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

Broncos running back Javonte Williams had an impressive rookie season in Denver. Williams piled up 1,219 scrimmage yards and 7 total touchdowns in his first season. He could be seen regularly breaking tackles and proved to be built for the NFL. In fact, Williams had 31 broken tackles his rookie season and was the league leader in broken-plus tackles missed at 17.2%. Big things were expected for Williams in his 2nd season but he unfortunately went down with a serious ACL injury in week 4. Williams now seems to be ahead of schedule as he is already practicing again for the Broncos and could see some pre-season reps. This is great news for Denver fans as new head coach Payton will be able to get the best out of Williams going forward.

As insurance, the Broncos brought in running back Samaje Perine this offseason. If you followed the Cincinnati Bengals closely you know Perine played a pivotal role for them. Now that Williams looks to be healthy, Perine will provide an extra jolt to the running game for Denver. Perine is somewhat similar to Williams in that he rarely goes down on the first touch. He just doesn’t have the breakaway speed that Williams has. Expect the running game to be the strength of the Broncos offense.

The Bad

There were already questions about the Broncos wide receiver position going into next season. Unfortunately, the group took a big hit to their depth as receivers K.J. Hamler and Tim Patrick are now out indefinitely. The Broncos will now lean heavily on Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton in 2023. Jeudy has shown flashes of greatness but lacks consistency and Sutton hasn’t been the same since his breakout 2019 season. The Broncos also drafted Marvin Mims Jr. from Oklahoma with hopes to bolster the position. With the recent injuries, Mims will now be relied on for a heavy role in Denver.

The Prediction

Sean Payton will have an impact in Denver this season. How much of an impact is yet to be seen but the offense should be vastly improved. The problem for the Broncos is Russell Wilson is not the same player as he was in Seattle. He can no longer rely on his legs to extend plays and this causes more turnovers. The key for him going forward is to learn how to play from the pocket similar to what Drew Brees did in New Orleans. It will be fascinating to watch how this all plays out in 2023.

2023 Record: 8-9 (3rd in the Division)

The post Denver Broncos Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The current ADP below is for Half PPR scoring.

Elijah Moore (Browns – WR) | ADP 114 | WR48

Elijah Moore was a disappointment last year after a promising rookie season. The former New York Jet only topped double-digit fantasy points once and faded completely from fantasy relevance. Moore showed flashes but failed to produce much of anything. He finished the season with only 1 receiving touchdown and 446 receiving yards.

This past season Moore was traded to the Cleveland Browns giving him a much needed change of scenery. Now with the spotlight off him, I expect Moore to bounce back to his rookie form. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is entering his second year with the Browns and should be more comfortable in this system. With the arrival of Moore, the Browns receiving core has the potential to make some noise. When it’s all said and done, I expect many will be kicking themselves for not taking a chance on Elijah Moore.

Kadarius Toney (Chiefs – WR) | ADP 86 | WR38

Don’t look too much into Kadarius Toney‘s 2022-23 campaign. Between injuries and falling out with the New York Giants, he wasn’t able to offer much value. Toney was traded to Kansas City Chiefs in October for a 3rd and 6th round pick. This was the best case scenario for him as he showcased what he could do during the Super Bowl.

Now fully healthy, Toney is set up for a breakout year with the Chiefs. While Travis Kelce will eat up the majority of the target share I expect Toney will be utilized often in this offense. Toney is a player whose stock is rising pretty quickly as you can see from the chart below. By the start of the season, I could see him getting into the WR30 range in which case he will no longer be undervalued.

Courtland Sutton (Broncos – WR) | ADP 90 | WR41

Like the other wide receivers on this list, Courtland Sutton had a tough 2022-23 season. Don’t blame him though, this was due in large part to an abysmal Denver Broncos offense. Even though the offense struggled, Sutton still managed to finish the year with 829 receiving yards. He also had a decent target share at 20.1%.

I expect the Broncos offense to improve significantly next season. New Head Coach Sean Payton is an offensive mastermind who will find ways to make this offense more explosive. Russel Wilson should also have a bounce-back year and this receiving core will benefit. Jerry Jeudy will always be a factor in taking targets away from Sutton but it won’t matter. Expect Sutton to finish with 1,000+ yards and 5+ touchdowns.

The post 3 WRs Currently Undervalued in Fantasy appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Going into last season there was a lot expected from Javonte Williams and the Broncos offense. Williams was coming off a strong finish to his rookie campaign and the Broncos pulled off a blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson. It didn’t take long to realize this new-look Broncos offense was mediocre at best. Then disaster struck and Williams tore his ACL against Oakland Raiders.

Coming into 2022, Javonte Williams was #14 RB according to FantasyPros ECR. He was firmly in the tier 3 range of running backs with big things expected. Due to his injury, he ended with just 34 FP (Half PPR). Let’s take a closer look at what to do with Javonte Williams dynasty shares going forward.

