By DjackA Texans legend, maybe the only Texans legend for that matter, has signed a one day deal with the organization to properly retire a Texan. Andre Johnson was drafted by the Texans in 2003 after their first ever season, so he's basically been with the team for their entire exsistence. It couldn't have been easy being a stud receiver having bad QB after bad QB throwing you the football. Somehow, someway, he still managed to put numbers that should land him in the Hall of Fame. It's not really fair since he never had any help around him, which makes what he did that much more impressive. Andre Johnson was almost impossible to guard in his prime, he had speed in which he could burn coverage deep, and he had ridiculous size, which allowed him to just man handle the wimpy corners trying to guard him. Even while getting double teamed 95% of his career in Houston he managed to put up big career numbers. He caught 1062 passes for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns. If he wasn't plagued with horrible teams, horrible QB's, and injuries Andre Johnson probably would be in consideration with some of the greatest to ever do it. Unfortunately, the NFL doesn't work that way, you get what you get and you don't get upset. Despite having horrible QB's Johnson was never one to complain like all these other diva receivers. He actually has a reason to complain as well, David Carr, Matt Schaub, Matt Lienart, and T.J. Yates ain't exactly the best group of guys to have throwing you the football. A true professional Andre Johnson was and a true badass at the same time, how could we ever forgot him beating up Cortland Finnegan in the middle of a game. Here's a little refresher: That shit never gets old. Andre Johnson helluva player, helluva guy for sticking it out with the Texans all those terrible years, and I hope his legacy is perceived how it should be. I know the true appreciators of football understand how great he was, I just hope those HOF idiots see it the same way.
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By DjackSomehow I stumbled across a Bleacher Report tweet comparing Sam Darnold, quarterback of USC, to Andrew Luck, former Stanford QB and #1 overall pick. As soon as I saw it I just exhaled and said classic lazy Bleacher Report throwing together some bullshit comparison. Lazy so lazy and I'll tell you why.
Basically they decided to compare Darnold to Luck for a couple reasons because if you take a look at their resumé they're quite similar. PAC-12 QB's, both have a big build, both put up big numbers, both are mobile, and both are most likely going to be #1 overall picks. Just because those things are true doesn't mean they're similar quarterbacks whatsoever, that's just a lazy analysis. First off, Andrew Luck was the most sure thing of a franchise quarterback since Peyton Manning coming outta the draft, that's how elite he was coming out of college. Darnold definitely seems like he's going to be a franchise QB, and who knows maybe he'll have a better NFL career than Luck, but he isn't quite the sure thing Luck was coming out of Standford. Secondly, Luck has a way stronger arm than Darnold and a way shorter throwing motion. Luck has this quick release and the ball flys out of his hand, while Darnold on the other hand doesn't have nearly as quick a release and relys more on accuracy than arm strength. Lastly, Andrew Luck was a natural born leader, he commanded a pro style offense at Stanford, and he was the alpha male on that team. Sam Darnold runs a spread offense, although expect them to use a little more pro style this season, but he doesn't have that same leadership quality that Luck did. Maybe it'll come with time, however he's certainly not the alpha male on that USC team as of right now. Darnold will be a great QB, he's better built for the NFL than Josh Rosen, the other elite QB prospect of the 2018 NFL Draft, so I believe he'll end up going #1 overall in 2018. To compare Sam Darnold to Andrew Luck just gets under my skin, though, that's just stupid. Why can't he be his own player always has to be some bullshit comparison. Well, these three things are the same, so they must be the same player, and then they'll just ignore or be oblivious to the other 100 reasons why they're different. Idiots will be idiots, just wanted to set the facts straight. By DjackBeast mode is back and will be playing in the silver and black this fall for the Oakland Raiders. That's if the Seahawks come to a deal with the Raiders to trade Lynch, which is expected to happen. After the Tony Romo ordeal I won't believe anything till it actually happens, although the necessary steps for Lynch to come back have been going smoothly. Something you can't say at all about the Tony Romo process. I expect a trade to be announced within the next 24 hours, there shouldn't be too many details to work out now.
