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Author: Jon Kuzma

Jonathan Allen had one of the most dominant seasons of collegiate football ever at the University of Alabama winning the Bronko Nagursk Trophy, the Rotary Lombardi award, and the Chuck Bednarik award. Those accolades are given to the best defensive player in the country and the fact that different football organizations all came to the conclusion that one guy (Allen) was a clean sweep for all these honors should tell you everything you need to know about Jonathan Allen’s game on the football field. This is one of the most decorated college football players to ever enter the pro ranks and Allen has done nothing but impress since arriving in Washington D.C. The rumors out of our nation’s capital are Allen has been abusing second and third string offensive line to the point where Redskins media personnel have suggested putting Allen in a one on one against anyone but a starter is unfair. The Redskins finished 28th in total defense a season ago, so they definitely need Allen to come in and have an immediate presence. So far Jonathan Allen has lived up to the hype and it’s really a shame this guy had a free fall on draft night. It’s obvious some of the NFL executives get too caught up on NFL combine results and sometimes you need just plug in the game tape and watch these guys play. If you did that with Jonathan Allen you recognized a player who has great football I.Q and a relentless motor. Allen isn’t just a guy that plugs holes and uses brute force, he truly has great football instincts that allows the former Alabama alum to finish a lot of plays and create a ton of turnovers. Allen has the same playmaking ability that Vince Wilfork did as a defensive lineman and it’s rare that one of your defense front players can intercept passes and return fumbles for touchdowns. Those type of plays give Jonathan Allen another gear and Washington will definitely improve on their 28th overall defensive ranking now that Allen is controlling the line of scrimmage for them.

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  Photo credit: Icon Sportswire

Author: Jon Kuzma

While it was pretty obvious that Dalvin Cook was better than a 2nd round draft pick, it is still a surprise to hear that Cook has already emerged as the Vikings starting running back. Latavius Murray was also signed by Minnesota this off-season and Murray recorded 12 touchdowns a season ago. You’d figure that Murray would put up a much better fight for the job but then again Murray does have some lingering health issues. Obviously that has setback the former Oakland Raider and Dalvin Cook has done enough to win his Head Coach Mike Zimmer over. Zimmer has made it clear he anticipates Cook getting a large portion of the offensive touches and if you’ve followed Dalvin Cook’s playing career you understand exactly why.  Dalvin Cook was the all time leading rusher at Florida State University and with all the talent that the Seminoles have produced it’s easy to acknowledge how big of an accomplishment that is. Even before college Cook ran for a ton of yards in high school and was named Mr. Florida, and that’s such a big achievement with all of the talent coming out of the Sunshine State each year. When the NFL combine rolled around and every athlete was auditioning for NFL teams, Dalvin Cook put on a show finishing as a top 10 performer in both the 40 yard and bench press drills. So clearly Cooks gets it done with a unique combination of speed and power but maybe the best thing you can say about Dalvin Cook is his game gets better as the stage gets bigger. The clutch element that is a trait of Cook allows him to rise to the occasion when the pressure is on. Minnesota thought that would be a perfect skill set to pair with their outstanding defense on the other side of the ball and now Mike Zimmer feels like he has a formula for success. You can’t praise the rookie Dalvin Cook enough, it’s not easy to win an NFL starting job right out of the gate.

Charity of the day: National Council on Aging

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Author: Jon Kuzma

There’s not many 400 pound men that could do what Vince Wilfork did during his 13 seasons on the football field. While Wilfork’s playing weight is listed at 325 pounds if you ever seen this guy there’s literally no chance that he has ever made that weight. In college the Miami Hurricanes listed Wilfork at 338 pounds and that should tell you firsthand that someone at the pro level was bluffing when they listed Wilfork at 325 but make no mistake about Vince Wilfork was easily one one of the most athletic big men to ever come through the NFL. It all started at the 2004 NFL Draft when a then 340 pounds Wilfork ran the 40 yard dash in 5.08 seconds. Now to put that in perspective Vince Wilfork exactly tied Philip Rivers with a 5.08 40 yard dash and even beat Tom Brady who ran a 5.28. NFL Network’s Rich Eisen even gave a 40 yard dash an attempt and ran 6.02, which would have been right around the slowest of all time. So you can see just how gifted athletically Vince Wilfork is and he made it happen with such a bigger frame than anyone else. That translated into a player who could plug up two gaps on a single play and Wilfork was a guy who consistently took on on doubles teams. Wilfork finished with 16 career sacks but his huge impact was in the turnover department. Vince Wilfork was one of the highest turnover forcing defensive lineman of all time with 12 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions. Wilfork even has scored a defensive touchdown on fumble recovery back in 2011. There’s no doubt this is a player who got it done in multiple phases of the game and Wilfork did all of that with a great attitude and a constant smile on his face. It’s been a pleasure to watch the veteran defensive lineman dominate on the football field for more than the last decade.

