The present NBA season has been suspended by the Coronavirus that has invaded the country. The virus sweeping through and infecting many while imprisoning most. The conditions around us did not stop the Chicago Bulls from making a game changer type of move to their front office. Some will say it took the bloody apocalypse finally to make a decision to end the two man puppet show of John Paxson and Gar Forman. Most are familiar with dumb and dumber, aka GARPAX, that has been running this basketball organization into the ground for more than two decades. Finally enough was enough and the Reinsdorf clan actually made a significant move that was heard throughout the NBA. The Bulls were able to pry Arturas Karnisovas away from the Denver Nuggets front office.

Arturas Karnisovas is the man with the plan and will take over the Bulls front office as Head of Basketball Operations. The 48 year old spent six seasons in Denver. The last two seasons, Karnisovas served as the Nuggets General manager constructing an NBA team on the rise in the West. Lots of interesting talent assembled by Arturas Karnisovas. He also served as the team’s Assistant General Manager and VP of Basketball Operations during that six years in Denver. Before the Nuggets, Karnisovas was Director of Scouting for the Rockets for five years. Karnisovas also dabbled in the NBA league office before the job with the Rockets where he spent 4 years.

Arturas Karnisovas was born in Lithuania. Arturas came over to the states and played college ball at Seton Hall. After college, Karnisovas played basketball overseas for more than ten years professionally. Karnisovas definitely has a connection to international players. The Nuggets roster is filled with them. Jamal Murray and Trey Lyles from Canada. Karnisovas found a diamond in the ruff in Torrey Craig, who is from Australia. Serbian big man, Nikola Jokic was a second rounder unheard of, and he’s done very well. Karnisovas likes a certain physical profile of players he likes. Versatile skills and intangibles like dedication, motivation, and team first guys.

Arturas Karnisovas will have plenty of work to do. The Bulls have one of the smallest front office personnel departments in the league. Expansion will be on the list of improvements. Karnisovas will be looking for a new General Manager. What will Karnisovas do with Head Coach, Jim Boylen? Will this move the Bulls made get Lauri Markkanen back on board with the organization? Markkanen gave his displeasure of the direction the Bulls organization was going, not too long ago. As for GARPAX you think they would be thrown to the curb of the ongoing dumpster fire they created all these years. John Paxson will have an advisory role. Gar Forman’s future is unclear right now. We know Jerry Reinsdorf does not like to fire his Lieutenants. I’m sure Gar Forman will resurface somewhere, hopefully just behind the pretzel cart in a paper hat. Today I could say I may find my Bulls jersey at the bottom of the hamper to see if it’s even still there. I need to see more by the Bulls before I run it through the wash.

• 

• 

Over the years many wanted to see Tom Brady face Drew Brees in a Superbowl, including myself. When the New Orleans Saints faced the LA Rams in the NFC conference championship in 2019, I thought it was going to happen. The play that stands out in that game toward the end was the Rams defender mugging the Saints receiver resulting in no flag. It was the call that broke the Saints’ back, ending their season in dramatic fashion. Rams went on to face the Patriots in a snooze fest of a Superbowl. Not even Janet Jackson’s boob popping out would have awakened the audience in that game. That Superbowl will never happen now since Tom Brady is in the NFC with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both quarterbacks playing well into their 40’s. Both of them are close in most NFL quarterback all-time stats. Since the Buccaneers play in the same division with the Saints, now they will face each other twice a year. It’s setting up both these quarterbacks for the final show down. It’s like going to be an old fashion shoot out at the koo koo corall at high noon. Unless it’s a three o’clock game. Most likely would be one of the prime time night games.

Brady and Brees have met a grand total of five times facing off against each other in the NFL. Before the NFL, Tom Brady’s Wolverines demolished Drew Brees’ Purdue Boilermakers 38-12 in a rain type of game that created sloppy conditions between two Big Ten teams in a fall classic. Both have never forgotten that college game, especially Drew Brees. Brees has the edge over Brady in the NFL 3-2. Tom Brady and his Evil Empire won the last two meetings. Drew Brees beat Tom Brady twice in a Charger uniform before he even came to the Big Easy. In 2009 Drew Brees in a Saints uniform led his team over the Brady Patriots in old fashioned butt whipping. Tom Brady made a comeback to seal the deal over the last meeting between the Saints and Patriots in a game that went back and forth.

When it comes to the playoffs between both Tom Brady and Drew Brees, Brady stands out by a land side between the two. Tom Brady has six Superbowl rings compared to Drew Brees’ one ring. Drew Brees has played in only 16 play off games over his career and he has an 8-8 record as the starting quarterback. Tom Brady has started in 41 playoff games in his career and has gone 30-11 in those games. Both quarterbacks have never played each other in the post season. Only chance of that happening was Drew Brees in a Charger uniform. With Tom Brady inked to a two year deal in Tampa Bay, will you see the Buccaneers and Saints meet in the playoffs?