The Seahawks won't get much for Lynch, however it's more than they would've got if he had just stay retired . Now, they'll probably end up getting an extra late round draft pick, I'd say 5th round or later at best. With the way Seattle drafts you never know that pick might end up being a valuable player down the road. The Raiders are the real winners. They'll be getting a great running back at a discounted price. The terms of the deal haven't been announced yet, but I'm sure it'll be less than whatever they would've had to pay Latavius Murray to stay, and Lynch is way better than Murray. Lynch will also be running behind a great offensive line, something he didn't have the luxury of in Seattle. I expect him to do just fine, of course he'll have some early rust, but I expect him to return to beast mode after a couple of games. Lynch still has the most broken tackles since 2013 and he didn't even play last year, that just goes to show what a great running back he is when he's healthy. If he can stay on the field all year, expect the Raiders and Marshawn Lynch to have a ton of success this year. 4/14/2017 Dan Rooney Passes Away at Age 84 Leaving Behind One of the Greatest Legacies in NFL HistoryRead NowBy DjackFootball has lost a pioneer and one of the greatest men to ever contribute to the sport. Dan Rooney, was never an NFL player, but since 1969 he's been the man behind the steel curtain pulling the strings for decades. Rooney put together the Steeler dynasty that won 4 Super Bowl titles in the 70's. He also drafted one of the best classes ever when he selected 4 future hall of famers in 1974. These 4 players were crucial to the Pittsburgh regime, Jack Lambert, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster were the best draft class ever by a single team and it translated to championships. Rooney may have been amazing at his job, his 4 rings as the everyday executive show that, however his impact on the game from a owners perspective was way more impressive.
What Dan Rooney did to help the league over the last 4 decades is actually quite remarkable. In 1992 he was the one that introduced the idea of a salary cap which forever changed the way team's would be able to sign players. This led to a more even playing field for the smaller market teams and has been proven to work to perfection since being implemented into the league. This also led to the beginning of unrestricted free agency. Thank Dan Rooney for making March and April and exciting time for football fans as hope can be restored to your team with a few signings. Giants last year are the perfect example, went from the 2nd worst defense in the league to a top 5 defense mainly because of the additions made through free agency. Without Rooney bringing the salary cap into play, which opened up unrestricted free agency, none of this would've been possible. Seems like Rooney's legacy couldn't grow any greater, yet I haven't even mentioned his greatest achievement ever. What could be greater than winning 4 Super Bowls as everyday executive, 6 Super Bowls total as an owner, and shaping the way the league has run for the last 25 years? Making an impact that effected the lives of minorities everywhere when he came up with the Rooney Rule. The Rooney Rule forces every organization to interview at least one minority candidate no matter what for head coaching and front office positions. In 2003 this rule came into affect and since then minority coaches have made huge strides in this league taking over some of the most coveted positions in the sport. The likes of Mike Tomlin, Ron Rivera, Jerry Reese, and Vance Joseph just to name a few were all benefactors of the Rooney Rule and that is something that'll live on forever. Rooney made a real impact way beyond just the game on the field, that is what makes him a true legend. No one has shaped, changed, and improved the game of football more than Dan Rooney, and for that I thank him. Thank you for making this great sport what it is, you'll never be forgotten Mr.Rooney. P.S. The love that was shown for this man of social media by current and former players of the Steelers was amazing to see. He truly impacted so many people's lives for the better it's unbelievable how respected he was. Rooney is the gold standard for executives and owners around the league. By MukHot Take Alert!! Jarvis Landry may have just killed the Dolphins hopes and dreams of winning any games against the Patriots next season. While the Dolphins have had the most success against the Patriots in the last few seasons, they were swept last year, and the Patriot's have only gotten better.
Now I do understand that confidence is key and it's not like Landry is guaranteeing a Super Bowl or anything like that, he is only saying the Phins will win two games, but again, they are the Patriots. The Pats' have added several big key pieces in the off-season, and after winning the Super Bowl in the most dramatic possible fashion, it's hard to believe they can get better, but they have. Coach Belichick is doing things he has never done before, with going all-out for big talent in the off-season, and I expect them to add at least one more big time component between now and the days after the draft. Landry and the Dolphins need to come out this season and perform, because the last few seasons have been vastly disappointing. Their Defense needs to show up like they can on paper, and Tannehill needs to play consistent and live up to his pay-check. Landry is in my opinion the best player on their roster, and he does do everything possible to help carry the Phins, so I certainly won't knock him for his confidence and desire to beat the Goliath that the New England Patriots are. Will the Pat's lose the division for the first time since 2008? Unlikely, sorry Jarvis - but there is hope for the Wild Card! By DjackIn a city where there is just some much to do, football is not a top priority like smaller market cities. With two teams now in LA, these organizations will be fighting to win over fans. The players will also be looking to fight over fans by outdoing what their counterparts across the street are doing to gain the love of the people in the city. Look at the Lakers and Clippers if you don't believe me, for 30 years no player on the Clippers was a true star in LA. Even now that they have Blake Griffin and Chris Paul they can't win over the LA market, and the only reason they're more relevant than ever is because the Lakers are in a very bad stretch of losing right now. That's why the Rams and Chargers are incentivized to win over the fans as early as possible. Once you got them they tend to stay.
