nfl-draft

THE DAWG POUND IS REVOLTING

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When Cleveland Browns fans heard the news that Deshaun Watson will be their starting quarterback to start the season, their fan base began revolting against ownership. The Jim Brown statue outside Huntington Bank stadium was vandalized with all kind of signs about how they feel about the sexual predator being their starting quarterback. It was supposed to have been an open quarterback competition between Watson and Shaduer Sanders this preseason. It’s obvious the Browns fans were gas lighted by Cleveland’s ownership and new head coach Todd Monken. Sanders had the better numbers than Watson during the preseason. This decision comes right after Watson called out the Dawg Pound once again, which are the home fans that pay for the tickets, that they are disrespectful for booing him. As Watson’s feelings have been hurt once again as he does not believe in the old saying, “sticks and bones will break my bones but names will never hurt.” The Browns ownership admit they took a swing and missed when it comes to the trade that brought Watson from Houston to Cleveland. Somehow they continue to give him the keys to the starting QB job which could result in their younger quarterbacks taking a step backwards in their development.

Do you remember when the former Browns owner Art Modell moved the franchise to Baltimore in the wee hours of the morning in 1996? The Browns became the Baltimore Ravens in 1996. All Cleveland got was they retained their name Browns and all their rights with the history. Then in 1999 the Browns were back as an expansion team. The Ravens would win multiple Superbowl titles while the Browns became a joke. The Browns have not won a division title since 1989. They went 0-16 in 2017. In 2018 they won one game and finished with a 1-15 record. 1964 was the last year the Cleveland Browns have won a championship. In 2012, Jimmy Haslam and his wife Dee purchased the Browns. Under his watch he let his guys in the front office trade all that draft capital to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson. Even with all the baggage he came with. Over 20 accusers accusing Watson of sexual assaulting them when he would be getting a rub down from a massage therapist. Jimmy decided to still pay the sexual predator a 230 million guaranteed contract for 5 seasons. Watson has not played a single snap in the NFL since 2024. In 2021 he wanted out of Houston because he did not get the say in who the Texans should hire as their new head coach. He did not play in 2021 because he wanted to be traded and then all the allegations and law suits came out of the wood work. In 2022 he would play in only six games for the Browns because he was suspended by the league because those women filed lawsuits over his bad behavior and got 10 games for those actions. In 2023 his best season in a Browns uniform, it lasted six games. He went 5-1 in those six starts. Then in 2024 he managed to play in seven games and was awful as he went 1-6 behind center. That was the year that the DAWG pound unleashed their happiness seeing the sexual predator’s season end right then and there.

The Dawg pound cheered as they carted dear Watson off the field in hopes they will never see him as their starting quarterback. He is 9-10 in 19 starts in 4 years with the Browns. Teams play 17 games per season now in the NFL. One season and 2 games to be paid all of that money. For what? To see another year of the Browns trotting his arse back on the field to get their money’s worth.

I know Shedeur Sanders is not an answer as the franchise quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In 7 games he went 3-4 last year as the starter. He was named to the Pro-Bowl as an alternate because of other star quarterbacks that did not want to waste their time playing flag football. Sanders led all quarterbacks in interceptions from week 11 until the end of the season. Sanders looked better in preseason than Watson. In preseason we don’t see full starting defenses out there on the field with a full scheme against the starting offenses in the league. Coaching staffs definitely judge their players in practices as well in the games. Rumor has it when Sanders is not starting, his game prep is very poor. Sanders is only 24 years of age and Watson is 30 years of age. Can a team develop Sanders? He is a duel threat QB with poor arm strength and turns over the ball. Watson is not much better but has the stronger arm. Can you trade one of these guys? Probably not. Sanders and Watson are head cases no other teams will want to deal with. Watson, no team would want his baggage to get their own fan base to turn on ownership. Shedeur being Deion Sanders’ son in prime time did not do his son any favors telling him to tank interviews before the NFL draft. No team wants a kid who has not done anything concrete in the NFL to walk into their locker room like his shit don’t stink.

