So the NFL Draft is going on as originally planned Thursday night, except due to the coronavirus the entire thing is being done remote. Imagine your job being on the line and the future of an NFL organization relying on your Zoom account? Well apparently there have already been technical difficulties and that is not a good sign for Thursday night.
More on today’s mock draft technical glitch: The Bengals didn’t do anything wrong; wasn’t their fault. But the glitch resulted in a two-and-a-half minute delay, per source. https://t.co/q70MLZ14D4
I was on the phone with a head coach talking about the mock draft today and he was losing his mind because his Internet went down…apparently his young children were all on their iPads using up the band width. “ everybody get off the Internet”-in loud dad voice. I hung up.
I’m really hoping for some live streams of coaches and GMs sitting at their draft war rooms kitchen tables because I need to see these old football guys losing their shit like me in a fantasy football draft when the laggy internet drafts the wrong guy.
I’ve been searching for the best program for video chatting coworkers or doing happy hours with friends and guess what? They all suck. I don’t know how people do these calls with more than 3 or 4 people. Some have horrific audio and video delays, others are legitimately overloaded from the surge of people working from home, and none of them run smoothly consistently. And thats just me talking about client campaigns or crushing a few crafties with some buddies, not trying to manage the future of a billion dollar franchise.
Some of these GMs are better prepared than others or at least are pretending to be. Take John Elway for example, who looks like he’s opening up a Buffalo Wild Wings in his house.
But then you’ve got guys like Bill Belichick who don’t even know what Facebook is so this shouldn’t be a disaster at all.
I’m just waiting for Leeroy Jenkins to bust in when someone’s on the clock and really throw a wrench into this draft.
They’re here! The new Patriots jerseys are here! And I am…underwhelmed. In the age of sports talk radio and hot takes on twitter every day, the idea of straddling the fence has essentially become a punishable offense. You either love something and you’re swiping your credit card as we speak or it’s hot garbage and the team should just contract. Well prepare to be disappointed because that is exactly how I feel about these uniforms. They’re fine. They aren’t great, I’m definitely not buying one, but they’re not terrible. They’re just meh.
My biggest disappointment is that they aren’t even new. The Patriots announcing the Color Rush jersey becoming the primary home jersey as “new” is a stretch. They’ve been wearing these jerseys for years; that’s not new.
The white jerseys are also super OK.
But again they aren’t all that different from the team’s normal white roads, aside from those new shoulder stripes.
Seriously though, these are basically the same thing.
Come on!
I know I shouldn’t be surprised, Mike Reiss already told us the changes were going to be minor. These aren’t terrible, BUT the Patriots missed a huge opportunity and I can’t believe it. If you’re going to just repurpose old product (Color Rush jerseys) and repackage them as something brand new, at least do it right. The white on white color rush jerseys the Pats rocked in Tampa a couple years ago were CLEAN.
Yet the Patriots decided to go white on blue and just muck it all up.
So these jerseys are fine, they’re nothing great, but I think the team missed an opportunity here. It was time for a change, the Patriots were smart to go with a slightly different look in the post Tom Brady era, but unfortunately the Krafts will not be getting any of my stimulus check Trump Bucks.
I blogged about this a couple weeks back as we broke down the best jerseys in franchise history and pondered what the Patriots could potentially do with new unis. My campaign for the throwback red jerseys was pretty quickly killed by Mike Reiss who reported the jersey tweaks would be minor. However, this teaser video the Pats just tweeted out has me rethinking all that.
I know the cynics out there are bitching that so many teams are only changing their jerseys (Pats are the 4th team this offseason by my count) because Nike wants to hawk more gear, but sometimes a little change is a good thing. Especially with the end of an era and TB12 now in Tampa Bay, I am not opposed to something new. So help me God if this is a Jay Glazer-esque hype train only for it to be much ado about nothing. I’m not going to take my pants off for new piping accent colors, this isn’t Uni Watch.
The countdown is on and there really couldn’t be a more appropriate day for the Pats to make the announcement: Patriots Day. We’ll be back to break it down after the reveal and potentially blow some stimulus check funds on a fresh new jersey.
The time has arrived, folks! The annual Mattes NFL Mock Draft is here! (I know you have all been waiting with BATED breath. Right, Lippa??)
With no sports on the docket now or anytime in the foreseeable future, the prospect of the NFL draft taking place in just a few weeks is truly one of the only things keeping me going during these very dark times. For those of you whom, like myself, still can’t wait till then, here’s a deep – and I mean DEEP – dive into how I think the first round will shake out come Thursday, April 23.
