By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts offense was flat-out embarrassed against a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that isn’t exactly the ole “Sacksonville” defense. The Colts and their potent QB-RB duo dropped a goose egg against their archnemesis in Week 2. So, the Colts have shockingly not won a game in their first two weeks. With that said, two questions have arisen around the Colts: Is the Colts offense okay? And should Colts fans begin to bring out the Bryce Young posters?

The Colts offense has Avenger-like figures on offense in Jonathan Taylor, Matt Ryan, and Quentin Nelson. Although, they can’t operate on a high level without legitimate threats at the WR position. Matty Ice may not be the same signal-caller that he was in 2016, but he can be more talented than the 2021 version of Mac Jones or Jimmy G with their prior well-rounded rosters with a quality group of wideouts.

I honestly don’t love the Colts group of wideouts with a healthy Michael Pittman Jr and Alec Pierce. Pierce had a dreadful drop for an easy TD in Week 1. The veteran WR (Pittman) has also had injury issues in his short career. The outlook for the Colts WR group is undoubtedly worrisome in 2022.

The Colts legend Tony Dungy stated that the Colts need JT to start heating up if they want to win games. Although, I’m not ready to believe that the Colts can lean on the Jonathan Taylor show to mow down opponents. It should be noted that Taylor ousted 161 rushing yards against a mediocre Houston Texans team and they still lost.

I would really like to see the Colts sign a free agent WR to improve their fighting chances. Will Fuller and Odell Beckham Jr. are both looking for a new home. In particular, OBJ could really be reliable from numerous WR spots and he can take the top off a defense. The former Rams WR could certainly make the Colts a dangerous play-action offense. OBJ also has less troubling injury habits than the former Texans WR. All in all, the Colts should still be aggressive and creative by signing the electric and polarizing Beckham Jr.

Contrary to a lot of aggravated Colts fans, I also don’t believe the posters for Bryce Young should be shown in Indianapolis for at least a couple of more weeks.

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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 31-year-old Derek Carr will look to enter the MVP conversation for the first time in his career in 2022. Adam Schein of NFL.com believes that Carr will lead the league in passing yards next season. He really believes that the arrival of Davante Adams will help Carr easily shatter 5,000 passing yards. Per NFL.com, Torry Holt expressed that Tae will also elevate the performance of other Raiders WRs. It should be noted that Darren Waller missed six games last season and he will be finally healthy. Tae, Hunter Renfrow, and Waller will be vital pieces in Carr’s arsenal.

The Raiders may also be fascinated by the idea of adding more pieces to their impressive offense. Marcus Johnson of “Silver and Black Pride” suggests that the Raiders sign the slot WR Emmanuel Sanders. The former Bills WR that is seeking a SB ring at the back-end of his career would be an excellent WR3 in the Raiders offense. Cole Beasley, aka as Sanders’s former teammate, is also available.

Austin Bevy of Heavy. believes the Raiders should make a keen effort to ink OBJ, as well.

The Raiders may have new horses in the building, but it’s important that Josh McDaniels can create strong chemistry with the Raiders offense this season. Thankfully, all signs point towards a fast-paced and focused OTA season thus far. McDaniels can really create a special Raiders team while proving to the rest of the AFC that he is a mastermind out of New England.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Rams didn’t take their foot off the pedal this off-season. Hence, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the sleep-deprived Sean McVay reeled in another splash signing. With that said, I’m going to untwine three dream FA targets for the LA Rams.

Justin Houston

The Clowney sweepstakes are over, but there is one hungry pass rusher looking for a job: Justin Houston. The former Chiefs sack artist will surely look to play for a Super Bowl contender while being placed in a superb situation. Well, I believe Houston could nicely replace Von Miller and help Aaron Donald dismantle opposing NFC West pass protections on a frequent basis.

Odell Beckham Jr.

“Hello darkness, my old friend”

The Rams witnessed OBJ returning to impressive form in Super Bowl LVI, but he sadly left the game via a torn ACL. I would be shocked if Beckham Jr. joined the Saints WR room (that already features Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Jarvis Landry). I would love to see OBJ reunite with LA and it may even happen. Per Ian Rapoport, there’s still a possibility that OBJ re-signs with the Rams.