The Browns also drafted another two quarterbacks in the last two seasons. The Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel in the 3rd round of the 2025 NFL draft. That was two rounds before the Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders who was picked in the 5th round. Gabriel played in 10 games last year and had 6 starts where he went 1-5 in those games. He threw 7 touchdown passes to only two interceptions. Sanders in 7 starts had 7 touchdown passes to 10 interceptions. Dillon had the higher completion percentage than Sanders, but only by a few points being the difference. The Browns also drafted Taylen Green in the 6th round of the 2026 NFL draft. Green is also a duel threat quarterback that stands at 6’6″ and weighs 2151bs. He played his college balls at Arkansas and before being a Razerback, he played on the smurf turf in Boise State. He’s a big dude that did some nice things this preseason.

Deshaun Watson apologized recently for his second attack on fans for booing him. Watson made his apology after learning he will be the starting quarterback for the Browns to start this season. As a fan: Why would you pay the big amount of money for a ticket to see a bum like Watson play football? What kind of role model is Watson for all these younger QBs this team has? Can the Browns keep 4 quarterbacks on their roster? Sure they can keep three and stash perhaps Taylen Green on their practice squad. What kind of year are the Browns going to have? The Browns had to trade their best defender away in Myles Garrett in efforts to get some of that draft capital they lost by acquiring Watson. This is a team that will not make it to the post-season. Watson will have to be top notch best in the league to find someone to take him off your hands. No way Cleveland will bring him back next year. It is a waste to play Watson right now when you can see what you have in these other guys they drafted. Especially next season which the draft will be loaded with a ton of solid quarterbacks. Maybe you keep two of these young guys and draft a franchise quarterback next season. Watson right now could be a bridge type quarterback just to get things started for this new coaching staff for their first season under the microscope. By week 4 we could see one of the other QBs get thrown to the wolves. At least Shedeur and Gabriel have a taste of the NFL game from last year. To get the speed of the pro game down and adjust from the college game. If I’m a fan I would want to see this team lose with the young guys instead of the veteran Watson. If this is a tanking season it will open up doors for the draft next year. Watson, it’s post-season or bust with him. Next season he will not find another team to play on if he looks the same as the 2024 version of himself. He will have to play like the days he wore a Texans uniform to come back in 2027 and be some other team’s cancer in their locker room. He will be blackballed by the owners of the NFL is my opinion. That would be good for all massage therapists throughout the country. I hope the Dawg pound continues to revolt and hope we see plenty of empty seats in Cleveland. When empty seats hurt the owner’s pockets, they finally come to their senses and make the right moves. Jimmy Haslam is a moron who needs to make a right move to save himself from the mob with torches and pitch forks.

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.

NO JUICE WILL BE SERVED AT THE BILLS’ NEW STADIUM

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The Buffalo Bills will be playing at a brand new spanking facility this upcoming season. The new Bills stadium will still be named Highmark stadium which cost 2.1 billion dollars to construct this new facility that is across the street from the old building. The Old Highmark stadium is being bulldozed which is already underway. Left under the rubble will be one of the Bills most famous running backs not named Thurman Thomas. All the Bills greats from the old stadium will be honored at the new stadium like nothing ever happened except one name. The Juice. OJ Simpson will be a ghost of the past when it comes to his old team moving into a new home. You can’t erase the past. However you could erase him from your new building which many thought they should have done a long time ago when the Bronco was in motion and the gloves did not fit in the 1990’s. When Juice was suddenly not a healthy choice in Western New York anymore. The Bills X running back created more black clouds above their skies which lingered for decades. Now the Bills leaders have finally got rid of a stain on the franchise that Simpson caused murdering two people and getting away with it.

OJ Simpson was the oil and gasoline of the Buffalo Bills on the field during the 1970’s. Simpson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills number 1 overall in the 1969 NFL draft from USC. He played 11 seasons in the NFL of which his first 9 came in wearing a Bills uniform. His last two seasons he went back home to the west coast and suited up with the 49ers. From 1969-1977 he made a name for himself on the gridiron playing professional football after a very solid college career. In 1973 he became the first running back in the NFL to rush for over 2,000 yards in one season. He was a 6 x Pro-Bowler. He made 5 first All-Pro squads in his 11 year career. He played in 135 games and ran the ball 2,404 times and tallied up 11,236 rushing yards. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and scored 61 rushing touchdowns. He was a 3x AFC MVP. He was the first inducted member of the Bills Wall of Fame at the old stadium. They called it the Wall of Fame and his name was there for a reason. His play on the field eventually earned himself a trip to Canton as he made the NFL Hall of Fame.

