two of the season. There will be a rookie head coach and a starting QB with a lot of pressure on his plate. This will be the make or break year for Jones. If they fix the O-line and he still doesn’t perform, then 2023 there will be a new QB under center in NY. 

With these additions, the lines on both offense and defense should be a bit more solid and these FAs are for the most part are ages 28 and younger. This is possibly the best path the 2022 NY Giants can take to build a contender moving forward in 2022 and beyond.

NFL Culture Issues Start With Owners

By: Mike Rifkin

As sports fans we always talk about holding players accountable when they make a mistake. We eventually get details from the league’s investigation over the situation. The same cannot be said for owners, over the past year or so there have been three different situations with franchises accused of something.

Last Summer The Washington Post had a report this summer that former  female employees of the Washington Commanders came out with reports of sexual harassment and verbal abuse from 2004-2019 . Claims included that Richard Mann the second the assistant director of player personnel asking a woman if her breasts were “real or fake”, and that this employee wanted to “squeeze her butt.” Will Hobson, the reporter who broke this story said “ The sales staff were encouraged to wear low cut blouses, tight skirts and heels.” Larry Michaels, the Senior Vice President of the team, asked employees to make a video for owner Daniel Snyder that included partially nude photos of cheerleaders from a 2008 swimsuit calendar. The lack of transparency the NFL has shown during their investigation, made congress people want evidence turned over to them. Carolyn Maloney and Raja Krishnamoorthi of the Oversight Committee have asked for the findings to be sent to Congress. In the letter Maloney and Kirshnamoorthi write “ We have serious concerns about what appears to be a widespread abusive workplace at the WFT and about the NFL’S handling of the matter.” Earlier this month six former Washington employees met with the House Oversight Committee about the allegations against owner Daniel Snyder. Melanie Coburn, a former cheerleader and director of marketing, said “ as the allegations were surfacing Snyder had private investigators sent to dozens of former cheerleaders’ homes. Coburn went on to alleged Snyder of offering money for their silence.” Coburn also went on to say “Daniel Snyder should not be managing any human beings. He needs to be held accountable for his actions.” Tiffani A. Johnston, a former cheerleader and marketing manager, said she was   “strategically” seated by Snyder at a work dinner so he could put “his hand on the middle of my thigh until I physically removed it”. She said this was done purposely and without consent as he touched her in a sexual manner. Johnston also alleged that Snyder “aggressively pushed” her toward his limo later that night before his attorney intervened, advising him not to engage the “very bad idea”. Jason Friedman, Johnston’s former boss, said in a letter to Maloney that he witnessed Snyder try to grab Johnston and push her to his limo.” The NFL responded by saying that it is reviewing the new allegations. 

Last week ESPN reported that the Dallas Cowboys paid a 2.4 million dollar confidential settlement after four cheerleaders accused Richard Dalrymple of voyeurism as they undressed in their locker room after a 2015 event. Darlymple the Cowboys senior vice president for public relations and communications was standing behind a partial wall with his IPhone extended towards the women undressing. Each woman received $399,523.27 after the incident. A fan of the team also saw Darlymple take upskirt photos of Jerry Jones’s daughter Charlotte in the war room during the 2015 draft. Darlymple retired after this past season. The NFL will not investigate the matter saying that the club handled the matter. 

Then there  is the Brian Flores lawsuit where he accuses Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross of offering him 100,000 dollars for every loss in Flores first season in Miami. Flores refuses and says he has evidence of it and the Dolphins are denying all of it. The league is looking into this matter. 

The problem for me is that when the NFL investigates a player we get the evidence and are shown what the league wants us to see. When it comes to the owners they are very defensive, but we deserve to have the information offered to us in the matter at hand. Fans are consumers and should know what went on in Washington, Dallas and Miami. If the allegations are true in Miami and Washington Stephen Ross and Daniel Snyder should have to sell their respective franchises. In the case of Dallas all we want to know is why and why the league isn’t looking deeper into the matter?

