NFLRT 4/19/2024

   

The questions and discussion…

1)  In a span of three months, the Baltimore Ravens have gone from being one win away from the Super Bowl to losing 15 players from their roster… 14 to through as free agents and by trading the other. The list of players gone from the Ravens include Pro Bowl inside linebacker Patrick Queen, staring offensive guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson and starting right tackle Morgan Moses, and starters edge player Jadeveon Clowney, running back Gus Edwards and safety Geno Stone.  

Can the Ravens still be a Super Bowl contender in the 2024 season despite losing  the players listed above? Why or why not?  

I think the Ravens are still going to be contenders for the Super Bowl for next season. They still have Lamar Jackson at quarterback, and they signed Derrick Henry to add to their offense, I think they’re still good to go on offense. I think they have a nice plan for their offensive line for next season and will be under control. I wouldn’t be too worried about the offensive line as long as they have Lamar Jackson, growing wide receiver room, both tight ends [Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews] and they have Stanley at left tackle, Vorhees and Ben Cleveland at guards and Linderbaum at center, they’ll be okay.

It’s a deep offensive line class in the draft so they will be able to grab somebody to provide depth and start right away. Linderbaum is going to be the clear leader, and they signed Josh Jones who could also fill in at right tackle with 2022 fourth-round draft pick Daniel Faalele. I wouldn’t worry about the Ravens’ offensive line until after the draft if they don’t attack it early. 

Joe: Losing players in the off-season is nothing new for the Ravens as this is an every year occurrence for them. VP and GM Eric DeCosta and his front office crew are extremely adept at rebuilding the team wherever necessary through the draft. And with treasure chest of eight picks… 1st Round (30th Overall), 2nd Round (62nd Overall), 3rd Round (93rd Overall), 4th Round (129th Overall), 4th Round (Compensatory, 134th Overall), 5th Round (164th Overall), 7th Round (from NY Jets, 228th Overall) and 7th Round (250th Overall)… in this year’s draft they should be well positioned to follow that strategy once again this year, too.

Still while the Ravens, with DeCosta in charge, are an organization that bases its roster-building strategy on drafting and developing player this will be a very critical draft for the Ravens if they want to return to the playoffs as a serious contender for the Super Bowl in the 2024/2025 season.

While they did address their need at running back by signing Derrick Henry as a free agent they could still use a midround pick to draft another RB for depth and as insurance in case of Henry getting injured or simply to be inserted into games from time to time to give Henry a respite from being over worked.

Having said that they still need to reload with probably two linemen and a wide receiver on offense and probably getting some help on defense with a pass rusher, and cornerback while adding depth at the inside linebacker position.  

But as critical as it is for the addition of young players through the draft to make an immediate impact, it’s equally crucial for their returning players to continue making advancements in their on-field play as well. This will be a massive determining factor for Baltimore in 2024 since the team will be

But if they hit their needs in this year’s draft which his deep in O-line players as well as wide outs they should be just fine going into the new season and still be a serious contender for the playoffs and having another shot at the Super Bowl.  

2) Its pretty much a given that the Bears will be selecting QB Caleb Williams as the first overall pick in this year’s draft.

Which player will the Washington Commanders select with the second pick? Why?

I think with the second overall pick, the Washington Commanders are going to go with Jayden Daniels.

I think a new head coach in Washington is going to have a lot of influence in this selection, and with his experience as a defensive coordinator, his influence is going to push the difference between Daniels and Maye. While Maye is a great pocket passer and definitely would be worthy of number two selection, the constant headache that Daniels gives defenses both on the ground and through the air is going to be the nightmare matchup that Dan Quinn is going to want as his new franchise quarterback. Knowing the type of game-planning a dual-threat quarterback requires, especially facing Jalen Hurts two times a year while coordinating the Cowboys’ defense, having that advantage for them is going to be huge. He has experience in college, throwing over 1,400 passes over his five year college career [his numbers do incorporate the COVID-19 2020 season]. Last season for LSU, he threw 3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdown passes to only four interceptions, including 1,134 rushing yards and ten more touchdowns via the ground.

You can’t pass up this dual-threat quarterback.    

The Commanders are looking for a starting quarterback, and I believe they will go with selecting Jayden Daniels, who has exciting tools as a passer and runner, because he’s more pro ready right now than the other QBs that will be left on the board when they are on the clock with the second overall pick. 

3) As mentioned in Question 2 it’s an assumed the Bears are taking Caleb Williams with the overall first pick in the draft….

Who do they take with ninth pick? Why?

I think the Chicago Bears ultimate goal here is to select a wide receiver.

I’ve seen some mocks with Nabers still available. I’ve seen mocks with Odunze still there. I’ve seen some mocks with none of the top three receivers still available for the Bears to select at nine. Based on my predictions for the top ten selections, I have the Bears selecting Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick, getting a solid weapon for Caleb Williams that he can grow with.

