The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

[Rumplebeanskin]

Year 1 15/16 - Week 13


The 4 Quick Takes From This Week's NFL


Amanda Reditch

Hey there Sports Fans and thanks for taking some time out to check out my site. Always happy to let you know what's going on around the league! So, let's get going with the 1st down.


1st Down - How 'bout them Panthers!

I called them out as being a team to watch out for before the season began and they are really coming on strong down the stretch. 3rd in total defence, 1st against the run. If anyone can stop Aaron Rodgers this season, it might be this Carolina roster. The Packers hold the tiebreaker over Carolina and the Vikings look dominant so any route to a deep playoff run will end up going through a cold stadium in January, but I think these Panthers are built to win those games. Josh Norman is playing at an All-Pro level, and that might be only thing that can contain Jordy Nelson.


2nd Down - Aaron Rodgers isn't human

And speaking of the Packers, I don't think there's anything else that we can say about Aaron Rodgers. He averages 368.4 ypg passing, and is on course to shatter Peyton Manning's record for passing yards in a season. Providing he navigates games with the Vikings (Hunter Smith) and Cardinals (Patrick Peterson), he should have this one in the bag.


3rd Down - Alex Boone is done. And he isn't the only one

So, a lot of hearsay with this one at the moment but Alex Boone's arrest this week is a huge deal for the 49ers. Whilst not a great season for San Francisco, sneaking into the playoffs isn't out of the question and Boone is a high quality lineman. When the reports of an altercation at a night club emerged, Boone was suspended and remains as such. I'm hearing that the 49ers plan to cut him at the earliest opportunity (which might tell it's own story in absence of further reports), until this one plays out I don't think he'll be on an NFL roster.

On the same topic, It doesn't appear that much can derail the Packers on the field right now but the constant reports and media attention surrounding starting corner Casey Heyward can't be good. You have to imagine the constant questioning is going to affect his play at some stage, but at the moment questioning is all there is to this one. This could be a very serious case so it I'm hesitant to speculate at the moment.


4th Down - Boy, it's getting hot in here!

It won't be long before we get to the end of season hiring/firing season in the NFL. So, what am I hearing about the carousel right now? A number of teams have high expectations that they feel reflect their rosters. Miami and Indianapolis fall into that category so expect heads to roll if these teams aren't near the top of the tree come the end of the season. John Fox and Todd Bowles are expected to survive poor campaigns in Chicago and NEw york respectively, but if this form continues next season their leash will be very short indeed.

That's it from me guys, hit me up in the comments section if you want more discussion.

Amanda

[Rumplebeanskin]

Year 1 15/16 - Week 14



Your Path To The Hottest Draft Talent!


Lloyd Bowerman, Senior Draft Writer

Draft Preview - Defence

Welcome back for a further look at the draft pool for this season's draft. Having already recapped and thrown out some thoughts on the offensive players available for selection, we now turn to to defence. We'll be back before the draft rolls around to offer our final thoughts.

DEFENCE

DT

• I'm falling in love with Andrew Gutierrez. A little undersized at 6'3" and 294lb, he is easily the most gifted player at the position physically. A move to DE wouldn't be out of the question, but the Michigan State man is a sure 1st rounder.
  
• Behind Gutierrez for me is Jose Darman. Wisconsin have really gotten the best out of him this season and I think he will continue his torrid pace right through the season.
  
• Chip Duncan from Rice appears to have given up on his season. The Owls have a lost season on their hands and Duncan for one looks to have checked out. He was a 2nd day player. I'm not sure he is now.

DE

• We might see a record for the least number of defensive ends taken in round 1. We might also see a record for the most taken in round 2. It's that kind of pool. Lots of guys to really like. Few to be crazy about.
  
• We all saw THAT play from David Boone. The 22 year old blew up Youtube last time UCLA took the field, but his viral play shouldn't cover up some technical weaknesses. Still possibly the first DE off the board, though.
  
• Jaylin Gilbert is dropping fast. A tough schedule has seen a number of the countries top tackles handle Gilbert with ease. This guy looked a 1st rounder only a season ago. Not now. At 6'7" he may even be suited to DT.
  
• Alex Grant is a sleeper. I have the Navada prospect as a 3rd rounder right now, but that could change. He eats up space with his huge frame and makes tackles with ease when he gets to the ball. Look out for his bench press at the combine!

OLB

• Gordon Gooden is a man to watch. He is setting the SEC on notice with his play for Tennessee! At 6'3" and 254lb, he possesses an ideal frame for tracking down ball carriers. Best suited to a 3-4, he can evade blockers and make high impact plays.
  
• Patrick Hunter is as good a player as I've seen. He is similar in style to Gooden, beating players with a quick spin move and agility. I'm not sure I can split these 3-4 guys right now.
  
• This OLB class is loaded from top to bottom. I can see at least 6 first round players right now.
  