2022

In the opening game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Broncos offense as a whole struggled. They finished with just 16 points in a close loss. Williams accounted for much of the Broncos production on the day. He only had 43 yards on the ground but he was able to haul in 11 receptions for 65 yards. Most of those were short yardage dump-offs from Wilson. Williams finished the day with 14.3 FP which was his highest output of the season.

Following the loss to the Seahawks the Broncos were able to string together back-to-back wins and Williams started to gain momentum in the running game. Unfortunately, things took a turn in the week 4 matchup against the Raiders. Williams went down with an ACL injury which shut him down for the rest of the season.

2023

Looking ahead to next season, the biggest question with Javonte Williams is how well he is progressing from his injury. We received some good news recently as according to Head Coach Sean Payton, Williams participated in OTA’s albeit in a limited fashion. It’s certainly a great indicator that he may be ready for the upcoming season with no setbacks. The addition of Sean Payton is also what excites me with Williams’s potential. I could see Williams taking on an Alvin Kamara type of role in the new-look offense. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how Russell Wilson can bounce back from an awful 2022. If Payton can work his magic this offense could really make some noise.

Javonte Williams Dynasty Value

So what is the current value of Javonte Williams dynasty shares? He is hovering around the #15 RB range and stayed pretty steady. I can see that trending upward as we get into training camp and see how well he is progressing. As for right now, he is a BUY as some have already given up on him. I would be willing to roll the dice and grab him at a discount if you can. If Williams comes back fully healthy it could be a major steal.

The post Javonte Williams Dynasty Outlook Right Now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

AFC East

The AFC East is mighty tough this year and it starts with each quarterback leading their respective teams. Let’s start with the Buffalo Bills, who in my eyes, are the favorites. Josh Allen is the best Quarterback and has the best supporting cast. They have come so close the last few years and is this the year they get over the hump. Then you have the Miami Dolphins. Last year they showed flashes of how good they can be with their two track stars Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The issue I have with the Dolphins is the health of their QB Tua Tuagovlaia. If he can play 17 games, he gives them a chance to win the AFC East. And the Jets who with Aaron Rodgers and his supporting cast look great on paper. The Jets brought back receivers Rodgers is familiar with, and along with a solid D should be in the running to win the division.

Each of those three teams could easily see between 9 and 11 wins this season, with the Bills being maybe 12-5. Finally, you have the Patriots who you can never count out. As long as Bill Belichick is at the helm they will always be a solid team. Did they do enough this offseason? Can they play with the other teams? These are the questions to be answered, but if there the worse team in this division, what’s that say?

AFC West

Now let’s look at the AFC West led by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs will always be in the running with Patrick Mahomes leading that team. You have the Chargers and Justin Herbert who, with their solid defense will give the Chiefs a run for the money. And then you have the Raiders and Broncos. These teams I don’t completely trust with questions like will Russell Wilson improve from his dreadful last season. It’s definitely possible especially with Sean Payton now the head coach. Even with the Chiefs in that Division I have the AFC West as third best in the National Football League.

AFC North

Finally, the AFC North. After Lamar Jackson decided to work with Baltimore Ravens and come back I have them definitely in contention. They have a great team around Lamar and if he can stay healthy they will be a force to be reckoned with. I think they need another big time receiver, maybe Deandre Hopkins? With J.K. Dobbins coming back they will be hard to stop. Of course, we also have the Cincinnati Bengals, who came oh so close to beating the Chiefs if it wasn’t for a really bad penalty on the Bengals lineman. Joe Burrow has proved he’s a big game player who doesn’t get rattled. And then the two other teams the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. These teams will probably hover around .500 perhaps a little above or below. I have concerns with each of those teams quarterbacks.

Cue the drum roll………… The best division in the National Football League this year is the AFC East. Like I said earlier, they all have a chance to be at least 10-7 with a few of those teams more like 11-6 or 12-5. They will probably beat up on each other which will make them a better team when they start the playoffs. Rodgers has a chip on his shoulder this year with a lot to prove. We know what we get from Josh Allen and Tua (when healthy) and I think we’ll see Mac Jones improve from last year. This year should be exciting, and based on the above it’s clear the AFC is superior to the NFC.

The post Top Tier: Picking the Best Division in the NFL appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Denver Broncos: How will Sean Payton work with Russell Wilson?

It was a disaster of a season for Russell Wilson and the Broncos after all the moves they made. One small positive was when Wilson started doing better in the last few games of the season. The Broncos made a home run hire with Sean Payton as the HC. He did wonders with Drew Brees who was aging at the time. Maybe if he can let Russ cook by targeting more short and intermediate passes, he can bring out the inner Drew Brees in him. This team is very talented but they are in a stacked division. If the two can work together, they can get a Wild Card spot to erase the memories of last season.

