By: Emerson Beery

Fantasy football managers have always had a love, hate relationship with their running backs. On one hand, they can absolutely be the most important part of your championship team, but on the other hand, it is the most volatile and injury-prone position available.

Fantasy owners are in a constant scramble to fill in for bye weeks, and injuries which can be the difference in making the playoffs or not in your league. In this article, I will highlight sleepers, outside of the consensus top 30 running backs drafted, who could provide upside going into the 2022 campaign. These are great running backs to draft to back up your top-tier starters, or if you’re taking a zero RB approach and looking for some later-round players with upside.

James Robinson

James Robinson has been one of the more amazing stories in the NFL and fantasy over the last couple of seasons. He went from UDFA to fantasy stud in 2020. He accounted for over 1400 all-purpose yards, and 10 touchdowns on his way to an RB7 finish. After creating high expectations, his 2021 season did not go as expected, however. Robinson was a part of the Urban Meyer disaster, was inexplicably benched multiple times throughout the year, and ultimately tore his Achilles in Week 16 versus the New York Jets.

This was not what fantasy managers foresaw after Travis Etienne went out for the season with a Lisfranc injury over the Summer. After a dip in value as a result of Etienne being drafted, James Robinson vaulted back up fantasy managers rankings after the injury news.

Ultimately, after a hot start to the season, however, and four straight RB1 finishes from Weeks 3-6, Robinson struggled with consistency. This was due to minor injuries, and landing in Urban Meyer’s doghouse midway through the year. His snap percentage only reached over 65% one time week eight onward. He eventually landed on IR with his torn Achilles. Why am I buying at his current dynasty value? I’m willing to throw away the whole last year for the Jaguars as Urban Meyer was one of the worst coaches in NFL history. Each report highlighted a coach that was completely out of his depth and one that was toxic to the locker room. Every Jaguars player deserves a pass for last year, as they couldn’t have been put in a worse position to succeed.

James Robinson’s ADP is also low because of the risk his Achilles tear poses to his 2022 season and the assumption that Etienne will be the lead back. Cam Akers, George Pickens, and other athletes have amazed us with their quick return to the field in recent years. I believe this is becoming more the norm than an anomaly, and I Expect to see James Robinson on the field early in the 2022 season. When he does return, he will still at worst be a heavily involved second RB like Kareem Hunt. We have yet to see Etienne in NFL action though, and there is still a path toward becoming a starter again for the Jaguars. His ADP as a mid-tier RB3 according to most sites is very cheap for a running back of his caliber.

James Conner

It’s hard to be called a sleeper when you just had a top 5 fantasy season for a running back. However, Conner is just that in dynasty leagues with an ADP ranging between RB30-39 according to most sites. I expect this to rise as most of the ADP data has not been updated since his re-signed with the Cardinals. Still, his dynasty value will be hampered by his age (26), and his injury history. Thus creating a buy point for managers despite his breakout season with the Cardinals. Conner was the featured RedZone back throughout the year, amassing 18 total touchdowns. He also showed his receiving ability averaging 4.8 receptions for 53.8 yards in weeks that Chase Edmonds missed due to injury. With Edmonds no longer in the picture, Conner figures to be the bell cow of a high-powered Arizona offense.

When drafting RBs early I look at attributes like age, injury history, and overall talent. Running backs that hit on all these marks are taken ate a premium, and rightfully so as so few meet this criterion. Where Conner is being drafted every running back has significant flaws due to one thing or another. Conner is slightly older and has missed 14 games over the last four seasons due to injury. All these concerns are baked into his cost though as a middling RB3. If I’m a competing dynasty team in 2022, I’m exploring buying Conner at his current cost, particularly from young rebuilding teams that view him as a declining asset. His price is only likely to go up over the Summer so buy now if you have the opportunity.

Chris Carson

Chris Carson has been amazing since taking over the lead Running Back duties for the Seahawks back in 2018. He has compiled three straight top 20 finishes for a back. Additionally, he has averaged over 4.4 yards per carry each of the last 4 years and is still just 27 years old. Carson’s inability to stay on the field however has led to a major dip in his dynasty ranking. Carson finds himself ranked as an RB4 according to most experts, ranked behind the likes of Kahlil Herbert, Chuba Hubbard, and fellow teammate Rashad Penny. Chris Carson’s fantasy ranking suggests that people believe he is going to retire, or that he is the clear #2 back to Rashad Penny. I don’t believe either to be the case and expect Carson to be a large part of this offense.

First, off-season reports suggest that Carson is rehabbing nicely and that he should be back for Summer workouts. This is great news as many feared a serious neck injury was going to put his career in jeopardy. Addressing the second concern, I believe that the fantasy community is coming under a little recency bias due to Penny’s late-season fantasy surge. He was the RB1 over the course of the final five weeks of the season and was the reason many fantasy owners won their championship. Penny scored nearly half of his career fantasy points in the final five weeks of the season. This is mainly due to the fact that Penny has missed 26 games in the last three seasons. Even when healthy, Penny has operated as the clear second back behind Carson. Penny is often injured and has been inconsistent his first four seasons in the NFL. This will provide Carson plenty of opportunities to overtake Penny in Seattle’s backfield. At RB44, Carson is basically free and is far too cheap for a potential starting Running back.

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By: Tim Rodriguez

As recently as April, everything looked so promising for the Jacksonville Jaguars. They had a new coach, a boatload of draft picks, and Trevor Lawrence, the greatest quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. Just 8 months later, everything appears to be in shambles. Urban Meyer was let go after numerous scandals and a 2-11 record through 13 games. Relative to expectations, Lawrence has struggled mightily thus far, with just one touchdown pass since Halloween. Through constant dysfunction, lack of offensive talent, and a rookie wall, Lawrence has not been able to lift up this franchise in disarray. Many have used this as an indictment against the young signal caller and called for questioning of his “once in a generation” draft billing. To me, that is misguided. Trevor Lawrence will be a great quarterback in due time. That is something that is so certain not even the Jaguars can stop it.