• Look out for Rashawn Sampson. Rumoured to have a sub 4.5 40 time, the 6'2" 244lb can fly round the field. You don't want this guy to catch you either. Maybe a 3rd rounder right now.

MLB]

• Eldrin Garner stands tall above the rest. At just 6'0" that isn't technically true, but he plays like the best player at his position this season. I love his fundamentals.
  
• Lenerd Bell is the man best suited to dethroning Garner. The Arkansas man is a impressive on film but lacks size at 5'11". That's not an official measurement either, he looks smaller and that will hurt him.
  
• With the abundance of talent at OLB, some players may come off the board and be switched inside. There isn't too much to shout about with this bunch.

CB

• With Heismann talk aplenty, Jose Lunsford is the real deal. He may even go at #1 if the right team is picking there. He isn't off the charts specifically but he can play man and zone to a high level. You won't like it when he plays press either.
  
• DeAntre Palmer is going to make 1 team in the NFL very happy. A scheme guy who excels in zone but has been found lacking in man, in the right set up he will play well in the NFL. Enough to knock him out of the 1st, but he shouldn't get out of the 2nd.
  
• What went wrong for Matt Murphey? Maryland are falling off the cliff and Murphey is going with them. He has struggled all season in 1 on 1 situations and at this stage might even be better moving to safety. I'm not sure I see him in the first 3 rounds.
  
• This might be the strongest position in the draft.

S

• Pershing Taylor has been a bright spot on a poor campaign for Auburn. He runs like a free safety and hits like a strong safety. Conner Blalock of UCLA is very similar in that regard.
  
• Derron Scott might be the biggest hitter in the draft. The converted high school line backer still loves to tackle the ball carrier, but his coverage skills are above average. A late 1st rounder.
  
• There should be help for teams needing a safety this year.

[Rumplebeanskin]

Year 1 15/16 - Week 16


The 4 Quick Takes From This Week's NFL


Amanda Reditch

So much going on in the NFL right now, I can't wait to get you guys caught up with my take on all things football!


1st Down - The....London Falcons?!

Ok, that might be going a little far, but after the NFL released their statement a little while ago saying the Falcons were flying the Atlanta nest, chatter is like wild fire for where they might end up. For alignment reasons you don't see the franchise going too far from the east coast, but London? Maybe? I don't buy it, but you just never know.


2nd Down - Hate to say I told you so

I patted myself on the back for my Panthers pre-season pick last week, and it turns out my little chat with Pro Football Almanac was more accurate than even I imagined. The Raiders are terrible. I don't see Jack Del Rio getting anything from these guys the rest of the way. All Raider Nation can hope for is another strong draft and something different in the water for next season. They never disappoint in Oakland.


3rd Down - It's a QB league, but not all are buying

I'll join the legions of NFL fans and say how tough it is to watch Peyton Manning right now. Those Broncos are limping to the line, but at least the line is in sight. Another QB in trouble is RG3. We all knew that Washington wanted out from that relationship and it looks like they finally have the way to do it. Reports surfaced last week about a hit and run incident near the Skins training facility. Details remain sketchy, but I think the team will play on it as much as possible. They'll take whatever they can get right now.

Staying on the Quarterback trail, I'm hearing about positive discussion between Sam Bradford's camp and the Eagles, he's got them close to .500 and they could still eek out Dallas in that NFC East. I'm also hearing that Carson Palmer might hang them up if he can't get the Red Birds into the playoffs. You heard it here first.


4th Down - Sirens everywhere

It doesn't seem like I can go a single column without writing about someone being in trouble with the law. Jason Pierre Paul appears to have bought a ticket out of New York after that domestic violence issue last week. As reported, it doesn't appear like this one is going to make it to trial, but the Giants and the Mara family aren't going to take it. Expect him to be cut at the earliest opportunity, but I wonder if someone takes a punt on him?

Following on from my recent posts, Alex Boone has been cut by the 49ers and will begin legal proceedings next month. Casey Heyward has also left the Packers to clear his name. Whilst not the accused, the details surrounding the incident and Hayward's involvement remain murky at best. It's not known if the former Vanderbilt man will be back before next season.

A pleasure as always to bring you more NFL talk, leave me a comment if you want to chat more!

