fantasy-football

THE CLEVELAND BROWNS SHOULD HAVE KEPT BAKER MAYFIELD AT HOME WITH PROGRESSIVE

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I was watching some preseason football yesterday in a game that involved two franchises that have had big issues at the quarterback position. The Chicago Bears were hosting the Cleveland Browns. The Bears finally got their guy as they drafted Caleb Williams number 1 overall in 2024. Last year Williams showed the NFL why he was selected number 1. Williams right now may be that franchise quarterback the Bears have been lacking since the 1940’s when Sid Luckman was the Big Lebowski for the Monsters of the Midway. If I was a Browns fan trying to stomach the play of the sexual predator Deshaun Watson along with Shedeur Sanders, I would be looking for a new team right now. Even Dillon Gabriel looks like your typical quarterback made at a Ohio factory. The last time the Browns have had a franchise quarterback, you have to say Bernie Kosar was the dude in the 80’s and early 90’s. I think the Browns actually had their franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield who they gave up on after 4 seasons.

Baker Mayfield was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns number 1 overall in the 2018 NFL draft. Mayfield was going to be the Browns savior at the quarterback position after decades of inferior products at the Ohio factory. Which is a list never-ending and longer than anything Santa had at the North Pole. Mayfield made 59 starts while playing in 60 games in those 4 seasons and had a losing record of 29-30. He threw 92 touchdown passes to only 56 interceptions. In the last three seasons Mayfield now is 31 years of age and has started 51 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has a winning record in Tampa with 27-24 record behind center starting. He has thrown 95 touchdowns in three seasons with the Buccaneers to only 37 interceptions. With age he has gotten better. In 2020 he led the Browns to the post-season for the first time since 2002. Mayfield won his first post-season game that year, but the Browns would lose in the divisional round. Then in 2021 Mayfield tried to gut it out playing most of the season with an injury as he started 14 games and he went 6-8 as the starter that year. The Browns would not make back-to-back post season trips. The Browns after 2021 cut ties with their number 1 pick. It looked like the Browns front office was right in cutting ties with Mayfield. In 2022 with the Panther and Rams combined, he started 10 games and went 2-8 in 10 total starts. In 2023, he signed with the Buccaneers and now has gotten Tampa Bay to the post-season twice in three seasons.

I know it’s only preseason, but I was not impressed with the return of Deshaun Watson who has not played a regular season game since 2024. Watson went 11-15 passes for 126 passing yards. He fumbled the football. He was sacked. He did not look crisp, but more uncomfortable like all his massage therapists after a session with the sexual predator. In 2024 he went 1-6 as the Browns starter. Watson is on this team for one reason – the guarantee money the Cleveland front office forked out in that stupid trade acquiring him from Houston. I really don’t care if Shedeur Sanders made the pro-bowl as an alternate last season because the other real quarterbacks in the league did not want to participate in a flag football game. Sanders is dreadful. He threw an interception and completed 6-11 passes for 79 passing yards for the day. Dillon Gabriel also threw a pick and completed 5 passes out of 8 attempts for 23 freaking pass yards. This is your quarterback room. The Bears second string quarterback Tyson Bagent is better than all three guys Cleveland trotted out there. I don’t know if you could make one decent quarterback out of the three guys Cleveland had if you were a mad scientist.

I’m not sure how many actual quarterbacks Cleveland had trying to right the ship since Bernie Kosar was behind center. It’s a list of number one draft picks and veteran starters and career backups trying to be a starting QB taking their shots behind center for the Brownies. The Browns have shaken the New England tree a few times with guys like Brian Hoyer, Bailey Zappe, and Jacoby Brissett. Derek Anderson was a one year wonder. Johnny Football Manziel and Tim Couch were number 1 round busts. Why did the Browns draft a 28 year old rookie starting quarter back named Brandon Weedon? The Mighty Quinn was not mighty in a Browns uniform with Brady Quinn. Jason Campbell went 1-7 as a starter in Cleveland. Case Keenum is the Bears third string quarterback and he is better than what the Browns have in 2026. Thad Lewis may have been a Cosby kid on the Bill Cosby show. Robert Griffin III aka RG3 was a one year wonder in Washington and did nothing in Cleveland. Cody Kessler went 0-8 as a starter. Then the backups trying to pretend they are starters, the list starts with Colt McCoy, Nick Mullens, and Seneca Wallace. Jeff Garcia has seen better days elsewhere. Ty Detmer was Tim Couch’s mentor as you can see how that worked out. The great Kevin Hogan. DeShone Kizer was 0-15 as starter in Cleveland. Doug Pederson won 1 game in a Browns uniform. Austin Davis completed 48% of his passes. Charlie Frye did have some cooking going 6-13 as a starter. Josh McCown collected every team’s uniform in the NFL, made a stop in Cleveland, and earned his being sacked 41 times. Joe Flacco did well for the Browns in the first stint taking over for the injured Watson to lead Cleveland back to the post-season. I’m sure I’m missing a few names as well.

That is quite the list of quarterbacks that the Cleveland Browns have marched out on the field every Sunday since Bernie left town. That is a factory of recalls in which the three current QB’s the Browns have should be sent back and probably be destroyed in the process. If I was a Browns fan, I would definitely be missing Bake Mayfield. He was a guy you had. He had success on the field. He was a guy trying to play through an injury which you have to respect that type of person. Imagine if Deshaun Watson gets a boo boo he’s out multiple weeks. Mayfield is likeable. How do you like and support a sexual predator? Even Shedeur Sanders how he thought he should go number 1 overall in the NFL draft and fell to the 5th round. How he tanked interviews with teams that his father Deon did not like or think his son should play for. I’m not buying their jerseys. The Browns had to trade their star defensive end Myles Garrett to get back the draft capital they sank on the Watson deal years prior. It is Cleveland and they call their home turf the Dawg pound. I guess you need to stock the quarterback position with some real ugly mutts. If Mayfield stayed in Cleveland would this team be different right now? Garrett may still be on the Browns defense. They could have been the top team in their division. The Bengals have a terrible defense. The Steelers are not winning a Superbowl with the aging Aaron Rodgers. The Ravens can’t hold onto a lead in the 4th quarter and Lamar Jackson does not have the killer instinct in the this league to win the big games. Mayfield is a grinder and a solid leader which you can’t take that away from him.

CAN THE VIKINGS FIND LIGHTNING IN THE BOTTLE WITH KYLER MURRAY?

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The Minnesota Vikings have already made their choice for who will be the starting quarterback to start the season. It is not their number 1 draft pick from 2024, selected 10th overall. This off-season the Vikings signed former Arizona Cardinals veteran quarterback Kyler Murray to a free agent contract. Murray gets the keys to the Vikings car while JJ McCarthy, last year’s starter, will be bumped to the back seat of the Vikings quarterback room. The Vikings have yet to play a preseason game, so the coaching staff must have liked what they saw at the practices to name Murray their guy for QB 1. Seeing Sam Darnold. who the Vikings had as their starting quarterback in 2024, then go Seattle and help the Seahawks win it all last season must be weighting on their minds Enough that they needed to name Murray the starter now rather than later.