One and done?

There have been discussions about Lawrence’s rookie season being rough enough to justify moving on from him after just one year. Let’s get this out of the way quickly. There’s no corner of the universe (or multiverse) where getting rid of Trevor Lawrence after one season should be considered an option. It’s just not a realistic or viable option. He’s the number one overall pick, he carries a massive cap hit, and has as much potential as anyone we have ever seen at the position. Let’s put this dream to be while it’s still early.

A new man in charge

With the disastrous Urban Meyer era in the past, the Jacksonville Jaguars will now look for their third coach in as many seasons. Who should that be? This franchise is in such a sensitive spot right now that it may be the most important decision they have made in their entire history. It’s easy to just pick the best young coordinator, but this is a situation that feels like it needs stability and experience. Nathaniel Hackett (Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator) and Kellen Moore (Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator) have been rumored for the job, but former Philadelphia Eagles head coach feels like the absolute best option for the job. He brings experience and multiple winning seasons, along with a super bowl to Duval.

HELP

This roster has less talent than even I would be comfortable with. The offensive line is an absolute disaster and the wide receiver room has been unable to catch the ball since training camp. They might finish with the number one overall pick, leaving them with the opportunity to add a high impact player, most likely on defense. There is also the option of adding an elite offensive lineman.

The post What do the Jacksonville Jaguars do with Trevor Lawrence and how can they help him? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Chinmay Kulkarni

There are a thousand storylines written during every fantasy football season strictly about the best players in the league or the specific teams with the greatest quality players. But we never give shine to the bottom feeder teams, the Mr. Irrelevants. See, it takes power just to be invited to the fantasy football party, and some teams are simply happy to be seated at the table with the contenders. They’re quite a few teams that have young rosters, unsurmountable injuries, or just plain incompetence at the helm that make the cut for this list.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a complete dumpster fire this entire season ”“ setting a clear bad example of how to run a sports franchise into the ground. Furthermore, the Jags seemingly inventing ways to upstage their own off-field problems by creating new ones It starts at the top with the owners, Shahid Khan and his son Tony Khan, a family more interested in their own business and running knockoff (but successful) versions of WWE, in AEW wrestling. The hiring of Urban Meyer symbolizes the impending doom on their season, even before the season had begun.

Fast-forward to week 15 of the NFL season – the Jaguars are on a course to ruin Trevor Lawrence’s career even before it started, have won 2 games (somehow beating the Bills by only kicking field goals), and have a HC who leads with a sense of chaos while fostering a culture of mismanagement. Sure, in the words of RG3, it may take pressure to make diamonds, but it’s impossible to make diamonds when a foundation doesn’t even exist.

James Robinson and Marvin Jones Jr were the only fantasy-relevant players in Jacksonville. Unfortunately, Urban Meyer is bricked into thinking this is 2016 and continues to run Carlos Hyde as if Robinson doesn’t exist on the roster. Surrounding Trevor Lawrence with talent at the WR/TE spot has largely been a failure, though Marvin Janes Jr does hang around as a flex play in deeper leagues.

Also, I was reminded recently that Tavon Austin is still in the league. I think Urban Meyer really does think it’s 2016.

(Update: Urban Meyer has been fired)

Chicago Bears

There’s a slight trend to the teams on this list – they have to do with the uninspiring coaching staff. Matt Nagy and the Chicago Bears are no different, standing at 4-9 and third in the NFC North. This division always seems to be a hotbed for coaches perpetually on the hot seat, bad, or have a terrible roster. Unfortunately, Matt Nagy is hands down the worst coach in the NFC North, but Mike Zimmer takes a small runner up in the category.

Regardless, the main purpose of the Chicago Bears should be to grow talent on offense and defense, especially to allow Justin Fields to acclimate to the NFL. However, instead of doing what Fields is good at -running with the football – Nagy consistently wants to throw the ball and run the ball behind a weak offensive line.

David Montgomery is the most fantasy relevant player on the Bears, being the bell cow back, and having two games with 20+ points. The problem – durability and consistency. Montgomery missed 4-games in the middle of the season and returned to provide decent RB2 status. The Bears are a relatively predictable team, so playing defense against them is reasonably easy combined with the suspect playcalling from Matt Nagy.

The greatest surprise of the season comes from the WR core, especially with the success of Darnell Mooney and surpassing Allen Robinson. The receiver has had three 100+ receiving yard games. However, relying on him and the Bears offense wholly does not produce consistent results.

On a side note, Matt Nagy should 100% be fired at the end of this season. The Bears have never fired a HC in-season so it sounds like this slow-moving wreck is going to continue for a few more weeks until the inevitable ”“ or they somehow make the playoffs and Nagy gets a contract extension. Seems like something the Bears would do.

Houston Texans

To be honest, I didn’t even know if the Texans would be able to play a full football season – just punting on the season. The DeShaun Watson saga continues to drag on without any end in sight, the front office and coaching staff restart with the firing of Bill O’Brien, and the endless clown show at the running back position, it seems that any semblance of balance would not even be allowed at the Texans practice facility.

The problems, from both a fantasy and a football standpoint, come from the QB position. Tyrod Taylor has turned into the traveling salesman at the QB position, normally signifying better days for the QB that takes over his place. As with the incompetence of the Texans, Davis Mills was ”˜that guy for maybe three-quarters of an NFL game, and then proceeded the nosedive.

