Although Wilson failed in Denver he will still be attractive to QB needy teams. Wilson was serviceable last season for the Broncos and in the right situation, he could flourish. There have been plenty of rumors since his release on potential landing spots. Let’s focus on 3 teams and breakdown why each one would be a fit.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The obvious best overall fit for Wilson would be the Steelers. Pittsburgh has strong leadership in place with Mike Tomlin at the helm and they are in need of a quarterback. Current Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has had his ups and downs in Pittsburgh but hasn’t really panned out. Picket seems better suited for a backup role and with Wilson on board he could learn from a vet.

When you look at the Steelers roster they have several strengths. They have young talented receivers led by George Pickens and a potential future star in the backfield in Jaylen Warren. They are always stout on defense which will be important for Wilson’s next team. In order for Wilson to thrive he will need to play more ball control on offense but there are times he takes risks. That’s why it’s important to have sold defense backing him. The Steelers will be able to provide that.

Minnesota Vikings

Another team that looks to be poised to enter the quarterback market is the Vikings. Kirk Cousins will most likely be on the move this offseason which will leave a massive hole on offense. Minnesota could plug that quickly by adding Wilson. This would also be an attractive destination for Wilson who would get to play with superstar Justin Jefferson.

The Vikings aren’t contenders yet but they have about $37 million in cap space and 9 picks in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. Wilson would also get to work with coach Kevin O’Connell who has proved he knows how to run an offense. If the Vikings don’t make a play for Wilson I could see them drafting a quarterback with the 11th pick.

Las Vegas Raiders

Finally, the Raiders are another potential team to watch in the Russell Wilson sweepstakes. Las Vegas will be looking to add to its quarterback room this offseason. With Antonio Pierce now the full-time coach there are several pieces already in place in Vegas.

The Raiders finished the 2023 strong winning 3 of their last 4. They also provide Wilson with a strong defense led by Maxx Crosby. On offense, they can provide Wilson with a star receiver in Davante Adams. They will however need to look to add to their running back room as Josh Jacobs is likely on the move.

Then there is the revenge factor. If Wilson joined the Raiders he could stay on the West Coast and more importantly, stay in the AFC West. This will allow him to face the Broncos twice a year which will be extra motivation for the jettisoned quarterback.

Regardless of where he ends up, Wilson will likely sign a contract for less than $10 million. This makes him an enticing option going forward.

The post 3 Potential Landing Spots for Russell Wilson appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Good

We’ve touched on the current state of the running back position several times this offseason. One of the running backs in those discussions was Josh Jacobs. Jacobs is coming off a dominant season for the Raiders where he led the league in rushing with 1,653 yards. He until recently quietly stayed away from the Raiders due to his contract situation. This has since been resolved as Jacobs is back with the team practicing again. Thankfully for the Raiders he returned and is looking to build on last year’s success. I see another big season for Jacobs in the silver and black and if you’re a fantasy football player he is a must-target.

With the 7th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Tyree Wilson from Texas Tech. Wilson is an immediate plug-in-play EDGE defender with a big upside. Pairing Wilson with Maxx Crosby was a great move by the Raiders and the duo should cause nightmares for opposing quarterbacks. The Raiders had their struggles last year on defense but if they can generate more pass rush it should improve that unit overall in 2023.

The Bad

For whatever reason the relationship between Derek Carr and the Raiders soured last season causing his exit. Whether this is the right move remains to be seen but in my mind, Carr wasn’t the issue for Las Vegas. The move to Garoppolo is a risky one. When healthy Garoppolo has shown he can lead a team to the Super Bowl the problem is he has only played one injury-free season in his 9 year career.

Beyond health, Garoppolo has never been one to stretch the ball down the field. I wonder how this will impact Davante Adams next season. Garoppolo thrives in the short to intermediate passing game where he is very accurate. With that said I do believe the Raiders will be looking for a quarterback once again next offseason.

The Prediction

The AFC West should be one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL next season. I do see a slight improvement in wins for the Raiders but they will struggle to get above .500. Their schedule is brutal as three of the first four games are on the road (@Denver, @Buffalo, @Los Angeles Chargers). Expect to see rookie Aidan O’connell at some point this season and I wouldn’t be surprised if he impresses.

2023 Record: 7-10 (4th in the Division)

The post Las Vegas Raiders Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The 2023 NFL Draft once again featured some top defensive talent in the first round. While we did see more quarterbacks go earlier than in the previous draft we also saw several difference-makers on the defensive side. In the 2022 NFL Draft, the first 5 picks were all defensive players and they all made a significant impact. Sauce Gardner ended up winning the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and rightfully so. Can another cornerback win the award this year? Let’s break down some of the key candidates.

