NFLRT 3/15/2024

The questions and discussion…

1)  Its’s no secret the New York Jets need to fortify their offensive line especially with Aaron Rodgers returning from his Achilles injury at QB for the team in the 2024 season.

Which offensive linemen, either through free agency or the draft, should the Jets especially target to ensure Rodgers’ protection? Why? 

Considering that the Jets have already signed in free agency left guard John Simpson and traded for right tackle Morgan Moses they need to target one of the following three tackles… Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu or Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga with the 10^th overall pick in the draft.  

And if he is available and if GM Joe Douglas gets the OK from owner Woody Johnson to break the bank they should do everything he can to convince Tyron Smith to come play for Gang Green.

2) On Monday (3/4) the Denver Broncos released a joint statement from general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton that essentially said the team was releasing Russell Wilson at the start of the NFL year.  

In your opinion was the Broncos trade with the Seahawks for Russell Wilson the worst ever NFL trade? Why or why not?

It’s up there but probably not the worst but in the top five… maybe top three.

The Broncos the Seahawks received QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris, their 2022 first-round, second-round and fifth-round picks along with  their 2023 first-round and second-round picks.

But what make the trade rank up at the top of the worst of all-time deals is that the Broncos gave Wilson a five-year, $245 million contract extension with $165 million guaranteed. If they hadn’t jumped the gun on “locking” Wilson up so quickly they might have noticed his skills had kinda, sorta regressed from the All-Star caliber QB he once upon time was and they could have saved themselves having to eat the boatload of dead money they now will eat since they are releasing him to go sign wherever he wants… which just so happens to be with the Steelers who will be on the hook for a measly $1.2 million while the Broncos will owe him $37.79 million for the upcoming season of the guaranteed $39 million he was listed to earn from the contract he signed with Broncos.

3) On Saturday (3/9) the Denver Broncos traded WR Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth- and sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft.  

Did the Browns general manager Andrew Berry essentially steal Jeudy from the Broncos? Why or why not?

Ummm… yeah.

The Browns get a top weapon for QB DeShaun Watson to target in the 2024 season and it only cost them two low draft picks in this year’s draft.

The only thing I can think is that Sean Payton. Who is now supposedly calling the shots o the Bronco’s personnel is (1) cleaning house and (2) clearing out cap space because of the outrageous cash they will take in dead money since they released Russell Wilson. Still he couldn’t get anything better than those fifth and sixth round pick in this year’s draft?

Hell of a move by Berry in my opinion.

4) What do the San Francisco 49ers need to do this off-season to fortify and/or justify their pre-season ranking of being the favorite team to be holding the Lombardi Trophy at the conclusion of the upcoming season? Why?

First make sure they lock up Brandon Aiyuk to a long term deal. He was arguably their best receiver and in fact had his best season in 2023, finishing with 75 catches for 1,342 yards and 7 TDs. He also had just two dropped passes all seson long which was the lowest ever in his career and was simply one of the best wide outs in the NFL in 2023. Sign him long term and don’t let 2024 rumors percolate all season long.

Second they already placed a tender on Jauan Jennings (3/11) now they need to sign him up to an extension also. He is not only a decent secondary option at wide receiver but he’s an excellent blocker. Can’t have too many good blockers on a team to clear a path for the guys who get the ball. Again no need for rumors of any kind to be clouding up the locker room.

Third in the biggest games of the season, including versus Green Bay and the Detroit Lions in the playoffs, teams were able to run on the 49ers defense. They need to bring in at the minimum at least one run-stuffing defensive tackle.

And speaking of their defense it wouldn’t hurt to get a guy somewhere near the caliber of edge Nick Bosa to play on the other side so the opposing QBs are constantly feeling pressure all game long from both sides of the field.

Do all that and they should at least be in the running to validate the Vegas odds of being the top choice to get to the Super Bowl in the upcoming season.

5) Between the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys which team gets to the Super Bowl first? Why?

The Bills.

Mainly I just don’t trust the Cowboys to ever live up to the hype they get every year of being one pf the best offensive or defensive teams. They just seem to choke every season.

And the Bills in my opinion just have the better personnel and the better coaching.

If either of these two teams will ever make it to the Super Bowl it’ll be the Bills before the Cowboys.