T.Y. Hilton

If the Rams can’t make a poetic reunion with OBJ, I’d love to see them shift their focus to the deep-threat T.Y. Hilton. Hilton, who is a few years younger (and less selfish) than Desean Jackson, can bring a unique element of deep-speed to the Rams WR room. I trust that Matthew Stafford can squeeze the remaining juice out of the former Colts speed demon.

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By: Jake Rajala

The New England Patriots are one of the most mysterious NFL teams entering the 2022 season. They have a cyborg in Bill Belichick, an ascending QB in Mac Jones, but they haven’t made numerous dynamite off-season additions. The Patriots could easily be a Super Bowl contender if Jones noticeably improves. Meanwhile, it’s also possible that the new-look Dolphins and Josh Allen-led Bills finish ahead of the Pats in the AFC East next season. I believe the sleep-deprived Belichick could still add more fire-power and help the Patriots become a dark-horse Super Bowl contender in the early stages of Jones’s career.

Anthony Barr

I believe Anthony Barr is the biggest free-agent diamond in the rough at this point in time. Barr is still a very good football player, as he recorded three interceptions, 72 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 6 QB hits last season. The Pats controversially traded away the young stud in Chase Winvoch to the Browns, but they could potentially find his superb replacement in Barr.

Odell Beckham Jr.

The Pats can definitely strike the jackpot with the signing of OBJ. He doesn’t only have a lot of talent for a team in the back-end of next season and beyond 2022, but he almost signed with the Pats in 2021. Belichick should really work his magic and help his team have more juice in the explosive AFC playoff gauntlet by bringing in the Super Bowl LVI champion.

Dont’a Hightower

The Pats could help their LB position by bringing an old friend back in Dont’a Hightower. The 2019 Pro Bowler might not be an elite LB, but he can be a 2022 starter and great leader. After the Pats brought back Devin McCourty, it would be patriotic for the Pats to ink Hightower.

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By: Jake Rajala

It really isn’t clear where Odell Beckham Jr. will sign at this point in the offseason. Although, it appears he will sign with a talented passing offense. The Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, and New Orleans Saints seem to be logical landing spots for OBJ.

There is also the unsettling outlook with OBJ’s ACL injury. He is expected to likely return in early November next season. So, there are a couple of mysterious factors with OBJ. It isn’t clear where he will play in 2022 and when he will play next season.

Well, I expect OBJ to be at least efficient for his new QB moving forward. Here is a closer look at how productive Beckham was with LA in his last four playoff games as a Ram:

• 288 yards = 1,224 yards in a 17 game slate
• 2 touchdowns
• 26 targets
• missed two quarters in the Super Bowl

Beckham Jr. was just getting on fire with Stafford in the playoffs. Well, can OBJ continue his recent dominance with LA or another team next season? I don’t love OBJ’s ceiling with A-Rob and Kupp in LA. If he is in NO or CLE, I would also expect him to be an 800 yard WR (a bit more production than his 537 total yards with CLE/LA in 2021). I really believe he could put up his biggest numbers and targets with the Indianapolis Colts or New England Patriots.

Beckham Jr. is currently ranked as the 47th dynasty WR (PPR) via Fantasy Pros. He will likely be a modest WR in his short-lived 2022 season and beyond with LA or NO. If he does ink a contract with a team like Indy or NE, he could surprise and really be targeted for 4-5 more seasons (similar to Cooks in the Houston offense).

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By: Jake Rajala

The polarizing free-agent wide receiver Odell Bekcham Jr. is looking to win another Super Bowl ring and potentially create a Hall of Fame career with a team of his choice in 2022. OBJ was recently his old self with the Los Angeles Rams in the postseason, as he hauled in a touchdown in the Super Bowl and reeled in 113 yards in the NFC Championship contest.

OBJ will have to come back from another torn ACL and likely miss at least a month of football action in the 2022 regular season, but I fully expect the 29-year-old to come back stronger and be a playmaker for a potential Super Bowl contender next season. I expect OBJ to pick a team that has an excellent fit for him, boasts quality talent at QB, and is pushing for a Super Bowl victory. I simply believe the Saints are the perfect fit for OBJ at this point in time.

