Since the 2013 NFL Draft is almost upon us, I think it's the appropriate time to look back 10 years ago to the 2003 NFL Draft and see what each player has accomplished from the first round.
#1. Carson Palmer
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Current Team: Oakland Raiders
Position: Quarterback
College: USC
Stats:
2568/4110 62.5 Completion % 189 TDs 130 INTs 7.2 YPA 86.2 QB Rating 7 Rushing TDs
Verdict:
Unfortunately, Palmer suffered from a severe knee injury early in his career and was never quite the same. Still, he quietly remains an adequate passer.
Grade: B
#2. Charles Rogers
Team: Detroit Lions
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Michigan State
Stats:
36 Rec 440 yards 4 TDs
Verdict:
Never lived up to the hype. Injuries hampered him, but he never blossomed into what he could have been.
Grade: F
#3. Andre Johnson
Team: Houston Texans
Current Team: Houston Texans
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Miami (FL)
Stats:
818 Rec 11,254 yards 56 TDs
Verdict:
A superstar and one of the cornerstones in the NFL since year one. In the Texans' second draft, the found a star and he's been a pivotal piece to their puzzle since.
Grade: A
#4. Dewayne Robertson
Team: New York Jets
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Kentucky
Stats:
280 tackles 16 Sacks 1 PD 3 FF 2 FR
Verdict:
While Robertson played just 6 NFL seasons, he averaged 47 tackles a year. He was a good run stopper and that's a trait not many NFL players have. Unfortunately, his 6'1" 317-pound frame wasn't able to hold up and he's out of the NFL.
Grade: B-
#5. Terence Newman
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: Kansas State
Stats:
619 tackles 2 sacks 34 INTs 132 PD 8 FF 10 FR 3 TD
Verdict:
While many Cowboys fans will disagree strongly with me, Newman was actually a very good player for a long time. The fact that he's still going strong illustrates this.
Grade: A
#6. Johnathan Sullivan
Team: New Orleans Saints
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Georgia
Stats:
77 tackles 1.5 sacks 2 PD 1 FF
Verdict:
Didn't do much of anything. A big bust. Totals span 3 seasons.
Grade: F
#7. Byron Leftwich
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Quarterback
College: Marshall
Stats:
930/1605 57.9 completion % 10,532 yards 58 TD 42 INTs 78.9 QBR 10 Rush TDs
Verdict:
Leftwich gets an A for effort, and that's never been a question with him. He hasn't won a game since 2006 that he started, but he's put together some excellent performances. Unfortunately, his numbers and his talent don't indicate top-grade success.
Grade: C-
#8. Jordan Gross
Team: Carolina Panthers
Current Team: Carolina Panthers
Position: Offensive Tackle
College: Utah
Stats:
151 games started, 7 FR, 5 Tackles
Verdict:
A staple on the offensive line and just the second player from this draft to still be on the team he was drafted to. A quality starter who has missed just 9 games in 10 years.
Grade: A
#9. Kevin Williams
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Current Team: Minnesota Vikings
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Oklahoma State
Stats:
434 tackles 56.5 sacks 4 INTs 61 PD 8 FF 12 FR 4 TDs
Verdict:
1/2 of the Williams Wall and a stud defensive tackle. A versatile and durable player who missed just 4 games in 10 years.
Grade: A
#10. Terrell Suggs
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Current Team: Baltimore Ravens
College: Arizona State
Stats:
592 tackles 84.5 sacks 7 INTs 48 PD 25 FF 11 FR 2 TDs
Verdict:
A rare pass rushing talent who has a knack for the big play. A jack of all trades capable of making plays all over the field.
Grade: A
#11. Marcus Trufant
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: Washington State
Stats:
646 Tackles 2 Sacks 21 INTs 112 PD 5 FF 6 FR 2 TDs
Verdict:
A pretty solid corner with some durability issues the last 4 years. Hasn't been effective since 2008. Had a good run as a dominant corner, but fell off quickly.
Grade: B
#12. Jimmy Kennedy
Team: St. Louis Rams
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Penn State
Stats:
128 Tackles 8.5 Sacks 5 PD 2 FF 2 FR
Verdict:
Struggled his whole career. He had a nice season in 2005, but that was the best he could muster. Given the chance to start in 2006, he promptly came out flat. He was given the boot and then spent time on 4 teams before hanging up his cleats.
Grade: D+
#13. Ty Warren
Team: New England Patriots
Current Team: Denver Broncos
Position: Defensive End
College: Texas A&M
Stats:
374 tackles 20.5 sacks 7 PD 4 FF 6 FR
Verdict:
A pure run stopper, Warren was definitely a force for years. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him down since about 2008.
Grade: B
#14. Michael Haynes
Team: Chicago Bears
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive End
College: Penn State
Stats: 62 tackles 5.5 sacks 1 INT 4 PD 1 FF 1 TD
Verdict: He was all but a bust. Limited productivity.
Grade: D+
#15. Jerome McDougle
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive End
College: Miami (FL)
Stats: 37 tackles 3 sacks 5 PD 1 FF
Verdict: The run of defensive ends gets continually worse. He's a flat out bust.
Grade: F
#16. Troy Polamalu
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Current Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Position: Safety
College: USC
Stats: 648 tackles 10 sacks 30 INTs 96 PD 8 FF 5 FR 4 TDs
Verdict: A playmaker and a star. He was part of some of the best defenses the league has seen. Good commercials too.
Grade: A
#17. Bryant Johnson
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Penn State
Stats: 314 Rec 3,938 yards 16 TD
Verdict: Made a bust of a career into a somewhat consistent disappointment. Gotta give him credit for that.
Grade: C
#18. Calvin Pace
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Outside Linebacker
College: Wake Forest
Stats: 497 tackles 42 sacks 3 INTs 23 PD 17 FF 10 FR 1 TD
Verdict: A solid, but unspectacular, NFL career.
Grade: B-
#19. Kyle Boller
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Quarterback
College: California
Stats: 871/1519 8,931 yards 56.7 completion% 48 TD 54 INT 5.9 YPA 69.5 QBR
Verdict: He's been a bust since year one. In his last 22 starts, he has 25 TDs compared to 34 INTs.