All-time Regular season stats is where both these quarterbacks are neck in neck with each other like some horse race coming down to the nose. Who will flinch first is the question. If one of these guys retires first, the other guy will have most of the stat titles for a quarterback. Right now Brees leads Brady in touch down passes 547 to 541. Brees missed five games last season so he could have had a few more to his tally. Look at passing yards where Brees leads that category 77, 416 to Brady’s 74, 571. Other interesting stats are Tom Brady has the slight edge over comebacks versus Drew Brees. Brady 36 to Brees 35. Game winning drives Drew Brees has 50 of those compared to only 45 from Tom Brady. Drew Brees also has the better completion percentage at 67.6% over Tom Brady’s 63.8%. Overall record behind center in regular season, Tom Brady is the guy. Tom Brady is 219-64 which is just sickening. Drew Brees has 163-111 record in regular season play.

We know Tom Brady is 42 years of age and has a two year deal in Tampa Bay. Drew Brees is 41 years of age and inked only a one year deal. Barring any injuries and hoping the Coronavirus does not change the scheduling, these two will face each other two times in regular season. It would be cool to see the Buccaneers and Saints go at it in the playoffs. Beyond this year, does the Saints move on from Drew Brees in favor of Taysom Hill who has been waiting patiently? At least this season it would be Good versus Evil. The Buccaneers will now be pirates creating havoc on their travels instead of what we are used to in Tampa Bay, some rated G film of some sissy version of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Tom Brady instantly turns the Buccaneers into the bad guys. Drew Brees, the good guy, giving 5 million dollars to New Orleans to help against Coronavirus. While Tom Brady is checking out his surround sound in one of Derek Jeter’s mansions in Florida. It will be high noon for Shane versus Jesse James on Bourbon Street in an epic shoot out for all the marbles. Let’s hope good prevails over evil.

The whole world has been dealing with a virus that has affected many and has taken lots of lives in its deadly path. The Corona Virus has forced towns to shut down across the nation and overseas. You would think with what is going on in the world, that it would keep all the crazies in check. Perhaps postpone their bad intentions. In the criminal mind, these trying times are a perfect time to strike. In a New Mexico gas station named Chucky’s, a 22 year old male named Daniel Arroyo Beltran had an interest in some kids that got off the Greyhound bus with their mother. There were three kids all together. Beltran wanted two of the kids and on March 26, 2020 an opportunity presented itself, and he pounced on them like a vulture pecking away at leftover road kill smashed on the highway by a Peterbilt truck. Chaos erupted at the gas station as Beltran made his move for the baby and a three year old. Across the street at another gas station, Beltran did not know that the District wrestling champion from Mayfield High was filling up his gas tank.

Beltran quickly snatched the three year old by his arm and yelled at the mother to hand the baby over. Customers outside raced to rescue the mother and her kids. Beltran quickly disposed of these good samaritans punching a man and woman. Across the street the Wrestler was done at the pump and heard the commotion. The mother quickly took her kids inside Chucky’s gas station. Inside people tried to intervene and put a stop to Beltran’s madness as he made his way inside. It did not work as Beltran went fisticuffs again with another customer. That customer probably gave that mother and her kids enough time to lock themselves in the employee’s room as they hoped and prayed that authorities would be there shortly. Customers tried to throw things at Beltran. Nothing could stop his rampage and pursuit of the mother and kids as he fought off a broom handle at one point and continued on like a Terminator mission to capture John Connor. The episode may have lasted under ten minutes but it seemed like a lifetime for the kids and the mother scared for their lives in a small town called Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Then the doors opened as a hero walked inside the gas station like he has been there before. Canaan Bower a 16 year old wrestler high school student saves the day. Bower grabbed Beltran, brought him down to the ground, and pinned him. I would like to think the clerk gave the “1-2-3 count you’re out” sign. Bower had Beltran pinned until the Police finally arrived on the scene and collected the 22 year old waste of sperm. Canaan Bower had to have ice water in his veins to enter Chucky’s like a first responder and let his instincts take over from the wrestling mat. The way Bower took the scum to the ground using what he learned in the sport of wrestling, instead of trying to punch the guy. Most would have gone for the punch as their anger guides them instead of instinct in a heated moment like that.

Back in high school I had a cup of coffee in the sport of Wrestling. I was a tall skinny kid in the 125 pound weight class. I never wrestled in an actual match because I was overweight. I was 127, they wanted me to lose weight, but I was 6 feet tall. I was skin and bones and needed cheeseburgers to put some meat on my frame instead of calling Jenny Craig. I quit and moved on to other things. In my neighborhood some of these wrestlers that wrestled in high school were just pricks and looking for fights. Who knows what these guys would have done if they entered the store as a group and saw Beltran’s rampage. The great wrestlers that I knew, besides the rotten apples, from back in the days and like Canaan Bower are on another level in life. Like the fire fighters who climbed the stairs in the World Trade Center during 9/11. The front lines of doctors and nurses helping all the victims of the Coronavirus. Canaan Bower is the type of person that will help the nation get through the Coronavirus. Bower has a bright future in his life. I can see this not being his last great headline in life.

