Britt Reid, son of Chiefs head coach, has sentence commuted
https://www.kctv5.com/2024/03/01/britt-reid-son-chiefs-head-coach-has-sentence-commuted/?outputType=amp
https://redd.it/1b47pg8
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[Clark] Former Eagles CB Steven Nelson said he learned he had to get out of Philly for his mental health and he was stressed out because of the fans. Darius Slay said it isn’t like that anywhere else with the booing.
https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-analysis/steven-nelson-darius-slay-corner-suite-podcast-mental-health/568143/
https://redd.it/1b42pbr
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Caleb Williams: The teams I visit will receive my medical information
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/caleb-williams-the-teams-i-visit-will-receive-my-medical-information
https://redd.it/1b3x6yo
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Trey Lance to Remain in DAL in 2024; Will Receive $4.25M Roster Bonus
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10111242-cowboys-rumors-trey-lance-to-remain-in-dal-in-2024-will-receive-425m-roster-bonus
https://redd.it/1b3kw9e
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2024 NFL Combine: Caleb Williams believed to be first invitee to decline medical exams, still attend combine
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-combine-caleb-williams-believed-to-be-first-invitee-to-decline-medical-exams-still-attend-combine/
https://redd.it/1b3fems
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Report: Pats plan to draft QB at No. 3, bring in veteran
https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/2856208
https://redd.it/1b3a70h
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[Highlight] Florida State DL Braden Fiske says "OH YEAH" after he runs a 4.78u 40-yard dash
https://redd.it/1b3a79z
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Andy Reid, Kevin O'Connell and Dan Campbell earned A+ grades in survey of players
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/andy-reid-kevin-oconnell-and-dan-campbell-earned-a-grades-in-survey-of-players
https://redd.it/1b372s7
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[Kasabian] Patriots' Jerod Mayo 'Misspoke' When He Said Team Would 'Burn Some Cash' in NFL FA
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10111139-patriots-jerod-mayo-misspoke-when-he-said-team-would-burn-some-cash-in-nfl-fa
https://redd.it/1b33smr
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[Highlight] Brady ran a faster 40 time at 46 years old than he did at the combine 24 years ago
https://redd.it/1b325lg
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Woman files lawsuit claiming Vikings star Justin Jefferson is father of her child, encouraged abortion
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/woman-files-lawsuit-claiming-vikings-star-justin-jefferson-father-child-encouraged-abortion
https://redd.it/1b2sajz
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Aaron Rodgers, Mahomes, Jordan Love: all QBs that apparently benefitted from sitting behind an established QB for a while before starting. But are there cases of QBs that sat for a season or more and then flunked?
I'm talking about QBs drafted as future starters, so first- or second- rounders only. QBs that were busts all seem to have been thrusted into the lineup either from the get go or soon into their rookie seasons
I can't think of anyone who sat a year and then flunked. The closest I can recall did so was Tebow, who sat most of 2010 behind Kyle Orton but then started the last three games and during the postseason
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Judging by this year's NFLPA report card, Mike Tomlin is the only thing players like about being on the Steelers
https://nflpa.com/pittsburgh-steelers-report-card-2024
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how quickly he adapted to the community, the team should move quickly to bring him back for next year and potentially beyond.
DL
The line starts with one terrifying, destructive force: Danielle Hunter. He’s only improved with age, haunting QBs all season to the tune of 16.5 sacks (a career-high) and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss. He’s right up there in the conversation for the best pass-rushers in football. He made his fourth Pro Bowl in 2023.
It gets dicey after Hunter, though. Longtime complimentary piece, D.J. Wonnum, roped in eight sacks and even scored his first NFL touchdown, but he partially tore his quad in the same game Hockenson went down with his injury; he will become a free agent.
Marcus Davenport was supposed to be a part of the non-Hunterian pass rush help the team has needed for years; he played in just four games and recorded two sacks.
Harrison Phillips was his usual, fine run-stuffing self, giving the team brawn and muster up front. He played a major part in the team’s defense allowing the seventh-fewest yards per attempt on runs at 3.8.
Conclusion: You can probably tell from the barebones write-up that the team needs help on the defensive line. The days of Jared Allen and the Williams Wall are over. Hunter is an excellent starting piece, but he's set to hit the open market, and the team struggled to find consistent pressure outside of him and Wonnum. The Davenport signing went nowhere. It’s very likely that—if a QB they like isn’t available when they pick in the 1st round—they will look to shore up this unit.
