Few Observations based on recent News

A few interesting details have come out recently about multiple players that were thought to be on the move. 

After speculation that Aaron Rodgers would retire rather than return to the Packers taking a page from the Carson Palmer playbook, he is now expected to return to the Packers. Rodgers is now close to a deal that would void his 2023 contract year and prevent the Packers from tagging him in the offseason. In the on again off again saga it is looking like Rodgers and Adams are gearing up for the last dance they hinted at after all. 

Zach Ertz a guy who has been rumored to be on the move via trade for a long while was reported to be avoiding training camp in favor of a trade but Ertz is now expected to report to camp even without a trade in place, which should prove to be interesting through camp as most expected Goedert would be taking over recently. 

Steven Nelson has agreed to terms with Philadelphia on a 1 year $4 million deal to start opposite of Slay, with a group of young guys fighting it out for the nickelback role. 

Landon Dickerson who started his offseason at guard is expected to move to center fulltime once he is healed fully, in an effort to develop an heir apparent. This becomes even more necessary when you consider Jason Kelce has contemplated retirement in recent years, and has agreed to a reworked deal amounting to a $30 million payout if he hasn't retired by June 2nd 2022. 

Deshaun Watson has returned to the Texans although he is still hoping for a trade from the only NFL team he has played for in his 4 seasons. Despite ongoing legal issues the expectation is he will be traded very soon, and the Texans have already stocked the quarterback room in the event that they can't work things out with Watson. Tyrod Taylor was signed this offseason and is a capable starter, Jeff Driskel came over after being released by the Broncos early in May to serve as a 2nd or 3rd string qb depending on how things with Watson shake out, and they drafted Davis Mills out of Stanford in the 3rd round signaling that Driskel will be the odd man out if Watson shocks us all and returns to Houston and is allowed to play in 2021. 

In other news in Houston they acquired a former starter from Chicago in WR Anthony Miller. Miller was drafted in the second round in 2018 and saw action right away with 33 receptions for 423 yards and 7 tds, adding 6 carries for 26 yards, 1 passing attempt for 8 yards, 6 kick returns for 139 yards, and 3 tackles. The following two seasons have gone okay statistically but he saw a dramatic drop off in scoring only scoring 4 tds in 32 games despite 101 receptions, 1,141 yards through the air. He has contributed on special teams with 2 kick returns for 44 yards, 5 punt returns for 55 yards, and 8 tackles. He joins a very crowded receiver room featuring Randall Cobb, Brandin Cooks, Andre Roberts Keke Coutee, 3rd round pick Nico Collins, plus low level veterans such as Donte Moncrief, Chris Conley, Taywan Taylor, Alex Erickson, and 2020 rookie Isaiah Coulter. It wouldn't shock me to see Houston try to trade away Coutee, or Cooks if the chance arises. 

Former NFL receiver/current lacrosse midfielder Chris Hogan is attempting to latch on with the Saints. The Lacrosse season ends August 12th allowing just enough time for Hogan to return to the NFL and not miss much if any of the Lacrosse season. 

Chandler Jones has reportedly requested a trade from the Cardinals due to being unhappy with his contract. Jones is in the final year of a five year contract with the Cardinals, he has made over $82,000,000 in the previous 9 seasons and is on the books for just over $20,000,000 in 2021. His cap hit is second highest in the league for outside linebackers. Personally I think he will be there as he played in just 5 games last season producing 10 tackles and 1 sack. 

Dede Westbrook signs with Minnesota

Former Jacksonville Jaguars receiver DeDe Westbrook has decided to turn into the Florida heat for the Minnesota cold, but will it actually turn out to be the best move for his NFL career? Let's look into it. 

Westbrook pulled what I can only say was a bold move prior to draft day. He declined an invitation to the Senior Bowl, and attended the combine but declined to do any drills. The 5'11 178 receiver could have likely helped his draft grades had he performed in either event. Ultimately Westbrook was drafted in round 4 with pick 110 by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017. He was drafted in an effort to build a good group of weapons around former first round pick Blake Bortles. When he was drafted the Jaguars had Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marquise Lee, and Keelan Cole ahead of him on the depth chart. However things change quickly Robinson was hurt in week 1 and missed the following 15 games. If not for landing on injured reserve himself Westbrook likely would have also seen much more action as a rookie. Due to this Westbrook saw the field in 7 games and started 5 games. He was targeted 51 times catching 27 passes for 339 yards and 1 td as a rookie. This was enough for the Jaguars to make some decisions based off of his performance. 

In 2018 the Jaguars decided Westbrook and Marquise Lee would be the new focal point of their offense, allowing Allen Robinson, and Allen Hurns to leave in free agency with Robinson continuing to excell with the Bears, and Hurns falling off the map as a starter. Due to injuries once again, this time to Marquise Lee who would miss all of 2018 due to a knee injury, Westbrook was suddenly the top target on offense. He was targeted over 100 times in the passing game catching 66 passes for 717 yards and 5 tds however he also added 9 carries for 98 yards, 1 incomplete passing attempt, 19 punt returns for 256 yards and 1 td, and 3 kick returns for 36 yards as well it's almost as if the Jaguars were force feeding Westbrook rather than turn to Donte Moncrief, or Keelan Cole more often. These guys were clearly settled in as the number 2 and 3 options in the passing game allowing Westbrook to put up 1,107 all purpose yards in just his second season. It seemed on the surface like Westbrook had earned the confidence of Doug Marrone and Nathaniel Hackett. 

In 2019 there were high hopes for the Jaguars offense. They had released Blake Bortles and signed Nick Foles just 1 year removed from leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory. They also drafted Gardner Minshew as a developmental backup behind Foles. The Jaguars had moved on from Donte Moncrief, instead bringing in former Chief Chris Conley, and banking on the return of Marquise Lee to boost the receiving game. Instead what happened was Nick Foles got hurt with Gardner Minshew taking over and playing well, DJ Chark seemingly from nowhere stole the show as the number 1 receiver with Westbrook settling in as the number 2 option. Conley wound up being 3rd in total targets, with Keelan Cole bringing up the 4th spot, and Lee basically being phased out after more injury issues. Westbrook and Chark both were targetted over 100 times with Chark edging out Westbrook with 118 to his 101. Westbrook was able to turn these targets into just 66 receptions for 660 yards and 3 tds adding 5 carries for 27 yards, and 23 punt returns for 123 yards falling quite a bit short of his 2018 totals with just 810 total yards. 

