Vance Joseph

Recent history has shown that the Cardinals are a franchise that likes to promote from within the organization. Given this tendency, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph seems like a candidate for consideration as the next head coach. That being said, he may not be the right pick for this particular situation. If the team is looking to move beyond the sick taste that is currently in its mouth, internal promotion isn’t likely to be the way to get there.

Joseph had one other opportunity as a head coach in the NFL for the Denver Broncos in 2017 and 2018, in which he finished with a coaching record of 11-21. That doesn’t inspire a lot of hope for his candidacy this time around, despite the Cardinals’ tendency for internal promotions. If the team is serious about getting back to the status of a playoff contender in the NFC, it’s going to require looking elsewhere.

DeMeco Ryans

DeMeco Ryans’s name has been floating around the rumor mill economy as a possible NFL head coach next season. At the moment, the defensive coordinator of arguably the best defense in the league right now is a hot commodity. The Cardinals could take benefit from taking a look at him as their next coach.

But will Ryans want the challenge of going from an NFC frontrunner to a struggling franchise? Or might he look at another team in need of a head coach, like the Broncos or Houston Texans, the latter of which he has an established history with. Perhaps the fate of the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs will help to sort out these questions.

Sean Payton

The most obvious choice for the Cardinals is to bring in Sean Payton. A return to an NFL head coaching position for Payton seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, with the Cardinals and Broncos both showing interest in him. His .631 career winning percentage is a huge reason why. To turn things around in Glendale, it’s got to be the hiring of this Super Bowl winning coach that does it.

There is enough talent on this Cardinals team even with the retirement of J.J. Watt and the likely leaving of DeAndre Hopkins to be players in the NFC West. Payton can bring to this organization something they’ve been lacking since the departure of Bruce Arians: a true leader. What’s more, Kyler Murray deserves to have a coach who fully knows how to nurture his talents and lead him into the maturity necessary to be one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. The Cardinals’ intentions as a franchise will be revealed in this choice. It needs to be Sean Payton.

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By: Brock Wells

The Arizona Cardinals defense mightily struggled against the Kansas City Chiefs Week One in Glendale. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense had anything they wanted against the Cards defense. Mahomes threw for five touchdowns on the team’s way to a comfortable 44-21 win. But the bigger story than Mahomes’s success is how bad the Cardinals defense looked. After all, the Cardinals were a playoff team last year, though they skidded across the regular season finish line.

It’s worth pointing out that the Cardinals were without a couple of key pieces on their defense due to injury. J.J. Watt, who misses games far more often than he plays these days, was out once again, this time with a calf injury. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready for Week Two. Trayvon Mullen also didn’t play, nor did Antonio Hamilton, who suffered a freak burn accident just before the start of the season. That’s just the kind of offseason, training camp, and preseason the team had.

That said, the Cardinals’ defensive leaders, Zaven Collins, Isaiah Simmons, and Budda Baker are going to need to step up in Week Two if the team is going to be able to avoid starting 0-2. Particularly Simmons, who is expected to become a next-level player this season, and has taken over as defensive play-caller. In addition, the defensive front struggled to get any meaningful pressure on Mahomes, who was hit or hurried on very few occasions throughout the game.

Cardinals Defensive Stat Highlights:

• Zaven Collins: 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
• Marco Wilson: 5 tackles, 2 pass breakups, forced fumble
• Byron Murphy: 4 tackles, fumble recovery
• Dennis Gardeck: 2 tackles, QB hit, forced fumble

Cardinals defense coordinator Vance Joseph blitzed Mahomes and the Chiefs more often than any team has ever done. This is a strategy that didn’t pay off. It’s also worth noting that the Cardinals were one of several teams throughout preseason who chose to play very few starters. Certainly, a great deal of rust was present throughout the game. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Mahomes exposed several holes inherent in this defense.

It all comes down to the simple fact that everything that could possibly have gone wrong for the Cardinals defense did. They were unprepared, sloppy, outmatched, and confused. It’s unlikely that the defense is as bad as they were in Week One and again in Week Two against the Las Vegas Raiders. Some of the rust of having not played much in the preseason should be starting to wear off for this team. But this defense has glaring issues, and they’re all over.

Watt’s return (if and when that is) will add a bit of depth to the defensive line for the Cardinals. But that alone isn’t going to be enough. If the team is serious about making another run to the playoffs this season, which they have enough talent to do certainly, the defensive players who are expected to step into star roles for the team are going to have to find a way to do so. They could find themselves in dangerous waters if the offense is expected to pick up all the defense’s slack.

The post Is the Cardinals defense okay? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The NFC West was considered the elite division in the NFL as little as a year ago but things have progressed since, despite having the current Super Bowl champions in the Los Angeles Rams. 

Russell Wilson is no longer in the division, and no one quite knows who will be the QB1 in San Francisco. 

But who is the divisions best quarterback? Here are the rankings of the NFC West quarterbacks from best to worst.

Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)

What better place to start than with the QB1 of the Super Bowl Champions. Whilst Stafford was not the reason the Rams won Super Bowl 56 over the Cincinnati Bengals, with 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, he was certainly the final piece of the jigsaw as the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the 1999 season. 

The Rams were always contenders, making it all the way to Super Bowl 53, but there was always something missing at the quarterback position. Jared Goff did well but even he would admit he was probably not good enough to take the Rams where they needed.

He was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Stafford and the rest is history. Stafford had reached the postseason on three previous occasions, but each time came up short at the first attempt. His lack of playoff wins was a factor pointed out by sceptics when he arrived but when the Rams made the playoffs, Stafford showed why the team gave up so much to get him. In four games, he threw for 1,188 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions as well as having a 70% completion percentage (98 from 140).

In the regular season, Stafford also impressed. Only Tom Brady (43) threw for more touchdown passes (41), with Stafford throwing for the third-most passing yards (4,886). 

Stafford is clearly the choice for the number one spot on this list and it will take a lot for the other players in this list to catch him up.

Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)

Murray’s future is unclear, with his fifth option exercised but no longer-term deal in place at time of writing. 

The 2019 first overall pick has shown signs of his potential but is yet to fulfil this on a consistent basis. In three seasons, he has thrown for 11,480 yards, 70 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, whilst also recording  1,786 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. 

