By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers unsurprisingly cut ties with Matt Rhule, who was sadly only dealt the loose cannon QB, Baker Mayfield, this past off-season. It’s clear that Rhule is having a bad day (by Daniel Powter) & that the Panthers could opt to rebuild their roster at this early point of the season. The well-reputable RB Christian McCaffrey is one of the Panthers figures that could be shipped away soon. Hence, I’m going to untwine attractive trade destinations for CMAC.

• Buffalo Bills

I don’t believe that the Bills have been on the phone to acquire CMAC yet, but it would still be sexy for the Billa Mafia to still bring in the all-purpose threat. Similar to the Los Angeles Rams last season, the Bills should be pedaled to the metal to win the Super Bowl this season. James Cook (the brother to Dalvin Cook) has had great flashes, but he hasn’t been overly impressive this season (17 carries, 89 rushing yds, four catches for 37 receiving yards, and 1 rushing TD).

Let’s be honest — the Bills GM Brandon Beane may be more tempted to acquire a shiny face after losing to his archnemesis, the Miami Dolphins.

(Sorry I had to)

• New York Jets

After starting 3-2 (including victories against the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Miami Dolphins), the New York Jets are arguably the most surprising team in 2022. The Jets should make an exotic move by bringing in an elite toy for Zach Wilson. Furthermore, the Jets also have the 10th most cap space in the league (which isn’t too shabby). The second-year HC Robert Saleh may need to acknowledge that he’s competing in one of the most frigid NFL divisions with his second-year QB and that he may need to pull the trigger on acquiring a freak talent to put his team over the top.

• Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles would certainly have an unstoppable QB-RB duo with Jalen Hurts & Christian McCaffrey for many years to come. The Eagles are sitting gloriously at 5-0, which also means they’re the last undefeated squad in the league. It’s clear that their aggression to acquire the speed-demon WR A.J. Brown was worth it. Perhaps Howie Roseman can find more dopamine and acquire the mighty McCaffrey. It’s vital to note that the Philadelphia Eagles are second in cap space, too.

• Denver Broncos

The 2-3 Denver Broncos are in dire need of a spark. The Super Bowl XLVII champion Russell Wilson is clearly on life support, as he’s merely unveiled four passing touchdowns to three interceptions this season. It’s impossible to not mention that the Broncos also square off (and are slipping) in the brutal AFC West division. The Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs should absolutely be Super Bowl contenders in each of the next few seasons, so the Broncos need to make a creative solution to fix their offense immediately.

• Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are reluctant to trade for a WR, but that doesn’t mean they can’t reel in a shiny RB. Burning man Aaron Rodgers is on his last legs, so the Pack should make an aggressive move to trade for a star or sign a FA WR (such as Will Fuller or OBJ). Aaron Jones is a quality RB, but he isn’t a future Hall of Famer. They could seek to make a trade that pushes Jones out the door for McCaffrey in return. Contrary to the past, I don’t feel the most confidence in the Packers finishing as a top-5 NFC team this season. I’d love to see them make an uncharacteristic, bold move to help A-Rod soon.

• Houston Texans

The Houston Texans can still escape their hole in the near future. The Texans have a steal in their 2022 fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce (412 rushing yds, 4.8 YPC, and 3 rushing TDs), but they could still benefit from an extremely gifted profile on their offense. The Texans could aspire to acquire CMAC, draft C.J. Stroud in 2023, and then continue to witness magic from Pierce and WR Brandin Cooks. The Texans aren’t in rainbow land with their 1-3-1 record, but they can make some noise with another stud & more growth from Davis Mills in 2022.

• Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions rank third in PPG, so why shouldn’t they add more fireworks to their offense? I already love the faces in the Lions WR room (Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, and Jameson Williams), TE T.J. Hockenson, and the energy from RB D’Andre Swift. The Lions have a high-powered offense led by the underrated Jared Goff at QB, but it hasn’t been enough to oust victories (as they sit at 1-4). The team owned by Sheila Ford Hamp should roll the dice in their division that features three squads standing in front of them.

• Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have an abysmal OL, but that doesn’t give an entire excuse for Joe Mixon’s 2022 performance thus far (96 carries, 302 rushing yards, 3.1 YPC, and 1 rushing touchdown). Who Dey Nation and the fantasy owners of Mixon have wanted him to walk the line for quite some time now. The 2-3 Bengals need to remember their stripes & the fact that they were AFC Champions a season ago. I’d be ecstatic if the Bengals brought in McCaffrey to their offense with Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow. They could aim to push Mixon out the door with another player or pick for McCaffrey.

