Marquise Brown to the Chiefs

Even before the Rashee Rice news, I thought this signing was a home run, the fit, the money, the productivity all were perfect. And now with Rice’s status in doubt, Brown is going to have to produce in that potential WR1 role. I have no doubt Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will make him a thousand yard receiver once again.

Keenan Allen to the Bears

This trade was extremely interesting, this was the start of signals from the Bears showing they might be moving on from Justin Fields. Chicago gave the 110th pick in the draft for Allen.

The reason the trade can be so good is the upside, Allen at WR2 paired with DJ Moore is nearly unfair. Of course health and father time will be the main decider in this case, but for now this is a near perfect deal for the Bears.

Christian Wilkins to the Raiders

Wilkins to the Raiders was one of the more surprising moves of the period. Las Vegas got the DT on a 4-year $110 million dollar deal getting a major pass rush and run stopping upgrade in the middle to lineup along side star edge Maxx Crosby. It’s an aggressive move for a rebuilding roster but I love the potential building of the D-line for the Raiders.

Javon Hargrave Re-signs with 49ers

You have to give credit to the 49ers, after losing the Super Bowl to Patrick Mahomes once again, they go ahead lock down thier defensive tackle to pressure Mahomes through the middle. It will take a lot to stop Mahomes but a defense full of talent like Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Fred Warner is going to be tough to slow down.

L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans

The star cornerback was a pivotal point in the Kansas City defense and due to salary cap issues he couldn’t stay, thankfully for the Titans he fell right into their lap for a 3rd and 7th (pick swap). Sneed fills the Titans biggest need and will immediately upgrade this defense.  

If I was asked to choose the best move on this list, I would have to give it to the Marquise Brown signing. Mahomes will have a new weapon to maybe pair along Rashee Rice. The 11 million dollars comes in handy to save money in the future as well. 

The post What are the 5 Best Signings/Trades of Free Agency? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Good

James Conner has found new life in the desert. The former Pittsburgh Steeler signed a one-year deal in 2021 with the Cardinals and it was a gamble on his part. There were questions on whether he could carry the full load and be the lead running back. The gamble paid off as Conner showed he is more than capable of being a three-down back in this system. He will now be relied on more than ever with Kyler Murray out for the foreseeable future. Expect the Cardinals to feed him early and often, especially in the beginning of the season.

The Cardinals offensive line desperately needed help and they turned to the 2023 NFL Draft to solidify it. Arizona drafted LG Paris Johnson Jr. from Ohio State and he will be a day-one starter. Johnson Jr. is an athletic, versatile lineman that could eventually be a Pro Bowl caliber player. It starts in the trenches and although the Cardinals o-line has a ways to go they should be improved in 2023.

The Bad

Offense wins championships. This is the reality of the NFL in 2023. Sure you can have a stout defense and be successful but if you want to reach the pinnacle you have to have an elite offense. This is why it was a bit of a head-scratcher when the Cardinals decided to hire Jonathan Gannon as their head coach. Don’t get me wrong, Gannon is an excellent young coach who helped take the Eagles defense to the next level but is this the right fit? There were plenty of young offensive minds available for the Cardinals to hire but they decided to go with Gannon. If you look at the most successful teams in the league today most have offensive minded head coaches.

As we stated before the Cardinals have a roster that is devoid of playmakers. Marquise Brown is a solid wide receiver but can he really be a #1? Zach Ertz has always been a reliable pass catcher but health has been a factor for him in recent years. Outside of James Conner, the Cardinals don’t really have a player you have to game plan for.

The Prediction

As expected this will be a tough season for Arizona Cardinals fans. When you look at their 2023 NFL schedule it’s hard to find wins in there. I do see wins at home against the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams along with a road victory at the Houston Texans. The Cardinals will once again be picking at the top of the draft in 2024.

2023 Record: 3-14

The post Arizona Cardinals Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Trending Up

Curtis Samuel (Commanders – WR) | Have we forgotten about Curtis Samuel? Samuel bounced back last year after a nagging groin injury kept him out for much of the 2021-2022 season. Despite mediocre quarterback play, Samuel was still able to produce 5 total touchdowns and 144.3 FP (Half PPR). He had a target share of 17.3% and 9 red zone targets which were only 2 behind Terry McLaurin. Best ball is all about taking risks. Draft Samuel in the late rounds and profit.