Many quarterback options left available in the free agency market. What are the Bengals going to do with the “Red Rifleman” Andy Dalton? Is journeyman Brian Hoyer the answer for the Evil Empire Patriots? Are the Chargers going to hand the ball to Tyrod Taylor? Some teams will want a bridge type of quarterback for their team. A guy that will drive the car and help mold a young quarterback prospect.A guy that will hand over the keys without being a disruption to the team. Two quarterbacks on the market have played in the Superbowl. One of them has won the Superbowl. Plus you have a guy that threw 30 touchdown passes last season and is just about to enter his prime, young and healthy. These quarterbacks may be plucked after the NFL draft when teams know what they have and what they need. It brings up the big question about these guys that have done some great things in the game. Why are they still out there?

After signing the big deal after he won the Superbowl for the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, it’s been downhill for Joe Flacco. Flacco led the Ravens to the playoffs six times. Flacco brought his team to three AFC Championship games, which includes a 10-5 record in the playoffs. Flacco won seven of those ten games on the road. Flacco was the MVP of that Superbowl victory. The Ravens knew Flacco was on the downside of his career and they drafted Lamar Jackson. The way Flacco looked at Jackson not embracing him in his arrival to Baltimore. You can understand the guy is going to take your job. Lamar Jackson did take Flacco’s job with poor play by Joe and an injury. Flacco was dealt to Denver. After eight games of the rocky mountain high, Flacco was just average, nothing special. Had that kind of Jay Cutler thing going of “I don’t give a crap just keep depositing the money in my account every week. Flacco never made a pro bowl. His regular season numbers overall don’t jump off the charts. During playoffs he is a different animal. Denver found their guy in Drew Lock. Flacco has been shown the door in Denver after one season. Flacco is damaged goods right now with the hip injury a few years back and poor play. Would you want Flacco around a quarterback you’re developing? I think his play behind center these days is the reason he will not be in some teams’ plans for a starting quarterback. I can’t see him holding a clip board. Plus at 35 years old it might be time to put him out to pasture.

Cam Newton in my book is just a glorified fantasy football quarterback. Newton has a strong arm. Newton can score himself on goal line situations because being a bigger guy he is hard to bring down. Injuries sidelined Newton last season as he only played in two games. Cam Newton when things are going great he act likes like Superman soaking all the cheers in like a leach sucking out your blood. Then when things go south you’re dealing with a bipolar type of person. He’s like a kid taking his ball home to dodge questions from the press. The way Newton treated that female reporter trying to sound like she did not belong there. My biggest sticking point about Cam Newton is from the biggest game of his career. The biggest stage of them all, the Superbowl. Newton helped get the Panthers to the big game. Late in the game, the fumble Newton did not dive on. In a close game he did not want to get hurt. In the Superbowl everything is chucked out the window. You’re risking everything to help win that trophy for your team. With the Coronavirus lurking, will it delay Newton from getting another job after being released by the Panthers? Teams need to see how his injuries are progressing and if they have healed completely. My opinion is I don’t want my quarterback being a prima donna. Not sure I want him infesting my younger quarterback with bad habits. My biggest question is why former head coach, now Washington Redskins head coach, Ron Rivera who knows more about Cam than Cam, did not trade for him? Rivera was quick on the draw to trade for Cam Newton’s back up quarterback Kyle Allen.

I just cannot imagine being an Uber driver and having a athlete who is a muscular big guy, all of a sudden start groping you behind the wheel. Is the groping the tip? No thanks, Jameis Winston. Then he stole crab legs from a grocery store. Jameis Winston before he was drafted did some questionable things in college. This brings me to believe this guy has bad character. As a team will I have to keep Chico’s bail bonds on speed dial if I signed a Jameis Winston?

Besides being a nut job, Jameis Winston is only 26 years old. Winston has 5 seasons under his belt all with the team that drafted him, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Winston has no injuries and has a strong arm with which he threw 33 touchdown passes last season. The downside is he threw 30 interceptions. By the way, Winston is the first quarterback to have the 30 for 30 thing going all-time. Then you add Winston’s 5 fumbles which adds up to 35 turnovers from one guy. Six of those 30 interceptions were returned for a pick six. Phillip Rivers had a bad year, he threw a ton of interceptions, the Colts signed him to a one year deal and he’s a guy closing on 40 years old. Jameis Winston is by far the most intriguing guy on the market because he is 26 years old. You can say Bruce Arians was unable to fix Winston. Maybe Bruce Arians did some good work because Winston threw a career high in touchdown passes. If Winston can behave himself off field and cut those interceptions in half, he might be worth it.

I’m surprised the Chicago Bears did not jump all over the Red Rifleman. Did GM Ryan Pace get warned that the Red Ryder will shoot his eye out?