Kansas City Chiefs: How long will the core be intact?

The trio of Andy Reid, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes will be one for the history books. While Mahomes is still young, Andy Reid is 65 years old and Travis Kelce is turning 34 in October. Kelce has made some comments that Andy Reid will be the last coach he’ll play for. So retirement has been on the mind of the great TE. Even if Patrick Mahomes continues, there is no guarantee he will have the same success without the two. For now, we should enjoy this trio while we can.

Las Vegas Raiders: Is Jimmy Garoppolo an upgrade over Derek Carr?

Derek Carr had a long and difficult career for the Raiders. He was strong throughout all the negative moments that the Oakland/Las Vegas team experienced. But it was time to make a move and Carr is a Saint while Jimmy G is the face of the Raiders. The favorite of HC Josh McDaniels, Jimmy G will be challenged. He has had an amazing record with the patriots and 49ers but has not won the big one yet. For now, Carr was a good QB with what he had. Jimmy G in the 49ers has always been blessed with weapons. With a team less stacked and less expectations, can Garoppolo have his best season and show he’s more than just a system QB.

Los Angeles Chargers: How much pressure is Justin Herbert facing?

Justin Herbert had a tough season and the future is a little uncertain. We saw a lot more checkdowns and we saw less of what Herbert’s arm can do. They ended the season blowing a 27-point lead in the Wild Card against the Jaguars. After spending a few years in the league, Herbert needs a good bounce back season to show he is one of the elite young QBs in the game. With Ekeler and Keenan Allen‘s days possibly coming to an end, the Chargers will have some challenges in the future. If Herbert has a strong season and a playoff win, all the noise will quiet down for now.

The post AFC West: Biggest Question to be Answered Per Team appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Full Time Play-Caller

Although Bieniemy was the OC for the Chiefs it is widely known that he didn’t call the plays. Head Coach Andy Reid took care of those duties during gameday. Even with that, Bieniemy was a big part of the offensive gameplan and play designs. Now that he is joining the Commanders he will be able to take full control of the offense including calling the plays. Some are saying this is one of the reasons why Bieniemy hasn’t yet become a head coach but I am not buying it. There have been plenty of offensive minds over the years that have become head coaches without calling plays.

Commanders Offensive Potential

The Commanders haven’t exactly been an offensive juggernaut during Ron Rivera‘s tenure. There were times when the offense disappeared during games and it was one of the reasons former OC Scott Turner was fired. When you look at the skilled positions for Washington you can see the potential. They have three outstanding wide receivers, two versatile running backs and a solid tight end group. The missing piece has been the quarterback. Rivera recently stated that Sam Howell will be in heavy consideration for QB1 next year and rightfully so. You could see his potential when he started the final game of the year against the Cowboys. He has a massive arm and the mobility to extend plays. You would have to think Bieniemy is intrigued by Howell and it’s one of the reasons he chose Washington.

Potential Future Head Coach?

It’s no secret that the Washington Commanders are up for sale and looking for new owners. The fanbase is patiently waiting for the day to become a reality and they will finally be rid of Dan Snyder. In the meantime now Denver Head Coach Sean Payton admitted that potential owners reached out to him to see if he was interested in the Commanders. It’s not that far fetched to see new ownership in place and they might be interested in making Bieniemy the head coach. Furthermore, there have been rumors that Ron Rivera may retire soon and there could be an agreement to elevate Bieniemy when he does. Either way I expect Bieniemy to have a huge impact in Washington and Commanders fans should be excited with this hire.

The post Why Eric Bieniemy Chose the Washington Commanders appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Vance Joseph

Recent history has shown that the Cardinals are a franchise that likes to promote from within the organization. Given this tendency, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph seems like a candidate for consideration as the next head coach. That being said, he may not be the right pick for this particular situation. If the team is looking to move beyond the sick taste that is currently in its mouth, internal promotion isn’t likely to be the way to get there.

Joseph had one other opportunity as a head coach in the NFL for the Denver Broncos in 2017 and 2018, in which he finished with a coaching record of 11-21. That doesn’t inspire a lot of hope for his candidacy this time around, despite the Cardinals’ tendency for internal promotions. If the team is serious about getting back to the status of a playoff contender in the NFC, it’s going to require looking elsewhere.

DeMeco Ryans

DeMeco Ryans’s name has been floating around the rumor mill economy as a possible NFL head coach next season. At the moment, the defensive coordinator of arguably the best defense in the league right now is a hot commodity. The Cardinals could take benefit from taking a look at him as their next coach.

But will Ryans want the challenge of going from an NFC frontrunner to a struggling franchise? Or might he look at another team in need of a head coach, like the Broncos or Houston Texans, the latter of which he has an established history with. Perhaps the fate of the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs will help to sort out these questions.

