By: Jake Rajala

The former fearless and imposing Kevin Williams was taken by the Vikings in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. It didn’t take long for Williams to make his mark in the league – as he unleashed 10.5 sacks, 15 TFLs, and even one interception in his rookie campaign. The NFL world felt a bigger impact from the Vikings DL in his sophomore season – where he garnered 11.5 sacks, 13 TFLs, two forced fumbles, eight pass deflections, and of course: first-team All-Pro honors.

Williams didn’t peak in his young career, to say the least. The Vikings DT garnered first-team All-Pro four more times in his football journey. At the end of his football career, he accumulated 63 sacks, 528 combined tackles, 90 QB hits, 73 pass deflections, five interceptions, and 10 forced fumbles. The mythical Viks DT retired in the 2016 off-season. With that said, there is an intriguing, pivotal question surrounding the Vikings defender: Is Williams a future Hall of Famer?

I absolutely foresee Williams, who didn’t make the HOF in 2022, cracking a spot in Canton soon. He really holds a similar career output as current HOF DT Cortez Kennedy. The former Seattle Seahawks DL registered 58 sacks and 11 FFs in his tenure. Kennedy also garnered three first-team All-Pro seasons and one second-team All-Pro campaign. He retired after the 2000 season and was inducted into the HOF in the 2012 off-season. Cortez Kennedy also tragically left this world at the ripe age of 48 (and he suffered from heart failure).

Williams was dominant against the run and against the pass (in numerous ways) in his football career. Ndamukong Suh plays a similar brand of football as Williams and he should also find himself in Canton in the future. I expect Williams to be cast into football heaven in the very near future.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have numerous defensive linemen that could audition for the next role as the Juggernaut in X-Men. They have the behemoth (6’4, 350) Vita Vea, who made his first Pro Bowl last season. Vea earned a hefty contract – as he signed a four-year extension worth $71 million dollars last January. The Bucs also brought in the former Chicago Bear Akiem Hicks on a one-year deal worth $10 million dollars – as he has recorded 7 sacks, 30 QB hits, 12 TFLs, and 74 combined tackles over the past 24 games. Hicks garnered a 72.3 grade by PFF last season.

They don’t appear to be reuniting with the fearless Ndamukong Suh, but they certainly have a very strong IDL in spite of his presence. Per Vikings Wire, the Vikings are in the mix for his services.

William Gholston will also be a well-rounded DL for the Bucs in his 10th season. Gholston had 4.5 sacks (career-high), 11 QB hits, 7 TFLs, and 36 combined tackles last season. The veteran DE that is one of the most underrated players on the team re-signed a one-year contract with the Bucs this off-season.

The reigning NFC South Champions also will expect Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Deadrin Senat to be productive in their limited snaps. Nunez-Roches ousted 17 combined tackles, 3 TFLs, in 2021. Senat was on the Falcons/Dark Side from 2018 to 2020 – and he registered 34 combined tackles. He will be a pleasant depth piece moving forward. The Bucs will also have OLB/DE Shaq Barrett (18 sacks in the past two seasons combined) and the second-year Joe Tryon, who should have a breakout season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The New England Patriots have stayed creative off-season and they recently showed their wit by acquiring DeVante Parker. Well, I’m going to untwine a few dream targets that would help the Pats become a true AFC contender and defeat the despised Buffalo Bills. Let’s begin.

Cole Beasley

The former Bills slot WR Cole Beasley is still capable of superb production. Beasley was second-team All-Pro in 2020 and then he recorded a career-high 122 targets last season. The Pats have the deep-speed with Jakobi Meyers and the consistent go-to target with Parker. He will not only have the inside scoop on the Bills offense but he can also be a fantastic slot weapon and security blanket for Jones. It may be wise for Jones to be gifted the ole reliable former Bill.

Will Fuller

I wouldn’t be shocked if the Pats added another WR for Jones moving forward. Will Fuller has a similar ability as Meyers, but Belichick can certainly have both WRs involved and dangerous. The former Texans WR that had a career-high 879 yards and personal best 8 touchdowns in 2020 (missed 16 games last season) recently turned 28 and I believe he has 3-4 seasons of top-notch ability. His potential & current health may also be more enticing than OBJ for the Pats.

Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh may have left Boston this spring without a contract, but he should definitely consider returning to New England with a pen in his hand. Suh is a versatile, maniac and he would formulate the perfect marriage with BB. He’s still a very productive player (6 sacks in 2020 and 6 sacks in 2021). Suh would help improve a defense that has slowly lost its way over the past few seasons.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t take the foot off the gas pedal this off-season — as they brought in numerous stud offensive linemen (La’el Collins, Alex Cappa) for their offense featuring an unearthly QB-WR duo. It wouldn’t be a complete surprise if the desperate Super Bowl aimed squad carrying a modest $15 million in cap space added one or two more horses in free agency. With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine three dream targets for the Bengals right now.

Ndamukong Suh

The Raiders have been rumored to be a landing spot for the fearless Ndamukong Suh. I believe he should feel more intrigued about joining the reigning Super Bowl champions. He could play next to Trey Hendrickson while having a strong chance of winning his second Super Bowl ring. If Cincy doesn’t make a poetic reunion with Geno Atkins, perhaps they will swing big for the former Bucs DT that hasn’t lost a step in recent memory (12 sacks in the past two seasons combined).

Chris Harris Jr.

The free-agent CB Chris Harris Jr. may be the cherry on top for the Bengals defense. I believe it was an underrated move to bring back Eli Apple, but the Bengals still don’t carry a strong overall CB group. He could be a potential upgrade over Apple or a strong CB3. The talented slot corner Harris Jr. would have likely helped cover the slot machine Cooper Kupp in Super Bowl LVI, to say the least.

Xavier Rhodes

The CB free agent pool doesn’t showcase talent like Stephon Gilmore, but there are still modest, physical CBs that can help the Bengals defense. Xavier Rhodes could certainly be a bully for the Bengals defense on the outside. Rhodes and Apple both have very similar skill sets, but Rhodes (31) is five years older than Apple (26). Rhodes was a Top-10 CB per PFF in 2020, but he wasn’t quite as potent in 2021. Nonetheless, he would help the Bengals questionable CB group become more sturdy moving forward.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts are one of the best darkhorse AFC contenders in 2022. With that said, I’m going to simply outline a few mouth-watering profiles that can certainly help cement the Colts as an AFC juggernaut.

Odell Beckham Jr.

The LA Rams may flirt with OBJ, but I’m not sure if the reigning SB Champions with two elite WRs will have room for Beckham Jr. It may also be poetic for the former LA native to return to the Big Easy, but the Saints also have a very loaded WR room (Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Jarvis Landry). I’d love to see the T.Y. Hilton-less offense pick up OBJ and the Colts team could really blossom in the pivotal month of December.

Eric Ebron

“Hello darkness, my old friend”

The former Colts TE that hauled in 13 touchdowns in 2018 should reunite with the Colts offense. I surely believe that Ebron would be an upgrade over Mo Alie-Cox moving forward. The former 40 yard dash legend also is 29 years old – which is four years younger than Gronk and six years younger than Graham. Jonathan Taylor and Ebron could constantly wreak havoc in the red zone.

Ndamukong Suh

I believe the Colts are the perfect wild-card landing spot for the fearless DT legend Ndamukong Suh. He can join a defense that added Yannick Ngakouye and Stephon Gilmore this off-season. Most importantly, he can join a great culture and have a strong chance to pursue a Super Bowl ring for 1-3 seasons. The former Bucs DT ousted 6 sacks in each of the past two seasons.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Miami Dolphins have stayed aggressive in each phase of the 2022 off-season and It wouldn’t be a surprise if they struck gold with another shiny free-agent acquisition soon. With that said, I’m going to untwine three dream FA targets for the Phins right now.

