Just a few weeks ago the Detroit Lions announced that they have traded their 2015 first round pick, Laken Tomlinson, to the San Francisco 49ers for a future draft pick.
Tomlinson, whom the Lions were hoping would solidify their offensive line, didn’t fit in as expected, and the team decided to move on from him after two seasons.
According to ESPN, the 49ers agreed to send the Lions their fifth round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Coming out of college, Tomlinson was considered one of the best guards in the draft. He started 24 games for the Lions but never quite fit in with the team, eventually losing his starting job to Graham Glasgow halfway through the season last year.
He eventually regained his starting spot after Glasgow was moved to center to replace an injured Travis Swanson.
By trading for Tomlinson, the 49ers added depth to their offensive line, which has been one of their biggest concerns in the preseason. With left guard Joshua Garnett still recovering from an injury, the 49ers have been forced to use Zane Beadles and Brandon Fusco as their starting guards.
The 49ers offensive line has done a good pass protecting job during the preseason, but they have been unable to open up holes for Carlos Hyde and the running game.
In the three preseason games that Hyde has played in, he is averaging 2.6 yards on 17 carries.
Tomlinson will likely compete for a starting job after being pushed out of the starting rotation in Detroit. He will likely compete with Beadles for the starting left guard job.
In Detroit, Tomlinson only received first-team work during training camp when newly acquired guard T.J. Lang sat out of practice for rest as he recovers from offseason hip surgery.
The 25-year-old Tomlinson has two years left on his contract.
The Cleveland Browns made a surprising move on Wednesday when they announced the release of Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden.
According to Yahoo! Sports, the Browns, who seem to have fully embraced their youth movement, tried trading the former Pro Bowler this week, and decided to release him when they didn’t get any offers.
The move was surprising because Haden, even though his play slipped last season, was one of the best players on the team. It would have been understandable if Haden was a salary cap casualty, but the Browns have a lot of cap space.
“We want to thank Joe for all he has done for this organization both on and off the field,” Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said. “He has been a great teammate and a true asset to the Cleveland community. These are very difficult decisions, we have the utmost respect for Joe and in my eyes, he will always be a Cleveland Brown.”
With the release coming 11 days before the season opener, Haden isn’t expected to be a free agent for very long.
According to ESPN, the Browns AFC North rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, have already emerged as the front-runners to sign Haden.
The New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys have also expressed interest in signing the two-time Pro Bowl player.
“Tons of interest in him,” Haden’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “He will have a new deal with another team by tomorrow afternoon.”
Haden was due to be paid $11 million this season, and the Browns approached him about taking a pay cut. Haden refused the proposal and the team released him after they couldn’t find an interested party to trade with.
Haden, who was the Browns’ first round pick in 2010, has been dealing with injuries the past two seasons, which affected his play. He missed 11 games in 2015 because of a concussion and finger in jury, and three games last season because of a groin injury that required offseason surgery.
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch remains is one of the most popular players in the NFL, thanks to his bruising running style and his infamous press conferences.
After the 2015 season, Lynch decided to retire from the game and spent the next year travelling around the world. At the end of the 2016 season, Lynch indicated he would be interested in returning to the NFL to play for his hometown team, the Oakland Raiders.
The Seattle Seahawks, who held Lynch’s rights, decided to relinquish their rights, which allowed Lynch to sign with the Oakland Raiders.
Once Lynch signed with the Raiders, there was a lot of talk about the team competing for the Super Bowl this year. On paper, the addition of Lynch makes the Raiders one of the best teams in the AFC, but at 31-year-old, will he have enough in the tank to make a difference?
In the NFL, teams usually avoid going after running backs once they turn 30 because that is usually when their skills start to noticeably decline. In some instances, like the New Orleans Saints and Adrian Peterson, the aging running back splits carries with another back to keep them fresh for the grind of a 16 game schedule.
In Lynch’s case, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t have a significant impact with the Raiders despite the workload he has endured in the league.
In his final season before announcing his retirement, a 29-year-old Lynch only played in seven games because of an injury. Last season, he didn’t play a down since he wasn’t on a roster so his body hasn’t taken a lot of punishment in almost two years.