Not sure what the Bengals intentions are with Andy Dalton. Some reports say they may keep Dalton and use him as the bridge type quarterback when they draft Joe Burrow. Maybe the Bengals think they can get more for Andy Dalton if they hold on to him after the draft. Dalton did not have such a great season last year. The team was riddled with injuries especially to the play-makers and the offensive line. Andy Dalton is 32 years old and has helped the Bengals to five straight playoff berths over his career.Andy Dalton had no luck in the playoffs as he never won a game behind center. I think Andy Dalton is a good character type of guy. I think a change of scenery would relaunch his career. Dalton is very durable and has a strong arm. If you can put him in the right system and surround him with some play-makers, he can get you to the playoffs. Maybe a different coach can navigate some success out of him in the post season.

I would love to see Bill Belichick and Jameis Winston plotting on the side line. Bad citizens and rejects or misfit toys always play better for the Patriots. It’s like boot camp with Bill Belichick as the drill Sergeant. Patriots are in need of something besides what they got unless they plan to fold up and rebuild. I can see the Chargers getting their bang for their buck giving Newton or Winston a go on a one year “prove it” deal. You can’t be happy if the Chargers are going into the season with Tyrod Taylor as the guy. That will just irritate your two fans they do have and now you’re stuck with extra Charger gear that you’ll donate to some Middle Eastern terrorist cell with old Rivers jerseys. Only Andy Dalton I would want backing up my guy or younger quarterback. Dalton should be a starter for somebody. It may take an injury for one of these guys to get picked up. Maybe they will all end up watching football with Colin Kaepernick on the couch. Does Kaepernick kneel at home when the National Anthem plays before the game?

Chase Daniels has been a career back up quarterback in the NFL for ten years. This off season Daniels is taking his duties to the Detroit Lions for a three year deal worth 13.5 million dollars. Chase Daniels will be the number two quarterback for the lions and back up Matthew Stafford. Last year Daniels was a back up to Mitch Trubisky on the Chicago Bears. Daniels has only started 5 games in the NFL. Daniels has not even tossed ten touchdown passes in the league. Daniels financially has racked up 34.3 million dollars in his career and it is not how he plays on the field.

Daniels knows how to read the play book which many players have troubles with and the understanding of all the X’s and O’s of each play. Bears brought Daniels in for two years to help them with growth of Mitch Trubisky. Head coach Matt Nagy runs a complex offense in Chicago. It’s a similar style offense to the Chiefs and Eagles. Two teams Chase Daniels has been on and he has worked with Matt Nagy before he got the head coaching job in Chicago. Matt Nagy’s play book could be the size of War and Peace as Mitch Trubisky is still trying to understand the first few chapters. In Chicago, Daniels did play a few games when Mitch Trubisky got hurt but he was more a glorified coach then an actual player. Sometimes a player may soak up more information from a teammate, perhaps a friend as well, better than the coaching staff. Daniels was that guy. On the field tutor.

Chase Daniels lacks arm strength I think to be a starter in the NFL. Chase Daniels’ five games he started he went 2-3. If Daniels has to fill in two or three games he’s a guy that can get your team a win. If it’s more games than that, I think your team is in trouble. Chase Daniels can complete the short game because he’s not the type of guy who will air out 20 yards or longer down field. Daniels has a 68% completion rate in the games he has played. Daniels has been picked off 5 times which is going to happen when back ups are trying to get their footing for the game. Plus being rusty watching most of the time mistakes will happen.

Daniels was drafted out of Missouri University. Daniels was a 4 year starter at the school and threw for 12, 515 yards which is still a school record to this day.  Daniels also tossed 101 Touch down passes during his time in Missouri. Daniels has most of the records of the school. The same school Drew Lock came out of the starting young quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Daniels college resume is what got him to the NFL.

Usually back up quarterbacks can stay stealthy for years and earn good money seeing no playing time, just riding the bench. Bears fans remember the great Jonathan Quinn a back up that came from the Chiefs like Daniels did.

Quinn started some games early on in his career with Jacksonville. Then was delegated to the back up position. Then years later he got the call and had to go out on the field where he was terrible. Quinn was 0-3 as a starter that year for the Bears. Quinn completed 51-98 which is good for a 52% completion rate. Those 51 completions were good for a meager 413 yards in 5 games he played in. Quinn did have a touchdown pass and three interceptions. The Almighty Quinn was never heard from again after the season concluded. Chase Daniels can at least play and give you some kind of chance. Daniels is not the best back quarterback in the league. Bears replaced him with the best in Nick Foles. Daniels may not be in the top ten  as a guy coming in to win a game for you. His coaching is the biggest key that has kept him in the league all these years. Daniels stays in shape, is smart and in ten years he has earned himself a retirement beach property somewhere on the waterfront. In a few years, Daniels can enjoy yachting and go anywhere he wants with most people having no idea who he is. That is the life of Reilly over the life of the Almighty Quinn.

