The Montreal Canadiens travelled to TD Garden last night for the final time in 2018. The teams played three times in 8 days in mid-January, which the Bruins took all 3 games. The Canadiens are just horrible. Each game they play the Bruins, it’s just listless. This one was not much different. Tuukka Rask took a seat on the pine omg for this one, and Carey Price sat for Antti Niemi.
The story of this one came just 37 seconds into the game:
Rookie Defenseman, Charlie McAvoy left the game after getting tripped up. This would be a huge loss if he misses extended time. Not going to speculate what the injury is, but it’s definitely a foot, ankle, leg issue. Unfortunate play, and hope to god the franchise is ok.
Much like the majority of the Bruins vs. Habs matchups this season, this one was a snoozer. With half of the first period gone, Kevan Miller saw his pass intercepted by Brendan Gallagher of the Canadiens. Gallagher walked in, and fired a shot past Anton Khudobin. 1-0 Canadiens.
After this point, the Canadiens stopped playing. The Bruins completed dominated, creating prime scoring chances left and right. Antti Niemi made a staggering 48 saves. Without him, this would have been an ugly scoreline.
Finally, 17 minutes into the third period, Jake Debrusk re-directed a slap pass from Defenseman Nick Holden past Niemi. It was finally a 1-1 game.
New guy Nick Holden gets another point with his assist on DeBrusk’s tying goal. pic.twitter.com/Fclr9znCTU
— Stanley Cup of Chowder (@cupofchowdah) March 4, 2018
The Overtime Period saw the Bruins toy with the hapless Canadiens. The Bruins skated, and passed the puck at will. The Habs were dog tired, when Brad Marchand took a tour of the offensive zone with the puck. Finally getting to the high slot, he fired a puck past Niemi to win the game.
The Bruins take the season series from the Canadiens 4-0. Be more pathetic Montreal, you can’t. In all seriousness, there is a very long re-build ahead up there. The leading point getter up there has 40 points. It’s March 4th. Just a complete joke. I hope it’s a long, miserable, painful, sickening, and difficult road back for that decrepit franchise.
Glad the Bruins continued their strong play. This win gives them 3 in a row since getting spanked by Buffalo. Let’s hope Charlie McAvoy is OK, but it seems for the first time in years, the Bruins have depth to deal with an injury god forbid. Next up the Bruins take on the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Another Atlantic Division foe, who is absolutely miserable. Should be another 2 points. As always, let’s go Bruins.
Thursday saw the Pittsburgh Penguins invade TD Garden. The defending Stanley Cup Champions left on the short end of an 8-4 scoreline. Make no mistake about it, this was a statement win from the Bruins. The past few weeks the red hot pace the team was playing at had cooled a bit, which is to be expected in an 82 game season. This past Saturday, the Bruins lost a in heartbreaking fashion to Toronto, which saw the leafs take over second place in the Atlantic Division. The very next day saw the Buffalo Sabres crush the B’s 4-1. Reeling a bit, the Bruins gutted out a 4-3 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Last night saw the Bruins return to their dominant form.
"I'm gonna work on it, it's probably not one of my qualities."
Earlier in the week the Bruins were dealt a dose of bad news. Number 1 center, Patrice Bergeron was sidelined with a fractured foot. He will miss 2 weeks minimum, and this has opened the door for some new faces. Last night against Pittsburgh two players made their Bruins debut.
Nick Holden skated in his first action as a Bruin playing on the third D pair with Kevan Miller. Holden slotted in for Rookie, Matt Grzelyck who took the game in from the 9th floor as a healthy scratch.
Veteran forward Brian Gionta made his Bruins debut in place of Danton Heinen, who needed to take a game in from the 9th floor as well. Gionta is coming straight from the Olympics, where he impressed enough to earn a pro contract win the Bruins.
Bruins sign Brian Gionta to one-year, one-way contract through 2017-18 season worth $700,000: https://t.co/Ui8jBkESFW
Brutal start from the Bruins for fucks sake. Four guys caught staring at Evgeni Geno Malkin, who dished a cross-slot feed for Maatta to bury. The warning signs were all there that this would be a long night for the Bruins.
Luckily this years team doesn’t quit, or fall into a funk. The Bruins immediately put the pressure on the Penguins. Just 1:45 into the game Rick Nash stormed down the right wing, and slipped a backhand pass for David Krejci. Krejci was able to get his stick on the puck as he crashed into Pens goalie Casey DeSmith.