With that much time off, Lynch should be fresh and ready to go. He will likely need a few weeks to get into football shape, and when he does, expect to see the same Beast Mode NFL fans have gotten used to seeing on the field.
If Lynch stays healthy for the season, and quarterback Derek Carr doesn’t have any lingering side effects from his season ending injury, don’t be surprised to see the Silver and Black back in the Super Bowl.
On Monday, the Carolina Panthers announced that they have parted ways with general manager Dave Gettleman effective immediately.
The announcement came as a shock to NFL insiders because it occurred a few weeks before teams have to report for training camp. When the announcement was made, the team didn’t offer any reasons for Gettleman’s dismissal, leaving the door open for speculation.
Gettleman, who was hired by the Panthers in 2013, had a 40-23-1 record during his tenure with the team. He was also the architect of the 2015 Super Bowl team.
When the Panthers hired Gettleman, they were in salary cap hell and he was tasked with fixing the team’s cap issues. In his first season as general manager, Gettleman had to make a few tough choices that didn’t sit well with some players and fans.
Steve Smith, the Panthers’ franchise leader in receptions, reception yards, and receiving touchdowns, was one of the first casualties of Gettleman’s salary purge. Smith, who was a fan favorite wasn’t very happy about the team’s decision to get rid of him.
After Gettleman’s firing was announced, Smith took to Twitter to take a final parting shot. “It’s Okay! Dave I know how you feel….. #agent89,” Smith wrote on his social media page.
DeAngelo Williams was another veteran Gettleman let go during his time with the Panthers. Williams had recently stated on several occasions he would never play for the Panthers again because of how his exit was handled.
After Gettleman was fired, Williams wrote on Twitter that he has taken the Panthers off the list of teams he wouldn’t play for because Gettleman had been fired.
“I want to publicly say @Panthers is off my list of teams I won’t play for due to the firing of that snake Dave Gettleman!,” Williams said.
Not every player or former Carolina player was happy to hear about Gettleman’s dismissal. Oher took to Instagram to share his thoughts about his former general manager.
“Guy really cares about you as a person just not the player also he’s always interested in how your family is as well,” Oher wrote. “Hated to hear that news but I know he’ll be fine. And for the people downstairs who are happy and had something to do with it downstairs, Karma’s a MF!!”
The Panthers haven’t announced Gettleman’s replacement.
The San Francisco 49ers are rebuilding from what can only be described as the most epic collapse in NFL history. The Niners made several changes in the offseason after hiring John Lynch as their general manager. Yes, the same 9-time Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro John Lynch who has made a living as the color commentator for NFL games on Fox. Lynch took on a talentless 49ers squad that had over $80 million in available cap space. He plans to take the organization from a dismal 2-14 record, to the playoffs by bringing in players that fit his scheme, and finding valuable picks in the draft.
No team is complete without a top-tier head coach, and the 49ers have found that in offensive genius Kyle Shanahan. The 37-year-old coach has been an offensive coordinator for the last 9 years, and 6 of those teams finished in the top 10 for points scored. Lynch and Shanahan will have to build this offense from the ground up as the offense only has 2 players who have been elected to a Pro Bowl – LT Joe Staley, and FB Kyle Juszczyk. It wasn’t long ago that the 49ers had one of the most feared defenses in the league and it appears that it’s Lynch’s focus to regain their form. He has signed four defenders that will quickly make their name known amongst Niners fans – OLB Brock Coyle, OLB Malcolm Smith, DT Earl Mitchell, and most notably All-Pro OLB Elvis Dumervil.
The best way to jumpstart an organization is to find valuable picks in the draft. San Francisco did just that by somehow convincing the Chicago Bears to sell the farm to draft Mitchell Trubisky. John Lynch received the Bears third overall pick, a third rounder, a fourth rounder, and a 2018 third rounder for the 2nd overall selection. The real kicker is that the Niners were still able to select Solomon Thomas, who was the player they had their sights on from the beginning. Lynch then used one of his extra picks combined with their second rounder to trade places with the Seattle Seahawks so they could draft Butkus Award winning linebacker Reuben Foster. Lynch went on to make four less substantial trades to fill key positions on the roster.