Devon Witherspoon – CB (Seattle Seahawks)

Witherspoon was the first cornerback taken in the 2023 NFL Draft and he went to a great situation. Head coach Pete Carroll is known to develop young defensive talent and turn them into stars. Unfortunately, Witherspoon has dealt with a hamstring injury for much of training camp which has dampened his buzz. Make no mistake though when he comes back healthy, he will be a stud for Seattle.

Current Odds: +1000

Tyree Wilson – EDGE (Las Vegas Raiders)

Like Witherspoon, Tyree Wilson is also dealing with an injury to start his rookie season. Wilson is an athletic freak at the EDGE position and has the tools to be an elite pass rusher. The thought of him lined up opposite Maxx Crosby is frightening for opposing offenses. I see 5+ sacks for Wilson in his first season for the Raiders.

Current Odds: +1000

Will Anderson Jr. – EDGE (Houston Texans)

If the Chicago Bears didn’t trade out of the first pick they would’ve selected Will Anderson. Anderson is another stud defensive player from the University of Alabama. He was a dominant force in the SEC totaling 27.5 sacks in his last two seasons. Anderson is not only an elite pass rusher but he is also an excellent run defender. Along with his sacks he had 152 total tackles in his Sophomore and Junior seasons. Anderson Jr. is the most pro-ready prospect from this draft and he will get 10+ sacks this year.

* Our Pick – Current Odds: +400

Jalen Carter – DL (Philadelphia Eagles)

Somehow Jalen Carter fell to the Eagles in the 2023 NFL Draft. Carter is another stud SEC defender who was dominant at Georgia. The off the field issues are a concern but if Carter can stay out of trouble he will make a big impact in Philly. Pairing him with one of the top defenses in 2022 seems almost unfair. I could see Carter starting when the season begins.

Current Odds: +700

Emmanuel Forbes Jr. – CB (Washington Commanders)

Emmanuel Forbes was a turnover machine for Mississippi State. He broke the all-time record for pick-sixes with 6 during his college career. The tall and lanky cornerback plays much bigger than his size and is more than willing to make a tackle when needed. Forbes will get plenty of chances to make his mark as he is expected to start for the Commanders in week 1. Expect to see 5 interceptions for Forbes in his rookie season.

Current Odds: +2000

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Key Injuries to Quarterbacks: Tough week for Lamar Jackson and Jimmy Garoppolo, with Garoppolo taking the worse of his injury. He will be out for the year as Lamar is considered week to week. For SF a huge blow as then Super Bowl hopefuls are considered just playoff bound. I don’t think Brock can lead them to the Super bowl. That is why they went out and picked up Josh Johnson. Even though Brock stepped in and played well there still not 100% sure he can help them reach their goals this season.

Philly is Special: Philly continues to steamroll their opponents as they are talented on both sides of the ball. They’re pretty much a lock for the #1 seed and have a date with the Giants on Sunday.

Deshaun’s Return: The big headline this week was the return of Deshaun Watson. As expected he struggled, and had rust in his first start back in over 700 days. If it wasn’t for his defense this would of been a loss for the lowly Browns.

Cowboys Riding: Cowboys just like the Eagles continue to win, which starts with their Micah Parsons’s lead defense. They have found the formula for success which is play good defense and run the ball with the two headed monster of Pollard and Elliot.

Brady Magic: Brady is still Brady at 45 years old. He set the record for his 44th 4th quarter comeback. For most of the game against the Saints, he was inept, but when it counted he came through. This win was huge for Tampa Bay as they stay atop the NFC South.

Raiders Hot: Raiders led by Derek Carr won their 3rd straight game. The connection between Carr and Davante Adams is live and real. And it’s not just their offense that’s clicking, their defense has stepped up led by Maxx Crosby.

The post What We Learned in Week 13 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Khari Demos

And just like that, the AFC West might be the best division in the NFL. I mean, maybe even ever. Just look at how deep the division is at quarterback alone.

Absolute superstars, Pro Bowlers, and dare I say multiple Hall of Fame-level players. Russell Wilson was brought in to revive the Broncos. Justin Herbert seems poised to take the crown with the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes has had it since starting in 2018. And don’t forget the tough-as-nails Derek Carr, who just got his best friend to join him in supreme wideout Davante Adams.