Charity of the day: National Council on Aging

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Photo credit: Joe Robbins / Getty Images Sport

Author: Jon Kuzma

With news breaking today that Jay Cutler has officially signed a one year $10 million dollar contract with the Miami Dolphins you have to be excited for what the future holds if you’re a Dolphins fan. Adam Gase is easily one of the league’s best offensive play callers and that was evident in the fact that Gase was able to take the Dolphins to the playoffs in his first year as a head coach. Now Gase has a veteran signal caller in Cutler who understands the basic concepts of his system already and that knowledge could be priceless. The terminology that goes into offensive play books is always so complex and every team has there own unique way of labeling certain things. The fact that Cutler spent time with Gase while in Chicago back in 2015 is a huge reason why Cutler was a great option for this football team. It also gives Cutler the best chance of executing on the field come game day. The familiarity will be there for Cutler when hears Gase call in the offense plays and that means less thinking for the new Dolphins quarterback, instead Cutler will get to play instinctively. That’s always the ideal goal for a football player because the game moves so fast in real life you don’t have time to think, you just have to react. The Dolphins do have some weapons in Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, and DeVante Parker. Those guys won’t be as impressive as Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Martellus Bennett. However Stills, and Parker offer a different type of talent in their speed. Stills and Parker can work the vertical game better than those old Bears receivers did and that should pair nicely with Jay Cutler’s arm strength. Expect much more big plays to come from Miami’s offense this season and the Dolphins are the biggest threat to the New England Patriots in the AFC East.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

The New England Patriots have always got it done with their trio of system players in Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Chris Hogan. However Bill Belichick knows Tom Brady is getting up there in age (playing wise) and New England’s head coach wanted to ensure that he maximized talent around his aging star to get the most out of what could be Brady’s last season. Belichick signed Brandin Cooks to bolster the wide receiver group and then he traded a fourth round draft pick for Dwayne Allen and a 6th round pick. Cooks gives the Patriots the best wide receiver talent wise the Patriots have had since Randy Moss. While Cooks isn’t as good as Moss was he still is an exceptional player and should be even better now that he is playing in New England. Cooks has managed to haul in 2,861 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns over the course of his three year career. He has been consistently a big contributor and has went over the 1,000 yards receiving mark the last two seasons. When you actually watch Cooks play one thing that stands out is the guy is faster than everybody else. Brandin Cooks was once a junior olympics sprinter and recorded a 4.33 40 yard dash when he entered the league. That game changing speed is was makes Brandin Cooks such a tough match and the Patriots are hoping to unleash those abilities on the rest of the league. The challenge is going to be getting Cooks acclimated to a new system and an offense that involves an overwhelming amount of discipline. The Patriots are the most detail orientated team in the whole league and they put such an emphasis on execution. If Cooks can gel with Tom Brady’s method of doing things, there’s no doubt this tandem could set the league on fire this upcoming year.

