Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Josh Allen Extension Put on Back Burner, Beane Stresses Buffalo's Priority on Free Agency and Draft

 

(John Munson, AP)

During an appearance on The Cris Collinsworth Podcast, Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane was candid about the status of a potential Josh Allen extension and clear about the intentions for his QB1 and the rest of the organization this offseason.

“Josh is a guy that we do believe in and we would definitely take a look at him later this offseason,” Beane said, via Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News. “Right now, we’ll focus on our upcoming free agents, plus anybody we want to add, and then the draft. Generally, what I’ve done here is look at guys to extend once we get through the draft, see what our money is like, see how we could structure it to fit not only this year, but the years beyond.”

Brandon Beane is a very calculated person when it comes to his job. He knows whats best for the team and is highly aware of the consequences that may come with the player transactions he makes. In the position of General Manager you have to think this way to bring long term success, especially if the organization was a national laughing stock for the last two decades.

Buffalo hasn't been afraid to move on from upper management when they are not doing an acceptable job. Since 2000 the Bills have had six different heads of football operations, Brandon Beane is approaching tying the longest tenured Buffalo GM in this stretch in 2021. This speaks to the success he has brought the Bills in his short time on One Bills Drive.

The 2021 offseason will bring loads of free agent attention to Buffalo with the new success. So much so that there is confirmed mutual interest between JJ Watt and Buffalo, which may garner over a 10 million dollar payday if he does sign with the Bills. If this is the case, the team will be against the salary cap tighter than the middle seat of an airplane. 

 

Barring some major roster changes, this would make an Allen extension this offseason more unlikely to come until potentially 2022.

Josh Allen is coming off what many would consider a breakout season in Buffalo where he threw for over 4,500 yards, threw for 37 touchdowns, ran in eight touchdowns, and limited himself to 10 interceptions. Only one year removed from being labeled as wild or a "smash the buttons" quarterback, Allen has looked comfortable and much more poised in 2020 due to cutting down on mistakes and turnovers. His development led to sweeping the AFC East, winning the division, winning 13 games in the regular season, going to the AFC Championship, and being voted MVP runner up to Aaron Rodgers.

I'd reckon this was a pretty good third season starting for a kid who got no D1 offers out of high school.

One thing we do know about Josh Allen is that he loves Buffalo, his teammates, and most of all the winning culture that Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have created. There is no doubt by now he knows his worth in the NFL quarterback market. My estimate for Josh Allen's potential extension could be anywhere from $33-38 million annually. This is based on deals signed by lesser or equally skilled quarterbacks who earned over $30 million like Matt Ryan, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson. 

A hometown discount would not be out of the question for Allen based on his infatuation for the organization and city itself. This hypothetical situation would not have him paid less than $27.5 million a year but it is enough for the Bills to still have salary cap flexibility over the years of his deal as they continue to build a winning organization. Although an Allen extension this cheap would be a North Tonawanda wet dream.

While nothing will come in the immediate future, the talk of extensions coming from Orchard Park should have all of Western New York buzzing during the offseason.

---Dombito

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The Steelers Need To Rip-Off the Big Ben Bandage

 

(NBC)


Obviously nobody wants to see an all time franchise great be forced out of town. Some teams even make the mistake of letting go of a good situation too early, like Indianapolis letting Peyton Manning go to Denver and win another championship and most recently Tom Brady doing the same thing to New England.

But it is clear that Ben Roethlisberger needs to hang it up.

The aging quarterback and troves of Steelers fans would disagree with this statement, seeing as he is in talks with team owner Art Rooney II about restructuring his contract and returning one more year in Pittsburgh. This will prove to be a detrimental mistake for not only the team, but perhaps even Ben's legacy. 

After a respectable 2018 season where he led the league in completions, attempts, yards, yards per game, and interceptions. He commanded one of the most impressive passing offenses in the last twenty years with Antonio Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster, James Washington, and Vance McDonald. Ben would help lead this squad to the playoffs and earn what was likely his last playoff win in the process, until losing 45-42 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Perhaps if the roster in Pittsburgh stayed the same, justifying Roethlisberger staying now would be much easier. However since losing Antonio Brown to contract issues in 2019, the Steelers have been on pace to lose much more of that familiar offense that had been so successful in years past.