The best way to win over fans is by winning and having the right superstar players that they can route for. Phillip Rivers is on his way out, he's got a few years left, but he's not going to be a selling point for the Chargers in LA. Jared Goff could be the superstar franchise QB the Rams need, although no one seems to think he's going to be anything special. That leaves two players on the offensive side the ball to sell to the fans, Melvin Gordon for the Chargers, and Todd Gurley for the Rams. These two young stud backs will be looking to help win over fans for their respective team. Actually it's more of a responsibility at this point. Which one will have the better career and be somewhat responsible for helping to win their franchise the fans of LA? Todd Gurley broke onto the scene in 2014 having an outstanding rookie season. He seemed like he was going to be the next great thing in this league, and then last year happened. Rushing for 55 yards per game and 6 total TD's, pretty pathetic by any standards. Gordon was the exact opposite he was awful as a rookie and then last season he went off finally becoming the back we saw his as in college. He ran for nearly 1000 yards, had 12 total TD's, and he was a huge threat out of the backfield in the passing game. Normally, I'd select Gordon based off the way he's progressing, although Gurley's bad season runs deeper than just him not performing at a high level. Gurley needs a better line and some semblance of a passing game if they want to get the most out of his ability, which is a lot from what we saw his rookie season. As for Melvin Gordon he'll be solid in this league for a long time, I just feel his team is going to let him down. Rivers is on his way out and the offensive line isn't very good. The more concerning thing is the Chargers haven't been proactive towards winning in almost 5 years. Neither have the Rams really, but that's more of a Jeff Fisher problem in my opinion. I believe Gurley will have the better career and win over the majority of the fan base in LA. Gordon will give him a run for his money for sure though, so Gurley can't take another year off, there's some new competition in town. By MukIf there were some last minute doubts or clouds of speculation surrounding LSU Runningback Leonard Fournette or Safety Jamal Adams, I think they can be put to rest. Both presumed top-15 draft picks are having themselves a day today at LSU's pro-day, both stepping up from their NFL Combine performances (which were still very good).
When Leonard Fournette stepped on the scale today, he immediately erased the doubts that surrounded his weight at the Combine. He weighed in at 240-pounds for the NFL combine, and eyebrows were raised in a bad way, but when he weighed in today 12-pounds lighter, those doubts were laid to rest. Fournette is most likely going to be the first RB taken in the draft, and for good reason. He brings size, speed, and agility, all while having a dominating physical presence, being able to run inside the tackles or out. Fournette was sidelined for much of last season with an ankle injury, among others, but NFL teams should be happy he stayed out because it looks like the big-back is ready to go and should have an impact right away on whatever team drafts him. Jamal Adams is ranked by most experts as a top safety, coming in at #1 or #2 on most big boards, and he added to that today. Adams ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, which was good, but today he came out flying, running a staggering 4.33 and showing just how explosive he is. He is good all around in the secondary, with excellent coverage skills, both alone and over the top, and his strength and speed allow him to cover a lot of ground and make opponents pay over the middle. Adams has bet on himself big-time, insisting that he is a top-5 pick and the best safety, and truthfully, he might not be wrong. These LSU studs will continue to workout at Pro-Day today, and I'm sure they will continue to raise the bar for themselves and their draft stocks. By DjackOakland needs a hero right now. Knowing the team is Vegas bound in a few years isn't easy news to swallow for any fan, let alone a psychotic Raiders fan. The only thing that would make the transition copeable is a Lombardi Trophy on the way out. Who better to be the hero than the hometown hero himself, beast mode, Marshawn Lynch.