In 2020 the Jaguars had again shed some veteran presence at wide receiver with Marquise Lee moving on but retained Cole, Westbrook, and Conley as the vets of the group. Westbrook was entering a contract year but had to watch as his team spent a 2nd round pick on Colorado receiver Laviska Schenault to play second fiddle to DJ Chark who had topped 1,000 yards in 2019, this meant Westbrook would be seeing significantly less targets especially being that it was expected that Cole, and Conley would get reps as the WR3 as well. When the final roster was announced something else became apparent Westbrook was the only wide receiver standing under 6'1. Despite thoughts Westbrook would be the third target it became apparent quickly that he was in fact the 5th target with Schensult, Cole, Conley getting way more time on the field than Westbrook. Things would only get worse when in week 7 Westbrook tore his ACL, ending his season with just 1 target, 1 reception for 4 yards, 4 kick returns for 89 yards, and 4 punt returns for 44 yards and appeared in just 2 games pretty much signaling that the team would be moving on in 2021. 

Westbrook hit the market having tore his ACL midway through the season so it was really no surprise to anyone involved when it took a while for him to find his next team. Despite interest from Cincinnati (how many receivers do they need?), Seattle, and some KC players recruiting him he landed in Minnesota which might prove to be his best chance to see the field and succeed anyway. In 2020 the 3rd receiver for the Vikings was Chad Beebe a college free agent signed in 2018, with the 4th receiver being Olabisi Johnson a 7th round pick in 2019. These guys had 30 targets for 20 receptions 201 yards and 2 tds, and 19 targets 14 receptions, for 189 yards. The signing if Westbrook indicates that they aren't sold on either of these guys living up to expectations as the third receiver in their offense. This offense is in a bit of a transition state.

Let me explain:

The Vikings under Mike Zimmer for the last two seasons have run a ton of two tight end sets thanks to having Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. on their roster. Rudolph has since been released meaning Smith will start with only Tyler Conklin behind him who is essentially a big bodied wide receiver anyway. Why does this matter for Westbrook? 

With an expected reduction in two tight end sets there stands to be two beneficiaries of this the fullback Cj Ham, and and the third receiver as their will inevitably be an increase in 3 wide receiver packages which in theory plays well for the run game to spread out the defense when you have a true dual threat RB. 

So I expect Westbrook if healthy to see somewhere in the range of 40-50 targets carving out of some of the targets that went to Beebe, and Johnson last season, as well as taking a good portion of those targets that would have gone to Rudolph. 

As if those facts weren't enough to leave him in a good situation for success, the quarterback position is. Kirk Cousins is easily the most consistent quarterback Westbrook has ever played with. Cousins is known for his accuracy and decision making but most importantly he is known for loving smaller slot receivers. He developed a rapport with Terry McLaurin, Jamison Crowder, Trey Quinn and others during his time in Washington so maybe this is Cousins getting to have a bit more say in the offense now that Kevin Stefanski is gone and Gary Kubiak are gone and Klint Kubiak his former QB coach is now his coordinator. Whatever the case may be I believe he will find success in Minnesota as their third receiver behind Jefferson, and Thielen and may even wind up being there when the team inevitably has to move on from Thielen. 

Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston

The Saints no longer have Drew Brees at the quarterback position to rely on and are left with two men that served as his backups last season in Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. Both are regarded as starting caliber quarterbacks for different reasons. Winston is known is known to have one of the strongest arms in the NFL and has a 5,000 yard 30 td season on his resume but it also came with 30 ints, which is the major knock on him decision making and accuracy. Meanwhile Taysom Hill is the type of tantalizing athlete that any coach would want on the field, and he is a player that has intrigued Sean Payton since his arrival in New Orleans several seasons ago. Can the swiss army knife transition into a single role and seize the starting job or will Winston silence his critics and put his interception woes in the past? 

In 2020 Drew Brees missed 4 games, after missing 5 in 2019. When he missed the games in 2019 Taysom Hill was a beneficiary when he set a career high in total offense that season but he wasn't the starter, Teddy Bridgewater was. Bridgewater moved on to Carolina and in came Winston, so it stood to reason that Winston would be the next man up in case of injury to Brees. Well Winston got the first shot, going 6 of 10 for 75 yards, and absorbed 2 sacks tossing 0 tds, and 0 ints coming off the bench for Brees against San Francisco. Yet when it came time to start a game Payton turned to Hill, because Hill's mobility brings another facet to the offense and he is intrigued by how that can keep a defense on its heels. He has been slowly adding more and more packages for Taysom Hill since 2017. He has been developing him as a passer while giving him playing time and keeping him engaged while Brees was around. I think the whole purpose of that was for Hill to be that successor to Brees allowing Payton a fairly seamless transition. Let's take a look at how Hill performed. 

In 4 starts Hill won 3 games and lost 1. In week 11 against the Falcons he went 18 of 23 for 231 yards 0 tds 0 ints, with 10 carries for 49 yards and 2 tds and won the game. The following week he beat the Broncos completing just 9 of 16 passes for 78 yards 0 tds 1 int, adding 10 carries 44 yards and 2 tds, his 3rd start came against the Falcons once again. He completed 27 of 37 passes for 232 yards, 2 tds, 0 ints with 14 carries for 83 yards leading the Saints to his 3rd win in a row. His 4th start he completed 28 of 38 passes for 291 yards, 2 tds 1 int, adding 5 carries for 33 yards. The thing is, even after Brees returned Hill saw the field in the last 3 weeks he went 2 of 2 for 8 yards adding 14 carries for 62 yards and 3 tds, and 2 receptions for 14 yards. My point is Hill will be playing regardless of if Winston starts or not which brings me to my next point. 

If Payton can have his cake and eat it too why wouldn't he? If Payton chooses to start Winston he could very well build in even more packages for Taysom Hill essentially creating a true two quarterback system in New Orleans, without the gimmick of having Winston decoy as a receiver like the wildcat used to. Having a guy in place like Winston who knows he has issues with interceptions but has a guy on the bench that could replace him at any moment on any given play for one series or the whole game if he makes a mistake. It also could create a whole new form of hurry up offense with Winston going in with a package of 5 plays, then subbing in as the offense transitions downfield with his own package of 5 plays completely throwing the defense off guard and taking an already tired defense and force them to chase around Hill. 

I started to write this bias toward an offense that starts Hill because he is simply fun to watch, but came away thinking the best thing for the Saints is having Winston start with Hill coming off the bench early and often. This would allow him to continue to be a multifaceted threat on offense rather than holding him to the two roles a quarterback can hold on offense, passer, and runner. Keeping him as the backup allows him to still line up as a running back, tight end, or receiver while also taking snaps as a quarterback as well, which might be the most productive role for Hill, and not your traditional quarterbacks role.

Joe Douglass building a stout o line

There are a few hallmarks of team building when looking at those that have rose from Philadelphia to prominence on other teams. One of those has shown up in every stop for former Eagles front office members and that's the focus on building up the trenches before anything else. 