Grade: D
#20. George Foster
Team: Denver Broncos
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Offensive Tackle
College: Georgia
Stats: 57 starts 2 FR
Verdict: Missed 28 games in his career, was unspectacular.
Grade: F
#21. Jeff Faine
Team: Cleveland Browns
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Center
College: Notre Dame
Stats: 1 tackle 9 FR
Verdict: Solid center who did miss some time due to injury.
Grade: B-
#22. Rex Grossman
Team: Chicago Bears
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Quarterback
College: Florida
Stats: 863/1562 10,232 yards 55.2 completion% 56 TD 60 INT 6.6 YPA 71.4 QBR
Verdict: Sexy Rexy is a little better than his numbers indicate, in my opinion at least. He's a gunslinger so he's going to have a ton of picks and a low comp %. He's still a quality backup.
Grade: C
#23. Willis McGahee
Team: Buffalo Bills
Current Team: Denver Broncos
Position: Running Back
College: Miami (FL)
Stats: 1957 att 8.097 yards 63 TDs 4.1 YPA 202 rec 1,319 yards 5 TDs (rec)
Verdict: A great back when healthy. Has had 4 1,000 yard seasons, yet he has never started all 16 games. A good back.
Grade: B+
#24. Dallas Clark
Team: Indianapolis Colts
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Tight End
College: Iowa
Stats: 474 rec 5,322 yards 50 TDs
Verdict: The second best receiver in this round and he's not even a wide receiver. Catching balls from Peyton Manning for 8 of 10 seasons in the league will help pad those numbers.
Grade: B
#25. William Joseph
Team: New York Giants
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Miami (FL)
Stats: 88 tackles 7 sacks 7 PD 2 FF 1 FR
Verdict: 6 year career and mustered just 17 starts (less than 3 a year). Embarrassing.
Grade: D+
#26. Kwame Harris
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Offensive Tackle
College: Stanford
Stats: 55 starts 4 FR 1 TD
Verdict: An acceptable player. Nothing earth shattering about him.
Grade: C-
#27. Larry Johnson
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Running Back
College: Penn Stats
Stats: 1427 att 6,223 yards 55 TD 4.4 YPA 154 rec 1,373 yards 6 TD (rec)
Verdict: For a two year span, Johnson managed 3,500 yards on 750 carries and racked up 37 TDs on the ground. Close to 4300 total yards in those two years. Unfortunately, it was close to 900 touches and that kind of abuse can wear a player down.
Grade: B-
#28. Andre Woolfolk
Team: Tennessee Titans
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: Oklahoma
Stats: 119 tackles 3 INT 18 PD 1 FF 1 FR
Verdict: An absolute disappointment. Just 11 starts in 4 years and minimal production.
Grade: F
#29. Nick Barnett
Team: Green Bay Packers
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Linebacker
College: Oregon State
Stats: 1,030 tackles 20.5 sacks 12 INTs 42 PD 6 FF 7 FR 2 TD
Verdict: The tackle champion of the first round is still going strong. At 31, it looks like Barnett will play another year if he can catch on with a team.
Grade: B+
#30. Sammy Davis
Team: San Diego Chargers
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: Texas A&M
Stats: 173 tackles 1 Sack 3 INT 31 PD 1 FF
Verdict: Marginal production, but not the worst in the first round. His mediocrity keeps him above failing.
Grade: D+
#31. Nnamdi Asomugha
Team: Oakland Raiders
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: California
Stats: 404 tackles 2 sacks 15 INT 78 PD 2 FF 1 FR 1 TD
Verdict: He's been crowned the best cornerback in the league at some points of his career, and others he's been ridiculed. I think it's somewhere inbetween. While he's very good, he was never great.
Grade: B
#32. Tyler Brayton
Team: Oakland Raiders
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive End
College: Colorado
Stats: 308 tackles 17.5 sacks 1 INT 16 PD 6 FF 6 FR
Verdict: A journeyman who made his mark recently in 2008 and 2009 for Carolina. Could have let his career die in Oakland, but got out after 3 unproductive years.
Grade: C
2003 Bests:
Quarterback: Tony Romo, Undrafted, Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo has shown he's an extremely talented player. He's the champion of this draft.
Running Back: Willis McGahee, #23 overall, Baltimore Ravens. He made his mark in the league despite some rough injuries.
Wide Receiver: Andre Johnson, #3 overall, Houston Texans. No explanation needed, he's a star.
Tight End: Antonio Gates, Undrafted, San Diego Chargers. This was a good TE class. You can tell because Jason Witten was passed over for this award.
Offensive Tackle: David Diehl, #160 overall, New York Giants. Diehl has been one of the few bright spots for the line in NY.
Offensive Guard: Kris Dielman, undrafted, San Diego Chargers. He's done a fantastic job in the league.
Center: Dan Koppen, #164 overall, New England Patriots. He was named to the Patriots All-Decade team. Good starter.
Defensive Tackle: Kevin Williams, #9 overall, Minnesota Vikings. A fortified wall of defense for the Vikings.
Defensive End: Robert Mathis, #38 overall, Indianapolis Colts. 91.5 QB sacks is fantastic. 5 pro bowls to go with it.
Inside Linebacker: Nick Barnett, #29 overall, Green Bay Packers. No bias here, he was a very good backer for a long time.
Outside Linebacker: Terrell Suggs, #10 overall, Baltimore Ravens. Awesome player to put on the outside. Excellent rusher.
Cornerback: Terence Newman, #5 overall, Dallas Cowboys. I know, it's a lot of T-New love, but he's still kicking ass!
Safety: Troy Polamalu, #16 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers. What a player. One of the better players of the last decade.
Special Teamer: Josh Brown (K), #222 overall, Seattle Seahawks. Consistent kicker.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
State of the Redskins Address
Since the State of the Union address was this past week, and I got a request to do an article on the Redskins, I figured I'd put one together on a Friday instead of going out and having a social life.