Sean Payton

The most obvious choice for the Cardinals is to bring in Sean Payton. A return to an NFL head coaching position for Payton seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, with the Cardinals and Broncos both showing interest in him. His .631 career winning percentage is a huge reason why. To turn things around in Glendale, it’s got to be the hiring of this Super Bowl winning coach that does it.

There is enough talent on this Cardinals team even with the retirement of J.J. Watt and the likely leaving of DeAndre Hopkins to be players in the NFC West. Payton can bring to this organization something they’ve been lacking since the departure of Bruce Arians: a true leader. What’s more, Kyler Murray deserves to have a coach who fully knows how to nurture his talents and lead him into the maturity necessary to be one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. The Cardinals’ intentions as a franchise will be revealed in this choice. It needs to be Sean Payton.

The post Who Will Be the Next Arizona Cardinals Coach? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Dallas Cowboys ring leader, Mike McCarthy, has enjoyed significant highs and unfortunate lows in his NFL life. The 58-year-old NFL face will likely stick around for at least a few more seasons until he hangs up his headset. With that said, there is a fascinating, grandest of all questions surrounding the Boys HC: Is Mike McCarthy a future Hall of Famer?

Well, I’m going to untwine the triumphs of McCarthy and conclude if he deserves to be a future HOFer.

• 149 career victories
• .612 win/loss %
• 2010 Super Bowl Champion
• Seven division titles

McCarthy isn’t an eccentric, offensive genius, but he was constantly a prolific play-caller with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers over a very long span (between 2006 & 2018). Most importantly, he claimed Super Bowl gold over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the year that Apple released the iPad (2010).

It may be worth comparing McCarthy to Sean Payton, who is an HC face that was the captain of an NFC juggernaut squad and is well-regarded as a future HOFer. Payton (who is being flirtatious with the Los Angeles Chargers), unleashed 152 victories, had a .631 win percentage, won a Super Bowl ring in 2009 (the year before McCarthy), and claimed seven division titles.

Without question — McCarthy, and Payton (who both enjoyed the service of HOF QBs), have remarkably similar careers. Hence, McCarthy should feel optimistic about his chances of landing a gold jacket. Of course, McCarthy doesn’t appear to be slowing down in Dallas. He should reach the playoffs on a few more occasions and he could honestly pick up another Super Bowl ring — as his squad already possesses a freakishly talented offense & defense with a potential DPOY winner in 2023: Micah Parsons. At this moment, McCarthy should be cast into football heaven. He will certainly strive to garner a heap of more success with his illustrious, youthful squad & be a first-ballot HOFer, however.

The post Is Mike McCarthy a future Hall of Famer? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders undoubtedly aren’t a scary Halloween face at the cusp of 2-5. The tale of Josh McDaniels blundering out of Bill Belichick’s kingdom has continued.

After McDaniels was canned from his HC gig with the Denver Broncos, the former sage to Tom Brady has had a miserable start with LV in 2022. With that enunciated, it would be far from a surprise if the Raiders cut ties with McDaniels. Hence, I’m going to untwine potential head coach candidates for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023.

• Eric Bieniemy

A mastermind behind Patrick Mahomes’s unearhtly success should eventually land an HC offer. Bieniemy hasn’t only helped Mahomes win a Super Bowl and MVP trophy, but he’s assisted Mahomes in being a cream-of-the-crop QB without Tyreek Hill. With Carr, Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, and Darren Waller, it would still be wise to prioritize an offensive-minded, ring-leader.

• Sean Payton

Sean Payton may be in love with the Los Angeles Chargers, but the Raiders have to in his list of Top-3 crushes. Payton will be able to do wonders with the Raiders passing offense & he could enjoy the benefits of a very passionate fan base in the sin city (similar to the Big Easy). Although, he would need to jolt the Raiders defense — as he also constantly needed to improve the Saints defense.

• Ken Dorsey

The fiery (to say the least) mind behind Josh Allen, Ken Dorsey, has been unbelievable this season. The Bills rank second in PPG, sixth in passing yards, and second in passing touchdowns. Dorsey doesn’t have the same breath of experience as Payton, but he will be an attractive target for many teams in the 2023 off-season — especially if he obtains a Super Bowl ring.

• Jim Caldwell

Jim Caldwell is still a very sharp football mind and he will certainly be an HC candidate in 2023 — as SideLion report noted. Caldwell was almost the Bears HC in 2022, but they opted to ride with Matt Eberflus. Caldwell has a modest career record of 62-50.

• Mike Zimmer

Mike Zimmer could bring a lot of energy to the Raiders defense — which already carries impressive edge rushers like Maxx Crosby & Chandler Jones. The Raiders could potentially be more dangerous and well-balanced with a defensive mind like Zimmer (who could make a significant difference to the defense), while a heap of talent remains on offense.

The post Potential head coach candidates for the Las Vegas Raiders appeared first on Pro Football Mania.