LB
Jordan Hicks enjoyed one of his finest seasons as a pro. The wonders of what getting rid of Ed Donatell can do. The veteran captained the middle of the field and—despite missing four games due to injury—still recorded over 100 tackles. Like Hunter, Hicks is set to be a free agent, but Minnesota may be less inclined to bring him back thanks to the arrival of…
Ivan Pace Jr. Learn his name. Learn to love him. The former Bearcat was a beast in college, but his short stature (5 '10”) caused him to go undrafted. Minnesota is ecstatic about everyone else’s mistake. Pace leveraged his tenaciousness and outstanding run-stuffing to earn one of the highest off-ball rookie grades PFF gave to any defensive rookie, not just linebackers. Hicks’ four-game absence made Pace the man with the green dot—and the defense allowed just 15 points on average during that stretch. He’s an absolute stud and will likely be a long-term fixture at the heart of the Vikings' defense.
Conclusion: Minnesota’s linebacking corps under Flores was elite. Both Hicks and Pace flourished as roaming, blitzing forces, turning the former into a potential undrafted legend. Hicks may leave, but Pace’s ascension made him somewhat redundant. Wally Pipp strikes again.
DB
The star of the secondary is split between two men: Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus. Bynum improved upon his promising yet inconsistent first year as a full-time starter to make 137 goddamn tackles. Teams picked on his coverage at times, revealing some future growth needed in his game or, perhaps, a need for the team to have better corners. Still, you won’t find a much better run-stopping safety in the game.
For our purposes, Metellus is a safety simply because there’s nothing else to really call him. His position is “defense.” He’s almost just as likely to rush the QB as he is to drop back in coverage. His coverage resulted in an abnormally large volume of targets and completions—are you sensing a pattern here—but his 29 pressures were the most of any safety, and his chops in the run game were elite.
Unfortunately, Harrison Smith continued to decline in 2023. Once a one-man dominant force—essentially a perfect extension of Mike Zimmer’s defensive philosophy—Smith is now merely good. The days of him roaming around playing wherever he feels at a dominant level are gone. However, some of that old Smith magic is still there; he totaled three sacks against the Panthers, matching his career high in
benched. Hall will likely remain as a backup. It’s clear he’s not ready yet to start at the NFL level.
Then, there was The Josh Dobbs Experience. For about three weeks, the Vikings appeared to have struck gold on a hyper-athletic actual rocket scientist known as the “Passtronaut.” He completed a late-game comeback against Atlanta and orchestrated a brilliant offensive outpouring against the Saints before delivering a decidedly mediocre game against the Broncos. The downslide continued: he played atrociously against the Bears before a 4th quarter 0-0 stalemate against the Raiders finally brought his season to an end.
At his best, Dobbs is an exciting dual-threat QB capable of both melting away from defenders' grasps and bowling them over if he feels like it. At his worst, Dobbs holds onto the ball for a century and throws hospital passes only seen at the high school level.
Finally, we have Nick Mullens. Nick Mullens is what you get when you combine Brett Favre’s confidence with Teddy Bridgewater’s arm talent. Mullens posted legitimately eye-popping yard totals in his five games, but those yards came with more interceptions than touchdowns, leading to losses in four of those matchups. He’s the rare backup QB who’s probably more aggressive than the starter. That’s where he’s best suited, though: the backup role.
Conclusion: There’s a chance that no one named here takes a snap for Minnesota next year. Kirk is finally a free agent, and the team didn’t seem too focused on handing him another contract. Perhaps having to watch three other guys righteously muck it up changes their tune, but the appealing QB draft class may move the Vikings to look at a youngster to change their fortunes.
RB
The Vikings proved wise when they let Dalvin Cook go after a tremendous stint in purple; their clairvoyance turned limited when they made Alexander Mattison the full-time starter. Mattison was a fan-favorite change-of-pace guy who was excellent at smashing the line for a guaranteed three to four yards as Cook rested on the sideline. He suddenly looked overmatched when there was no one else to provide a spark.
It’s not necessarily his fault; Mattison was essentially who he always has been, running for 3.9 yards per carry compared to 4.1 for his career. But 3.9 looks a hell of a lot worse when you’re running the ball three or four times a game more. It’s clear that Mattison is a Chester Taylor, not an Adrian Peterson.
Minnesota may have anticipated this as such. Following the opening week of the season, they swung a deal for Cam Akers after he and the Rams had a sudden, bizarre falling out. Akers was somehow even less efficient than Mattison, and he tore his Achilles in the Falcons game, ending his season before it really got going. Woof.