JJ McCarthy had an unfortunate injury in the preseason of 2024 that sidelined him for the rest of the 2024 season. That’s when Sam Darnold got the starting job for the Vikings. Darnold was a former first round pick by the Jets in the NFL 2018 draft as he was picked 3rd overall. In three seasons with the Jets he was labeled a first round bust. His starting record with the Jets those three seasons was 13-25. Then he escaped New York, went to Carolina for two seasons, and ended up with a losing record there of 8-9. After Carolina, Darnold spent 1 season with San Francisco, had one start, and took a loss. It may have been Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers head coach, & the way he ran his offense and what he wanted his QB’s to do in his scheme. Maybe Darnold took some of that knowledge with him to Minnesota. Then being coached by the Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, another offensive genius in the NFL. Perhaps we are all wrong and Darnold sold his soul to the devil to figure out the NFL. Darnold then put up a pair of 14-3 records his last two seasons in the NFL. One with the Vikings. One with Seattle. The Vikings almost had the number 1 seed, but a loss to the Lions in the last game of the season meant they ended up as a wild card. Then were quickly dispatched in the first round of the post-season because Darnold’s two bad games came at the end in crunch time. Those two games the Vikings thought, “Well, we can move on from Darnold as we still have our number 1 pick from 2024 to guide this high octane offense in 2025.” Darnold’s magic season paid off with a nice hefty contract from the Seahawks. Darnold did the same thing in regular season as he did with the Vikings. Then in post-season he rocked it all the way through the playoffs and in the Superbowl. The Vikings did not make the post-season. McCarthy had a 6-4 record overall as a starter. He also missed some games due to injuries. In those 10 games, McCarthy had 11 touchdown passes with 12 interceptions running the Minnesota offense. While Darnold had 35 touchdown passes with the same amount of interceptions in 2024 wearing the purple and white plus played all 17 games.

Kyler Murray comes to the Vikings with a losing record behind center after 7 years in Arizona. Murray has played in 87 NFL games and has a record of 38-48-1 as a starter. Darnold came in to the Vikings the same way. Murray is also a former number 1 draft pick who was selected number 1 overall in 2019. In 7 seasons Murray has only guided the Cardinals to one post-season and has only played in 1 playoff game which resulted in a loss. You can see Murray and Darnold have some things in common. Murray was never labeled a first round bust as Darnold was. Murray started his career off stronger than Darnold as he was named AP Rookie of the year. Murray is also a 2x pro-bowler. The biggest question of them all is: What have you done lately? Murray has a hard time staying on the field. Last year he played in 5 games. Then in 2023 he managed to play in only 8 games. In 2022 he played in 11 games. In 2024 Murray did play in all 17 games for the Cardinals. Murray is a duel threat quarterback who has tallied up 20,460 passing yards in his career. He has thrown 121 touchdown passes compared to only 60 interceptions. With his legs he has rushed for 3,193 rushing yards in his career and has 32 rushing touchdowns. Murray is only 29 years of age.

Two teams from the NFC North made the post-season last year. The Bears and the Packers. The Lions were close. However the Lions made back-to-back post-season play in the 2023 and 2024. The NFC North should once again be a solid division with the Vikings included. Kyler Murray has played in the NFC West for years with great Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers teams playing well at the same time. The Cardinals never had a defense like the Vikings have had the last two seasons. The Vikings have a solid running game. The Vikings have one of the best wide receivers in the game with Justin Jefferson. The Vikings also have multiple play makers. Murray has had some talented pieces he has played with including last year. The Vikings always have had success with signing veteran talented quarterbacks thrown away by their former teams. The Vikings have had a different starting QB every year in the last 4 seasons. Murray is only 29 years of age and he will have lots to prove in his own mindset. He will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. As for JJ McCarthy, his third season he could still be developed as a future asset for the Vikings or could make a nice trade piece as well if they can improve his stock. McCarthy is only 23 years of age and was thrown into the starting role last year which was his rookie year. His first season being injured he just watched and learned. This year he will do the same thing, but he will be practicing while he’s holding the clip board. He will have to be ready because Murray could be hurt as he does have an injury history that could hand the keys right back to him. The Viking philosophy is get everyone on the offense on the same page naming Murray the starter. McCarthy knows his role. Now they can practice this over and over and get Murray up to speed with all his new weapons he will have at his disposal. The Vikings got out of the gates poorly last year even though they won their first game of the season in week 1. The Vikings in the second half got hot and strung together some victories. I expect the Vikings to be back in the post-season picture even with the log jam in the NFC North. Three of the teams may make the post-season. The Vikings just don’t want to be the one at home watching everyone else battle it out in the post-season.

THE RETURN OF PENNYWISE TO THE HOUSTON TEXANS DEFENSE

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Last year the Houston Texans defense was ranked number 1 in the entire NFL. The Texans defense allowed 277.2 yards per game which was number 1 overall. Their defense were only 2nd in points allowed as they only allowed 17.4 points per game. They had the number 1 overall pass defense because of their book ends they have as defensive ends. Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter are two guys that can kill your quarterback on any given Sunday. They can wreck havoc on your offensive game plan in the very first series of the game. The Texans defense unfortunately could not overcome all the interceptions CJ Stroud threw on the road in New England in the AFC divisional round, which was 4. The Texans would lose that game 28-16. The Patriots would go on the road and beat the Broncos in the AFC Championship at their place to move on to the Superbowl. The Patriots played the Broncos without their starting quarterback and the snow came down very heavy in the second half of that game. The Texans would be home to watch the best defense in the NFC give Drake Maye and the Patriots a beat down with their defense. In the latest move, the Texans added more teeth to their defense in bringing home their former number 1 pick in Jadeveon Clowney.

Jadeveon Clowney returns home to Houston to where it all started. In 2014 he was selected number 1 overall by the Texans from South Carolina University. Clowney played 5 seasons out of his 12 year career with the Texans. His second stint will be a one year deal as his thought process is he has a chance to chase that Superbowl dream with the team he started his career with. In 2019 the Texans placed a franchise tag on their star defensive end. Both sides could not come up with a fair number in a contract extension, so Houston had a problem with Clowney and traded him to Seattle. After Houston, Clowney has not found a permanent home as he has gone team to team. He has been with six teams since he left Houston. Obviously Seattle, he has also played in Baltimore, Carolina, Cleveland, Tennessee, and Dallas last year. Only in Cleveland he stayed longer there and played for the Browns for two seasons instead of the 1 he played with every other franchise. Last year he played in only 13 games for the Cowboys. He signed late and played his first game with the Boys in week 4. In those 13 games he did create havoc chasing down the other team’s quarterback. He tallied up 8.5 sacks and had three of them against the Giants in the season finale. He had 24 solo tackles and forced a fumble in his lone year in Dallas. In 12 seasons he has tallied up 66.5 sacks and has 296 solo tackles. He has racked up 16 forced fumbles. He is a 3x Pro-Bowler. He has never had a double digit sack season, but his career high was close at 9.5 in 2017 when he wore the Texans uniform. In 2023 he matched that number of 9.5 with the Ravens.