Not only would losing two of the most talented skill players on the roster be noticed, but potentially losing the entire left side of the offensive line could be even worse. Maurice Pouncey, the starting center, has already announced his retirement this offseason. As if keeping Ben safe from getting hit by the most talented defensive lineman in the AFC North last season was hard enough, now it becomes a legitimate challenge. 

With all this roster turnover this feels like the perfect time for both sides to say it is the end of the road. Respectfully Ben looked old and exhausted by the time the Washington game came around, in fact he looked like a shell of the man he once was following the playoff loss to the Browns. 

Ben was writhing in pain and not practicing for days at a time throughout the 2020 season. Most practices when he was there, we would see him pictured at the end draped down to his knees with ice bags. I don't think any quarterbacks in league history have found success not practicing, yet remaining the starter. 

Ben hasn't been in game shape since his shoulder injury in 2019 and while his reputation is still tough guy Ben, a lot can change your legacy in one season. Hell, look at Patrick Ewing when he went to play for the Seattle Supersonics, he was far from the man who once dominated The Garden. 

In my defense of Ben, that last playoff game against the Browns would not want to be how I would want my career to end either. It is the equivalent of a father losing to his son in basketball for the first time, the father will always come back to try and kick ass a second time around to show who the alpha still is. However between the Browns and Ravens, it may be hard to even get back to that wild card game again with Ben Roethisberger as your starter.

When it's all said and done, I feel like both sides will regret this move to bring Ben back. By no means would it be a bad thing for Mike Tomlin to looking for his future quarterback of the offense and sacrifice one year of development opposed to sacrificing the 2021 season for Ben's sake. 

--- Dombito

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Monday, February 22, 2021

The Panthers are Very Real Contenders for Deshaun Watson

 


Last week the Panthers started to make true money moves for the organization's future by cutting some of their defensive stars. Tre Boston and Kawann Short, cornerstones in the defense since 2014 and 2013 respectively, were released among others this week in order to open up more cap space for the 2021 season. 

As Deshaun Watson's market begins to heat up it is becoming clear that the Panthers would be a strong suitor for the 25 year old Pro Bowl quarterback. In fact according to Peter King, Panthers owner David Tepper is "More like obsessed" with finding his next long term quarterback, even after signing Teddy Bridgewater to a three year deal before last season. 

An organization should always want more for themselves, especially if it means going after a talent as special as Watson has proved himself to be. Not to mention Carolina has the pieces on offense and defense to make Watson not only effective, but maybe an immediate winner as well with what is already there.

The backfield is loaded with talent in Christian McCaffrey and Mike Davis, who is most likely to work in 3rd down role next year. The passing game already is electric with the three headed monster that is Robby Anderson, DJ Moore, and Curtis Samuel. This trio tallied over 95 targets each in 2020, while Anderson and Moore each earned career highs in receiving yards. Not to mention Carolina has a solid and paid offensive line. The only thing the Panthers offense is missing is an elite tight end to take the stress off the receivers and Christian McCaffrey.

Not to mention Watson is a Clemson alumni. To be only two hours away from his alma mater would be excellent for his already existing fan base and idealistically would make him a much bigger part of the Clemson football legacy due to his ability to be around the school and community more than when he was in Houston. 

The Panthers should be able to pay the Texans ransom for Watson. Carolina has strong draft capital this year with picks at 8, 39, 73, and 104 for the first four rounds. If a trade was to be built the first round pick this year and next year are most likely a center piece. A second and a third could also be a part of a deal like this as those picks have become more valuable in recent years. To throw away speculation here is a deal that I could see possibly going down for the best available quarterback of my lifetime:

Texans Receive:

2021 First Round Pick (8)

2022 First Round Pick 

2021 Second Round Pick (39)

2022 Third Round Pick

Teddy Bridgewater (2 YRs, $48,953,125)

Panthers Receive:

Deshaun Watson 

Whitney Mercilus (Last Season before Opt-Out year, brings on $3.1 mil dead-cap)

While every team with a questionable quarterback situation will inquire about Watson over the coming weeks, the one thing that we do know about the situation is that this is far from over.

--- Dombito

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Friday, February 12, 2021

BREAKING: JJ Watt and Texans Agree to a Release

 

(Paul Sancya, AP)

The offseason from hell keeps on rolling in Houston as the city mourns another star athlete driven out of town. 