This is when the barrage began. David Pastrnak’s one-timer deflected off a casserole nonsense in front of DeSmith. The puck slowly trickled in to make it 2-1. (Boy does DeSmith blow). Riley Nash would be credited with the goal later on.
Just two and a half minutes later Rick Nash deflected a centering pass over the shoulder of DeSmith to make it 3-1. DeSmith was yanked from the game having only played a shade over 5 minutes.
After the Bruins quickly built a 2 goal cushion, Phil Kessel buried a short side goal on Tuukka Rask. Kessel got the puck below the goal line, fired off the back of Rask’s legs, and into the net. Brutal from Rask, who wasn’t covering his post properly.
A few minutes later, Brian Gionta fed David Backes on the Right Wing hashmarks. Backes took the feed and ripped a snap-shot top shelf. 4-2 Bruins with less than half the period remaining.
Tory Krug added a 5th goal with just over 2 minutes left to play in the first. Just when you thought the Bruins were going to get out of the period up 3, Riley Sheahan fired a slap-shot past Tuukka Rask with just 3 seconds remaining in the first. Pathetic goal to give up by Rask. Sheahan is a fourth line center, and should have no business firing a slapped past Rask if he can see it cleanly.
The start of the second period saw the Bruins take over. Bruins newcomer, Nick Holden fed David Krejci in front of the net with a beautiful pass, and Krejci slotted home his second of the night. Later on the power play ole’ yeller, Brian Gionta had the puck in front of Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry (who?). Gionta drew both Penguin defenders, and slid a backhanded no-look pass to a wide-open Krejci, who completed his hat trick.
David Pastrnak and Olli Maatta each added another goal making the score 8-4 Bruins.
In what was a spirited affair the Bruins put a beat down on the Penguins in a statement win. The biggest moment of the game wasn’t any of the barrage of goals scored by the black and gold. The game had gotten a bit chippy in the second period, and the Bruins were on the penalty kill. Zdeno Chara was on the ice for all 2 minutes of the kill, and played an additional 1:05 minutes when Jamie Oleksiak challenged him to a fight:
This is why Zdeno Chara still wears the “C” for the Boston Bruins. At 40 years old he played 3:05 minutes in a row, and tuned up a 6’7, 255 pound Oleksiak. Big Z can still play.
Overall, it was a massive victory for the Bruins, who still need to show they belong at the top of the standings. The additions Sweeney has made are fitting in beautiful. It should be an awesome stretch run. Let’s go Bruins!
Lamar Jackson seems to be the least talked about high-end prospect the 2018 NFL Draft has to offer. Make no mistake about it, Lamar Jackson deserves consideration to be picked first overall, or just the first round in general. The fact he isn’t getting much attention is very weird.
Now, the easy comparison here is obviously Michael Vick. They are both run-heavy Quarterback’s, with athleticism through the freaking roof. At any second Jackson could take off, and run the ball 90 yards to the house. In college, Mike Vick had one huge knock to his game. His ability to throw the ball down the field. Vick lacked the down field accuracy, and power if he were to stand in the pocket.
Now, based on what I have been watching of Jackson it seems as if he is ahead of where Vick was just throwing the ball down the field. His passes have more zip, and accuracy than anything Vick threw at Virginia Tech.
Looking at Jackson’s’ stats here I am pleasantly surprised. Obviously his best year came in 2016, where he threw for 30 TD’s, and rushed for another 21. That’s your Quarterback accounting for 51 total touchdowns. That is insanity right there. In 2017 his stats dropped………barely. In a season where he was hyped less than the year before, Lamar came out and balled. Interestingly enough, he ran for 3 less TD’s, AND threw for 3 less TD’s than 2016. However, his total yardage increased for both rushing and passing. In 2017 he threw for 3,660 yards. That is up from 3,543 in 2016. 2017 saw Lamar rush for 1,601 yards, which is an improvement from the 1,571 in 2016.