Then in 1994 Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death. OJ Simpson now became a person of interest. Everyone was glued to their television set when OJ tried to make a run for it in his white Bronco with his best friend. Which set up one of the slowest ever police chases of all-time. Then in 1995 Simpson was charged with murder for what he did to his X-wife Nicole and Mr. Goldman. When you have money you can hire the dream team table of lawyers which the Juice did. His trial drew a larger audience than he ever saw on the football field. It was a world wide trial of people wanting to know what would happen next. What happened was Simpson was acquitted of all charges & that put plenty of dark clouds on America’s justice system. A trial that prosecutors botched big time. Simpson was a free man. But two years later his bank account all of a sudden dried up as he lost the civil court case that cost him 33.5 million dollars. The civil court claimed he was liable for wrongful death. In 2007 Simpson would be arrested in an arm robbery along with kidnapping charges with several accomplices. He claimed he was trying to get back his sports memorabilia that was stolon from him as he broke into a hotel in Las Vegas. In 2008 he was locked up. He served only 9 years in prison as he was once again a free man in 2017. Simpson would die of cancer in 2024 at the age of 76.

The Bills President of Business Operations, Pete Guelli, said, “We have an organizational decision that he is not fit to display inside our new stadium and family circle.”

The family circle will be all the Bills legends outside with three gigantic bison statues that will be open all year round.

Inside, other players on the Wall of Fame will be in the new stadium except OJ Simpson. No Juice. Just tall boys of Labatt Blue. Inside the new stadium will have history of all those great teams in the 1990’s with the 4 Superbowls in a row in that decade. Then other seasons that were memorable.

OJ Simpson had it all. He was a side line reporter for the NFL after his playing career concluded. He was a pitchman for Hertz car rental. He was a Hollywood movie star starring in all three of the Naked Guns.

Simpson was a guy that was liked on those commercials and movies. The fans in the NFL liked his insight on the sidelines of games he covered. He had a dark side and that is what came out years later.

OJ Simpson will always be one of the Best Buffalo Bills running backs of all-time. When he played the game on the gridiron, he did not have that dark side. He had a knack and the athleticism to run the football well on the field. He may have played with an edge. He had that friendly personality that fans loved after the games. Those were dark days of your franchise because the team did not win a ton of games like they do now in present day. He was a bright spot in those dark days that turned into a problem when he stabbed his X-wife and Ronald Goldman. Murderers should only be on the walls of the post office as a wanted person dead or live by the law. You have to protect the youth and not glamorize an athlete who committed double homicide. If you call something Family Circle, no way you should have OJ’s face on that. The Bills should have removed OJ from the old stadium . They let it linger. It’s better to leave OJ’s memories there. The Bills did not win any Superbowls in the old facility that had OJ on the wall. It’s a new beginning. The Bills are making the smart decisions to hopefully create more sunshine above Highmark stadium and disburse those dark clouds to New England.

UFL MVP LOOKING TO RUN WITH THE BISON IN BUFFALO

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The Buffalo Bills added another running back to their roster by signing the UFL,United Football League MVP of the recent championship, Ian Wheeler. Wheeler helped the Louisville Kings win their first title in the United Bowl III which was only weeks ago. Wheeler is 24 years old and will be 25 when the month of September rolls around. This is a guy that put medical school on hold to achieve his NFL dreams. His NFL dreams were crushed with a preseason injury with the Chicago Bears. After that he made the Saints practice squad which only lasted a week. Can Wheeler help the Bills and Josh Allen win a championship with a very loaded running back room already in place?

This will not be the first time Ian Wheeler has run with the Buffaloes. Wheeler played college football at Howard University.

Howard University had nothing to do with that award winning Hollywood movie, Howard the Duck. Howard University’s nickname is the Bison. When Wheeler played for the Bison during his college years, he averaged 6.5 yards per carry on the grid iron. I imagine in the classroom his grades were also off the charts as he already achieved a degree in Psychology. His college stats he carried the ball for the Bison 177 times and tallied up 1,154 rushing yards with 14 rushing touchdowns. The passing game he only tallied up a couple hundred yards with one more touchdown. In the return game, he had three touchdowns on special teams in his collegiate career. He was an undrafted free agent and signed with the Chicago Bears after he concluded a very nice career at Howard.

