Well…We’re Fucked.

In case you have been living under a rock the past couple of days, The Kansas City Chiefs have traded Quarterback, Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins.  In return, Washington received a 3rd round draft pick in 2018, and second year Cornerback Kendall Fuller.  In addition, Alex Smith signed a four year $91 million dollar contract extension with Washington.   The trade cannot be officially completed until March 14th, when the new league year begins.  Theoretically, there could be “take backs” called by one of these two teams between now and then.

This is a massive deal for many reasons, first being Kirk Cousins is officially out in Washington.  I will never understand that organizations’ contempt for him.  From the very second he was named starter over Robert Griffin III, Kirk was never really respected as a true Franchise Quarterback.  All while Kirk was showing them wrong on the field.  After 3 seasons, the Kirk Cousins saga is finally over in Washington, it’s going to very much heat up around the league come March.

Image result for Kirk Cousins Broncos

I initially thought Alex Smith would be the first big move of John Dorsey’s tenure as Cleveland Browns GM.  Like with many acquisitions, the Browns were beaten to the punch by another team.

Oh fucking well.  That’s the way the ball bounces for the Cleveland Browns.  Like the Jimmy Garoppolo deal the Browns were frozen out.  Likely this is a case of the Chiefs doing Smith a solid.

Sounds like Smith would not have been thrilled to play in Cleveland, not that he has any reason to be thrilled.  I am not overly frustrated because, well it’s Alex Smith.  He just got an albatross of a contract extension, and it seems as if the Browns were only willing to commit short-term.  The problem with this deal is that it likely takes 2 quarterbacks off of the “Veteran Bridge Starter” short-list for Dorsey.   With every Quarterback needy team salivating over Kirk Cousins, I thought for sure the Browns would swoop in and silently trade for Smith.  The Browns simply due to cap space are still likely in the conversation for Kirk, but I can’t imagine him not picking Denver.  How could you not?  The more I thought about it, the less I can see the Browns landing captain Kirk.  They should do everything in their power to land him, but I just don’t see it happening with Denver sitting there all QB needy.  John Elway is going to rob the Browns a third time.  You just know it.  The Broncos had offered a 2nd round pick, AND Aqib Talib for Smith, and that was turned down.  You can certainly see Elway pulling out all the stops to land Kirk.

The Jets and Bills feel like viable landing spots for him too.  Both teams are solid on the defensive side of the ball, and have a few quality pieces on offense to intrigue Kirk.  While I desperately want Kirk to dawn turd colored pants, it just doesn’t seem like a good landing spot for him.  They are likely on this list due to the shear amount of money available to spend.

Now that those two are out of the way, lets take a look the remaining Unrestricted Free Agent Quarterbacks this off-season:

  1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints.
  2. Hasn’t re-signed with the Saints yet. Would expect him back in NOLA.**
  4. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers.
  5. **Technically has not re-signed with San Francisco.  He will re-sign there no doubt.**
  6. Image result for jimmy garoppolo 49ers
  7.  Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins.
  8. **Will be a Bronco on 3/14.** 
  9. Image result for kirk Cousins 2018
  10. Case Keenum, Minnesota Vikings.
  11. **This guy blows.  Hard pass.**
  12. Image result for keenum skol
  13. A.J. McArron, Cincinnati Bengals.
  14. **Sashi Brown is rolling in his hypothetical grave**
  16. Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings.
  17. **Will re-sign in Minny. Youngest QB on their roster with positive upside.**
  18. Image result for teddy bridgewater sucks
  19. Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings.
  20. **Viable option in the Alex Smith mold.  Can see him being high on the Browns wish-list**
  21. Image result for Sam Bradford 2018

Overall, considering what is normally out there for Free-Agent Quarterbacks, it’s not a bad list.  There are a few other names that could be moved as well.  Tyord Taylor could be released or traded by Buffalo.  Initially, I was all-aboard Team Tyrod.  Then this years playoffs happened.  Boy oh boy did he ever suck in the Wildcard game against Jacksonville. He couldn’t hit check-down routes in the hands.  A brief look at his playoff stat-line:

Tyrod playoff stats

Image result for Tyrod Taylor playoffs

Depending on his contract situation, and how he plays this Sunday, Nick Foles is another prospective bridge guy.  Big Dick Nick would have to put on one hell of a display for me to want the Browns to go after him.  If he is a Free-Agent, by all means give it a go.  If not, don’t sell the farm to bring him in.