Raiders Season In Review/Offseason Needs

By: Mike Rifkin

The 2021 Las Vegas Raiders overcame a lot of adversity to make the playoffs. Head coach Jon Gruden resigned after some emails showed him talking to Washington President Bruce Allen showing racist and misogynistic comments. Former first round pick Henry Ruggs was arrested and charged with two felony counts of driving under the influence, two felony counts of reckless driving and misdemeanor gun charge and was released by the team. Damon Arnette, another former first round pick as well, was also released after a video was released of him holding a gun and making death threats. Through all of the distractions the Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in week 18 to get into the playoffs and lost in the wildcard round to the Bengals. After the season interim coach Rich Bisaccia and General Manager Mike Mayock were relieved of their duties. In come Dave Ziegler and Josh Mcdaniels. Ziegler who was the Patriots director of player personnel. Mcdaniels does have previous head coaching experience; he coached the Denver Broncos for a season and a half and compiled a 11-17 record. 

The first major decision of the new regime is what to do with Derek Carr. Carr is entering the final year of his contract and according to reports wants between 35 and 40 million dollars per season. Carr last season had a 68.4 completion percentage, 4,804 yards, 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Carr was sacked 40 times as well. Carr doesn’t get the shine that some other quarterbacks do. Now that might be because he is in a division with Patrick Mahomes or he isn’t flashy but the guy is very consistent. For the Raiders they have three options when it comes to Carr. The first one is simple: they sign him to the contract he wants. Option two is do they believe they have an opportunity to upgrade at the position? By upgrade I mean look at Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson coming to Vegas. The third option if the Raiders don’t want to pay Carr is to trade him and either sign a bridge quarterback and draft a potential replacement. Personally I would sign Carr for a four year contract.

Mcdaniels will also be inheriting quite the skill position players as well. Running Back Josh Jacobs battled toe and hamstring injuries throughout the season and for the first time in his three year career didn’t rush for 1,000 yards. Jacobs did have nine touchdowns on the season. The Raiders averaged 95.1 yards per game rushing which was 28th in the NFL. Receiver Hunter Renfrow had a career year with 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. Mcdaniels should be somewhat familiar with Renfrow’s skill set as it is very similar to Wes Welker and Julian Edelman who played for Mcdaniels in New England. Tight End Darren Waller who came off a career season in 2020 had 55 catches for 665 yards and two touchdowns but was limited to 11 games due to a knee injury. Zay Jones and Bryan Edwards stepped up after Ruggs was released.

The Raiders defense was 14th in total defense. Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue combined for 18 sacks while the rest of the team had 17. Raiders defense also gave up 114.3 rushing yards per gameThe defense only forced 15 turnovers on the season which gave the Raiders a -9 turnover differential. The only teams with a worse turnover differential are the Jets, Bears, Panthers and Jaguars and they are all picking at the top of the draft. 

The Raiders will have a little under 40 million dollars in cap space. Their biggest free agent is veteran cornerback Casey Hayward. The team must figure out if they are going to give Derek Carr a new contract. Darren Waller and Maxx Crosby are also due for a raise. I would also try to bring in a veteran receiver. If Davante Adams is available make a run at him. He did play with Derek Carr at Fresno State if not him there is a good group of receivers on the free agent market.

Draft 

RD 1 (22) Tyler Linderbaum Center Iowa: If committed to Derek Carr The Raiders should sure up the offensive line. After trading Rodney Hudson to Arizona last season Linderbaum could be the long term solution. Other names to consider: Treylon Burks, Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis

RD 2 (53) Drake Jackson Edge USC: No guarantee he is here but the Raiders can use another pass rusher because the duo of Crosby and Ngakoue combined for more sacks than the rest of the team. 

RD 3 (86): Phidarian Mathis DT: Alabama: The Raiders defense gave up 114.3 yards per game rushing. Plugging Mathis into the middle of this defense should really help there.

Houston Texans Season In Review/Offseason Needs

By: Jeff Knapp

The 2021 season for the Houston Texans is mercifully over with a 4-13 record under first year head coach David Culley, who was fired after the season.

The team ranked 26th in total passing yards (3630) and receiving yards, 32nd in total rushing yards, 1422 and 30th in total TDs with 31. The offensive line was the 9th worst in the league when it came to giving up sacks at 44 sacks. The play calling by Culley was horrendous and he made incredibly bad decisions. The one that comes to mind was against the Browns in week 2. The Texans were faced with a 3rd and 15 from its own 38-yard line. Taylor connected with WR Brandin Cooks for a 13-yard gain, setting up fourth-and-2 from the Cleveland 49. Then the Texans were thrown a lifeline. Browns DE Takk McKinley jumped offsides, meaning the Texans could have another shot at picking up the first on a 3rd and 10, or they could decline the penalty and roll the dice on fourth-and-2 from midfield. Culley picked option C, he declined the penalty and then punted which went for a touchback.