All of those stats, and insane highlights bring us to the main Question: Should the Browns take Lamar Jackson at number 1? Short answer: No. I would have no problem with the Browns if they decided they wanted to pick Lamar Jackson. First overall would be a bit of a reach despite the Heisman Season, highlights, and numbers. Drafting Lamar Jackson so high would require the Browns to tailor the entire offense to him. This is fine and all, but the gimmicky read-option/pistol offense seems to only work in spurts in the NFL. Defenses are just too fast for it. If you draft Lamar Jackson that high you don’t force him to become a pure pocket passer. That would ruin the kid, and is just not doing his talent justice. I feel like it’s easier to ask a Pro-Style quarterback to run more, than it is to ask a running quarterback to stay in the pocket.
If Dorsey decides Lamar is the guy, by all means draft Lamar Jackson. I would prefer they tried to trade back into round 1 in the 15-32 area. They have the draft capital to do so (Thanks Sashi, love you mean it). But, Browns fans should not sleep on Lamar Jackson. This dude is fucking electric, and I was shocked to see he virtually matched his Heisman winning season. Hell, 2017 was probably the better year. Fewer TD’s, but total yardage increased. Will John Dorsey show some serious balls, and draft Lamar Jackson to be the Browns Quarterback of the future?
Last night the Boston Bruins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in overtime. Rick Nash scored his first goal as a Bruin, and a surprising player shined in the comeback win for the Black and Gold.
Tommy fucking Wingels ladies and gentlemen. Ever heard of him? Doubt it. While the Tampa Bay Lightning were completing a blockbuster for Ryan McDonagh, Donny Sweeney was pulling off a depth trade for the stretch run.
Enter Tommy Big Dick Wingels. Wingels was acquired from the faltering Blackhawks for a 5th round pick. If the Bruins win a round, the pick will turn into a 4th. Not a bad price at all.
The trade immediately reeked dividends for the Bruins. In his first game this past Tuesday, Wingels slotted in on the Bruins third line. He played along side David Backes and Danton Heinen. Boy, did he ever look good on that line too. Wingels posted a goal and assist in the B’s comeback effort.
What a little snipe there from Tommy boy!! In all seriousness, this trade has the potential to be a massive steal for the Bruins. Take away the goal and assist, and I still love what I saw from him. He was buzzing all night. He was relentless on the forecheck, and showed that he could play with speed. If Cassidy needed, Wingels could slot up in the lineup, or he can generate energy on the third line. No matter where he plays, playoff teams need a Tommy Wingels on their roster.
If he can continue to play at the speed he did on Tuesday than this is a fucking steal. For those upset about giving away a draft pick, ask yourself this: What’re the odds that the 5th round pick records a regular season NHL goal? Astronomically low. This is a great depth move by Sweeney for the playoff push.
B’s take on the Penguins tonight at 7pm at TD Garden. Let’s go Bruins!!
Believe it or not, yesterday was the NHL trade deadline. Unbelievable that we are already staring down the barrel of the NHL stretch run. Throughout the course of the year a few teams have separated themselves from the pack as Stanley Cup Contenders, and old powers are finding themselves “blowing it up” as the playoffs are likely out of reach.
Here is where we sit coming down the stretch. The biggest takeaway for myself personally is the fact the Original Six is a disaster. Two of them are in dead last in their respective divisions. After being a cup contender for the past 5-7 years, the Rangers have hit rock bottom. This year was the year Jeff Gorton and Glen Sather finally decided it was time to start re-tooling.
This brings us to the first of many big moves of the trade deadline:
This trade was completed last Monday between the Bruins and Rangers. Not a major blockbuster by any means, but the message was clear. The Bruins would be adding pieces for a playoff run, and the Rangers would begin to sell off what they can for picks, and young assets.
As a Bruins fan I am somewhat indifferent regarding this trade. Nick Holden sucks. Plain and simple. I have nightmares of Holden giving away multiple games during the 2017 playoffs. Brutal giveaway after brutal giveaway. He’s a depth Defenseman, who isn’t a fucking slug, so he can skate and move the puck fairly well. He would need sheltered minutes, meaning playing favorable match-ups, Offensive Zone starts, etc. We saw last year the Bruins ran out of gas in the postseason largely due to injuries. They were down to their 8th-9th Defenseman, and Tommy Cross was playing meaningful playoff minutes. Holden would be an upgrade in a situation like that.
To Rob O’Gara. I really liked Rob, and was certainly not too pleased to see him go. The Rangers are getting a solid Defenseman that should develop into an NHL regular. He’s had a few cups of coffee with the Bruins, but was mostly a mainstay in Providence. He’s solid. Nothing flashy with O’Gara, he’s going to block shots, kill penalties, and play physical. A valuable piece for any NHL should he develop properly.