Washington is an extremely interesting and exciting team. Their Zone Blocking scheme was run to perfection last year with Alfred Morris and Robert Griffin III, but just how safe is this team from potential cap issues? Due to the penalty levied on the club by commissioner Roger Goodell, the Redskins are currently over the salary cap by just over $3 million. Let's take a look at their free agents first to get an idea of who they're in danger of losing and who they HAVE to make room for.
QB
Rex Grossman
RB
Darrel Young
WR
Brandon Banks
TE
Chris Cooley
Logan Paulson
Fred Davis
OT
Jordan Black
Tyler Polumbus
OG
Kory Lichtensteiger
C
Nick Sundberg
DT/DE
Chris Baker
Kentwan Balmer
Kendrick Golston
LB
Rob Jackson
Bryan Kehl
Chris Wilson
CB
Cedric Griffin
S
Tanard Jackson
Madieu Williams
P
Sav Rocca
Together, that's 97 starts walking out the door. I'd say the biggest ones close to leaving are Kory Lichtensteiger, Tyler Polumbus, Fred Davis, Madieu Williams, and Rob Jackson. So how do the Redskins keep those guys?
1) Cut DeAngelo Hall.
Hall is due to make $7,500,000 this year base with a $500,000 workout bonus. Josh Wilson played well last season and they have some young guys who can step in. There's also a wealth of CB help in the draft this year with possibly 3 CBs going in the 1st round. Unfortunately, the Redskins traded away their 1st rounder to get RGIII, so they'll have to wait until the second round to grab one. It's a risk to start a rookie at CB, but with the vet talent Washington has, it can be done.
This leaves Washington with roughly $5 million. They'll be able to get their rookies under contract, but what about the 5 guys up there? None of them are STARS, so they won't command a huge contract. What other cap wiggling can the Redskins do?
2) Cut Santana Moss
Santana is due a base salary of $4,150,00 with a signing bonus of $1,667,000 and a roster bonus of $350,000. Cutting him will save the Redskins an additional $4,500,000.
Now the Redskins are left with $9,000,000 in cap room. What else can they do?
3) Restructure Trent Williams
As it stands right now, he's counted as about $8,000,000 against the cap. If the redskins can get him to a 5 year, $50,000,000 deal with $15,000,000 guaranteed, they can cut his base salary down to $2,000,000, pay him the $500,000 he's owed from guaranteed money along with $3,000,000 in new signing bonus money. His cap hit would be about $5,500,000, a savings of $2,500,000.
I got Washington into the green by $11,500,000...what would you guys do as GM??
Washington is an extremely interesting and exciting team. Their Zone Blocking scheme was run to perfection last year with Alfred Morris and Robert Griffin III, but just how safe is this team from potential cap issues? Due to the penalty levied on the club by commissioner Roger Goodell, the Redskins are currently over the salary cap by just over $3 million. Let's take a look at their free agents first to get an idea of who they're in danger of losing and who they HAVE to make room for.
QB
Rex Grossman
RB
Darrel Young
WR
Brandon Banks
TE
Chris Cooley
Logan Paulson
Fred Davis
OT
Jordan Black
Tyler Polumbus
OG
Kory Lichtensteiger
C
Nick Sundberg
DT/DE
Chris Baker
Kentwan Balmer
Kendrick Golston
LB
Rob Jackson
Bryan Kehl
Chris Wilson
CB
Cedric Griffin
S
Tanard Jackson
Madieu Williams
P
Sav Rocca
Together, that's 97 starts walking out the door. I'd say the biggest ones close to leaving are Kory Lichtensteiger, Tyler Polumbus, Fred Davis, Madieu Williams, and Rob Jackson. So how do the Redskins keep those guys?
1) Cut DeAngelo Hall.
Hall is due to make $7,500,000 this year base with a $500,000 workout bonus. Josh Wilson played well last season and they have some young guys who can step in. There's also a wealth of CB help in the draft this year with possibly 3 CBs going in the 1st round. Unfortunately, the Redskins traded away their 1st rounder to get RGIII, so they'll have to wait until the second round to grab one. It's a risk to start a rookie at CB, but with the vet talent Washington has, it can be done.
This leaves Washington with roughly $5 million. They'll be able to get their rookies under contract, but what about the 5 guys up there? None of them are STARS, so they won't command a huge contract. What other cap wiggling can the Redskins do?
2) Cut Santana Moss
Santana is due a base salary of $4,150,00 with a signing bonus of $1,667,000 and a roster bonus of $350,000. Cutting him will save the Redskins an additional $4,500,000.
Now the Redskins are left with $9,000,000 in cap room. What else can they do?
3) Restructure Trent Williams
As it stands right now, he's counted as about $8,000,000 against the cap. If the redskins can get him to a 5 year, $50,000,000 deal with $15,000,000 guaranteed, they can cut his base salary down to $2,000,000, pay him the $500,000 he's owed from guaranteed money along with $3,000,000 in new signing bonus money. His cap hit would be about $5,500,000, a savings of $2,500,000.
I got Washington into the green by $11,500,000...what would you guys do as GM??
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Giants Cap Woes
The Jets aren't the only local team with salary cap woes. The New York Giants are in deep trouble right now too. Today, the Giants sit at about $2.5 million under the cap, but just a few days ago they had to make some big personnel decisions. So why were the Giants in this position to begin with?