Image result for nick foles nfc championship

I seem to be changing this prediction as to which Veteran Quarterback I would like the Browns to bring in.  First I wanted Tyrod, then Kirk, then check down Alex, and back to Kirk.   It’s exhausting really.  I guess with new developments I will make a new prediction:

Based off of prior events, I would think that AJ McCarron will be fumbling snaps next season in Cleveland.  Just remember:

Image result for Hue Jackson AJ MccArron

Welcome to Cleveland, Katherine Webb-McCarron!!!!!!

Image result for Katherine Webb McCarron

With the First Pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Cleveland Browns Select: Baker Mayfield.

Image result for Baker Mayfield senior bowl

This is a time of year that is just the worst for sports.  Football will be over this time next week.  That means we’re stuck with silly Draft hype.  We will be getting slammed with Senior Bowl, Combine, and Pro-Day bullshit until our ears bleed.  Figured now is as good a time as ever to break down the top Quarterbacks in this years draft class.  Let’s kick it off with Baker Mayfield, 2018 Heisman Trophy Winner.  Is he qualified to be selected number 1 overall?

There is something about this kid, man.  I’ve said it a few times, but Mayfield is really the only Quarterback that intrigues me to a high degree.  Darnold, Rosen, and Allen just don’t move the needle for me.  Maybe it is because those guys are more of the “Prototype” Pro Quarterback.  Tall pocket passers with good arm-strength.  Mayfield is anything but tall.  Mayfield stands at 6 feet tall, and 216 ponds.  Certainly not built like most Franchise Quarterbacks.

I certainly understand the risks with Mayfield going in.  Much like Johnny Manziel, Mayfield took the College Football world by storm with electrifying play.  Much like Manziel, Baker is considered shorter than the ideal NFL Quarterback, but still electrifies.  They both have had issues with off-the-field issues in the past as well.  With all the similarities, there are differences to point out.

The first major difference is the way in which Johnny and Mayfield ran their offense.  Johnny was running a college based, read-option offense.  It involved a lot of Johnny improvising, and chucking the ball up to Mike Evans.  Evans was a man playing among boys at that time.

Taking a look at the highlights, it is pretty clear how simple Johnny’s offense was at A&M.  He was a one read and run guy.  He hardly ever stood in the pocket, and made his progressions.  At the slightest bit of pressure, or sign the play was breaking down Johnny took off running.  In the This lead to many highlight reel plays in college, as in the open-field Johnny was so hard to stop.  The Texas A&M offense set him up to fail in the NFL.  It was too improvisational, and he had an NFL ready Wide-Out at his disposal in Mike Evans.

Johnny in the NFL was nothing short of a disaster, particularly outside of Football. The second his name was announced, his time in Cleveland was a media circus.  On-field wasn’t great in 2014. Despite what many will tell you, 2015 Johnny was mostly good on the field.  The only real disaster performance came in his first career start in 2014.

After a tough start in 2014, and entering rehab; Johnny came back strong in 2015. Despite having next to no weapons, or belief from his coaches, Johnny put up solid numbers in his first chunk of playing time in the NFL. He finished 2015 with 9 games played.  He threw for 1,500 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.  He added 230 rushing yards on 37 attempts.  Johnny’s off-field issues took off during the middle of the 2015 campaign, and got so bad he was released in March of 2016.

Image result for Johnny Manziel Court

With Baker displaying tamer, albeit similar off-field concerns you would think the Browns would scratch him off their QB Short-list ASAP.  Based off the sound bites from this past Weekend’s Senior Bowl, Browns GM John Dorsey is intrigued with the Oklahoma Signal Caller, and maybe enough to take him with the number 1 overall draft selection this April.

First things first, Baker Mayfield is nearly a spitting image of what Johnny Manziel was in some ways.  He’s a fiery competitor, who isn’t shy with words or actions.  Manziel had his patented “Money Manziel Sign”, and Mayfield stuck his teams flag in the middle of Ohio State’s field, which got a lot of heat for reasons unknown.  Grow up you fucking pussies.  Oh, and he’s grabbed his junk on TV clear as day.