The O-Line was ranked 29th at 52% with pass block win rating and ranked dead last in run black winning percentage at 66%.  

Defensively, the Texans ranked 8th in pass rush win rate at 44% and ranked 16th at 31% in run stop win rate. They ranked 28th in total sacks, 6th in total tackles, 9th in forced fumbles and 9th in INTs.

When I think of under achieving for the Texans, the first thing that comes to mind is the secondary. Opposing quarterbacks had a 94.1 passer rating against the Texans defense which was the 12th highest in the NFL. The Texans defense allowed 8 yards per pass attempt which was tied with the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, and Jets for the highest allowed in the NFL.

The receiving core only had 1 player, Brandin Cook, who was in the top 40 for YAC at 357 and nobody else in the top 100. Cook also ranked 35 with 12 catches going for over 20 yards or more, 22 other receivers had at least 15 receptions of 20+.

Rex Burkhead was their only RB to have any runs over 20 yards, to which he had 2 (many of the big-name players had 6 or more). RB David Johnson hasn’t been the same since he had that monster year in 2016, then got injured in 2017 and played just one game. He had a pretty decent 2018, but it’s been downhill ever since, and we are all still wondering why they traded DeAndre Hopkins.

It’s hard to say the backfield was under achieving, when it was just pitiful to begin with. The entire RB group rushed for 1193 among 7 different players and a total of 5 TDs. 5 players on other teams did that and more all on their own.

We do have to look at some of the bright spots for Houston in 2021.

David Mills, who was a 3rd round pick in 2021 had a much better season than many of the QBs that got picked in the 1st round, not counting Mac Jones. Davis threw for a thousand yards less than #1 pick Trevor Lawrence, but other than that he had more TDs, less INTs and had a higher passer rating than any of them, although It’s hard to judge him against Trey Lance, who only played in 6 games.

Brandin Cooks was a solid receiver for the Texans this year. He had 90 receptions for 1,037 yards and 8 TDs.

On defense, LB Kamu Grugier Hill had 108 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 3 sacks, while DE Jonathan Greenard had 8 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. Although the DBs were a horrible mess, there was 1 standout in Desmond King, who had 93 tackles, 3 INTS and 1 forced fumble. King is 27 and a solid piece to build with in the future.

Looking ahead to the 2022 season the Texans will be about 19.8 below the cap space and will have some room to work with. They have 3 big contracts that are taking up the most room. Deshaun Watson, Laremy Tunsil and Brandin Cooks. Watson and Tunsil can’t be moved but could possibly be reconstructed. Watson and Tunsil take up about 65.5 Million dollars in cap space but the dead cap money of about 77.8 million dollars is too much to take on. With that being said all three of those men will be on the Texans for 2022 unless Watson is traded, but who’s going to take on that contract and the off the field issues that come with it.

There are about 7 players that can be released including SS Eric Murry and RB Rex Burkhead. Releasing those 7 players will free up about 27.5 million dollars and only give them 3.6 million in dead money. That’s money that can be used in free agency.

When it comes to free agency the Texans will 1st look at who they will try to resign and who they will allow to try the open market. Out of their top 10 largest priced outgoing talent there are only a few that as Texans GM I would want to keep. I would keep DT Maliek Collins, CB Desmond King, LB Christian Kirksey, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill and possibly RB David Johnson if we can resign him for a much lesser contract than the 5 million dollars he made in 2021. Center Justin Britt was the best O-lineman we had when Tunsil wasn’t on the field, so keeping him at the 3.2 he made in 2021 is a possibility. After that, QB Tyrod Taylor, S AJ Moore, WR Danny Amendola and FS Terrence Brooks would all be not signed.

Taking a look at what free agents that would be enticing to sign is all part of the fun. Now, if Davis Mills is the one to keep, which I would since after the following season will give us the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes, but every team will have to break the bank for him and Deshaun Watson’s contract won’t be as big of a burden after next season when his dead money drops about 30 million dollars.

