Trouble in South Beach: Is Miami going to be ok? They just dropped their second straight game to the LA Chargers. Have teams figured out Tua, and his high-powered offense? Defenses are playing two deep safeties and forcing them to play in the intermediary zone. We’ll see what happens but Miami might of lost their mojo.

AFC North: Both the Bengals and Ravens won games to stay solidified in the AFC playoff race. Ravens winners with a backup quarterback with the hopes of Lamar coming back in a few weeks. Now with Tyler Huntley down they will turn to their third string QB. I think this is the Bengals division to have. They are the hotter team with a healthy quarterback while the Ravens seem to be going in the opposite direction.

NFC Underdogs: Uh oh guess who’s climbing their way up the NFC playoff race. The Lions, yes the Detroit Lions! This isn’t a huge surprise, as Dan Campbell has this team playing inspired football. Jared Goff is playing confidently and the defense is all over the place flying around playing good ball. Detroit’s last four games, Jets, Panthers, Bears and Packers. This is a fairly easy schedule “on paper”. If I’m the Commanders, Giants and Seahawks I’m looking over my shoulder saying, “uh oh look who’s coming”. I wouldn’t be surprised if they somehow sneak in the playoffs as the #7 seed.

Carolina in my mind: How many had the Panthers going to Seattle and beating a formidable Seattle team. I know I didn’t. Shame on me though, Steve Wilkes has this team playing a confident brand of football. They are running the ball well and Sam Darnold is managing this team to key wins. Oh and by the way the Panthers are still in the NFC playoff hunt.

Trouble in Tampa: I’m hearing a lot of folks still giving the Bucs a chance, even after the way they’ve played this year. This team stinks, they’re slow, the defense isn’t what it was, and Brady just looks off. This team although atop the division is a bad team that will lose it’s first round playoff game, if they make the playoffs.

Buffalo Disrespect: Buffalo hasn’t looked like the same dominant Buffalo team we know and love. I still have the as one of the top 3 teams in the AFC, and with Josh Allen at the helm you can never count them out. The loss of Von Miller was huge for many reasons but they still are one of the teams to beat. This is a long 17 game season where good teams won’t look great every week. Look at the Cowboys who came very close to losing to the Texans. Buffalo will be just fine, and can compete with any of the top AFC teams.

Tough year for Arizona: Arizona had already been struggling this year with a record of 4-8. Their season took a turn for the worse, as not only did they lose to the Patriots, but they have appeared to lose Kyler Murray for the season. Although Colt McCoy is a viable backup, this loss puts them behind the eight ball and little hope to make the playoffs.

TY is back: Dallas Cowboys strengthened their lineup by adding a very talented TY Hilton. Dallas already has a decent WR corps, and maybe by adding TY this puts them over the top. I don’t think it does, as TY is very talented, but in order for them to keep winning there are other factors. When Dallas is rolling they’re playing suffocating D, and their run game is running on all cylinders, with some play-action sprinkled in. I’m curious how this works out and in order to get to the promised land they’ll have to overcome the mighty Eagles, most likely in Philly!

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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 Green Bay Packers really need to add wide receiver talent, according to Captain Obvious. The Pack has lost Davante Adams and they failed to re-sign MVS. The 2021 and 2020 MVP Aaron Rodgers honestly deserves a couple of wide receivers that have Pro Bowl potential.

According to Matt LaFleur, the Packers are looking to add a “deep threat” wideout. I would fully expect them to add multiple quality WRs, but they are clearly desperate to find a WR that specializes in taking the top off a defense. With that said, I will offer a unique, exciting outlook on the particular category of speed WRs that the Packers could sign soon.

T.Y. Hilton

The Packers NEED to sign T.Y. Hilton or Will Fuller in my opinion. I would prefer to see the Packers sign Hilton to a short-term contract than break the bank for Fuller. Hilton can aspire to ride off into the sunset with the Packers future Hall of Fame signal-caller. If he doesn’t re-sign with the Colts, I’d be shocked if the Packers let him slip to another team.

Allen Hurns

Allen Hurns could really be a diamond in the rough for the Packers. In 2015, Hurns had a crazy performance: 1,031 yards, 16.1 YPC, and 10 receiving touchdowns. I believe Rodgers could honestly make Hurns an 800+ yard WR next season and he would be the second WR that Rodgers has brought back from the dead (of course, Randall Cobb is the other).

Trade for Brandin Cooks

If the Packers strike out on Hilton/Fuller and they don’t want to sign an underproductive wideout in recent memory, they need to get creative to find a blistering fast WR. The Texans may not want to ship out their best player in Brandin Cooks, but the Packers could potentially send HOU a second-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick for him. Cooks is coming off back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons with a dreadful Texans offense.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts have made fascinating and truly bright quarterback moves this offseason. The Colts shipped out Carson Wentz after virtually sacrificing him on any online Jacksonville altar and then deemed it necessary to find a more sharp veteran QB to replace Wentz.

On March 21st, the Colts acquired the savvy former Falcons legend, Matt Ryan. The Colts received Ryan, while the Falcons scooped up a third-round pick. Pat McAfee has already screamed to the rooftop on how Ryan can be the game manager that the Colts need at the very least. It appears that Ryan and Jonathan Taylor are an impressive QB-RB duo, but the Colts still have to add more fuel to their offense and team this offseason.

Ryan is truly an underrated QB that can take care of the football, make the right adjustments, and be clutch in the 2-minute drill (after all, his name is Matty Ice). From 2018 to 2020, Ryan unveiled three 4,500+ passing yard seasons and he also averaged 29 passing touchdowns in that three-year span.