A trend of Murray’s career so far is starting off the season well but tailing off down the stretch. He will need a big year to convince the Cardinals front office that he is the player moving forward. Either way, he still remains second on this list.

Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers)

When the 49ers lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game back in January, it was seen by many to be the end of Jimmy G in San Francisco. However, he is still on the team.

Having missed OTA’s due to rehab on his shoulder,  he has yet to be traded. Say what you want about Jimmy G, but he wins games. Simple as that. Whilst he has never been the reason for the 49ers winning games, he is a very serviceable quarterback. With uncertainty over Lance after reports of the organisation being underwhelmed, Garoppolo is the right guy to be under centre for the 49ers in week one. 

Drew Lock/Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)

Whether it is Lock or Smith, there is no way they aren’t at the bottom of this list. Lock has a great start to life in the NFL, when he started for the Denver Broncos towards the end of the 2019 season, his 2020 and 2021 campaigns flattered to deceive. Meanwhile, Smith has been a backup for most of his career. Neither of these quarterbacks, whoever starts against the Broncos in week one, are likely to inspire confidence from fans or the Seattle coaching staff. 

The post Ranking the NFC West Quarterbacks right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Chinmay Kulkarni

The Arizona Cardinals were the power-ranking darlings early in the regular season. Four months later, the supposed powerhouse in the NFL stands as the number one fraud team in the league. Don’t get me wrong, the Cardinals are still a good team ”“ having a good roster, a great quarterback, excellent running game, and superb pass catchers. If football were played in an excel file with only stats and figures, the Cardinals would be Superbowl contenders. Unfortunately, football is still a sport highlighting the human element, a sport of talent and skill.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury is a huge part of the problem of his team’s late-season woes, making some head-scratching decisions in crunch time. The Cardinals are amid a three-game skid, losing to the Rams, Lions, and Colts consecutively.

Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results is the sign of madness, and likewise, Kliff Kingsbury is 100% an airhead that has little football knowledge and zero ability to adapt. As the Cardinals head coach, he’s started seasons 3-3-1, 5-2, and 7-1, only to fall to 2-7, 3-6, and 3-5 respectively each year. It’s evident that teams figure out his schemes, and last season’s collapse from the upper echelon of the NFC to missing the playoffs is a prime example that the Cardinals stink from the head down.

A lot of coaches in the NFL make boneheaded decisions ”“ Matt Rhule switching back and forth from Cam Newton to Sam Darnold within a game, Brandon Staley’s addiction to going for it on fourth down, Ron Rivera had 50 points hung over his head – there’s an endless list. Kliff Kingsbury fits this mold perfectly, and his decision-making in the loss against the Lions was staggeringly bad – choosing to go for fourth downs unsuccessfully in the early game, and then kicking field goals when the game was already out of reach. There’s very little consistency in the play calling. Their loss to the Colts was also riddled with penalties, with twice as many penalties as Frank Reich (a good coach) and the Colts, and 85 yards of penalties.

It’s not possible to talk about Kingsbury’s career without mentioning his college career. Why the Cardinals decided to hire a college coach with a losing record is a mind-boggling decision. And not only was he bad in college, but the playbook for hiring a coach from college is littered with those that fail in the NFL – Matt Rhule, Bill O’Brien, Greg Schiano, Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, Chip Kelly, etc. Judging by Cardinals play, Kliff Kingsbury is set to join the ranks of failed college coaches. It’s difficult to find a Pete Carroll or a Jim Harbaugh that can make a difference and turn around a franchise.

Let’s cut the Cardinals some slack, with big-name injuries piling up. The passing offense took a hit with DeAndre Hopkins gracing IR for the regular season, and the leading TD scorer James Conner being day-to-day for a Week 17 matchup against the Cowboys. Who can forget about J.J. Watt on an already ailing defense?

Looking ahead to the Cardinals schedule – traveling to Dallas in Week 17, scheduling to be a huge matchup for both teams looking to better their playoff seeding. If anything can be indicated from the Cowboys destruction of Washington, the Dallas defense should be able to contain the Arizona offense while moving the ball on offense. Unfortunately, the Cowboys hype train is at an all-time high this week so Dallas will inevitably find a way to screw up like they always do. The already eliminated Seahawks are the last game of the season, one that they should easily win since Seattle has nothing left to play for, barring some big off-season decisions.

There’s not too much of a reason to press the panic button on the Cardinals’ season just yet, but fans notice the pattern and might want to wait before calling this team dead before the date with Dallas. As for Kliff Kingsbury, he’s firmly on the hot seat if the Cardinals don’t perform in the playoffs.

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By: Jake Rajala

The 2021 Arizona Cardinals team is a noticeably different animal than the 2020 Cardinals squad. Despite the vast number of upgrades to the roster and key young players garnering an offseason of growth, the new-look Cardinals team has been vastly underrated appreciated in the wide view of football media. 

Prior to Week 1 kicking off, NFL.com writer Dan Hanzus placed the Cardinals at a mediocre 18th spot. The Cardinals came in just one spot ahead of the Dallas Cowboys, who were third in the NFC East last season, and two spots behind the Indianapolis Colts, a team whose QB was sidelined for disastrous play last season. This ranking is mind-boggling, especially since an NFL.com article projecting the Cardinals to be astounding came out just one day prior.  

Cynthia Frelund, who has mastered NFL Network’s projections as an analytics expert, predicts the Cardinals to make the playoffs and she hands them the third-highest win ceiling in the NFC (behind TB and GB). It isn’t exactly a contradicting output, but yet it is a hysterical notion that some experts feel the Cardinals are a step from a step away from being a dangerous, NFC contending team — while in-depth analytics from a simulation of 81,600,000 projects the Cardinals to be elite.

I believed the Cardinals were a Top 10 team heading into the season and surely and can be an 11-12 win football team. After the Cardinals monster victory over the hyped-up Tennessee Titans, NFL..com surprisingly moved AZ up a mere four spots. Their current predicament is three spots behind the Chargers, two spots behind the Packers, and just one spot ahead of the New England Patriots. I believe it’s still a bizarre spot for the already very impressive AND talented NFC West team.