The Bruins were not even close to being done making moves to bolster their depth, and free up roster space.
Wednesday saw Donny Sweeney free up some cap space by trading Frank Vatrano. It was time to move on from the UMass product. Vatrano stormed onto the scene scoring 36 goals in his first 36 AHL games in 2015-2016. That goal scoring touch never translated to the NHL level. Frankie needs a bunch of time and space to pick his spot, and you’re just not getting that regularly in the NHL. He’s still got a rocket shot, and decent skating ability. He’s pretty “meh” in every other facet of the game. The fact that he wasn’t traded for a conditional 7th or 6th round pick is beyond me. Florida just handing out 3 round picks like candy. Donny managed to regain a 3rd after sending one away for Holden. Frankie will get a shot to play a regular shift down in Florida, as he just wasn’t good enough to crack the Bruins lineup this year. We’ll see if a fresh start is what was needed.
Coming off a brutal loss on Saturday, the Bruins were still not done adding to their roster.
Bruins acquire Rick Nash from @NYRangers in exchange for Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, Ryan Lindgren, 2018 1st-round pick and 2019 7th-round pick: https://t.co/edXNVGxQDm
Finally to the big one. Don Sweeney pushed all of chips in and acquired veteran Power Forward, Rick Nash. Nash is a big guy standing at 6’4, 220 lbs. He will slot in on the Bruins second line centered by David Krejci. This is a big move for the Bruins, and Rangers equally. The Rangers off-loaded an aging veteran piece for assets. They get back a roster player who could contribute right away in Spooner, and gain an additional 1st round pick. The prospect is what it is. Lindgren was more or less the 6th best Defense Prospect the B’s had.
The Bruins add a guy that can bolster their top 6. One of the few glaring holes on this team was Krejci’s wing. Spooner was slotting in there, but he is a natural center. Spooner had games where he looked fine playing the wing and would mesh well with Krejci. Other nights he couldn’t care less, and was invisible. Missing a chunk of time at the beginning of the year, Spoons has amassed 9 goals, 16 assists, and 25 points so far this season.
Rick Nash is a former perennial 30 goal scorer, who is starting to show his age. The 33 year old is on the final year of his contract, and his point totals have slowly declined the past couple of years. While he’s not leading the league scoring 41 goals anymore, he will still provide much needed secondary scoring. Hopefully playing for his last NHL contract, and a shot at the cup will motivate Nash.
Now on to deadline day itself. There were a lot of deals made towards the final the hour. I am not going to breakdown each one, but I thought I would highlight the most important ones. A full list of deadline day transactions can be found here.
First and foremost the Ryan McDonagh trade. The Rangers continued their fire sale by shipping off their team captain to Tampa Bay.
To #TBLightning: D Ryan McDonagh, F JT Miller To #NYR: F Vladislav Namestnikov, F Brett Howden, D Libor Hajek, 2018 1st-round pick, conditional 2nd-round pick
This trade right here settles the balance of power in the Eastern Conference. While the Bruins were knocking at the door, and adding Rick Nash, the Lightning decided to drag their nuts across Sweeney’s forehead. Adding Ryan McDonagh is just, well it’s just unfair. The Lightning’s Top 4 Defeseman are: Norris Trophy Candidate Victor Hedman, Rookie of year Candidate Mikhail Sergachev, and ole’ reliable Anton Stralman. That is far and away the best D-corps in the Eastern Conference, and will likely bolster their chances of landing the number 1 seed.
The Rangers did fairly well in the return. Namestnikov is a young skilled forward, who is NHL ready. He’s got 44 points so far this year, posting 20 goals, and 24 assists. The two prospects (Howden, Hajek) are solid, and by all accounts seen as B/B+ prospects. This was a fair haul for McDonagh on his own, and I am still scratching my head as to why J.T. Miller was involved. The Rangers tossed him in there for free. Miller is a young gritty forward who is fast, and can play both Wing and Center. With 13 goals, and 27 assists on the year, the Rangers basically sold off Miller a 40 point guy for free. Miller will be a valuable depth piece for the Cup run.
To another Original Six City we go! The first big-ish trade of the day came from two divisional rivals in the Central Division.