This ain’t your daddy’s mock either; this big boy comes complete with five trades and a full write-up for every selection. (None of that “no mocked trades” B.S. Get outta here with that garbage.)
Do I have connections or sources for any of these? Nope! Nothing but hours and hours of research and faithful Twitter surfing.
For what it’s worth, I hope you enjoy! And be sure to tell me how wrong I am on Facebook or in the comments section!
1. Cincinnati – Joe Burrow, QB, LSU: Really no need to overthink this one. The Bengals aren’t passing on the best QB to come out of the draft since Andrew Luck, no matter what they’re offered. Lock this one in. Moving on.
2. Washington – Chase Young, DE, Ohio State: Much like Burrow, Young is one of the best players to come out at his position that we’ve seen in years. (Besides maybe Myles Garrett.) While Washington could be tempted to trade back, it would take quite the haul to pass on a talent like Young. Especially with Ryan Kerrigan being on the wrong side of 30, Ron Rivera needs another talent to pair with Montez Sweat along the defensive front. To be honest, the idea of what those two could become together is absolutely frightening. (Also, for anyone thinking there’s even a chance they take Tua here after drafting Dwayne Haskins last year AND trading for Kyle Allen, you’re delusional. Please stop with that nonsense.)
3. (TRADE w/ DET) Miami – Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama: Don’t fall for the smokescreens!!! There have been numerous reports this week, from very credible sources, that the Fins are souring on Tua and might instead want to draft Justin Herbert. Ironically, this was right after Tua was cleared (once again) after yet another perfect medical check-up in early March, which should finally put to rest the “injury concerns” people seem to have with him. Brian Flores has also stated he wants a QB who has “it,” and that screams Tua. (See: 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship). If anyone in Miami’s brass honestly believes Herbert is the better prospect, they need to be fired immediately. Like right now. If the Dolphins pass on Tua, they could regret it for years.
4. (TRADE w/ NYG) Los Angeles Chargers – Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon: Now, I know it seems like I just took a shot at my guy J-Herb a moment ago, but that was more about Tua’s potential for greatness as opposed to anything about the former Ducks leading man. From a physical standpoint, Herbert has the size, arm, and tools to be a very solid NFL starter, but he’s far from a sure thing. Still, the Chargers pretty much placed all their eggs in the “drafting a rookie QB basket” this offseason, and that’s exactly why they need to trade up to get one here. No, I don’t believe either the Giants or Lions would take Herbert at No. 4 or 5, but a team like the Jags (or another sneaky darkhorse) could choose to leapfrog L.A. and completely A-bomb the Chargers’ entire plan. Plus, I think Tyrod Taylor could be the perfect mentor for a guy like Herbert, who shares some similar traits. Anthony Lynn and Co. choose not to mess around and will get their guy here.
5. (TRADE w/ MIA) Detroit – Isaiah Simmons, DEF, Clemson: The Lions might win the draft simply by getting the most talented overall football player in this class, bar none, while also picking up a few more draft picks in the process. Simmons is a true rarity: a defender who can play either linebacker, corner, or safety and did so across multiple seasons at an elite level for one of the nation’s top programs. A lot of people think Jeff Okudah should go here, and cornerback is a big need. But former Belichick-disciple Matt Patricia will likely value Simmons’s versatility above all and jump at the chance to take a game-changing defensive weapon here.
6. (TRADE w/ LAC) New York Giants – Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa: In a class with someserious tackle talent, the Giants will have their pick of the litter. Wirfs is widely regarded as the top dog and blew away everyone at the Combine. Not only will he serve as a great protector for Daniel Jones, but his mauling run-blocking style could also help pave the way for Saquon Barkley for years to come. He’d likely start off on the right side, and then simply slide over to left once the Giants cut ties with Nate Solder.
7. CAR – Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State: The best corner in the draft goes to a team in desperate need of help in the defensive backfield, especially after losing James Bradberry in free agency and (for whatever reason) cutting Eric Reid. Fortunately, Tre Boston was re-signed to a three-year deal and Juston Burris was an OK acquisition. Even still, though, the Panthers really need some help, particularly on the boundary. Okudah would immediately help in that regard from Day One.
8. ARI – Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama: Not nearly as polished as Wirfs, what Wills lacks in completeness and brute strength, he makes up for in athleticism. His ability to move in space and keep up with speedy edge rushers will help allow Kyler Murray extend plays out of the pocket. And while he does have lapses in pass-protection at times, he can develop on the right side of the line for a few seasons since the team already signed left tackle D.J. Humphries to a new three-deal in February. Besides Humphries, the Cards need O-line help in a huge way, and Wills will provide that.
