As Mel Kiper would say, top drawer stuff
-----------------------------------------From: "David Reid" "
To: "Steelers List"
Cc:
Sent: Monday February 14 2022 8:32:17AM
Subject: [steelers_pb] Postseason 31 Thoughts about 31 Teams
Barring earth shattering trades, can anyone see a team other than one
QB’d by Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Herbert and maybe Lamar representing
the AFC in the Super Bowl next year?…... If the Bills managed those
13 seconds against the Chiefs better than they did, I think there
would be a parade in Buffalo this week….. The Ravens were destroyed
by injuries, but I’m very interested in what they do with Lamar this
offseason regarding an extension…….. The Bengals don’t need a
superstar OL, they just need a competent one. If you were to give Mike
Tomlin a big old chunk of cap room this summer, I bet he’d allocate
all of it to Jessie Bates. They are young and fun and talented, but
that’s no real guarantee that they will be able to fend off
challenges in the division and in a packed AFC…. One word to
describe Cleveland’s season: Heartwarming. It’s wonderful to see
all the old questions being re-aired after a one year hiatus… The
Broncos need a veteran QB, but how good would they be with a veteran
QB? I’m not sure they automatically become championship contenders.
Javonte Williams is the man, though, what a player he is…… The way
the Texans have been run - and continue to be run, a firing, a token
hiring and lining up Josh McCown for the head coaching gig in 2023 -
is a disgrace. If I’m a top rookie, would I want to play in such a
dysfunctional environment? I’d say no…….. The Colts gambled on
Wentz and it has bitten them hard, their collapse against Jacksonville
was jaw dropping…… I saw the historic first win for the Urban
Meyer Jaguars in London. The fact that Trent Baalke has a job down
there is staggering and they won’t improve until he is gone, the
Leftwich/Wilson proposed dream ticket would have been such a boost and
a new start, but they’ll continue to have this disorganised feel to
them. A word about Trevor Lawrence having seen him in the flesh, he is
the real deal, he can make the throws that veterans can’t, the
question is, do they get him a supporting cast that gives him a
fighting chance of competing in this league?…. I’m convinced that
something was terribly wrong with Mahomes in that playoff game against
the Bengals. they’re in an intersting spot, 4 starting AFC title
games at home but only one Super Bowl and the pack has closed on
them……. I don’t rate Josh McDaniels as a coach, so what happens
in Las Vegas will be very interesting. Mike Mayock once again
demonstrated that plugging a draftnik into a real live front office
does not work…… Big challenge for Brandon Staley and the Chargers,
his game management needs to improve and he needs to learn from his
mistakes….. I hadn’t paid much attention to Mike McDaniel prior to
this round of interviews, but I’m really fascinated by him now. I
saw Tua in London, too, he's is one of those quarterbacks who can make
spectacular plays and the most horrific errors within seconds of each
other. McDaniel will have his work cut out trying to salvage this, if
he does though, they can win that division. And yes, Brian Flores got
hosed and should not have been fired after they turned that season
around……. For all the early plaudits, Mac Jones collapsed down the
stretch. And that defense in New England was very solid this season,
but also very old…… Year three of this Jets rebuild is pivotal,
they have some real talent there and 4 picks in the top 38 in April,
I’m an interested observer in how they are rebuilding, I think they
are on course, but I need to see more from Zach Wilson, he needs
weapons, but the jury is out on him already…… I was never
convinced that the Titans were the best team in the AFC and so it was
proven. Jeffrey Simmons is the best DL not named Aaron Donald in the
league though….. Another Cardinals collapse down the stretch and the
hot seat under Kingsbury just got turned up a million degrees with
this supposed falling out with Kyler Murray. This is one to watch,
Kyler is talented, but if there is genuine beef here, could he return
to baseball? And could another coach correct this situation? Shoutout
to James Conner for staying healthy for once and knocking in 18 TD’s
in 15 games, there was never any doubt that he could do that in my
eyes……Look up the word “nondescript” in the dictionary and the
definition would be your 2021 Atlanta Falcons…… How committed to