Sitting in a similar position as the New York Rangers, the Blackhawks are beginning to sell off pieces. Bad contracts galore in Chicago. It will be harder to blow it up there versus New York largely because of albatross contract after albatross contract. Familiar names like Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, and Jonathen Toews have immovable contracts. Which cannot be said for the assets the Rangers traded away. Even so, the Hawks were able to move a piece to Nashville.
Ryan Hartman was sent to Nashville for two draft picks, and Victor Ejdsell. Edjsell is a prospect playing over in the Swedish Elite League. He is projected to have a solid NHL future ahead of himself. Obviously the main prize here for Chicago is the 1st round pick. Stan Bowman had dealt away prospects and picks chasing down a 4th Stanley Cup, and fell short. Similar to the Bruins, the Blackhawks will have to, “rebuild on the fly”. This would mean acquiring any picks and prospects you can for expiring contracts, while keeping the main core in place.
From Nashville’s perspective, I guess it’s a solid deal? Hartman is having a down year this year. In 2016-17 he finished the season with 19 goals, 12 assists, and 31 points. So far through 57 games he’s got 8 goals, 17 assists, and 25 points. I certainly wouldn’t be shelling out a 1st round pick for him. He’s a solid depth scorer only in his second full NHL season, so there is time to develop. To go with the ability to score, Hartman brings an edge to his game. He plays the agitator role, and we all know how crucial those guys can be come playoff time.
Once the Hartman trade went through, another Central Division rival was making a bit of a surprising move:
This one came as a bit of a shocker, as the Blues are only 2 points out of the final Wild Card spot in the West. Two years in a row the Blues were on the outside of the playoff picture at the deadline, and sold off a major piece. In 2017 it was Kevin Shattenkirk to the Capitals, this year Paul Stastny to Winnipeg.
From a Jets perspective I like the player they acquired. They are looking to make a run, and wanted shore up their center depth. Stastny is perfect for them. They have the game’s most unnoticed superstars in Mark Scheifele, Bryan Little, and now Paul Stastny as their top 3 centers. Not bad at all. Stastny is a Center in the Patrice Bergeron mold. He’s good in the face-off circle, defensively, and can score when needed. He’s not nearly as good as Bergy offensively, defensively, or in the face-off circle, but he will be a quality veteran piece for a team that has made the playoffs once since 2012. I would NOT have given up a first round pick for Stastny. While he is a good player, a first plus a prospect is a high price to pay. By all accounts, Erik Foley is a highly rated prospect at the NCAA level this season. For all the big guns traded these past few days, Stastny was the most surprising by far, and will be interesting to see how he fits in with the Jets.
Moving further out West, Las Vegas made it’s first ever Trade Deadline Day move:
This trade will likely get a shit ton of love in the Media, mostly because Vegas is the leagues darling. Vegas is sitting at the top of the Pacific Division for reasons that cannot be explained. When you get this far you kinda have to, “go for it”. I understand that and all, but this takes the cake as the worst trade of the deadline.
Tatar is a good player, who up until this year was a regular 50-60 point getter. This year his numbers have declined, as Detroit sucks. This year he has a measly 16 goals, 12 assists, for 28 points total. There is absolutely no reason to be shelling out a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks. As a team that is approaching its second draft EVER, it’d probably be wise to hang on to draft picks, no? Tatar will give Vegas some more pop for sure, as that forward group is bone dry in terms of pure goal scoring.
This is yet another Original Six Franchise attempting to rebuild, and Detroit got a HAUL. They are a team that prides itself of drafting and developing talent, so those three picks will come up huge when re-stocking the cupboard.