You would have to say that Will Anderson Jr., who had 12 sacks, or Danielle Hunter, who had 15 sacks, would be the Pennywise of the Texans defense. That is 27 sacks your starting book ends had last year. You can always add another clown to the defense. Jadeveon Clowney is 33 years old but could still be an asset to this current Texans defense that could unleash the Killer Klowns from outer space at the edges. Clowney will most likely be used as a rotational piece. He could also fill in if Hunter or Anderson Jr. had an injury. Can the Texans come up with a scheme to have all three of these guys on the same line coming after your quarterback? With Clowney you could keep your other two beasts at the book ends refreshed especially when you want them to be ferocious at the end of the games and in the post-season. The Texans may have the best corner back in the NFL with Derek Stingley. They have a very solid middle linebacker in Al-Shaair Azeez when his head is in the game. If CJ Stroud can get his act together and play like he did his rookie year, this team will be in the post-season and could go beyond the divisional round. They added a number 1 running back this off-season in X-Lion David Montgomery. If they run more. Make less mistakes on offense. The improved running game should give the Texans defense more rest in between series. Guys like Clowney along with Anderson and Hunter will be teeing off on quarterbacks this upcoming season. This Clowney move is an under the radar kind of move. But it is savvy. All the greatest defenses of all-time have a slew of stars that coexist and all help take their game to the next level but in a unit style of play. Right now quarterbacks in the NFL are stuck in the middle with Texans clowns to the right of them and Texans Jokers to the left of them.

NO PLACE LIKE JORDAN’S HOME

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Cameron Jordan has stayed afloat in the free agent pool lingering until June looking for his next team to play for in the NFL. After coming off a solid season weighting his offers, he clicked his spiked shoes three times and decided to come home. Jordan is coming home back to the New Orleans Saints for his 16th season in the NFL. All of them have been in the Big Easy. At 36 years of age, Jordan will turn 37 in July & says this will be his last season in the NFL. He could have pursued a Superbowl ring with a contender. He always had an invite by the Saints organization to play another season. He probably would have made more money elsewhere. He settles on a 1 year deal which is an incentive-laden type of contract. He will have to perform his best to get all the extra trimmings. The Saints right now are not Superbowl-bound. Late in the season last year, the Saints showed their fan base improvements. Could the Saints win their division the NFC South which is not a power house in the NFL? When any team makes it to the post-season, sometimes anything can happen. Look at the New England Patriots – a team that looked like they did not belong in the Superbowl. The Patriots found a way winning games on one of the easiest schedules in the NFL last year.

The Saints Defensive End Cameron Jordan was a 1st round pick by the Saints in the 2011 NFL draft 24th overall coming from the University of California. In 17 games last year for the Saints, he recorded 10.5 sacks along with 32 solo tackles and forced two fumbles. Not too shabby for a 36 year old athlete. Jordan has made the NFL Pro-Bowl 8 times in 15 seasons. Jordan has hit double digits in sacks in 7 out of 15 seasons. His career high in sacks was 15.5 sacks in 2019. In 2017 he had 13 sacks that year. He has a pair of 12.5 sack seasons as well. Last season was a contract year for Cameron as he responded but did not get the deal he expected to sign. In 2024 & ’25, he combined 6 sacks in those two seasons. Jordan has started every game in his career except 1 game. He has only missed 1 regular season game in his career. He has played 11 extra games in the post-season and has recorded 5.5 sacks in the playoffs. He has never played in a Superbowl as he missed Drew Brees and the Saints winning their only title by a few seasons. His career numbers he has 132 sacks in the NFL during regular season. Which ranks number 17 all-time in the NFL since they made the sack a stat. He has tallied up 494 solo tackles and has forced 17 forced fumbles in his career. He has 3 interceptions and has tallied up 248 QB hits in 15 seasons. Last year he had 15.

Ricky Jackson was a former Saint line backer as he played some defensive end as well. Jackson played for the Saints from 1981-1993 and racked up 115 sacks which is good for number two all-time on the Saints sacks list. Jackson would move on from New Orleans and play two seasons with the 49ers where he helped San Francisco win a Superbowl. In 15 seasons Jackson has 136 total sacks in the NFL. Cameron Jordan has 132 sacks all with the Saints which makes him the number 1 guy all-time at killing the quarterback for New Orleans. He would need 4 sacks to tie Jackson and with 5 he would move ahead of him on the all-time NFL sacks list. Number three all-time in sacks for the Saints is Wayne Martin who tallied 82.5 sacks from 1989-1999. One of the biggest bad asses in Saints history on their defense was Pat Swilling, who tallied up 76.5 sacks in Saints history from 1986-1992. Which is good for 4th all-time dressed in gold, black and white.

Then Will Smith rounds the top 5 on the Saints all-time sacks list. Smith unfortunately passed away in 2016. He helped the Saints win their only Superbowl as he played from 2004-2013 and played a few seasons with Cameron. He recorded 67.5 sacks for Smith.

The Saints came into last season with a new head coach, Kellen Moore, a guy that has played some quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Moore has been one of the league’s best play callers as well as being an offensive coordinator for years before getting his first head coaching job in New Orleans. The Saints fans may have found their next Drew Brees in Tyler Shough, who was a rookie last year. He showed he can throw the football and use his legs to get some yards. He was quite the leader out there. As a starter down the stretch he had a 5-4 record and Saints looked like a complete different team. The Saints added another top notch receiver in the draft picking up Arizona State Jordyn Tyson which will give Shough another play maker in New Orleans offense. The Saints still have Chris Olave who was the number 1 Saints receiver last year. The Saints aerial attack will be making some noise with Tyson and Olave. Then the Saints added running back free agent Travis Ethienne Jr. who had a monster year for the Jaguars last year. This offense will be better. The Saints defense played better as the season went on. Bringing back Cameron Jordan for peanuts is a big move for this organization. He is a guy that wants to be playing in New Orleans. His wife and 4 kids love the Big Easy. It’s their home away from home. Jordan dd not want to play for an arch rival like the Falcons, Panthers, or Buccaneers. That shows you something. He was honest he did not want to play for any cold weather teams. I thought the Bears should have tried to lure him to Chicago with the Saints old head coach Dennie Allen who is the defensive coordinator in the Windy City. Jordan gave the Saints a definitely home town discount. His heart is still in New Orleans and I have to give credit to a guy playing in one city his entire career. With free agency & trades that is unheard of in the sports world. If the Saints do make the post-season and don’t quite get to the Superbowl, they still look like a future contender. I think Jordan Cameron will go another year after this season just because this team is trending upwards. Look for Jordan along with the Saints to march after your quarterback at a stadium near you. Jordan is back home in the Big Easy looking to kill the quarterback.