He’s a fast receiver [4.45 40-yard dash], 10’4″ broad jump, and is listed at 6’3″ and 214 pounds. He has strong hands and can win almost every 50/50 battle, although that can be his downfall, but he should grow out of that in the NFL. He’s too strong and physical to match up equally with a lot of defenders which is going to play to his strengths as well. He’s a leader with comps to Larry Fitzgerald. If he’s available, Chicago has to snatch him up immediately. 

While most mock drafts have the Bears taking a wide receiver to pair up with their new QB in Caleb Williams I think they have a bigger need on defense, in particular with strengthening their attacking the opponents QB.

Last season the Bears 30 sacks on QB was the second worst in the NFL.

So with that in mind I think they go with selecting edge player Jared Verse. Verse had 9 sacks last year with Florida State and he should fit very nicely well with coach Matt Eberflus’ defensive schemes.

4) After trading Stephon Diggs to the Houston Texans the Buffalo Bills roster now has one wide receiver who caught passes last year still on the roster… Khalil Shakir. With a need to replenish their roster at the wide receiver position and then the unfamiliarity of the new players coming in arguably this could be a problematic situation for QB Josh Allen in the upcoming season. 

Can the Bills fix this “problem” for QB Josh Allen

And assuming they fill their requirements at WR can they can get everybody up to speed with Allen and still be able to compete for the Super Bowl in the 2024 season? Why or why not?

The Bills can definitely fix their need at wide receiver, but the biggest requirement out of Buffalo is drafting multiple receivers. They can get quality receivers in the late first round and deeper in the draft as well. They can get these players up to speed. And, from what we’ve seen Beane do in the past, he will move up for his guy in order to snatch him before another team can take them. And I expect them to do that this draft once again for a top wide receiver.

They have a huge need. A lot of mocks have them grabbing Adonai Mitchell, which would be a great speed threat that they can utilize. I’ve seen others grabbing Brian Thomas Jr. out of LSU. It depends on where the draft is at, who is available, and if they move up or not. And if Brian Thomas Jr. is available and looking like they might get taken, I fully expect Buffalo to go up and grab him. They need a top threat, and Thomas can provide that immediately for them. It’ll also help having Josh Allen at quarterback, an already established top five passer in the NFL. 

With trading Diggs Buffalo has a decidedly big hole at the wide receiver position that they need to address in this draft.

Assuming they don’t trade up and stay pat with the 28^th overall pick they will take the best choice of whoever is left from these possibilities… from the Texas Longhorns either Xavier Worthy or Adonai Mitchell, LSU’s Brain Thomas or Georgia’s Ladd McConkey.

5) The New York Jets had a need to remake their offensive line this off-season and through free agency the prevailing opinion is that they essentially accomplished that task.

Do the Jets’ free agent signings along the offensive line change anything for them in the draft? Why?

I think their signings do help them when it comes to the draft and their needs, but I think they need to grab a solidified tackle to secure Aaron Rodgers for this season.

They only will have one or two seasons of Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, and they’re going all-in on a hunt for a quick Super Bowl title before he retires. I think the Jets should go with Fuaga, as he can play either guard or tackle, and with signing Tyron Smith (missing 37 games in the last four seasons), they need to have a back-up plan in place for injury and missed time from him. They also need to ensure that Rodgers stays upright and healthy throughout the entire season.

Another player who I think would help a lot would be Brock Bowers, but he does come with some questions. They have a need at tight end, but securing the line is a higher priority and can never be a waste of a pick. They can plug and play Fuaga anywhere on the line, except for center, so this is going to be a high utility-type lineman, who supports keeping Rodgers healthy for the entire season. 

The Jets did well to acquire Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses this off-season, but both are 33 years old, and both have injury concerns. Smith hasn’t played an entire season since 2015, and Moses recently had offseason surgery on his torn pectoral muscle.

With that in mind they need to add a player who could at any time in any game step right in and play in place of either these two players if the need arises. Especially since the Jets can ill afford having a repeat performance of Aaron Rodgers going down again. Simply put, Rodgers needs to be kept upright as much as possible.

So depending among possibilities are Iumuyiwa Fashanu from Penn State, Joe Alt from Notre Dame, Taliese Fuaga from Oregon State and Troy Fautanu from Washington.

And if he is still on the board I would go Fautanu.

Fautanu is s reportedly so versatile that he could potentially play all five offensive line spots.

He has starting experience at both tackle and guard and can consistently make blocks in a zone-blocking scheme. And according to one mock draft guy, “(Fautanu) played tackle at a solid level but had a chance to be an all-pro guard because of his strength, his anchor, that power core that he has… He has that power and core strength where some people that have tackles in place are like, dude, I could make this guy an all-pro guard. I know one team that feels like he could be the best center in the draft. He’s a legit five-position guy.”