Build a FRANCHISE draft year 2 (1 Viewer)

[Whicker]

Unfortunately this looks like it's dead in the water, but since I've already put in the work...

Cleveland Browns

*denotes rookie

Spread Offense:

QB – Brian Hoyer (Michael Vick)

RB – Giovani Bernard (DeAngelo Williams)

FB – Jerome Felton

H-back – Cory Harkey

FL – Marqise Lee* (Justin Blackmon) (Marlon Brown)

SE – Justin Blackmon (Marlon Brown) (Damian Williams) (Mike Davis*)

SL – Percy Harvin

TE – Tim Wright (Lance Kendricks)

LT – Sam Baker (Billy Turner*)

LG – Wade Smith (Nate Chandler) (Billy Turner*)

C – Kyle Cook

RG – Chris Chester (Trai Turner*) (Nate Chandler)

RT – Tyson Clabo (Jordan Mills)

Looking at the players that I inherited with this team, I don’t really think soulfly had a concrete plan for what he wanted to do. The offensive line is the obvious weakness of the offense and likely this team. Because of this, I decided that this offense’s best chance is one that utilizes many quick drops and passes and lets its skill players make plays.

I believe that Brian Hoyer is a better quarterback in general and also for this scheme, therefore I fully expect him to win the job over Michael Vick. If he is the quarterback that he showed in his limited sample size, this offense could be very good. He generally made good decisions and was able to give his receivers chances to make plays after the catch. If he is not 2013 Brian Hoyer, then this team will roll the dice on Vick to be a playmaker. I thought about adding a rookie QB to this group several times throughout the rookie draft, but this team had enough holes and the value simply never looked right.

The offensive line was completely ignored for the early parts of the draft. He was able to scrape together one that looks serviceable, but it is old, with four starters over 30. I thought about going all out and spending 4-5 rookie picks on the offensive line, but I think it turned out alright as it is now. Billy Turner is an intriguing tackle prospect from an FCS school. From what I’ve read, it sounds like there’s no reason he can’t develop into a good LT or RT, with a floor being a pretty good G. Trai Turner is a prospect that’s talked about as a possible day 1 starter, so I think I got a very good bargain on him. These two along with Jordan Mills and Nate Chandler developing will hopefully create a solid foundation for this line in the future.

4-3 Defense:

RE – Chandler Jones (Frostee Rucker) (Cornelius Washington)

DT – Cullen Jenkins (Sylvester Williams) (Kareem Martin*)

DT – Tommy Kelly (Sylvester Williams) (Daquan Jones*)

LE – Rob Ninkovich (Kareem Martin*)

WLB – Daryl Washington (Russell Allen)

MLB – Luke Kuechly (Daryl Washington)

SLB – Kevin Burnett (Russell Allen)

LCB – Drayton Florence (Josh Norman)

RCB – Dre Kirkpatrick (Dunta Robinson)

SCB – Jerraud Powers

FS – Antoine Bethea (Darian Stewart)

SS – Mark Barron

Soulfly originally wanted the Browns to run a 3-4, hence the drafting of both Kuechly and Daryl Washington. However, as the draft progressed, his plans changed to a 4-3, leading to a difficult decision on which scheme to run and how to fit in his linebackers, especially Daryl Washington. Ultimately, I decided that a 4-3 was the best bet. I originally had Washington at SAM to maybe play him in a Von Miller role, but in the end I decided his coverage abilities would probably make him a very good WILL. This defense will be a very traditional 4-3: stop the run, get pressure with four, and bend-don’t-break in coverage.

The first thing I noticed about the defensive line was its age, with Ninkovich, Jenkins, and Kelly all over 30. Because of that, as well as the desire to only try to pressure with the line, I knew that this would be an important part of the rookie draft. I may have reached a little bit for Kareem Martin, but pure 4-3 DEs were in short supply in the draft, and I like his ability to play inside or outside. I think I got a good bargain on Daquan Jones in the fourth round of the rookie draft. These two along with Sylvester Williams will create a good rotation along the defensive line and be the building blocks for when the veterans decline or retire.

The linebackers are the strength of the defense. Luke Kuechly, of course, is among the best middle linebackers in the league. He is an elite run defender, and this defense will rely on him to be such. Playing in front of a pretty good D-line, he should fare just as well here as he did in Carolina. He’s also very good in coverage which will be his primary assignment on passing plays. Daryl Washington regressed in 2013, but his coverage skills remained among the elite in terms of linebackers. Combined with the coverage abilities of Kuechly, Washington will take away many Tight Ends and underneath options for teams and make things much, much easier on this team’s secondary. Kevin Burnett is a veteran run defender and will only be a two-down run defender in this defense. This draft took place before we found out about Russell Allen’s stroke. This unfortunately leaves this unit a bit thin.

The secondary is a big weakness to this team. There are some decent guys to hold it all together, but that’s really the best that can be said.