Since the Texans need help all around, I would try to get a few weapons for him to go along with Brandin Cooks. The 3 WRs that come to mind would be Christian Kirk from Arizona, JuJu Smith-Schuster from the Steelers and DJ Chark from Jacksonville. JuJu’s price could be the X factor, but DJ Clark had a solid year and if you pair him up with TE Dalton Shultz or Mike Gesicki, then you have something to work with. Mills hit the deck quite a few times, so I would take a look at a few different O-Linemen. The 1st 2 I’d try to sign would be RT Trent Brown and LG Laken Tomlinson. Adding those 2 with a returning Laremy Tunsil would serve a huge upgrade for the Texans.

The Texans were awful when it came to their DB situation last year so obtaining a good DB would be another early part of my free agent signing. The big fish would be Tyrann Mathieu, but if we go young then I’d take a look at JC Jackson from New England or Rasul Douglas from Green Bay. Both are 26, had about 50+ tackles and 5+ INTs last season.

Suring up the D-line and LB core would be another process. As of this writing Atlanta released DE Dante Fowler, but will his price tag be too steep? If so, there are a few players to look at. Austin Jackson from the NY Giants who had 72 tackles, and 4 sacks, or DE Charles Harris from Detroit who had 65 tackles and 8 sacks. BTW, both men are 27 years old. Up the middle, LB Haason Riddick from Carolina had 88 tackles and 18 QB hits would lead my LB board followed by either Harold Landry of Tennessee or Foyesade Oluokun of Atlanta.

After the majority of free agency is over, we move onto the NFL draft. There has been some rumor of the Texans getting involved in a trade that would send Deshaun Watson to Washington for a 1st rounder and Chase Young. I’d take that in a heartbeat, but with all of Watson’s legal troubles still there, I seriously doubt he will get dealt anytime soon.

This year they hold the 3rd pick in the draft and with as many holes they need to fill, I’m guessing they might do one of a few things.

The 1st thing they do is not trade back and take the best player available. What makes that difficult is who the Jaguars and Lions take at 1 & 2. I’ve seen Hutchinson, Neal and Thibodeaux all as possible 1s and 2s. They can massively upgrade the edge or o-line with either one of these picks or since the Texans were horrible in the secondary, they may also decide to take S Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame. He has been touted as the best overall player in the draft.

The 2nd choice they have is to trade back with either the Panthers, the Broncos or even possibly Washington so they can get a QB in the 1st round.

If they trade with the Broncos at 9, the Texans might have the chance to select either DE George Kalaftis or Center Tyler Linderbaum.

If they decide to drop back even further with Washington so they can pick up a QB, then they might have a chance to either get DE George Kalaftis or CD Ahmad Gardner.

If they decide to drop back, will the talent they pass up on by not picking either Hutchinson, Neil, Thibodeaux or Hamilton be worth it? Those 4 men are touted as being complete game changers for the foreseeable future.

If I’m in charge, I’m not going to swap 1st rounders with Denver or Washington unless I’m also getting their 2023 & 2024 1st rounders and 2022 2nd round pick and 2024 3rd round pick or something along those lines.

The best case for a trade would be an over eager Carolina team. I’d swap with them and also get a 2023 1st rounder and hopefully a 2022 and/or 2023 2nd rounder and still have the chance at CB Hamilton, OL Cross, DE Kalaftis or even OL Neal if somehow one of them dropped that far back.

During the 2022 draft, I would focus on the OL and defense with 3 out of my 4 picks in the 1st 3 rounds and selecting a WR with my second pick in  the 3rd round and hopefully getting RB Haskins from Michigan later in the draft.

This would set up Houston for a much better 2022. I can’t say it would be a winning 2023 season, but I could see 7-8 wins between those roster moves and draft. The X-factor will be what happens with Deshaun Watson’s legal issues.

The Detroit Lions Season Review

Why Bother

By Mark Halpern

 Before the Lion’s season even began, they were making the headlines. The Lions decided to trade their long-time starting Quarterback to the La Rams. Matt Stafford had thrown for over 40000 yards as a Lion and led them in every quarterback category. The Lions decided they wanted to get a younger talent, and so they traded Stafford for a young quarterback who has had success in his first two seasons with the Rams in Jared Goff. Now On Paper, this was a fair trade. The advantage for the lions is that Goff has proven himself and is young and comes with a little more protection contract-wise. For the Lions, Stafford was coming to the end of his career, and they weren’t going anywhere with them, so they decided to get what they believed was the best value. Well, things went exceptionally well for Stafford (Rams winning the Superbowl), and for Goff was right there and then traded to try and improve the Lions. Well, suffice to say he didn’t have a Super Bowl-caliber year, but he still managed 3300 yards and 19 touchdowns on a team that was just plain awful. The running game was supposed to be held and geared by second-year standout Deandre Swift, but he had an injury-plagued year. They let their only two wide receivers on the club with any real experience go to other teams. With no clear #1 receiver, this gave the young rookies a chance to stand out, and Amroa St. Brown had a good season ending with 90 recs for 912 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was by far the biggest standout on offense.