Frelund projected the Seahawks as the odd team out in the west prior to Week 1. I would feel comfortable with having the popular 49ers squad as the team out in the West. The 49ers seemed to try really hard to hand the Lions, who arguably have the NFL’s least talented roster, a victory last Sunday. To say I’m bullish on Jimmy G’s arm strength and charisma to bring a somewhat depleted defense to the playoffs in the brutal NFC West would be an understatement. The defense hardly showed the ability to complement their subpar QB against a below mediocre Lions offense in Week 1. The Lions had a whopping 438 total yards against SF’s defense, while Goff had 318 passing yards in his offense’s total effort. An unsettling cherry on top for the 49ers defensive concerns has to lie with the fact that they didn’t only allow Goff to shred their secondary, but the Lions had their will at running the football against the 49ers front seven. The Lions ground game was also were very efficient with a 4.83 YPC and 116 rushing yards. I believe the 49ers, whose defense and run game are a far cry from what the team that competed in the 2020 Super Bowl, have to be seen as the odd man out in the wild west.

The Cardinals are truly a juggernaut team. They have Chandler Jones, who was the NFC defensive player of the year in 2019, back and hunting down QBs. He showed up with a legendary performance in Week 1 with an astounding five sacks. I believe the Cardinals made a brilliant move in improving the short Super Bowl window by acquiring J.J. Watt and letting Haason Reddick leave in free agency. I believe this team is gunning to “win now” and they also made that visible by picking up A.J. Green in free agency. The players that were/are great rookie pickups in the ole Madden 12 fantasy draft really still have years left of high-caliber play left in the tank. DeAndre Hopkins has also stated that he feels Green is “still in his prime”. 

The more dangerous, yet underlooked Cardinals team will finally look to close out more games with a more seasoned Kyler Murray. The electric dual-threat QB has already taken very positive strides in his young career. Murray went from winning offensive rookie of the year in 2019 to a more robust version of himself in 2020. Murray threw six more touchdowns and improved his passer rating from 57.7 in 2019 to 68.9 in 2020. The 5’10 Murray could realistically take that big stage step into his third year, just like Bills big arm Josh Allen had done. A more dazzling Murray with a team under the radar in its own division may very well unfold to be the third NFC West team to play in the Super Bowl in the past three years.

The post Arizona Cardinals are the biggest dark horse Super Bowl contender appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans going into the 2021 season. Their quarterback situations are far from clear and their overall rosters are mediocre at best.

The same goes for their head coaches, with all three going into their first seasons at the franchise. Neither of Dan Campbell, Nick Sirianni, or David Culley has been a full-time head coach in the NFL. Campbell is the only one to have some experience, with his spell as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

Here is why you should be expecting the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the three worst records in the league in 2021.

Saying Goodbye To A Franchise Legend In Detroit. Struggles For The Replacement

Matthew Stafford was the number one overall pick in 2009, with the entire city of Detroit hoping he would be the man to turn around the fortunes of the franchise. Despite three seasons of making the playoffs, the Lions and Stafford never won a single postseason game as the wait continues. The Lions remain the team with the second-longest period without a playoff win, their last taking place on January 5th, 1992.

Stafford had some great individual moments as a Lion, most notably his Mic’d up moment during his 2009 rookie season. In a week eleven game against the Cleveland Browns, he overcame injury to produce a moment of pure heroism. He played with a separated shoulder despite the efforts of the medical staff to keep him off the field, leading the Lions to a touchdown-winning drive.

Jim Caldwell guided the Lions to these playoff appearances but was not seen as good enough to take them to the next step. New England Patriots assistant head coach Matt Patricia was brought in but never took to life as head coach. The Lions had three consecutive losing seasons under the coaching of Patricia. They will hope that they have found their guy in Dan Campbell. His press conference was certainly not dull, with Campbell referring to “biting kneecaps”. As a former Lions player, he knows what it takes to play in the league. He also knows about the city of Detroit and his intentions are both positive and clear. If he is given time, he has the desire to bring the good times back to Detroit. However, he is inexperienced as a head coach and the roster is below average.

New quarterback Jared Goff has the potential to struggle. This is despite the drafting of offensive lineman Penei Sewell at seventh overall, a selection that had Campbell and new General Manager Brad Holmes very excited.

Despite his brilliant 2018 season that saw the Rams reach Super Bowl 53, Goff had a poor game and struggled in 2020 as he and head coach Sean McVay’s relationship deteriorated.

Goff struggled despite a plethora of offensive talent around him. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. He is going to a franchise that let go of their two best wide receivers and failed to replace them.

The Lions have a schedule that features the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. There are also two games against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. The Lions do not have it easy.

Prediction: 3-14

Trouble In Philadelphia; Reason For Hope?

The Eagles have seen three years of gradual decline after winning Super Bowl 52. The 2017 season saw the Eagles lift the Lombardi Trophy for the first time after two previous attempts.

Doug Pederson was the head coach to guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl but was fired after the conclusion of the 2020 season. His decision to bench rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts in order to lose and gain a higher draft pick appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.

Carson Wentz had an MVP caliber season before an injury derailed hopes of winning the award. Backup Nick Foles stepped in and guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl 52 win. He also stepped in a year later and guided the Eagles to a shock Wildcard Round win against the Chicago Bears, with thanks also going to a Cody Parkey missed field goal.

Both Foles and Wentz are no longer Eagles players. Out of the starters in that Super Bowl 52 win, only seven remain with the franchise. Their decision to draft Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson continues to be mocked by rival fans and nobody knows how new head coach Nick Sirianni will do in the role.

The schedule is mixed for Philadelphia. Whilst they face the New York Jets, Lions, and twice play the New York Giants, they also have to face the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.. This is as well as facing a rising Washington Football Team twice as well as playing the Dallas Cowboys both home and away.

Reports have surfaced in recent days of the Philadelphia Eagles being the favourites for Deshaun, with talks said to be “heating up”.

This could be a move that transforms the franchise. However, Deshaun Watson had his best statistical season yet the Texans only managed four wins all year. This proves that whilst it is very important to have a good quarterback, you need more around to be successful.

Unless the Eagles do something in what remains of the offseason, they will continue to be mediocre if their roster continues to be this poor. If they get offensive or defensive talent in the next one or two offseasons, then they are a team that will compete for years to come. Otherwise, the Eagles will fail to be a threat to both the NFC and NFC East.