THE CHICAGO BEARS SUDDENLY HAVE THE KNACK FOR FINDING THAT GEM BEHIND CENTER

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The Chicago Bears have not had a franchise quarterback since the 1940’s when Sid Luckman was the general behind center. The Bears for decades were like the present day Cleveland Browns, with a never-ending list of dead beats behind center. It was like every Christmas delivered a lump of coal in the Bears fans’ stockings as every season you would witness them marching out the next bum to turn into a bust. Everybody thought the Bears’ number 1 selection in the 2024 NFL draft would turn to stone when they drafted Caleb Williams from USC. Most experts thought Williams would be the best choice and the Bears could not do what they did in the 2017 NFL draft & gamble on the likes of another Mitch Trubisky. The guarantee that year by the experts was Deshaun Watson. In Chicago all massage therapists dodge a bullet that the Bears selected Mitch over the sexual predator. In 2017 Patrick Mahomes turned out to be golden for the Chiefs. Williams this season in his second year has shown he can be the face of this Bears franchise for the next decade and beyond. In 2023, the Bears signed Tyson Bagent as he was an undrafted free agent. In three seasons he has a 2-2 record as a starter. The Bears front office has been fielding calls about acquiring Bagent, who is the number two guy on the Chicago totem pole. Suddenly anything the Bears touch at quarterback is starting to turn into gold. Last weekend more evidence became available about the Bears being the QB whisperer. It was another quarterback the Bears had at their camp the last two seasons who lit up the UFL (United Football League) in his first start the opening weekend of the spring gridiron. Some people may remember Austin Reed who played a part in HBO’s Hard Knocks when they did the Bears series. It was Reed who signed with the Dallas Renegades after the Bears let him go. On Saturday he sliced and diced the Houston Gamblers defense while setting new records in the UFL as a quarterback.

Austin Reed is 26 years of age. In college he was part of three football programs: SIU, West Florida, and Western Kentucky. It was Western Kentucky where Reed thrived as he had 40 touchdown passes in 2022. In 2023 he threw 31 touchdown passes. In both seasons he had the same amount of interceptions thrown, with 11 each season. In 2024 Reed signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent. He had his 15 minutes on Hard Knocks. He made the Bears practice squad in ’24. In 2025 he played in some preseason games & then landed his walking papers. The Bears wanted veteran quarterback Case Keenum on their roster to help mentor Caleb Williams. Then Tyson Bagent was the number two QB. The Bears decided they did not need Reed on their practice squad either. As an athlete you can practice until the cows come home every day. Every athlete needs a game to improve their craft. In those NFL preseason games, Reed played very well for the Bears. He tallied up 230 passing yards with a touchdown pass and came away with a 99.3 passing rating. Reed decided to take his talents to the UFL. The Dallas Renegades have one of the better spring veteran quarterbacks in the league. His name is Luis Perez and he is the king of the spring fling. He even has written a book about it. Perez has also guided these Renegades to championship before the merger when this franchise was back in the XFL. Reed beat out Perez for the starting job this spring for Dallas. In his first UFL game, the Renegades blew up the Houston Gamblers with a score of 36-17. Reed threw three touchdown passes in his debut along with 370 passing yards.

These spring football leagues like the UFL really don’t generate talented quarterbacks that take over the starting job in the NFL. The UFL has done well with kickers and special team players. The 49ers had former Birmingham Stallion Adrian Martinez as a 3rd string quarterback for them last season. The Arena League produced a Hall of Famer in Kurt Warner. It can happen. I always believe when a athlete leaves the city of Chicago, their career suddenly takes off. It is only one game for Austin Reed in the UFL. He played with two different coaching staffs with the Bears. He did get a sniff of the Ben Johnson offense in preseason in 2025. You have to like his football IQ to handle some different offenses at the professional level and thrive. He looks like he has the stuff to be a solid QB in the UFL as we will see how it all unfolds for him. If I were him, I would not re-sign with the Bears if his season does end up going well like his first game did. Who wants to be the 4th quarterback? He may have a better chance with another team to actually make a NFL roster rather than just settle for a practice squad position. Maybe the football gods are starting to help a team like the Bears which has been deprived so long at the quarterback position. All the bums this franchise has had. Yes, we had a few seasons of some solid QB play. Like Jim McMahon helping the Bears win their only Superbowl. He may have been a great QB if not for those bad injuries he suffered, which I believe set him back. I loved guys like Jim Miller and Erik Kramer. Those guys sparked this team for a few seasons. Then smoking Jay Cutler who somehow still has a cult following in the Windy City. Cutler broke many Bears records behind center which is easy to do because of the QB play this town has had. He was a selfish SOB only in for himself. Then the failed number 1 picks before Caleb. Like Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields. Both are back ups presently. I remember sports radio talking about how the Bears should draft a QB every year to finally get it right. Now they have the ICE-MAN in Williams, a guy that paints his finger nails in a blue collar town. Most of these bar flies would express absolute hatred for a guy like that. He’s playing well at a position that was so weak for this franchise for decades. They don’t care. Most people have never seen solid QB play in Chicago during their entire lifetime. Now the Bears have done well getting something out of undrafted QB’s like Tyson Bagent and Reed. Some team may give the Bears a 4th round pick for Bagent. I would like to keep Bagent but adding a pick to this April’s draft could help the team out in other positions. Because obviously the Bears know how to find quarterbacks. They could sign Reed or sign another undrafted free agent if Austin does not want to come back. You feel the world is coming to an end when a team like the Bears know something about selecting a solid QB.

WHICH NFL TEAM HAS HAD THE BEST QUARTERBACK SIGNING SO FAR IN FREE AGENCY?

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Many of the available quarterbacks that made it to free agent waters have been gobbled up by teams. The quarterback position is the most important piece on a football chessboard. It’s the king piece. Some teams have dumped their own quarterback to pursue another general behind center. The draft this year may only solve one team’s quarterback room as this is not the QB class to fix the most important piece. We all know the Indiana University QB Fernando Mendoza will be scooped up by Tom Brady’s Raiders. The Colts did not allow Daniel Jones to be set free as they held him hostage with the franchise tag. Indiana Jones and the Colts worked out a new contract to keep him in Indianapolis. What Jones did for the Colts last year before the injury, that was a no brainer bringing him back. That is probably the best QB signing. This off-season had 5 quarterbacks in free agent waters. All 5 guys have seen enough action to be a starter in the league or a solid back up choice. Out of the 5 QB’s, who will make the biggest difference for their new team next season? Some of these guys may be just bridge gap starters next season. Hold the keys to the car for a portion of the season to immediately hand them over to someone else. The free agent waters still have a few quarterback options in Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Russell Wilson. Those are three names that were once a solid option for a team a few years back. Out of those three guys, I think only Cousins still has something left in the tank. He’s riding on fumes. I rank the 5 quarterbacks that were recycled this off-season. Starting with worst to first.

#5. GENO SMITH

Geno Smith is circling the wagons back to where it all started for him in New York with the Jets, the team that drafted him. Smith’s lone season with the Raiders was horrific. I know the Raiders really did not have a solid team around him with a reunion with head coach Pete Carroll. I don’t know who had the worst year between both these X-Seattle guys, Carroll or Smith? Seahawks fans are rejoicing not having either of these guys. Carroll in his return to the NFL after stepping away from coaching, his comeback would be one and done. Smith played his best football in a Seattle uniform. Last year as a starter, Smith went 2-13. He did complete 67.4% of his passes but was in the league leaders in interceptions. Smith since 2023 has led all quarterbacks in the NFL with interceptions. If Jameis Winston was playing full time, Smith would be second on this list. The Jets are always desperate for a quarterback as they strike out with all their draft picks trying to land the king piece.