The Texans backfield has been a mess, with Phillip Lindsay, David Johnson, Mark Ingram (now with the Saints), and Rex Burkhead. A backfield of yesteryear has been accumulated and David Culley attempts to squeeze any sort of life from his backs as well as his fans.

An absolute minuscule glint in the Texans is Brandin Cooks. Cooks, throughout his career, has been a reliable source of fantasy points and was the clear WR1 on the team – drawing all targets his way. Fortunately, the AFC South is not known for lockdown defense, spurring him into the top-25 in fantasy production amongst WRs. Though the Texans may not see light at the end of the tunnel, Cooks is the only Texans player that can be drafted in next season’s draft, provided they don’t draft/sign a better WR.

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By: Jacob Keppen

Urban Meyer

Every year there is almost an obsession by football fans to fire coaches at the first sign of trouble. As with rookies, there is no leeway for coaches nowadays. Rookies are expected to produce results immediately despite typically going to rebuilding teams. Most of the speculation should be disregarded as fan and media talking points”¦ but not Urban Meyer.

A team simply starting bad usually isn’t enough to get a first-year coach fired. Hue Jackson only won one game in his first two seasons with the Browns. Losing games AND the locker room can get a coach fired.

If someone was to write a book on how to not start a tenure as an NFL coach, they’d better get an interview from Urban Meyer. Even before he came to Jacksonville, Urban carried heavy baggage with him. This is the man who left two top college programs surrounded by controversy, and it’s looking like he might do the same in Jacksonville. Meyer was fined in July for violating practice rules. He brought in former Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle, a man who basically lost his job due to accusations of racism and bullying, for a day before backlash caused him to resign. This was one of Urban Meyer’s first moves in the NFL! 

After losing a tough game to the Cincinnati Bengals in early October, Urban Meyer decided not to travel back with the team (something every NFL Head Coach does unless they are basically sick) and instead went to his own bar and danced with a woman who was not his wife. It created a lot of bad attention, controversy, and he appears to be losing the locker room for Meyer. Oh by the way, the Jaguars are 1-6 after a 31-7 loss to the Geno Smith-led Seahawks. For a move that looked bad to many on arrival, Meyer’s short term as head coach might not last into next season.

Matt Nagy

Oh how the mighty have fallen. 

Just three seasons ago Matt Nagy was the hottest coach in the NFL. In 2018, the former Chiefs offensive coordinator took the league by storm, turning the 5-11 Chicago Bears into a rising 12-4 team (Khalil Mack helped too but let’s just forget about that.) 

In just his rookie season Matt Nagy was named Coach of the Year. Of course, the Bears couldn’t get anything going against the 9-7 Eagles with Nick Foles, double doinking out of the Wild Card game despite being touted as a Super Bowl contender, but who cared! They were young, had their quarterback in Mitch Trubisky, and had an elite coach in Nagy.

Fast forward to 2021 and we now know Mitch Trubisky wasn’t the guy in Chicago and the questions about whether Nagy is the guy are rising in volume by the week. 

After their 12-4 finish in 2018, the Bears followed up with two mediocre 8-8 seasons. The Bears play has been uninspiring, reaching peak levels of lethargy this year. It seems Nagy doesn’t quite know how to play call for a dynamic running threat at quarterback. For Justin Fields’ sake and for the fans’ sake, it might be time for Chicago to be searching for a new innovative mind at head coach.

Mike Zimmer

Mike Zimmer may not be the worst coach in the league and he hasn’t been the controversial disaster that has been Urban Meyer’s tenure, nor have the Vikings been one of the worst teams in football such as the Detroit Lions or Houston Texans. Zimmer most likely will get another job in the league, but it just appears that a divorce is needed for both sides in Minnesota.

The Vikings possibly were just handed the biggest blow of the Zimmer era. In a game that they should’ve won against the Cowboys, with Dak Prescott out and backup Cooper Rush starting, the Vikings had a real chance to beat a top team in the NFL. Despite having a plethora of weapons against a defense that can still give up the big play, the Vikings were the same boring conservative team you’ve come to expect. Instead of featuring Adam Theilen and Justin Jefferson, you get throws before the sticks and C.J. Ham. Dak Prescott’s out, IT DOESN’T MATTER! Cooper Rush, a man who’s only completed one pass in his NFL career, is going to torch the defense for over 300 yards! 

Despite Zimmer saying that the Vikings had “A lot of film” on Cooper Rush, players are saying that they were prepared for Dak Prescott and his offense all week. That’s just plain bad, but fitting for the man who attempted to call two timeouts in a row. The Vikings fans deserve better than what they are getting right now. This is a team with two pro bowl worthy wide receivers, and an All-Pro caliber running back. This team should not be the football version of melatonin. Something has to change in Minnesota.

The post NFL Coaches Potentially On The Hot Seat appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The Jacksonville Jaguars will go into the 2021 season with a new head coach. Urban Meyer is the new man to take charge, hoping to be the guy to change the fortunes of a franchise that has struggled for many years. After drafting the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck in Trevor Lawrence this year with the number one overall pick, the Jags fans have rarely gone into a season this excited. The Jags have twice gone into a season on the back of reaching an AFC Championship game but with the addition of Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawrence, there is a real buzz around the organization and in the city of Jacksonville. However, Urban Meyer has never coached in the NFL. He is one of the most successful college head coaches of his generation. Can he translate this to the pros?