John Lynch has the attention of every NFL organization and we are all waiting with bated breath to see what he does next.
Are you wondering which players to drop and which ones to add in your NFL fantasy league this coming season? Here you will find all the information you need to see which players will have the biggest drop in production and not not draft this year.
Every season there are a few key players whose production will drop from the year before. These are the quarterback, running back, and wide receiver that will have the biggest drop in production this season.
Drew Brees is coming off a spectacular season in which he threw for 5,208 yards and 37 touchdowns. In the offseason, the Saints traded away his leading receiver, Brandin Cooks. They signed veteran receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to fill the void, but he doesn’t possess the raw abilities of Cooks and is a one-dimensional player who uses his speed to beat defenders. More importantly, the Saints signed future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson who will demand his share of touches. The addition of Peterson and the loss of Cooks means that Brees will throw fewer passes, and will have less talent on the field when he does throw the ball. I expect Brees to have 4,500 yards, and 32 touchdowns, which still makes him one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Last season LeGarrette Blount rushed for 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns with the New England Patriots. Blount became a free agent and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles to work as a power back and share carries with Ryan Mathews, and Darren Sproles. The Eagles also added Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery to boost the receiving corps for young franchise quarterback Carson Wentz. As Blount shares the backfield with two talented veterans in a pass heavy offense, I expect LeGarrette’s production to be cut in half, and he will rush for 600 yards and 9 touchdowns.
When Pierre Garcon signed with the 49ers we immediately heard Taps playing in our head. Brian Hoyer will be throwing the ball to Garcon and a depleted Niners receiving corps. Last season Pierre caught 79 passes for 1,041 yards and 3 touchdowns. I expect he will have a similar number of receptions and touchdowns, but he will see a significant drop in his yards per catch. I predict Pierre Garcon will have 70 catches for 750 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The NFL is the most difficult league to build a dynasty because of a strict salary cap that prohibits wealthy owners from buying every prominent free agent on the market. These are the free agents in 2018 most likely to find a new home.
Nobody is happier about David Carr signing a $125 million contract than Kirk Cousins. The Redskins have franchise tagged the quarterback each of the last two seasons, and in a few weeks, they will have to either pay the quarterback, sign him to a ridiculously expensive third franchise tag, or watch him walk in free agency. The Redskins would be the laughing-stock of the league if they let him test the market. The Redskins must offer Kirk Cousins at least $120 million, or he is going to walk.
The Dolphins receiving corps has three receivers that fit a similar role, and for that reason they are going to let Jarvis Landry hit the free agent market this offseason. Landry has had a phenomenal career and recorded 1,100 yards and 4 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. Landry will likely seek top dollar and the Dolphins cannot afford to pay a receiver that much money if they want to build a dynasty.
This coming offseason the Seahawks will have to decide if they are going to pay Jimmy Graham, Kam Chancellor, or Eddie Lacy. The Hawks have just over $8 million in cap space which means they can’t sign all three. I believe the team will resign Lacy, and Chancellor to team friendly contracts, and will let Jimmy Graham test the free agent market. The Seahawks put their money in their defense so Kam will get paid. The team also focuses on the run, so Lacy will get paid. That just leave Jimmy Graham who hasn’t been properly used in his two seasons with the Hawks. Jimmy once sued the NFL to be paid like a receiver, and he will want top dollar when his contract expires. The Hawks don’t have the funds and they will pay Luke Willson instead.
The Oakland Raiders (not the Las Vegas Raiders yet) will be your 2017 AFC Champions! This will be the team’s first Super Bowl appearance since the 2002 season when Al Davis famously traded head coach Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to only be matched against him in a devastating Super Bowl loss. This prediction is largely predicated on Derek Carr having a strong recovery from the broken ankle he sustained in week 16 of last season. If he plays as well as last year, this high-octane offense, bolstered by five-time Pro-Bowl power back Marshawn Lynch, will lead the Raiders faithful to the promised land.