Anthony Barr

I expect that Anthony Barr wants revenge against Josh Allen after the Bills QB famously hurdled him a few seasons ago. Barr is a very diverse LB and he can be effective against the run and pass. He recorded three interceptions, 2.5 sacks, 72 combined tackles, and 6 QB hits in 11 games last season. Barr could honestly be a star on the inside and move around the edge on third-down. The former 30-year-old Vikings LB could even be a quality chess piece on the Phins LB group that features Emmanual Ogbah and Jerome Baker for a few seasons.

Odell Beckham Jr.

If the LA Rams have room for OBJ, the Dolphins should deserve to incorporate his gifted ability. The Dolphins have also been a popular landing spot for him as of late. Tom Pelissero from NFL Network suggested that the Phins should ink the Super Bowl LVI champion in early May. The Dolphins have loaded up on offensive firepower (Chase Edmonds, Tyreek Hill) this off-season, so it would be fitting for Mike McDaniel to add another superb force in OBJ.

Ndamukong Suh

The NFL’s bad-ass (and intellectual) Ndamukong Suh would be a sneaky good fit for the Dolphins. Suh can excel in many spots, which is perfect for the Dolphins creative defense. He has been still playing at a high level (6 sacks and 13 QB hits) and he surely wants another Super Bowl ring. Suh doesn’t appear to be interested in a reunion with Tampa Bay. I expect an aggressive, shiny team like MIA or LAR to scoop him up.

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By: Jake Rajala

In the 2010 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals made one of the best fourth draft picks in NFL history in Geno Atkins. The former Georgia Bulldog blossomed into an absolute manic for the Bengals, as he made eight Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro teams for Cincy. Atkins poetically stayed with the Bengals up until 2020 and he hasn’t played in the NFL since 2020.

Regardless of Atkins’s decision to keep competing in-between the white lines, he has unveiled a very superb career. With that said, there is a pivotal question on the mind of many Bengals fans and NFL critics: Is Atkins headed to Canton?

I believe one of the most fascinating, logical comparisons for Atkins is none other than Ndamukong Suh. They both dominated in the same decade and both unveiled top-tier success on a consistent basis. I feel comfortable that Suh (three All-Pro teams, five Pro Bowl selections, SB champion) is HOF-bound.

Suh was able to garner a shiny SB ring, while Atkins has failed to win a Super Bowl. The former Lions DT also has one more All-Pro season than Atkins. Although, Atkins was definitely able to separate himself from Suh in the Pro Bowl category, as Atkins has three more PB seasons than Suh.

He does have more career sacks than Suh, but Suh has more TFLs and QB hits in his career. I’d still say that their resume is similar and it’s clear that NFL critics felt the same way — as both mythical DTs were selected to the 2010 decade team.

Nonetheless, there have been Super Bowl-less DTs with similar production as Atkins, and they have struggled to make it into Canton. For example, Michael Dean Perry made six Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro teams, won zero Super Bowls, and he hasn’t been inducted into Canton.

Atkins does have a couple of more PB selections than Perry, but they have remarkably similar honors. I would say Atkins is in line behind Perry for football heaven. Atkins is certainly a borderline HOF player and a Bengals legend, but I don’t believe he is on the path to being a HOF player. If he can return to the Bengals and win a SB ring, I definitely feel Atkins is in the same HOF boat as Suh.

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By: Jake Rajala

The fearless Ndamukong Suh, also known as Aaron Rodgers’s nemesis, has been a pillar of top-notch play at the defensive tackle positive over the past decade. Suh won Defensive Rookie of The Year, made five Pro Bowls, and impressively cracked three first-team All-Pro teams in his football journey thus far. Furthermore, he managed to win his ever-elusive Super Bowl ring with TB12 in the 2020-2021 season.

The 35-year-old Suh hasn’t decided to hang up his cleats this off-season and it seems likely that he will join a team with the combination of a strong fit and a very competitive roster. I would expect the Cleveland Browns, LA Rams, Miami Dolphins, and the Dallas Cowboys to be logical destinations for him.

Whether or not Suh keeps competing in-between the white lines, Suh’s resume is quite superb in 2022. With that said, there are many NFL fans and obsessors over Suh’s highlights asking: Is Suh headed to Canton?