So the only thing to do was to build elite pass-rushing units to stop them. First LA traded for 2016 Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack. Then Denver stole away Randy Gregory from the Cowboys. KC was able to bring back Frank Clark to play next to three-time Pro Bowler Chris Jones. Then it was Chandler Jones, as he joined the silver and black in Las Vegas ”” just days after the Raiders inked Maxx Crosby to a $94 million extension.

Things got spooky there over night. There are so many names of note here and they all should be feared. But who has the best duo to get after the QB? Here’s how I’ve got them ranked:

4. Denver Broncos

While I do like Gregory and all the talent he possesses, I’m not too sure if his $70 million price tag isn’t a little rich. In five seasons played (across seven years, due to suspensions), the Nebraska product has never topped more than six sacks in a season. In 2021, he had career-highs with 17 QB hits and 29 total pressures.

I know stats don’t mean everything, but it’s hard to ignore Gregory’s lack thereof. He might be more of a presence than the numbers would show, but he also should be producing similarly to players in his pay range. Gregory’s average annual salary ($14 million) is just behind Danielle Hunter ($14.4 million) and right above Yannick Ngakoue ($13 million).

Ngakoue has had six seasons with eight or more sacks in his career, while Hunter has gone for six or more in each of his six seasons, including three seasons with 12.5 or more. Gregory, on the other hand, tied a career-best with six last season. Gregory could argue for being a more complete player than Ngakoue, but he has not been nearly as consistent as Hunter, even after he missed 10 games last season.

Now Gregory’s new pass-rushing partner, Bradley Chubb, is an extremely talented player in his own right. The 2018 first-round pick came out blazing hot to start his career, tallying 12 sacks as a rookie. After tearing his ACL in 2019, Chubb put together a Pro Bowl 2020 campaign where he recorded 7.5 sacks, 19 QB hits and 34 pressures.

But the injury bug bit Chubb again in 2021, as he missed 10 games due to an ankle injury.

As consistent of a performer as the NC State product is on the field, his availability has hampered his status ”” since 2019, Chubb has played 23 games for an average of 7.67 per season. So health permitting, Chubb could build a great tandem with Gregory. But thinking about their lack of availability ”” Gregory has only played in 22 games since 2019 ”” this unit may have the most question marks coming in.

3. Kansas City Chiefs

The KC pass rush starts and ends with Jones, as he’s posted four straight seasons at 7.5 sacks or more. In fact, amongst all players since 2018, the three-time All-Pro ranks fourth in the NFL in terms of sacks. Jones’ 41 trail only Aaron Donald (59), Myles Garrett (51.5), and Cameron Jordan (47.5) in that span.

That type of production is unique, especially for a defensive tackle. The former Mississippi State Bulldog only trails Donald in terms of sacks from players at the position since ’18. Jones is also the king of pushing the pocket from the interior ”” not only does he have 29 career pass deflections, Jones has totaled 154 pressures since 2018 as well.

But as a DT, Jones needed a formidable counterpart with him on the edge. Enter Clark, as he’s made three consecutive Pro Bowls since coming in from Seattle. Now he may not have the sack totals (18.5 since 2019), but his pressure rates overall are tremendously high.

With 46 QB hits over the past three seasons, Clark has also compiled 81 total pressures in that stretch. But the Michigan product really turned up the heat in postseason play ”” while with the Chiefs, Clark recorded a sack in five of his first six playoff games for a total of eight.

But both Clark and Jones had their struggles last postseason, as they both were held sackless in games against the Steelers, Bills, and Bengals. Ironically, Jones has yet to earn a postseason sack throughout his career.

Jones may be one of the top DTs overall in the league, and Clark may be one of the biggest disruptors in the game coming off the edge. But being able to send double teams Jones’ way inside, and Clark’s inability to top double-digit sacks since 2018, this duo does seem to have a bit of a ceiling in terms of being the go-to pass rush in the division.

2. Las Vegas Raiders

Jones and Crosby, in my opinion, bring the most flash as a tandem. Mad Maxx is coming off his first All-Pro selection this season, as he netted eight sacks, 30 QB hits, 19 QB knockdowns, and 42 total pressures.

The 2021 season may have been a coming out party for Crosby nationally, but he’s been superb throughout his Raiders tenure. He’s recorded seven or more sacks in each of his three seasons, as well as 31 or more total pressures in each of those seasons. Not to make light of the situation, but that’s amazing considering the struggles Crosby had with his addiction early on in the league.

For Jones, he was stellar in Arizona once again ”” with 10.5 sacks in 2021, the Syracuse product recorded his seventh double-digit sack season in his career. Jones also added 26 QB hits, 17 QB knockdowns, and 36 total pressures.