This is why Deshaun should avoid the Eagles at this present time. He will be going into a situation no different to what he experienced in Houston.

Prediction: 4-13

What A Difference A Year Makes

Where do we start with the Houston Texans? The 2019 season saw them take a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. However, they allowed 41 unanswered points as they lost 51-31. What has unfolded since in the following nineteen months has been reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

Head coach Bill O’Brien, who also was general manager, made the unusual decision to trade star wide receiver, Deandre Hopkins. In exchange, the Texans received a running back past his sell-by date in David Johnson, one second-rounder and one fourth-round pick. O’Brien only lasted four games in the 2020 season as they finished the campaign with just four wins.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 season, franchise legend J.J Watt has left and there continues to be an uncertain future surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston’s quarterback requested a trade in January before allegations of sexual assault arose. These have lingered throughout the remainder of the offseason. It is unclear if Watson will play in the NFL at all in 2021 but even if he does, it is unlikely that he will be wearing a Texans jersey.

Houston has said they would listen to trade offers for Watson, with the franchise said to be wanting three first-round picks. They have also acquired Tyrod Taylor via Free Agency and used their first pick in the draft on Davis Mills in the third round. Even if the Eagles stick with Hurts, there will be plenty of other suitors.

Even with Watson, the Texans are light on the ground when it comes to elite talent. Linebacker Zach Cunningham and Laremy Tunsil are talents and despite adding Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram to the running back room, the roster is one of the league’s worst.

David Culley has developed somewhat of a worrying reputation after his time with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens. During his fourteen-season spell with the Eagles, his four seasons with the Chiefs, and two years with the Ravens, he had 0 wide receivers earn a PFF grade of 80 or above.

The Chiefs wideouts went an entire season without a touchdown under Culley. With a wide receiver room featuring Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and Anthony Miller, this is not exactly a position of strength for the Texans. Culley is unlikely to see any of these receivers score high PFF grades.

Whilst the Texans might be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars twice and the Jets, they have a tough schedule. They will face the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Houston will also play the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans twice.

They are unlikely to win many of these games. Fans should be expecting a difficult season.

Prediction: 2-15

The post Expect the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the worst records in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The San Francisco 49ers are one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. Only the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers (both 6) have more Super Bowl wins than the 49ers (5). The 49ers’ five Super Bowls all came between the years of 1981 and 1994. They have lost two since, in the 2012 and 2019 seasons. The quarterbacks that led the 49ers to the Lombardi Trophy were Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young. Three of those five wins saw Montana as the starter and Young as the backup.

Young is seen by many as the best backup quarterback in history, considering the gold jacket that he earned despite many years as the backup to Montana. He would win a Super Bowl as the starter after the franchise moved on from Montana. Ever since Young decided to hang up his cleats, the 49ers have struggled to find his replacement. Have they found the guy in Trey Lance?

Perhaps, but here is why the quarterback situation involving Lance and current starter Jimmy Garoppolo could prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West during the 2021 season.

Struggles Since Young

Jeff Garcia was the man to come in for Young. During his five seasons in the Bay, he threw for 113 touchdowns and 56 interceptions as well as 16,408 passing yards. He had a 35-36 record as a starter for the 49ers in the regular season and a 1-2 record in the postseason, meaning he never hit the heights of his predecessor.

Alex Smith was the number one overall pick in 2005, shattering Aaron Rodgers’ dreams. However, he was a good quarterback, not a great quarterback. Colin Kaepernick replaced Smith and took the 49ers to the Super Bowl. They ended up losing to the Baltimore Ravens in a game often called the ”˜Blackout Bowl’. Kaepernick failed to live up to the standards he set that season.

He would be kicked out of the league for taking the knee in a protest against police brutality in 2016. He has not played a snap in the NFL since. Jimmy Garoppolo was traded from the Patriots to the 49ers midway through the 2017 season. He gave hope to the organization after winning all five of the games he started in 2017. The fanbase had hope going into the 2018 season.

Many non-49ers fans had San Francisco down as their dark horse for the season. A season-ending injury to Garoppolo in Week 3 saw the starting role shared between Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard. However, the 49ers finished 4-12 as they went into 2019 with the second overall pick. Nick Bosa was selected and transformed the defense of San Francisco and Jimmy G had the best season of his career. He threw for 3,978 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Despite these stats, Garoppolo saw his production limited in the NFC Championship game as the coaching staff decided to use more of their running game. This led to many questions leading to the Super Bowl. The 49ers threw away a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter as they would end up losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54.

Garoppolo was criticized heavily for an overthrown pass to Emmanuel Sanders that would have given San Francisco back the lead. His 2020 season saw a mixture of poor form and injury. During the 2021 offseason, the 49ers traded up with the Miami Dolphins to gain the number three overall pick. They took Lance with the pick, showcasing their intentions to eventually move off from Garoppolo. There is now talk of whether San Francisco and head coach Kyle Shanahan will start Lance in week one. The other scenarios discussed are either Lance coming in mid-season or sitting out the whole campaign as the backup to Garoppolo. The uncertainty will have a significant impact on the 49ers’ season.

The Strength of the NFC West

This is a problem that will affect all four teams in the best division in the NFL. There is a chance that all four teams can make the playoffs. Los Angeles has an exciting new quarterback in 2009 first overall pick Matthew Stafford. Both the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray that they would never dream of trading away. Meanwhile, the 49ers’ starting quarterback is largely unpopular by fans, due to a mixture of the overthrown pass in the Super Bowl, his poor 2020 campaign and his injury record.

San Francisco has the least trusted quarterback in the division. With the position being one of the most crucial in all sports, it does not bode well for a team when there is uncertainty in the position. Garoppolo may be benched at some point during the season for Lance. However, the 49ers would be putting a rookie that will still be learning the system into the toughest division in the NFL.