Joe Douglass has possibly taken that to another level. His first year with the Jets was last year, and he inherited a team with a patchwork offensive line. So his first move was to bring in guard Greg Van Roten to compete for a starting role at one of the guard spots. Van Roten was something of a journeyman having played for 4 NFL teams and 1 CFL team. Most recently he started at left guard for the Panthers in 2018 and 2019. He was signed to plug in at left guard and give that position some stability. 

Next he had to address the center position which he did by signing a former guard. Connor McGovern started his career playing guard before moving to center his last year with Denver. McGovern has actually raised his level of play since moving to center and seems to be carving out a nice career for himself at that position, however he is also valuable as a guard should he ever be needed there as well. 

Adding Van Roten and McGovern on the interior was crucial to the success of this offensive line but adding bookend tackles was also extremely important. That's where Douglas banked on some upside. He signed former Seahawk George Fant. Fant is arguably one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the league. He played just 1 season of college football and played tight end. After going undrafted the 6'5 270 lb tight end who played just 2 games in college, added 26 lbs and started a transition to offensive line. Despite his weight eventually reaching 322 lbs, he began his career in Seattle as a hybrid tight end on tackle eligible plays. A role that was used more than you might think on a Pete Carroll led team with Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. This role was on top of his role as a swing tackle, and he found a lot of success in both spots, enough so that Douglass signed him intending him to start at one of the tackle positions. 

Not done yet he added guard Alex Lewis a familiar face from his time with the Ravens where Lewis was drafted as a tackle but moved inside to guard and eventually replaced Kelechi Osemele. Lewis was signed to start at right guard for now and was seen as a short term fix to a position that is desperate for a long term solution. 

To further add depth and round out his offseason haul he added center/guard Josh Andrews formerly of the Colts. Andrews had played in 6 games for the Colts in 2019, but played just 57 snaps. He was added as depth behind McGovern, and Lewis both who have had injuries in recent years. Andrews moved on after the 2020 season replaced by former 49er James Murray. 

However his most influential move yet was left for the draft. Douglass saw tremendous value in selecting left tackle Mekhi Becton in the first round. Becton was regarded as another player with positional versatility if needed as a guy who could slide in at guard if his play wasn't good enough at left tackle. So far he has stuck around at left tackle, and played well enough that given a chance in the 2021 draft to select another tackle he instead targeted a guard. He also selected tackle Cameron Clark in the 4th round. 

In 2021 the Jets drafted Aljiah Vera-Tucker because two last names are always better than one. Vera-Tucker is expected to start at left guard moving Van Roten over to right guard to compete with Alex Lewis who is known for injuries.

They also signed Washington cast off Morgan Moses the long time starter at right tackle who will likely replace Fant as the starter at right tackle making this offensive line one of the deepest in the league in terms of veteran backups. 

In a move that snuck under the radar for even me the biggest of football nerds the Jets managed to sign guard Dan Feeney a former 3rd round pick with the Chargers who started 57 of 63 games. While some say he is just a depth piece for the team I disagree, I believe the 26 year old is still young enough and talented enough to take over a starting role. Feeney can play some center as well but I think he should be in a 3 man mix at right guard opposite of Vera Tucker. 

As other players to be named Chuma Edoga a former 3rd round pick just 2 seasons ago is still on the roster, Conor McDermott, and Corey Levin are all vying for depth roles on a fairly stacked offensive line that might shake out as one of the deepest lines in the league. 

Naaje Harris future star?

In recent memory it has become common place for very few, if any running backs to get drafted in the first round. Last year it was just Clyde Edwards-Hellaire who helped lead his team to the Super Bowl. This season there were two, Naaje Harris, and Travis Etienne, both of these guys were drafted for very different reasons and call me an optimist but I believe both will find success at the NFL level in different ways. Naaje Harris is more of a bell cow touch the ball 20+ times per game type back, where as Etienne is a new age dual threat back who has worked out as a wide receiver at times as well as a runner. In today's NFL it's not often many bell cow style backs get drafted in the first round due to the chew them up and spit them out mentality of the NFL at that position but Harris is different. 

Anytime your name is in company with Derrick Henry, and Mark Ingram as a running back you're immediately going to get more respect. These are two of the more recent success stories of drafting these style backs in the first round. Derrick Henry is widely regarded as the best back in the league right now, while Ingram has rushed for over 1,000 yards 3 times with two teams and has scored over 70 times in his 10 year career. Why do I mention these two guys specifically? Other than their first round pedigree these three backs are all products of Nick Saban's Alabama offense. 

In college it was clear that Ingram, and Henry would wind up being first round picks after stellar college careers, but Harris flew under the radar. It might shock you when I say Harris's career was actually better than both his predecessors. Derrick Henry left college as Alabama's all time leading rusher, Harris beat his record by over 300 yards. Former Roll Tide player Shaun Alexander's record of 50 tds was smashed when Harris tied Tim Tebow's SEC record with 57 touchdowns. Harris not surprisingly also beat the previous record for career rushing tds held by Ingram and Henry at 42, by logging 46 tds. He had a 5 rushing td game tying the single game school record, and beat the record for most points scored in a season with 180. With that resume you can see why Pittsburgh was the team that drafted him in the first round to lead their run first offense and to aid their aging quarterback that is showing his mortality quickly as he had a dramatic drop off late last season. 

Harris stands 6'2 229 lbs, and comes into the NFL into an offense that should seem somewhat similar to what he is used to as the Steelers love to lean on their running backs early and often. NFL coaches will often say the biggest thing preventing rookie runners from seeing the field as a three down back is their ability to block. However that is actually a strength for Harris, he is also a capable receiver which means unless he has issues picking up the offense he likely won't be pulled off the field much. Having caught 70 passes for over 700 yards and 11 tds the past 2 seasons I have a feeling the offense will resolve around Harris even as a rookie, we will also undoubtedly see more Anthony McFarland at times as well maybe even as a slot receiver, but the days of relying heavily on the passing game and Big Ben are long gone, and the Steelers are hoping that Harris is the man for them to lean on going forward. 

Is Kyler Murray Overrated?

Kyler Murray was the source of endless speculation before the 2019 draft. The Cardinals led by new head coach Kliff Kingsbury known for his air raid style offense had the top overall pick, but his team had drafted a QB in the first round just the season prior. After comments by Kingsbury were unearthed that were made prior to being hired stating "I'd take him with the first pick in the draft of I could." The writing was on the wall for Josh Rosen the quarterback selected under Steve Wilks regime. 

Kyler Murray was later selected with the top overall pick. The main knock on Murray is something he has no control over, his size. At 5'10, 207 lbs, with 9 1/2 inch hands many critics thought Murray would struggle with injuries and fumbles due to his play style and small hands. Despite being one of the most dominant college players in recent memory the criticisms rolled in. Yet Kingsbury didn't care, he thought Murray would prove them wrong. Two years into his career, I would argue he already has. Let's take a look at his statistics to back up my claim then I will discuss his win loss record and how he isn't necessarily the only person who deserves credit or blame for that record. 