Charity of the day: Seva Foundation

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Author: Jon Kuzma

With Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones recently being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame it’s hard to believe that anyone could root against the Cowboys owner. While Jones can be too much of straight shooter for some people and he always stays true to his conviction. A big part of the reason Jerry Jones has been able to have such success in his lifetime is because he did stay true to himself through many different eras. This is a guy who played running back in high school at North Little Rock High School in Arkansas, and then he was the captain of the 1964 National Championship Arkansas Razorbacks (he played offensive line in college). That grit Jones learned on the football field helped the Cowboys owner bounce back from a number of failed business ventures in life (Pizzeria and attempt to buy the San Diego Chargers). Ultimately Jones would find success when he started an oil and gas exploration business in Arkansas called Jones Oil and Land Lease. After about twenty years of natural resource prospecting Jones was then able to use the fortune he amassed to buy the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. It was said at the time the Cowboys were losing a million dollars a month but now the Dallas Cowboys have grown to a $4.2 billion dollar organization. Not to mention Jones has put together three Super Bowl winning teams and was at one point one of the greatest dynasties the league has ever seen. It’s been awhile since the Cowboys have been for real contenders but Jones now has two of the league’s brightest young stars in Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. So it’s safe to say Jones is closer than ever to getting his 4th Vince Lombardi Trophy and with all the guy has overcame in life it’s hard to believe anyone could cheer against the Cowboys’ owner. It’s not easy to go from a college football player/ oil prospector to an NFL owner, Jerry Jones did it and it’s a testament of everything he has achieved in his lifetime. The Cowboys owner truly is larger than life and now he is also a part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Charity of the day: National Audubon Society

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Author: Jon Kuzma

Lets stop all the criticism of Jay Cutler for two second and accept the facts about Cutler’s time in Chicago. The Bears are an absolute train wreck and no matter who was at QB, Chicago was going to struggle especially the last four seasons. A lot of the blame in Chicago fell out Jay Cutler’s shoulders but to be honest Cutler is still a pretty exceptional player. Cutler has thrown for an impressive 32,467 passing yards and 208 touchdowns in his career. That’s over 10 thousand yards and 102 touchdowns more than Ryan Tannehill has thrown for and while Colin Kaepernick is also a competent choice for Miami’s quarterback opening. Keep mind Cutler has thrown for 20 thousand yards and 135 more touchdowns than Kaepernick has. When you factor in that Cutler has a strong rapport with Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase, you can begin to see why Miami is confident that Jay Cutler can be their starting quarterback for the 2017 season. Ultimately that’s why the Dolphins have contacted Jay Cutler’s agent Bus Cook and it appears both sides are working towards a contact. This deal wouldn’t even be discussed had Ryan Tannehill not re-injured his knee this week in practice. However the Dolphins clearly weren’t comfortable turning the offense over full time to Matt Moore or Miami wouldn’t have contacted Cutler in the first place. You don’t bring in Jay Cutler to be a back up quarterback behind Matt Moore. As good as Matt Moore has been in his limited role, it’s obvious Miami likes him as the number 2 man more than the starter. Maybe the best news of all for the Dolphins is Jay Cutler has a lot more arm strength than Tannehill has. So if Miami does sign Cutler there offense will get a huge boost in the vertical passing game. Which should result in an increase in points scored from the Dolphins offense in 2017. In the end landing Cutler could actually make the Dolphins a much better team.

Charity of the day: National Kidney Foundation

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Author: Jon Kuzma

The NFL’s cultural bias problem is quickly spiraling out of control and it’s becoming an alarming issue for the league. Colin Kaepernick a player who put up 16 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions last season, proving he is overwhelmingly competent to play in the NFL can’t find a job with any team. The NFL won’t sign Kaepernick because he decided to take a knee during the nation anthem in several games last year. Whether or not you agree with Kaepernick he has undoubtedly suffered to some magnitude because of his own culture and race. The NFL wants you to act how they do things in the white communities. Kaepernick wen’t against the grain and was true to how he was feeling and that immediately was deemed as something unfit for the “white cultural way of doing things”. If you don’t believe there is a standard the NFL is trying to set with Kaepernick than take a look at Terrell Owens. Terrell Owens recorded 15,934 receiving yards and 153 career receiving touchdowns. Owens is hands down the most productive receiver the league has ever seen outside of Jerry Rice yet guys like Kurt Warner are getting in the Hall of Fame before Owens. To disrespect a guy (Owens) who loved the game so much, he slept in a hyperbaric chamber to come back from an injury to play in a Super Bowl is absurd. Owens set the bar with his peak physical fitness and consistent offense play. To put Kurt Warner above Terrell Owens lets you know how much politics gave a boost to Warner and how much they destroyed Owens. Coincidentally those politics fall perfectly in line with the “white cultural way of doing things” which the NFL Hall of Fame committee is punishing Owens for not following. Things weren’t nearly as bad when Paul Tagliabue was the commissioner and Goodell has made a living off punishing African Americans who make up the majority (70%) of his league. How did the NFL get so out of touch with the players who built this league into what it is today? It’s hard to say but one thing is for certain the NFL is being untruthfully to the game when the best players aren’t recognized for their success.