That brings us to Ty Chandler, the people’s running back. A 5th-round choice in 2022, Chandler barely saw the field his first year but became the natural next man up when Mattison struggled and Akers blew out his Achilles. As it turns out, the kid could play: he ran for 4.5 yards per carry—including multiple big runs called back for a penalty unrelated to him—and flashed the kind of big play potential fans were dying to see from the position. Pass protection proved to be a bugaboo for the second-year man, though, necessitating extra playing time for…
C.J. Ham. That’s right! It’s fullback time, baby. The longtime local hero continued his slide as a ball-carrying weapon, but his blocking remained effective enough to negate his static uselessness as a playmaker—and he earned his second career Pro Bowl nod.
Conclusion: The Mattison experiment failed miserably, allowing Ty Chandler to rise in his ashes. Chandler carries worts—mainly in pass protection—which may push the team to look elsewhere for their next every-down back.
WR
Missing seven games couldn’t stop Justin Jefferson from reaching 1000 yards. His brilliance is so apparent it’s almost becoming dull; 180 yards and a TD feels like business as usual, not a noteworthy game. He actually performed
Walter Payton has more passing touchdowns (8) than Johnny Manziel (7). It’s the offseason again, what other facts and stats sound fake but are true?
Another bonus, Washington hasn’t beaten KC since 1983, KC is 10-1 all time.
https://redd.it/1b44hmw
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Sources: Patriots like Baker Mayfield, haven’t shown interest in Kirk Cousins
https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/03/01/sources-patriots-like-baker-mayfield-havent-shown-interest-in-kirk-cousins/
https://redd.it/1b3y0ez
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Falcons 'prefer Kirk Cousins over Justin Fields' and 'it's not close'
https://www.sportstalkatl.com/falcons-prefer-kirk-cousins-over-justin-fields-and-its-not-close/
https://redd.it/1b3w4m8
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[Highlight] Alabama LB Dallas Turner runs a 4.47u 40-yard dash
https://redd.it/1b3g8uv
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[Chan] Ryans was distraught over 49ers' Super Bowl loss, Greenlaw injury
https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/demeco-ryans-distraught-49ers-super-bowl-58-loss/1707912/
https://redd.it/1b3fnbi
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Kirk Cousins signing with Falcons rumors are heating up at NFL Scouting Combine
https://thevikingage.com/posts/kirk-cousins-signing-atlanta-falcons-rumors-heating-up-minnesota-vikings
https://redd.it/1b3cxeq
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2024 NFL Combine: Draft prospect says he doesn't 'believe in space' and 'other planets'
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-combine-draft-prospect-says-he-doesnt-believe-in-space-and-other-planets/
https://redd.it/1b390vs
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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ordered to take DNA test in paternity case
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/cowboys/2024/02/29/dallas-cowboys-jerry-jones-alexandra-davis-paternity-test-lawsuit/72787436007/
https://redd.it/1b36hej
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NFL Exec VP Troy Vincent on tush push: Don't punish a team that does it well
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/troy-vincent-on-tush-push-dont-punish-a-team-that-does-it-well
https://redd.it/1b32uhm
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Has a 1st round QB bust ever found a home on a new team?
With former number 2 overall pick Zach Wilson granted permission to seek a trade, it got me thinking if any former 1st round QB who was labeled as a bust ever actually found a home on a new team.
I'm thinking of "home" as a place they stayed for 3 or more seasons and took meaningful snaps.
Here's the 69 QBs who were drafted in the first round since 2000, sorted by QB Rating in the first 4 years of their career: https://stathead.com/tiny/wZJe2
You could maybe argue for Alex Smith. But I don't think that would be fair - he under-performed his expectations, but I don't think he was ever fully considered a "bust" like how Zach Wilson, Johnny Manziel, or Jamarcus Russel were/are.
​
Am I missing someone? Would you change how I'm looking at this?
https://redd.it/1b31i43
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NFL to start talks with Taylor Swift for most lucrative deal ever to play Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans with $1b windfall
https://www.the-sun.com/sport/10526230/nfl-in-talks-with-taylor-swift-super-bowl-halftime/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17091565696148&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.the-sun.com%2Fsport%2F10526230%2Fnfl-in-talks-with-taylor-swift-super-bowl-halftime%2F
https://redd.it/1b2ierv
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Jj McCarthy is currently projected to be a top 8-15 pick in the nfl draft. One month ago majority of CFB users called him a third round pick.
https://old.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/196m6i6/michigan_qb_jj_mccarthy_has_declared_for_the_nfl/
https://redd.it/1b2bs5o
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a season. He did it in one half.