His Journey As A Player

Meyer was a walk-on in college as a defensive back for the University of Cincinnati, despite initially being drafted by Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves in 1982. Injury would deny Meyer the chance to make it as a professional player, but he showed signs of his coaching credentials whilst in college. He would go back to college, heading to Ohio State University where he studied sports administration. He would get a degree at both colleges, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Cincinnati and sports administration at Ohio State, which will have no doubt helped him massively during his time as a football coach.

He may not have made it to the NFL as a player but he showed signs of his credentials as a coach during his time in college. Meyer would often spend additional time in practice, learning how to run them and handle substitutions. These all prepared him for life as a coach. As a player, he was part of a Cincinnati team that finished 2-9, with Meyer saying that it “wasn’t a great experience. We weren’t very good”. This will help him be prepared for a Jaguars team that won just one game in 2020. His former coach in Cincinnati David Currey spoke of his coaching abilities.

“He was not a great player but you could tell he would coach for a living. He was a student of the game, always trying to learn about things”.

The Start Of Meyer’s Coaching Career

He started his coaching career in 1985 as a defensive backs coach for St Xavier High School in Ohio before becoming a graduate assistant for two seasons with Ohio State. He spent two years with Illinois State as an outside linebackers coach in 1988 and a quarterback and wide receivers coach in 1989. He would then spend eleven years as a wide receivers coach, spending six with Colorado State and then five with Notre Dame before getting his first head coaching job in 2001 with Bowling Green.

The Early Stages Of His Time As A Head Coach In College

Meyer only spent two seasons with Bowling Green but would leave the team with a 17-6 record in charge. Highlights of his time there was the 56-21 win over rivals, the University of Toledo Rockets. Whilst with Bowling Green, he transformer their fortunes. He joined with the team having gone 2-9 in 2000 to then go 8-3 in 2001 and 9-3 in 2002, before leaving for the University of Utah.

Utah hired Meyer and was an instant success, going 10-2 and winning the Liberty Bowl in 2003. They would go 12-0 and win the Fiesta Bowl in 2004. Whilst with the university, he coached safety Eric Weddle and quarterback Alex Smith, who went on to be the number one overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Smith would become an inspiration to everyone when he went on to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year during the 2020 season, returning the field after a life threatening injury in 2018.

Meyer openly claimed that he “made Utah competitive” during his time there. Morgan Scalley played as a defensive back under Meyer at Utah before going on to become a defensive coordinator with the college. He spoke of how Meyer changed everything.

“You could tell it would be different from the first session at the weight room. I never had butterflies going into a weight room and that had me going”.

Success With Florida and Ohio State

The Florida Gators then came calling in 2005, where Meyer would spend the next six seasons. He would coach notable players such as Cam Newton, Carlos Dunlap, Janoris Jenkins, Maurkice and Mike Pouncey, Tim Tebow and Trey Burton during his time in Florida as head coach. With an overall record 65-15 with the Gators, Meyer won Florida the Outback Bowl and the Sugar Bowl as well as winning two National Championships. He had a 5-1 record with Florida in Bowl games. Following a health scare, Meyer decided to leave the Gators after the 2010 seasons as he wanted to put focus on his family and “life away from the field”.

He soon returned to college football, becoming Ohio State head coach two seasons later. During his time with the team, he had an 83-9 record. He won one National Championship as well as a Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. His time there sadly ended in controversy, before leaving in 2018 due to health reasons. He spent time as a television analyst before accepting the Jacksonville head coaching position in January 2021.

His Coaching Style & The Spread Offense

Meyer is seen as someone who is competitive, fiery and resolute. His “juice” is said to fire his teams up, with his infectious personality an integral part of his head coaching success. During his time as an analyst, he often went through a breakdown of offensive systems, with one component of his style of coaching being his Spread Offense.

This is a scheme which features four receivers, resulting in the opposition defense attempting to cover these players. This system allows the run game to excel, with RPO and read option plays often used under this style of offense. In a modern day NFL, we are seeing plenty of college schemes being brought into the league. Meyer will look to bring this style of coaching into the NFL that worked so well for him in college.

Can He Transform The Jaguars?

This is not going to be an easy task for Meyer but as he showed in Utah, he is capable of turning a team around. Jacksonville has the talent on their roster but have never seemed to fulfil their potential. One of their aforementioned trips to the AFC Championship was in the 2017 season. Their defense named ‘Sacksonville” played a big part in their journey, where they had a ten point lead and were nine minutes away from reaching the Super Bowl. They would end up losing 24-20 in agonizing fashion.

The components of Sacksonville would slowly fall apart. Jalen Ramsey, Malik Jackson and Yannick Ngakoue all left in 2019, with both A.J. Bouye and Calais Campbell leaving in 2020. Quarterback Blake Bortles was seen as the player holding back the team, being released in March 2019 as the Jaguars looked to Nick Foles, who won Super Bowl 52 MVP just a year earlier. He was seen as the missing piece in the jigsaw but only lasted one season in a disappointing spell with the franchise.

Head coach Doug Marrone guided Jacksonville to the AFC Championship and a 10-6 record in his first full season as head coach of the franchise. Despite this, he couldn’t guide them to more than six wins in any of the three seasons that followed before being fired in January 2021. Issues off the field started to develop, with the players arrested on their annual trip to London in 2018 after an unpaid £50,000 drinks bill. Meyer won’t stand for any negative behaviour with his aforementioned fiery, competitive and infectious personality is likely to keep the players in check.

And then of course, there is Lawrence. One of the best college prospects in many years, he brings a lot of expectation with Jags fans pinning their hopes on him being the man to bring the good times to this franchise. He had not lost a regular season game since high school and reached the National Championship in two of his three seasons with the Clemson Tigers, winning one of those two.