Image result for Money Manziel sign     Image result for Baker Mayfield junk

Image result for Baker Mayfield flag

To the naked eye, Manziel and Mayfield look like one in the same.  Mayfield runs a similar offense to what A&M was running in 2012-2013.  It is a lot of read option, run-pass option type plays.  While the offense is similar, Mayfield plays the game completely different than Manziel did.  He has balls.  By balls, I mean he doesn’t take off at the slightest sign of trouble, or his number 1 read is taken away.

Take a look at his 2018 Rose Bowl Highlights.  Mayfield expresses the pocket presence and poise that Johnny never had.  You can see on multiple big plays, Mayfield is in the pocket moving his eyes downfield, and eventually hitting his 3rd/4th option for a big gain.  He doesn’t rely on scampering through College Linebackers once the play breaks down.  He does run, but it feels like he runs more on design, than improvisation.

Baker has done it these past two years with a group of JAGS at Wide-Receiver.  I think this has actually helped himself.  He hasn’t had the downfield options that Johnny did, so he’s had to develop better deep throw accuracy.  I feel like the placement on his deeper throws is far superior to Manziel.  Manziel had the luxury of turning his head and throwing it as far as possible in the direction of Mike Evans.

Mayfield Stats 2

Manziel stats 2

These are the career college stats for both Johnny, and Baker.  Those who have been saying these two are a cut from the same cloth are just wrong.  Johnny caught fire in 2012, and carried it into 2013.  Baker has consistently performed at a high level.  With each year, you can see Baker’s stats grow.  The most impressive growth I see is, Average Yards per Attempt.  Baker’s grew from 10.4. to 12.3, and finally 12.9.  It shows that he developed into a quality downfield passer as he learned the college game.  Manziel’s Average Yards per Attempt was, 8.8 in 2012, and 10 in 2013.  Not even in the same ballpark as Mayfield.  It goes to show you how different they really are.

Should the Browns take Mayfield with the number 1 overall pick this fall?  I think he is as good an option as anyone to be drafted by the Browns this spring.  There is is something about the kid that makes me so intrigued.  He has the desire, and drive to lead his team to victory.  He isn’t afraid of anyone, and it shows on the field.  Is he cocky?  He absolutely is, but you can see how much he motivates his teammates on the field.  Baker has had an off-field incident, but it hasn’t plagued him nearly as much as Manziel’s issues.  Everything about Mayfield leads me to believe he really has the motivational drive in him, whereas the confidence Manziel displayed was more or less a front.

Mayfield has even expressed desire in being the Qaurterback to turn things around in Cleveland (Hey Josh Rosen, he ain’t scared ya fucking pussy). Whether this is just Pre-Draft bull-shit being spewed is yet to be determined.

Will Baker Mayfield be the Browns Quarterback in the Future when they hit the podium in April?   We’ll see…

Raw Celebrates it’s 25th Anniversary

25 years of Monday Night Raw. Wow. That’s a long time. Since its debut back in January of 1993 (yeah that’s right I can do math), Raw has been a staple show on network television, and is the longest running “episodic show” in history.

Before Monday Night Raw, wrestling fans did not have much access to the product. Besides pay per views every few months and rare special event shows on cable, there was no way to watch wrestling. Raw changed all of that. Now die hard fans and casual fans alike could enjoy the stars like The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan every Monday night right from the comfort of their home.

It’s hard to believe the Raw program, and WWE for that matter, has lasted for as long as it has. Back in the mid-late 1990s, World Championship Wrestling became direct competition to Vince McMahon. Launching a rival Monday night show in the form of Monday Nitro, WCW looked poised to run WWE out of business. Ah but the “Monday Night Wars” are a blog for another day.

This past Monday night on January 22nd, WWE aired the 25th Anniversary of Raw. Broadcasted from two locations, the Barclays Center and the site of the original Raw, The Manhattan Center, it did not disappoint.

When I think of my memories of watching wrestling growing up, I think of Stone Cold Steve Austin. I think of him delivering stunners and drinking beer (my god he caught beer cans like nobody else).

DeterminedMarvelousHake

His rivalry with Vince McMahon from 1997-1999 is what put Raw on the map. So it was only fitting that Austin was part of the opening segment with the McMahon family.