Charity of the day: National Kidney Foundation

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Author: Jon Kuzma

The goods news for the 2017 Hall of Fame Game is the fact that the event actually happened. If you don’t remember the NFL had to cancel the Hall of Fame Game a year ago because the paint on the field started to congeal and was hard as cement. Ultimately the league deemed the field as a risk to the player’s health and that led to the NFL canceling the contest which also serves as the first preseason game of the year. 2017 went much more smoothly and out of the gate Blaine Gabbert was surprisingly sharp for the Cardinals offense. Gabbert finished the night with 11 completions out of 14 passing attempts for 185 yards. Maybe the most notable thing about Gabbert’s big night was the fact that he threw the football extremely well, not only did the former Jaguar and 49er have a high completion percentage he also showed off some excellent throw power. Arizona scored two quick touchdowns in the first quarter due to Kerwynn Williams and Andre Ellington’s efforts. However it was Gabbert’s execution of the offense that put this team in scoring position on those particular drives. Dallas also got a decent performance from their starting quarterback for the night Kellen Moore. Moore finished the match up with 12 completions out of 18 passing attempts for 182 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. That one touchdown pass went to former Baylor basketball player Rico Gathers who is successfully making the transition to NFL tight end. Gathers looked extremely gifted on his touchdown catch and the former college hooper has a bright future as an NFL pass catcher. Brice Butler also had a decent night for Dallas leading the team in receiving yards with 78 yards. While fellow teammate Uzoma Nwachukwu caught the Cowboys other touchdown from third string quarterback Cooper Rush. Defensively Rudy Ford had 9 tackles for Arizona, while Alex Bazzie record 8 tackles too. The Cowboys got a solid output defensively from Cornerback Anthony Brown who had 2 tackles and 1 sack. Byron Jones also played well for Dallas recording 5 tackles as well. The Cowboys looked sluggish early on but give credit to this team for hanging around and then seizing the moment late in the fourth quarter. It’s never easy to battle back when you fall behind in the first quarter but Dallas never gave up and that’s why this team walked away with a week 1 preseason win.

Charity of the day: Project HOPE

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Author: Jon Kuzma

We are only about a week into full time NFL practices and there have been a number of injuries around the league reminding fans just how difficult it is to stay healthy in pro football. Sterling Shepard, Forrest Lamp, Will Fuller, Dominique Easley, and now Ryan Tannehill have all went down with injuries at their training camp practices and it becomes obvious how brutal the sport can be. Now to be fair some of these setbacks were non-contact injuries but regardless it’s safe to say that health as much a part of the game as any other factor. Out of all the injuries mentioned above you have to be really concerned with the Dolphins losing Tannehill just because it’s the quarterback position effected. It’s hard to have a winning team when your starting quarterback is sidelined for the majority of the season. While we don’t know whether or not Tannehill will miss the entire year? It’s become apparent that Tannehill has been battling a nagging knee injury and that was the reason he couldn’t finish the 2016 season. The Dolphins have a good back up in Matt Moore, who can keep Miami competitive. However this team will still miss Ryan Tannehill for most of the year if their best arm can’t go on game day. Another major setback is the Texans losing Will Fuller. Outside of DeAndre Hopkins Fuller was the Texans best chance of putting up some production through the air. After a full season of NFL experience under his belt Fuller was expected to take the next step in his own development. Instead it looks like Fuller will be sidelined for all 2017 with a broken collar bone and that means Braxton Miller has to step up and provide the Texans with something offensively. Miller had less than 100 yards for the entire 2016 season so the former Ohio State Buckeye has a long ways to go. As far as the other guys on this list are concerned injury wise Forrest Lamp and Dominqiue Easley will both be huge losses just because they solidified the Chargers and Rams in the offensive and defensive trenches. If you can’t win at the line of scrimmage you will run into problems in the NFL and losing Lamp and Easley was a major loss for each Los Angeles team. Proving further more that in order to win in the NFL you have to stay healthy and keep your best players on the field.

Charity of the day: Project HOPE

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