He played 40 games in college and threw for 758 out of his 1,138 throws, giving him a 66.6 completion percentage. Across his time with Clemson, he threw for 90 touchdowns and 10,098 yards. Jacksonville have a real talent on their hands and they need to do everything they can to ensure he fulfils his tremendous potential.

Along with Lawrence, they have reunited their number one overall pick with his Clemson team-mate in running back Travis Etienne, who recorded 70 rushing touchdowns and 4,952 rushing yards during his four seasons in the ACC. He will join a running back room alongside James Robinson, who impressed highly in 2020 during his rookie year with 1,070 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Etienne is said to also be working out as a receiver, which gives variety to the offensive side of the ball. Former Detroit Lions wideout Marvin Jones has joined the team via Free Agency to add depth to a wide receiver room already including DJ Chark Jr and Laviska Shenault Jr. Second-round pick Tyson Campbell gives depth to the Jaguars secondary, as will 65th overall pick Andre Cisco. 45th overall selection Walker Little will add protection to the Jags offensive line. Myles Jack is a survivor from the Sacksonville era and alongside fellow linebacker Josh Allen, they have the potential to cause problems for the opposition.

Jacksonville have a long rebuild ahead and fans should not expect an immediate transformation. Doubts remain over new Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz and whether he can get back to his 2017 form. The Tennessee Titans’ defense is seen as their Achilles heels and the Houston Texans are a mess. They will likely see their quarterback Deshaun Watson leave, which will result in years of struggles and mediocrity. This is not the toughest division in the NFL and the Jags will want to capitalise on this, but the improvement will likely be in either year 2, 3 or 4 of the Urban Meyer Jacksonville era.

The post Urban Meyer’s career so far: can he transform the Jaguars? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Tayyib Abu

The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the most intriguing teams heading into the 2021 NFL season. The Jags ended the 2020 season with a 1-15 record; they were the worst team in the league. The reward for that abject failure was getting to draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The long-haired signal-caller is widely regarded as the most talented quarterback to enter the league since Andrew Luck. Add the hire of serial collegiate winner Urban Meyer as head coach, and the Jags are now in the spotlight on a national level.

The Jags are only four years removed from an appearance in the AFC Championship game. That day Jacksonville went down to Tom Brady’s Patriots. In the subsequent four years, Jacksonville has struggled, especially at the quarterback position. Now they got their quarterback for the future and a marquee head coach. Despite the stiff competition in the division, the Jags could shock the world and go worst, to first. Here’s how.

The Talent of Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence is an incredible talent. The former National Champion heads into Duval County with a glittering array of accolades and performances tucked in his suitcase. Lawrence’s remarkable poise, mechanics and arm talent are all in the elite echelon.

With Deshaun Watson’s likely absence from Houston, it is not a stretch to suggest that Lawrence is the most talented quarterback in the AFC South. Assisting Lawrence is veteran offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. The former four-year starter at Wisconsin brings a ton of experience working with some top quarterbacks.

Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford are two of the quarterbacks to work with Bevell. Russell Wilson was a rookie when Bevell first worked with him. Bevell employed a power run game with a healthy dose of play-action, rollouts and bootlegs to use Wilson’s mobility.

Lawrence is another quarterback with excellent mobility. He is graceful on his feet; he dances out of the pocket like a ballet dancer. With Clemson’s Travis Etienne and sophomore back James Robinson in the backfield, Lawrence has help from his running back room.

If Bevell can create a user-friendly offence for Lawrence, the young passer should excel. He goes through his progressions calmly, makes intelligent decisions and diagnoses defensive looks at a good pace. With DJ Chark, Laviska Shainault and free-agent signing Marvin Jones, Lawrence has a decent wideout core.

We saw Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow enjoy brilliant rookie seasons despite a truncated offseason program. With an entire offseason, experienced coaching staff and talent around him, Lawrence could shine. If he plays at a Rookie of The Year level, the Jags could get dragged into contention for the division title.

Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer holds a controversial history. His various teams’ disciplinary records are a blight on Meyer’s resume. He also comes with a lot of negative baggage surrounding his personality and health issues. Nevertheless, Meyer is one of the most successful college coaches in modern history.

Meyer is a relentless, inspirational, winning machine. People should also ignore the trope that he only won due to the recruiting power of some of the more prominent colleges. His success at Bowling Green and Utah confound the redundant recruiting argument. Some coaches can change things instantly due to being magnetic leaders of men.

Meyer’s created a locker room that gravitates towards him and his coaching staff throughout his college career. The bond between him and his players at Florida was unbreakable. That is highlighted by the fact that Tim Tebow came back to football as a tight end in Jacksonville. That is the esteem and respect that Meyer’s players hold him in.

Due to football’s physical and violent nature, the game is like a war between two rival tribes. The relationship between players and coaches must get built on granite if they are to succeed. Meyer’s team have historically played a physical, intense brand of football. They physically look to dominate teams. The Jags were the doormat of the AFC South last year; to rise and challenge, they must strike fear into the hearts of opponents.

Lastly, Meyer utilizes a spread offence with a lot of emphasis on run-first variations. That may explain the selection of Etienne to work with Lawrence. Meyer is a competent coach with a high level of tactical acumen; the Jags will enter the field every Sunday to compete with the best due to their attitude and game plan.

His offensive philosophy meshes well with Bevell, and it should help them develop Trevor Lawrence into the all-world, all-star quarterback that most expect.

If Meyer ticks the locker room and Lawrence box this season, the Jags could surprise many teams in the AFC. It could even lead them to a potential challenge for the division title.

The post How the Jacksonville Jaguars Can Win the AFC South appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Pierre Wilson

The AFC South is one of the most polarizing and mysterious divisions in the league. The figures leading the AFC South teams match the reputation of the AFC division. In this bite, I’m going to rank the coaches and dive into the profiles of each outlier. Let’s begin.