I do believe that Ryan is wiser than Wentz and he can operate the play-action game with JT better than Wentz. I still wouldn’t expect Ryan to have drastically different numbers than Wentz in the near future. The former Colts QB threw 27 passing touchdowns last season, 7 interceptions, and he also threw 3,563 yards. I do believe that Ryan will be a difference-maker in clutch moments.

The Colts lost a plethora of matchups by a razor-thin margin last season. Indy lost the following matchups: Week 17 against the Raiders by a field goal, a Week 2 blood-bath against the Rams, a Week 5 game against the Ravens, and a Week 8 loss against the divisional foe in Tennessee.

All in all, the Colts will have a stronger likelihood of making the playoffs with the switch from Wentz to Ryan next season. He will have Michael Pittman (1,082 yards, 6 touchdowns), but he desperately needs a WR2 and WR3. If the Colts can bring in a modest WR and/or potentially T.Y. Hilton, I would expect Ryan to be more explosive than Wentz for the Colts in the near future, but I don’t believe he will look like his 2016 version right out of the gate. I still quietly love his ceiling in Indy.

With that said, I do believe Ryan has many years before he’s “washed up” and I do expect the Colts to eventually sign a talented WR2 for him. I do love the image of Ryan with the Colts, JT, Pittman, their imposing defense, and another toy for 3-4 seasons together. I really believe the Colts will reap the benefits of his ability and he can be a steal in “dynasty” fantasy leagues at the moment. He might not be a Top 5 QB in 2022, but I believe he can follow Matthew Stafford by having an unusually positive future with his new squad in the back end of his career.

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The Atlanta Falcons had the 16th ranked passing offense in 2021. It’s clear that they need to improve their passing offense in a conference that features Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray, and Dak Prescott.

I actually believe Matt Ryan played well given the lack of talent he was supplied with it. Sure, Kyle Pitts was a fine rookie and potential All-Pro player at the TE position (1,026 yards in 2021). Nonetheless, the Falcons were aching at wideout with Julio Jones in Tennessee and Calvin Ridley leaving via mental health issues. Their top WR in 2021 was Russell Gage (770, 4) and he’s actually a soon-to-be free agent. Their top RB (and common WR) Cordarralle Patterson is also a FA this offseason.

It’s clear that the Falcons need to rebuild their WR group this offseason. With that said, who could they look ink in free agency? Well, here are a few profiles that would make a ton of sense.

T.Y. Hilton

T.Y. Hilton and Matt Ryan can look to finish their aging careers together on a high note. Hilton, Pitts, and potentially Patterson would be an exciting trio of weapons for Ryan. Hilton had down season with Carson Wentz (331, 3) in 10 games, but he ousted 762 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2020. I feel like Hilton would be a great value pickup and x-factor for the Falcons team that plays in a lot of tight games.

Jakobi Meyers

I expect Jakobi Meyers to be targeted by the Las Vegas Raiders and Josh McDaniels if he doesn’t re-sign with the Patriots. Although, he would be a great, young, speed-demon with the Falcons across from Pitts. Meyers is coming off a season where he ousted an impressive 866 yards with Mac Jones. He is also a mere 25 years old. He might like the idea of playing next to Pitts and dominating for many years to come with the Falcons.

Evan Engram

I may be cheating the system by adding TE Evan Engram to this list, but he is essentially an imposing slot WR. Engram, who runs a 4.42 40 yard dash, would be a very exciting complement to Pitts in the Falcons offense. It’s clear that Arthur Smith isn’t scared to be creative, as Patterson plays RB/WR, and Pitts plays TE/WR. I’d love to see Matt Ryan have another deep-threat TE and a playmaker that can help him be more efficient in the red zone.

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The Indianapolis Colts had the most disappointing Week 18 loss in the NFL, but they can still hold their heads high in 2022. Jonathan Taylor proved to be a gift from the football gods, as he unveiled 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in 2021.

The Colts had an underperforming QB in Carson Wentz, but they still claimed a 9-8 record last season. It seems likely that they will look to ship out their expensive QB and bring in a more sharp, inspiring signal-caller.

Outside of the pivotal QB situation, the Colts have a major question mark at the WR spot. Their long-time star T.Y. Hilton is a free agent in 2022 and it seems likely that money and fit may not be tempting for him to return. If Hilton leaves Indy, where could the Colts look to replace him? Well, I will outline a few candidates that would be smart replacements for TY.

Marquise Goodwin

Marquise Goodwin holds a very similar skillset to Hilton, but he will be cheaper and potentially less rusty than Hilton. After all, Hilton wasn’t magical with his 331 yards in 10 games last season. The Bears speed demon (Goodwin) registered 313 yards in 14 games with the Bears last season.

Goodwin might be known for his Olympic speed, but he can be a serious asset at the WR and KR spots. He could be the x-factor that Frank Reich wants in his Jonathan Taylor-led offense.

Christian Kirk

It will be hard for the Colts to sign Christian Kirk, but it might be worth it. He’s 25 years old and coming off a career season with 77 catches, 982 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Kirk would be a fantastic complement to imposing Michael Pittman Jr. in the WR room for years to come.

The Bills have been rumored to target him as a replacement for Emmanual Sanders, but the Colts could prioritize him with their seventh-ranked most cap space in the league.

Tavon Austin

The Colts can sign RB/WR/KR Tavon Austin and hope he blossoms late in his career in a similar way that Cordarralle Patterson did with the Atlanta Falcons. Austin wasn’t helped by Jeff Fisher early in his career, but he could be a nice chess piece in Reich’s offense. Austin would be the ultimate low-risk high reward signing for the Colts.

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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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