On August 10th of 2024, Ian Wheeler in a Chicago Bear Uniform scored two touchdowns against the team he just signed for, the Buffalo Bills, in a preseason game. By August 24th he was placed on injury reserve as a torn ACL which made his football career at that time very grim. By 2025, about a year later, the Bears released Wheeler. In late November he was able to sign with the Saints practice squad but it only lasted for a cup of coffee in the Big Easy. To keep Medical School on hold, Wheeler needed a new plan and that’s when the United Football league would help his case to show teams what he still has in his legs. Wheeler played in 9 regular season games for the Louisville Kings and finished 4th in rushing yards for the season in the UFL. He carried the ball 68 times and tallied up 370 rushing yards in those 9 games. Which averages out to 5.4 yards per carry. He had 6 rushing touchdowns during regular season. In two post-season games, he carried the ball 17 times for 175 rushing yards. He scored two rushing touchdowns. One of those touchdowns came in the 4th quarter in the United Bowl, a 44 yard dagger that beat last year’s champions the DC Defenders in their home stadium. Wheeler ranked number 5 in the UFL during the regular season for all-purpose yards. He averaged 28.5 yards on kick off returns for the Kings this spring.

Why do the Bills even need another running back when their starter won the rushing title in 2025? James Cook III tore up the league last year and won his first rushing title of his career. The Bills already have in place a solid third down running back in veteran Ty Johnson. The Bills also have the legendary Frank Gore’s son, Frank Jr., as the guy on the practice squad that has been improving every week and waiting to latch on to the main roster this upcoming season. Then Ray Davis who has been crucial on the return game on special teams for the Bills. When Davis carries the rock, he has done very well in limited time on the field. However Davis has been disgruntled as he voiced his opinions that he should be used more in the Bills offense. Could Wheeler be his replacement?

The Bills gave Ian Wheeler a contract as this is not your normal thing inviting UFL players or un-drafted free agents to try out for your team. Wheeler is a winner everywhere he played. Obviously we saw that with the Louisville Kings. If we go back to his college days, he helped the Bison of Howard win back to back MEAC championships. I’m not saying Wheeler is the missing piece that the Bills need to get to the Superbowl. He is a smart guy. He is a smart guy with talent on the field which you don’t get very often on the football field. You don’t get that very often in general in sports. I like anybody that can make big plays in the 4th quarter in a crucial game. He may be a guy the Bills only use on special teams. In football to be a Superbowl team, you have to be talented in all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. Wheeler could be an important factor if any of these guys get injured. This is a nice signing because there is nothing wrong with having too much talent at one position. It’s a low risk/high ceiling type of move here by the Bills. Hoping medical school waits a little bit longer to see Wheeler run wild with the Buffaloes in Orchard Park, New York.

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.

RAMS PULL OFF CHECKMATE MOVE THAT LANDS THEM MYLES GARRETT FROM CLEVELAND

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In 2021 the LA Rams pulled out a blockbuster trade that helped them win the Superbowl in the same year they acquired their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, from the Detroit Lions. The Rams are notorious for trading their number 1 draft picks for established veteran players over the last several years. The Rams have done it again in another CHECKMATE move and acquired one of the best defensive ends in the league, Myles Garrett, from the Cleveland Browns. The Rams will send their much younger defensive end, Jared Verse, to Cleveland with three draft picks of which two are number one selections. The draft picks are 2027 first round pick, 2028 first round pick, and finally a 2029 3rd round pick. This is a trade that can certainly help the Rams get to the Superbowl which their home stadium is hosting next February. It also helps the Cleveland Browns get some of the draft capital they surrendered to the Houston Texans a few seasons ago when they acquired the sexual predator, Deshaun Watson.

Myles Garrett was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns back in 2017 in the first round number 1 overall from Texas A&M. He is 30 years of age and already has 9 seasons in the NFL. He is the highest paid player in the league that is not a quarterback. He has won back to back years as the defensive player of the year. Last year he tied the NFL single season record of most sacks by a player in one season. He had 23 sacks. He played in all 17 games for the Browns last year, tallied up 43 solo tackles, and forced three fumbles in 2025. He has played in 134 career games in his career and has racked up 125.5 sacks with 293 solo tackles while forcing 23 fumbles. In 9 seasons he has only played in 3 career playoff games with the Browns and has recorded one sack in those games. Garrett is remembered for ripping the helmet off Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolf during a play & then using it as a weapon to hit him in the head with it. Garrett would miss six games including the post-season in 2019 for that incident as he was suspended by the league.