• New England Patriots

Bill Belichick still reigns in the gritty AFC East division — which means his squad can surprise any given Sunday. The Pats, who may have a QB controversy between Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones, could take another step forward with an unguardable weapon. Devante Parker had an unbelievable outing against the Baltimore Ravens by hauling in 156 yards and two touchdowns. It could be time for BB to add another veteran playmaker for his team which is currently (but, perhaps not for long) last in the AFC East.

The post Best Christian McCaffrey trade destinations appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The utterly explosive Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey didn’t have an unearthly rookie season (1,086 all-purpose yards) and 7 total touchdowns, but he did explode in his sophomore season: 1,965 total yards and 13 combined touchdowns. CMAC stole the show in his third season – as he unleashed 2,392 total yards and 19 total touchdowns (which earned him first-team All-Pro honors).

Unfortunately, the story for McCaffrey has been his inability to stay healthy over his past two seasons (as he’s missed 23 contests). With that said, McCaffrey has still been efficient when healthy. PFF gave him an 80.6 grade for his 2021 performance. It’s clear that his presence was vital for the Panthers, too — as they went 4-3 with him and 1-9 without him.

With that said, his health is clearly a factor in why some football fanatics see McCaffrey as an overrated profile. For instance, Chris Canty of ESPN pegged McCaffrey as the NFL’s second most overrated player. Canty stated, “At some point, we gotta stop assigning health to this dude. I’m sorry, he’s a dynamic player when he’s on the field. But he’s not on the field nearly enough. Herm Edwards said it best – the best ability is availability and Christian McCaffrey’s not nearly available enough, could potentially force his coach Matt Rhule to get fired this year.”

I honestly agree with Canty’s take that McCaffrey is an overrated player. He may not be the second-most overrated NFL player, but he is a tad overhyped. It would be an understatement to say that he may need bubble wrap in the 2022 season. It’s also troubling that the Panthers still have a young, medicore offensive line, which was recently ranked as the 24th worst OL by PFF. I honestly love Saquon Barkley’s outlook with the New York Giants more due to the fact that the Giants did a superb job of bulking their OL: as they brought in Evan Neal (seventh overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft), Mark Glowinski, and Jon Feliciano. I’m not sold on McCaffrey being a rockstar for 13+ games in his current predicament next season, to say the least.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Bill Parcell disciple and mind behind Drew Brees’s dominance, Sean Payton, stepped away from football in the 2022 off-season. Well, it appears that the creative genius in Payton may only need one non-football season to sharpen his iron. According to the Miami Herald, he may be intrigued in joining the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, or the Miami Dolphins in 2023. It’s clearly not a surprise that the Boys are listed as a potential landing spot for Payton — as he was an assistant head coach with Dallas from 2003 to 2005.

With that enunciated, I’m going to simply untwine the best landing spots for the former Saints wiz in 2022.

Dallas Cowboys

Before the Big Bang, there was a rumor that Payton would reunite with the Boys. It makes too much sense for Payton to head to Dallas next off-season. The reigning NFC East champions have a young, gifted QB in Dak Prescott. He threw 4,449 passing yards and 37 passing touchdowns in 2021 – after playing in five contests in 2020. They also have a very exciting defense led by last year’s DROY Micah Parsons and interception magnet Trevon Diggs. All in all, the Cowboys have a nice location, promising QB, and all-around talent to help Payton regularly stride for a Lombardi trophy.

Carolina Panthers

I’m positive that Matt Rhule has less than favorable odds of remaining with his team beyond 2022. The Carolina Panthers may not seem like an attractive landing spot, but Payton could still choose to link up with a 2023 rookie QB in Carolina next off-season. The Panthers could garner four to five more terrific seasons out of CMAC and they also have an ascending defense. It should also be noted that Charlotte is a warm city (which also has the NASCAR Hall of Fame).

Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers have beautiful weather w/ a golden-armed quarterback in Justin Herbert. The former Oregon Duck unleashed 38 passing touchdowns and a whopping 5,014 passing yards in 2021. Herbert’s weaponry should remain intact for the foreseeable future, as well. The electric WR Keenan Allen will remain a Charger until the 2025 off-season. Mike Williams signed a three-year contract extension worth $60 million dollars this off-season. Of course, the Chargers really loaded up on defensive talent this off-season — as they brought in the former DPOY Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson (17 ints in past two seasons combined). If the Chargers don’t win a playoff game next season, they may wish to swap out Brandon Staley for the Saints legendary HC.