 

[Whicker]

Chicago Bears

With the 28th pick in this draft, I decided that I was going to wait and see what players fell to me before I made the final decision on what type of team I would build. When Philip Rivers was available at that spot, I couldn’t draft him quickly enough. Some opinions may vary on him, but I think most would agree that he is an unquestioned franchise QB and a complete steal at 28.

*denotes rookie

Offense:

QB – Philip Rivers

RB – Maurice Jones-Drew (Ahmad Bradshaw) (Ronnie Hillman)

H-back – Rhett Ellison

FL – AJ Green (Julio Jones)

SE – Julio Jones (Mohamed Sanu)

SL – Stedman Bailey (Robert Herron*) (Mohamed Sanu)

SL/RB/H-back/OW – Tavon Austin (Robert Herron*)

TE – Dennis Pitta (Mychal Rivera)

LT – D’Brickashaw Ferguson (Cyrus Kouandjio*) (Matt McCants)

LG – Ramon Foster (Ronald Leary)

C – Ryan Kalil

RG – Geoff Schwartz (David Quessenberry)

RT – Doug Free (Matt McCants) (David Quessenberry)

During the draft there was a lot of talk about the Redskins offense as well as some others, but I believe that the best offense in our league resides in Chicago. I want to run a spread offense that utilizes a lot of 10, 01, and empty personnel sets and passes the ball a ton.

It starts at the top with Philip Rivers. Many probably still don’t believe in him, but last year told me what I needed to know. Before his two lame duck years with a lame duck coach and a dearth of weaponry, Rivers was a universal top 5 QB that looked like he could push Brady/Manning for the QB title (kind of like where Brees is today). In 2013, with a new coach and just a couple more pass catchers, he reverted to that status, with some people even claiming he was the second best QB in 2013. In this league, I’m giving him a ridiculous collection of weapons (AJ Green alone would be the best receiver he’s ever had) and turning him loose, giving him the green light to compile stats and push for Manning’s records.

My wide receiver group is the youngest, deepest, and most talented in this league, with AJ Green being the oldest at 25 (turning 26 in July). I wanted this group to be the backbone of my dynasty, and I think I succeeded. They will grow and get better together, and in a couple years they will lift up a declining Rivers and then, after Rivers retires, support whoever is my next QB. Everyone knows the names AJ Green and Julio Jones. They are elite outside receivers who I both expect to easily top 1000 yards and 10 TDs year-in and year-out in this offense. Because it would be impossible for any defense to take them both 1-on-1 for prolonged periods, their presence will draw a lot of safety attention, which will then create more-than-adequate space for one of the most dynamic players in the NFL: Tavon Austin. Although he will mainly work out of the slot, Austin will also line up in the backfield and return the occasional kickoff or punt. I will give him the ball in every way possible: handoffs, screens, quick passes, etc, and let him work with the aforementioned space that Green and Julio will create. I really like Stedman Bailey as a prospect, and I think he will grow into a solid possession receiver. He will see plenty of snaps out of the slot and will keep the field spread when I line Austin up in the backfield. He should easily be able to beat the many #4 corners, linebackers, and safeties he’ll match 1-on-1 against. Robert Herron, obviously, is not Tavon Austin, but he has a similar skill-set, and I would be able to line him up in a lot of similar ways (as an RB, in the slot, as an H-back, etc) to keep my offensive play calling, formations, etc. similar even if Austin were to miss time. He also looks the part of a prototypical slot receiver, so if Bailey doesn’t develop into that guy, then perhaps Herron would. Mohamed Sanu is young with a decent amount of NFL experience. I’m happy to have him as a backup.

Dennis Pitta will see snaps lined up both on the line and split out wide. He will work underneath routes and help keep the chains moving. Like Bailey, he’ll almost always be matched up with an inferior defender. Mychal Rivera is still developing, but he shows qualities of a good receiving TE similar to Pitta. My hope is that in a couple years he will slide seamlessly into Pitta’s role.

I think that, because of the strength of my pass-catchers, the only way a defense is going to hope to contain my offense is through pressuring Rivers. That’s why I drafted two of the very best pass protecting backs in the league: Maurice Jones-Drew and Ahmad Bradshaw, with Jones-Drew allowing an ridiculous zero pressures in over 100 pass-protecting snaps in 2013. Their primary job in this offense is to keep Rivers upright, their secondary job is to catch check-down passes, and then whatever they can gain on the ground is just gravy. Hopefully, this limited role will mean that, despite both of them having injury issues, at least one of them will be available for all games. Ronnie Hillman will hopefully improve upon his fumbling issues. If he does so, he’ll be an adequate change-of-pace and receiving back.

I’m very happy with how my offensive line worked out. With my only weakness being an average starter at LT with D’Brickashaw Ferguson, I should have a line that is comfortably in the top 10 and may push the top 5 in this league. They should beat average D-lines with no problems, and they have the help of Jones-Drew, Bradshaw, and Ellison against better ones. The interior line is young enough to stay together for quite a few years, and Cyrus Kouandjio and Matt McCants will get first cracks at replacing 30 year olds Ferguson and Free at tackle.