You have to feel sorry for Jared Verse who has two years in the league and has been a starter for the Rams both seasons. Now he leaves a potential team that could make it to the Superbowl to play for a flunky like the Browns. Verse is also a first round pick. He was drafted in 2024 by the Rams number 19 overall from Florida State University. Last year he racked up 7.5 sacks for the Rams as he played in all 17 regular season games. He also had 35 solo tackles and forced 3 fumbles. In two seasons he has racked up 12 sacks and has 71 total solo tackles in 34 games. He has also forced 5 fumbles. He has 45 total QB hits in two seasons. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Rams in 2024. He is a 2x Pro-Bowler as well and has only two seasons under his belt. The Rams are getting a solid piece in return for Garrett who is still playing under a rookie contract. Plus he is 25 years of age which is 5 years younger than Myles Garrett. The Browns in March also restructured Garret’s contract making him easier to trade. The restructuring will allow the Browns two seasons to spread his 41.09 million dollars in dead cap space on the salary cap instead of taking the hit in one season. The Browns also get two number 1 draft picks along with a 3rd. Let’s not forget Verse was picked in the first round. Now you have your draft capital back from the horrific deal acquiring the sexual predator, Deshaun Watson, back in 2022 from Houston. Watson has been terrible most of the time since he came from Cleveland. He has missed a ton of games with season ending injuries. Plus he’s a cancer in the locker room. Then you still hear about more sexual assault cases against him popping up. Hopefully Cleveland can use one of those draft picks and find a QB. Next year’s draft will be loaded with QB talent.

When the Rams won their last Superbowl, they had that one player on that defense who was a game wrecker. Aaron Donald was a beast. He has been retired now for the last few seasons. The Rams defense was solid last year. By bringing in Myles Garrett they have that Donald, a guy that can change the game. He’s a QB killer who has 239 hits on the guy behind center in 9 seasons. If he does not record a sack he will let you know his presence is there. He’s a guy that can close out football games. Let’s face it, the Rams are all in. They have a veteran quarterback approaching 40 years of age in Matthew Stafford who has shown he is capable of still playing at a high level. Last year the Rams went out and got another top receiver in the NFL, in Devante Adams. The Rams went all the way to the NFC Championship game and lost to a division rival, the Seattle Seahawks, who went on to dispose of the New England Patriots in the Superbowl. The Rams feel they need one more player to get them over the top of the mountain to get back to the Superbowl. The Rams feel they get more for their teams by trading their number 1 pick for talented veteran players. They have also acquired Von Mille and Jalen Ramsey in the past. This off-season they made a deal with the Chiefs for their all-pro corner back, Trent McDuffie, for some draft picks. The Rams actually used their number 1 pick this season on a quarterback, Ty Simpson. This Rams team has one of the best coaches in the NFL, the young mind of Sean McVay. Then next year’s Superbowl is in LA. The Rams could do their version of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, and host the Superbowl in their own stadium. The Rams before the trade landing Garrett, had good odds by Las Vegas to win next year’s big game. Now they should be the lead horse in the race to win next year’s Superbowl. In my opinion this looks like a solid trade for both teams. Cleveland is not getting to the Superbowl any time soon as they need to rebuild that roster. The Rams have done this before and made the big move to put themselves in the best position possible. You can really say, “CHECKMATE!!”

BEARS BEAM UP SCOTTY MILLER TO THE MOTHER SHIP

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The Chicago Bears brought in veteran wide receiver, Chicagoland native Scotty Miller, for a visit. Miller participated in the team’s rookie mini camp and the Bears liked what they saw. Miller will join the Bears receiving core as he walks out of Lake Forest with a contract for this upcoming season. He’s from the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Bowling Green. Miller is remembered mostly for his best year with the Buccaneers in 2020 where he became a nice target for Tom Brady. Miller has a Superbowl ring as the Buccaneers won it all in 2020 behind Brady.

Scotty Miller is 28 years of age and has been in the NFL for the last seven seasons. Miller spent 4 seasons in Tampa Bay before moving on to Atlanta in 2023. The last two seasons he has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the Steelers in the last 2 seasons, he has played in 26 games and has hauled in only 14 passes for 131 receiving yards. In 2023 his numbers were better than what he did the last two seasons in Pittsburgh. One season with the Falcons he caught 11 balls for 161 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. His best year was when Tom Brady was his quarterback in 2020 when he caught 53 balls for 501 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. In 93 games in the NFL he has caught 99 balls for 1,216 receiving yards with 6 touchdown catches. You have to remember his catch wearing a Buccaneers uniform versus the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. At Lambeau Field, Miller was wide open as Brady found him & threw him the ball for a 39 yard touchdown pass right at the end of the first half that gave Tampa Bay a 21-10 halftime lead. The Buccaneers would go on to the Superbowl after beating Green Bay on the road and win their second championship in their franchise history. In post-season, Miller has 4 catches for 80 receiving yards and that touchdown catch versus Green Bay.