Trending Down

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (Cardinals – WR) | The Arizona Cardinals look to be in full tank mode. They recently released DeAndre Hopkins which propels Brown to the WR #1 role. In theory, that sounds great but the Cardinals offense will be stuck in the mud for most of the season. Brown will receive a majority of the defensive coverage and I am not sure he is built to be a #1.

Looking for more rankings? Check out our fantasy football rankings section.

The post 2023 Fantasy Football Best Ball Rankings appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ivan Mulinder

The Ravens had an injury-ravaged 2021 season and they eventually finished last in the AFC North. There were very few glaring needs going into the Draft for the Ravens, but the biggest two needs were at defensive dnd and wide receiver. The Ravens had hoped they had filled the DE hole in FA, but Za’Darius Smith’s surprising U-Turn meant this became a top priority. Equally at WR with Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman, and Devin Duvernay the Ravens had a very good trio, but Brown’s request to transfer left a big hole in their WR Room.

The Ravens have spent over $100 million on new signings and retaining players, with their biggest additions S Marcus Williams, 5 years $70 million, RT Morgan Moses, 3 years $15 million, and DT Michael Pierce, 3 years $16.5 million. They retained FB Patrick Ricard for 3 years on $11.25 million. 

The Ravens drafted the following players:

• Round 1 Pick 14 S Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame
• Round 1 Pick 25 C Tyler Linderbaum from Iowa
• Round 2 Pick 45 DE David Ojabo from Michigan
• Round 3 Pick 76 DT Travis Jones from UConn
• Round 4 Pick 110 OT Daniel Faalele from Minnesota
• Round 4 Pick 119 CB Jalyn Armour-Davis from Alabama
• Round 4 Pick 128 TE Charlie Kolar from Iowa State
• Round 4 Pick 130 P Jordan Stout from Penn State
• Round 4 Pick 139 TE Isaiah Likely  from Coastal Carolina
• Round 4 Pick 141 CB Damarion Williams from Houston
• Round 6 Pick 196 RB Tyler Badie from Missouri

The Ravens are the masters of the draft, year upon year stockpiling as many draft picks as they can, and then regularly selecting quality depth rotational players. This year was no exception with 10 picks in the first 150 selections, but with two very glaring omissions: WR and DE. David Ojabo is likely to be a very good DE but probably won’t start a game this season as he tore his Achilles in his Pro-Day. The Ravens chose not to select a DE in the rest of the Draft. Not selecting a WR at 14 to replace Marquise Brown when Jahan Dotson and Treylon Burks were both still available, to add a player to a Room of strength is very questionable. The Ravens Safety Room has Marcus Williams, Chuck Clark, Brandon Stephens, Geno Stone, Tony Jefferson II, and Ar’Darius Washington. Should they have Drafted a Safety later on instead? Of their two most pressing needs the Ravens addressed neither for the 2022 season.

Having said that they have picked up two very highly regarded rookie recruits. Kyle Hamilton is a beast at 6.4 & 220lbs with a 40-yard dash of 4.59. In 2020 he recorded 63 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 6 pass break-ups and 1 interception. His 2021 season ended with a knee injury after 7 starts, but he had still recorded 35 tackles, 2 for loss with 4 pass break-ups. He’s a menace around the Box, but can also make plays in the passing game. With the Ravens love of a strong secondary, it was easy to see why they couldn’t resist this pick and almost inevitably watch it live. The Ravens added two cbs to their Secondary. They first selected Jalyn Armour-Davis who is 6.1 & 197lbs with a very pacy 40-yard time of 4.39. A classic Ravens selection who should prove to be a very good rotational player and who was considered a top CB recruit in the country out of High School. 

Damarion Williams is smaller and lighter at 5.10 & 182lbs and had a good 2021 season with 63 tackles, 3 for loss, 9 pass breakups, and 1 interception. He’s likely going to be a rotational slot corner. The Ravens needed more CB depth as outside of Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters they realistically have Kevin Seymour as No.3, so these two selections were necessary. Defensive Tackle depth is always good and the Ravens choice was Travis Jones who’s 6.4 & 325lbs. In 2021 he had 47 tackles, 7.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks. He should be a solid choice, and the Ravens needed a pass-rushing presence on their IDL, so time will tell whether Jones is that man.