Let's start with dead money. When players are signed to a contract, their signing bonus becomes prorated over the length of their deal, up to 5 years. The signing bonus money is paid up front to the player when they sign the deal. Since the money is paid in full to the player, the signing bonus figure counts regardless of whether or not the player is with the team. Thus, if you cut a player, any money left in the prorated signing bonus gets accelerated to the current cap figure. Before cutting Ahmad Bradshaw, Chris Canty, and Michael Boley, the dead cap for the Giants was actually extremely minimal:
Add in the 3 players who were cut recently:
So now, we can add up the Giants current cap figures with current contracts, add in the dead money, and subtract the $1,000,000 salary cap rollover and we can determine exactly how much money they have to play with:
Total Contracts: $113,574,892
+Total Dead Money: $6,771,306
$120,346,198
Total Cap Hit: $120,346,198
-Total Cap Rollover: $1,000,000
$119,346,198
Net Cap Hit: $119,346,198
-NFL Salary Cap: $121,500,000
$2,153,802
So there we go folks, the Giants currently have just $2,153,802 left in total cap space. Now lets go into why Bradshaw, Canty, and Boley had to go:
Let's start by posting each person's 2013 contract figures and then subtracting their dead money from what their cap hit in 2013 would have been to get a net cap hit figure:
Ahmad Bradshaw:
Base Salary: $3,750,000
Signing Bonus: $1,250,000
Workout Bonus: $250,000
Total Cap Hit: $5,250,000
Net Cap Hit: $2,750,000
Chris Canty:
Base Salary: $6,250,000
Signing Bonus: $1,700,000
Workout Bonus: $250,000
Total Cap Hit: $8,200,000
Net Cap Hit: $6,500,000
Michael Boley:
Base Salary: $4,250,000
Signing Bonus: $1,400,000
Total Cap Hit: $5,650,000
Net Cap Hit: $4,250,000
So in total by cutting those 3 guys, the Giants saved a total of $13,500,000. It's amazing how they're still just $2,153,802 under cap. They're going to be in BIG trouble if they don't make more room. Why? Here's a list of players the Giants are losing to free agency this year...
Brian Witherspoon
Osi Umenyiora
Lawrence Tynes
Justin Tryon
Justin Trattou
Adrian Tracy
Ryan Torain
Keith Rivers
Kenny Phillips
Kregg Lumpkin
Sean Locklear
Domenik Hixon
Victor Cruz
Jim Cordle
David Carr
Stevie Brown
Andre Brown
Kevin Boothe
Chase Blackburn
Rocky Bernard
Martellus Bennett
Travis Beckum
William Beatty
Ramses Barden
As good as the Giants have been at finding players, I'm not sure how the Giants will get themselves out of this mess. A lot of those players are reserve guys, but there are also big names like Osi, Cruz, Tynes, Blackburn, Bennett, Phillips, Brown, Bernard, and Beatty. David Wilson is the only RB left on the roster, they have no serviceable TE on the roster, and the WRs are going to be gutted. Just Ruben Randle and Hakeem "Always Hurt" Nicks left.
Unfortunately, I believe this is going to be a rough rebuilding year for the Giants. The typically level-headed Giants front staff seemingly went all-in trying to get a couple more championships. Unfortunately, it seems like this team is going to be in pretty rough shape.
Let's start with dead money. When players are signed to a contract, their signing bonus becomes prorated over the length of their deal, up to 5 years. The signing bonus money is paid up front to the player when they sign the deal. Since the money is paid in full to the player, the signing bonus figure counts regardless of whether or not the player is with the team. Thus, if you cut a player, any money left in the prorated signing bonus gets accelerated to the current cap figure. Before cutting Ahmad Bradshaw, Chris Canty, and Michael Boley, the dead cap for the Giants was actually extremely minimal:
- Osi Umenyiora-$1,000,000
- Greg Jones-$100,132
- Matt McCants-$66,174
- Martin Parker-$5,000
Add in the 3 players who were cut recently:
- Ahmad Bradshaw-$2,500,000
- Chris Canty-$1,700,000
- Michael Boley-$1,400,000
So now, we can add up the Giants current cap figures with current contracts, add in the dead money, and subtract the $1,000,000 salary cap rollover and we can determine exactly how much money they have to play with:
Total Contracts: $113,574,892
+Total Dead Money: $6,771,306
$120,346,198
Total Cap Hit: $120,346,198
-Total Cap Rollover: $1,000,000
$119,346,198
Net Cap Hit: $119,346,198
-NFL Salary Cap: $121,500,000
$2,153,802
So there we go folks, the Giants currently have just $2,153,802 left in total cap space. Now lets go into why Bradshaw, Canty, and Boley had to go:
Let's start by posting each person's 2013 contract figures and then subtracting their dead money from what their cap hit in 2013 would have been to get a net cap hit figure:
Ahmad Bradshaw:
Base Salary: $3,750,000
Signing Bonus: $1,250,000
Workout Bonus: $250,000
Total Cap Hit: $5,250,000
Net Cap Hit: $2,750,000
Chris Canty:
Base Salary: $6,250,000
Signing Bonus: $1,700,000
Workout Bonus: $250,000
Total Cap Hit: $8,200,000
Net Cap Hit: $6,500,000
Michael Boley:
Base Salary: $4,250,000
Signing Bonus: $1,400,000
Total Cap Hit: $5,650,000
Net Cap Hit: $4,250,000
So in total by cutting those 3 guys, the Giants saved a total of $13,500,000. It's amazing how they're still just $2,153,802 under cap. They're going to be in BIG trouble if they don't make more room. Why? Here's a list of players the Giants are losing to free agency this year...
Brian Witherspoon
Osi Umenyiora
Lawrence Tynes
Justin Tryon
Justin Trattou
Adrian Tracy
Ryan Torain
Keith Rivers
Kenny Phillips
Kregg Lumpkin
Sean Locklear
Domenik Hixon
Victor Cruz
Jim Cordle
David Carr
Stevie Brown
Andre Brown
Kevin Boothe
Chase Blackburn
Rocky Bernard
Martellus Bennett
Travis Beckum
William Beatty
Ramses Barden
As good as the Giants have been at finding players, I'm not sure how the Giants will get themselves out of this mess. A lot of those players are reserve guys, but there are also big names like Osi, Cruz, Tynes, Blackburn, Bennett, Phillips, Brown, Bernard, and Beatty. David Wilson is the only RB left on the roster, they have no serviceable TE on the roster, and the WRs are going to be gutted. Just Ruben Randle and Hakeem "Always Hurt" Nicks left.
Unfortunately, I believe this is going to be a rough rebuilding year for the Giants. The typically level-headed Giants front staff seemingly went all-in trying to get a couple more championships. Unfortunately, it seems like this team is going to be in pretty rough shape.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Just How Bad Are the Jets' Cap Issues?