 

Buffalo Bills acquire a legit number one threat at the wide receiver position. Bills land Stefon Diggs from Minnesota for multiple draft picks this season which include the Bills’ #1, #5, & #6. The Vikings also get the Bills’ #4 in 2021. Bills would get the Vikings’ 7th draft pick this season. Stefon Diggs is 26 years old and signed a contract extension in 2018 for another 5 seasons for 72 million. The Buffalo Bills will have Diggs through 2023 barring any injuries, trades, or extensions. Stefon Diggs is one of those disgruntled wide receivers that needs the ball and desires attention. It was no secret he wanted out of Minnesota. Buffalo will become Diggstown like the boxing movie where James Woods bets the local kingpin his guy can knock out the 20 best fighters in your town.  Diggs will be taking on his critics from Minnesota lined up like those fighters. Diggs will also have to deal with the Bills media and the mafia if things go sour.

I was expecting the Buffalo Bills to draft Josh Allen, a bigger target, even though Stefon Diggs is 6 feet tall. With Josh Allen’s inaccuracy I thought a taller target would help out the offense better.  They’d have  a guy that can reach into the skies of Buffalo and pull one down. The upcoming draft was filled with a bigger type of receivers compared to what the team has active on the roster with guys under 6 feet. Bills could still explore a taller target in the later rounds of the draft. A rotational guy. A red zone option. Stefon Diggs can do a variety of things which can work with some of Josh Allen’s strengths. Stefon Diggs is one of the best route runners in the league. Diggs’ greatest thing he does is create separation.  Separation can be a big difference maker especially if Josh Allen is on the run on broken down plays. Having Diggs with the separation and finding Allen’s eyes when he’s running big plays can happen. Plus Diggs can take a short route and turn them into big gainers.

Stefon Diggs gives the Bills a trio of wide receivers with different skill sets. It’s a talented trio of weapons as well that you can say is the best receiving  group in the division and maybe one of the tops in the AFC conference. John Brown had a huge year last season and did a little of everything. Brown is known as the burner taking the go routes deep. Then Cole Beasley gets those tough first downs as the slot guy going over the middle making clutch catch after clutch catch.Then you’re adding Diggs, a guy that can do a lot of things and draw a lot of attention. Last season Diggs caught 63 balls for 1,130 yards with six touchdown catches. He averaged 17.9 for catch. Diggs averages 73 catches 924 yards and six touchdowns a year throughout his career so far. It could any one of the three guys that have a big Sunday on any given Sunday.

I think the addition of Diggs on the offense will be able to score more points. Bills defense held many teams under 20 points each game last season. The offense had a hard times scoring 20 points per game. I think the new scenery will help Diggs as he did not see eye to eye with Kirk Cousins and others on the Vikings. I think Sean McDermott and his staff get their players to buy into their team philosophy. Former Buffalo Bill and Hall of Famer legend Jim Kelly compared this move to when the Bills brought in James Lofton. We know what happened when the Bills had Andre Reed on one side and James Lofton on the other. I think Buffalo will turn into Diggstown. A town Stefon will get sucked into and dig. The Allen Diggs combo will be just as deadly as the Kelly to Reed combo in Buffalo history. I don’t like using all those draft picks on one guy. Bills needed a legit play maker.  They got him. Plus the Bills have been doing well filling in holes with free agents.  This is a bold statement that the Bills are seeking the playoffs once again and want to go further. WELCOME TO DIGGSTOWN !!! Home of the best table slammers in the world.

I always wanted to see how Phil Jackson would fare coaching a team from scratch. Phil Jackson coached those six Chicago Bulls championships during the Michael Jordan years. Then Phil Jackson went on to L.A. For the Lakers he had Kobe Bryant and big man Shaquille O’Neal. Before the Death Star was fully functional, Bill Belichick’s first head coaching job was in Cleveland. Did Belichick get fired too soon? Sounds Cleveland Brown like. Belichick moved on and went to New England. The start of the Evil Empire. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick wrecked havoc on the league for 20 seasons. The Patriots won six Superbowl titles. Seventeen division titles. All good things must come to an end if you’re a Patriot fan. The rest of the galaxy is celebrating and hoping it will be true.

Tom Brady is moving on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Bill Belichick aka the Mastermind needs to find another quarterback.

The writing on the wall between these two egos of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick has been going on quite some time now. Signs of Tom Brady leaving this off season was him selling his house. Plus Tom Brady’s trainer selling his house. I figured the trainer lived in Brady’s pool house. Like Kato Kaelin living in OJ Simpson’s pool house. Tom Brady, being a California kid, rumors had him signing with a team from the west coast. Bruce Arians, head coach of the Buccaneers, was able to land and win the Brady sweepstakes and the Buccaneers are giving Brady a boatload of money and a two year deal. Buccaneers have plenty of weapons surrounding Tom Brady, which he lacked last year with the Patriots. Brady expressed those issues last season and stat-wise it was not a great year behind center for a guy that has 219 wins as a starting quarterback.

