By: Eric Mintzer

New England Patriots

Clearly, Tom Brady had a better 2020 than the franchise he left behind. For the first time since 2008, the New England Patriots did not make the playoffs. Meanwhile, Brady aims to win his record seventh Super Bowl. However, let’s not write off Belichek and the Patriots, just yet.

After a disappointing season, the Patriots will have the 15th overall pick in the next NFL Draft. In addition to their highest draft pick since 2008, the Patriots have $58 million in cap space, fifth most in the NFL this offseason. If the Patriots draft a quarterback to replace Cam Newton, then they can afford to pay Aaron Jones.

Last season, the Patriots ran on 51% percent of their offensive plays. Their dedication to the rush game ranked second highest behind only the Ravens. Ideally, Aaron Jones could be the center piece of Belichick’s offense to help ease a rookie quarterback into the NFL. Specifically, Jones would take the role of free agents James White and Rex Burkhead. In 2020, Jones averaged 3.7 targets per game, ranking seventh of all running backs. Yet, right behind him was James White with 3.6 targets per game. Both Jones and White were the beneficiaries of quarterbacks that were forced to check down. 

With a rookie quarterback, the Patriots would be in a similar situation to last year with Cam Newton. If Belichick plans to continue a run first offense, then Jones is the perfect man for the job. Evidently, he is a proven skillful back, who’s receiving abilities would be useful to a rookie.

Miami Dolphins

Realistically, Aaron Jones would be a help to all four teams in the AFC East. But, Miami emerges as an another excellent potential landing spot for Jones.

After losing their first two games, Miami went on to surprise many by winning 10 of their next 13 games. Unfortunately, they ended the season with a humiliating loss in Buffalo, which eliminated them from the postseason. Nonetheless, Brian Flores did an incredible job turning the Dolphins into a 10 win team.

Offensively, the Dolphins flipped between veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and rookie Tua Tagovailoa. While both had mixed success, it appears, for now at least, that the future of Miami belongs to Tua. Surely, Miami is going to use some of their $25 million in cap space, to build around the Alabama product.

As a team, Miami ranked 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards but 29th in yards per attempt. Essentially, this means that while they were able to have a slightly below average rushing attack, it was very inefficient. Specifically, the Dolphins averaged 1.4 yards after contact per rush. As mentioned early, Jones averaged 2.9 yards after contact, which means that he is able to extend plays.

Just as a team would do with a rookie quarterback, Jones would be the perfect asset to take pressure off of Tua. Between, his ability as a receiver and rusher Jones gives the Dolphins a much needed upgrade of Myles Gaskin. In fairness, Gaskin had a very fine 2020, in the seven games he started.

Lastly, Miami is rumored to be interested in taking Heisman winner Devonta Smith with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. If the Dolphins gain Jones and Smith, then they will have weapons offensive weapons to help Tua succeed. Based on the success of their defense in 2020, the missing piece for the Dolphins could be Aaron Jones. 

Atlanta Falcons

In Atlanta, 2020 was a year to forget. Despite being competitive in most games, the Falcons finished in last place in the NFC South with a record of 4-12. Moving forward, Atlanta has a lot of decisions to make on offense. Specifically, what to do with an aging quarterback, Matt Ryan, an unhappy superstar receiver Julio Jones and a pair of free agent running backs.

Going into the offseason, both Todd Gurley and Brian Hill are set to be unrestricted free agents. While they combined for over 1,000 yards of rushing, the Falcons were 27th in the NFL as a team. Sadly, they failed to reach 100 yards rushing 10 times this season. Naturally, this is in part because of the pass-heavy offense the Falcons have been known to run.

Yet, similarly to New England, rumors are swirling that at the fourth overall pick the Falcons are looking to take a quarterback. With a rookie quarterback, the Falcons have options. They can let the rookie learn under Matt Ryan, or trade Ryan and let the rookie start. Either way, they will need a running back and few are better than Aaron Jones.

In 2020, Jones averaged almost 5.5 yards per attempt. In stark contrast, rushers on the Falcons’ averaged only 3.7 yards per attempt, the second worst of any team in the NFL. Clearly, Jones benefitted from a better offensive line in Green Bay than the unit in Atlanta. However, Jones still proved he is impactful beyond the line. He averaged 2.9 yards after contact per carry. In comparison, the Atlanta rushing core averaged only 1.8. Obviously, Jones being able to gain a full yard per carry helps any offense.