Lynch is visiting, yes visiting with the Oakland Raiders today at their facility, as reported by Pat McAfee. This can only mean one thing, Lynch is more than considering a return, he's now interested in a return and making it work. He's there talking out details, money, scheme fits, and seeing if it's worth laying his body out on the line again. Beast mode is beast mode, there's no doubt in my mind he can still be one of the best running backs in this league. With Latavius Murray gone, the Raiders desperately need a new running back, and the fact they let Murray walk so easily should tell you they already had other ideas. Will Marshawn Lynch be the difference between a championship or not in Oakland. Hell no, running backs just aren't that vital anymore. The play of Derek Carr and how well the Raiders defense plays will dictate how far they can go in the playoffs. However, Marshawn Lynch coming back would be a great treat for the fans and he'd make Derek Carrs life a helluva lot easier. Beast mode bless Oakland, bless the NFL, bless the people with your presence again, and play football with the Oakland Raiders this year. 4/4/2017 Eagles Newest Acquistions Jamaal Charles and Timmy Jernigan Make Them a Serious Threat in the NFC EastRead NowBy DjackThe Eagles have struggled to find consistent success since the Andy Reid era. Chip Kelly had some winning seasons, yet he ended up destroying the Eagles roster in the process. Doug Pederson showed promise last year, however with a rookie quarterback and limited weapons it's hard to have a ton of success. Carson Wentz now has a full year of experience under his belt and the Eagles have added weapons earlier this offseason in Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffrey to make his job a lil bit easier. Apparently the Eagles felt that wasn't enough, so today they went out and signed Jamaal Charles to a 2yr deal worth a little under $4 mil. If Charles can stay healthy we know he's capable of extraordinary things, a fierce run game will certain take pressure off of Wentz, and that's something he couldn't rely on last year.
That's how the offense upgraded so far this offseason. As for the defense the Eagels had been relatively quiet addressing that side of the ball. I mean they didn't necessarily need to because their defense certainly wasn't the problem last year. They replace Conor Barwin with the signing of Chris Long, which I don't see as a downgrade at all. More importantly though, the Eagles lost Bennie Logan to free agency. His presence in the middle next to Fletcher Cox was huge for the Eagles success up front all year where they dominated in the trenches. They go and trade for Timmy Jernigan by exchanging 3rd picks with the Ravens. Great move by the Eagles, Jernigan will fill that void and you won't even see a dip in production whatsoever. Long, Jernigan, Cox, and Graham is going to be a nightmare for opposing offensive lines. Philadelphia has definitely taken a couple steps in the right direction so far this offseason. To go from last to first in the tough NFC East won't be easy and they still have some concerns. I'm still not entirely sold on the Eagles corners. Mills is a solid corner, nothing crazy special, and with Carroll gone I'm not even sure who they'll have as their #2 and nickel corner. Secondary is a spot they'll need to address in the draft for sure, and in a deep defensive back class they'll have their picking of the litter. Also, all the weapons surrounding Wentz are great, if he can keep progressing, and developing at the pace he was last season. How many times do we see a rookie QB that shines and then as soon as these defensive coordinators get an offseason of watching film on them they aren't quite as effective the following season. Sophomore slump is a very real thing. If Wentz can avoid that Philly will definitely be competitive in the race for the NFC crown. By DjackThe Tony Romo sweepstakes is over and no one landed the highly touted free agent quarterback. Well, no one except for Fox or CBS. My guess is CBS, Tony Romo will take the lead broadcasting job replacing Phil Simms. Now, we all get to hear either Romo or Aikman on Sundays, how fun. Just what we need more Cowboy bias in the broadcasting booth.
When I saw Romo news this morning I was truly shocked. Yeah, I heard the rumors, but like most rumors in the NFL I thought it was nonsense, unfortunately it was not. Romo being a Cowboy his entire career forced me into hating him, however I would've liked to see Romo come back and play for another team. Instead he has just decided to throw in the towel and take advantage of the broadcasting opportunity while it's still open. Something most people don't realize is that these broadcasting jobs are highly coveted by these former athletes. They pay extremely well, you only have to work 17 days a year, and they only open up every 15-25 years, so Romo figured he had to grab the job while he still could. Health also played a part in the decision of Romo stepping away from the game. I'm sure Romo knew he could make all the throws and all the plays, but would he be able to take all the hits. He was probably afraid that another clean shot would put him out of the game for good anyway, so he decided to avoid that chaos all together, and skip to the next chapter in his life. Will Romo ever play another down in the NFL? I doubt it. There's rumors that he's still going to be availiable to come back mid season if a teams quarterback goes down and they need a replacement that won't forfeit their season. If something tragic happens to Dak look for Romo to be called to step in and fill the void. I don't know why he would do that for the Cowboys after they totally betrayed him and then didn't respect his best interests come the offseason like they said they would, nonetheless that's Romo's choice not mine. Sad day for the NFL as it losses another great quarterback. The Texans and Broncos would've been a lot more exciting to watch with a quarterback like Tony Romo under center. Instead the AFC has now been conceded to the Patriots, who are far and away the best team in this conference. Romo could've helped filled that void with another team sending them to that elite status. Instead of trying to become an NFL legend, Romo decided to become an NFL broadcaster, safe decision, just not the one a real competitor would've chose. |
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AuthorDjack- Chief editor Archives
April 2018
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