I think Bill Belichick wanted to do away with Tom Brady years ago. I think Jimmy Garoppolo was going to be Tom Brady’s replacement at one point.  Owner Robert Kraft, inbetween massage parlors and whore houses, probably nixed any of Wild Bill’s crazy ideas at the time. Patriots ended up trading Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers. As we all know San Francisco and Jimmy Garoppolo made it to the Superbowl and came away with a loss. Patriots also got rid of Jacoby Brissett who was the starter for the Colts last season. Now the Patriots will have to find someone to take Tom Brady’s place. Will the Patriots take a step back and reload? Perhaps draft a guy and develop their new Darkside Jedi Knight? Could Bill Belichick wheel and deal and take an option out in the free market or make some kind of trade and bring like an Andy Dalton from the Bengals?

I hope the Patriots fall flat on their faces. I hope Tom Brady, like other greats that played their last years on another team after leaving the only place they played, falls flat on his face as well. People will talk about all year about which one will have more success without each other. Will it be Tom Brady or Bill Belichick?  Could the Patriots meet the Buccaneers in the Superbowl? This would be a great story if both Belichick and Brady, opposite each other, met up in the biggest stage of them all. Could you picture Belichick coming up with a plan to dissect Tampa Bay’s high octane offense? Plus an offensive guru like Bruce Arians going up against a defensive minded Bill Belichick. Let’s also throw that Tampa Bay is home of the Superbowl next season. I can see Tom Brady being the first to get his team to make it to the grand stage being played at their homefield. What if the Patriots picked up Jameis Winston? What if Josh Daniels, the offensive coordinator, could fix Jameis Winston? Winston passed for 5,109 yards with 31 touchdown strikes. Winston also threw 30 Interceptions of which seven were returned for touchdowns. Winston made history with that 30-30 achievement, the first ever all-time to do that in the NFL. Bill Belichick does get the best out of bad citizens like what Jameis Winston is. Then you add that Jameis Winston playing in Superbowl versus the team that drafted him and cut him loose.  Plus Head Coach Bruce Arians has seen enough of Jameis Winston after just one year together. This kind of Superbowl scenario would be all the soap operas mixed into one big episode. Tom Brady could play Dr. Drake Ramoray.

If Belichick versus Brady does come into play at any time, it would be a version of Alien versus Predator.

Of course the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England might not face each other in the next two seasons. How long will Tom Brady be able to play in the NFL? After two seasons in Tampa Brady, Brady may be done and retire. Knowing the way Tom Brady’s mind works, he wants to last longer than Drew Brees. First man down, the other would have most of the NFL records all-time. In New England is the Patriots roster just in  need of a quarterback inserted in like a light bulb? Patriots have lost some players in free agency this year once again. The offense last season lacked weapons. Seems like the Patriots were in on some of those big receiver trades that occurred as Texans dealt DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals. Then the Vikings dealt Stefon Diggs to the Bills. The Patriots ended up not getting either or. If the Patriots take a step back and reload or rebuild, it might take a few seasons to get another death star to be fully functional. Tom Brady may be out of the league at that time. It may be hard to determine which one would be better without the other when it comes to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.   Maybe the best case scenario,  they both fall on hard times and lead the league with a whimper instead of a bang. Which would make many people throughout the galaxy think of it as PRICELESS!!!

 

 

The Chicago Bears have to be cursed when it comes to finding a man behind center. The best quarterback in Bears history is still Sid Luckman who played during the 1940’s. Jay Cutler might have most of the Bears passing records but we know how that turned out. It’s been decades and decades of drafting quarterbacks that have turned into hot garbage when the Bears open them up like a gift  every year from under the tree during Christmas. Then all the has-beens that walked in and out of Chicago like some kind of zombie trying to remember where they originally were drafted from. Then the Mitch Trubisky project. This project is like a spreading fungus that is destroying everything in its path. This off season the Bears had a chance with so many reliable options on the free market and through trades out there they could find a man behind center. To right the ship. Put out the fire. Ryan Page instead pours gasoline on the fire and the Bears have added the best back up quarterback in the league in Nick Foles.

Ryan Pace wanted an open competition with Mitch Trubisky this off season for the starting nod. I can see most quarterbacks giving the Bears a big  fat NO to that idea. So here we go again as we ride the Ryan Pace broken down quarterback bus with no wheels. It all started with the signing of Mike Glennon. Then Ryan Pace drafted Mitch Trubisky. Pace told Glennon he was the guy and then they draft a quarterback.

Then Pace wasted draft picks to move up one spot with the San Francisco 49ers to get Mitch Trubisky that no one had interest in that early. The same draft the Bears did not think Deshaun Watson was the better option. Yes I will say even Patrick Mahomes. Both passed up for Mitch Trubisky. The first season Mike Glennon was horrifying. It was like 4 games hard to stomach kind of play. Mitch Trubisky was inserted into the line up ever since. Trubisky’s play has not been consistent. Trubisky had some nice games in 2018. Faltered towards the end. In 2019 Mitch Trubisky was very bad. At the end of the regular season Trubisky did a little bit better versus inferior teams. This off season Ryan Pace is swinging for the fences with all his signings. Bringing in older guys. This is like the last Hail Mary with this great defense the Bears have. The Bears and Ryan Pace trade yet another draft pick away this time to Jacksonville for Nick Foles. Bears used  a 4th round draft pick as they hardly have any picks in the first place, all had been dealt. The Bears use this one to pry a back up quarterback that is being paid a lot of money. Like a starter.