Learning From Mahomes, Jackson, Tua and Burrow

If San Francisco are to help Lance succeed, they will need to take some lessons from recent draft classes. Patrick Mahomes, widely seen as the best quarterback in the league, spent all but one game of his 2017 rookie season as a backup to Alex Smith. The Chiefs then traded Smith the following offseason and Mahomes has never looked back. In his first three full seasons as a starter in the NFL, he has reached two Super Bowls, winning one. He has also been crowned MVP and Super Bowl MVP and reached three successive AFC Championship games. All three have been at home. On the flip side, 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow started in week one of his rookie year. He wouldn’t last the season, only playing ten games before injury curtailed his first NFL campaign. He was impressive before his injury but there are no guarantees he will be the same player when he returns.

Lamar Jackson was a backup to Joe Flacco during his 2018 rookie year but won the starting role midseason. He has since gone on to win an MVP award and is the future of the franchise. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins brought Tua Tagovailoa in mid-season but he struggled in his rookie season. He is seen to already be on the hot seat, with many feeling the Dolphins rushed him in. These examples all show there are reasons for the 49ers to be hasty when it comes to choosing when to bring Lance into the starting role.

Lance Or Garoppolo In 2021?

The 49ers will have to decide soon who their starter will be in 2021. Considering Lance has only played one full season (2019), he is likely to start the season as the backup. He only threw for a combined total of 31 passing attempts, two touchdowns and 1 interception across the 2018 and 2020 seasons, albeit the latter campaign being disrupted by the pandemic. He is likely to be a work in progress but his 28 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in 2019 mean that he is one for the future.

Garoppolo will likely start in week one but it was clear from the NFC Championship game that Shanahan doesn’t completely trust him.

Jimmy G is a capable quarterback but his health is a concern. Expect Garoppolo to remain as the starter provided the 49ers are winning games but for Lance to come in should Garoppolo either be injured or start the season poorly.

Should this happen, this will be the end of Garoppolo’s time in San Francisco. Depending on timing, he will then be traded either before the deadline or in the 2022 offseason.

Can The 49ers Returning Players Avoid A Repeat Of 2020?

This is key if the 49ers are to challenge for both the NFC West and the NFC. After earning the number one seed and reaching Super Bowl 54 during the 2019 campaign, San Francisco finished 6-10 in 2020 and bottom of the division. A ”˜Super Bowl Hangover’ played its part but the main cause of such a decline was down to a colossal amount of injuries the team suffered. Along with the aforementioned Garoppolo, the 49ers also saw Bosa, Dee Ford, George Kittle, Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel and Solomon Thomas miss large chunks of the 2020 season due to injury.

San Francisco had 33 players reported questionable and there were 186 occasions when the 49ers reported a player on injured reserve. They had the second-most injuries of any team in the NFL over the past twenty years. Should all these players come back, then this 49ers roster will be one of the best in the league. This will make life much easier for whoever the San Francisco starting quarterback is.

However, from the strength of the division to the uncertainty at quarterback, San Francisco will find it tough to win the NFC West.

The post Why the QB situation may prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Chris Thomas

In recent memory, it is hard to recall so many extremely talented free agent players still available at this point of the offseason. The reasoning may be that teams wanted to wait till after the draft to see if they could fill the remaining needs on their roster in the early rounds. Teams may also want to wait till training camp to see if the players on their roster have developed to a point where they could fill that need. On top of that in recent years veteran free agents have decided to wait till after the draft and training camp to sign with teams so they can look at a team’s overall roster before signing and skip training camp and get ready for the season with their own personal trainers. 

One of the deepest positions in this free-agent class is running back. Multiple former Pro Bowl running backs are still on the market. There are a couple of teams around the league who could still use a veteran to add to their running back rotation. Here is where the top free agent edge rushers could land.

Le’Veon Bell to the Miami Dolphins

Less than a year ago Le’Veon Bell had the option to sign with the Miami Dolphins. But Bell decided to join the Kansas City Chiefs backfield with 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire than to become the lead back in Miami or Buffalo. Bell was more interested in joining a championship contender than joining an unproven contender like the Bills and Dolphins who both ended up with over ten wins this past season. 

Bell started his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he quickly became known as one of if not the best running back in football. He had three seasons with over 1,800 scrimmage yards and 10+ touchdowns. Bell was voted to three Pro Bowls, named a First-Team All-Pro twice, and Second Team All-Pro once in 2016. After a conflict with the Steelers involving a contract extension, Bell hit the market as a free agent and signed with the New York Jets for 4 years $52 million. He only had 789 rushing yards in his first season in New York. Bell was released by the New York Jets following his return from injury in Week 5. this past season He had demanded that the team trade him, but after not finding a trade partner the Jets decided to release him. Bell rushed for 328 yards and two touchdowns on 82 attempts in games with both teams last season. He only started four games combined for both the Jets and Chiefs.

It felt like the Miami Dolphins were beat out in multiple situations when they attempted to add a star running back this offseason. Miami went after Chris Carson, Kerryon Johnson, and 2021 Second Round pick Javonte Williams at different points of the offseason. But they could not land any of those three backs. The Dolphins were able to sign former Los Angeles Ram Malcolm Brown to a two-year $3.5 million contract this offseason and still have Myles Gaskin on their roster from the year before. Gaskin led the Dolphins in all rushing categories putting up 584 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 142 attempts in ten games (seven starts). Miami also has Salvon Ahmed who was a great find for them last offseason. Last season’s undrafted free agent rookie rushed for 319 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 75 attempts in six games (four starts). 

If Miami signed Bell they realistically cannot expect him to be the player he was in Pittsburgh. But they can hope he can compliment Gaskin by putting up the production that he did in New York. It is at least worth it for the Dolphins to kick the tires on the former All-Pro since their backfield is still very unproven. Miami is expected to still be a run-first team despite adding Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle this offseason. So it would make sense for the Dolphins to make sure they have as much talent as they can get at this point in their backfield. Miami has playoff aspirations and may look to achieve more. Signing Bell would make sure the Dolphins did all in their power to make sure their backfield isn’t holding them back.

Prediction: Le’Veon Bell signs with the Miami Dolphins for one year $1 million 

Todd Gurley to the Kansas City Chiefs

Out of all of the remaining free-agent running backs, Todd Gurley had gained the most attention from teams. Gurley had visited the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens this offseason. The Lions had an interest in signing Gurley “on their terms“. The Lions would make a lot of sense considering they appear to be embracing a run-first approach with their lack of weapons at receiver, new Lions general manager Brad Holmes was a major part of the Rams front office who drafted Gurley who almost won them to a Super Bowl in 2017-18. Gurley would also be reuniting with former Rams’ teammate quarterback Jared Goff who was traded to the Lions this offseason. However, it appears at this point the Lions won’t be signing Gurley and don’t need to with a backfield featuring D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. 