I've had fun bashing the Jets in the past, but as I mentioned in my last post, I actually feel bad for their fans. GM Mike Tannenbaum and the rest of the front office have crafted some of the worst contracts in the league. The Jets have just 40 players under contract and are $18 million OVER the cap. I talked about Mark Sanchez last time, but let's go into greater detail about what options the Jets have. Using data gathered from sportrac.com, I've determined that the jets have 4 options for Sanchez:
- Cut Sanchez. This isn't exactly desirable, though. Sanchez has a guaranteed base salary of $8.25 million in 2013. He's also owed $2.5 million for his signing bonus from his rookie contract as well as $6.4 million accelerated from his extension contract's signing bonus. $8.25+$2.5+$6.4=$17,150,000 cap hit in 2013
- Roster Sanchez. Sanchez is owed his $8.25 million base. He's also owed the $2.5 million bonus from his old contract and 1/4 of his signing bonus from his extension, or $1.6 million. He's also owed a $500,000 workout bonus. $8.25+$2.5+$1.6+$500k=$12,850,000 cap hit in 2013
- Declare Sanchez a June 1st cut. How this works is that Sanchez is treated like he's on the roster for 2013 which means that any bonuses he acquired at the time of the cut are counted against the 2013 cap and any bonuses that are in the future come in 2014. Essentially, the Jets would have to pay his $8.25 million base, $2.5 million bonus, and $1.6 million bonus from the proration. The Jets would be off the hook for the $500,000 workout bonus. $4.8 million (3/4 of the extension signing bonus) would be accelerated against the 2014 cap. $8.25+$2.5+$1.6=$12,350,000 cap hit in 2013, plus a $4,800,000 cap hit in 2013
- Trade Sanchez. When a player is given a signing bonus, that money is paid up front. That money is then prorated over the duration of the contract. The team is obligated to pay for that signing bonus regardless of what happens to the player. Sanchez is owed a total of $8.9 million in bonuses if he is traded. This would be the easiest option if it were just $8.9 million the Jets had to worry about. Sanchez, unfortunately, also has a base salary of $8.25 million in 2013 which IS guaranteed. While that money IS transferable, it will be hard to convince another team that a QB who has severely underperformed is worth $8.25 million. The Jets will likely eat some of that money IF, and that's a big if, another team is willing to trade for him. You're looking at anywhere from $4-5 million the Jets would need to eat to trade Sanchez. $8.9+$4-5=$12,900,000-$13,900,000 cap hit in 2013
Given those options, my personal feeling is that the Jets will in fact declare him a June 1st cut. They don't want him on the roster anymore and they NEED cap space. This move will put the Jets $500,000 closer to being under cap, but it leaves them now with 39 players under contract in 2013. Let's look at some more options for the Jets to cut. As I go on and list players, I will show their individual savings in green as well as the total cap room in red.
- Calvin Pace: $5,810,000 base salary, $3,013,333 signing bonus, $2,500,000 roster bons, $500,000 workout bonus. If the Jets cut him, $3,013,333-$5,810,000-$2,500,000-$500,000=$5,796,667 savings, -$12,203,333 cap room if cut.
- Santonio Holmes: $11,000,000 base salary, $1,250,000 signing bonus, $250,000 workout bonus. Contract through 2015. If the Jets cut Holmes, $3,750,000-$11,000,000-$250,000=$7,500,000 savings, -$10,500,000 cap room if cut, -$4,703,333 cap room if Holmes AND Pace are cut.
- Eric Smith: $2,400,000 base salary, $600,000 workout bonus. If the Jets Cut him, -$2,400,000-$600,000=$3,000,000 savings, -$15,000,000 cap room if cut, -$1,703,333 cap room if Holmes, Pace, AND Smith are cut.
- Bart Scott: $6,900,000 base salary, $1,500,000 signing bonus, $250,000 roster bonus. If the Jets cut him, $1,500,000-$250,000-$6,900,000=$5,650,000 savings, -$12,350,000 cap room if cut, +$3,946,667 if Holmes, Pace, Smith, and Scott are cut.
- David Harris: $10,900,000 base salary, $2,000,000 signing bonus, $100,000 roster bonus. Contract through 2014. If the Jets cut Harris, $4,000,000-$10,900,000-$100,000=$7,000,000 savings, -$11,000,000 cap room if cut, +$10,946,667 cap room if Holmes, Pace, Smith, Scott, and Harris are cut.
- Jason Smith: $750,000 base salary, $11,250,000 roster bonus. If the Jets cut Smith, -$750,000-$11,250,000=$12,000,000 savings, -$7,000,000 cap room if cut, +$22,946,667 cap room if Holmes, Pace, Smith, Scott, and Harris are cut.
Unfortunately, I was unable to get data on Tim Tebow's contract, but I would have thrown him in there. If you designate Sanchez a June 1st cut, you can add another $500,000 to that cap number and it would come in at $23,446,667 freed up. The Jets would be down to 33 players under contract, but that leaves $1.1 million PER PLAYER available to get up to 53 guys. As it stands without cutting anybody, the Jets would have -$1,384,615.4 per player to sign the remaining 13 needed to get to 53. The Jets are in for a rude awakening in 2013. They will indeed be a rebuilding team. Rex Ryan will likely be gone as well as Tannenbaum. Say goodbye to the NY Jets you know. Perhaps the Jets sign a FA QB like a Vince Young, trade for Jason Campbell, promote McElroy to QB, or draft a QB. Any way you slice it, though, it's extremely unlikely Sanchez will play football for the Jets again.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Is there really a de-emphasis on running backs?
We always hear about the RB position being forgotten about, but how true is that? I set out writing this article trying to prove that the running game in the NFL is lacking, but evidence shows me that it's not even close to being true. The running game is as strong as ever, the pass has just taken over. Individual TEAMS may abandon the run completely, but as a whole there is NO league trend showing that rushing trends are down. Want proof? Here are the total rushing yards for the NFL for each of the last seasons dating back to 1991:
2011-59,978
2010-58,607
2009-59,739
2008-59,370
2007-56,790
2006-60,061
2005-57,583
2004-59,709
2003-60,341
2002-59,459
2001-55,440
2000-55,829
1999-52,819
1998-54,093
1997-54,260
1996-52,306
1995-51,886
1994-46,710
1993-49,295
1992-49,509
1991-48,237
So wait, the last 4 years are almost 10,000 yards less than the 2011 total? Why is that? Because there were only 28 teams! Still, the totals from 2002 on crush the totals of any era before it, so we're actually in an era of MORE rushing yards instead of less rushing. The difference is HOW the rushing yards are attained. In 2011, we have more of a "running back by committee" rushing attack because of durability issues. QBs are also a HUGE part of rushing totals. QBs racked up 5,955 yards in 2011, that's 10% of the total rushing stats for the league. In 1991, that total was 3,030 or just 6.2%.