Late in the day, another Pacific Division team was selling off an expiring contract:
Edmonton is now officially out of the playoff race, which is just fantastic. A team that has drafted 1st overall 3 times in the past 10 years. The latest being Connor McDavid the NHL’s darling boy. Last year Edmonton made a run into the second round of the playoffs. They were actually considered a favorite to be hoisting Lord Stanley in June. Instead, this man…
ruined any chance Edmonton had at building a playoff contender. First, he traded Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson. Hall was the number 1 pick of the 2011 entry draft. He’s now a major contributor on Devils playoff team. Larsson is a solid top 4 Dman, but Taylor Hall is an elite goal scorer. Who needs those Chia? He traded Matthew Barzal (Rookie of the Year Candidate) for Griffin Reinhart, a Defenseman for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL. He handed out a 6 year, $7 million dollar contract to 29 year old Milan Lucic. A contract that will hamper Edmonton until it expires. He signed center, Leon Draisaitl to an 8 year $68 million dollar contract worth $8.5 million per year. Now, Draisaitl is damn good. Someday he will be worth every penny of that contract, but this was his FIRST contract coming off his rookie deal. Teams almost always opt for a bridge contract, and then dish out the cash. Chia said fuck it, and handed ALL the money to Draisaitl. But wait! There’s more, Chiarelli signed Connor McDavid to an 8 year $100 million dollar contract extension. This won’t kick in until 2019, but once it does the annual cap hit will be $13.5 million. Let me preface this by saying Connor McDavid is worth every penny of that contract. Has Chiarelli not learned from his time in Boston? Has he not seen what the Brent Seabrook, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews contracts have done to Chicago? They cannot afford to keep their good secondary scorers/role players because they are so salary cap strapped. Edmonton is going backwards fast, they should probably be considering canning Chiarelli by now.
Anyway, enough ranting about Chiarelli. Edmonton sent an expiring contract in Patrick Maroon to New Jersey in exchange for a prospect, and 3rd round pick. New Jersey gets a big bodied goal scorer who can play anywhere in your lineup. Maroon is coming off two solid years, but is likely a product of Connor McDavid. Last year he amassed 27 goals, a career high by a wide margin. New Jersey essentially gave up nothing for him, as by all accounts the prospect included (J.D. Dudek) would not even be signed to a rookie contract by the Devils. Maroon’s point total is not where it was last year, bit he still has 14 goals, 16 assists, and 30 total points. Head scratching move from the Bald Bandit Chiarelli.
Buffalo traded Evander Kane to the San Jose Sharks for a 2019 1st round pick, 2020 2nd round pick, and Dan O’Regan an NCAA prospect. Solid trade for both teams involved. It was time for the Sabres to move on from Kane. On paper, Buffalo has a team that should be competing with Boston and Toronto for the Atlantic division. They are the exact opposite. They spend almost every season in the cellar, even with Jack Eichel, Ryan O’Rielly, Kyle Okposo, and Rasmus Ristolainen. Buffalo needed to unload an expiring contract, as they were likely not going to re-sign Kane.
San Jose adds an elite forward to their top 6 for the stretch run. Kane is a polarizing player, mostly due to off the ice issues, but he’s still an elite talent. Sitting at 40 points, he will be a nice goal scorer to take passes from Jumbo Joe Thornton. San Jose did not have to give up their 2018 first, which should be considered a win. Both teams make out well with this trade.
The biggest story was Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson. A superstar Defenseman in Ottawa. The Senators explored trading him to Vegas, Washington, and a few other places. Nothing worked out, and Ottawa will attempt to extend him before the draft in June. I’m sure Senator fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Karlsson being traded would have sent major shockwaves throughout the league. Seems like trading for him mid-season would be stupid, because he completely changes the dynamic of that particular team so much, it’s probably be more beneficial to wait for the draft.
Overall it was an exciting day/week. Most of the moves were reported in the final hour, but boy was it worth it. NHL trade deadline, and July 1st Free Agency are my two favorite days of each calendar year. Here’s why. As always, Lets go Bruins!!
Shorthanded again, Allen & Tyler sit down in a NBA exclusive episode to discuss all the hot topics in the NBA before the all-star break. Topics include the Cavs trade, Celtics struggles, and the return of Chris Bosh.
The Cubs were rumored to be in on Darvish since it looked like they wouldn’t come to an agreement with their own free agent Jake Arietta.
Darvish, who had a shaky beginning to 2017 rebounded quite nice once he joined the Dodgers in the second half. I believe this will be a good singing for the Cubs, hes a veteran pitcher who now has World Series experience and has pitched in some big games. If he can stay healthy, he should regain his ace like form.
Here we go with the second Quarterback on my Rookie QB wish-list. Sam Darnold from USC. Darnold is coming off a 4,000 yard Sophomore campaign. Coming into the year Darnold was seen as a unanimous #1 overall pick. Both USC, and Darnold himself disappointed in 2017, but not bad enough to ruin his draft stock. USC finished 11-2, and got waxed in the Cotton Bowl by Ohio State.
