By: Jake Rajala

The Detroit Lions offensive line is quietly a bright spot on the rebuilding Lions team. PFF ranked the Lions offensive line as the 13th best OL at the eclipse of the 2021 season. I really expect the Lions to showcase a Top-10 offensive line in the 2022 season. Sewell garnered a 77.0 grade by PFF last season and I definitely foresee him taking the next in 2022 – which should result in him having a trip to Hawaii.

The blind-side OT, Taylor Decker, will need to be a vital force in 2022. Decker had a 75.5 grade (with only 2 sacks allowed) by PFF a season ago. He missed eight contests last season, but he is finally healthy and ready to prove that he and Sewell are cream of a crop OT tandem.

Jonah Jackson made his first Pro Bowl in 2021 while registering a 69.3 grade by PFF. Jackson’s impact has been recognized by higher forces, such as Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com. She listed Jackson as the most underappreciated player on the Lions roster. Michael Renner of PFF also dubbed Jackson as one of his “Top 10 year three breakout candidates in 2022”.

Frank Ragnow, who is the most proven OL, is expected to be a rockstar once again. He had 0 sacks allowed, 0 penalties, and impressively notched an 86.7 grade by PFF. Ben Linsey of PFF also has Ragnow as the third-best center. Ragnow made the Pro Bowl in 2020, but he sadly missed 12 games last season. It’s crystal clear that health has been an Achilles heel for many members of the Lions OL. If the leader Ragnarok Ragnow and his fellow teammates stay healthy, they could absolutely have a Top-5 OL next season.

The post Detroit Lions offensive line outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Detroit Lions could look to acquire a young, talented quarterback without giving up a lot of compensation. Gardner Minshew, also known as Minshew Mania, would be a very ideal trade target for Dan Campbell. The Lions could reel in Minshew and still decide to take a QB early in the 2021 or 2022 NFL draft.

Minshew isn’t only 25 years old, but he has positive experience and production. The Jags QB that was replaced for a “first overall pick” has thrown 41 touchdowns, 5,969 passing yards, and has accumulated a 63.2 completion percentage.

He quietly went 6-6 as a rookie, which is the same win count as Trevor Lawrence and Goff last year combined. There is a lot of different variables in team success, but Minshew is a winner. He makes special plays and he doesn’t come out guns blazing like a “Week 18 Carson Wentz” in a pivotal matchup.

I also believe trading for Minshew would be wise if the Lions don’t plan on drafting a QB with their second overall pick. The motivated, yet patient Lions look like they are going to select Aidan Hutchinson second overall, according to All Lions Fan Nation. Penei Sewell and Hutchinson can be All-Pro type players at pivotal positions for many years to come.

I still really expect the Lions to bring in competition for Goff, who didn’t look deserving of the starting QB role often in 2021. The free agency pool isn’t sexy, to say the least. Jameis Winston will most likely choose the familiar, talented Saints team. I expect Mitchell Trubisky to ride with the Commanders or Steelers. Marcus Mariota will likely sign with the Broncos or Steelers. Minshew is also a clearly easier trade option than the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, and even Jimmy G.

After the top few signal-callers find a home in free agency, I believe Minshew is the far better option than QBs like Jacoby Brissett and Andy Dalton. The Lions really need to win more ball games in 2022. Campbell’s emotion might be captivating and the Lions truly made the right moves last offseason, but it’s time to turn the lever up a notch and it would help to be creative at the mediocre QB spot. The Lions should send a late-round pick to acquire the young, polarizing Philly QB.

The post Why the Lions should trade for Gardner Minshew appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans going into the 2021 season. Their quarterback situations are far from clear and their overall rosters are mediocre at best.

The same goes for their head coaches, with all three going into their first seasons at the franchise. Neither of Dan Campbell, Nick Sirianni, or David Culley has been a full-time head coach in the NFL. Campbell is the only one to have some experience, with his spell as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

Here is why you should be expecting the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the three worst records in the league in 2021.

Saying Goodbye To A Franchise Legend In Detroit. Struggles For The Replacement

Matthew Stafford was the number one overall pick in 2009, with the entire city of Detroit hoping he would be the man to turn around the fortunes of the franchise. Despite three seasons of making the playoffs, the Lions and Stafford never won a single postseason game as the wait continues. The Lions remain the team with the second-longest period without a playoff win, their last taking place on January 5th, 1992.