JJ Watt and the Houston Texans have mutually agreed upon a release after ten seasons. The story was first announced this morning by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Soon after, Watt posted a video thanking the city of Houston and expressing how much the organization as a helped him grow as a player and humanitarian. But we will absolutely see more JJ Watt in our near future.

Watt, the three time defensive player of the year and franchise all time sack leader, will have an opportunity to go sign with a new team immediately. In fact the early frontrunners to get Watt are the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers. Both have a special significance to Watt seeing as his younger brother TJ is an edge rusher for the Steelers and one of the best in the league at his position, while the Packers play in his home state of Wisconsin. Both teams are set up for a chance at another Super Bowl run and are still in the window to win with what their rosters offer on both offense and defense, however more teams will definitely be in the mix for Watt and for his services.

Regardless of where JJ Watt's next destination may be, he brings along a captains pedigree and leadership qualities that would make an immediate impact. Not to mention he is still an elite level defensive player, having a respectable season with 5.0 sacks and 52 total tackles in 2020. Not to mention he played 90% or more snaps in 12 out of 16 games last season. As Watt goes into his age 32 season, there is little doubt in his ability to still play the game effectively.

(Pro-Football Reference)

With the band aid already half off, an even closer eye is going to be on the Texans to see if they trend in the direction of trading star quarterback Deshaun Watson before the NFL Draft or even Training Camp, if both sides hold out that long. But with the way things are shaping up right now in Houston, they still have no interest in making a deal for him at this time, per Texans General Manager Nick Caserio. 



--- Dombito


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Thursday, February 11, 2021

Red Sox Trade Andrew Benintendi to the Royals, Ending the Red Sox "Killer B's" Outfield

 

(Matt Stone, Boston Herald)

Chaim Bloom continues to rip off the band-aid and break up the 2018 World Champions. After weeks of potential talk and rumors surrounding Benny, the Red Sox finally found a deal with the Royals and Mets in a three team deal that would inevitably send Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City. The Red Sox will receive Franchy Cordero, Josh Winckowski, and two players to be named later from the Royals and Mets.

This move leaves fans in limbo seeing as many thought a Benintendi, Bradley, Betts outfield would be around for the longterm future. Instead Boston would end up trading Betts and Benintendi almost a year apart to the day from each other while Jackie Bradley Jr. would be the only one to meet free agency after several years patrolling center field at Fenway.

Moving these three players out of Boston is a very non-friendly fan move due to how likable and fun their time in Boston was. Each of the outfielders were and still are for many fan favorites. None of the three were the outspoken leader of the Red Sox, they all led by example showing the rest of the team how much they wanted to win by their actions on the field. Something a city and fanbase like Boston's cannot leave unnoticed.

The outfielders came together for the first time in 2016, after Benintendi was called up from AA Portland. There was an immediate chemistry that bloomed between the three, Bradley and Betts had been neighbors in the outfield for about a year to this point but adding Benny was the final piece to the outfield's puzzle- an everyday left fielder.

The defensive success that came from the three was unimaginable. Mookie Betts is a perennial gold glove candidate, Jackie Bradley is a human highlight reel, and Andrew Benintendi the shaggy haired young-buck who shagged balls off the monster better than anyone since Manny Ramirez. The three were so good that in 2018 all were finalists for the gold glove award at their respected position, but only Betts and Bradley would walk away winners. 

Meanwhile that same year all three were cornerstones in bringing another world championship to Boston after winning 108 games in the regular season and going 11-3 throughout their playoff run. Winning 119 total games would solidify the 2018 Red Sox as the best team in franchise history. This followed a stretch of two straight AL East titles accompanied by a first round exit in the American League Division Series.

(Jim Davis, Boston Globe)

As far as many are concerned, Andrew Benintendi is still a great young player to have in the organization. Coming out of college at Arkansas he was the Golden Spikes Award winner in 2015 and in his first full season in the league he was the runner up Rookie of the Year to Aaron Judge. In his career Benny is a .273 hitter with a .789 OPS and has potential to hit 20+ home runs a year. Not to mention he has one of the prettiest swings in baseball, it feels safe to say Benny still has a chance to etch out a respectable career for himself in the league.