  The Lions finished 3-13-1 on the year, mainly because they were playing from behind most of the year because the defense was dreadful. The Lions finish last or near last in all defensive stats. You can’t expect your offense to do it all. The defense was a sieve allowing tons of rushing yards, and then the failure to be able to cover or stop opposing offenses causes a problem. If the Lions upgrade their defense this season, they might have a fighting chance in the NFC North (which seems to be slowing falling apart.)

     Here is what you hope Aiden Hutchinson doesn’t go #1 overall and use him at the #2 spot. He would be a considerable upgrade to the rush game. Their next pick is #32, but I am sure teams are looking to deal, and the Lions need offensive line help and Wide Receiver help, and this draft is full of both. That is what I would draft in the first round. Second round, they only have one pick, so I would think another Defensive Lineman or Line Backer. The Lions have two third-round picks, and it’s possible they could draft a QB to learn under Goff because he won’t stay in Detroit after his contract ends if the team is not a contender. I would again get another OL in the next round and then grab a secondary player in later rounds. Detroit also has the cap room to play with, and names like Christian Kirk would give Goff a massive WR upgrade plus, there are a plethora of players out there who would fit on this team and a budget cost. 

   The Lions are in complete rebuild mode. Goff was on a Superbowl team to be traded to one of the worst franchises in the NFL right now. However, I have faith in Geoff, and I believe he still has to skills to win. It is now on the Lions organization to give him the tools he needs to win.

To Quote a Meme. The Detroit Lions hung a Championship Banner up for their former Quarterback who won the Superbowl on the team they just traded him to.

THE DARK KNIGHT HAS A DARK PAST

By Mark Halpern

So, for those of you who don’t know whom I am talking about, I am talking about former Mets and Major League Pitcher Matt Harvey. The New York Mets selected Harvey with the 7th overall pick in the 2010 M.L.B. draft. It didn’t take him long to reach the majors, as his first start was on July 26, 2012. Most major leaguers spend years in the minors before the hopes of making it to The Show. It didn’t take him long to reach the majors, as his first start was on July 26, 2012. In his first game in Arizona, Harvey struck out eleven batters setting a new club record. Over the next two years, Harvey was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. In 2013 he had arguably his best season, posting a 9-5 record with a 2.30 E.R.A. However, Harvey needed the most feared surgery a pitcher can face the following season: Tommy John surgery. He came back strong the following year and helped the Mets win the Pennant. 

     Over the next several seasons, Harvey dealt with so many surgeries from head to toe that his heroics from 2013 and 2015 were soon forgotten. After many surgeries, Harvey was a shell of what he once was, and the Mets declined to resign him. Over the next four years, he bounced from the Reds to the Orioles and failed. However, things were just about to get even worse for Harvey.

   In 2019 a pitcher named Tyler Skaggs was unfortunately found dead of an overdose from the famous pain killer known as Oxycodone and Fentanyl. Skaggs had a promising career taken from him because of this drug. Rumors since Skaggs overdose was going to trial that names were starting coming up, and one of those was Harvey. Matt Harvey admitted to getting hooked on the painkillers after his surgeries, and he also got into cocaine usage (This is not the first Mets player to deal with substance abuse.) Matt Harvey also admitted to giving his “dealer” information to Skaggs. It also has come to light that the Mets organization knew of his drug issues during that time. I was deeply saddened to hear this news as I loved “The Dark Knight” during his time on and off with the Mets.

    Here is my official take on this matter. I am utterly disgusted as a Mets fan (not because he used drugs) that he is now and forever will be linked with Skaggs death. Harvey needs to take responsibility here, even if he didn’t hand over anything or pay for Skaggs’s habit. I want nothing to do with Harvey or his legacy and hope he sees the error in his ways. Sorry but, that is how the old man sees it.