There are also less traditional backs now than there were in 1991. 10 backs in 2011 broke 1400 yards from scrimmage compared to just 3 in 1991. All 3 of those backs in 1991 were over 1400 yards rushing while just 1 of the 10 backs in 2011 were over 1400 yards rushing. This demonstrates that backs now are expected to both receive and rush with the football. Rushing has also become more effective. YPC for the league in 2011 was 4.3 compared to 3.9 in 1991. From 1991 to 1999, the YPC number never reached higher than 4.0. From 2000 to 2011, the YPC number never dipped below 4.0 and it only hit 4.0 once. The NFL has shifted gears and has actually become more efficient rushing.
It's easy to slip in to the mindset that the run is dying in the NFL, but that would be a false idea. In 2011, 4.3% of passes went for TDs, the average yards per attempt was 7.2, and the average yards per game was 229.7. In 1999, only 3.7% of passes went for TDs, yards per attempt was 6.9, and yards per game was 199.1. Passing has DEFINITELY increased, but it's an illusion that rushing has decreased as a result. It is true that the running game may look different, it's still a viable option and will be for years to come.
2011-59,978
2010-58,607
2009-59,739
2008-59,370
2007-56,790
2006-60,061
2005-57,583
2004-59,709
2003-60,341
2002-59,459
2001-55,440
2000-55,829
1999-52,819
1998-54,093
1997-54,260
1996-52,306
1995-51,886
1994-46,710
1993-49,295
1992-49,509
1991-48,237
So wait, the last 4 years are almost 10,000 yards less than the 2011 total? Why is that? Because there were only 28 teams! Still, the totals from 2002 on crush the totals of any era before it, so we're actually in an era of MORE rushing yards instead of less rushing. The difference is HOW the rushing yards are attained. In 2011, we have more of a "running back by committee" rushing attack because of durability issues. QBs are also a HUGE part of rushing totals. QBs racked up 5,955 yards in 2011, that's 10% of the total rushing stats for the league. In 1991, that total was 3,030 or just 6.2%.
There are also less traditional backs now than there were in 1991. 10 backs in 2011 broke 1400 yards from scrimmage compared to just 3 in 1991. All 3 of those backs in 1991 were over 1400 yards rushing while just 1 of the 10 backs in 2011 were over 1400 yards rushing. This demonstrates that backs now are expected to both receive and rush with the football. Rushing has also become more effective. YPC for the league in 2011 was 4.3 compared to 3.9 in 1991. From 1991 to 1999, the YPC number never reached higher than 4.0. From 2000 to 2011, the YPC number never dipped below 4.0 and it only hit 4.0 once. The NFL has shifted gears and has actually become more efficient rushing.
It's easy to slip in to the mindset that the run is dying in the NFL, but that would be a false idea. In 2011, 4.3% of passes went for TDs, the average yards per attempt was 7.2, and the average yards per game was 229.7. In 1999, only 3.7% of passes went for TDs, yards per attempt was 6.9, and yards per game was 199.1. Passing has DEFINITELY increased, but it's an illusion that rushing has decreased as a result. It is true that the running game may look different, it's still a viable option and will be for years to come.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Why the Jets Need To Get Rid of Sanchez...but Can't
Unfair or not, part of being a 1st round draft choice gives you the burden of producing immediate success. Typically, a QB taken high is going to a team that is in desperate need of a passer. In 2009, the Jets traded their 1st and 2nd round picks and 3 players to the Browns to move up to number five and snag Mark Sanchez, QB from USC. The Jets were actually a pretty good team with a void at QB. With Brett Favre at QB in 2008, the Jets finished with a 9-7 record and narrowly missed the playoffs. After Favre retired from football (for the 2nd time) the Jets were faced with a hole at QB. With an inexperienced Kellen Clemens as the only QB on the roster, they either had to make a play for a QB or settle on Clemens.
On draft day 2009, Mark Sanchez was riding the hype train all the way to the top of the draft boards. He was ranked as the number two QB that day behind Georgia's Matthew Stafford. However, Mark Sanchez was a huge risk considering he had just 16 college starts. The Jets figured the inexperience was irrelevant and traded up to take him at #5 overall. With $28 million guaranteed in his rookie contract, Sanchez was expected to perform immediately.
His results? Disappointing. It's very true that despite backing into the playoffs his 1st two years, the Jets made it to the AFC title game, but looking at HOW the Jets did it, Sanchez doesn't deserve much credit at all. In 2009, the Jets were the 31st best passing offense. In 2010 they were the 22nd best. The reason the Jets won was clearly because of their #1 rushing and defensive units in 2008 and their #6 and #4 defensive and rushing units in 2010. In those two years Sanchez threw 33 interceptions and fumbled 19 times while scoring just 35 times.
It's easy to get caught up in the hype, however. The Jets were 20-12 over those two years and Sanchez scored 5 4th quarter comeback wins in those 20 wins so the Jets were playing exciting football. Success is the best deodorant. You win a ton of games and make them exciting and people tend to forget about the fact that you threw 4 INTs in a game last week. But the fact of the matter is that the Jets' QB situation is horrendous.
Here are some quick facts about Sanchez:
The biggest issue with Sanchez is that he's not getting better. Fans are comparing Sanchez to Eli's first 4 years and I think that's downright insane. After Eli's first season, he never dipped below 4% in TD %, a mark that Sanchez has only hit once in 4 seasons. They are both sloppy with the ball, but Eli took some HUGE steps forward and he also consistently puts up points. Sanchez has always look just downright bad with some flashes of good thrown in.
The Jets need a change at QB. I don't think it should be Tebow or McElroy. The Jets need new blood on their roster. As Mike Florio from profootballtalk.com pointed out, the Jets had to deactivate McElroy to give Sanchez some confidence. Sanchez is shaken and he's likely not going to recover.