This now leaves the Red Sox outfield looking at a potential Cordero, Verdugo, Renfroe outfield. It's actually really funny to think that Alex Verdugo is the longest tenured outfielder of the three but he will serve as one of the biggest pieces of the team going into the season after a strong first season in Boston.

Just to ease the pain, here are three of the best catches from the Killer B outfield's time in Boston.

Andrew Benintendi


Jackie Bradley Jr.


Mookie Betts



--- Dombito

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Monday, February 8, 2021

Four Takeaways From Super Bowl 55

 


I think it is safe to say almost nobody saw that coming. After the sneak peek we got in Week 12, the assumption was that we would see the Buccaneers and Chiefs walk out of the locker rooms only to give America an all time classic. On one side of the field everything clicked, while the opposing bench was forced to watch one of the most dominant Super Bowl performances of the last 20 years. Here is a closer look at how the Buccaneers throttled the Chiefs 31-9.

The Tampa Bay Defense is Just Beginning

Without exaggeration, this very well could have been the best defensive game played by a team all season. The only time we saw the Chiefs get truly outplayed this year was when they went to Las Vegas and lost to a very energized Raiders offense with a chip on their shoulder. However the Chiefs met their match this week against an extraordinarily confident Buccaneers defense, who in back to back games were able to shut down the two of the highest scoring offenses in the NFL this season.

The difference maker was their second year linebacker Devin White, who found himself in just about every play on defense last night, including an interception on Patrick Mahomes in the Chiefs last offensive possession. Along with fellow linebackers Shaq Barrett and LaMonte David, Tampa Bay's defense was able to deflate the Chiefs offense with their 19 tackle effort. These three will for sure become cornerstones in the future of their defense, however the veterans on the defensive line were the unsung heroes of the game. Specifically Ndamukong Suh, who has become an NFL journeyman in past years after a successful yet controversially aggressive early career in Detroit, found himself taking down Mahomes twice (1.5 sacks) while leading a very disruptive blitz all four quarters.

You Are Only As Good As Your Offensive Line 

This was apparent with both teams, especially the Chiefs. Since losing right tackle Mitchell Schwartz Week 7, the Chiefs have been stepping on egg shells to keep their offensive line healthy. Unfortunately the Chiefs would go on to lose former first pick and fellow tackle Eric Fisher to an achilles injury during the AFC Championship. Filling these gaps with their second string was the easy part, but defending the Tampa Bay blitz was where the game fell apart. The game became so stressful for the Chiefs O-Line that the Buccaneers were able to pressure Patrick Mahomes 38 times, according to Pro Football Focus.

Meanwhile the Chiefs were able to pressure Tom Brady only five times. This is due in part to Tampa Bay's efforts in building an effective offensive line. Players like Ryan Jensen and Ali Marpet have outlined what the organization wants when it comes to finding undervalued talent in their position group. The Bucs would inevitably use their first draft pick since signing Tom Brady on another lineman, Tristian Wirfs. Wirfs exceeded expectations and was as one of the most impressive rookies of 2020. His 799 pass-blocking snaps resulted in only one sack this season and it speaks volumes to the offensive success Tampa has had since their bye week. 

Along with being able to keep Brady safe in the passing game, the Bucs offensive line was dominate the run blocking technique all game as well. Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones would combine for 150 yards on the ground with a touchdown. Having the health advantage in the trenches was for sure the difference maker in this game, and if you disagree go back and watch Patrick Mahomes run for his life all night.

Patrick Mahomes Hurt Can Only Do So Much

Disclaimer, Mahomes' turf toe was not the sole reason they lost, however it should be recognized that he did not look comfortable for much of the game. Sure he was able to make some of the incredible plays we all know and love, however it was clear Mahomes was a shell of the man who dominated the regular season.

In his first outing against Tampa we saw arguably the best game he played all year. With a line of 37/49, 462 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a QBR of 124.7 he dominated the Buccaneers defense with a majority of the help from Tyreek Hill. 

This time around was one of the worst performances from an elite quarterback these eyes have ever seen. Despite finishing with 270 yards, Mahomes would throw two interceptions and get sacked three times, en route to finishing with his worst QBR of the season at 52.3. His second worst QBR came Week 16 against the Falcons at 79.5.