9. (TRADE w/ JAX) Denver – Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama: Courtland Sutton broke out in his second season, and he and second-year signal-caller Drew Lock could be quite the explosive pair again in 2020. However, Lock still needs more weapons, and Jeudy is probably the most complete, pro-ready receiver in the draft. His ability to play inside and outside will compliment Sutton’s dominance on the sideline very well. Jeudy also has the jets to take it the house on any pretty much any play (24 TDs in his past 28 games at ‘Bama). He and CeeDee Lamb are very close in terms of being the top wide-out in this class, but I gotta give the edge to Jeudy.
10. Cleveland – Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia: Jack Conklin was an excellent signing to shore up the right side of the O-line, but Baker Mayfield still needs help on his blindside. While Wirfs and Wills are the exciting, shiny sports cars with more upside, Thomas is the less sexy but super reliable Toyota Corolla who you know will always get the job done and is guaranteed to last for years. Much like the soon-to-be Hall of Fame left tackle the Browns used to have with the same last name, this Thomas will also be an anchor and team staple in Cleveland for the next decade or more.
11. New York Jets – CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma: As I said, you could easily make the argument for Lamb being the top WR in the draft, and Sam Darnold should do cartwheels if the former Sooner lands in the Big Apple. Especially after losing Robby Anderson to Carolina this offseason, Darnold needs some talent to throw to in a big way. The Breshad Perriman signing was nice, but especially with Quincy Enunwa’s health being a big question mark, Lamb would likely become the WR1 for the Jets right out of the gate. This dude is a PROBLEM in the open field, and he’ll become the best playmaker the Jets have had in quite some time. Seriously, though, just look:
12. Las Vegas – Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU: After Jeudy and Lamb, most view Henry Ruggs as the next best receiver in the class, and many might feel this is too high for Jefferson. However, Raider’s GM Mike Mayock made it pretty clear last year that he values high-character, championship-experienced guys above all else, and he doesn’t give a flyin’ you-know-what about others’ “projected draft slots” (e.g. his choice of Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall last year). Jefferson fits the Mayock Mold to a T, and let’s also not forget that the dude put up 111 catches for over 1,500 yards as Joe Burrow’s No. 1 guy last season. He also posted a 4.43-second 40 at the Combine. To be honest, he’s probably better than Ruggs, and he is tailor-made for the Raiders.
13. San Francisco – Javon Kinlaw, DL, South Carolina: Kinlaw might be the prospect with the highest range of outcomes in the class. A formerly homeless teen who worked his way up from JUCO to becoming an AP All-American and potential first-round pick, the dude is obviously a warrior. He’s also got an incredible blend of skill and physical traits (6’5”, 324 pounds) that would make most D-coordinators drool. However, he’s also dealt with injuries (hip surgery) and, at times, inconsistent play which gives some pause. Still, after trading away DeForest Buckner and acquiring another first-round pick in the process, the Niners can afford to take a gamble on the 22-year-old’s immense upside.
14. (TRADE w/ Tampa Bay) Philadelphia – Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama: Jeudy was the go-to target for the Tide for the past few seasons, but Ruggs was the ace-in-the-hole, speed demon with insane 4.2-second speed. While he does possess some all-around ability, Ruggs could end up being exactly what the Eagles were hoping the second coming of DeSean Jackson would become. He’ll serve as the new deep threat for the big-armed Carson Wentz, and the Eagles will have no issue trading up to get him. If they don’t, he won’t last much longer than this.
15. (TRADE w/ Denver) Jacksonville – Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn: Once considered a top-five pick, a weak Combine performance and positional value is cause for a bit of a drop. Unlike Kinlaw, Brown is a bit more rigid in terms of where he can play along the line and doesn’t have quite as much burst. Still, he was a First-Team All-American and can absolutely dominate opponents across from him in the trenches. After trading away Calais Campbell, Brown could soon become the new anchor on the D-line for the Jags.
16. Atlanta – Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State: While the Falcons could go for another corner here, I’m actually a fan of Isaiah Oliver and they need more pass-rushers, even after signing Dante Fowler. Gross-Matos is a high-upside, versatile defender who can play standing up or as a down lineman in a 4-3. He also compiled 17.5 sacks and over 90 total tackles across his past two seasons for the Nittany Lions.