New York Jets

Payton may be fascinated about coaching in the Big Apple and developing the young QB Zach Wilson. He may not have had the sexiest rookie campaign (9 passing TDs, 11 Ints), but he still has a lot of arm talent. The former Saints Super Bowl winning DC Gregg Williams loved the idea of coaching in NYC and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Payton was in awe of the big lights in Gotham. I don’t love the direction with Robert Saleh, to say the least. If he can’t win games and witness production from Wilson in 2022, it will be difficult for the former 49ers DC to escape Black Monday.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans may be the poor man’s version of the Dallas Cowboys, but that also means that are a somewhat logical landing spot for Payton. The Texans have a young, talented QB in Davis Mills. He threw 16 passing TDs, 10 Ints, and 2,664 passing yards in 11 games as a Texan last season. Of course, the Texans offense also features Payton’s former WR Brandin Cooks, who also signed a two-year contract extension worth $39.7 million dollars. PFF gave Cooks a modest 77.4 grade for his 2021 performance. Houston is also a very warm city with lots of passion for football — as J.J. Watt knows all too well.

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are the ultimate darkhorse squad to land Payton in my opinion. They may wish to move on from Mike Vrabel and Ryan Tannehill after this season – then proceed to find an offensive-minded coach for Malik Willis in 2023. Payton could squeeze the remaining juice out of the bemoth Derrick Henry, while growing the QB from Liberty. The Titans may not have A.J. Brown, who is in an Eagles uniform, but they still have the new WR Robert Woods (who had 900+ receiving yds in each season from 2018 to 2020).

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks could attempt to move on from Pete Carroll and then obtain Payton w/ a 2023 rookie signal-caller in 2023. Payton could have the keys to a Top-5 draft pick in the 2023 draft with the Hawks, as well. The Seahawks still have talent outside of the QB — such as DK Metcalf, Rashaad Penny, Tyler Lockett, Noah Fant, and Jamal Adams. The Hawks could certainly return to being a force in the NFC West w/ the genius in Payton.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders could make a surprise move of hiring Sean Payton in the 2023 off-season to bump up in the AFC West arms race. Josh McDaniels may be an intense, bright mind, but he may not make enough noise to survive in the blazing AFC West. Payton could constantly dream up ways to get Davante Adams and Darren Waller the football. He also has a defense led by a terrific pass rushing tandem in Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby. It would be quite surreal if the loaded AFC West division welcomed Payton — regardless of his desired team.

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are the second NFC South team that may push to land Payton’s services. The Falcons possess a fine combination of a relaxing location and a QB with a plethora of potential in Desmond Riddler. The Falcons could have growing pains in 2022, but that also means they could have a Top-10 draft choice in the 2023 draft. Payton may feel confident in Riddler and building the Falcons team next off-season.

The post Best landing spots for Sean Payton in 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers will aspire to unveil a more potent rushing attack in 2022 than their 16th-ranked rushing offense in 2021. They will anticipate magic from Christian McCaffrey, who sadly missed 10 games last season — after being MIA for 13 contests the season prior. Anthony Rizzuti of Panthers Wire recently dubbed CMAC the Panthers non-QB MVP. He mentioned the Panthers success with the former Stanford RB (4-3) and their failure to be a threat without him (1-9) in 2021. The Panthers RB turned 26 on June 7th and he’s still under contract until the 2026 off-season.

Matt Verderame of Fansided pegged CMAC as the frontrunner to win CPOY in 2022. Garrison Heart was the last RB to win CPOY (as he won the award in 2001). Adrian Peterson has had numerous amazing comebacks in his career, but he hasn’t won the award.

The Panthers RB2 is the 23-year-old Chuba Hubbard, who registered 612 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs last season. Hubbard’s best single-game performance came against the Philadelphia Eagles — where he rushed for 102 yards. The player from Sherwood, Canada had a 64.9 grade by PFF last season.

The Panthers new ball carrier, D’Onta Foreman unveiled 566 yards with the Tennessee Titans in 2021. Foreman also had a 68.3 grade by PFF. The 26-year-old ball-carrier signed a one-year deal worth $2 million dollars with CAR. The last Panthers RB is Spencer Brown, who was inked as a UDFA with the Panthers in 2021. He didn’t garner any snaps last season and it really seems unlikely he will be a factor in an offense with a healthy Christian McCaffrey. He could certainly remain with the Panthers practice squad if he is released.

The post Carolina Panthers running back outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers could have growing pains at quarterback, but they could also witness a magical return from Christian McCaffrey in 2022. With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine the success, hiccups, and overall record with the Panthers in 2022-2023.

Week 1: vs the Browns

I don’t love the Panthers chances against Cleveland (with or without Baker) in Week 1. I expect the Browns to have a strong 35-21 victory against the Panthers.

Week 2: at the Giants

I really feel the Panthers are a step behind the Giants (as I love the Giants pass rush) and I predict the Giants to win 21-17.