4) David Culley – The new head coach of the Houston Texans kicks us off.  This is mostly due to the unknown surrounding what type of head coach Culley will be.  This will be Culley’s first head coaching opportunity, but he does come with 25+ years of NFL coaching experience.  Most of Culley’s coaching experience has come as a wide receiver’s coach.  His most recent position combining WR coach, passing game coordinator, and assistant head coach title with the Baltimore Ravens last season.

Culley’s big chance was met with a big blow, as he was hired during a time of turmoil with the team’s franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson.  At the time, the situation was simply Watson wanting out of Houston due to the state of the team.  This has since evolved into a much more serious situation, leaving Culley with a QB depth chart of Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Finley, and recently drafted rookie Davis Mills. 

Hitching his first head coaching opportunity to the Tyrod Taylor wagon, likely isn’t the start David Culley envisioned for his head coaching career.  He may want to steal a play from the Chargers playbook and keep the team doctor on standby.

3) Urban Meyer – Now I’m sure the college critics from Columbus and Gainesville will roll their eyes here, as Urban Meyer is one of the winningest coaches in college football history.  Winning over 85% of your collegiate games as head coach is quite the accomplishment.   Add in 3 National Championships and Urban Meyer brings quite the pedigree to the NFL.

My main concern is how Meyer will make the transition to the National Football League. The example that comes to mind is Nick Saban, during his time in Miami.  However, back in 2005 when Saban took the Dolphins head coaching position, he didn’t have the pedigree that Urban Meyer has to start his NFL tenure.  Saban does now, but back then it was just the good run he had at LSU carrying him. 

Urban Meyer is more comparable to Pete Carroll, in my eyes, who spent many years with USC and had a win percentage of 80%…along with a couple of National Championships.  Carroll has found success in the NFL winning a Super Bowl and being one horrible coaching decision away from a second championship with the Seahawks.  Carroll did have coaching experience in the NFL, prior to Seattle, which is something Meyer lacks heading into his first professional opportunity with the Jaguars.

I do believe Urban Meyer will find success in the NFL.  Jacksonville drafted what many believe will be a franchise quarterback, for years to come, in Trevor Lawrence.  Many of your coaching success stories depend on the make-up of your roster and who’s calling the shots under center.  If Meyer and the Jags can keep adding talent around Lawrence, Meyer will climb up those AFC South coaching rankings, and Jaguars fans will be shouting “DUVAL” proudly for the foreseeable future.

2) Mike Vrabel – Vrabel comes in at number two here and ties a lot of things together in the process.  Titans fan will argue this spot as he comes in with a better career winning percentage, as head coach, than the guy at number one.

When you think Mike Vrabel, you probably think New England Patriots and rightfully so.  Vrabel spent 2001-2008 with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls. 

However, he’s not the rare success story from the Bill Belichick coaching tree.  In fact, he’s more tied to the guy that came in at number three from a coaching standpoint.  Vrabel spent his college career playing defensive end for Ohio State University from 1993 to 1996.  His first coaching opportunity would come from his alma mater, as Ohio State linebackers coach, on July 10^th, 2011.  On December 21^st of 2011 the new Ohio State head coach decided to keep Vrabel a part of his coaching staff and made him the defensive line coach.

Vrabel transitioned to the NFL in 2014 as a linebackers coach for the Texans, before getting his big break in 2018 as head coach of the Tennessee Titans.  Vrabel has led the Titans to a 29-19 regular season record over the past 3 years, including back-to-back playoff appearances with a trip to the AFC Championship in 2019 on the back of star running back Derrick Henry.

1) Frank Reich – Not a shock for anyone that knows me, but Frank Reich comes in as the number one head coach in the AFC South.  Just as some forget that Vrabel wasn’t a part of the Bill Belichick coaching circle, the Colts benefitted from someone backing out of the position and returning to that circle. 

Back in 2018 it was reported that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was set to accept the Indianapolis Colts head coaching job offered by new Colts GM Chris Ballard.  Then things got weird as McDaniels got cold feet and left the Colts at the altar. 

What happens when you’re left at the altar?  Well naturally you turn to the pastor, which the Colts did when making the call to Frank Reich.  Reich had been well known in NFL circles.  Most notably for the 1993 NFL wild card game in which he led the Buffalo Bills back from a 35-3 deficit against the Houston Oilers.  The Bills would win 41-38 in overtime and the 32-point deficit remains the largest comeback in NFL history. 

Reich wasn’t new to Indy, spending 2006-2007 as a coaching intern before serving as an offensive coaching staff assistant under Tony Dungy in 2008.  Reich would remain on the Colts staff under new head coach Jim Caldwell before being released, with the entire staff, after 2011.

Reich would come full circle and return to Indianapolis in 2018, after helping to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl Championship (as offensive coordinator) over the New England Patriot.

Reich found success early in his first season as head coach, leading the Colts to the playoffs and a wild card road win over the division winning Texans.  The Colts would lose the next week in Kansas City, and go into the offseason looking at a promising future.

Before the start of the 2019 season, that promising future came to a grinding halt as franchise quarterback Andrew Luck opted for early retirement.  This set the Colts back quite a bit, but Reich did some of his best coaching during that time. 

The Colts started the 2019 season 5-2 under QB Jacoby Brissett before a knee injury against the Steelers took their promising start off track.  Colts turned to backup QB Brian Hoyer and a less than 100% Brissett the remainder of the season and could never recover.