Stafford had some great individual moments as a Lion, most notably his Mic’d up moment during his 2009 rookie season. In a week eleven game against the Cleveland Browns, he overcame injury to produce a moment of pure heroism. He played with a separated shoulder despite the efforts of the medical staff to keep him off the field, leading the Lions to a touchdown-winning drive.

Jim Caldwell guided the Lions to these playoff appearances but was not seen as good enough to take them to the next step. New England Patriots assistant head coach Matt Patricia was brought in but never took to life as head coach. The Lions had three consecutive losing seasons under the coaching of Patricia. They will hope that they have found their guy in Dan Campbell. His press conference was certainly not dull, with Campbell referring to “biting kneecaps”. As a former Lions player, he knows what it takes to play in the league. He also knows about the city of Detroit and his intentions are both positive and clear. If he is given time, he has the desire to bring the good times back to Detroit. However, he is inexperienced as a head coach and the roster is below average.

New quarterback Jared Goff has the potential to struggle. This is despite the drafting of offensive lineman Penei Sewell at seventh overall, a selection that had Campbell and new General Manager Brad Holmes very excited.

Despite his brilliant 2018 season that saw the Rams reach Super Bowl 53, Goff had a poor game and struggled in 2020 as he and head coach Sean McVay’s relationship deteriorated.

Goff struggled despite a plethora of offensive talent around him. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. He is going to a franchise that let go of their two best wide receivers and failed to replace them.

The Lions have a schedule that features the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. There are also two games against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. The Lions do not have it easy.

Prediction: 3-14

Trouble In Philadelphia; Reason For Hope?

The Eagles have seen three years of gradual decline after winning Super Bowl 52. The 2017 season saw the Eagles lift the Lombardi Trophy for the first time after two previous attempts.

Doug Pederson was the head coach to guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl but was fired after the conclusion of the 2020 season. His decision to bench rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts in order to lose and gain a higher draft pick appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.

Carson Wentz had an MVP caliber season before an injury derailed hopes of winning the award. Backup Nick Foles stepped in and guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl 52 win. He also stepped in a year later and guided the Eagles to a shock Wildcard Round win against the Chicago Bears, with thanks also going to a Cody Parkey missed field goal.

Both Foles and Wentz are no longer Eagles players. Out of the starters in that Super Bowl 52 win, only seven remain with the franchise. Their decision to draft Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson continues to be mocked by rival fans and nobody knows how new head coach Nick Sirianni will do in the role.

The schedule is mixed for Philadelphia. Whilst they face the New York Jets, Lions, and twice play the New York Giants, they also have to face the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.. This is as well as facing a rising Washington Football Team twice as well as playing the Dallas Cowboys both home and away.

Reports have surfaced in recent days of the Philadelphia Eagles being the favourites for Deshaun, with talks said to be “heating up”.

This could be a move that transforms the franchise. However, Deshaun Watson had his best statistical season yet the Texans only managed four wins all year. This proves that whilst it is very important to have a good quarterback, you need more around to be successful.

Unless the Eagles do something in what remains of the offseason, they will continue to be mediocre if their roster continues to be this poor. If they get offensive or defensive talent in the next one or two offseasons, then they are a team that will compete for years to come. Otherwise, the Eagles will fail to be a threat to both the NFC and NFC East.

This is why Deshaun should avoid the Eagles at this present time. He will be going into a situation no different to what he experienced in Houston.

Prediction: 4-13

What A Difference A Year Makes

Where do we start with the Houston Texans? The 2019 season saw them take a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. However, they allowed 41 unanswered points as they lost 51-31. What has unfolded since in the following nineteen months has been reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

Head coach Bill O’Brien, who also was general manager, made the unusual decision to trade star wide receiver, Deandre Hopkins. In exchange, the Texans received a running back past his sell-by date in David Johnson, one second-rounder and one fourth-round pick. O’Brien only lasted four games in the 2020 season as they finished the campaign with just four wins.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 season, franchise legend J.J Watt has left and there continues to be an uncertain future surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston’s quarterback requested a trade in January before allegations of sexual assault arose. These have lingered throughout the remainder of the offseason. It is unclear if Watson will play in the NFL at all in 2021 but even if he does, it is unlikely that he will be wearing a Texans jersey.