It’s well noted that Beckham Jr. is from the Big Easy and he played at LSU. Furthermore, he had a strong interest in returning home in the 2021 season before opting to join the “dream team” in Los Angeles. The Patriots and the Saints were really interested in scooping up the gifted wideout.

It’s also clear that Beckham Jr. is a mega-fan of the Saints offense and Sean Payton. He was a bit jealous when Emmanual Sanders inked a contract with the Saints in 2020. Of course, the Saints don’t have Payton at the helm anymore. Nonetheless, the Saints long-time Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael is returning and he’s going to make sure there’s a very similar playbook from the Payton era to help his studs like Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara succeed.

The Deshaun Watson factor has to be astronomical for OBJ, as well. Watson will take the next few days to contemplate his next destination, but OBJ should be really intrigued to play with the Saints if Watson becomes a part of Who Dat Nation.

The Saints could use a quality WR2 more than the Patriots or Rams (to say the least), so I expect the Saints to be very aggressive to land OBJ. I also don’t foresee Beckham Jr. looking to take likey less money from the Rams to be a WR3 in a Sean McVay offense that should feed Cooper Kupp and A-Rob the pigskin at WR the most moving forward. The Saints shouldn’t be bringing the Honey Badger home, but they should “finally” be the most favorable fit for OBJ in 2022.

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The Dallas Cowboys have officially traded Amari Cooper and a sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for a 2022 fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick, according to NBC Sports. The Cowboys were able to find a trade partner for the very expensive, former first-round draft pick. Andrew Berry (General Manager of the Browns) was able to find a top-notch WR for Baker Mayfield.

The Cowboys are paying Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliot, Demarcus Lawrence, and many others a boatload of money. In the near future, they will also have to break the bank for Trevon Diggs, Ceedee Lamb, and many other players. It was wise to move the highly paid Cooper, especially when the Boys have Lamb and likely Michael Gallup (FA in 2022) back in the offense moving forward.

Meanwhile, the Browns made a fine choice to bring in a talented WR at their aching WR spot. There is no secret that Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t helping the Browns offense and it appears Jarvis Landry will follow his former LSU brother out the door this offseason. According to NFL rumors, the Browns are “highly likely” to release Landry.

All in all, the Cooper trade was fascinating and it also means another blockbuster trade has occurred this offseason. So, the question is: which team won the trade? Here are the grades I would hand to each squad:

• Dallas Cowboys: A –

I really believe the Cowboys were successful in finding multiple late-round picks for Cooper. They may be able to use the picks to find one or two late-round draft gems in the upcoming draft. They could use the picks to potentially move up to draft a RB, WR, TE, or kicker to replace Greg the Leg. They were also wise (or lucky) for trading Cooper out of the conference.

• Cleveland Browns: B

The Cleveland Browns were assertive and creative in finding a top-notch WR in any way possible this offseason. It would be a challenge to be more attractive than talented and wealthy squads in luring a FA WR like JuJu Smith-Schuster or Allen Robinson in the 2022 free agency period. The Browns were able to find a talented WR to help Mayfield and the talented Browns squad bounce back next season after being one of the most underperforming teams in 2021. They can also choose to draft to not draft a WR in round one in the 2022 NFL draft with Cooper on the squad if they choose.

I don’t believe that the Browns decision to pay a non-Top-10 WR $20 million on their roster is the best idea, but he will still be a playmaker for the Browns in 2022 and beyond. I would have preferred the Browns to trade for Brandin Cooks or Robby Anderson.

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The Los Angeles Rams were Super Bowl LVI champions, but it wasn’t an easy victory and journey for Sean McVay’s dream team. The Rams weren’t the first seed in the NFC and they were even swept by their divisional foe (San Francisco 49ers) in the 2021 regular season.

Matthew Stafford and his squad had to claw their way to the Super Bowl and edge out the explosive Cincinnati Bengals on the grand stage. As the Super Bowl celebration has eclipsed and the 2022 offseason is in motion, the focus will switch to retaining the elite roster and making another push for a Super Bowl berth in 2022. The question is: what should scare the Rams and keep McVay up at night the most next season? Well, I’m going to untwine the biggest challenges for the LA Rams in 2022.