Murray in 2 seasons has won offensive rookie of the year, been named to the Probowl and was awarded with probowl MVP as well. Through 2 seasons he has played in and started all 32 regular season games of his short career. During that stretch Murray has had struggles with fumbles though with 14 total, although he recovered 5 of them himself and lost a total of 6 to the other team with teammates falling on the other 3 fumbles. However this man has also run the ball 226 times for 1,363 yards and 15 tds so it's easy to see why the fumble numbers might be inflated. Murray is just third in total carries by a quarterback during that stretch behind only Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen..for comparison's sake Allen had 22 fumbles his first two seasons losing 6 and recovering 6 of his own fumbles, Jackson 21 fumbles lost 6, recovered 9 and inexplicably forced a fumble as well. So Murray's numbers here are actually better than Allen's and Jackson's. However he isn't strictly a running quarterback as evidenced by his passing numbers.

Kyler Murray has thrown an insane 1100 passes since entering the NFL topping 540 attempts in both seasons. As a rookie he completed just under 65% of his passes, and as a sophomore completed over 67% of his passes. Giving him a career completion rate of nearly 66%. Granted this is the Air Raid offense we are talking about and passing attempts will always come in droves, the typically low yards per attempt for these style quarterbacks is somewhat of a hallmark for any offense that uses screens, short passes, and shovel passes as an extension of the run game, doesn't really apply here. As a rookie Murray averaged 6.9 yards per attempt, and followed that up with 7.1 yards in 2020. He threw for 3,722 yards in 2019, and 3,971 yards in 2020. Nothing to sneeze at either. (as evidenced by his OROY, and Probowl nomination) Something that you can expect as another symptom of the Air Raid offense is an increased number of interceptions due to out of control passing attempt numbers, however yet again Murray has avoided this woe. Despite 1100 passing attempts the man has thrown just 24 interceptions, compared to his 46 passing touchdowns. Add in the 15 rushing tds, and 6 lost fumbles and his numbers are stellar. 61 total tds to just 30 turnovers. To put that into perspective he threw an interception roughly ever 46 passing attempts. I'm pretty sure any coach with a brain would take those numbers all day. Anytime a QB is putting up 2 tds for every turnover that quarterback is generally putting your team in a great position to win, and managing the game as you would hope your franchise QB would. 

So long story short...why does this man still have critics? I mentioned Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson as the most comparable players in terms of rushing so let's take a quick look at how their passing numbers compare. Being that Jackson won an MVP award, and Josh Allen took a monumental leap into elite status from year one to year two I think both men should be apt comparisons here as well.

Lamar Jackson through his first two seasons: 31 games 571 passing attempts, 62% completion rate, 42 passing touchdowns, 9 interceptions this puts him at 7.45 yards per attempt.

Josh Allen through his first two seasons: 28 games 781 passing attempts, 55.8 completion rate, 30 tds, 21 ints, and 6.6 yards per attempt. 

Looking at Kyler Murray's stats again:

1100 attempts, 66% completion rate, 46 tds, 24 ints and 7 yards per attempt. 

To me this shows a few things, first of all despite throwing almost twice as many passes as those guys he managed a much better completion rate than both, dominated all of Josh Allen's stats, and beat out Jackson in yards, and tds but didn't produce the same yards per attempt, or as few interceptions...keep in mind Jackson threw 571 passes to Murray's 1100...more importantly what this shows me is Murray was ready for the NFL the minute he was drafted, he was trusted to throw over 500 passes a year, and Kingsbury hasn't shown the least bit of doubt in his quarterback which I believe has been crucial to Murray's statistical success. To be honest as skilled as Murray is, his statistics wouldn't be possible if it weren't for his coach being willing to allow his young QB to go out and sling it nearly 35 times a game every week. There are a lot of veterans in this league that aren't trusted to do that even as starters, yet this man did it as a rookie, and for good measure did it as a sophomore again. To sum it all up, Murray can safely tell.his critics to kick rocks at this point because he has shut down every bit of criticism he has received since day one, if I had to guess we will see Murray take home an NFL MVP before the expiration of his rookie contract, fulfilling every bit of faith Kingsbury had in him and officially shutting up any critics left. 

Von Miller surefire Hall of Famer?

The Denver Broncos went through a nearly unprecedented run of offensive success when John Elway was able to lure Peyton Manning to Denver, however Von Miller was one of the building blocks that was already on the roster when Manning became a free agent in 2012. Miller has been the face of Denver's defense for over a decade now, something that was not always a given after a rocky start to his career. 

Von Miller was drafted in 2011 second overall behind just Superman himself Cam Newton. Newton as a rookie played in 15 games racking up 56 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 tipped passes. Quickly displaying the talent that the Broncos saw when they selected him so high, and quite honestly he has continued to reaffirm that fact year after year after year. He has been the model of consistency producing just 2 seasons, that he played in, with less than double digit sacks. Those two down years came in 2013, and 2019 respectively. Let's take a look at what slowed him down in these seasons. 

In 2013 you can quickly look at the games played and immediately see why his stats took a hit. Miller missed 7 games that year playing in just 9 games. Partially due to a self inflicted suspension due to a failed drug test for marijuana, as well as a couple games due to injury. Ultimately this was his worst year yet with 33 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 tipped pass, 3 forced fumbles, 1 recovery, and 1 td return. However in the previous 2 seasons Miller had put up a combined 29.5 sacks, and 8 forced fumbles, so after a suspension, and subsequent down year the Broncos likely had some doubt creeping in about their golden boy. But Miller made good on this by never landing in trouble again in the 7 seasons following the 2013 season, he also managed to produce 8 or more sacks in every other season of his career once again displaying sought after consistency. 

2020 was a hard year for Von as he suffered a season ending injury before his season ever got started, in what would have been his first full season paired with Bradlee Chubb. However it did not come to pass, and between that fact and his price tag which is north of $20 million this season it was expected that Miller would be let go. Instead George Patton and company decided that Miller was the type of player that you keep around to build a winning team with not the type that you ship away for what should be a make or break season for Vic Fangio. Which in turn puts a spotlight on Von Miller who most believe is the face of the Broncos franchise, and more importantly the person who sets the tone on defense. However should this year go poorly I wouldn't be shocked to see a tag and trade scenario with Miller, and a new coaching staff. 

"Best for all Parties Involved"...a trade?

I grew up watching football and following it obsessively throughout the early 2000's to present day. So maybe this trade rings clearer in my memory than most so I will forgive you if you don't recall either of these players. Once upon a time the Chiefs and 49ers were both desperate for wide receivers so they both turned to the draft to select two very different prospects.