And it was just perfect. From the glass shattering entrance of Austin, to Austin glaring at his former nemesis, to Vince trying to plead with him and claiming that things are different since he is a senior citizen now and a member of AARP were just awesome. After delivering a stunner to Vince and a couple to Shane, Austin was thrown a few beers while still in the ring.

stunner 25

And while his beer catching skills may have been a tad rusty, Stone Cold cracked those suckers open, hit those turnbuckles, and chugged those SOBs down like only the Texas Rattlesnake could. The night could have ended there, and I would have been happy.

tenor

While that may have made the night for me, there were still plenty of other big moments. The Undertaker made his first appearance since Wrestlemania 33, and while he did not offer any notable news on the status of his in ring career, it was cool to see him deliver one of his iconic “rest in piece” promos inside the Manhattan Center. The Miz defeated Roman Reigns to become an 8 time Intercontinental Champion in what was an awesome match. Bray Wyatt defeated “Woken” Matt Hardy clean in what was a head scratcher for me, and during another fantastic segment, many former women’s wrestlers came out to receive an ovation (and let me tell you, Kelly Kelly and Torrie Wilson were 🔥🔥). And let’s not forget, Chris Jericho calling Elias a “stupid idiot” and putting him on “the list” was hysterical.

Even though the Stone Cold opening segment ended up being my favorite, I went into the show awaiting the Degeneration X reunion. Shawn Michaels is my all time favorite wrestler. Period. It’s really not even close. Ever since The Undertaker retired him at Wrestlemania 26 back in 2010, I have anxiously awaited the day that he says he is coming out of retirement for one more match. Unfortunately, it seems as though that day will never come, as Michaels has remained adamant that he is content where he left his wrestling career and has no desire to wrestle again. But every once in a while we get an appearance from him that reminds us how awesome and hilarious he is. Monday was one of those nights, as he and the rest of DX came out and talked about the good ol’ times, which ended with each member hitting their finishing maneuvers on Scott Dawson, including Michaels’ patented Sweet Chin Music.

sweetchin3

It’s hard to believe that Raw has been airing for 25 years. Many of my childhood memories are of my parents and I sitting back and watching Raw, and I will always be grateful for that. Here’s to 25 more!

Bucks Fire Head Coach Jason Kidd

The Milwaukee Bucks have parted way with Head Coach Jason Kidd after 4 years with the team. The Bucks are currently 24-22 and are the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference. For a team with so much talent — it was a surprise that they are only 2 games above .500, but it was shocking that they would fire their Head Coach halfway through the season.

It’s been reported that the news of Kidd’s firing has upset All-Star Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. According to Ramona Shelburne, Giannis was willing to do whatever it took to keep Kidd.

It’s a head scratcher that the front office would make a move that wouldn’t have been okay’d by their teams best player.

The Bucks are a young team and it’s unfair to put all the blame on Kidd. With any young team, they must go through some growing pains.

Luckily for the Bucks, they’re about to get one of their leading scorers from last year back in Jabari Parker who averaged 20.1 PPG.

 

Browns Hire Todd Haley as Offensive Coordinator

The Browns made some more news last night, as many insiders began to report that Todd Haley would be named Offensive Coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.  Previously, the Browns had interviewed Ben McAdoo and Mike Mularkey.  Neither name really moves the needle.  This hiring comes just over a week after Haley was fired from the same position with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Haley spent the previous six seasons with Steelers as Offensive Coordinator.  Before Pittsburgh, Haley spent two and a half seasons as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, and a year under Ken Wisenhunt as the Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator.

Image result for Todd Haley Kurt Warner

More recently, Haley has been the Offensive Coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He is the brains behind the Bell, Brown, Ben, and Bryant.  He was fired this season after the Steelers lost 45-42 at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Round.  His team scored 42 fucking points on the 5th ranked defense in terms of points allowed.  In the regular season the Steelers finished third in total yards per game on offense with, 377.9.  In his first full season the Steelers finished 20th in yards per game, and the remaining years they would not finish below 10th in the league in offense.  In the the end, the long-lasting feud between Haley and Roethlisberger was  too much to overcome.