Byron Murphy Jr. brought some competence to the CB position—far more competence than the team has seen over the past few years. The former Cardinal flashed premium upside, like in his outstanding performance against the Falcons, but missed three critical games down the stretch and wasn’t much of a force in the run game.
More encouraging than Murphy, though, was the play of Mekhi Blackmon. 3rd-round picks aren’t always day one studs, but no one told that to Blackmon; the USC product combined tenaciousness with discipline to turn in an impressive rookie performance at one of the hardest positions on the field to master. He looks to be a long-term fixture on the Vikings defense.
Akayleb Evans is… a different story. At times, he was impressive; most of the time, he was burnt. His final few games during Murphy’s absence were especially brutal; he earned grades of 46.7, 30.1, and 32.4, respectively, during those matches.
The solution to their corner problem may involve former 2nd-round pick Andrew Booth Jr., who played well in a limited role. He’s barely seen the field since being selected, though, and a team actively avoiding using their former high draft pick in a position of needs tells you all you need to know of their internal evaluations.
Conclusion: The Vikings are well-set at safety, with a trio of do-it-all guys in Smith, Bynum, and Metellus, though Smith’s long-in-the-toothness may necessitate a diminished role in the coming year. Corner is still a problem. Fans may groan to hear it, but a high-round pick may be in the cards for the team at the position if they can’t find a free agent to help spell their woes.
K
Yes, special teams players are people too. Greg Joseph was one of the worst field goal kickers last year, making just 80% of his non-extra point kicks while going 3-of-6 from between 40-49 yards and 4-of-7 on 50+ yard kicks. Only two other full-time kickers had a lower make rate than Joseph (good lord, Chad Ryland).
P
Ryan Wright was a tremendous coffin corner kicker in 2022, pinning teams within the 20-yard line at the 5th-best rate in the league. That regressed to 27th in 2023. His gross average kick rose, though, to the 11th-highest in the NFL. What does any of this mean? I have absolutely no idea.
Conclusion: The team definitely needs a new kicker; we shall see if they decide to draft one in the hopes of finding the next Brandon Aubrey or if they go the retread route and place their trust in an available veteran.
Post is continued here.
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slightly better on a yards/game basis than in 2022, when he took home OPOY honors. The only real question with JJ is just how much is he going to reset the WR market with his inevitable extension.
Jefferson’s injury forced Jordan Addison into receiving the lion’s share of targets. He responded beautifully. The first-round selection revealed Minnesota’s wisdom immediately: he reeled in a TD in his first game, caught another one the next week, and rode his splendid route-running to a highly promising 911-yard, 10-TD season. There were some duds—including a donut against Carolina—but his breakout games were truly impressive. He could become the best #2 receiver in the game.
That’s bad news for K.J. Osborn. The Miami product has been something of a fan favorite for the past few years. His production hasn’t evolved beyond mild, though, and the addition of T.J. Hockenson last year pushed him back to being an obvious fourth option in Minnesota’s offense. He’s JAG—not bad, but not great, and he will soon hit free agency.
Brandon Powell rounds out the corps. Already a journeyman at 28, Kevin O’Connell seemed to have a knack for playing to the forgotten receiver’s strengths; Powell hauled in 29 receptions for 324 yards, making 2023 by far his most productive year. The targets fell once Jefferson returned, though. He’s likely to be the offensive version of Marcus Sherels (IYKYK).
Conclusion: This positional group is easily Minnesota’s strongest. Justin Jefferson is the league’s best receiver, Jordan Addison would be a #1 on a lot of teams, and everyone else falls into line nicely. Don’t expect much, if any, change here, although Powell's free agency and drop in production later in the year may lead to his poaching by a different franchise.
TE
The Vikings broke their conservative habits and brokered a big trade for T.J. Hockenson partway through last season, giving the team their best option at the position since Kyle Rudolph was galloping through defenses. Actually, Hockenson was even better: in his first full season, Hockenson caught a career-high 95 passes for a career-high 960 yards. The only issue? It wasn’t a full year. T.J. tore his ACL and MCL on Christmas Eve in a loss to Detroit. Unless he has some Adrian Peterson magic in him, the injury will likely stop him from playing at the beginning of the 2024 season.
Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt served as ancillary targets who specialize more in blocking. They both do that well, but receiving threats they are not.
Conclusion: Hockenson’s injury puts the Vikings in a tough place for next year, but their recent contract extension with him makes it unlikely that they bring in a short-term replacement. They’ll most likely choose to ride it out with him and work around their offensive deficiency without the big guy.