establishing a culture under Matt Rhule is David Tepper in Carolina? I
give it one more year, but he is a coach who needs to turn this around
and fast…… I predict the Bears will be looking for another head
coach in 2-3 years. The decision not to pair Justin Fields with Eric
Bieniemy is a bad one. Coaches like Eberflus are a dime a dozen in
this league……. The Cowboys collapse was delightful, because they
have spectacularly underachieved. My prediction that Micah Parsons was
the best defensive player in the draft was bang on for once, but
seriously, do they really think that McCarthy can deliver a title
there? And I’m not sure that Sean Payton wants that pressure,
either……. Of all the teams in the league, I am most fascinated by
the Lions. They have a head coach with a football IQ somewhere in the
70’s and yet, they are building an identity and a culture that could
mean they are going places. They are at the bottom end of the scale
talent-wise, but they have picks to burn and could acquire more, but
if they begin to put the pieces together, then they can rise in that
division. They kept fighting until the very end and not all teams in
that position do that…… Now that McVey won the big one, attention
shifts to whether Matt LaFleur can do it. Everything hinges on Rodgers
return and it seems that bridges have been built after he napalmed
them last year, but if he does stay, can they get this right and at
what cost?…… The Champs can ride the wave this offseason, but
I’m very interested to see how they manage the cap and retain the
free agents they have. And if Donald retires, they will fall back to
the pack in a big way…… Interesting new regime in Minnesota, they
lost a lot of really close games, fix this defense and they can win
that division if they can overcome Kirk Cousins frequent bouts of
aloof dickishness……. The Saints are one to watch, no QB and the
rest could get messy in a hurry, that Michael Thomas business was off
the wall as well…… I like the new regime with the Giants, Daboll
can coach and has assembled a really strong staff, if he can get a
tune out of Daniel Jones and if they can continue to stockpile talent,
they could be something, but that new regime needs to clear out the
front office deadwood first which will be tough as half of them have
power and are backstabbers and are related to one or both of the
owners…. Philadelphia can be kingmakers in this draft with three
first rounders and 5 picks in the top 80. I like Jalen Hurts to a
point, but he needs help, I thought Siriani did really well after a
rough start, if they can continue to build and continue to tailor
things to Hurts, they can contend with Dallas, I have reservations,
but it’s one to watch…… Very interesting offseason in San
Francisco who went all in on a QB who wasn’t ready and will be
paying the price tag for him for a couple of years to come. Do they go
all in and throw Lance into the fire, or do they try to get something
for Jimmy G and attempt to bring Brady in? Lance is talented, but he
needs to make the leap, they are a really good team, but expecting
more from Lance than they got from Garoppolo is a big risk. Deals like
that can sink GM’s and coaches if they don’t come off…… And
speaking of being burned by deals, the Seahawks crashed and burned a)
with the Jamal Adams deal and b) John Schneider thinking for the last
5 years now that he can draft better than anyone else by trying to be
clever, Schneider’ draft record would have got him fired in many
places by now. Now, do they trade Russell Wilson for a kings ransom
this year or not? And if they do, can Schneider be trusted with the
picks to build a backbone for this team again? I think that in one
year’s time, we’ll be talking about a new coach and GM in Seattle
with questions at QB and wondering where they go from here….. I
never thought for one second this year that the Bucs would repeat
(mainly because the way they stayed healthy in 2020 was an anomaly and
bringing all 22 starters back is not the recipe for success that many
think it is) and now they might just have the worst QB situation in
the league with Bortles or Kyle Trask starting. Maybe they are the
ones to make a big move this offseason for one….. As for Washington,
see Houston. A cesspit ownership who needs to be stripped of the
franchise, they need a QB, I feel sorry for Ron Rivera, a good coach
in an awful situation, the sooner the league can move on from Daniel
Snyder, the better…..
And breathe….. ;)
