NFLRT 8/30/2024

The questions and discussion…

All 32 NFL are required to trim their offseason rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday (8/27), which means dozens of players will be cut from every team. Inevitably, some of the players released will be notable names, especially as some clubs prioritize the upside of fresh talent over more expensive contracts.

1) Of those players that were released which notable or star player who got cut was the biggest surprise? Why?

The biggest surprise to me was the Chiefs cutting wide receiver Kadarius Toney.  

The Chiefs wide receiver group since they traded away Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins has been a constant work in progress. Since that move by the Chiefs no one ever stepped up to become anywhere near become the go to wide-out that Hill was for QB Patrick Mahomes. So in 2022 the Chiefs worked out a trade with the Giants to get Tony to try and fill that role.

And maybe Toney never did become that go-to guy the Chiefs had hoped he would become but it wasn’t like his time with the team was a big failure either. But in the end I guess the desired “up” times that the Chiefs had hoped would happen when they added Toney got dwarfed by too many “down” times.

However…

Earlier this year Brett Veach, the Chiefs GM, said that Toney was the Chiefs’ “most talented wideout” and his success on the field was mostly just a matter of him staying healthy and being on the field of play on game days.

And yes the Chiefs went out and tried to patch together a much improved receivers group by notably adding Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and then drafting highly regarded wide receiver Xavier Worthy… but… right now Brown is injured and could be out for multiple games and Worthy is, after all is said and done, just a rookie.

So in light of what Veach said and the current state of the Chiefs wide receivers room I find it somewhat surprising that they chose to cut him.

2) And which player who survived cut-down Tuesday, and is still on an NFL team, most surprised you? Why?

The player that is still with an NFL team that I find pretty surprising is the Jets keeping undrafted rookie DT Leonard Taylor III.

Taylor has talent but he’s a young and raw and a work in progress as an NFL player. In fact he flashed that talent plenty of times with some of his play in preseason.  But with the Jets having a full and talented defensive line already in house I fully expected the Jets to cut Taylor and then hopefully be able to quickly re-sign him onto their practice team squad.

But they kinda, sorta threw a curve ball by me when they decided to keep him on the team’s 53-man roster.

3) As the upcoming NFL season is about to begin there are seven coaches taking over a new team… Raheem Morris (Falcons), Dave Canales (Panthers), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), Jerod Mayo (Patriots), Mike Macdonald (Seahawks), Brian Callahan (Titans) and Dan Quinn (Commanders).

Which new head coach is best situated to have the most success for the 2024/25 season? Why?

And will that success translate into his team making the playoffs? Why or why not?

It’s has to be the Falcons’ Raheem Morris.

After missing the playoffs last season most accounts said it was mostly because they lacked a credible presence at the QB position. So they went out and signed free agent Kirk Cousins to fill that role and then doubled down by adding Michael Penix Jr. in the draft  as a high-upside backup.

Presuming Cousins is fully recovered from last season’s Achilles injury and return to his All-Star form, he should jump-start the offense. And it’s an offense that has plenty of weapons with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Darnell Mooney and Bijan Robison who all are chomping at the bit for a QB to take control of the team and get them the ball so they can make big time plays. With that said, and again assuming Cousins is fully healed from his injury, Cousins could put up big numbers this season and the Falcons could be a high scoring team all season long.

And in a wide open NFC South that may be all the edge they need to win enough games to easily walk away winning the division.

And in the process probably earn Morris the Coach of the Year Award.

4) Six quarterbacks were selected in the first round In the 2024 NFL draft.

And of those six players, four… Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders), Bo Nix (Denver Broncos), Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears) and Drake Maye (New England Patriots)… have been named as their team’s starting QB for Week 1 of the regular season.

Which of these four players will have the most success in the 2024/25 season? Why?

And will that “success” translate into their team making the playoffs? Why or why not?

The Commanders Daniels is by far the superior runner of these guys, and he could make an impact with both his arm and legs as the temas QB.

The No. 2 overall selection Jayden Daniels is the quarterback of the future for the Commander and the weapons the team has built around him are pretty damn good to help in his adjustment to playing in the NFL. aren’t too shabby.

Receiver Terry McLaurin is a big play threat every time he steps on the field, as are running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler. The tight end room with veteran Zach Ertz and rookie Ben Sinnott are also potentially big time playmakers.

If Washington’s offensive line can provide Daniels with decent protection then, in my opinion, the sky is the limit for Daniels and the Commanders and they are most probably going to the playoffs as a Wild Card team.

5) Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin extended his well-noted NFL record of non-losing seasons to 17 in a row to start his coaching career, which no other coach in NFL history has ever accomplished.

This season, will Tomlin extend his streak to 18 non-losing seasons in a row, or will his streak come to an end? Why or why not?

I’m kind of going out on a limb here because I’m not fully convinced of what I’m about to say but…

Russell Wilson might not be the All-Pro QB he was once upon a time but, right now, he just might be just good enough in the 2024 season to play decent enough at QB for the Steelers this year to wind up keeping Tomlin’s streak alive for one more season.