 The Chiefs selected 6'4 230 lb Jon Baldwin but through 2 seasons he had played in 26 games and caught just 41 passes for 579 yards and 2 tds. The touchdown number is what ultimately spelled the end to his Chiefs career as the big bodied receiver was drafted to be a redzone target. Tony Gonzalez was now a Falcon having left in 2008, and the signs of a decline by Dwayne Bowe were rampant but Baldwin just wasn't cutting it so the Chiefs looked to cut their losses in a creative way. They knew the 49ers weren't too happy with the production of their former first round pick Aj Jenkins.

Aj Jenkins was a much different player than Baldwin. He was 6'1 190 lbs, and known for his speed not his intimidating physical presence. He was also able to return kicks which added value. However he literally did nothing during his time with the 49ers. He appeared in 3 games despite being healthy all season, unable to crack the lineup. After he was targetted just one time and dropped the pass he essentially stopped receiving snaps totalling just 37 snaps as a 49er. Logging no statistics, despite the 49ers later appearing in the Super Bowl, Jenkins was allowed to see the field but again never logged a stat. He was subsequently traded to the Chiefs in exchange for Jon Baldwin in an attempt to cut their losses as well. In a rather unheard of move they were both able to move on from a bust and gain a player they felt was more valuable to their offense. 

So how did this trade pan out? The short answer is not well, for either player meaning it was a wash, both players saw a new start but weren't able to capitalize on the opportunity. While Jenkins did go on to catch his first pass 511 days after being drafted as a Chief, from a former 49ers teammate, Alex Smith. He went to play in 25 games for the team catching 17 passes for 223 yards, 4 carries for 4 yards, but ironically was never used as a return man and was out of football by 2015 failing to latch on with the Cowboys in 2015 and never signing again. While Jenkins' career was just taking off, Baldwin's was nearing it's close. He would go on to appear in 7 games, catch 3 passes for 28 yards, and after that one season with San Francisco never latched on with another NFL team. He went to camp with the Lions but didn't pass his physical and was waived the following day. The point of bringing up this trade is two NFL franchises find themselves in a similar predicament. The Eagles and Patriots have two highly drafted wide receivers on their roster that have failed to live up to expectations so far, so why not swap and see if a new atmosphere brings out the best in them. Those men are JJ Arcega-Whiteside, and N'keal Harry.

For those who don't know who these guys are let's start with the higher drafted of the two N'keal Harry. Harry was drafted in the first round of the 2019 draft selected 32nd overall. The former Arizona State player made first team all pac 12 in 2017, and 2018. Through 37 games in 3 seasons Harry dominated in college with 213 receptions for 2,889 yards for a 13.6 yards per reception, and 22 tds, then added 23 carries for 144 yards, and 3 tds. He even threw a pass for 46 yards at one point. In the NFL things have not gone well. Despite playing in 21 games through his first two seasons with 14 starts. Catching 45 receptions for 414 yards, and 4 tds adding 7 carries for 49 yards. The 6'3 228 lb wide receiver was supposed to be the next Randy Moss, but instead has turned in disappointing results. This is far from what the Patriots had hoped, you see Harry is the first wide receiver the Patriots have drafted in the first round under Bill Belicheck which is saying a lot. Keep in mind they had guys like Deion Branch, Troy Brown, and Julian Edelman during his tenure. Harry has since requested a trade from the Patriots. 

As for the second guy JJ Arcega-Whiteside was a 2nd round pick and was drafted just above physical freak DK Metcalf. Despite being a 6'2 223 lb receiver, JJAW has struggled mightily to get off of press coverage and is simply not quick enough off the line of scrimmage to gain separation like was expected. He has generated just 14 receptions for 254 yards and 1 td which is sort of misleading being that he is averaging 18.1 yards per reception despite having a career long of just 37 yards. Regardless this is a guy who simply put is now buried on the depth chart after the Eagles have used first round picks in back to back seasons on smaller, quicker receivers in Devonta Smith, and Jalen Reagor. They need that big body in their receiver corps but they simply don't have another guy like him on the roster. That's why a swap of JJAW and Harry makes so much sense. 

First of all the Patriots have signed on two players that JJAW is familiar with in Nelson Agholor another break out wide receiver that wa a bust in Philly, and Jalen Mills a DB. Both guys are veterans that can help guide his transition to a new team. Second of all Belicheck is a master of using players for their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses which is why I would expect to see JJAW be used on obvious run downs almost as an extra tight end due to his great blocking skills. On the other hand how does Harry fit with Philly? 

In Philadelphia like I mentioned Harry would be competing for 3rd on the depth chart and it would in theory take away some of the pressure on him to be a number 1 target. He would still give them that big bodied receiver they need for the redzone while also giving them an added threat on jet sweeps at times as well. Harry would get the fresh start he wants as he knows no one on the Eagles from his time with New England, and he would be coached by a former NFL receiver Aaron Moorehead who was a similarly styled player to Harry. 

Maybe the Patriots look at this swap and want more value, but I cant imagine anything more than a swap of late round picks. Maybe Philly sends JJAW and a 5th or 6th to New England for Harry and a 6th or 7th. Regardless this is a trade that to steal a phrase from Scott Pioli "was in the best interests of all parties involved." 

David Culley least known head coach, yet most upside?

If I told you that your team was going to hire a man who has worked directly with Bill Cowher, Andy Reid, Sean McDermott, and John Harbaugh you would likely expect that man to know what he is doing, and find success early on being that all these men managed that feat quickly in their careers. When I tell you this same coach helped guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance as a senior analyst, and wide receivers coach your faith in this hire would probably go that much more. Finally when I tell you he had a direct hand in designing the offense surrounding Lamar Jackson that led him to an MVP season in which he led the NFL in passing touchdowns, and on top of that set records for rushing yards, and attempts, as the assistant head coach, passing game coordinator, and wide receivers coach for the Ravens This should foster some faith in your new head coach. He has shown success at nearly every stop in the NFL, he hails from the most successful active coaching tree in the NFL, and he led a QB to an MVP season just 2 years ago. That's a resume that deserves consideration as a head coach. Then for some reason when you finally say that this coach is David Culley the harsh judgements begin to come up. I can't seem to understand why. 

David Culley first linked up with Andy Reid in Philadelphia in 1999, and stayed with him until 2017 which included his first 4 seasons in Kansas City. During this stretch he held the wide receiver coach role, the senior offensive analyst, and assistant head coach. He was allowed to move on, and decided to latch on with a former coworker Sean McDermott another former Eagles coach, who is currently the head coach of the Buffalo Bills where he has found tremendous success thanks to Josh Allen a potential MVP candidate in his own right. After just 2 seasons in Buffalo, Culley again tapped the Eagles' pipeline and was hired by Baltimore to serve as the assistant head coach, passing game coordinator, and wide receivers coach. His first year, Lamar took home his aforementioned MVP trophy. He has helped lead winning teams and worked with some of the most highly regarded coaches in the game right now yet can't get any respect. 