Scotty Miller is originally from the suburb of Barrington in the Chicagoland area. He attended Barrington High School. He also played youth football with his old and now new teammate from the Bears, tight end Cole Kmet. It is a nice story reuniting two teammates from the past when they were kids who were just starting to play the sport of football. What does Miller right now bring to the table for the Bears? Last year he only had 9 catches for 62 receiving yards. The Bears in the off-season traded one of their top receivers to Buffalo to open up more cap space for the team. DJ Moore will wear a Bills uniform. The Bears have a young core of talented receivers such as Rome Odunze & Luther Burden III who are coming off a big year under Ben Johnson’s offense. The Bears added a veteran Lions receiver that Johnson knows from the motor city in Kalif Raymond. The Bears also have some other young options they’d like to develop in Zavion Thomas and Jahdae Walker. The Bears had a solid 1-2 punch at the tight end position with Cole Kmet and Colston Sutherland last year. That did not stop the Bears adding another tight end in the draft this season by selecting Sam Roush out of Stanford. Miller gives the Bears another veteran receiver who can convert some third downs and has a knack at finding the end zone. Miller gives the Bears depth at the wide receivers position just in case of any unfortunate injuries that occur before the season even starts. Miller has not really had a solid quarterback since Brady retired from the game. I could see Caleb Williams giving a guy like Miller more targets because he is dependable when he gets the ball thrown in his direction. This is a low risk/high ceiling type of move by the Bears here. If he does not serve a purpose, the team could release him back into the free agent waters of the NFL. With Johnson’s offensive system, plenty of balls can feed many of the play makers on this team. Nothing wrong with bringing in the hometown guy to help the team and really revive Miller’s career where he can do the things he did for Tom Brady. You have to like the post-season experience Miller has for being around one of the best all-time. He has seen firsthand how the goat did it. Can Williams be that goat?

JACK, CHOOSING BASEBALL OVER FOOTBALL IN THE MANGUM HOUSEHOLD

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I wonder if the Mangum household is similar to the show Blue Bloods. In Blue Bloods, Tom Selleck plays character Frank Reagan who sits at the head of dinner table as the Police Commissioner with a family that has law enforcement as the family business. It seems like the Mangum family business is football. John Mangum Jr. played for the Chicago Bears during the 1990’s. His father, the original John, played defensive tackle for the Boston Patriots, who at the time resided in the AFL before the merger with the NFL. Then John Mangum’s brother Kris played tight end for the Carolina Panthers for 10 seasons in the NFL. Along came John Mangum Jr.’s son Jake who elected to play baseball over football. He followed his own path in life and has made it to the MLB. I’m sure Jake is not sentenced to the kids table at Sunday family dinners.

At the age of 30, Jake Mangum has had a very interesting path to the MLB after spurning football his freshman year of high school to concentrate on baseball. In 2025, Jake made his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays. This season he is on the Pirates in year two of his career as he has already been traded three times in his career. Mangum was drafted three times by both New York teams. He avoided the Yankee Death Star by playing college ball instead of wearing storm trooper pinstripes. The Mets drafted him two years in a row in 2018 & ’19. He played his college ball at Mississippi State University where he earned a degree in business administration. In 4 seasons at Mississippi State, he helped the Bulldogs get to the College World Series in back-to-back years in 2018 & ’19. In 4 seasons he racked up 383 hits which ranks him number 1 all-time in the Southeastern conference. Those 383 hits rank him number 4 all-time in NCAA Division 1 history. He would finally sign with the Mets to begin his journey to the MLB. In 2020 due to the pandemic, he did not play as all minor league seasons were cancelled completely that year. The Mets traded him to the Marlins for that famous player to be named later deal. Then about a year later the Marlins flipped him to get that famous player to be named later. Finally Mangum had a break out camp with the Rays while being protected from any other team poaching him in the rule 5 draft. Mangum is switch hitting outfielder with remarkable defensive skills. With the lumber last year he racked up 120 hits in 118 games. His batting average was a impressive .296. Not much power with the bat only 3 long balls but he drove in 40 runs. The Rays had a fire sale during the off-season as they work on another quick rebuild on the fly, they threw in Mangum in the deal with second baseman Brandon Lowe who was headliner of the deal.