17. Dallas – Grant Delpit, S, LSU: While Gross-Matos would’ve been a nice replacement for Robert Quinn, the Cowboys have also needed safety help for a while now. And after losing their former leader of the secondary in Byron Jones to free agency, they need another field general to man the back half of the defense. Though he may be a bit lacking in the pass-coverage department, he can set the tone and lay the wood with the best of ‘em. Again, he lacks the range and technique many might want from a first-round safety, but the potential for more is definitely there and he was a title-winner. The team also went out of its way to meet with Delpit specifically at the Combine last month.
18. Miami – Austin Jackson, OT, USC: A lot of people might be shocked to see Mekhi Becton still on the board at this point, and they might think I’m foolish to think he wouldn’t be the pick here. However, per multiple reports, Jackson has been skyrocketing up many draft boards lately, and much like Becton people are also in love with his potential. Both are raw, but there might actually be less red flags with Jackson, specifically in terms of weight/size management. Flores and Co. are also the perfect type of crew to coach a guy like Jackson up, and there’s no doubt that Miami is in desperate need of help along the O-line.
19. Las Vegas – C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida: Henderson might be the most undervalued player in the entire draft. The 2019 First-Team All-SEC cover man put up some solid stats (11 PBUs and 33 tackles) in only nine games last year against some serious competition. The Raiders also gave up the eighth-most passing yards per game in the NFL last season. Henderson would be a welcomed addition.
20. Jacksonville – Jordan Love, QB, Utah State: Before all the Minshew Maniacs attack me for this one, this pick actually makes a lot of sense. I do not expect Love to beat Gardner Minshew in camp this season, but his long-term upside is WAY higher. (Think poor man’s Patrick Mahomes in terms of ability and playing style. Yeah, I said it!) Also, if the team was really sold on Minshew, Foles wouldn’t have had a chance of getting back on the field at the end of last year, contract-related reasons or not. This is also the second of Jacksonville’s two first-rounders this year, and I mocked them to get even more picks with my previously predicted trade with Denver. In the NFL, teams are smart to hedge their bets, and there’s really not a lot for the Jags to lose by rolling the dice on Love here.
21. (TRADE w/ PHI) Tampa Bay – Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville: The slide finally ends for the 6’7”, 364-pound mountain of a man. His titan-esque size and power alone guarantee that he’ll be a force to be reckoned with against any level of competition. At the same time, though, these very same attributes can cause for significant issues with movement and technique. But his upside is too much to pass on here, and the Bucs are in desperate need of an upgrade at right tackle. Donovan Smith, who is a much better pass-protector, can protect new QB Tom Brady’s blindside, while Becton serves as a monster, road-grader on the other. In fact, Becton’s presence will be key for who I expect for the Bucs to take with their next selection (oooh foreshadowing). It’s going to be fun watching to see what this guy ultimately becomes, which truly could be great.
22. Minnesota – K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU: There’s no doubt that there is a GLARING hole at cornerback after the team saw its top three from last year all leave this offseason. However, there are still a couple solid potential choices left at the position, and the Vikes can grab one with their next selection at 25. Getting another rusher off the edge is also a big need, especially after losing long-time stalwart Everson Griffen. Chaisson is a long, quick but still powerful rusher who served as one of the Tigers’ team leaders since he was a freshman, even though he did miss all but one game in 2018 with an ACL injury. Last year, he bounced back in a major way, posting 6.5 sacks, 13 TFLs, and helped secure a national championship to boot.
23. New England – Patrick Queen, LB, LSU: Queen is exactly what the Pats defense has been missing for the past few seasons. Not a major thumper or pass-rusher, Queen is instead super fast and excels in coverage and playing sideline to sideline. He could probably even play safety in a pinch, if necessary. He can be what the team was hoping Jamie Collins was going to be (both the first AND second time around). Losing Kyle Van Noy to Miami is also going to hurt a lot more than most people think. And while Queen is not the same type of player, he’ll add a new element and bring versatility to what is already a pretty loaded D in Foxborough.
24. New Orleans – Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma: Murray is basically Queen with a bit more size, and honestly these last two picks could easily end up being flip-flopped. Murray takes a bit more risks than Queen, but he also has more concrete college production to back him up. Demario Davis can handle one side of the field, and Murray can be relied upon to make plays on the other. For a team with little needs, the Saints just keep getting better.