Not to hate on a player I have rooted for as a native of Western New York personally (just down the road from his home of Rochester), but Jones’ 2021 season is a bit inflated with the sack numbers. You must remember, the four-time Pro Bowler registered five against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, so that means he had 5.5 in his final 14 games played.

And that’s not to diminish him for his ’21 season, that’s just the facts of the matter. Maybe this was a byproduct of Haason Reddick joining the Panthers last season. But that’s definitely not a sight you like to see for a player who’s entering the twilight of his career at age 32.

I struggled so much with this one so much because I believe so much in this duo. Ironically, I think what held me back from making them #1 was because I think they’re more complete, dominant edge players, rather than just elite in the pass rush part of things. Yes, they both are known to get after QBs, but I believe their biggest strengths show in the run game as well.

So with that being said, we have our last duo to crown.

1. Los Angeles Chargers

Bosa and Mack have the potential to be one of the greatest edge rushing duos ever. Bosa tallied 10.5 sacks last season, the fourth time he’s gone for double-digits in his six career seasons. The two seasons he didn’t? He was on pace to do so, but he missed 15 total games of action to slow him down a bit (2018, 2020).

The Ohio State product has been downright scary over the past three seasons ”” since 2019, Bosa has posted 54, 45, and 43 pressures in those respective campaigns.

Now comes in Mack, a four-time All-Pro and 2010s All-Decade performer. From 2015-20, Mack had 8.5 sacks or more in each season, including a career-high 15 in 2015. That streak ended in 2021, but the numbers lie a bit on that.

Mack only totaled six sacks on the season, but he did that in only seven games played after going through foot surgery in November. My former UB teammate also wrecked havoc in terms of pressures before the ’21 campaign, posting 47, 45, and 31 in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively.

The case I really want to make for these two is that they’ve played some of their best ball when they had another formidable rusher with them. Whether it was Mack having 21.5 sacks in 2016 and 2017 playing across from Bruce Irvin, or his 12.5 with a healthy Akiem Hicks inside in Chicago in 2018, as well as Bosa’s 47.5 sacks in his first five seasons playing the opposite side of Melvin Ingram, the numbers bear proof.

So I’m taking the tandem that has a former NFL DPOY and has combined for 10 Pro Bowl selections. There’s a lot of different ways you can look at this argument, but Mack and Bosa seem to be just a notch above when it comes to getting after QBs, in my opinion.

But above all, we get to watch them all chase Russ, Herbert, Carr, and Mahomes all season. Man oh man, get your popcorn ready.

The post Ranking the pass rushing duos in the AFC West appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Las Vegas Raiders have officially signed pass rusher Chandler Jones, according to Tom Pelissero. Jones was recently named the third-best free agent available by CBS Sports. It’s clear that the Raiders are getting a stud who isn’t “washed up” at this day in age. Here is a closer look at how dominant Jones has been over the past few seasons:

• 10.5 sacks in 2021
• 19 sacks in 2019
• Pro Bowl selection in 2021
• Pro Bowl selection and All-Pro selection in 2019

The Raiders are battling in the wild AFC West, which is also known as the NFL’s best division in 2022. The Chargers picked up Khalil Mack (and J.C. Jackson), the Broncos scooped up Russell Wilson, and now the Raiders strike gold with Jones.

The Raiders arguably feature the NFL’s top pass-rushing duo with Maxx Crosby and Jones. Maxx Crosby (15 sacks in the past two seasons combined) was recently extended and now they help him with the signing of DE/OLB Jones.

Meanwhile, the Raiders have traded their “old” pass rusher Yannick Ngakouye (10 sacks in 2021) to the Indianapolis Colts, according to Ian Rapoport. Gus Bradley, who is the Colts defensive coordinator, was the Raiders prior defensive coordinator in 2021. Bradley will have his former defensive stud back in his arsenal. Ngakouye will now be partners with Deforest Buckner on the Colts scary DL. They also have Darius Leonard in their front seven.

The Raiders had a terrific pass-rushing duo last season, but they were still ranked 21st in sacks a season ago. That is not a formula for success in the AFC West, where they play Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Russell Wilson twice a season. The Raiders were wise to make a splash move at their DE spot and I fully expect them to display a Top 15 pass-rushing unit next season.

The Raiders new DC in 2022 was a Patriots assistant from 2009-2019, where he worked with the Pats DL and LB unit. It’s clear that he coaches Jones and that the former Patriots sack artist has strong ties to Graham. The Raiders DC will nicely move Jones around the DL and put him in the perfect position to succeed next to Mad Maxx.

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