John Mangum Jr. presently 59 years of age. He was born and raised in the state of Mississippi. John was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 6th round of the 1990 NFL draft from Alabama University. John was defensive back and played 9 seasons in the NFL all with Da Bears. In 105 NFL games he tallied up 5 interceptions. He recorded 4.5 sacks and racked up 272 solo tackles. When John played for the Bears this was after those great 1980’s teams they had when they won the Superbowl in 85. The Bears still had some Hall of Fame players that played with John in the 1990’s.

Steve “Mongo” McMichael and Richard Dent were on their last legs when Mangum Jr. was patrolling the Bears secondary. The Bears did make it to the post-season three times with John Mangum Jr. In 5 post-season games, Mangum did record an interception and fumble recovery on his playoff resume.

John Mangum Jr.’s younger brother Kris is 52 years of age presently. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 7th round of the 1997 NFL draft from Alabama University. He helped the Crimson Tide win a National title in 1992. Before transferring to Alabama he played for Ole Miss. Kris did not play defense like his brother and father. He was an offensive player whose position on the gridiron was tight end. He played 10 seasons in the NFL all with the Panthers. He played in 126 NFL games and racked up 151 catches for 1,424 receiving yards. He also hauled in 9 touchdown passes. He played from 1997 until 2006.

Jack Mangum was way too young to see his father play professional football. In 2025 for a Monday football game between the Bears and the Vikings, Jack was in town with the Rays. It was an alumni game for his father John, at Soldier field. Jack had the day off as the Rays were going to be playing both Chicago baseball teams during the week starting on Tuesday. Jack got some perspective about his father and all his Bear chums that night. The stories that were told. Along with watching the game together, it had to have been special for the Mangum football family.

When John Mangum Jr. was playing for the Bears, I always liked how he played the game. He was not your All-Pro defensive back out on the field. He played hard every down and had a high football IQ which you have to respect. In sports, guys like John Jr. are some of the unsung heroes of these teams you watch every Sunday. You need these guys on the roster to win games. You can tell that about his son Jack, who carved his own path in life. He may have been good playing football until he gave it up. He was committed to Alabama but backed out in the last minute to go to Mississippi State which was close to home. It was a school he visited multiple times before going there because he knew people there. By the time he went to school there, he knew many people and everyone knew his name earning himself the “Mayor” nickname. I was watching the Pirates game yesterday, his new team, as they were in New York playing the Mets, the team that drafted him and traded him away. He was playing center field and on one play he tracked down a ball that was destined to be off the wall for extra bases. He got on his horse and tracked it down for one hell of a catch. He looked like a defensive back like a safety ball hawking a ball thrown deep by a quarterback. His father would be proud that Jack has taken some football into his sport of baseball. The Mangum family toughness with the game high IQ is what this family is all about. Jack was late getting to the big leagues, but he certainly looks like he should be an everyday player as I hope the Pirates give him plenty of playing time. You hope he can get 8-10 good years in the MLB like his father and uncle got playing on the gridiron.

RETURN TO SENDER

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Right before the start of the NFL free agent frenzy, the biggest trade made was between the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Ravens acquired one of the top pass rushers in the NFL in 28 year old 5x Pro Bowler Mad Maxx Crosby. The Ravens have never traded any of their first round picks in their franchise history. To acquire a talent like Crosby with other teams making bids, the Ravens sealed the deal with a 2026 1st round pick along with a ’27 first round pick. It looked like the Ravens upgraded their defense with one of the fiercest pass rushers in the league. Crosby was not looking to go through another rebuild with the Raiders who already have the number one draft pick this April. The deal was orchestrated before the official NFL year begins. Plus every deal depends on pending physicals for players involved. Crosby would be looked at by the Ravens doctors in Baltimore and they apparently did not like what they saw with his off-season surgery. Crosby missed the last two games of the season due to a meniscus tear in the knee which he had it repaired with off-season surgery. The Ravens backed out of the deal and the trade was cancelled. Right after the trade, the Ravens signed another stud pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson who was available through free agency. The Raiders along with some football experts would call the Ravens backing out of the deal very dirty. As if they had two plans in motion the entire time.