Houston has said they would listen to trade offers for Watson, with the franchise said to be wanting three first-round picks. They have also acquired Tyrod Taylor via Free Agency and used their first pick in the draft on Davis Mills in the third round. Even if the Eagles stick with Hurts, there will be plenty of other suitors.

Even with Watson, the Texans are light on the ground when it comes to elite talent. Linebacker Zach Cunningham and Laremy Tunsil are talents and despite adding Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram to the running back room, the roster is one of the league’s worst.

David Culley has developed somewhat of a worrying reputation after his time with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens. During his fourteen-season spell with the Eagles, his four seasons with the Chiefs, and two years with the Ravens, he had 0 wide receivers earn a PFF grade of 80 or above.

The Chiefs wideouts went an entire season without a touchdown under Culley. With a wide receiver room featuring Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and Anthony Miller, this is not exactly a position of strength for the Texans. Culley is unlikely to see any of these receivers score high PFF grades.

Whilst the Texans might be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars twice and the Jets, they have a tough schedule. They will face the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Houston will also play the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans twice.

They are unlikely to win many of these games. Fans should be expecting a difficult season.

Prediction: 2-15

The post Expect the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the worst records in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

The NFL draft took place last weekend in Cleveland, and as usual, there were plenty of interesting storylines along with it. As usual, there were players who dropped far past their projected draft slot (Trevon Moehring, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah), as well as players who went earlier than expected (Alex Leatherwood, Tutu Atwell).

Both Moehring and Owusu-Koramoah could be argued as the “steal of the draft” based solely on how far they fell. However, this article will show you why the number one steal was a player who really only dropped two spots beyond their projected pick. That player is Penei Sewell. Here are three reasons why the Lions made perhaps the draft’s best pick.

Sewell is a generational talent

It’s not often that you find a lineman of Sewell’s caliber, and it’s even rarer to find one who can play both left and right tackle (Detroit will use him on the right). Sewell has the potential to immediately become a superstar in this league, and he will start right away for a Lions team that could definitely use some improvement on their line.

For his size, Sewell is an incredible athlete, and he is fantastic at moving laterally to make effective blocks. He was nearly flawless against both the run and the pass in college, and while the NFL is a different game, his skills should still translate over to the pros very well. Sewell should’ve been the pick for Cincinnati at five, as tackle is a much bigger need than WR for them. However, the Bengals chose to take WR Ja’Marr Chase over Sewell, and when the Dolphins took Jaylen Waddle at six, it ensured that the Lions would receive possibly the draft’s greatest gift.

The Lions could use some offensive line improvements

It’s not like Detroit had a bad offensive line, but Sewell could help the line make the jump to elite. Frank Ragnow was a standout center for Detroit last year, and with Taylor Decker stepping up at left tackle, the Lions only needed to fill a void on the right side. Sewell will fill that spot.

Upgrading the offensive line will pay dividends for this Lions team. Jared Goff will now have more time to operate in the pocket, which is especially essential given that Goff’s play suffers significantly when faced with any kind of pressure from defensive lines. Starting RB D’Andre Swift should also have more running room on the outside, which could help to fuel a second-year breakout, and the WRs would rack up more yardage due to Goff having more time. Because Sewell is a well-rounded player, all of these benefits would likely be immediate, which would be great for Detroit’s chances of a shorter-term rebuild.

Sewell fits well with head coach Dan Campbell’s football philosophy

When Dan Campbell had his introductory press conference after signing his six-year deal with Detroit, he emphasized playing smashmouth football. Campbell wants his team to be tough, win in the trenches, and yes, bite some kneecaps as well. While the final statement is clearly in jest, the others are not, and winning interior battles begins with the offensive and defensive lines.

Campbell emphasized his strategy in the draft, following up his Sewell pick with the selection of defensive tackles in Rounds 2 and 3. While Sewell isn’t known particularly for his power blocking, he still fills a position of importance for his new head coach, and there’s no doubt that he has all the tools to improve in that area. Either way, Sewell will make an immediate impact for his team, and he should be a centerpiece of this rebuilding Lions team for years to come.

The post Why Penei Sewell is the Steal of the Draft appeared first on Pro Football Mania.