On the Offensive Line, the Ravens picked up an outstanding Centre and an Offensive Tackle. Tyler Linderbaum is an excellent Centre, an ex-wrestler, who fits perfectly the Ravens preferred run game. With his short arms he’s unlikely to be as good in pass protection, but an excellent choice none-the-less. The Ravens needed a LT depth selection given Ronnie Stanley’s health and went for Daniel Faalele who’s a giant at 6.8 weighing in at 384lbs. However, Faalele has only played at RT so if he is to transfer across to the LT position he will require development. 

With Marcus Andrews as TE, the Ravens have one of the best in the country. This didn’t stop them from selecting another two in Round 4, which indicates the probable route they will be taking when throwing the ball and complimenting Lamar’s pass game better. Charlie Kolar is 6.6, 252lbs with 6 touchdowns in 11 starts. Isaiah Likely is 6.4, 245lbs, and tied 8th in the FBS in 2021 with 12 receiving touchdowns, 912 yards, and 15.5 yards per reception.

The Ravens have drafted outstanding players in Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum with some good depth pieces at CB, DT, OT, and TE. A lot of people are giving the Ravens Draft an A grade which in terms of the quality of players they picked is very fair. Going into the 2022 season they have a significant concern still remaining at DE, LT, and WR. Currently, they are clearly intending to remain a very run heavy/TE orientated team which makes them very predictable in a Division that includes two outstanding QB who is capable of getting an early lead. A healthy Ravens are a real threat to the Cincinnati Bengals but need to address their WR Room before the season starts.

The post Baltimore Ravens 2022 Draft Analysis appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Chris Moore (Twitter: @fantasy_moore)

Potential Return

Following his walk-off against the Jets, many thought it was the end of Antonio Brown in the NFL. But that potentially may not be the case. Brown has had multiple off-field issues during his career in the NFL, but due to his talent, NFL franchises have continued to give Brown chances. Brown had a disastrous exit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. While most franchises probably won’t take the flier on Brown due to his character concerns and off-field drama, there could be a few that take the chance.

Baltimore Ravens

After Brown was released from the Buccaneers, he expressed the next quarterback he wants to play for is Lamar Jackson. The Ravens were one of the teams Brown said he wanted to play for next, and signing Brown could make sense for the Ravens. Jackson and the Ravens’ offense struggled last season due to injuries and the lack of offensive weapons. They have one of the best tight ends in the NFL and a young pair of wide receivers in Marquise Brown and Rashod Batemen, but the offense was still very lackluster at times.

Baltimore struggled with injuries last season, so it’s fair to say Jackson had a down year in 2021. Adding a veteran receiver in Brown who could help ease the expectations off Marquise Brown and Rashod Batemen could be very beneficial to Jackson in 2022. With the emergence of the Bengals in the division and the AFC only getting better, the Ravens need to do something to elevate their offense in 2022 if they expect to compete in the conference.

Dallas Cowboys

The Ravens weren’t the only team Brown expressed interest in this offseason, as the Cowboys were also mentioned as a destination where Brown would like to play. The Cowboys just traded away star wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Browns. While the Cowboys still have Ceedee Lamb and plan to resign Michael Gallup, they still have a hole at wide receiver. Gallup is coming off a torn ACL, and the Cowboys don’t have a lot of depth behind those two guys. Signing Brown would give the Cowboys three dynamic wide receivers like they had last season, at a way cheaper cost.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals need to get Kyler Murray more help if they want to compete in the NFC. The Cardinals have looked like a completely different team when DeAndre Hopkins isn’t on the field. Murray holds onto the ball longer, and their wide receivers struggled to get open when Hopkins wasn’t in the lineup.

Christian Kirk is also set to hit the open market and could be playing elsewhere in 2022. Hopkins has had durability issues over the past two seasons, and the Cardinals need to find Murray more weapons. Brown would form a dangerous duo with Hopkins and give Murray another guy he can rely on.  

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