During his time in St. Louis/Los Angeles Gurley was one of the most dominant running backs in the league. In three of his five seasons with the Rams Gurley rushed for 1,100+ yards and had over ten touchdowns. In two of those seasons, Gurley led the league in rushing touchdowns. His accolades with the Rams include Offensive Rookie of the Year (2015), Offensive Player of the Year (2017), three Pro Bowls, two First-Team All-Pro selections, and Second Team All-Pro recognition in 2015. Following the 2019-20 season, the Rams released Gurley two seasons into his four-year $60 million deal. He then signed a one-year $5.5 million prove-it deal with the Atlanta Falcons. He rushed for a career-low 678 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries. The Falcons decided not to bring back Gurley and elected to sign veteran Mike Davis to a two-year $5.5 million deal. 

The Kansas City Chiefs were in the middle of the pack in most major rushing stats last season. However, they were in a five-way tie for 22nd in the league in rushing touchdowns with 13. Only six teams had fewer rushing touchdowns than the Chiefs did a season ago. Having Patrick Mahomes as the face of the offense can be to blame for most of that. However, it would be a major help to the offense to have a running back on the roster capable of punching it into the endzone when they’re close rather than relying upon Mahomes to scramble or shovel pass it to All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was one of the worst running backs in the league in the red zone last season. Within the five-yard line, Edwards-Helaire was one for nine on attempts to punch it into the endzone. Edwards-Helaire is a great pass-catching running back but struggles in short-yardage situations. 

Although Todd Gurley’s health issues have regressed him to the point where he runs like he has been in the league for ten years despite only playing in the league for six, one constant throughout Gurley’s career has been his ability to score when his teams get in close. Since 2015, Gurley has rushed for 67 touchdowns. Last year in arguably Gurley’s worst season he still managed to have nine rushing touchdowns which was tied for 11th last season. Kansas City should consider pairing Edwards-Helaire with a former All-Pro running back for the second season in a row, but pair him with a back who compliments his skillset in Gurley. Signing in Kansas City would give Gurley another opportunity to be a part of a Super Bowl team and allow him to display what he is still capable of. 

Prediction: Todd Gurley signs with the Kansas City Chiefs for one year $1.5 million deal

Adrian Peterson to the Los Angeles Chargers

Adrian Peterson is one of the few running backs in the NFL who definitely will be receiving a gold jacket in Canton, Ohio after he retires. Peterson spent his first ten seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. A majority of running backs don’t even play in the league ten seasons, let alone play as dominant as Peterson had during that span. During his time in Minnesota, he led the league in rushing three separate times and led the league in rushing touchdowns twice. Peterson accumulated multiple accolades including league MVP (2012), NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, seven Pro Bowl appearances, four First-Team All-Pro acknowledgments, and three Second Team All-Pro acknowledgments. He also was a unanimous selection onto the 2010’s All-Decade Team.

Since leaving Minnesota Peterson had defied the odds and continued to be a major part of multiple team’s backfields for the next four seasons. After a tough 2017 season where he split time with the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals, Peterson ran for over 1,000 yards at age 33 in his first season in Washington. He followed it up the following season with just under 900 rushing yards in his second season in Washington. This past year Peterson started ten games for the Detroit Lions at age 35. As it stands right now Peterson is the fifth all-time in rushing yards in NFL history. 

Last offseason the Los Angeles Chargers gave their lead back Austin Ekeler a 4 year $25.4 million contract. Ekeler had outshined former first-round pick Melvin Gordon and was well deserving of being paid like the team’s lead back. But last season Ekeler got hurt and missed six games last year. The Chargers struggled to run the ball during that six-game stretch. Their best running back when Ekeler got hurt was Kallen Ballage who is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It would make a lot of sense for the Chargers to bring in Peterson for a lot of reasons. Los Angeles is a warm-weather city that is extremely attractive to free agents and playing there could open up opportunities for Peterson in media after he retires. Secondly, his playstyle compliments Ekeler very well. Ekeler is most dominant as a receiver out of the backfield. If Peterson was brought in to Los Angeles, he could take on some of the between the tackles and short-yardage runs while Ekeler can focus on being a receiving threat out of the backfield. The Chargers could even explore the option of having both Peterson and Ekeler on the field at the same time, lining up Peterson in the backfield and Ekeler in the slot as a wide receiver for a couple of plays a game.

Also, another feature of the Chargers that would be attractive to Peterson is the fact that they are considered a borderline playoff team. Despite being one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game, Peterson had only been to the playoffs four times in his career and hadn’t been to the playoffs since the 2015-16 season. At this of his career, Peterson has done it all except play winning and meaningful football. Peterson has only played past the Wild Card round of the playoffs once in his career back in the 2009-10 season.

Prediction: Adrian Peterson signs a one year $2.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers

Frank Gore to the Arizona Cardinals

Similar to Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore is one of the only running backs still in the NFL that will be enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame shortly after he retires. He has played for four different teams over the last four seasons. But Gore began his career with the San Francisco 49ers. During his ten seasons with the 49ers, he had been named to the Pro Bowl five times and was named a Second Team All-Pro in 2006. After leaving San Francisco, Gore played three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and followed that with one-year stints with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets After only starting one game his rookie season, Gore has started 217 of 227 games since 2006-07. That is an unreal feat for a running back. Gore has the NFL record for most games played for a running back (241) and is the first player in NFL history with 12 consecutive seasons with 1,200+ scrimmage yards. A resume like that earned him a spot on the 2010’s All-Decade Team.

It is unclear what to expect out of the Arizona Cardinals backfield this upcoming season. Their projected starter Chase Edmonds has only started four games in his career at this point and has never reached 500 rushing yards in a single season. Last season Edmonds took snaps away from starter Kenyan Drake being the team’s primary receiving back. He had a career-high 53 receptions for 402 yards and four receiving touchdowns last season. They also signed former Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner to a prove-it one year $1.75 million deal. In Conner’s first season as a starter in 2018-19, he was voted to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns along with 497 receiving yards. Since then multiple injuries have kept Conner off the field or limited in the action he has seen. Pittsburgh decided to move off of Conner and go in another direction at running back.