25. Minnesota – Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama: The Vikings get their cornerback here, and maybe one of the biggest steals of the first round so far. He has it all: size, speed, strength, and four years of experience under the legendary Nick Saban. OH, and he also happens to be Stefon Diggs’s little bro (YUP!). This should be fun…
26. (TRADE w/ MIA) Detroit – A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa: Kind of like Andrew Thomas, Epenesa is a no-nonsense, consistent, experienced, reliable player at his position. A coach’s dream who won’t win with outstanding traits or athleticism, but someone who still put up 23 sacks the past two seasons and does very little wrong. He’s the exact type of guy Matt Patricia wants on his team and will almost be a mirror-image of Trey Flowers on the other end of the defensive line.
27. Seattle – Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama: To be honest, McKinney is probably the better all-around safety talent than Delpit, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he went first. I just think the Cowboys like Delpit better. Good for the Seahawks, who get an incredibly smart, consistent backfield leader at the end of the first round. He can bring the type of talent and leadership that’s been severely lacking since the end of the old Legion of Boom.
28. (TRADE w/ BAL) Tampa Bay – Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin: As a Patriots fan for the past two decades, I can tell you that a Tom Brady offense without a consistent running game is like pizza without a topping; it’s still pretty damn good and gets the job done, but it is far from being at its best. The G.O.A.T. uses the ground game to set up play action better than anyone, and through two seasons now, Ronald Jones has just not proven that he can be the guy. Taylor is an absolute STUD, who put up over 6,100 yards and 50 TDs on the ground for the Badgers over the past three seasons, and he can be relied upon to tote the rock 20-25 games per game right away. His presence would also allow RoJo to focus on being a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield, where he excels.
29. Tennessee – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU: Some people might be confused to see the team with last season’s leading rusher take another back with their first pick. But two things: 1) Derrick Henry was tagged and not given a long-term deal, and 2) Edwards-Helaire is not the same type of player. CEH will give the team an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield (what Dion Lewis was supposed to be), and he could even take over a featured role for a bit if Henry ends up leaving next offseason.
30. Green Bay – Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU: Basically a clone of former Aaron Rodgers favorite Randall Cobb (5’10”, 194 pounds, 4.46-second 40), Reagor (5’11”, 206 pounds, 4.47-second 40) is a smidge bigger and would give the Packers a counterpart to superstar receiver Davante Adams. Guys like Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Geronimo Allison (who’s now in Detroit) just didn’t work out as planned, and A-Rodg needs more playmakers. Plain and simple.
31. San Francisco – Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU: Small, speedy, and silky like his teammate taken one spot before him, Gladney would help the Niners at a position without a ton of talent behind Richard Sherman. Gladney would also be able to focus on the more explosive opponents Sherman can’t keep up with anymore, and he could learn the finer points of the game from the future HOF.
32. Kansas City – Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU: Yup, that is officially SEVEN former Tigers off the board in the first round. (Guess that’s what happens when ya win the big one.) Anyway, Kendall Fuller departed for Washington, and at this point, it doesn’t look like Bashaud Breeland or Morris Claiborne are coming back either. For a team that was already pretty shaky against the pass to begin with, they’re kind of forced to go corner here. Fulton remains the best of the bunch and is also coming off a title-winning season of his own. Fulton is also very talented and received plus marks from PFF; had it not been for a lengthy suspension for masking a urine sample a few years back, he’d likely have gone much higher than this.
CBS – The Patriots will be making a change to their uniforms, according to The Associated Press’ Joe Reedy.
Specifically, Reedy listed four teams (one of which being the Patriots) making uniform changes, along with two teams making uniform and logo changes, plus one team making a uniform tweak. Considering the Patriots aren’t changing their logo, and considering this is not merely a “tweak,” this report would seemingly add to the belief that the Patriots are set to ditch their “Color Rush” jerseys as their third/alternate jersey.
To be honest the Patriots are probably due for a jersey update and I am an unabashed jersey guy so I love to see new looks. I mean even the Cowboys mess with their jerseys every now and then so it’s okay to switch things up. The Patriots have been wearing essentially the same thing, minus a patch here or there and minor tweaks, for the past 20 years.
Julian Edelman teased us all last week when he posted a photoshop of him in the old 90s royal blue unis, which are so choice. They are gloriously 90s in the best way. Just over the top, odd colors thrown together, and ugly but in a good way. Was he actually teasing something or just messing with us?
Mike Reiss threw some cold water on the idea of a dramatic update though, but I’m going to ignore that for the time being.
What jersey would you want the Patriots to bring back? Lets take a look at what they’ve rocked over the years.
This same image has actually been hanging in my parents’ basement for the better part of 20 years.