History has not been kind to USC Quarterbacks. They are consistently pumped up as the next great thing, and it never pans out. They are all seen as the (my favorite word!) prototype NFL signal caller. What is the prototype? It’s a 6’4 225 pocket passer, who has a rocket arm. All USC Quarterbacks fit that mold when their slinging the rock against the fucking Oregon State Beavers.
(Look even John David Booty made it to an SI cover)
In the NFL it is a different story. More often than not, they amount to shit. Occasionally, guys are able to carve out a decent career (Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel).
Lets take a brief look back at USC Quarterbacks past:
Matt Leinart:
Selected 10th overall in 2006, by Arizona Cardinals. Career record: 8-10.
This guy straight sucked. First of all this is nothing but pure bias on my part, but NEVER EVER take a lefty Quarterback. He was one of those guys labeled the “prototype” NFL QB. Problem is he threw like a Sally. Leinart toiled around with the Texans, Raiders, and Bills before calling it quits.
Matt Barkley:
Selected 98th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles. Career Record: 1-5
Another USC QB, another bust. Barkley was regarded as a sure fire first round draft pick in 2011. That didn’t stop him from returning to USC for his Senior season in 2012. Big mistake. Going into the year, Barkley was the unanimous number 1 pick with all the draft nerds, and leading Heisman trophy candidate. His team was ranked #1 in the country to go along with it. By years end USC had lost five games, Barkley had a shoulder injury that ended his season, and he had fallen out of the first round in draft projections.
Barkley was drafted by Philadelphia 98th overall in 2013, and he never saw the field. Philly traded him to Arizona in 2015, who cut him weeks later. As a backup Matt got a few starts with Chicago in 2016, but still went 1-5. He was on the Arizona Cardinals roster in 2017, but was inactive for all 16 games.
Mark Sanchez:
Selected 5th overall by the New York Jets in 2009. Career Record: 37-35
Ahhhhhh yes! The Sanchize. I remember it well. Mark Sanchez came on to the scene with slightly less fanfare than the other two hacks. However, in his draft year he soared up draft boards right behind the consensus #1 overall pick, Matt Stafford. The Jets took Sanchez 5th overall after trading up with the Cleveland Browns. Sanchez had an immediate impact. The Jets went 9-7 and 11-5 his first two seasons as starter. He even managed to take his team to the AFC Championship twice. The kicker? They beat the Patriots in Foxboro, in January.
It all went down hill from here for Marky Mark. The Jets would miss the playoffs each of the following two seasons, and finally Sanchez was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. Since then, he’s been a journeyman backup. He’s suited up for Denver, Dallas,, and Chicago. I’m sure he will pop up in some camp this August.
These are the three most recent examples of over-hyped USC stiffs. Carson Palmer gets an honorable mention, as his career turned out to be mediocre at best once he took that shot to the knee in the 2005 Wild-Card game against Pittsburgh.
Just goes to show you there is enough of a trend for me to have MAJOR doubts picking a highly rated USC Signal Caller. However, there is something about Darnold that leads me to believe he could be the exception to the rule. Of course, once again he is seen as the “Prototype” NFL QB. The kid is a fucking Mack Truck standing at 6’4, 225lbs. That will come in handy at the NFL for sure. Darnold has a big arm, and he is not afraid to stand in the pocket and sling it.
A few things standout watching these two clips, Sam has some fuckin’ confidence in his arm, eh? He is willing to stand in there, and fit the ball into tight windows to make plays. At 2:05 of the second video, Sam is being pressured from the outside on a four man rush. He is able to use his vision, and footwork to evade pressure, and he fires a missile to his receiver in the back of the endzone. The throw at 2:05 seriously gave me a chubby for Darnold.
I also noticed that he is surprisingly good using his legs. Not only can he move around the pocket to create throwing lanes, Darnold can take off and get chunks of yardage. It also appeared like USC ran some designed QB running plays to get him into space. He rushed for 332 yards and 7 touchdowns in his two years at USC. Not bad all.
What I do definitively like about this kid, is his attitude. There were reports that he would head back to Southern Cal for his Junior season simply to avoid the Browns. That’s not the case obviously, as he and Josh Rosen declared for the draft this past January. Seems like the kid has a good head on his shoulders, and it’s not lodged up his clam like Josh Rosen. Rosen walks around with the stench of prick following him around. Darnold is humbled, well spoken, and seen as a true leader by his teammates. After-all, he does have the “C” on his jersey.