I feel like the Jets should create their own quarterback like the guys in Weird Science, the movie where they create their own woman. This is a desperate reach by the Jets bringing back Smith. They had the same desperation last year with the Justin Fields signing, which they may still have him on their roster. In 12 seasons, Smith is 42-56 as a starting QB. In his first stint with the Jets in 4 seasons, he went 12-18 as their starter. More of the same here.

#4. GARDNER MINSHEW

The Cardinals released Kyler Murray to the free agent waters. Is it too late for Murray to play baseball? Murray was released despite still having plenty of years on his contract. He was injured last season most of the year. I get why he was released because he has not been good in a long time. The Cardinals signed Gardner Minshew, a guy that seems to find a new team every year. Minshew was a back up to Patrick Mahomes last season with the Chiefs. When his number was called to start a game after Mahomes was injured last season, it was not a good day at the office for Minshew. He suffered a season ending injury like Mahomes. His performance in a Chiefs uniform in 4 games is nothing to write home to mom about. When a team does sign Minshew and if he is not the starter, it seems like he always finds a few games on the field due to number 1 being injured. Minshew has had some solid years. In 2023 he was 7-6 as the starting QB for the Colts. In ’24, he went 2-7 as the Raiders starting QB. That tells you something about two franchises right there. He is a streaky QB & probably better as a back up option. The Cardinals already have Jacoby Brissett who started the most games for the Cardinals last year at the quarterback position. With Minshew and Brissett, you are basically getting the same guy. Two career back ups that have a knack at getting the starting job due to injuries and playing on multiple teams.

Minshew’s nickname is The Mustache or the Jock Strap King. He is a guy after football that could go right into the porn industry and do flashbacks of the 1970’s style action. Maybe he could also get a part in a series like a Sons of Anarchy reboot if they ever go down that avenue. As a starter, Minshew has a record of 17-30. I don’t see the Jock Strap King being the KING chess piece for the Cardinals very long this up-and-coming season.

#3. TUA TIME

Tua Tagovailoa was released by the Dolphins as Miami has a huge portion of their salary cap with dead money. Tua will be on the books for the Dolphins next season and beyond. The Falcons have a low risk high ceiling type of move here. By signing Tua, you are bringing in a veteran QB for peanuts which the Falcons will be paying him. The Falcons own the market for south paw quarterbacks that are injury prone. The Falcons still have 25 year old Michael Penix on their roster, a guy who was drafted in 2024. Is he a bust? In 14 games Penix is 4-8 as a starter for the Falcons in two seasons. Penix had a history of injury problems back in his college days. It is smart to have a solid back up in place in hot Atlanta.

It seems like Tua is always one hit away from being knocked into tomorrow with all the concussions he has suffered in the NFL. Last year Tua went 6-8 in his last season in a Dolphins uniform. He tossed 20 touchdown passes and also had 15 interceptions. Tua has a winning record overall as a starter at 44-32. He has thrown 120 touchdown passes in his career. This is a move that could work well for the Falcons. He’s cheap. He has a chip on his shoulder from being released looking to prove himself to the league. The Falcons play in a a bad division, they call the NFC South. If TUA TIME plays out, he may have an easier way back to the post-season than he did staying in Miami. The Falcons have some nice solid weapons around him. If he gets protection, he could help this Falcons team win that division this upcoming season.

#2. MALIK WILLIS

The former Titan and Packers back up QB Malik Willis is Tua Tagovailoa’s replacement for the Dolphins. This is an interesting signing by the Dolphins. Willis being a back up in a Packer uniform has come into games and has played well. In 4 games last season, he completed 85.7% of his passes. He had three touchdown passes & no interceptions. He did lose his only start he made last year. He is 26 years of age and has only played in the league for 4 seasons. He has made only six starts & has a 3-3 record in those 4 seasons. Did the Titans give him a fair shake in Tennessee or give up on him too early?

Being the starter is way different than being the back up guy. Can Willis be QB number 1 now? The Dolphins will not be a good team this upcoming season. They have sold off many of their pieces on the board. They have a new coaching staff. What about last year’s back up QB for the Dolphins, 22 year old Quinn Ewers? He went 1-2 as the starter for the Dolphins to finish the season. Ewers could learn from Willis as he did that/done that coming off the bench to play. Willis is a duel threat QB & more of a game manager than a guy that will beat you on the last drive of the game. The Dolphins still have some playmakers on that roster. I could see Willis playing well but not winning many games because of the defense and the roster will have many young guys on it. The Dolphins will need a solid O-line for Willis to be successful in South Beach. This will not be an easy job. I think Willis will thrive in his new opportunity.

#1. KYLER MURRAY

This is a very good signing by the Vikings. They inked Kyler Murray on the cheap side of things as his former team will be on the hook paying their old QB majority of his money this upcoming season. This move is the same type the Falcons made signing Tua Tagovailoa. It’s a low risk high ceiling. The Vikings, like the Falcons, have a quarterback they drafted in 2024 in JJ McCarthy. Unfortunately McCarthy did not play in ’24 as he had a season ending injury that kept him out the entire year. That’s when the Vikings inserted Sam Darnold. The Vikings almost had the number 1 seed under Darnold in the NFC from his play. Last year Darnold signed with Seattle because the Vikings still needed to see what they had in McCarthy. The Vikings missed the playoffs as McCarthy had a roller coaster season going 6-4 in 10 starts. He missed some games with injuries. He threw 11 touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions which would be his rookie season. The Cardinals won three games last season and Murray won two of them as a starter. Murray only played in 5 games due to injuries. In 2023, Murray only played in 8 games. Murray is only 28 years of age, has been in the league for 7 seasons and has thrown 121 touchdown passes compared to only 60 interceptions. Murray’s tenure only got the Cardinals to the post-season once in 2021. The Cardinals lost that only post-season appearance Murray had. As a starter Murray has a losing record at 38-48-1 during regular season. Can the Vikings be that team they had with Darnold, only with Murray behind center? Is this the end of McCarthy? The Vikings should keep both quarterbacks because both guys are injury prone. With Murray, the Vikings will have a duel threat QB with a chip on his shoulder. Same with McCarthy he will have a chip on his shoulder looking back at Murray. The Vikings have a ton of playmakers including one of the best receivers in the NFL with Justin Jefferson. The Vikings defense is very solid. The Vikings as a team finished the season on a hot streak. It was too late because they missed the post-season. The Vikings have had a ton of success inserting veteran QB’s behind center. Murray, out of the entire available QB’s on the market this off-season, is the best option. If he stays healthy, the Vikings will be back in post-season. Murray is looking for that next long term deal. Will history repeat itself like Darnold if Murray does well? Can you depend on Murray beyond this upcoming season if he does well?