What I find most offensive about the Jets, however, is Mike Tannenbaum. I don't think most fans know just how badly the Jets will suffer because of the horrendous deals he's cut. Currently, the Jets are going to be $20 million OVER the cap in 2013. The Jets front-loaded Sanchez's contract, so 2013 is a very cap heavy year for his contract. The Jets basically gave him a 2 year window to prove himself when he signed his extension in 2012. Unfortunately, after 1 season, he needs to go. If the Jets were to cut Sanchez, his guaranteed bonuses would accelerate to $17.1 million against the 2013 cap. Since his current 2013 cap hit would be $12,853,125, it would add another $4.25 million to the $20 million the Jets are currently over for next year. The Jets could cut Sanchez after June 1st as a "June 1st cut." This would actually save the Jets $500,000 in 2013, but it also pushes $4.8 million to 2014.
Essentially, the issue is that Sanchez can't be cut and no team would trade for him. Tannenbaum basically negotiated a contract that forces the Jets to at least roster Sanchez for one more year. The Jets are going to have to make some serious cuts this year. Guys like Santonio Holmes is definitely gone and David Harris may join him too. The Jets may even do something drastic like trade D'Brickishaw Ferguson. One thing is for certain, the Jets scouting staff and management may be the worst in the league. The contracts they gave are just downright terrible. I actually feel sympathy for Jets fans.
On draft day 2009, Mark Sanchez was riding the hype train all the way to the top of the draft boards. He was ranked as the number two QB that day behind Georgia's Matthew Stafford. However, Mark Sanchez was a huge risk considering he had just 16 college starts. The Jets figured the inexperience was irrelevant and traded up to take him at #5 overall. With $28 million guaranteed in his rookie contract, Sanchez was expected to perform immediately.
His results? Disappointing. It's very true that despite backing into the playoffs his 1st two years, the Jets made it to the AFC title game, but looking at HOW the Jets did it, Sanchez doesn't deserve much credit at all. In 2009, the Jets were the 31st best passing offense. In 2010 they were the 22nd best. The reason the Jets won was clearly because of their #1 rushing and defensive units in 2008 and their #6 and #4 defensive and rushing units in 2010. In those two years Sanchez threw 33 interceptions and fumbled 19 times while scoring just 35 times.
It's easy to get caught up in the hype, however. The Jets were 20-12 over those two years and Sanchez scored 5 4th quarter comeback wins in those 20 wins so the Jets were playing exciting football. Success is the best deodorant. You win a ton of games and make them exciting and people tend to forget about the fact that you threw 4 INTs in a game last week. But the fact of the matter is that the Jets' QB situation is horrendous.
Here are some quick facts about Sanchez:
- 16 of 59 starts had 2+ interceptions or about 27% of his games.
- He has been held without a TD pass in 17 of 59 starts or 29% of his games.
- 39 of 59 starts he has been held under 60% completions.
- 34 of 59 starts he has been held under 7.00 YPA.
- 15 of 59 starts he has been held under 150 yards passing.
- Just 12 of 59 starts have resulted in a 100+QB Rating.
The biggest issue with Sanchez is that he's not getting better. Fans are comparing Sanchez to Eli's first 4 years and I think that's downright insane. After Eli's first season, he never dipped below 4% in TD %, a mark that Sanchez has only hit once in 4 seasons. They are both sloppy with the ball, but Eli took some HUGE steps forward and he also consistently puts up points. Sanchez has always look just downright bad with some flashes of good thrown in.
The Jets need a change at QB. I don't think it should be Tebow or McElroy. The Jets need new blood on their roster. As Mike Florio from profootballtalk.com pointed out, the Jets had to deactivate McElroy to give Sanchez some confidence. Sanchez is shaken and he's likely not going to recover.
What I find most offensive about the Jets, however, is Mike Tannenbaum. I don't think most fans know just how badly the Jets will suffer because of the horrendous deals he's cut. Currently, the Jets are going to be $20 million OVER the cap in 2013. The Jets front-loaded Sanchez's contract, so 2013 is a very cap heavy year for his contract. The Jets basically gave him a 2 year window to prove himself when he signed his extension in 2012. Unfortunately, after 1 season, he needs to go. If the Jets were to cut Sanchez, his guaranteed bonuses would accelerate to $17.1 million against the 2013 cap. Since his current 2013 cap hit would be $12,853,125, it would add another $4.25 million to the $20 million the Jets are currently over for next year. The Jets could cut Sanchez after June 1st as a "June 1st cut." This would actually save the Jets $500,000 in 2013, but it also pushes $4.8 million to 2014.
Essentially, the issue is that Sanchez can't be cut and no team would trade for him. Tannenbaum basically negotiated a contract that forces the Jets to at least roster Sanchez for one more year. The Jets are going to have to make some serious cuts this year. Guys like Santonio Holmes is definitely gone and David Harris may join him too. The Jets may even do something drastic like trade D'Brickishaw Ferguson. One thing is for certain, the Jets scouting staff and management may be the worst in the league. The contracts they gave are just downright terrible. I actually feel sympathy for Jets fans.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Packer's Kryptonite: The Wide 9
As a Packer fan, I'm having serious doubts about the remainder of the season. Injuries are mounting, but unlike the 2010 season where guys were able to step up, the 2012 crop is decimated. One of the biggest injuries occurred back in 2011. 1st round pick Derrick Sherrod was finally starting to come into his own as the team's starting LT. Marshall Newhouse was busy getting beat every play and the Packers desperately needed help. Sherrod at 6'5" 321 pounds didn't lack the necessary skillset to play in the NFL, but he was having trouble with scheme. He was starting to get the hang of things when a catastrophic leg injury ended his season last year as well as the entire 2012 season.