If the reports are true and the Patriots aren’t “changing their logo” then that means they’re not going back to the throwback red unis full-time. I *love* Pat the Patriots, but the Krafts would be stupid to change the logo of the most successful franchise in sports. This doesn’t mean we can’t get a one off though. Please?
This 1960s era throwback that they debuted in 2009 and have worn several times since has actually become an incredibly difficult jersey to find these days despite being one of the most universally beloved looks. Don’t sleep on the white throwbacks either because those were fresh too.
I’ve been hunting for a throwback red Brady jersey for a while now and it is sold out everywhere except for obnoxious XXXL sizes. HOWEVER, I went back to the Patriots online store again today and suddenly these are stocked in every size with a note about how they’ll ship out in 3-4 weeks. That is interesting timing. Hmmmmmm
With a new look coming, it would seem like the most obvious casualty is the Pats axing the dark blue Color Rush jersey aka the “Jacoby Brissett.” These have actually became their third alternate recently. The all navy look was fine, but never blew my socks off.
I would love if they made the Color Rush white on whites a full-time road uni as that is one of the cleanest looks in the league. The Patriots rocked these back in 2017 on Thursday Night Football in…yup, Tampa.
I’m probably one of the few guys in New England that actually owns the silver Patriots jersey that debuted in 2003. It was definitely wonky and only lasted a couple of seasons, but I always liked them.
I’m sure it’ll end up being new piping color or something that you probably won’t even notice, but I would love to see the Patriots try something new. We are in the post-Tom Brady era so there’s no better time to shake things up than now. Rumors were swirling last season that the Pats were considering bringing back the 90’s throwback jerseys. It never happened, but the team did start aggressively marketing those last season. Maybe a little market research before making a decision for 2020?
So, what do you want to see the Patriots rocking next season?
I am exhausted from years of [insert player name] Watch over the years only to watch said player never even come close to landing on my team. We just did it with Stefon Diggs for two years, people continue to do it with Odell Beckham Jr. and don’t even get me started on Danny Ainge. Pining for a superstar your team has no shot at ever landing (Anthony Davis, Karl Anthony Towns) is basically a requirement for Celtics fandom.
With that being said, are we now doing Deshaun Watson Watch for the next Patriots QB? It sure seems like it. This all started the other day when oddsmaker BetOnline.com set Deshaun Watson as the PROHIBITIVE favorite to be the Patriots starting QB in 2021. Huh? Granted this came just days after Bill O’Brien made one of the dumbest trades in league history and gave away arguably the best receiver in the league in DeAndre Hopkins for spare parts. Getting a washed up David Johnson and a 2nd round pick for an elite talent like Hopkins (not to mention one of the last lifelines for a seemingly flailing relationship with Watson) is a fireable offense in my opinion.
There were rumors floated by HOF receiver Michael Irvin that Hopkins and O’Brien had a tumultuous, shitty, bordering on disrespectful relationship, but thats no excuse to dump your second best player for a running back who hasn’t been good in THREE years. Trust me, I’ve had him in fantasy 2/3 of those seasons and got burned every time.
The Texans No. 1 goal every year should be to keep Deshaun Watson happy. No. 2 is make the playoffs. In that order. Thats how important Watson is to this franchise…sooo maybe don’t spit in the guy’s face by trading his best weapon. This would be like if the Patriots traded Julian Edelman last year. Just doesn’t make sense.
Even with all that I still find it very hard to believe an elite young QB in his prime would somehow find his way under center for the Patriots next season. It just does not happen in the NFL. Watson is entering the final year of his rookie deal with a 5th year option in 2021 so theres no huge rush for the Texans to trade him, yet. He is going to sign a contract somewhere close to $40M per year depending on what Patrick Mahomes signs for, but as Mike Reiss reports the Patriots coincidentally are set to have around $100 Million in cap space next offseason. Hmmm
Andddd now we are officially getting subtweets from Deshaun Watson!
My team suddenly doesn’t have a QB of the present or the future and now one of my favorite young players to come out of college in years is subtweeting Drake lyrics just days after his team traded his top playmaker?
I’m not sure I’m emotionally ready to handle another [insert player name] Watch, but I don’t think we have any choice. Deshaun Watson Watch is officially on.
Tom Brady Sr. always said it was going to end badly in New England and that’s exactly what happened. It wasn’t a Drew Bledsoe-esque ending where he got hurt, benched, and traded, but it was an awkward, tense, anticlimactic close to Tom Brady’s Patriots career.
