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Author: Jon Kuzma

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After a bad start to the off-season which included a video of Odell Beckham Jr. partying a little too hard. Everyone started to get on OBJ about his lifestyle and for being a constant distraction to the New York Giants. Since that has happened though Beckham Jr. has been a perfect example of everything you want from a leader. The high profile receiver showed up to all of the Giants organized team activities and practices without a new contract and really put his ego aside. That effort on Beckham’s behalf won over Pat Shurmur, Dave Gettleman, and John Mara. Now both sides are hashing out the details of a new agreement and the early reports are Beckham Jr. wants to make at least $20M annually. Antonio Brown is currently the highest paid receiver at $17M per year so if Beckham has it his way he will reset the market. The good news is Beckham Jr. appears to be staying with the team that drafted him after some rumors came out that Big Blue was shopping number 13 Truthfully that’s the best course of action for both sides because this organization needs Beckham Jr.’s talents and the 25 year old (Beckham) will benefit from continuing to build rapport with Eli Manning. Why break everything up when the Giants / Beckham combination has done nothing but produce positive results? There was no need for that to happen and it seems like New York’s front office just put that trade speculation out there to humble Beckham a little bit. At the moment it seems to be a strategy that has worked and now everything appears much better for all parties involved. We’ll see if Odell Beckham Jr. can maintain his composure once the games start being played though? That’s when his emotions will really be tested and maybe we will be writing a complete opposite article a couple of months from now? For the time being though Beckham does deserve a lot of praise he’s definitely shown some maturity recently.

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When the pressure was on Odell Beckham Jr. turned into a better leader. The Giants receiver deserves a lot of credit for that.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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Detroit Lions General Manager Bob Quinn put an emphasis on improving the team’s offense in this year’s past draft. First Quinn took Frank Ragnow out of Arkansas (center) and then the Lions scooped up the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year in Kerryon Johnson (running back). Together those two players are going to inject a little explosiveness in Detroit’s offensive attack. Johnson in particular has been very impressive during his work outs in Allen Park. When you watch Johnson run there’s definitely a little bit of Le’Veon Bell’s running style in the rookie’s game. Just like Bell Johnson runs upright and seems to be a little bit high while carrying the football. However Kerry Johnson is very smooth and it’s hard to get a clean hit on him. Expect to see a patient running back who can jump cut and reverse the field when you watch the Lions play. It’s not just his running abilities either, Johnson is a complete tailback. He can block and has showed good instincts when it comes to picking up the blitz. Johnson also does a great job of catching the ball out of the backfield so there’s many facets and layers to the former Auburn ball carrier. It seems like Johnson will beat out LeGarrette Blount for the starting running back job in the Motor City. Blount will still get touches down by the goal line but Kerryon Johnson has really asserted himself throughout these early practices. Detroit could be a team that surprises people because we all know Matthew Stafford can get it done through the air. Now the Lions have a ground presence which can at least be competitive. When you also factor in the offensive line is looking really good too it appears this rushing attack might be more than just competitive though. Bob Quinn completely overhauled that area of this ball club and now they are a force to be reckoned with. Kerry Johnson and some tough blocking upfront are two of the biggest reasons why.

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Kerryon Johnson is showing he’s the total package. There’s a reason he was the SEC Player of the Year.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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The Cleveland Browns traded former first round draft pick Corey Coleman to the Buffalo Bills for an undisclosed amount of draft picks. While those future picks will definitely help build this roster, it was surprising to see Coleman dealt. With Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, and Corey Coleman the Browns had a legitimate shot at having the best receiving core in football. It seems like trading Coleman away puts a dent in Cleveland’s chances of a wining season. However the Browns understand they have to win now. After only recording one win over their past two years they know that more than anything. Which means this front office definitely has another trick up their sleeve and it’s very likely that trick is former Cowboys standout Dez Bryant. Bryant could come in and keep this organization’s high expectations afloat. With all of the positive momentum the Browns have had over the past four or five months the cherry on top of all that would be signing Bryant. It almost seems too good to be true but why would Coleman be sent to Buffalo if that isn’t the case? If it’s just for some late round future draft picks that doesn’t seem like the best course of action so there’s definitely some other part to this story. The good news is if you’re a Bills fan the team’s receivers just got better. Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones, and Corey Coleman definitely have the potential to do some damage. If Josh Allen can mature quickly there’s a good chance this offense will shine on the big stage. After coming off a lackluster offensive playoff performance that’s exactly what Buffalo needs. As for the Browns get ready for the arrival of Dez Bryant and it’ll be interesting to see if he can succeed in a new system? The doubters think Bryant is losing a step but his play this year will tell the true story.