OL
We’ll keep this short and sweet, given that I know as much about O-Line play as Randy Moss knows about paying with credit cards.
Christian Darrisaw firmly established himself as a franchise left tackle in 2023. His play was promising before; this year, he was undeniably dominant. Ezra Cleveland started the year as Minnesota’s left guard before they shipped him to Jacksonville at the trade deadline. They did so because their multiple-month courtship of Dalton Risner finally resulted in him signing with the team—and his play proved solid enough to make Cleveland, soon to be a free agent, expendable.
Garrett Bradbury returned for his fifth year as the man hiking the ball. He turned in what may be his best season as a pro, allowing just three sacks all year as his pass protection took a major step forward. Ed Ingram started at right guard for the second season. His previous year invoked images of Beatings and Rented Mules, but 2023 was decidedly ok for him, even good, at times. Brian O’Neill—the veteran of the group—once again had a fabulous season at right tackle.
Conclusion: This was probably the best Minnesota offensive line in years. Risner is the only incumbent set to become a free agent. Given
Mullens, essentially the starter by default at this point. The score, which was then 23 - 3, never got any closer.
The final crash, at Detroit Lions, L 20–30
Mullens started to finish out the season, not that anyone cared all that much. While he threw for close to 400 yards, he also handed Detroit a pair of interceptions. The quarterbacking woes drew attention away from other issues. The running game was a constant issue throughout the season. While for much of the year, the defense was a great improvement over the previous year, the lack of talent combined with injuries caused it to fall off at the end of the year: after shutting out the Raiders, they gave up 27 or more points over the last four games of the season.
Season Highlights
Week One, Jordan Addison scores his first career TD in just his second quarter of play
Week Two, Kirk Cousins eviscerates Philadelphia's secondary
Week Four, Harrison Smith sacks Bryce Young three times
Week Seven, Jordan Addison out-muscles Charvarius Ward and steals a TD before half
Week Nine, Josh Dobbs improbably leads the Vikings to a comeback win against the Falcons
Week Ten, Josh Dobbs weaves around the Saints' defense to score a magical TD
Week Fourteen, Minnesota's defense pitches its first shutout since 2017
Week Fifteen, Nick Mullens somehow finds Jordan Addison as he's falling down to score a ridiculous TD
Week Eighteen, Justin Jefferson goes off for 192 yards to end the season
Season Review TL;DR
Turnovers and a godawful run game kept Minnesota stuck in the mud to start the year, while a season-ending injury to Kirk Cousins soiled their attempt at a comeback. They shuffled through QBs to mild success before four straight losses to end the season kept them out of the playoffs.
Stats:
Stat | 2022 | 2023
------|--------|------
Net Y/A | 6.2 (13th) | 6.4 (12th)
Rushing Y/A | 4.1 (25th) | 4.0 (21st)
Yards/Play | 5.5 (13th) | 5.5 (10th)
Points/Drive | 2.04 (12th) | 1.85 (18th)
Red Zone% | 62.5 (8th) | 47.1 (28th)
Net Y/A (Defense) | 6.9 (30th) | 6.1 (15th)
Rushing Y/A | 4.5 (19th) | 3.8 (7th)
Yards/Play | 5.9 (30th) | 5.2 (14th)
Points/Drive | 2.09 (27th) | 1.91 (18th)
Red Zone% | 57.1 (12) | 54.0 (19th)
Positional Analysis:
QB
Ah, Kirk Cousins, the most malleable man in sports. He can be whatever you want him to be. He’s somehow an overrated choker, an undervalued savvy veteran, a thief robbing Minnesota blind, and the reason why the season tanked. All of this from a man with the personality of vanilla ice cream. 2024 may have been the best thing to ever happen to his reputation: he entered the game against Green Bay playing some of the best ball of his life as the team appeared set to turn their season around, and he ended the day limping off the field after ripping up his Achilles. Out for the season. Woof.
Because his year was shortened, though, a thick sense of missed opportunity has altered his narrative. He's now positioned in the good graces of the NFL's shared experience and could easily hit yet another big payday if (when) a team gets desperate for a QB.
His injury opened the door for the rookie Jaren Hall, who finished off the Green Bay match and later started in two other games. His Atlanta game started off promising—especially when he fired a 47-yard dart to Alexander Mattison in his second drive. But then his scramble right to the end zone only found three things: a Falcon defender, the ground, and a concussion. Woof.
He later returned for a disastrous game on New Year's Eve against the Packers, in which he turned in 67 yards and a pick before being