It was a less than stellar final season in NE where Brady just didn’t have the weapons, the defense slowly fell apart, leading to an upset loss on Wild Card weekend to Ryan Tannehill and the Titans, with a pick-six being Brady’s final play. Now with Brady announcing his decision to move on from New England we’re left to grieve the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.
It’s yet to be announced where Brady will sign, but guys like Colin Cowherd are starting to report that he’s headed to Tampa Bay. Imagine TB12 in 70 degree weather throwing to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, OJ Howard (and maybe Antonio Brown)? Good god. Tampa Bay also has the 16th hardest schedule in the NFL this year, compared to the No. 1 most difficult schedule facing New England.
We all knew this day was coming, but it still sucks to see the end of an era. I don’t fault Brady, especially if he did get a massive payday somewhere else and the Pats offered him peanuts. Can’t blame the guy for wanting to make market value after taking discounts his entire career. Especially if the Patriots and Belichick wanted him to sing for his supper just to lowball him again.
What a start to 2020 huh? A homegrown MVP in Mookie Betts gets traded, literally every sports league in America shuts down, the entire country is isolating themselves due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and now TB12 is gone.
This is going to be weird. Since 2001 the only QB to play anything more than garbage time was Matt Cassel after Brady got hurt in 2008. So who the hell is going to play QB for the Pats next season? I broke down all the potential QB options a couple weeks ago, but I still keep hearing *Andy Dalton’s* name for some reason.
Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill are both off the market. Teddy Bridgewater apparently is going to get $30M a year so I’ll pass on that. Philip Rivers is also an old so I don’t see the Pats going that way. I can’t imagine Belichick wanting to sign a guy in Jameis Winston who just threw 30 goddamn INTs. Maybe the Pats do swing a trade for Matt Stafford if the Lions draft a QB?
Or if we’re being honest with ourselves, it’s starting to look like the dawn of the Jarret Stidham era, folks.
Something that I have not been eager to explore about myself is how Tom Brady leaving will affect me as a sports fan. Brady has been under center in Foxborough since I was 12-years-old. As a 30-year-old that is aging in dog years, Brady was one of the few remaining Boston sports icon that is older than me. I’m a full blown Jersey Guy, but I do feel a little odd dishing out $100 bucks for a jersey of a guy that literally just became old enough to buy a beer. With Brady’s departure the best player in Boston is probably 21-year-old Jayson Tatum or maybe 34-year-old Patrice Bergeron or 31-year-old Brad Marchand. But with all due respect, none of those players really compare to Tom Brady.
After Mookie Betts got traded I talked with Big Z about how it didn’t really bother me all that much. Probably because we’re jaded and it’s hard to care as much as you did when you were 15. Tom Brady was the exception to that.
Now as we look to rebuild, to all my friends that are fans of the Jets, Bills, Dolphins, Giants, Colts, Steelers, Chiefs and any other fanbase crawling out of their dumpsters?
I can’t believe the day has finally come. Tom Brady is leaving the New England Patriots. Despite days, months, and even years of preparing for this it still doesn’t feel real. I feel like Cameron in Ferris Bueller’s day off right now; catatonic.
This one hurts. It kind of feels like the Patriots dared Brady to leave and he did just that. As we saw all the potential weapons and upgrades around the league come off the market things started to look worse and worse. Austin Hooper, Deandre Hopkins, Stefon Diggs, Jimmy Graham. Meanwhile the Pats were erasing their cap space with extensions for Devin McCourty and the franchise tag on Joe Thuney so it looks like the team had no intention of bringing Brady back.
We’ll find out soon, but as of right now we don’t know where Brady is going. We can fully expect that he got PAID by LA or maybe Tampa Bay. The numbers will really decide the reaction of Patriots fans towards Belichick and Kraft because if it’s $30 million a year for 3 years then I think people will understand. If it’s even a moderately reasonable deal and the Pats lowballed him yet again then Belichick and Kraft will get roasted for years to come.
The #Bucs made a strong offer to QB Tom Brady believed to be $30M or more. The #Chargers did, as well. And now, he’s leaving New England.
The LA Chargers make the most sense in my opinion as Brady wants to grow his brand, he pals around with Hollywood elite already, his wife would love the glitz and glamor, oh and don’t forget the production company he started last week.
Tampa probably backed up the Brinks truck and that team has a *nice* set of offensive weapons, but I just find it hard to believe Brady and Giselle are going to move to the strip club capital of the world.
We’ll have more blogs today as we grieve, but for right now I’m still in a state of shock.