With the Ravens backing out of the deal with the Raiders, they will have access to those two first round draft picks back in their arsenal. They still get one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL as well without having to give up any draft capital. The Ravens signed the 31 year old Hendrickson to a 4 year deal worth 120 million to play for the Ravens. This move also steals one of the Ravens archrival’s players away from the Cincinnati Bengals. Originally Hendrickson was drafted by the Saints back in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL draft from Florida Atlantic University. He played for the Saints his first 4 years out of his 9 year NFL career so far. He signed with the Bengals in free agency and has played in Cincinnati for the last 5 seasons. Hendrickson only played in 7 games last year as he had a season-ending injury that occurred in week six. It was a core muscle injury originally reported in his hip pelvis region. In week 8 he re-aggravated the same injury because he continued to play after week 6. The Ravens doctor must have liked what they saw from Hendrickson during his physical because the contract was signed and he finally got his money. Hendrickson has been creating plenty of noise with the Bengals for not giving him the top money his position makes in the NFL. Before last year’s season started, he was threatening to hold out until his demands were made. The Bengals and Hendrickson never hammered out a long term deal. Hendrickson is older than Mad Maxx Crosby. In seven games last year, Hendrickson had 4 sacks, 11 solo tackles, and forced one fumble. In ’23 and ’24 Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons. Those two seasons Hendrickson tallied 17.5 sacks in each of those two seasons. Hendrickson in 9 seasons has racked up 81 sacks.

What does this mean for the Raiders as their trade is blown up by the dirty Ravens? After the Raiders thought the deal was done with the Ravens, they went on a shopping spree for players in the free agent market. The Raiders added some solid linebackers to their defense with the signing of Quay Walker along with former Eagle, Nakobe Dean.

Dean helped the Eagles trash the Kansas City Chiefs in the Superbowl. The Raiders added some much needed offensive help as well. They signed a veteran receiver in Jalen Nailor, a former Viking who had 4 touchdowns last year. The best signing was taking away the Ravens top offensive lineman in Tyler Linderbaum who will be the Raiders new center this upcoming season. When Mad Maxx Crosby arrived in Baltimore, he was watching the moves his former team was making. The Raiders certainly will draft the best quarterback option in April by selecting the Heisman trophy winner from University of Indiana, Fernando Mendoza, who also helped the Hoosiers win the National Championship. The shopping spree the Raiders just had will not effect the salary cap even if the Las Vegas keeps Crosby next season. The Raiders have enough room to keep all the players they just signed and still have enough space to pay Mad Maxx.

How long will this Raiders rebuild take? The Raiders coming into the off-season had some nice pieces on offense. Ashton Jeanty was the top pick for the Raiders last year in the first round 6th overall. He rushed for 975 yards and had 5 rushing touchdowns in his rookie season. The Raiders’ new head coach will have a better offensive design for Jeanty. Klint Kubiak’s offense featured two star running backs for Seattle last year. The Raiders also have a tight end in Brock Bowers who is closing in on being one the top tight ends in the NFL. I believe Mendoza will be a solid quarterback for years to come. The Raiders could trade Crosby and get some more draft capital or keep him and ride him out through the end of his contract. Keeping him will help this Raiders team get to their goals quicker. He wanted to leave, not wanting to be involved in another rebuild. His heart seems to have always been with the silver and black. Tom Brady, who I hate, is part owner of this Raiders franchise. His voice is being heard. Eventually every team wants a solid pass rusher. The Raiders have one again. You can pay guys some big money when your rookie QB is on a rookie deal. Brady’s pride is on the line with his Raiders. He does not like to lose. He will win more with Crosby and help than without Mad Maxx and the help. When it comes time to pay your QB after his first contract concludes, then you can cut ties with Crosby. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Raiders. Crosby will play with a chip on his shoulder to prove himself to be healthy and able to play in the NFL, to the entire league. Meanwhile the Dirty Ravens need more players on that defense than just Trey Hendrickson. If the Ravens go into the season as is, it’s like Hendrickson playing on those bad Bengals defenses for the last few seasons. It seems like Hendrickson is one step & one play away from breaking down completely at his age as injuries have followed him. Back and hip issues are not a good recipe for playing football at a high level. Attaching yourself onto Lamar Jackson to complete your Superbowl dreams is not a smart decision. I think Jackson will never win a Superbowl and may never get a team to that kind of a game in the first place.

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.