Patriots RB Decisions Pure Belichick

Patriots RB Decisions Pure Belichick

During a week in which the Patriots visited the White House to celebrate another Super Bowl win and also come to grips with the suicide death of Tight-End-Turned-Killer-Aaron-Hernandez, probably few are paying attention to what’s taking place with the New England running back corps.

While the Patriots have had a great offseason, and will undoubtedly emerge as Vegas’ odds-on favorite to win yet another Lombardi Trophy, the team’s strategy at RB has been interesting, to say the least.

New England signed Buffalo backup Mike Gillislee to an offer sheet and extended Super Bowl hero (he should have been the MVP) James White. These moves come on top of signing Bengals backup Rex Burkhead and entertaining soon-to-be-former Vikings great Adrian Peterson. That leaves the futures of big back LeGarrette Blount, coming off an 18-touchdown season, and Dion Lewis, coming off a partial season where he looked solid following an ACL recovery, up in the air.

So, what does Bill Belichick have in mind?

Andy: First off, let me say this: In Belichick I trust. I don’t know what he has in mind, but he’s one of the few coaches in the league with the pedigree where I will trust what otherwise would seem as a reach. That said … some of these moves are interesting, to say the least.

Blount left once before, then pouted his way out of Pittsburgh to return. He seems like a perfect fit in New England, where he has averaged 4.0 yards per carry over the last two seasons and scored 25 TDs, including 18 during 2016.

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What do the Texans do now?

What do the Texans do now?

Uh oh. Things got real in Houston this week.

Real crappy.

One of the worst kept secrets in the league this offseason has been the Texans’ reported desire to give Tony Romo one last chance to make a Super Bowl run. But his retirement announcement Tuesday came out of the blue and the Texans’ backup plan apparently is Tom Savage. The third-year youngster has played in five games with two starts.

Now, he is reportedly the starter-in-waiting for a team that has a defense with Super Bowl aspirations and offensive skill talent that went underutilized due to the ill-advised signing last off-season of Brock Osweiler.

Is Romo really done? And is Savage a sufficient backup plan? Or do the Texans need to expand their search and find a way to bring a more veteran presence to this otherwise solid top-to-bottom roster?

Andy: Tom Savage? Really? The Texans’ plan for 2017 revolves around Tom Savage?

No disrespect intended to the young QB-to-be, but … really? You blew the 2016 season waiting for Brock Osweiler to blossom. You wasted DeAndre Hopkins waiting for Brock Osweiler to happen. And you botched the Super Bowl worthy season put forth by a Texans’ defense that was great even minus the great J.J. Watt.

I’m not 100 percent convinced Romo is done. But I’m also not sure how much I care. I made the argument over the weekend that Colin Kaepernick might be a better option than Romo for this Texans team. I’ll stand by that now. Maybe even Jay Cutler deserves a look. Maybe Savage is ready. But you cannot – you simply cannot – go into the 2017 season with the talent you have and only Tom Savage as a legit option to be the QB, not if you want your team and fan base to buy in. (more…)

Is the NFL Blackballing Kaepernick?

Is the NFL Blackballing Kaepernick?

A few years ago, Colin Kaepernick was considered one of the league’s top young stars. He was leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl, and Ron Jaworski was raving about how he might be one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game.

Things have slowly unraveled since then. He remained the Niners’ starter in 2013 and 2014, but then struggled in 2015, eventually getting benched for Blaine Gabbert of all people. And then he took a knee during the national anthem and all hell broke loose.

Does he deserve another shot to be an NFL starter? And is he still jobless because of his play on the field or because of his political opinions off of it?

John: I’ve always had mixed feelings about Colin Kaepernick. He’s not your prototypical NFL passer like an Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning, but he certainly can be dynamic when he’s on his game.

That stretch run in 2012 was extraordinary, and we saw some flashes of that old Kap after he got back into the starting lineup last year. He threw 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions in 12 games, while logging an impressive 90.7 passer rating. Plus, he again showed the ability to change a game with his legs, rushing for 113 yards in a game against Miami.

Is Kaepernick a strong NFL starter? No. Will he ever be? Probably not. But if Case Keenum and Matt Barkley were good enough to start multiple games in 2016, there’s certainly a place for Kap in this league.

A team like the Browns, Jets or 49ers could do a lot worse than signing Kaepernick to an incentive-laden contract a year or two while developing their quarterback of the future. And if you’re the Jags, why not take a flier on a guy like Kap to put a little pressure on a disappointing Blake Bortles? (more…)

Why can’t Adrian Peterson find a job?

Why can’t Adrian Peterson find a job?

We’re about three weeks into free agency, and yet Adrian Peterson hasn’t garnered so much as a whiff from any NFL team.

It’s hard to believe we’re talking about the same guy who rushed for 2,000 just a few years ago. A couple of years ago he would have been the most sought-after superstar on the market, but now…crickets.

Peterson is certainly the biggest name left on the market. But does he have anything left in the tank?

John:  Adrian Peterson is one of the best running backs I’ve ever watched play, and he’ll surely have a spot in Canton someday. So, as a Vikings fan, I felt lucky to be able to watch his unique combination of speed and power every Sunday.

But every star eventually fades, and the question now is whether AP has enough tread on the tires for a late-career encore with a different team. Honestly, it’s really hard to say at this point. After all, we’ve only seen him play 20 games in the last 3 years. And when we last watched him play, early in the 2016 season (disregard those few December carries), he was running behind one of the sorriest excuses for an offensive line I’ve ever seen.

Still, it’s hard to get excited about Adrian Peterson when he hasn’t really looked like Adrian Peterson since mid-2015. I certainly wouldn’t put it past him to rebound with another strong year or two in the right system, but I wouldn’t bet on it either (especially if the price is $8 million as some reports have indicated). (more…)

Will the NFL Work in Las Vegas?

Will the NFL Work in Las Vegas?

For the third time in just over a year, an NFL team is on the move.

On Monday, NFL owners gave the Oakland Raiders the green light to relocate to Las Vegas, joining the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers as recent transplants. The Raiders are expected to start playing in Sin City as soon as 2018, with a new stadium opening a couple of years after that.

The Raiders have been in Oakland, Los Angeles and back to Oakland. Will Vegas finally be home, sweet home?

John: Well, if the message wasn’t clear before, it sure as heck is now: cities better be prepared to pony up or shut up. Bow down and kiss the NFL’s ring (shield?) or lose your team.

Public officials have pledged almost $1 billion in public funding to lure the Raiders to Vegas. It’s an absurd amount of money, no question. But let’s set aside the politics and economics of this deal and instead explore the future of the Raiders and the league following this move.

The main question is: Can the NFL survive — and thrive — in Vegas? I certainly wouldn’t bet on it (sorry).

The first issue is the lack of a local fan base. Las Vegas will be one of the league’s smallest media markets. There are 2 million local residents, and many of them are transplants from other parts of the country. That means they probably already root for the Steelers or Cowboys or Vikings. So where does that leave the Raiders?

Now, I’m sure many fans from around the country will travel to Vegas to see their local teams play there — especially during the dead of winter. That makes for a fun weekend getaway for those fans, but the end result is that the stadium could end up being a home away from home for each week’s road team. That doesn’t seem like a recipe for long-term success, does it? (more…)