Falcons Season Review/Offseason Needs

By: Mike Rifkin

The Atlanta Falcons missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season with a record of 7-10. Last offseason the Falcons hired Arthur Smith who was the Titans Offensive Coordinator to be their head coach and Terry Fontenot to be the team’s General Manager. In his first season as coach Smith’s offense averaged 18.4 points per game. 

Last offseason the Falcons traded receiver Julio Jones, the franchise’s all time leading receiver to the Titans. If you listen to the Wishbone Shotgun Podcast (cheap plug) I believe the Falcons should go through an entire rebuild and that would start with moving on from Quarterback Matt Ryan.

Ryan had a decent season in 2021 with a 67.0 completion percentage 3,968 yards 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Ryan, the third overall pick in 2008 has the most wins in franchise history with 109. He holds a lot of other franchise records including touchdown passes and a lot of single season records. I believe the Falcons missed an opportunity at the draft last year to draft Ryan’s eventual successor, instead selecting Tight End Kyle Pitts. Pitts was the Falcons leading receiver with 1,026 yards, averaging 60 yards per game but only scored one touchdown. I think this was a missed opportunity for the Falcons because tThe hey aren’t always going to be picking in the top five of drafts as long as Ryan is their quarterback, with the fourth overall pick they could have had Justin Fields or Mac Jones but opted for the tight end which would have made more sense if they had kept Julio Jones. Either way I think it’s time to explore trading Matt Ryan.

Last offseason the Falcons signed former Panthers running back Mike Davis to a two year 5.5 million dollar contract. Davis ran for 503 yards per game and scored three touchdowns. Davis also contributed 44 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons averaged 85.4 rushing yards per game, the only team that averaged less were the Houston Texans. Former Viking first round pick Cordarrelle Patterson led the Falcons with 618 rushing yards and six touchdowns both of which were a career high. Patterson added 52 catches for 548 yards and five touchdowns. The 52 catches tied a career high and the 548 yards and five touchdowns were career highs. 

Calvin Ridley in 2020 had a great season with 90 catches, 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. Ridley had 31 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns in five games, he stepped away to focus on his mental health. There have been some rumors swirling that the Falcons could trade Ridley this offseason. 

The Falcons defense in 2021 struggled to say the least. The Falcons defense gave up 27.0 points per game last season. The Falcons defense had a league-lowest 18 sacks and on Wednesday cut Dante Fowler Jr. who led the team with four and a half sacks. The Falcons defense also gave up 131.9 yards per game rushing. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun led the NFL in tackles with 192. Oluokun also had two sacks, one forced fumble and was tied for the team lead with three interceptions with second year cornerback AJ Terrell who took some steps forward. The Falcons had a -6 turnover differential. 

The Falcons need to find a way to generate some cap space as they are currently over the cap. If they cut defensive tackle Tyeler Davison they can create 3.7 million dollars in cap space and 1.2 million in dead cap. Cutting cornerback Kendall Sheffield can save them 2.5 million dollars in cap space and 189,000 in dead cap. An interesting name is Mike Davis. By cutting him Atlanta would save 2.5 million dollars and pay 750,000 in dead cap. If the Falcons trade Ridley that would save them 11 million dollars and no dead cap. 

I wrote earlier that I think the Falcons should move on from Matt Ryan. I don’t believe that will happen as that would create 40 million dollars in dead cap. But if the Falcons restructure his contract or extend him. If they restructure the Falcons can save 11.3 million dollars if they can extend him it might save up to 18.1 million dollars. 

Draft

RD 1 (8) David Ojabo – Michigan -Edge. Ojabo can be the pass rusher this team desperately needs especially after cutting Fowler

` RD2 (43) – Justyn Ross- Clemson Receiver- If they trade Ridley and Russell Gage is a free agent. Matt Ryan needs a few weapons. Ross has a ton of upside but dealt with injuries at Clemson.

RD 2 (58) Bernhard Raimann – Central Michigan – OT. Matt Ryan isn’t getting younger and was not mobile to start with. Need to protect Ryan. 

RD 3 (74) Jerome Ford – Running Back Cincinnati- Cordarrelle Patterson is a free agent and Mike Davis could be a cap casualty Ford was really good for the Bearcats and brings some size and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. 

Note the Falcons could select a quarterback with any of these picks, I just think with Tom Brady retiring and the NFC South wide open they will make one more run with Matt Ryan.