Going out in the offseason and getting old man Philip Rivers in 2020 proved what a coach that Frank Reich really is.  Many wrote off Rivers due to age, lack of arm strength and his poor decision making towards the end of his time with the Chargers.  During a strange time of no preseason and limited offseason work, due to the pandemic, the Colts and Reich turned in an 11-5 season – losing a tiebreaker to the Titans for the division.  They would also have an early playoff exit, losing on the road to Reich’s old team (the Buffalo Bills) in what most considered the best playoff game in 2020.

A regular season record of 28-20, two playoff appearances, with three different quarterbacks is a solid resume for Reich.  Toss in the fact that he’s being reunited with the QB that played a huge part in the Eagles making the playoffs for the magical Super Bowl run in 2017, in Carson Wentz, and Frank Reich comes in number one in my AFC South head coach rankings.

The post AFC South Coach Rankings appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

Urban Meyer, the championship level coach in the college ranks, ESPN commentator, and now converted NFL coach arrived in the professional ranks this off-season. Up to this point, it’s safe to say that Meyer has come with a bang. Meyer has transformed the Jacksonville Jaguars in a shorter time than any Jaguars previous management has done in the last decade. True, Meyer was gifted with the golden first overall pick, but he has greatly transformed the aching roster beyond selecting the obvious first overall pick candidate in Trevor Lawrence. Well, what has he done that sets himself apart from the other minds in the game? I’m going to lay out the Jaguars head coach’s craftsmanship in this 2021 off-season. 

Bringing Darrell Bevell and Brian Schottenheimer to Jacksonville

Former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer helped set a franchise record for points in a season for Russell Wilson. Yet, the former Seahawks OC still met the chopping block at the end of the season. The son of Marty Schottenheimer heads to Florida to be the passing game coordinator. Bringing Schottenheimer to Jacksonville Is an absolutely fantastic hire for “passing coordinator duties”. 

Meyer didn’t bring one excellent, seasoned mind to Jacksonville. He also brought over the former Lions interim head coach, Darrell Bevell, to be the offensive coordinator. Bevell helped Russell Wilson become a league MVP in Seattle, then he helped a Matthew Stafford Lions offense average roughly 25 points per game in 2019 when the former Lions QB was healthy.  

Having an excellent football coach in Urban Meyer produces a strong ripple effect in garnering more quality football minds.

Drafting Travis Etienne in the first round

It’s brilliant that the Jaguars drafted Travis Etienne and showed that they are making a serious effort in equipping Trevor Lawrence’s led offense to compete at a high level right away. Running back was not a huge need for the Jaguars with James Robinson, plus it was a first-round draft pick being used on the RB position — yet, this was a first-round pick well used. The Saints got lots of backlash for trading up to get all-purpose back Alvin Kamara, especially when they had Mark Ingram. It’s safe to say that the Kamara pick was a massive win.

Etienne poses a similar skillset to Kamara and he will surely be a great pass catcher for Lawrence. The draft pick of Etienne will help Lawrence be more efficient as a passer and put up big numbers in year one, but it will keep James Robinson fresh. Sorry, Robinson fantasy owners.

Signing Marvin Jones Jr.

When the Jaguars offense takes the field in Week 1, it will be almost unrecognizable to Jags nation. One reason that the offense could be much more dangerous is because of the highly touted Marvin Jones Jr.

Jones has a whopping 18 touchdowns in the last two years combined. Jones will be a fine complement to DJ Chark in the new-look offense. It’s a great contract for the Jaguars, as well — two years for $14.5 million. The Jaguars also added deep threat and former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett to the wide receiving mix.  

Urban Meyer did a superb job of not only making splash moves this off-season but adding multiple chess pieces in each area of the offense and coaching arena.

The post Urban Meyer has been the top new NFL Coach and it’s not close appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

by Michael Obermuller

The lead-up to the NFL Draft is a sports process like no other. The speculation, the intrigue, the misinformation and strategy used by different franchises and general managers. Considering the diverse crop of quarterback talent available in 2021, this offseason has been as wild as ever. I mean, just look at this curveball from Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer a few days before draft night.

Trevor Lawrence has been the consensus number one pick for what feels like years, and Jags owner Shad Khan has seemed pretty intent on marketing the rebirth of the franchise around the Clemson star, so why then is Meyer still choosing between three players at No. 1 overall?

It could just be due diligence from a first year NFL head coach, or maybe Lawrence to Jacksonville isn’t as much of a lock as most people thought. After all, there is certainly no reason to play mind-games with opposing GM’s when you’re the one picking first. Yet here we are left with this mysterious quote.

Don’t you worry though, I’ve seen through all the GM mumbo jumbo of the past few months and I’m confident in saying that I have figured out where each quarterback will end up ”” I think. Either way, I’ll give it a whirl, starting with the aforementioned Jaguars.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence (No. 1)

I know, after all that in the introduction, I’m still predicting T-Law to DUVAL? That’s right, because if Meyer wants to pull off the most shocking move in recent draft memory, he can do it without my blessing. There are a couple important things to note here though. One, Meyer is not considering Mac Jones or Trey Lance in the top spot. Could this have an influence on other franchises behind him? Urban was a premier college recruiter for a long time after all. Or perhaps he has yet to gain the respect of his fellow NFL peers, and his opinion means very little to them. Two, the former Ohio State HC and program director is likely passing on his former QB, Justin Fields. Meyer actually ranked the quarterbacks in a preseason show in June of 2020, with Lawrence first in his ranks and Fields second. His reasoning at the time was this;

The Jags could certainly throw a wrench in the entire draft by taking either Zach Wilson or Fields, which would probably send Lawrence to New York at No. 2, but it’s highly unlikely and I’m not buying it. Size, accuracy, speed, raw ability, intelligence, drive ”” Lawrence is the consensus number one for a reason. I’m not saying that he’s guaranteed to be the most successful NFL product, he’s not, but he is the safe bet for Jacksonville. For the sake of all our sanities, let’s move on and assume this sticks.