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The Cleveland Browns traded Corey Coleman and make a roster spot for Dez Bryant.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden has recently criticized Martavis Bryant saying the wide receiver needs to “play better.” The Raiders traded a third round draft pick for Bryant this off-season and that’s not exactly what Oakland had in mind when they gave up a valuable asset to acquire the troubled pass catcher. Based off Bryant’s poor track record Reggie McKenzie and Jon Gruden should’ve known better than giving up such a high pick. So while Gruden is blaming Bryant, the coach and front office have to hold themselves accountable too. Not to mention if Martavis Bryant is suspended again he’ll end up missing an entire year of action. Which proves there was just too much risk involved in this deal and the Raiders really dropped the ball. When a new regime takes over the last thing you need is an early mistake to tarnish your reign. Jon Gruden is known for being a very hands on type of guy and there’s no way he didn’t have some input into this decision. Why would he let McKenzie pull the trigger on this agreement when the outcome was so easy to predict? The Raiders will now have to overcome the lack of production from Bryant by relying on Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson even more. Obviously it would have been nice to have a third option behind those two guy who could also make an impact. There’s still a chance Bryant can be that player but he has to show a lot more at training camp. The other receivers have been playing really well and are starting to cut into Bryant’s reps. Therefore Bryant could find himself buried down the depth chart before we know it and that means either Ryan Switzer, Johnny Holton, or Seth Roberts will fill that role. Raiders fans have to be frustrated with Bryant but they should be flat out angry with McKenzie and Gruden because those two football minds have way too much experience to make such an ill-advised decision. Charity of the day: Prostate Cancer Foundation

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The Oakland Raiders should’ve known better than trading a 3rd round pick for Martavis Bryant. They have no one to blame but themselves:

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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The New Orleans Saints played a good enough game to beat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs last year but that’s when the Minnesota Miracle took place. Case Keenum completed a pass along the right sidelines to Stefon Diggs and Marcus Williams had a shot to make the tackle and advance the Saints to the next round. Instead Williams whiffed on the hit and Diggs was off to the races for a game winning touchdown. Most people will remember Williams botching that play but people forget he had a pretty good season up to that point. Williams recorded 4 interceptions as a rookie and showed a ton of promise the whole year. Now after having his football reputation drug through the mud Williams plans on coming back better than ever. That’s been apparent early on at Saints training camp. Marcus Williams has been a ball hawk and Drew Brees even went as far as comparing Williams to Ed Reed. While that might be a stretch it still says two things about Williams. First Brees believes in the safety enough to praise him and build up his confidence. It also proves Williams is a very good defender and the future Hall of Fame quarterback knows his team will need the emerging defensive back at some point. It’ll be interesting to see how Marcus Williams responds to all this adversity because he has a chance to really set the record straight. If he overcomes the Minnesota Miracle and becomes one of the better safeties in the league people will talk about how much the 21 year old endured? On the other hand if Williams confidence is forever tainted by that one bad play it could hold this guy back for a very long time. Nobody wants to see that though and it’s just another great story line as we head into the new season.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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The New England Patriots felt good after the 2018 draft was finished. Bill Belichick selected Isaiah Wynn and Sony Michel early on and that seemed to be a successful night for this organization. However now Sony Michel is struggling a little bit and there’s definitely some concerns regarding the ball carrier’s health. Michel underwent a knee procedure and he’ll be out of action for at least the next ten days. Remember New England just cut Jordan Matthews because he had an injury so the coaching staff can’t be happy with Michel’s progress. To make matters even worse it seemed like the former Georgia running back’s feet were a little sluggish when he was a participant in camp. The Patriots have players like James White and Rex Burkhead who looked much smoother than Sony Michel did. Even though Michel is a rookie it appears he’s got a ways to go before he becomes a real contributor in this offense. Now maybe Sony Michel recovers sooner than expected and proves us all wrong at some point. At the moment though Michel is off to a slow start and that’s not how you want to kick off your NFL career. Obviously it’s too soon to label Michel a bust or anything like that but Belichick can’t be pleased and that’s never a good sign. With the bad momentum building against Michel he’ll have to bounce back and minimize it to the best of his abilities. Pro football is so competitive and there’s always some newcomer that is looking to take your job. Sony Michel has to prove his value to this franchise or things could spiral out of control before we know it. It’s happened so many times before in the NFL and that’s something the rookie has to be conscious of. This is such a huge opportunity for Michel and he has to find a way to make the most of it.

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Sony Michel is one rookie running back that has some ground to make up.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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Well it hasn’t taken very long for Courtland Sutton to prove he can be an effective player in the National Football League. Sutton has shown off his athletic abilities throughout Broncos training camp and he’s developing some good rapport with Case Keenum. The rookie out of Southern Methodist University has already caught a number of touchdowns and he’s revealing once again he can be a competent red zone target. This guy is fast and his big frame makes it hard for defenders to get around him to bat down passes. Maybe the thing that stands out most about Courtland Sutton is his ability to high point the football. Case Keenum knows he can throw it up high and let Sutton go up and make the acrobatic grab. Opposing defensive coordinators will have to game plan to prevent Sutton from making those type of catches or it’s going to be a long day. To be honest it feels like Sutton will end up dethroning Emmanuel Sanders for the starting receiver spot opposite of Demaryius Thomas. Sanders isn’t a bad player by any means but he’s 31 years old and his window is starting to close. It seems like Sanders would be better suited in the slot and Sutton is a big receiver so you really want to play him on the outside. You have to be impressed with this group as a whole though because there’s a lot of depth. All of that tilts the odds in Keenum’s favor and it looks like Denver is going to be leaps and bounds better than they’ve been the past couple of seasons offensively. Just imagine when Sutton does surpass Sanders the Broncos will have two 6’3” receivers out wide (Thomas and Sutton). Defensive backs are going to have a tough time matching up with that height advantage.