The best-case scenario for Arizona’s backfield in 2021-22 is for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense to put Conner in a position to play similar to his best similar to what it did for Kenyan Drake while reducing his carry count having him split carries with Edmonds. For a team that has playoff aspirations, there is a lot of uncertainty in Arizona’s backfield. That is why the Cardinals should bring in Frank Gore. Over the last couple of seasons, Gore has remarkably been extremely consistent with his production despite being in his late thirties. At worst Gore could be a veteran presence in a locker room filled with both veterans and young players. But if Conner cannot remain healthy and Edmonds struggles to play like a lead back, Gore can be a safe option in the backfield that could be good for between 8-12 carries a game.

Arizona is also a great landing spot for Gore because it has been the final landing spot for multiple veterans and future Hall of Famers looking to finish their career in a great warm-weather city. At age 38 Gore will likely be playing his final season this year if he hasn’t already.

Prediction: Frank Gore signs a one year $1.75 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals

Duke Johnson Jr. to the Atlanta Falcons

For just over half of a decade Duke Johnson Jr. has been one of the best complimentary backs in the league. Despite only starting 17 of 91 career games, he has been an important part of the offenses he has played for during his time in Cleveland and Houston. During each of his first three years in Cleveland, Johnson had over 800 scrimmage yards. In his last season in Cleveland Johnson’s role was reduced. Then after receiving a three-year contract extension Johnson asked to be traded and was moved to the Houston Texans for a 2020 Third Round pick. Johnson had a career-high 410 rushing yards in his first season in Houston then split carries with David Johnson this past season. The new Texans administration cut Duke Johnson this offseason.

The Atlanta Falcons lost their best two running backs Todd Gurley and Brian Hill in free agency. They replaced them with veteran running back Mike Davis. The Falcons signed Davis to a two-year $5.5 million deal after a career year with the Carolina Panthers.

Davis was drafted in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015 then after two seasons was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle started Davis for six games in 2017 after being activated off the practice squad late in the year. The following season Davis posted career highs in a rotational role. Davis signed a two-year $6 million deal with the Chicago Bears in 2019 but did not finish his first season with the team. He was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers. During his first full year with the Panthers this past season, Davis was forced into a large role because of multiple injuries to former All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. Davis showed during his twelve starts last season that he is capable of being a team’s starting running back. T

His performance last season was enough for the Falcons to feel comfortable with Davis being their lead back next season. Based on Atlanta’s running back depth chart Davis may be the workhorse back for the Falcons next season. For a team trying to be competitive in 2020, it is risky having Davis as the team’s only capable running back on the roster. Atlanta should add a veteran backup or change of pace back in case Davis gets hurt or needs help carrying the load. That role would be perfect for Duke Johnson. That is the exact role Johnson had last season in Houston. Johnson could serve as Davis’ primary backup and take a couple carries a game when Davis needs a breather.

Prediction: Duke Johnson Jr. signs a one year $990,000 deal with the Atlanta Falcons

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By: Adam Hulse (@AdamHulseSports)

As the NFL offseason continues to roll on and the regular season quickly approaches, teams will head to training camp and begin their real practice and preparation. Camp for each team will include new faces in both the roster and coaching staff as well as new strategies and philosophies to implement with hopes of a successful campaign in the upcoming season. All of the changes and other storylines from the offseason now become a reality as players begin to report to the team facilities.

The NFC West is a division with four very solid teams heading into this season. All of them have expectations this year to at least making the playoffs and high hopes of a deep run with aspirations of a Super Bowl. There were plenty of headlines surrounding all four of these teams throughout the offseason. Let’s take a look at each team and the key storylines as they head to training camp.

Seattle Seahawks

After an excellent season including twelve wins and a playoff appearance, one would think that the Seahawks would be positive and optimistic heading into the offseason. Unfortunately for them, this was not the case for their superstar quarterback Russell Wilson. He was reportedly very unhappy with the organization and its decision-making processes. In particular, he felt that he was not being included enough in major decisions such as game strategy and personnel changes. He was upset by this, and so much so that there were heavy rumors going around that he wanted to be traded away from Seattle.

Luckily for the Seahawks, they were able to get together with Wilson and hash out their issues. It appears that he is satisfied with whatever conclusion was reached behind closed doors and is now ready to get to work. Wilson is easily a top-five quarterback in the entire NFL and with the weapons available to him on their offensive roster, the Seahawks are a very dangerous team and a true contender in the NFC Conference.

This offense is absolutely loaded and one of the best in the league on paper. The real question is going to be their defense. They were poor last year and didn’t do much to improve on that side of the ball. In the 2020 season, they ranked 11th worst in total yards allowed per game with 380.6 and 2nd worst in passing yards allowed per game with 285. They will need to be better than that but as long as Russell Wilson is playing quarterback with the offensive weapons he has at his disposal, the Seahawks have a shot to win any game.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams made the biggest move in the entire NFL offseason when they traded away Jared Goff and draft picks in exchange for Matthew Stafford. It is uncommon for a team as successful as the Rams have been over the last few seasons to make such a sudden change at quarterback but that’s exactly what they did. Goff was not bad for the Rams last season but he definitely wasn’t great either. His 3952 passing yards ranked 14th and his 20 touchdown passes ranked 19th, which are both acceptable but not exactly impressive. The bigger problem was his 13 interceptions which was the second-highest total in the NFL.

Goff played to a total QBR of 58.5 which ranked an uninspiring 23rd in the league. The Rams are a very good team at every other position group besides quarterback and even had the number one ranked defense last season. They believe that with an upgrade at quarterback they would become a real Super Bowl contender. This is why they traded for Stafford, a quarterback who is seven years older than Goff. They are fully committed to being a win-now team and sold off their future to prove it.

It’s going to be very interesting to see how Stafford does with his new team. He has spent his entire career with the Detroit Lions so far but now has the luxury of a better roster and coaching staff than he’s ever had before. His talent has never been a question and he has a bunch of excellent seasons to demonstrate that. The only thing missing from his career has been sustained winning and postseason success. The Rams are taking a gamble that his shortcomings were simply a product of being a stud on a bad team and that he will shine bright in a more favorable situation.