Currently he is the head coach of the Houston Texans. He takes over a roster that features one of the best young dual threat quarterbacks in the league in Deshawn Watson however, Watson wants out, at no fault of Culley's, yet for some odd reason he seems to catch some of the blame arguably due to the manipulation of the team by Jack Easterby. However when you look at the roster, assuming Watson returns to play this season there is talent there to work with. Just because DeAndra Hopkins, Jj Watt, and Jadeveon Clowney are gone does not mean this team is hopeless. Let's start on the offensive side of the ball:

At quarterback the team has Watson, Tyrod Taylor a guy who once led the Bills to the playoffs as a starter, Jeff Driskel, and rookie Davis Mills. Solid depth should Watson get suspended, if not odds are Driskel is the odd man out. 

At running back they bring back David Johnson, however this time he will compete with Mark Ingram, seatback Phillip Lindsay both with 1,000 yard seasons in the recent past, as well as former Patriot Rex Burkhead, and AAF star Dontrell Hillard. Stacked talent wise but how the carries shake out remains to be seen. 

At wide receiver they bring back Brandin Cooks, (who had a vintage Cooks season with 81 receptions for 1150 yards and 6 tds), Randall Cobb, and Keke Coutee from 2020, while adding Andre Roberts from the Bills, 3rd round pick Niko Mills, free agent acquisitions Donte Moncrief, Chris Conley, Taywaan Taylor, Alex Erickson, and Chris Moore to round out the depth chart. 

Tight end is a position of uncertainty after last year. Starter Jordan Akins is back but caught just 37 passes for 403 yards and 1 td, his backup Pharoh Brown caught 14 passes for 163 yards and 2 tds. Behind these two guys they have Ryan Izzo acquired in a trade with New England, 2019 3rd round pick Kahale Warring who caught just 3 passes last season, Paul Quisenberry, former CFL player Anthony Auclair, and 5th round pick Brevin Taylor. Although there is uncertainty here they aren't without talent. 

On the offensive line they have two solid bookend tackles with Laremy Tunsil at LT, Tytus Howard at RT, they added Marcus Cannon via trade who will slide into right guard, Justin Britt who was signed to play center and 2019 2nd round pick Max Scharping playing left guard. They also brought in former Packer Lane Taylor to add depth at guard and compete for the RG spot. 

All in all the cupboard isn't bare and I believe it even offers players Culley can succeed with. The same could be said about the defense. Despite losing big names like JJ Watt, and Jadeveon Clowney in recent years, free agency and the draft have brought in talent. 

Running a 3-4 defense requires depth at linebacker in droves. The Texans apparently subscribe to this theory because they have gone about adding a ton of players here. Whitney Mercilus, Zack Cunningham, and Jonathon Greenard are the hold overs here. Via trade the Texans added Shaq Lawson, and Jacob Martin at OLB. Lawson came over this offseason while Martin is one of the guys acquired for Clowney. They also have brought in Jordan Jenkins, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Joe Thomas, Christian Kirksey, Kevin Pierre-Louis, Hardy Nickerson Jr., Neville Hewitt, Nate Hall, and Tae Davis. They also drafted Garrett Wallow in round 5. Among these guys the Texans have a collection of guys who have started games at various other stops allowing them some room for competition and rotation at OLB to produce a better pass rush than 2020. In 2020 the team only produced 34 sacks with only 1 player logging more than 4 sacks on the year and he now resides in Arizona. Shaq Lawson might be penciled in as the starter currently but I expect Jenkins to play a huge role, he racked up 15 sacks between 2018-2019 seasons, but is coming off a down year with just 2 sacks in 2020. Lawson however had 4 sacks in 2020, a bit of a regression from his 2019 total of 6.5, add in the 4 sacks Mercilus racked up last season, the 3 contributed by Jacob Martin and the 1 sack Greenard suddenly you might have a productive rotation. 

To fill his shoes they brought in multiple guys. The first off the bench is expected to be DeMarcus Walker signed away from Denver followed by Maliek Collins signed away from Las Vegas, with Derek Rivers from the Rams, Vincent Taylor from the Browns, adding depth behind them. Charles Omenihu is expected to retain his starting job opposite of Walker. These two men combined for 8.5 sacks in 2020, and the Texans are hoping they can top that in 2021. 

The most improved position might be cornerback. They lost Jonathon Joesph, but replaced him with Desmond King II from Tennessee, as well as Terrence Mitchell, and Tavierre Thomas from Cleveland as well as Tremon Smith and Shyheim Carter from Indianapolis. Returning are Bradley Roby, Vernon Heargraves, John Reid, Aj Moore, and Cornell Armstrong. Desmond King II will likely slide right into the nickelback position allowing Mitchell to compete for a starting role. 

At safety the Texans have former 3rd round pick in 2018 Justin Reid, and at free safety they have former 2nd round pick in 2019 Lonnie Johnson Jr. last season they combined for 159 tackles, and 2 sacks in 2020 but no interceptions. Reid is more of a strong safety, while Johnson a converted cornerback has been playing the typical free safety role. While new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith has noted his positional versatility he is expected to continue to start at free safety and maybe cover slot receivers at times when needed but after rounding that depth at cornerback I think we will see him settle in at safety. If Lovie Smith, more on him later, is known for one thing as a coordinator it's for developing safeties. However they aren't hedging all their bets on him succeeding they also signed Terrence Brooks away from New England, and they also have Eric Murray who has played cornerback, and free safety, and racked up 71 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumbles in 2020. They also have special teamer Jonathon Owen's. This allows them more competition, and depth in case of injuries, they go 4 deep at safety, and cornerbacks. 

Lovie Smith is an absolute asset for first time head coach David Culley. Smith was a head coach in the NFL with the Bears and Buccaneers for a total of 11 years. He then went to the college level and coached the Illinois Fighting Illini for 5 seasons. When being hired for the Texans he was handed the associate head coach title and is essentially the defensive head coach for the Texans allowing David Culley to focus on what he knows, offense. 

On offense Culley made another smart move in my mind keeping Tim Kelly who served as the offensive coordinator in 2019, and 2020. He also served as the QB coach in 2020 which is crucial if Culley ever expects to win Watson over, which let's be honest that's priority number 1. Watson is young, mobile, accurate, and makes great decisions....on the football field. Regardless of his off field actions the Texans will want to save face with him to avoid plunging themselves back into QB purgatory. 