• Kyle Shanahan

The secret is out: The 49ers have edged out the Rams in 6 of the last 7 matchups. The Rams won the pivotal matchup against SF in the NFC Championship, but Kyle Shanahan will surely upgrade his squad at key positions in 2022. I expect the 49ers to improve the CB spot, which felt like dropping interceptions in the championship game. They could bring in Stephon Gilmore, as the former 49er stud Richard Sherman pointed out.

Shanny’s team will theoretically have an upgrade at the QB position, as the very athletic Trey Lance will replace Jimmy Garopplo. A lot of fans might speculate how Jimmy G was just a step above the 2015 Peyton Manning, who won a Super Bowl off the back of his defense.

• Odell Beckham Jr.

The Rams will have Robert Woods healthy, but they might not have their playoff weapon Odell Beckham Jr. to kick things off in 2022. OBJ could be on a different roster, but McVay does OBJ back in 2022. If the former NYG WR returns to the dreamy city, he will miss the first 5-7 games likely.

The Rams play in a brutal conference and they will need all the firepower they can get. Matthew Stafford will have the 2021 Offensive Player of The Year in Cooper Kupp, but he most likely won’t have two Pro Bowl WRs at his disposal early in the 2022 season.

• LT position

The LA Rams “currently” feature an all-star LT that is somewhat in the shadow of Donald, McVay, OBJ, Stafford, Kupp, and Miller. Their reliable LT that won Walter Payton Man of The Year, Andrew Whitworth, is 40 years old and pondering retirement.

If the Rams lose Whitworth, they will need to find a quality LT to protect Stafford’s blindside. It’s vital that the Rams find a way to fill in the shoes of Whitworth if hangs up his cleats. Nick Bosa had a whopping 0.5 sacks in two games against the Rams in the 2021 regular season. Bosa, J.J. Watt, and Carlos Dunlap will be licking their chops if the Rams don’t adequately replace the large, generous OT that looks like Thanos in 2022.

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The New England Patriots were led by the brave rookie Mac Jones in 2021. Jones didn’t go gentle into the good night, as he unleashed 3,801 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, and 13 interceptions last season. His performance helped him bake the Pro Bowl and Bill Belichick become more relaxed towards him. Well, at least one of the points mentioned above is true.

Jones was a pleasant QB last season, but he has a lot of work to do if he wants to become the next special QB in New England. The Pats will surely look at the wide receiver free agents in 2022 to lure in a shiny weapon for the young Mac Jones. Here are a few faces that would make a ton of sense.

Odell Beckham Jr.

The Patriots were very close to inking the former NYG WR Odell Beckham Jr. in 2021. I expect OBJ to be more interested in joining the Pats for two reasons. He witnessed the growth of Mac Jones throughout the 2021 season and I also imagine his chances of returning to the Rams took a major hit after his injury.

The cap-strapped Rams will likely bring back Von Miller and spend their resources on profiles outside of Beckham Jr. Belichick is also no stranger to signing big-name and slightly dramatic wideouts (Randy Moss, Antonio Brown, Josh Gordan).

T.Y. Hilton

The New England Patriots should revamp their WR position with a couple of new faces. It’s worth noting that the Pats could cut ties with Nelson Agholor outside of letting Meyers leave, as well. With that said, I’d love to see Bill Belichick ink the speed-demon T.Y. Hilton. Jones could really benefit from the skillset that Hilton offers.

The long-time Colt ousted 10 touchdowns from 2020 and 2021 combined. If the Pats lose Jakobi Meyers, it would especially be nice for them to target Hilton.

Keelan Cole

Belichick should seek a diamond in the rough when free agency kicks off and he could find an underdog in Keelan Cole. The undrafted free agent had 642 yards and five touchdowns in 2020 with Gardner Minshew.

He only recorded 449 yards and one touchdown with the Jets last season, but those numbers might seem surprising given his place on the depth chart and the ability of the Jets young, starting QB.

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