The Roni strikes again. This now makes the NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, XFL, Fast and the Furious, March Madness, the Boston Marathon, and now the biggest golf tournament in the world all postponed and/or cancelled. I literally prayed to the golf gods and the twitter gods yesterday when a commercial for The Masters came on…while I worked from home amid mass hysteria.
What the hell are we all going to watch now? Everybody better start enjoying books real quick because there’s not much else left. I’m not a doctor or a scientist so I’m not going to question the decision because there is obviously a massive health crisis happening in this country right now. It’s probably for the best to just punt on the spring and we’ll all regroup for the greatest summer of TV programming ever created. Imagine the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, The Masters, MLB, and NFL Training Camp all going on at the same exact time? It will make Sweeps Week look like public access television in comparison.
With that being said I am left here to twiddle my thumbs and scroll through twitter all day and night. Theres only so many World Star videos a man can watch and I’m already pretty over the Toilet Paper heist stories. My advice is to watch *everything* in your Netflix queue, even that shit you don’t actually care about, but tell yourself you do because you’re cultured. Like that documentary on yoga thats been sitting in my queue for months. I’ve done yoga once in my life so why did I save a documentary on yoga in my queue? Because I had zero intention of watching it unless oh ya know the entire country shut down and every sports league ceased to exist for the foreseeable future.
So that and mass amounts of video games will be played. The big guns at EA, Sony, Activision, Microsoft, Nintendo, Rockstar etc. would be wise to offer some discounts on their titles because I am liable to buy half a dozen vidyagames right now.
This is like the reckoning for all of our short attention spans. We’ve all been constantly stimulated by TV, internet, sports, and our phones 24/7 for the past decade and now we’re all being forced to entertain ourselves for the first time. Godspeed boys.
Yahoo – For the first time in over 15 years, “Madden” is getting some competition in the world of football video games.
The NFL revealed on Tuesday morning that it’s ending its years-long exclusivity deal with Electronic Arts on football games. “Madden” will continue to be produced in partnership with the NFL, but the NFL is also working with 2K Sports — the company behind the smash-hit “NBA 2K” franchise.
That new arrangement encompasses a “multi-year” deal that includes “multiple future video games” — the first of which is expected to arrive next year, in 2021.
The worst thing that ever happened to Madden was the exclusivity deal EA signed with the NFL because it removed any real competition. Madden was always the best football game on the block, but only because it actually had to be. 2K closed the gap when I was in high school and a ton of people still argue that NFL 2K5 was the best, albeit 2K’s last, football game ever made.
Thats not just me looking back fondly on the PS2 days either. NFL 2K5 got a 9.2/10 on GameSpot, a 9.4/10 on IGN, and a 92% on Metacritic, which bested Madden reviews in two out of three as Madden 05 actually got a 9.5 from IGN. Still pretty damn good for a game that just ended up getting shelved a few months later.
So once 2K was no longer there to keep pushing Madden, things got a little stagnant. Madden was always introducing new features with every version of the game, some more beloved than others (I actually enjoyed the Vision Cone), but just look at this run of iconic additions.
Madden 99 – Franchise Mode introduced
Madden 03 – Online head to head play
Madden 04 – Vick God Mode/Playmaker Control/Owner Mode/Mini Camp
Madden 05 – Hit Stick
Madden 06 – QB Vision Cone/Superstar Mode
Madden 07 – Truck Stick
Madden was always trying things out because they had to keep the game fresh. Once any shred of competition was removed, Madden was able to just update the graphics and the rosters each year and sell you the same old shit for $59.99 every August. Madden 07 (released in 2006) was the last year any substantial feature was added to the game in my opinion and that was FOURTEEN YEARS AGO.
I would love for these two giants to go head to head like the good old days, but it seems like 2K may try and go in a slightly different direction.
Notably, 2K says the games it’s creating are “non-simulation football game experiences” described as “fun, approachable and social experiences.”…EA issued the following statement in response to Tuesday’s announcement: “EA Sports is the exclusive publisher of NFL simulation games, and our partnership with the NFL and NFLPA remains unchanged. Our agreements have always allowed for non-exclusive development of non-simulation games on various platforms.
Whatever the hell that means, your guess is as good as mine. It seems like, through 2021 at least, 2K won’t be able to create a true “simulation game” so we may not get a direct competitor to Madden right out of the gates. Perhaps something thats officially licensed by the NFL, but maybe a little…different? Something a little more…arcade style. Something like…
Now we’re talking!
But so help me god if 2K tries to pass off some card based garbage mobile game. Just give us something that will make the folks at EA a little nervous so we start getting legitimately innovative games once again.
The 300s 