As if retaining Kelly wasn't smart enough, the next hire, Pep Hamilton cemented my thoughts on this offensive staff. Hamilton came on to serve as quarterbacks coach, and passing game coordinator. Hamilton is known for working with former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck for two years in college, then joining him in the NFL for 3 seasons. He moved on in 2016 to serve as assistant head coach, and quarterbacks coach for the Browns. That season didn't go well for the Browns. However Hamilton landed on his feet as the assistant head coach and passing game coordinator for Michigan under Jim Harbaugh he stayed in Michigan for 2017, and 2018. In 2019 Pep Hamilton saw an opportunity to join the XFL, as a head coach and general manager of the DC Defenders he put up a 3-2 record before joining the Chargers for the 2020 season as the quarterbacks coach overseeing the monumental performance of Justin Herbert as a rookie. This is nothing short of a win for the Texans. 

But that's not all, despite the turnover in the coaching staff Romeo Crennel returns as a senior advisor for football performance. Making him the first man that I know of to receive a promotion following stints as interim head coach with two franchises. Crennel is like that calming factor that the Texans desperately need, someone that knows football but is trusted by the higher ups to relay what the coaches need to succeed. Crennel is also the exact confidant you want in your corner for your first head coaching job. He has shown himself to want to develop other coaches. He stepped down as defensive coordinator to allow Mike Vrabel the chance to run the defense. Vrabel was handed that position after just 6 years as a coach, in part because Crennel tutored him over their 3 years together from 2014 to 2016 before Vrabel took over, during the season following he still had Crennel to lean on heavily if needed. In 2018 when Vrabel was hired as a head coach, less than a decade after retiring as a player, Crennel again resumed his duties as coordinator. In 2020 he again stepped aside this time so Anthony Weaver could take the next step up. Weaver too only lasted one season before moving on to Baltimore where he began his career as a player. Now the Texans are hoping Crennel can mentor a head coach who has never held an offensive coordinator position and now makes the leap to head coach. Then again this rookie head coach has the resume and support system to be successful. 

Former NFL Players be better Suited for a different position

At this point we have all heard the stories about Tim Tebow returning to the NFL as a tight end, a move he should have made his first stint in the NFL, and now with Tebow back in the NFL another former NFL player, Brandon Jacobs one of the largest running backs to play in recent memory had come out and stated that he too would be interested in a comeback at a different position than for the one he was known to play. A former 6'4 264 lb running back that once upon a time ran a 4.56 40 yard dash mentioned an interest in converting to DE and making his NFL comeback. This got me thinking who else is out there that left the NFL before they were physically done, but would be better suited to play a different position? 

My immediate thought was Eddie Lacy, Lacy was a former 2nd round pick who struggled with injuries early on in his career, after the injury bug bit him his weight became an issue. This became such an issue that pictures on social media circulated showing Eddie Lacy looking much over his draft weight of 231 lbs. Looking at his wikipedia's page he is listed at 253 lbs and to be honest the unflattering pictures made him look over that even. Reports of Eddie Lacy showing up to training camp at nearly 270 lbs surfaced in his final season in Green Bay. After a disappointing end to his time with the Packers, Lacy brought his big, bad self to Seattle on a one year $5.5 million deal. After struggling to get carries in Seattle, he managed just over 200 all purpose yards and that was it, since 2018 he has not been heard from. At 6'0 253 lbs Lacy has never really played another position on offense or defense. Which is why my proposal for Lacy may seem slightly boring, but I believe a shift to tight end or H-back much like Tim Tebow makes a lot of sense. First of all despite his life as a bigger back used for his strength punching through the defensive line, he was used as a 3 down back his first three seasons resulting in 97 receptions for 872 yards and 6 tds in 46 games. During this stretch Lacy was a runner first, and a receiver second and still managed over 2 receptions a game. On top of that Lacy is no stranger to blocking, his experience mostly lies with blitz pickups but regardless if teams are willing to convert quarterbacks and wide receivers to tight end based strictly off of physical attributes, then why not convert a guy who has real working experience to be successful at a new position. Lacy is just now 31 years old, it's been 3 full seasons with no NFL wear and tear on his body, he also only appeared in 14 games his last 2 seasons touching the ball in total less than 200 times. He is fully recovered from all injuries that plagued him earlier in his career, why not give this guy a shot at TE? 

Trent Richardson is 5'9 230 lbs at this point in his career and 30 years old. He unlike Lacy has stayed attached to football and the running back position anyway he can. After a 3 year career split between Cleveland and Indy, he tried to latch on with the Raiders, and Ravens failing to make it out of training  camp both times. After that he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL before an injury forced an early end to his season. In 2018 Richardson saw an opportunity to get back to American Football and stay closer to his kids, signing with the Birmingham Iron of the Aliance of American Football. He actually led this league in rushing tds before it folded and he was left unemployed again. However it was announced Richardson had signed with the Caudillos Pro Football Chihuahua a member of the Fútbol Americano de México. This is his latest attempt to stay at RB and continue to pursue his dream, but would his chances be better at a different position on the bottom end of a roster in the NFL? I for one think so. Hear me out, Richardson is 5'9 and 230 lbs, he was reportedly running a 4.53 40 yard dash, with a 37 inch vertical, and 25 lbs on the bench press at his proday. In college Alabama typically relies on carries and not catches to feed their backs but Richardson in 3 seasons racked up 64 receptions for 730 yards and 7 tds. He actually improved on those numbers drastically in his 3 year NFL stint showcasing his pass catching ability in 2012 with 51 receptions for 367 yards and 1 td. Over his next 2 seasons he added another 62 receptions, 445 yards and 1 td. While in the CFL he only caught 1 pass, but followed up again with strong numbers in the AAF with 31 receptions for 205 yards and 1 td in just 8 games. Bringing his professional totals to: 145 receptions for 1,119 yards and 3 tds in just 58 career games played which breaks down to 2.5 receptions a game for 19.2 yards per game. Not bad for a running back considered a bust at the NFL level. My proposal here is that Trent Richardson tries to latch on with an NFL club as a slot receiver. The NFL has shown a willingness to put athletic guys from other positions in the slot receiver role before. We have seen Antwaan Randel El, Julian Edelman, Kordell Stewart, and countless other athletes get on the field in this role, as well as an uptick in running backs used as slot receivers anyway. As a slot receiver his relative lack of height wouldnt be an issue as many slot guys are smaller, however his size would become an asset. He would be asked to go across the middle as a receiver often and his ability to break tackles in the open field would be an asset. I also believe he would be a much more explosive player if given the ball in space more often. This could be the way to make it happen, shoot maybe even put him back to return punts as well. 