Amanda

[Rumplebeanskin]

NFL Standings - Year 1 2015/16
NFC EAST	W	L	T	Draft	Overall
4 - Dallas Cowboys	10	6	0	?	86
New York Giants	8	8	0	14	77
Philadelphia Eagles	8	8	0	13	84
Washington Redskins	5	11	0	6	75
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	Draft	Overall
1 - Minnesota Vikings	12	4	0	?	77
5 - Green Bay Packers	12	4	0	?	90
Detroit Lions	6	10	0	7	83
Chicago Bears	2	14	0	1	75
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	Draft	Overall
2 - Carolina Panthers	11	5	0	?	80
6 - New Orleans Saints	10	6	0	?	78
Atlanta Falcons	8	8	0	12	77
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	10	0	9	74
NFC WEST	W	L	T	Draft	Overall
3 - Seattle Seahawks	11	5	0	?	91
Arizona Cardinals	9	7	0	18	82
San Francisco 49ers	8	8	0	16	78
St Louis Rams	4	12	0	5	78
AFC EAST	W	L	T	Draft	Overall
2 - New England Patriots	10	6	0	?	91
6 - Miami Dolphins	10	6	0	?	81
Buffalo Bills	9	7	0	19	79
New York Jets	4	12	0	2	76
AFC NORTH	W	L	T	Draft	Overall
1 - Baltimore Ravens	12	4	0	?	85
5 - Cincinnati Bengals	10	6	0	?	84
Cleveland Browns	9	7	0	17	75
Pittsburgh Steelers	8	8	0	15	84
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T	Draft	Overall
4 - Tennessee Titans	8	8	0	?	72
Indianapolis Colts	8	8	0	11	87
Houston Texans	8	8	0	10	79
Jacksonville Jaguars	4	12	0	4	73
AFC WEST	W	L	T	Draft	Overall
3 - San Diego Chargers	10	6	0	?	82
Kansas City Chiefs	9	7	0	20	82
Denver Broncos	6	10	0	8	89
Oakland Raiders	3	13	0	3	74

*Number Denotes Playoff Seeding

Season Leaders

Passing
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
5,441 yards, 46 touchdowns, 13 interceptions

Rushing
Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions
333 rushes, 1,556 yards, 6 touchdowns

Receiving
Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
130 catches, 1,802 yards, 13 touchdowns

Tackles
Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville Jaguars
178 Tackles

Sacks
Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs
14.5 Sacks

Interceptions
Brent Grimes, Miami Dolphins
7 Interceptions

[Rumplebeanskin]

Year 1 15/16 - Wildcard

[megarover]

Who would have thought that the Vikings would finished with the best record in the NFC. Peterson must be getting some serious MVP talk.

[Rumplebeanskin]

As I'm still finding my feet with what I want to record/report, what is likely to be interesting, and balancing all that with time to record/report, I didn't have much raw data from year 1 in terms of stats. From memory, they didn't have anyone that excelled particularly, they just had a lot of solid contributors. They do have one of the best O-lines in the league though. Harrison Smith is an elite safety, and Everson Griffen is one of the best D-ends in the league.

Smith is a free agent at the end of this season though, so they need to keep him around.

[Rumplebeanskin]

Year 1 15/16 - Wildcard


The Worldwide Leader in Sport


Ed Shakespear, NFL Analyst

Peyton Manning Retires, but Broncos in Turmoil

We knew this day would come and it was becoming more and more likely the longer this season wore on. Peyton Manning announced his retirement from professional football during a heartfelt press conference this morning at Sports Authority Field, Denver. The mood from Manning was certainly humble, appreciating the road he had traveled and thanking the people who enabled it to happen.

Manning walks away from the game with Hall of Fame numbers. A sure-fire first round selection to Canton, Manning finished his career with 74,174 passing yards, 552 touchdowns and 260 interceptions. His QB Passer rating was 95.9. That puts Manning at the top of the NFL record books for passing yards in a career, as well as passing touchdowns. He was 6th all time in passes intercepted, and 2nd in both passes completed and attempted. Statistics aside, Manning will no doubt be remembered for his commitment to the game and mental readiness. A real student of the sport, his legacy is most likely to live on through the bar that he set with regards to his preparation and mental approach to the quarterback position.



Sport doesn't always write fairy tale endings for us, it has been a less than poetic end to Manning's NFL career. Blighted by an inconsistent offensive line and a defence that never really lived up to it's potential, the Broncos finished this season 6-10, 2nd worst in the AFC West and 8th worst in NFL overall. It wasn't meant to end this way for a man who left Indianapolis in 2012 to have one last shot at a title in Denver. The best Manning could achieve with the Broncos was a trip to Superbowl 48 where his side were soundly beaten by the Seahawks, a now distant pinnacle of his time in Denver.

Whilst it is never easy to move on as a franchise from a player of Manning's caliber, the Broncos were rocked this week by another blow. Brock Osweiler, back up to Manning during his time in Denver and heir apparent to his position, also announced his retirement. It is thought that a lingering shoulder injury has continued to deteriorate throughout the year and upon further medical advice, Osweiler has taken the decision to walk away from the game. With such an opportunity presenting itself, that can't have been easy to do.

That leaves Trevor Siemian as the only QB currently on the Broncos' roster. It is hard to believe GM John Elway will stick with Siemian next season, but he is their answer at the moment. With both free agency and the draft on the horizon, what Denver do at the quarterback position post Manning and Osweiler could be one of the the most intriguing stories to follow this off-season.

Ed Shakespear
ESPN