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By: Eric Mintzer (Twitter: @MintSports)

1. Chicago Bears

In the 2017 Draft, Bears GM Ryan Pace traded up from the number three pick to the number two pick. Infamously, the Bears selected Mitchell Trubisky second overall. Later in the first round, the Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes, then the Texans selected Deshaun Watson. While Mahomes is going to be a Chief for a long time, Chicago should try again for Watson. 

In 2020, while switching between Nick Foles and Trubisky, there was little consistency in the Bears passing game. As a result, the Bears averaged only 228 passing yards per game, which ranked in the bottom ten in the NFL. Both Tribusky and Foles threw eight interceptions while combining for 26 touchdowns. 

Conversely, Watson led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards, while throwing 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Clearly, Watson outperformed both Chicago passers but also ran for 4.9 yards per attempt. In contrast, the Bears as a team averaged only 4.2 yards per rush. 

Unfortunately for Chicago, the Bears only converted on 34.6% of third downs, the second worst in the league. Their offensive struggles game to a boring point in Week 10, during a loss to the Vikings.

On Monday Night Football, the Bears only managed 149 yards of offense. After their bye, the Bears completely changed their offense to focus on the ground. As result, David Montgomery scored seven touchdowns in their final five games, after having only one in their previous ten. 

Over their final six games, the Bears averaged 382 yards of total offense. This shows that Head Coach Matt Nagy still possesses the offensive mindset he learned from Andy Reid in Kansas City. However, instead of Mahomes, Nagy is limited by Trubisky. Imagine, if Watson were under center for the Bears. 

If the Bears were to trade corner Kyle Fuller and their first-round pick (likely around 20th depending on their playoff success) then they would be able to afford Watson. Obviously, for the Bears offense to thrive, they would need to retain Allen Robinson, who had over 1000 yards receiving. Naturally, Robinson would be much more inclined to stay with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. 

2. Washington Football Team

Surprisingly, the Washington Football Team are in the playoffs, by virtue of the NFC East. Despite a 7-9 record, Ron Rivera and company will coach a home postseason game this weekend. Incredibly, the Washington Offense, only averaged 317.25 yards per game, the third-worst in the NFL. Just like the Bears, the Washington football team had their own inconsistencies at quarterback.

In Washington, the season began with now released Dwayne Haskins at starter. In six starts, Haskins threw five touchdowns and seven interceptions, averaging 205 yards per game. As a team, Washington went 1-5 in games that Haskins started. Ultimately, Haskins was released because of repeated violations of the NFL’s COVID protocols. 

Haskin’s successor for Washington, Kyle Allen, was efficient before suffering a season-ending injury. Finally, Alex Smith took the reins and won five of his six starts. But, Smith is 36 and playing after a gruesome injury. Clearly, he is not the long-term solution at quarterback. However, a perfect solution would be Deshaun Watson. 

In Washington, Watson would be teaming with Terry McLaurin, who hauled in 1,118 receiving yards. In the backfield, rookie Antonio Gibson caught 81.8% of passes thrown to him, 12th best in the NFL. Finally, Coach Ron Rivera has proven success with quarterbacks. In 2015, when Cam Newton won MVP, Ron Rivera was his head coach.

In return, Washington offers a chance for Houston to get back into the first round of the 2021 draft. Currently, Houston does not pick until the 3rd round because their first two round picks belong to Miami. Additionally, Washington has more than enough money in cap space to take on Watson’s contract. If Houston were to begin a rebuild, then a cheap Alex Smith might make sense for a year.

3. Denver Broncos

Like most of us, the Broncos did not have a great 2020. In the preseason, Von Miller suffered a season-ending injury. Next, lead receiver Courtland Sutton was injured on the first drive of the season, not to play again. Adding to their woes, the Broncos had to play a game without a quarterback. 

When the Broncos did have a quarterback, Drew Lock was not very good. In his second year, Lock regressed in completion percentage, touchdown percentage, and increased his interception percentage. In 2020, Lock tied Carson Wentz with a league-leading 15 interceptions.

However, the Broncos do not lack weapons. In the 2020 draft, the Broncos selected highly touted prospect Jerry Jeudy. In addition to Jeudy’s immediate impact, the Broncos saw production from Tim Patrick and tight end Noah Fant. Next, with a healthy Courtland Sutton, the Broncos have an excellent receiving group. 

If the Broncos were to acquire Watson, then they would immediately have one of the best offenses in the NFL. With Von Miller and Bradley Chubb returning from injury, the Broncos defense will be better as well. In 2021, Watson would turn the Broncos into a contender overnight.