THE SAINTS ADD SOME SOLID PIECES AROUND TYLER SLOUGH

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When Kellen Moore was hired to be the head coach of the New Orleans Saints last season, he was coming into a very difficult situation. After Moore’s short playing career on the gridiron came to an end with the Dallas Cowboys, he immediately went into coaching. The Cowboys gave him his first coaching job in the NFL. Moore was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles when they stampeded over the Chiefs in Superbowl LIX and became one of the hotter coordinators which the Saints pounced on. Moore is only 37 years of age and took a job with the Saints with three young quarterbacks of whom two were drafted in the later rounds. Not one of them was drafted in the first round. The team was in salary cap hell. The Big Easy was not going to be easy for Moore who had his team in almost every game as they hit many bumps in the road along the way. It took until the middle of the season to finally find a quarterback out of three guys without much experience coming into the 2025 season. Moore, who was a former quarterback in the NFL, got the best results from rookie Tyler Shough. The Saints drafted him in the 2nd round as he played his college ball with Oregon University and Texas Tech. Shough would start 9 games, had a winning record of 5-4, and finished the season off strong.

In 2023 the Saints went out and signed veteran quarterback Derek Carr after the Raiders benched him in ’22 & then released him into the wild. It seems like back then the Saints were in salary cap hell. In ’23, Carr was supposed to be the team’s savior and get the Saints back to the post-season. The Saints just missed the post-season as Carr finished with a 9-8 record. In 2024 Carr would try again, started 10 games, and finished 5-5 for the season. His season was cut down short due to injury that would lead to his retirement after the season concluded. Those other seven games went to the young-en’s. Like Jake Haener who was drafted in the 4th round of the 2023 draft. He went to multiple schools, as he played college ball at Washington University and Fresno State. He lost his only start. Spencer Rattler received the most action out of the three young QB’s in ’24 & ’25. Rattler was drafted in the 5th round of the 2024 NFL draft. He also went to multiple schools as he played his college ball for Oklahoma and South Carolina University. He finished 0-6 for the season. Then Rattler would be Moore’s number 1 guy starting the 2025 season. After 8 games, Rattler did win his first ever NFL start. However he started 8 games and finished 1-7. Then Moore made the switch and found his starter with Tyler Shough.The Saints, who drafted a quarterback three straight seasons, finally hit pay dirt. Shough completed 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 passing yards. He threw 10 touchdown passes and did have 6 interceptions. The 26 year old showed you poise in the pocket. He showed he had great mobility as he used his legs on several plays for a touchdown or to extend the drives. The Saints won 4 straight games and 4 of their last 5 games to end the season. Let’s remember the Saints traded away one of their top playmakers in their receiving core at the deadline. The Seattle Seahawks acquired speedster Rashid Shaheed from New Orleans at the deadline. In Shough’s 9 games, he had some key injuries to some of his other playmakers on the offense. The Saints continue to march with Shough and Moore being the QB whisperer.

The Saints salary cap became less than a burden with some big names coming off the cap hitting the free agent market. The Saints made two interesting moves to give Moore’s offense more traction. The Saints signed 27 year old running back former Jaguar Travis Ehienne who went on a tear in the second half of last season. Travis is a Louisiana native as well and wanted to be closer to home. Then solidifying the offensive line with 28 year David Edwards who helped protect Josh Allen for the Bills the last three seasons. Etienne gets a 4 year deal worth 52 million. While Edwards also gets a 4 year deal worth 61 million. Etienne was drafted in 2021 and was a first round pick out of Clemson University by Jacksonville. Meanwhile Edwards is from my home state of Illinois where he hails out of a suburb called Downers Grove. He played his college ball at Wisconsin University. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL draft by the LA Rams where he played 4 seasons and helped them win a Superbowl.

With the addition of Travis Ethienne, what will the Saints do with their other star running back Alvin Kamara? Kamara already has 9 seasons in the NFL. Kamara is a duel threat style running back who can run through the tackles and also catch the ball out of the back field while being productive. Karmara was reduced to only 11 games last year with injuries. He tallied up 471 rushing yards and caught 33 balls. With Kamara’s arrival in the league being drafted in 2017 by the Saints, he shared the load with Mark Ingram II. They formed a solid two-headed monster in the back field. Ethienne last year tallied 1,107 rushing yards and found the end zone 7 times. In 4 seasons he has tallied up 3,798 rushing yards and has 25 touchdowns. Kamara seems like that type of guy that would be okay with splitting the duties. Kellen Moore may get better production out of both running backs splitting up the carries or go with the hotter hand that game day. Kamara could be a nice 3rd down back. The Saints could also trade Kamara and get some draft capital for this April’s draft.

The Saints are residents in a terrible division with teams like the Panthers, Buccaneers, and the Falcons. The Saints finished the season last year in last place but beat the Panthers and Buccaneers. Panthers were swept by the Saints and won the division. These are some savvy moves by New Orleans landing a guy like David Edwards to reinforce the line who has a ton of playoff experience. Then adding a talented running back like Travis Ethienne automatically upgrades that position. The Saints have a number 1 receiver in Chris Olave who caught 100 balls last year for over 1,000 yards with 9 touchdown catches. If Tyler Shough continues to develop, this Saints team is marching in the right direction for a change.

BILLS & BEARS HAMMER OUT A DEAL TO HELP EACH OTHER’S NEEDS

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The NFL trade market is heating up right before free agency starts. The Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills strike up a big time deal that both franchises hopes each side will benefit from. The Bills acquire wide receiver DJ Moore from the Bears along with a 5th round draft pick in 2026. Meanwhile the Bears get the Bills second round pick this April along with getting rid of Moore’s huge contract from the books. Did the Bills finally get a legit number 1 receiver since Stephon Diggs was sent packing a few seasons ago?

DJ Moore was drafted originally by the Carolina Panthers back in 2018 in the first round out of Maryland, 24th overall. Moore has played 8 seasons in the NFL – 5 with Carolina and three with the Bears. He is 28 years old. Last season he played in all 17 regular season games, caught 50 balls while tallying up 608 receiving yards, and hauling 6 touchdown passes. In 8 seasons in the NFL, Moore has caught 608 passes for 8,213 yards and has 41 receiving touchdowns. Moore has never made it to the NFL Pro-Bowl. He has racked over 1,000 receiving yards in 4 out of the 8 seasons he has played in the NFL. Last year playing in his first post-season games, in 2 games he was targeted 15 times & caught 11 balls. He had two touchdowns. In the OT game in the divisional round, it looked like he stopped his route short versus the Rams which led to Caleb Williams’ interception. Moore was part of a deal that landed the Panthers their first round quarterback in Bryce Young in a trade with the Bears. The two teams basically swapped number one picks as the Bears found their quarterback in Williams the next season after the Panthers picked Young in 2023.