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson (No. 2)

GM Joe Douglas and the New York Jets have traded 2018 first round pick Sam Darnold, so yes they are 100 percent taking a quarterback at two (for those who haven’t been paying attention). They have been linked to the BYU Cougars signal-caller more and more since Week 17, and I personally don’t see this changing on Thursday night. Wilson checks all the boxes for the Jets. He is an accurate passer and a competitive winner (albeit against lesser competition), known for his on-the-fly decision-making and pocket presence as well as an arm that throws just as far on the move as it does standing upright. Wilson has drawn recent comparisons to Patrick Mahomes for some of these intangible traits, but there’s a contingent of fans that still have doubts that scouts and GM’s are once again sleeping on in-your-face talent.

If Fields can translate his OSU skillset to the pros, it wouldn’t be the first time that the best and brightest NFL minds in the game are totally wrong. I mean he did run a 4.44 forty with a 70.2 completion percentage in 2020. For the record, as you’ll see throughout this article, Fields is my personal QB1 in this class, but that doesn’t mean he appeals to the teams picking in the top three.

3. San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones (No. 3)

Is the infamous “smokescreen tactic” being utilized by Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers? It’s quite possible, in fact Joe Douglas and the Jets could be using it too for all we know. If Fields truly is the quarterback with the most upside potential, it would make sense that every GM behind the Jaguars is trying to keep Meyer off their trail by talking up Wilson, Jones and Lance. At the same time, it seems even more likely that the NFL brass are once again scared off by an Ohio State product who has been labeled as a runner that struggles with his progressional reads. If Lawrence and Wilson do indeed go one-two, Fields should be the pick at three in my opinion, but he may not be according to reports.

There’s something fishy about this developing story, because Jones and Lance couldn’t be more different as prospects. I can’t deny that Mac Jones makes sense as Shanahan’s favorite option. The Niners HC has highlighted his on-field and NFL-ready intelligence, citing that the Alabama product is the win-now choice for a team that was in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Jones is also the most similar to the quarterbacks that have flourished in Shanahan’s system in the past (Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo). Lance on the other hand makes me scratch my head. He’s from a small program that did not play against NFL-type talent, he’s not game-ready by most estimations, and he’s athletic rather than accurate or experienced. The fact that San Francisco is torn between these two, but not interested in the player that is pretty much the combination of both (Fields) is odd to say the least. For these reasons, I do think there’s a chance that the 49ers are under-selling Fields on purpose, but I’ll begrudgingly stick with Jones here anyway because of how well he fits the Shanahan mold.

4. TRADE ”” Denver Broncos: Trey Lance (No. 4)

Some have the Atlanta Falcons taking Lance at four, but in the end I think Arthur Smith’s new offense stands pat with the reliability of Matty Ice for a couple more seasons and trades down to reconstruct this roster from the inside out. That process may not start with an inexperienced QB, but it could begin with a haul of present and future draft picks. The next question is their trade partner, and although it has not been mentioned as much as a New England or Washington Football Team, the Denver Broncos are my under-the-radar candidate to make the jump from ninth to fourth. George Paton is taking over as GM for the Broncos, and he may try and make a splash in his first NFL Draft having the final say.

Everything about Paton’s thinking for his first draft screams Lance to me. It’s unexpected, out-of-the-box, and hopefully solves the problem that John Elway failed at for years in the same position ”” finding a franchise quarterback. Drew Lock has yet to display any qualities that separate him from the rest of the league, so I expect Paton to jump at the opportunity to bring in someone that can compete not only with Lock, but long-term with division rivals like Mahomes and Justin Herbert. Of course, the Broncos could also go with Fields here, but I’m sticking with my theme that this inexplicable stigma drops my QB1 down to QB5. I also like the fit for Lance in Denver. He played at North Dakota State, a similar climate, and his build and physicality as a runner bear some resemblance to Elway himself. Although I’m sure Broncos fans would also take his Josh Allen comp.

5. Detroit Lions: Justin Fields (No. 7)

So where oh where will Mr. Fields land? No he won’t fall out of the top 10, and I don’t expect the Cincinnati Bengals or Miami Dolphins to trade down either when they can grab the players they covet most (Kyle Pitts and Ja’Marr Chase by all reports) at five and six. That leaves the Detroit Lions, who could choose to trade down with the Patriots or the highest bidder, but honestly why would they? The Lions roster moves have signaled a total overhaul rebuild under the new regime of Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes, and they already have enough future draft capital from the Matthew Stafford trade where they don’t need more first round picks. They need a franchise quarterback. The wrinkle that you may point out is that they also received back Jared Goff and his contract in that same deal. Let’s be honest though, Goff is a placeholder in Detroit at best. At worst, he’s a cap casualty after 2022 (when cutting him would only cost $10 million). So why not accelerate the process if Justin Fields falls into your lap?

A player with as much potential as Fields could be a dream for Holmes at No. 7 in his first NFL Draft, and the young QB could even learn under Goff as a rookie before jumpining into the NFL head-first. He can truly do it all; whether it’s his accuracy as a passer or his agility as a runner, his escapability in the pocket or strong arm on the run, his competitiveness as an premier athlete or his confidence in primetime games. I’m not sure why every team is insistent on looking past Fields, and maybe it all is a smokescreen and he goes top three, but it just feels like the NFL scouts and decision-makers are talking themselves into passing on another superstar.

The post Landing Spots for All 5 of the Top QB Prospects appeared first on Pro Football Mania.