The Raiders will reach the Super Bowl, but they will have to do it the hard way. The AFC West is the most competitive division in football with each team’s strength of schedule ranking as the four toughest in the league. The Raiders will have to play the always competitive Chiefs and Broncos, as well as six non-division teams that have a realistic shot of making the playoffs – the Titans, Redskins, Dolphins, Patriots, Giants and Cowboys in that order. This is a large mountain to summit but the Raiders prolific offense will lead them to an 11-5 record that will tie the Chiefs at the top of the division for the second year in a row. Their 4-2 divisional record will out edge the Chiefs to make the Raiders the 2017 AFC West champions!
The Raiders are a head above the competition in the AFC except for three teams – the Chiefs, Steelers, and Patriots. The Patriots will likely be the one seed with the Steelers finishing second, largely because both teams have much easier schedules than Oakland. The Raiders will easily win their wild card matchup against the six seed, and they will play against the Steelers in the divisional round. The Steelers week off combined with their non-competitive schedule will give the Raiders a dominant win heading to the AFC championship. Oakland will play a shootout against the Patriots where Marshawn Lynch will prove he is the best running back in the league and carry the team to the Super Bowl.
Although the Raiders will reach the Super Bowl, their lack of playmakers on defense will not stop Pete Carroll’s Seahawks from beating them 26-24.
The 2017 NFL regular season is full of high-profile NFL games that will not disappoint. Here are the biggest 3 matchups of the year if your are looking for online betting games.
Week 7 – Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots
This Super Bowl rematch will be one of the best matchups of the season. The game has very little significance for the season outcome, but this game is about something much more important – respect. The Atlanta Falcons are going to head into Foxborough looking to avenge their humiliating Super Bowl loss and beat the pretty boy Patriots in their own house.
Week 1 – Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
The NFL didn’t waste any time and scheduled one of the biggest games of the year for the first week of the season. The Seahawks have a long-standing rivalry that dates to head coach Mike Holmgren leaving the Packers for the Hawks. The teams have played in several close games with iconic endings. The most notable endings are Matt Hasselbeck’s pick 6 to lose the game in overtime after winning the coin toss and stating, “We want the ball, and we’re going to score.” The teams also had the “Fail Mary”, a play that ended a referee strike. The most iconic ending came in the Conference Championship when the Hawks overcame a 19-7 deficit in the final 3 minutes to force an overtime where the beat the disheartened Packers. These teams will hash out their differences in this week 1 matchup and probably going to be one o the biggest NFL games to bet on during the regular season.
Week 15 – Dallas Cowboys at Oakland Raiders
These two teams don’t have much of a rivalry, but this week 15 matchup could decide who wins the division for both teams. The Raiders will surely have competition from both the Chiefs and Broncos, while the Cowboys will have close competition with the New York Giants. Each of these teams could make a deep postseason run and could be a preview of this year’s Super Bowl.
The Houston Texans will travel to New England to play the Patriots in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Tom Brady and the Patriots are expected to roll over the Texans, as the sportsbooks are giving New England 16 points as the favorite.
The Texans will have an uphill battle if they are able to pull off this massive upset. Tom Brady will need to have one of his worse playoff games in history in order for the Texans to win this game. Some sportsbooks have even raised the betting lines on the Patriots to (-17) which is pretty incredible, considering the fact that this is an NFL playoff game.
If the Patriots take care of business, they will meet the winner of the Steelers/Chiefs game in the AFC Championship round.
Some sports bettors may see value in taking Houston and the points but that could prove to be a dangerous strategy. On one hand, Bill O’Brien and the Texans will be ready to play the Patriots and since Bill O’Brien is a Bill Belichick disciple, it is expected that he’ll know the New England system well. On the other hand, you’d be betting against Tom Brady and that hasn’t worked out well for sports bettors over the past few years.
Knowing the system and stopping the system are two different things. If the Texans are able to put on a defensive performance, a +16 or +17 point spread might be a tempting proposition.