The Chicago Bears had a magical season last year going deep into post-season. The Bears slayed their dragon finally beating the Packers twice in one season and one of those wins came in the post-season. Ben Johnson had done a terrific job in year one with the Bears. Finally, for the city of Chicago that has starved for a quarterback since the 1940’s when Sid Luckman played for the Bears. Chicago has seen quarterbacks but mostly they have been bad and not a franchise QB for years to come like Caleb Williams. Johnson has done wonders with Williams in only year 1 as Caleb will be in his third season in ’26. Why are the Bears trading one of Williams’ weapons away? The Bears benefited from an easy schedule last year. The team has plenty of needs on the roster. Especially on the defensive side. By trading Moore, the Bears salary cap loosens up. The Bears also released one of their stud linebackers in Tremaine Edmunds which will free up another 15 million dollars for the Bears. The Bears center, Drew Dalman, suddenly retired at the age of 27 after signing a 3 year deal to come to Chicago after playing for the Falcons. The Bears will need to address the center position. The Bears number 1 receiver is Rome Odunze. The Bears like how their other young receivers have blossomed in the NFL already with Jahdae Walker and Luther Burden III. The Bears could be shedding money off the books and collecting draft capital to pull off a big deal in the works. After making the playoffs, the Bears will differently get a tougher schedule this upcoming season. The Bears could use this available money and draft capital to plug in all the holes they have on this roster. To avoid looking like a pretender this upcoming season.

For the Bills it was another loss in heartbreaking fashion in post-season. This time it was not the Chiefs. It was the Broncos in OT in the AFC divisional round.

If Brandon Cooks comes down with this ball in OT vs the Broncos, Bills would have went to New England to play in the AFC Championship game. After that loss, the Bills owner axed their head coach in Sean McDermott. The new hire was in-house for the Bills in Joe Brady, the offensive coordinator. The Bills offense was still one of the tops in the NFL even with one of the worst receiving cores in the league. The Bills were riddled with injuries at that position. The team has counted on Keon Coleman, a 22 year old receiver, who completed his second season in the NFL from Florida State University, who the Bills selected in round two. He regressed in year 2. The Bills General Manager has tried to put a band aid on the position by gambling on average veterans which has not worked. The Bills had one legit receiver on their roster in Khalil Shakir. He thrives playing in the slot. The Bills had him doing a little bit of everything. Landing DJ Moore can put Shakir back in his comfort zone. Moore is yet another Carolina Panther connection as the Bills have feasted on that franchise’s coaches and players for several years now. Yes, Brady has worked with Moore back in their Carolina days.

The Bills are so desperate for a number one receiver you would have thought they could get Moore at a cheaper rate than giving up a 2nd round draft pick. Moore is coming off his lowest production season of his NFL career. He is 28 years of age and now will cost the Bills 24.5 million on the salary cap. Which the Bills are not in good shape with the salary cap. The Bills have plenty of their own free agents which they would like to bring a few of those guys back. If this deal works out, Moore is under contract through the 2029 season. I still would like the Bills to add another solid playmaker to the mix to go along with Moore and Shakir. I’d like to see the Bills bring back their two offensive linemen who will be testing the free agent market in center Connor McGovern and guard David Edwards. The Bills offensive line the last few years have been a staple of this team. The protection of Josh Allen is the most important thing. Plus, the line created holes for James Cook who won the league’s rushing title last year. The Bills GM, Brandon Beane, will have his work cut out for him this off-season, especially after this move by acquiring Moore from the Bears. The Bills still need defensive reinforcements for a new scheme they are putting down this upcoming season. Adding Moore will create more explosive plays the Bills lacked last season. Ben Johnson’s offense is run heavy at times with the two headed monster they have had at the running back position. The Bears have plenty of weapons all over the field which could have resulted in a down year for Moore stats-wise. In Buffalo it could be a total different story for Moore because right now he is the best receiver the team has. The Bills still have plenty of weapons with their tight ends and running backs. With Moore, defensive teams have to know where he is at all times. His addition gives Khalil Shakir less attention which could pay off in many ways. Joe Brady, like a Johnson in Chicago, has clever ways in the offensive scheme to use all his weapons. Right now I hate this move only for the money it will cost the Bills. This move is good for the Bears. I need to see another solid receiver option for the Bills this off-season while making sure that O-line does not suffer because of adding a high price receiver. This is a trade that could work out for both the Bears and Bills.

HOUSTON KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM ON OFFENSE

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The Houston Texans last season had one of the best defensive units in the entire NFL. The Texans dug themselves out of a gigantic hole in the first half of the season going 2-5 in the standings. Not until they leaned on that ferocious defense. The Texans won 9 straight games, finished 11-5, and clinched the top wild card spot in the AFC conference. The Texans went into Pittsburgh and gave the Steelers a beatdown in the wild card round of the post-season. Then in the divisional round, the Texans defense could not overcome the mistakes the offense made in New England. CJ Stroud has regressed since his rookie season as he threw 5 interceptions in New England as the Texans were eliminated from the post-season. If Stroud avoided three of those interceptions, maybe the Texans defense could have saved the day once again. The Texans could have certainly won the AFC Championship game by beating the Broncos without their starting quarterback Bo Nix if they got past the Patriots. One of the first moves made by the Texans this off-season was adding a solid running back as they acquired 28 year David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions.

One of the quarterback’s best friends besides the offensive linemen who protects them is a solid running back. The Texans averaged 108 yards per game last year which is good for number 22 in the entire NFL rankings from the 2025 season. The Texans ran the ball by committee with two backs last year. Houston used veteran running back Nick Chubb, who the Texans signed in the off-season. Chubb had some great years with the Browns but with a season ending injury in 2024, Cleveland elected not to re-sign him. Chubb averaged 4.1 yards per carry last year in his first and probably only year in Houston. The Texans relied more on their rookie running back Woody Marks down the stretch to give Houston more of a balanced offense. Marks only averaged 3.6 yards per carry. The Texans still have Joe Mixon, the former Bengal, on their team but he missed the entire season with a foot injury. The Lions are breaking up their two headed monster they had going on the last few seasons with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. He who certainly is climbing the charts as being one of the best running backs in the NFL. In return the Texans send the Lions two draft picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs. Those draft picks are a 4th round selection in this April’s draft and a 7th round pick in 2027. The Lions did not make it to post-season last year. Montgomery was not happy last season with a reduced role. He played all 17 games but had the lowest amount of carries in one season of his entire career.

David Montgomery was originally selected by the Chicago Bears in the 2019 NFL draft in the 3rd round from Iowa State University. Montgomery would play four seasons in Chicago as the number 1 back on bad teams. In 2023 as a free agent, he would sign with one of the Bears arch-rivals in the NFC North, the Lions. In three seasons with the Lions, Montgomery had scored 33 touchdowns and tallied up 2.506 rushing yards. The Lions were in the post-season in back-to-back years. People would look at you funny if you told them the Lions would be in post-season in back-to-back years. Lions football has been dead in Detroit for decades before those two seasons in ’23 & ’24. Montgomery was one of the cogs that worked well in Ben Johnson’s offense as the Lions have been one of the high scoring teams over the last few seasons. Johnson left Detroit after Montgomery’s second season to take over the head coaching duties for the Bears. Last season Montgomery did average 4.5 yards per carry as he rushed for 716 yards and found the end zone 8 times. He shared the load with Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs got more carries. The Lions have all kinds of weapons in the passing game as well. Gibbs can also be used in the passing game. Montgomery is great at running up the middle as he can break many tackles. Great back for goal line situations as well because he can get the tough yards while getting the ball over the goal line.