Unlike Chicago and Washington, Denver did not make the playoffs. Therefore, the Broncos can offer a top 10 pick in the upcoming draft. Also, the Broncos only have enough cap space to take on half of Watson’s contract. Lastly, if the Texans are going to rebuild then Drew Lock is a low risk option at quarterback. 

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By: Eric Mintzer: (Twitter: @MintSports)

Deservingly, DeVonta Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since 1991. Incredibly, Smith caught 105 receptions for 1,641 yards and 20 touchdowns. To finish his amazing collegiate career, Smith and the Alabama Crimson Tide will be playing for the National Championship. Then, it’s off to the big lights on Sunday for Devonta. Here are the top three landing spots for the 2020 Heisman Trophy Winner.

Philadelphia Eagles

Like most of us, the Eagles want to forget 2020. This season, the Eagles’ passing game has been awful. After leading the league in interceptions, Wentz was benched for rookie Jalen Hurts.  While Hurts has added a spark to the Eagles offense, they still lacked production from their wide receivers. 

In 2020, the Eagles averaged 5.6 yards per attempt, which was the worst in the NFL. Disappointingly, their leading receiver was Travis Fulgham with only 539 receiving yards. Last year’s first-round pick Jalen Reagor suffered an injury that caused him to miss five games. Yet, in the 11 games, he did play, Reagor only caught five receptions one time.

Clearly, Devonta Smith would give the Eagles a playmaker. With Hurts playing quarterback, and Boston Scott in the backfield, Smith can be utilized in run pass options. Together, Hurts and Smith bring an explosive level of speed that will give defenses fits. Additionally, it will reunite a pair of former Alabama standouts.

Ultimately, the issue here is that the Eagles will have a lot of questions going into next season. Will Carson Wentz remain with the team? How about Doug Pederson and the coaching staff? Of course, there will be plenty of internal discussion before the draft. But, the Eagles could use the sixth overall pick on Devonta Smith.

Baltimore Ravens

Truly, the Ravens are a run-first team, leading the league with 55.9% of their plays on the ground. For the second season in a row, Lamar Jackson ran for over 1,000 yards becoming the first quarterback to do so. However, Jackson did regress as a passer. In 2020, Lamar threw ten less touchdowns and three more interceptions than the year prior. Additionally, his accuracy and passer rating also decreased.

Evidently, this was partially because of injuries to his star left tackle, Ronnie Stanley, which left him with less time in the pocket. Furthermore, it is possible that defense simply made better adjustments with more tape on Jackson. But clearly, the Ravens are lacking a true number one receiver.

For Baltimore, Marquise Brown led the team in targets, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. However, he only caught 58 passes out of 100 targets. Tight End Mark Andrews finished also finished with 58 receptions but on 88 targets. Still, Andrews ranked 100th in the NFL in catch percentage.

Historically, the Ravens have always been a team built on defense and rushing. Ground and pound is how they won their two super bowls. Unfortunately for the Ravens, the NFL has became a passing league. By adding Devonta Smith, the Ravens would have a true deep ball threat, that will catch more than 58% of targets. 

Realistically, the Ravens will be picking in the mid 20s, which means if they are going to take Smith, then they’re going to need to trade up. While the rumor mill has been relatively quiet, anything can happen on draft night.

New England Patriots

Much like the Eagles, 2020 was not kind to the Patriots. Notably, the surprising divorce of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. In his first year outside of New England, Brady threw for over 4600 yards and 40 touchdowns. As a result, Brady led the Bucs to their first playoff appearance since 2007. Conversely, Belichick and the Patriots missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

With Cam Newton at quarterback, the Patriots shifted focus to a rushing attack. In 2020, the Patriots ran the ball at the second highest rate in the league, behind only the Ravens. Additionally, they tied for last in passing touchdowns, with only 12 on the season. Incredibly, out of those 12 only two were completed to receivers. 

Obviously, Cam’s health and arm strength greatly limited the Patriots passing game. With Cam unable to throw downfield, the Patriots relied heavily on short passes. Unfortunately, Jakobi Meyers and Damiere Byrd both averaged only 3.7 yards after catch, which tied for 122nd in the NFL. Clearly, the Patriots missed the presence of Julian Edleman, who missed most of the season with an injury.

In all likelihood, Cam will not be back with New England next season. If the Patriots don’t use their 14th overall pick on a quarterback, then Belicheck will likely take Devonta Smith. Naturally, Smith has an elite skill set that can be the foundation of an offense. Seen as undersized, Smith will be the next in line to fill the famous Patriots’ slot receiver role, like Wes Welker and Edleman. 

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