It’s safe to say that there are legendary DT/DL in the HOF and it may seem like Suh isn’t on the same wavelength as a lot of the insane DTs in football heaven. There are DT faces like the six-time All-Pro John Randle, the potential better version of J.J. Watt in Reggie White, and the unstoppable (and very succesful) Warren Sapp.

Suh may not be as dominant as the greek-god DL previously mentioned, but he still has top-tier success on a few occasions and he has the pivotal SB ring. His friendly and former head coach Bruce Arians may be biased, but BA stated that Suh has a strong chance to end up in the HOF. If Suh can win a second SB ring on a juggernaut team, he should be a lock to be a HOF. If Suh can’t ride out into the sunset, I would still be shocked if the well-rounded DL still doesn’t give a HOF speech at some point in the future.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals are an AFC juggernaut with the fifth-most cap space in the NFL. Zac Taylor could utilize his creative juices in May by inking one of the shiny free agents available. The Bengals could still benefit from the arrival of a cornerback or even another underrated offensive weapon. With that said, I’m going to untwine a few FA profiles that would be superb fits for Cincy.

• Joe Haden

The Bengals young head coach shouldn’t let the Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel sign every quality FA on the planet or allow Joe Haden to reunite with the Browns. The Bengals might have an overly impressive WR trio (Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins), but they ought to boost their pass defense. I firmly believe that Eli Apple is underrated (to say the least), but Haden would be an upgrade over Apple and a fine partner to Chidobe Awuzie, who was named to PFF’s All-Pro team.

• Akiem Hicks

The explosive big fella Akiem Hicks can terrorize opposing signal-callers next to Trey Hendrickson and B.J. Hill. Hicks is still a talented DL and he showed that in nine games last season (3.5 sacks and 9 QB hits). Hicks would really help the Bengals pass rush against Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and other top-notch AFC QBs.

• Ndamukong Suh

I believe the Bengals would make a lot of sense for the fearless defender Ndamukong Suh. The Super Bowl-winning DE/DT can have a strong chance to win his second SB ring with the Bengals. The former Lions DL that has only missed two games in his career would be more affordable than a FA like Jadeveon Clowney for the Bengals, too.

• Jimmy Graham

I will be honest – Jimmy Graham is a bit washed up. I still believe he can be a mismatch for opposing defenses and he could be a nice TE2 behind Hayden Hurst. The TE with 11 touchdowns in the past two seasons combined could be a sneaky weapon for Joe Burrow in big-time showdowns.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought back Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette, and they witnessed a resurrection from Tom Brady. After the NFL draft has eclipsed, it seems that the Bucs will remain aggressive in the potential last ride of Tom Brady’s career. There are a familiar few faces that Tampa could ink at this point in this point time. With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine if the Buccaneers should reunite with a few 2021 Buccaneers players.

Ndamukong Suh

It doesn’t look like Ndamukong Suh will return to the Buccaneers. According to numerous sources (the Athletic, Spun), Suh is unlikely to return to the Buccaneers. Suh was still a lethal player in 2021 (6 sacks in 2021), but the Bucs still have Vita Vea and William Gholston in the middle of their defensive line. Unfortunately, the return of Todd Bowles and TB12 doesn’t seem like enough firepower to retain Suh.

Jason Pierre-Paul

Jason Pierre-Paul was a big help in many moments of their recent Super Bowl-winning season, but I don’t expect TB to have a sense of urgency to bring back JPP (2.5 sacks in 12 games last season). The rise of the 2021 first-round draft pick Joe Tryon and Shaq Barrett’s presence should eliminate any bark about a dire need to re-sign JPP. The Dallas Cowboys have been linked to the former NFC East pass rusher.

Robert Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski, also known as Brady’s best friend, is still unsure about his future in the NFL. I really don’t forsee Gronk returning for another season. Gronk might be a football god, but it may be hard for him to return if his heart is not fixed on playing football in May. Although, if he does not hit the ground running this summer, he could return to the Bucs roster in a potential/likely playoff appearance next season. Marshawn Lynch returned to the familiar Seahawks in their playoff trip during the 2019-2020 season.

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