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Courtland Sutton is the real deal and now the Broncos have some talented wide receivers.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Carson Wentz hasn’t been a full participant in practice lately and it’s becoming clear that Wentz isn’t ready to go yet. The Eagles are adamant that this is just a precaution on their behalf because they don’t want to rush Wentz back. However the writing on the wall tells a different story and it’s clear Carson Wentz hasn’t recovered from the ACL and LCL tear that sidelined him at the end of last season. There’s no sense in Philadelphia trying to hurry this guy back because they would only be putting Wentz at risk. Which means you almost have to believe Nick Foles will be the starter for week one against the Atlanta Falcons. If Wentz can’t practice and he sits out all of the preseason games it would be foolish to throw him into the fire for the regular season opener. It just seems too risky and there’s a good chance Carson Wentz would get hurt again. So now you’re starting to look at this setback and wondering when Wentz will be ready to play again? To be honest it feels like the second half of the season would be ideal but even then Wentz might need more time. We’ve seen Ryan Tannehill try to rush back from a similar knee injury and actually do further damage to the ligaments in his leg. Why would the Eagles risk that with Carson Wentz? From a long term perspective that definitely isn’t the best course of action but it feels like Philadelphia wants to Wentz on the field immediately. That’s not in Carson Wentz’s best interest though and it’s a shame the third year quarterback is being put in such an unfair situation. He deserves time to recover before he goes out there and puts his body on the line.

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Carson Wentz is behind schedule and the Eagles are trying to down play that.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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The Baltimore Ravens knew that a win in the Hall of Fame game would be good momentum for their team regardless if it was the preseason or not. Thankfully because of Robert Griffin III and Lamar Jackson that was possible. Griffin III had a decent outing throwing for 58 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Then Jackson entered the contest and threw for 33 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interceptions. Obviously with those stats it’s easy to see it wasn’t the most impressive offensive outing but the Ravens won the game and that’s all that matters. Make no mistake about it that’s big for Baltimore’s confidence and now they just need to keep building on that. Rookie Hayden Hurst showcased his talents a little bit hauling in a TD reception and proving he has a knack for getting open. Maxx Williams was the other guy who scored for the Ravens on a five yard touchdown grab. Tyler Bray actually played really well for Chicago throwing for 181 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. Chase Daniel on the other hand struggled a little bit for the Bears with a couple of turnovers (2 interceptions). Tanner Gentry and Michael Burton were the players who helped get in the end zone for Matt Nagy’s team. Gentry finished with 3 receptions for 19 yards while Michael Burton had 2 catches for 7 yards. Overall it was a sloppy game to watch. There was penalties called on safeties for making clean hits that shouldn’t have been flagged. The offensive execution as a whole wasn’t that good either. Still though it was nice to actually see a football game take place after all that time off and things are finally getting underway. It was a step towards getting football back in our life full time and sports fans have to be happy about that. You also have to give credit to the Ravens for getting the job done. It wasn’t easy but they pulled it out.

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The Baltimore Ravens win the Hall of Fame game after Robert Griffin III and Lamar Jackson throw for touchdowns.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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Some wide receivers excel at running vertical routes and blowing by defenders. Eric Decker on the other hand is a sure handed receiver who does his best work over the middle. That’s why it’s so huge that Decker decided to join forces with Bill Belichick because the Patriots have made a living off optimizing the value of guys like Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Deion Branch. It feels like Decker would do pretty well in a similar role and that’s most likely why Belichick released Jordan Matthews and picked up the former Titan (Decker). Eric Decker put together three 1,000 yard seasons during his career so he’s been a reliable target on the gridiron. The problem is Decker is starting to get older (31) and his last big season came back in 2015. That proves it’s somewhat of a long shot Decker will turn things around but New England is definitely his best chance to do so. If Tom Brady and Decker get in on the same page then there’s a real opportunity to put some points on the board. New England emphasizes route running and both sides are almost like a match made in heaven. If Amendola had some of his best stats in this offense Decker should be even better. Eric Decker comes into the situation with a much more polished resume than Danny Amendola did when he was penciled into the Patriots line up. One of the biggest factors whether or not Decker has success will be if he is in shape? Decker needs to turn back the clock a little bit and you do that by taking your conditioning to the next level. By going the extra mile in off-season work outs you can prepare better than your opponents. Those are things Eric Decker must do well if he really wants to make a splash with his new team.

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Don’t be surprised if Eric Decker meshes perfectly with the New England Patriots.