Will Dorsey and the gang find all this enough to grab Sam Darnold with the 1st or 4th pick in the draft? We’ll see…
Scot McCloughan has joined the Cleveland Browns as a personnel consultant for the 2018 NFL draft, as of Saturday, when he participated in full scouting sessions, according to sources. More coming.
Interesting move by the Browns here. I assumed once Eliot Wolf was hired, that would probably be it for Dorsey and company until Free Agency. I was wrong. Dorsey went out and made another Front Office hire. Dorsey has brought in ex Redskins General Manager, Scot McCloughan. So far, it’s been reported that he is only being hired as a 2018 Draft Consultant, and no other duties have been specified.
Kind of a surprising move hiring this guy. I thought for sure they had their Front Office all lined up, and ready to rock. It is a nice addition to the Organization, as Scot is highly regarded for his ability to identify talent. The man is Football Scouting Savant. Seems to fit the M-O of the front office, a collection of Football Lifers, who are known for identifying talent. The more the merrier here in Berea, OH.
A few highlights from Scot’s career are as follows:
Identified, scouted, and drafted Russell Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson was picked by Seattle 75th overall in 2012.
Drafted Alex Smith first overall in 2005, when he was with San Francisco. He took him over Aaron Rodgers, but it is still very difficult to draft a successful Quarterback in the first round. Even if it is the first round, success rate is 40% league wide. He found a successful NFL starter. That earns you a statue in Cleveland.
Along with Wilson, the Seahawks front office with McCloughan found Kam Chancellor, and Richard Sherman with later round picks.
Bottom line here is, the Browns are terrified of fucking up what is ahead. The amount of picks, and cap space make this off-season absolutely vital. They have added some big-time names to the executive staff, in hopes they won’t fuck it up (Mainly fucking up selecting a Quarterback).
If the Browns could add a few starters in free agency (you’d play for us on Super Bowl Sunday, Malcolm!), parlay that with a good draft, and look out! We might even win a game?!
Or maybe a reunion with TP11?
Of course our man McCloughan will focus on the Browns draft plans, rather than Free Agency. The Browns draft plans revolve around Quarterback, and drafting twice in the top 5 he will have a huge role in scouting, and interviewing all the QB prospects. Early on in there seems to be one rookie QB Scot has the hots for. He’s already sucked off one of the top Quarterbacks verbally during Senior Bowl week.
In an interview with Pro Football Talk McCloughan drooled, “He reminds me of a shorter version of Brett Favre,” McCloughan said. “Tough guy. He can throw it. And he’s very confident, and he’s not afraid whatsoever, whatsoever. He’s a battler. I know saying Brett Favre’s a big name, and I was around him for a while, but this guy has talent.”
Should be an interesting couple of months. New Year, new Browns baby!!
Well there it is folks; Tom Brady wins the MVP award at forty years of age, the oldest player ever to win the NFL’s highest honor. To put it into perspective, Ram’s head coach Sean McVay just won Coach of the Year at 32. For those of you that struggle with math, Tommy Touchdowns is eight years older than the coach of the year in the most physical league of all major sports. It truly does not make sense that Brady is still able to compete at this high of a level.
This is Brady’s third NFL MVP award, and is just another piece of hardware to add to the trophy case. You may hear the critics get their takes in before the game tomorrow, saying how Brady has won this award twice in the past but the Pats didn’t win in those seasons. That those teams weren’t as good as other Patriots teams, and this team is in that same category. That winning the award will get inside Brady’s head during the game. Some may even go as far as bringing up the awkward kisses with his Dad and son.
Well I am here to tell you that after tomorrow, that will not be the case, and there is no chance this affects his gameplay. Hell, I wouldn’t even be surprised if he doesn’t know that he won it! Brady continues to play like he has something to prove, and has even indicated he is still not over the whole Deflategate suspension. Continuing that mentality throughout this season has the Patriots back in the big game, and I just don’t see them losing. Time and time again, they have shown us that no matter how many points they are down, Belichick’s preparation and gameplan is better than anyone else’s, especially in the playoffs.
If you have gotten this far, it is clear that I am picking the Patriots. Final score:
Patriots 31 Eagles 21 (and another Superbowl MVP for the GOAT)
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The last real big move came from San Jose:
Office Chatter 