Week 3: vs the Saints

I believe CMAC will give the likely Alvin Kamara-less Saints issues, but I don’t believe the Panthers (ascending) pass defense can have enough physicality to slow down a healthy Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Chris Olave. I believe the Saints win a close, divisional game 24-21.

Week 4: vs the Cardinals

The Panthers desperately need a victory in Week 4, but I still believe AZ could make the playoffs with a Hopkins suspension and they will pick up a 28-17 victory against CAR.

Week 5: vs the 49ers

Regardless of the 49ers QB1, I love the 49ers with Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Nick Bosa. Although, I believe the Panthers should be able to attack the 49ers secondary. I still expect the 49ers to win 28-24.

Week 6: at the Rams

The Panthers will not upset the LA Rams and I expect the Rams to have a monster 35-14 victory.

Week 7: vs the Buccaneers

I’m sure that Matt Rhule wasn’t happy to hear that Tom Brady returned to the NFL, to say the least. I expect the Panthers to struggle to run the football and keep pace with TB12. I believe the Bucs win 28-14.

Week 8: at the Falcons

If the Panthers start 0-7, Rhule may be out the door at this point in the season. With that said, I actually expect the Panthers (with or without new energy at HC) and McCaffrey to have success against the Falcons. I believe the Panthers win 28-21.

Week 9: at the Bengals

The Panthers will have a difficult time keeping pace with Cincy and I foresee the Bengals keeping the gas on the pedal in a 35-21 victory.

Week 10: vs the Falcons

I know Kyle Pitts is capable of being a future All-Pro and I honestly believe ATL can bounce back with a close 24-21 victory against their despised opponent.

Week 11: at the Ravens

The Panthers will have more struggles in their season against Lamar Jackson, as the Ravens notch a 35-21 victory.

Week 12: vs the Broncos

The very well-rounded Broncos may give up a few big plays to the Panthers offense, but I definitely expect the Broncos to win 28-14.

Week 14: at the Seahawks

The Panthers should feel confident against the dreadful Seahawks roster outside of Geno Smith at QB. I know the Seahawks have a couple of unique profiles (Metcalf, Adams), but I still like the Panthers winning 24-17.

Week 15: vs the Steelers

The Panthers could upset the Steelers, but I like the T.J. Watt-led Steelers to pick up a close, 21-14 victory.

Week 16: vs the Lions

I like how the Panthers match up to the Lions roster and I believe McCaffrey can lead his team to a 28-21 victory.

Week 17: at the Buccaneers

I don’t expect the Bucs to let down their guard at this point in the season and the Brady bunch should have an impressive 42-17 victory.

Week 18: at the Saints

I imagine the new-look Saints to only improve their chemistry in 2022 and the Saints should pick up an amazing 35-14 home victory.

Final record: 3-14

The post Projecting the Carolina Panthers record in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers might have failed in the bachelor QB room this off-season, but they will still anticipate modest talent from Sam Darnold or their rookie QB Matt Corral. The 2022 QB1 will witness a resurrection from Christian McCaffrey, a superb WR (D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson) duo at his disposal, and an OL unit that should improve after the arrival of Austin Corbett and Bradley Bozeman.

I expect the Panthers young, hungry defense to continue to be another dangerous defense in the NFC South. The CAR defense lost Haason Reddick (11 sacks in 2021), but they will expect Yetur Gross-Matos to ascend opposite Brian Burns (Pro Bowler last season).

With that enunciated, the ultimate question is: what is the ceiling of the 2022 Panthers team? The Panthers won 5 games last season and it’s clear that it won’t be easy for the Panthers to be a playoff squad in a division with the loaded Tampa Bay Buccaneers and shiny New Orleans Saints.

Outside of the NFC South, the Panthers will face more brutal opponents. In fact, the Panthers will have the 12th most difficult schedule in 2022. The Panthers will face the following fierce opponents (excluding TB and NO): Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Arizona, Baltimore, and Denver. The Panthers will also face scrappy teams like Pittsburgh and San Francisco.

It will definitely be a challenge for the CMAC-featured Panthers to be a surprise NFC team with their upcoming schedule. I believe the Panthers will have a hard time going blow for blow with the Saints and Buccaneers in those four show-downs. With McCaffrey, the Panthers could hope to play spoilers against talented teams with less well-rounded defenses, such as Arizona, Baltimore, and even the Steelers. I feel that the Panthers ceiling is an 8-9 record, which is the same record as the 2021 Browns and 2021 Ravens. It won’t be easy for the Panthers to be a wild-card team next season, but they could be “competitive and see exciting growth from their rook QB or the highly motivated Darnold”.

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