Haley’s most impressive work doesn’t come from Pittsburgh as many believe.  His time with Matt Cassel in Kansas City to me is his finest work.  Haley turned Matt fucking Cassel into a Pro-Bowl Quarterback, and he managed to lead them into the Playoffs.   In 2010 Haley and Cassel finished at 10-6, which was good enough to win the AFC West.  Cassel was named a Pro-Bowl Alternate, as he finished 2010 with 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.   Anyone who can make a JAG like Matt Cassel look like a Pro-Bowler can play (coach) for my team any day of the week.

 

I am certainly optimistic about this hiring, because Haley has a track record of offensive success. He has worked with Tony Romo, Kurt Warner, Ben Roethlisberger, and Matt Cassel  most recently.  All of them had success.  Hell, even Kurt Warner still holds a close place in his heart for Todd:

At the end of the day this is just a hire.  Just a nice name on paper to droll over for a few months, and then call for his firing.  One positive that can come from this move is Dorsey continues to get his ducks in a row.  He’s got his two Front Office Executives, and now an Offensive Coordinator.    Hopefully a new head coach is not too far off, and he has a plan that will be fully executed.

#Pray4TheSeniorBowl

LeBron Congratulates Himself On Reaching 30,000 Points

LeBron is 7 points away from 30,000 points as he prepares to take on the Spurs tonight. Just when you thought he couldn’t become more insufferable — well he did the thing.

I’ve tried to defend LeBron — I really wanted to give him an honest chance because he’s easily one of the most talented athletes that we have ever seen? But this? This, I cannot get behind. I get the purpose…it’s essentially him writing a letter to his past self to congratulate his future self on an accomplishment. 30,000 points is no joke either.

LeBron wonders why he receives so much scrutiny — well here’s your reasoning. Did he forget to switch to his KD burner account? Probably not as his famous #striveforgreatness hashtag made an appearance. This man is by far the corniest player to grace the NBA — it’s just he combines it with being arguably one of the greatest of all time. It seems petty to call him out for something as simple as this but he just continues to push the narrative that people think of him.

P.S. – How great would it be if the Spurs somehow limited him to under 7 points? Would be an all-time NBA moment

DeMarcus Cousins With a Monster Stat-Line

Last night in New Orleans, DeMarcus Cousins joined Wilt Chamberlain in slim company. He became the first player to put up 40-20-10 in 50 years. He finished the game (although it ended in double overtime) with 44 points, 24 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. He did play 52 minutes but this is still a monster stat line. AD also dropped 34 and it really is a wonder how the Pelicans can only manage to be a few games over .500.

Some of the players took to Twitter to congratulate Boogie on the Wilt stat-line.

(Shocker he would comment on anything that happened in the NBA that’s not revolving around himself)

Patriots Announce What Color They Will Be Wearing in Super Bowl LII

The moment everyone’s been waiting for…the jersey reveal (not really though). The Patriots took to twitter to announce the news.

No surprise here — the Patriots seem to play their best in the white jerseys so better to not ruin tradition. Little surprising because they are the home team in the game but this goes to show someone in the front office is a little superstitious.

The Patriots are favored by 5 points over the Eagles.

Alexis Sanchez Joins the Red Devils

After the longest winter transfer saga (and last summer to be fair), Alexis Sanchez is now a member of Manchester United.

The price that was paid to Arsenal was actually non-exist and we got a player-swap which actually is the only cool thing about this entire long and drawn out story. Henrikh Mkhitaryan heads over to Arsenal as the two player straight up swapped places. Alexis is obviously the prize here as he is one of the best players in the Premier League but he was leaving in the summer regardless so this was not a huge loss for Arsenal. Of course, the Gunners completely mismanaged the situation but to get Mkhitaryan isn’t the worst runner up prize.

Alexis is Champion League eligible and looks to boost Man United into a successful season.

David Blatt Pokes Fun At Cavs, Gets Blown Out

Look at David Blatt weaseling his way into the spotlight! The ex-Cavs coach was in charge of Team Europe in the Turkey all-star game against Team Asia and took some shots at the Cavs after they let up 148 on Saturday.

And the result? Well Blatt’s Team Europe lost 151-142. It’s an all-star game so it clearly isn’t meant to be serious but it’s hard to not find humor in the irony of the statement. Even in Europe, Blatt continues to take L’s. I’m sure Ty Lue will be joining him in the ran-out-of-Cleveland by LeBron club shortly.