Running backs are a dime a dozen these days in the NFL. The Lions have been pretty good at finding solid offensive linemen. The Lions missing the post-season is forcing them back to the drawing board. They are retooling. Juice Scruggs is a 26 year old offensive lineman who was drafted in 2023. He has three seasons in the NFL all with the Texans as a back up along with being a rotational piece on the interior part of the O-line. He is a massive 300 pound man that stands at 6’3″. The Lions get rid of David Montgomery’s salary while also adding some draft capital. The Lions could find another back to play Montgomery’s part next season. The Lions also could just make Jahmyr Gibbs their featured back and only give carries to a back up running back when he needs some rest. The Lions created some cap space for other needs on their roster with this move.

The Texans will most likely release Joe Mixon who can be a solid back but can be a headcase at the same time. Mixon is a back that can run the ball and make catches out of the back field for your team. Teaming Mixon up with Montgomery you have two sets of backs with two different sets of skill sets. Which could be a good thing and a bad thing.You have to think why the Texans made this trade. They are making Montgomery the number 1 back which will not go well for Mixon being that head case that would cause a rift in the locker room. How is Mixon’s foot that sidelined him a entire season? The Texans have upgraded their back field with this trade. Woody Marks can still get the ball and build off his rookie campaign. Montgomery can work well with others but he just needs to run the rock more to satisfy his needs. A solid running game can take the pressure of CJ Stroud. The Texans had some problems with their offensive line last year. Part of the setback was the O-line in the beginning of the season. If you are trading away guys, you have to be thinking of replacements this off-season. They have to be better replacements than the guys you are getting rid of. Montgomery will need guys ahead of him plowing him some openings. The Texans need better pass protection as well. If Houston has a solid running game, it opens up the play action pass. If the running game is solid it will help their stellar defense get more rest in the game. With a a rested defense they could be even more of a deadly unit. It seems like the Texans are taking a page out of the Seahawks playbook. Solid defense. Great running game. All’s Stroud has to do is play up to the level of a Sam Darnold who is not in the top 10 quarterbacks in the entire NFL. Darnold did not hurt his team in the post-season like Stroud did. If Stroud is still the number 1 guy in Houston which I think he is, he will have to take better care of the football. The Texans back up QB Davis Mills went 3-0 filling in for the injured Stroud. In those three wins he took care of the football.

PONCHERELLO EXPRESSES HIS BEST WISHES ON THE CHEETAH’S RELEASE FROM SOUTH BEACH

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On September 29th of 2025, wide receiver Tyreek Hill AKA the Cheetah had his season came to an end with the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins were playing the Jets and FLASH suffered a severe season ending injury as he tore his ACL along with dislocating the knee. Hill would only play in 4 games in 2025 and now he will be looking for a new team next season along with continuing to go through rehab for his injury as the Dolphins released the difficult talented wide receiver. The Dolphins look to be in full rebuild after another disastrous season. Hill’s South Beach career lasted 4 seasons in Miami and the Dolphins did not even win one post-season game with his services which they acquired from the Chiefs. After the news came out about the Cheetah’s release, one Dolphin fan had plenty to say about Hill. Danny Torres met Hill before a game in 2024 on the highway as they had an altercation that went viral.

“Hmmm… I guess it took a bit, but karma got you. Now that I’m retired I can tell you how I feel about you.

You’re an entitled ASSHOLE and an embarrassment to the team and the city that kissed your ass.

I wish you the best and hope you are able to afford all that child support, especially now that you’re unemployed.

But I’m sure someone will pick you up and you will cause havoc in their town. Just how you did in Miami.

BTW, next time, roll your fucking window down.”

The old memories that Danny Torres is talking about were on September 8th of 2024. Torres at the time worked as a motorcycle cop for Miami-Dade police. In Miami everyone has a tan as Torres looks like the character Ponch who is Frank Poncherello, played by actor Erik Estrada in the series Chips. If this incident ever turns into a movie, Estrada will play Torres. Obviously Tyreek Hill was pulled over before a home game the Dolphins were about to play in a few hours. Hill was running late so he was speeding. Torres and his partner pulled Hill over for reckless driving and not wearing a seat belt. Torres got angry because Hill would not keep his window down during the stop. The Dolphins wide receiver claimed he was calling his lawyer. Things got heated as video shows Torres removing the Cheetah from the car. Then placing him in cuffs as he sat on the side of the highway hours before game time as the cops completed their stop. Hill would be released and made the game on time, but the incident exploded and went viral. Torres was documented as being too aggressive. He was taken off the streets after the incident and went on administrative duty until the investigation was complete. He may have had to do some desk duty at some point when he returned. The highway patrol man took heated backlash by Joe Public and others for the handling of the situation. Torres had a history of suspensions before his run in with Hill. From 2014-’19, Torres had been suspended close to 50 days for other infractions. Now Torres is retired so he could go on social media and say his farewell to the Cheetah without worrying about his department coming down on him. You wonder if Torres took an early retirement because of that situation.

Tyreek Hill is no saint either. His rap sheet we will rap about. The Cheetah likes to beat up the women in his life. During his college days, domestic violence may have made its first appearance in his life. I doubt that. During his Chiefs days there were allegations of child abuse. Then he had a lawsuit filed against him in Miami by Instagram model Sophie Hall who claimed the Cheetah broke her leg in a football drill at his mansion. Can you make this stuff up? Obviously the highway incident with the Chips in Miami. I can see both sides of that situation. Did Danny Torres have to rip this asshole out of his car like that? He probably deserved that for other incidents the Cheetah has done. Why is Hill closing his window and making this police stop into something? This incident both guys poured gasoline on the fire instead deescalating the situation. Perhaps with both dudes not working at this time they could apply to ICE. After all their specialty is pouring the gasoline on the fire. Then Hill had another domestic violence claim with his wife, Keeta Vaccaro, in 2025. The next team that does take a flier on Hill’s knee will be in for a treat.

Will Tyreek Hills be the same Cheetah on the field when he is done rehabbing his knee injury? Hill has played 10 seasons in the NFL. He started with the Chiefs and played in Kansas City for six seasons, helping them win a Superbowl. The Chiefs and Andy Reid won Superbowls without their talented wide receiver. The Chiefs knew Hill would eventually be too expensive. They probably thought he could be a loose cannon. Hill is not the greatest teammate as he has given up on plenty of plays in Miami. He would be the guy jumping off the Titanic into the boat with the kids and women. In 10 seasons he has solid stats. He has caught 819 balls and tallied up 11,363 receiving yards with 83 touchdown catches. He has made 8 Pro-Bowls. Some team may get him on discount because of his knee injury. I’m sure Hill hopes to hand pick the locker room he would like to be the next cancer in. You would want this talent on your roster by any team just by looking at the numbers. The organization that takes a chance on him will have to be prepared with the baggage you will get with the signing. He is in present day the Antonio Brown of the league. A guy that could snap at any time. I would sway away from paying this guy any big money. Knee injuries of football players are like leg injuries to horses. It may be time to put the Cheetah down. Danny Torres may be a fan of that.