Arizona Cardinals

After finishing the 2020 season at an even 8-8 record and just barely missing out on the playoffs, the Cardinals are approaching this upcoming season with a ton of optimism. They appear to have found their quarterback with young star Kyler Murray, who is one of the best dual threats in the entire NFL. He has developed nicely so far and there is good reason to believe that with another year of experience he will be an even better player this upcoming year. The organization is fully committed to his growth and has made sure to surround him with as many weapons as possible.

The biggest thing they did for Murray was trade for DeAndre Hopkins last season, who is a top-three wide receiver in the league. They continued to improve the offensive weapons this offseason by acquiring wide receiver AJ Green and running back James Conner. The Cardinals were already the 6th ranked offense last year averaging 384.6 yards per game and with these new additions to compliment the growth of Murray, they can climb even higher than that.

Another huge addition to this team for the upcoming season is veteran pass rusher JJ Watt. He will definitely help them on the defensive side, which they do need, but it’s his leadership that may be his most valuable asset. Everything is trending in the right direction for Arizona and they should be feeling very excited heading to camp this year. Watch out for the Cardinals because they could be the biggest sleeper in the NFL.

San Francisco 49ers

It’s sometimes easy to forget that the 49ers are just one season removed from a Super Bowl appearance. In fact, if not for one missed throw by Jimmy Garoppolo they probably would have won that game. Unfortunately, he missed almost all of last year due to injury, playing in just six games. This has been an ongoing problem for Garoppolo. He just can’t seem to stay healthy and even when he is, his statistics are not at all jaw-dropping anyway. It seems like the 49ers have seen enough because they decided to trade all the way up to the third pick in the NFL Draft to select quarterback Trey Lance.

Lance is an incredible athlete with a ton of potential. He is a very exciting prospect but he just doesn’t have much experience even at the college level. Most scouts believe that he will blossom into a star but there’s no telling how long that process could take. That makes the quarterback situation in San Francisco a very interesting one. It’s likely that they will start the season with Garoppolo but at any time they could make the switch to Lance. This is one of the most intriguing storylines in the league, especially considering the potential of the 49ers team as a whole.

When they won the NFC Conference just two seasons ago, they had arguably the best defense in the entire NFL. The large majority of that unit will be back and healthy for the 2021 season. They also have one of the best rushing attacks in the league under the Kyle Shanahan system and solid offensive weapons across the board as well. All of these factors combined to make the 49ers a fascinating team with a wide spectrum of expectations. Mostly depending on how the quarterback scenario plays out, they may not be better than their 6 wins last year but could potentially be a Super Bowl team like they were two years ago.

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By: Adam Hulse (@AdamHulseSports)

June 1st is a key date on the NFL offseason calendar. Players that are either cut or traded after this date require less dead cap money for their former team in the current year. This is why teams often wait until after June 1st to move on from certain players on the roster. Now that the date has passed, some of the big names on the trade market have a much better chance of actually being moved. Blockbuster deals can now transform from rumors to stories. Let’s take a look at three trades that need to happen.

Aaron Rodgers to the Broncos

There is no name bigger than Aaron Rodgers when it comes to players that could potentially be traded before the start of the upcoming 2021 season. He is the reigning NFL MVP and one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. At 37 years old, he is still in the prime of his career and would give any team a realistic shot to win a Super Bowl immediately. He has spent his entire career with the Packers, but he has grown increasingly upset with the organization and has demanded a trade.

Whether or not the Packers actually trade him is yet to be seen. They technically do not have to but if Rodgers is serious that he would rather sit out than play for them, they should maximize his value and a get huge haul in return via trade. The Broncos are one team that would almost definitely be interested and would likely give up whatever is necessary to get it done. They have been searching for an answer at quarterback since Peyton Manning retired and this would more than solve that problem.

The Broncos are a destination that makes sense not only because of their desire for an elite quarterback but also because they are a complete team everywhere else and ready to win now. QB is the only real thing that is missing so with Rodgers they would immediately become a Super Bowl contender. He would have plenty of weapons on offense including Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, Melvin Ingram, and Javonte Williams. Pair that with their very solid defensive unit and they are a real threat to win it all this year if Rodgers is playing quarterback.

Julio Jones to the Titans

It appears almost certain that Julio Jones is going to be traded away from the Falcons. He is being openly shopped around for the best potential deal that would both benefit his future and what the Falcons receive in return. One team that Jones has admitted that he is very interested in joining is the Titans. This destination makes a ton of sense because the Titans lost Corey Davis to free agency and have a bit of a need at wide receiver. Few are capable of filling that hole better than Julio Jones. Pairing him with superstar AJ Brown would be a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses.

Brown and Jones are both physically dominating wide receivers with deep threat abilities as well. They both usually require double teams or safety help at least, so it would be a major problem for opponents trying to scheme up ways to keep both of them covered. To further complicate things, they still have Derrick Henry at running back who absolutely destroys defenses that don’t load the box. All of these reasons combined would make the Titans offense an extremely difficult puzzle to solve if they do indeed trade for Julio Jones. It could realistically boost them from a playoff team to a real Super Bowl contender.

Zach Ertz to the Cardinals

There are two main reasons why the Eagles may be looking to trade their superstar tight end, Zach Ertz. First, they are a rebuilding team and Ertz is a veteran that could bring back draft capital in the trade market. Second, they already have the younger Dallas Goedert on their roster who is a very talented tight end. All things considered, it makes sense why the Eagles would deal him and the Cardinals are a team that just may be interested.

The Cardinals have fully committed to surrounding their young star quarterback Kyler Murray with as many weapons as possible to give him the best chance to succeed. They traded for Hopkins last year and followed that up this year by adding AJ Green and James Conner. Their offense is loaded but the one thing missing is a reliable tight end so that is where Ertz could come in. The Cardinals do not necessarily need another offensive weapon but they have already shown that they are willing to go above and beyond for Murray. Therefore, it would not be surprising at all if they made this move.

The post 3 NFL Trades that still need to happen appeared first on Pro Football Mania.