Why this particular injury hurts us so badly is because teams have employed the "wide-9" look against us. In football, a defensive lineman's alignment on the offensive lineman is referred to as a "technique." You may hear a defensive linemen during the draft referred to as a, "4-3 3-technique defensive tackle." That is a guy who is lined up on the outside shoulder of the guard. Here's a full list of alignments:
0 tech--head up on the center
1 tech--inside shoulder of guard
2 tech--head up on the guard
3 tech--outside shoulder of guard
4 tech--inside shoulder of tackle
5 tech--head up on the tackle
6 tech--outside shoulder of tackle
7 tech--inside shoulder of tight end
8 tech--head up on tight end
9 tech--outside shoulder of tight end
Wide 9 tech--far outside shoulder of tight end
Bear with me, this is all coming together. The wide-9 is when a defensive player is lined up on the line of scrimmage completely away from the body of the TE or Tackle. Here's an example of the Giants lined up in that formation vs Green Bay in the regular season meeting last year:
Notice how Jason Pierre Paul is lined up outside of Marshall Newhouse in the left of the picture and Mathias Kiwanuka is lined up outside of Bryan Bulaga on the right? That's the wide-9. Marshall Newhouse just cannot compete with this kind of pass rush from elite pass rushers. In the next 5 games, he will have to face:
Jared Allen twice.
Kyle Vanden Bosch.
Kamerion Wimbley.
Julius Peppers.
I can guarantee that ALL of those guys will be lined up in the wide 9 technique frequently. The point of the wide-9 tech is to get your speed rushers upfield in obvious passing situations. It leaves you liable for some inside rushing between the A gaps thus it's not a viable alignment for all situations, but it's key when you get a one dimensional team like Green Bay. The defensive ends shoot for an area about 8 yards deep in the backfield, that's where the QB typically ends his dropback. A good example was from last Sunday's game between the Packers and the Giants. The Packers have the ball at their own 39 so Osi Umenyiora, lined up in the wide 9 tech, is shooting for about the 31 yard line. He gets a great step off the ball as Newhouse is basically flatfooted and barely gets touched. Where does the hit occur? At the 31 yard line as Rodgers is finishing up his dropback.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000100865/Umenyiora-sack-fumble
This is where Sherrod comes in. The best way to combat the wide-9 is to have an offensive tackle with long arms (35 3/8" for Sherrod) and a quick first step. Sherrod possesses both of those. The way it works in theory is to isolate the defender to the outside. If your lineman is quick enough and can create separation, the defender will rush himself out of the play allowing your QB to step up into a clean pocket and complete the pass.
In a way, the OL was doomed before the season even began. Without Sherrod, the Packers will continue to struggle because Newhouse struggles to get a quick first step and cannot consistently keep rushers outside. Pair this along with the loss of Bryan Bulaga and you have Newhouse at LT and Evan Deitrich-Smith at LG and the left side of the line is a complete and utter liability. With the loss of Cedric Benson, the Packers go into most games with no legitimate rushing threat thus teams can rush 4 men and drop 7 using 2 deep stafeties to take away the big play and the result is a QB who doesn't have more than 2-3 seconds to make a decision in the pocket. And you have the most sacked QB in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers.
I fear that this is too steep of an obstacle to overcome. Most good NFL teams have an elite pass rusher and this problem will be amplified come January if the Packers make the playoffs. I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I just hope Rodgers doesn't get hurt before the end of the year.
Why this particular injury hurts us so badly is because teams have employed the "wide-9" look against us. In football, a defensive lineman's alignment on the offensive lineman is referred to as a "technique." You may hear a defensive linemen during the draft referred to as a, "4-3 3-technique defensive tackle." That is a guy who is lined up on the outside shoulder of the guard. Here's a full list of alignments:
0 tech--head up on the center
1 tech--inside shoulder of guard
2 tech--head up on the guard
3 tech--outside shoulder of guard
4 tech--inside shoulder of tackle
5 tech--head up on the tackle
6 tech--outside shoulder of tackle
7 tech--inside shoulder of tight end
8 tech--head up on tight end
9 tech--outside shoulder of tight end
Wide 9 tech--far outside shoulder of tight end
Bear with me, this is all coming together. The wide-9 is when a defensive player is lined up on the line of scrimmage completely away from the body of the TE or Tackle. Here's an example of the Giants lined up in that formation vs Green Bay in the regular season meeting last year:
Jared Allen twice.
Kyle Vanden Bosch.
Kamerion Wimbley.
Julius Peppers.
I can guarantee that ALL of those guys will be lined up in the wide 9 technique frequently. The point of the wide-9 tech is to get your speed rushers upfield in obvious passing situations. It leaves you liable for some inside rushing between the A gaps thus it's not a viable alignment for all situations, but it's key when you get a one dimensional team like Green Bay. The defensive ends shoot for an area about 8 yards deep in the backfield, that's where the QB typically ends his dropback. A good example was from last Sunday's game between the Packers and the Giants. The Packers have the ball at their own 39 so Osi Umenyiora, lined up in the wide 9 tech, is shooting for about the 31 yard line. He gets a great step off the ball as Newhouse is basically flatfooted and barely gets touched. Where does the hit occur? At the 31 yard line as Rodgers is finishing up his dropback.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000100865/Umenyiora-sack-fumble
This is where Sherrod comes in. The best way to combat the wide-9 is to have an offensive tackle with long arms (35 3/8" for Sherrod) and a quick first step. Sherrod possesses both of those. The way it works in theory is to isolate the defender to the outside. If your lineman is quick enough and can create separation, the defender will rush himself out of the play allowing your QB to step up into a clean pocket and complete the pass.
In a way, the OL was doomed before the season even began. Without Sherrod, the Packers will continue to struggle because Newhouse struggles to get a quick first step and cannot consistently keep rushers outside. Pair this along with the loss of Bryan Bulaga and you have Newhouse at LT and Evan Deitrich-Smith at LG and the left side of the line is a complete and utter liability. With the loss of Cedric Benson, the Packers go into most games with no legitimate rushing threat thus teams can rush 4 men and drop 7 using 2 deep stafeties to take away the big play and the result is a QB who doesn't have more than 2-3 seconds to make a decision in the pocket. And you have the most sacked QB in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers.
I fear that this is too steep of an obstacle to overcome. Most good NFL teams have an elite pass rusher and this problem will be amplified come January if the Packers make the playoffs. I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I just hope Rodgers doesn't get hurt before the end of the year.
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