Jake Locker is 33 years old but much like Tim Tebow he has been out of football since 2014. He retired due to many injuries, so projecting him at any other position other than QB unless you're talking about him moving to kicker or punter is probably a stretch but I'm going to do it anyway. Jake Locker has played QB his entire football career dating back to high school. He was always destined to be a QB at the next level, however he also played DB for his high school all four years. When he graduated high school he stood 6'3 230 lbs, and could have easily gone on to play safety in college or for that matter linebacker. Locker showed out at the combine with a 4.59 40 yard dash, 6.77 3 cone drill, 35 inch vertical, and 10 foot broad jump. To put that into perspective Taylor Mays in his 2010 combine at 230 lbs ran a 4.43 40 yard dash, 6.98 3 cone drill, 41 inch vertical, and 10 foot 5 inch broad jump. So Locker had all the physical attributes needed to be a 2nd to 3rd round draft pick as a safety should he have chosen this path. Maybe now is the time for him to give it a shot? This is by far the longest of all odds of any player on this list so far but Locker has the tools, just lacks the desire to play the game anymore. 

Here is a lesser known guy but a familiar name Joe Horn Jr. signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2019 but didn't make it through final cuts. He then was drafted by the XFL's Houston Roughnecks who then traded him to the New York Guardians for another wide receiver. Horn Jr. is just 5'10 185 lbs unlike his father who stood a little bit taller and was closer to the prototypical size for a wide receiver. However Horn Jr, just watched his younger brother get drafted in the first round as a defensive back, so why not give it a shot as well? Junior is only 26 years old right now, a move to cornerback or free safety could be exactly the thing he needs to latch on with a team, because it would only add to his already versatile resume that includes the ability to return kicks and punts, as well as take the occasional reverse. Instead flip him to defense have him play slot cornerback/free safety, serve as a return man and play on kick coverage teams. 

Sammie Coates is another guy who plays wide receiver but should consider a switch specifically to cornerback at 6'1 210 lbs he is exactly the size teams want in outside cornerbacks in the NFL. He has spent 5 seasons with NFL teams never sticking anywhere, landed with the XFL in 2020, and now the CFL for 2021 but the success hasn't been what anyone expected when he was projected as a late first or early second round pick. I would like to point out his time in the XFL gave a good indication why, targeted 19 times in 4 games Coates hauled in just 6 passes....resulting in a catch percentage of less than 30%. On defense if he caught 30% of the balls he got his hands on he would be a pro bowler every season. 

Cardale Jones was a very high profile name despite once being a third string QB in college and never rising past that role in his short lived NFL career. He turned to the XFL in 2020, but didn't fair any better completing just over 50% of his passes for just 6 yards an attempt 4 tds and 7 ints. However he added 16 carries for 61 yards. At 6'5 254 lbs he is certainly big enough to line up at a few other positions on the field however with a 4.81 40 yard dash, and 35 inch vertical I think he needs to follow the lead of another former XFL QB, Tyree Jackson and move to tight end. Teams are becoming increasingly more willing to experiment with players moving to tight end. I mean just take one look at the tight ends on the Eagles roster will show you how much so: Tyree Jackson former NFL qb, Hakeem Butler former NFL WR, Jason Croom former college WR. Jones is a guy whose name garners enough attention that a decision like this could catapult him right back into NFL training camp which is saying a lot for a guy who didnt receive a try out this offseason. 

Kony Ealy is a 6'4 275 lb defensive end for the Toronto Argonauts. You may remember him from his time in the NFL as a Carolina Panther thanks to a monster performance in the Super Bowl against Peyton Manning if all people. However he has fallen quite far from there in fact he fell right out of football for the 2019 season. After 3 seasons with the Panthers he was traded to the Patriots who cut him before he played in a regular season game. He signed with the Jets for the 2017 season, but jumped ship for Dallas a team that liked him as a rookie but missed out on drafting him. He didn't make the final roster and wound up bouncing on and off Oakland's roster for the 2018 season. 2019 came and went with no contract for Ealy. In 2020 he was added to the XFL draft where he was selected by the Houston Roughnecks. When the XFL folded Ealy was again unemployed and looked to the CFL for the 2021 season. However I believe a position change would better suit the 29 year old. The position I believe he should move to is actually a two part deal. The first part is tight end. At 6'4 272 lbs Ealy ran a 4.69 40 yard dash, had a 32 inch vertical, and 22 reps on the bench press. More importantly he played the position in high school, catching 22 passes for 501 yards and 3 tds. I believe this would be beneficial to him because of his prior experience at the position as well as his hands, let me explain. Through his brief 4 year NFL career despite bring a 275 lb defensive end Ealy managed not 1, not 2, but 3 interceptions with 35 return yards. He also managed to deflect 15 passes showing me the guy has a knack for tracking the ball a necessary trait for any tight end. As if these traits weren't enough in high school Ealy was a three sport athlete, can you guess the other two sports? If you guessed basketball, and track you were correct. I don't think I need to point out the relevancy of former basketball players playing tight end as it has proven rather successful with some huge names. 

Quintin Flowers is a guy who never really got a chance in the NFL, and he already plays two positions, quarterback, and running back. After a high school career that saw him pass for over 6,000 yards and add 2,000 rushing yards it's no surprise those are the positions he landed at. As a quarterback he struggled to complete over 60% of his passes but as a runner he established himself as an asset with 3,672 yards and 41 tds. In 2018 he went undrafted and was signed by the Bengals as a running back. He didn't make it through final cuts ultimately being added to the practice squad he did get some time on the active roster in December but recorded no stats. He was cut in final cuts in 2019 landing for a few days with Indy's practice squad before being cut again. He was selected in the 5th round of the XFL draft as a running back but coach Marc Trestman was a fan and wanted to use him as a QB too. He wound up completing 8 of 15 passes for 106 yards 0 tds, 1 int and added 16 carries for 78 yards and 1 td. He was selected by the Jousters in October 2020 for The Spring League's 2020 season but didn't play in the league instead opting to sign with the Beasts of the Fan Controlled Football League a team partially owned by Marshawn Lynch. He would go on to score multiple touchdowns in 3 of 4 games and finishing the season as the leader in passing tds, rushing tds, and total tds showing just how valuable he can be. However at 5'10 200 lbs I'm not sure he can hold up as much more than a slot receiver and 3rd down back in the mold of Darren Sproles. I certainly don't see him making it as a quarterback, and unfortunately until he focuses his efforts on a single role I don't believe he will make it at either position in the NFL, so I would like to see him focus on running back. Maybe if he succeeds in making an impact there they can start developing a package for him as a passer, but he just feels like a guy who would have been the perfect player for the Wildcat offense in Miami when they selected Pat White in round 2, but is unfortunately simply too small to play QB or RB as a full time starter at the NFL level.