Someone should tell Ryan Pace to come back to reality and get out of the year 2013. The last year Nick Foles played almost the full NFL regular season slate and did well. The last good year Jimmy Graham had when he was all pro was also in 2013. It depends who you ask about Nick Foles and about his play. Last year in Jacksonville Foles only played in 4 games and he stunk. In Philadelphia Nick Foles is a legend . Foles is the man who took down the Evil Empire in the Superbowl in 2018. Foles even has a statue of himself like Rocky in Philadelphia for what he did for the Eagles. Then Foles is the same guy who led his Eagles at the time over the Bears in that playoff game where the double doink is still heard these days on a windy day. That day at Soldiers Field, Trubisky out played Foles but Eagles prevailed over the Bears. Could Nick Foles replace another high draft pick gone wrong for GM Ryan Pace?

The Bears could have signed Teddy Bridgewater as a free agent. Bridgewater is only 27 years old and played very well last season with the New Orleans Saints filling in for Drew Brees where he was undefeated as a starter. Screw the open competition and make Bridgewater your guy. Let Trubisky stand on the sidelines and learn to take a year off to find himself. However if you do that then you’re stating the obvious that Mitch Trubisky was a bad draft pick. Even Captain Obvious can tell you the Trubisky pick is just bad. Pace and the Bears are still in denial. I thought that Andy Dalton would have been the best fit for the Bears through a trade. Dalton has ties to Bears offensive coach Bill Lazor. Dalton is 32 years old. Bears are throwing everything at this last chance which includes the kitchen sink and the garbage disposal. Dalton has been durable most times throughout his career. Dalton has made it to some pro bowls. Dalton has guided his team to the playoffs multiple times. Early playoff round exits have haunted Andy Dalton. Bears should inquire about Dalton’s services even with Nick Foles. Dalton plays regular season Foles starts in the playoffs. Trubisky can go fetch the doughnuts.

Bears brain trust plot is they hope Mitch Trubisky can win the open competition which will probably be rigged. If Mitch Trubisky breaks out and does well they keep Nick Foles on the bench. Nick Foles is the better quarterback option. Foles knows the offense better then Trubisky. Bears obviously wanted Foles because of ties he has with the coaching staff. Last season John Difilippo was the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks coach where Nick Foles was. Then Bill Lazor once again has ties to Nick Foles as well as he was the quarterbacks coach when Nick Foles was an Eagle in that 2013 season. Seems to me it is an organization divided. The front office wants Mitch Trubisky to avoid egg on their face once again in their list of flops in the first round. The coaching staff probably secretly wants Nick Foles. The problem here is can either one of these quarterbacks be the guy that gets the Bears even to the playoffs? Nick Foles can’t stay healthy. Mitch Trubisky can’t play consistent. Plus the offensive line is in shambles. Is there a door number three? Please anything.

It was only months ago I was watching the Green Bay Packers playoff game versus the San Francisco 49ers. I recall having a conversation with my brother about the Packer tight end at the time, Jimmy Graham. Once upon a time, Jimmy Graham was one of the best tight ends in the entire league. In 2013 Graham was all-pro for the New Orleans Saints; he had 86 grabs 1,215 yards receiving with 16 touchdown receptions. In 2014 his receiving yards went down had one less catch but had ten touchdown catches. Saints had Drew Brees throwing to the 6’7″ tight end who looked like a powered forward in the NBA going up high for some of those touchdowns. Jimmy Graham has always had top quarterbacks in the league throwing to him. After the Saints, Graham was traded to the Seattle where Russell Wilson threw to him.Then the last few years Aaron Rodgers threw to him in Green Bay. Since 2013 Graham has regressed every year. If Rodgers can’t get the best out of Jimmy Graham how the hell is Mitch Trubisky going to fare? Yes Bears wasted money and signed Graham to a  two year deal.

The Chicago Bears are in much need of a tight end. Trey Burton was a one year wonder in 2018 and fell off the grid in 2019. Adam Shaheen is a total bust the Bears are still in denial about. Plus Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen missed a combined 16 games last year. Bears as a group last season at tight end caught 46 balls for 416 yards with two touchdowns. Bears head coach Matt Nagy’s offense needs a tight end to make all the moving parts in his offense functional. In 2018 Trey  Burton  came from Philadelphia and was solid with 54 grabs 569 yards with six touchdowns. Jimmy Graham with Aaron Rodgers let’s not forget had 38 catches 447 yards with three touchdown catches in 2019. Which is just a tad better than the Bears tight ends as a group which some of them were MIA due to injuries.