This time around the flashy plays were few and far between, in fact his highlight of the game was his sidearm throw to Tyreek Hill from his own one yard line and that still was nowhere near enough to contend in this game. The Buccaneers did such a good job at silencing Mahomes that he was unable to find his deep threats. On throws over 20 yards, the former NFL and Super Bowl MVP would finish 0/6 with one interception. These plays are what helped the Chiefs dominate the league all season and not being able to convert any deep plays took away their potential to score often as we have seen before.

The Tight End Appreciation Bowl

I guess I will take this moment to stroke my ego since nobody else will. Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce dominated the receiving game.

Not only did they both lead their own teams in targets, receptions, AND yards, but Gronkowski also led his team in touchdowns with two trips to the endzone. However while Gronk was busy claiming his fourth title, Travis Kelce was also busy trying to get his own offense going and inadvertently found himself breaking the Super Bowl record for receiving yards at tight end with 133. At the end of the day with great receivers on both offenses, the strategy to aggressively target the tight ends worked wonders. 

--- Dombito

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

Opinion: Eric Bieniemy is in the Perfect Spot

 


In recent weeks there have been seven head coaching jobs filled in the NFL and none of them went to Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator and one of the architects behind the emerging dynasty in Kansas City. Teams around the league such as the Texans, Chargers, and Eagles are being criticized on a national scale for the lack of hiring objectively the best option to lead their team into the future. 

However, maybe we should start to look at this as a blessing in disguise for Bieniemy. Being a head coach in the NFL is one of the most stressful positions to hold outside being the President of the United States. The pressure mounts against you to build a winning culture, develop talent, and above all win games as quick as you can. Some can embrace this challenge and find success but the majority will not. This isn't me saying Bieniemy can't handle the pressure of being a head coach, in fact he would welcome this opportunity as soon as possible. But what these circumstances do to brilliant offensive minds, like Bieniemy, is get them ran out of town when their past success does not translate in a new organization within the first few years.

What I see in Eric Bieniemy is much of the same as what Josh McDaniels did in New England's offense during the 2010's after his first stint as Offensive Coordinator there from 2006-2008, which led to a two year run in Denver as head coach before returning to New England to be Offensive Coordinator in 2012. Since his return to New England the team won the division for eight straight seasons between 2012 and 2019 and three Super Bowls. He led offenses with great players such as Julien Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Brandin Cooks, Aaron Hernandez, James White, LeGarrette Blount and most important Tom Brady. 

For years we saw McDaniels linked to other jobs and interviewed several times for different organizations. He even had an opportunity to go coach in Indianapolis, which he would accept then rescind his commitment to stay in New England, Frank Reich later took the job.

What this decision making from McDaniels shows us is his success in New England outweighs his desire to go somewhere else and build from the ground up again. So how does this relate to Bieniemy? 

What we have seen in Kansas City the last three seasons is very reminiscent of the success we saw in New England in the 2010's. All of the pieces fit together perfectly in this offense and seem to sync even more as the season goes on. Outside of a strong offensive line, they have weapons coming from everywhere on the field. Whether it is their about average run game or their spectacular passing game, Bieniemy has the Chiefs offense locked in for one scoring drive after another. This dominance has led the Chiefs to a 38-10 record in the last three seasons including an MVP winner, three division titles, and their second Super Bowl appearance in two years. 

So why would he want to leave? Sure there is a pride aspect when it comes to developing your own winning organization like many greats have before, including his current head coach Andy Reid with his former Eagles teams and current Chiefs juggernaut. Andy Reid's career, while it may not seem like it, is going to come to an end sooner than we think. Reid has been a head coach for 22 seasons now and is going to be turning 63 by the time next season begins. Many have alluded to him passing the torch to Bieniemy in the next couple of seasons and leaving him with the keys to Patrick Mahomes' prime years.

This should be reason enough for Bieniemy to stay with the Chiefs and eventually build his own legacy in the Kansas City Chiefs organization and NFL. No matter where he ends up, the potential for success is through the roof but the only organization who can come close to guaranteeing a legendary coaching career at this point lies in Missouri. 


--- Dombito

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Josh Allen Extension Put on Back Burner, Beane Stresses Buffalo's Priority on Free Agency and Draft

  ( John Munson, AP) During an appearance on The Cris Collinsworth Podcast , Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane was candid about th...