Back to that game when the Packers were playing the 49ers in the NFC championship. My brother I were talking about how he caught the ball and was brought down by smaller cornerbacks pretty quickly and easily. Jimmy Graham of the past would break tackles and had some wheels to create separation and get yards after the catch. Jimmy Graham is 33 years old with a birthday coming up which will make him 34 years old. He’s also a tight end that can not block which makes him one dimensional. Nagy’s play calling at times has the Bears running less than ten times a game. You can say Jimmy Graham would be the best tight end in the room with the Bears. Is the best tight end in room worth 16 million dollars for two seasons with 9 million guaranteed?

This is a bad move by Ryan Pace, Bears GM. This money should have went somewhere else. Like the signing of Teddy Bridgewater. Bears need a quarterback. They need offensive line help as well in the trenches. Bears could have found a tight end through a trade. I would have rather have them  kick the tires on Eric Ebron instead of wasting money on a Graham cracker. Who will not be able to recapture the player he once was? They could even draft a tight end. I think you may be able to find something better off on the scrap heap after the draft or preseason than taking a gamble on Jimmy Graham. If Mitch Trubisky ends up  as the starting quarterback next year, how is Jimmy Graham going to put up better numbers from last season? Pace believes Mitch Trubisky will get the better of Jimmy Graham than Aaron Rodgers last year? Ryan Pace let me know what you’re smoking because you have the good stuff.

 

It did not take very long for former Bears linebacker to be plucked off the free agent market as Nick Kwiatkoski is now a part of Raider nation. Raiders add another grinder to their mix. The writing was written on the walls at Halas Hall when the Bears decided to keep Danny Trevathan over Nick Kwiatkoski. Only days ago Bears retained Trevathan’s services on a three year deal for 24 million dollars. Bears have plenty of needs and they may have thought Kwiatkoski was going to cost them more money since they passed up the younger talent of 26 years old to keep a veteran that turns 30 later this month. It was one or the other since they both play the same position of middle linebacker.  Kwiatkoski gets a three year deal to come to Las Vegas where the city of lights will have their first NFL team ever. Raiders moved from one of their long time homes of Oakland.

The Raiders defense played well in the first half of the season. They had a lot of draft picks as they sold off pieces in 2018, one of them to the Bears in Khalil Mack former teammate of Kwiatkoski. Head coach Jon Gruden used some of those picks on the Raiders defense. Raiders defense regressed in the second half of the season in 2019. One bright spot was the play of defensive end Mad Maxx Crosby, a guy they drafted in the 4th round from East Michigan. Crosby’s rookie season was amazing as he piled up ten sacks in his first season as a professional. Crosby’s play earned himself defensive rookie of the year. The Raiders were still alive at the very end of the  regular season on the bubble of making the playoffs.  Last season the Raiders had some bright spots to give this team hope in the future that they can turn it around and make the playoffs this year with what they have and adding to the mix.

Raiders land a great piece with Nick Kwiatkoski, another 4th round draft pick out of West Virginia. Kwiatkoski who filled in for the injured Danny Trevathan and played middle linebacker the way the monsters of the midway played that position for the Bears for decades. He was rock solid. Kwiatkoski had 76 tackles, 3 sacks, interception, and forced fumble. Last game of the season Kwiatkoski added a safety versus the Vikings. Kwiatkoski has a nose for the football. Born in Pittsburgh where they manufacture linebackers and guys that get dirty and play the game the right way. I have to give Chucky credit he has added another Gruden grinder to the defensive side of the ball. I like the way both Crosby and Kwiatkoski played last season. Both young pieces and these two could be the core of the silver and black for years to come. Raiders still rumored  to add a more pieces to their roster on both sides of the ball.  The team is off to great start in the first day in free agency.

Meanwhile the Bears probably picked the wrong guy. Danny Trevathon is a nice player  to have who can put a lick on the opposing offensive players going over the middle. I know the Bears could only keep one linebacker out of the two choices. When you have holes to fill on your roster you have to tighten the wallet on some of your choices. Bears window is closing. That dominant defense of 2018 took a few steps back in 2019. The only way this thing works for the bears if Trevathan can sustain his play for the whole year. If  the Bears use any available money they saved on not signing Kwiatkosi and land another quarterback and a tight end.  I wouldn’t mind an offensive lineman as well. Bears do not have many draft picks so decisions like not signing Kwiatkoski they have to be perfect with the rest of their free agent signings to patch up those holes. They better hope those holes don’t leak because letting Kwiatkoski, a guy you drafted and developed go elsewhere ,and he continues to play well while the bears sink into the abyss of what could have been, heads will roll. My gut feeling is injury prone Danny Trevathan will get another injury. Bears free agents again will not pan out especially at the quarterback position.  Bears will end up going in another direction in 2021. The Raiders moves will get the silver and black back to respectable and perhaps beyond.