Tl;dr – No defense can cover both AJ Green and Julio Jones for an entire game without letting Austin loose in space. Underneath passes to Pitta will keep chains moving. Jones-Drew and Bradshaw along with a top 5-10 offensive line will keep Rivers upright.

Multiple Defense:

4-3:

RE – Ryan Kerrigan (Marcus Smith*)

DT – Arthur Jones (Linval Joseph)

NT/DT – Linval Joseph (Brandon Williams) (Kelcy Quarles*)

LE – Cameron Wake (Malliciah Goodman)

SLB – Khalil Mack* (Nate Irving)

MLB – DeMeco Ryans (Nate Irving)

WLB – Wesley Woodyard (Nate Irving)

LCB – Alan Ball/Rashean Mathis (Stanley Jean-Baptiste*) (Leon McFadden)

RCB – Rashean Mathis/Alan Ball (Stanley Jean-Baptiste*) (Leon McFadden)

SCB – Nickell Robey (Asante Samuel)

FS – Reggie Nelson (Stevie Brown)

SS – Stevie Brown (Jahleel Addae)

3-4:

RE – Arthur Jones (DeAngelo Tyson) (Clifton Geathers)

NT – Brandon Williams (Clifton Geathers) (Kelcy Quarles*)

LE – Linval Joseph (DeAngelo Tyson) (Clifton Geathers)

SOLB – Cameron Wake (Khalil Mack*) (Marcus Smith*)

SILB – Khalil Mack* (Marcus Smith*) (DeMeco Ryans) (Nate Irving)

WILB – Wesley Woodyard (Khalil Mack*) (Marcus Smith*) (Nate Irving)

WOLB – Ryan Kerrigan (Khalil Mack*) (Marcus Smith*)

LCB – Alan Ball/Rashean Mathis (Stanley Jean-Baptiste*) (Leon McFadden)

RCB – Rashean Mathis/Alan Ball (Stanley Jean-Baptiste*) (Leon McFadden)

SCB – Nickell Robey (Asante Samuel)

FS – Reggie Nelson (Stevie Brown)

SS – Stevie Brown (Jahleel Addae)

I built this defense with the assumption that my offense will easily put up points and that I will be playing with a lead often. Therefore, it focuses on pass rushing and confusing quarterbacks.

My edge defenders are the most important players on this defense, and if some key players develop, this group could be one of the best ones in the league. When drafting these players, I valued pass rushing ability over run defense and strongly valued positional versatility. Cameron Wake is already one of the truly elite edge rushers in the game. He will not only put many pressures on opposing quarterbacks himself, but he will also draw a lot of defensive attention that will allow other rushers cleaner lanes and therefore more sacks, much like what he did in 2013 with Olivier Vernon’s 11.5 sacks. Opposite him is Ryan Kerrigan, who is also already an accomplished pass rusher. Although Kerrigan has only played OLB in the NFL, he played exclusively DE in college, leading me to believe he could make the transition well, especially with Wake as a mentor. Khalil Mack was my target in the rookie draft from the beginning, and as you can see from the above depth chart, he is essential to this team’s 3-4 look. He can line up at any of the linebacker spots and rush from all of them, letting me use him as a movable piece to help confuse quarterbacks. In the 4-3 look he will play the Von Miller role, blitzing fairly often. My hope is that he will be a true three-down linebacker and play every snap. I like Marcus Smith (now a first round pick!) as a situational rusher and somewhat of a Khalil Mack-light, in the sense that he can line up and rush from anywhere.

Neither Linval Joseph nor Arthur Jones are elite interior defenders, but they both good, young building blocks for a defensive line. They will collapse pockets to make it easier on Wake, Mack, and Kerrigan, and they will together be solid against the run. Joseph is more of a 4-3 DT and Jones more of a 3-4 DE, but I believe they are both scheme-versatile. The rest of my interior defenders are nothing special, but they are all big bodies who can play multiple positions.

Wesley Woodyard had a very good 2012 at the weak-side linebacker spot. In 2013, the Broncos moved him to MLB. He injured his hip early on in the season, and struggled the rest of the year. I think that he is still the high-quality weak-side linebacker he showed in 2012, he just needs to be healthy and play the correct position, which he will in the 4-3 sets. In the 3-4, he will play the weak inside linebacker, which has similar duties to that of a 4-3 WILL. Many players make the switch or are able to play both, so my hope is that Woodyard can do the same here. If he’s unable to, I have no shortage of linebackers to play in that spot. DeMeco Ryans is not a very good 3-4 ILB, which is where he has been playing the last few years. Before that, he played in a 4-3 and excelled. He won’t be the same at all now of course, but it shows his skill-set is a better fit for that scheme. I will play him only as a 4-3 MIKE (seeing the field in the 3-4 in very limited situations), and unless he somehow returns to his excellent play, he will be taken off the field in nickel packages. Nate Irving played well in place of Von Miller this year. He’s a good tackler, and I also like his ability to line up in a variety of linebacker positions. That versatility from a backup allowed me to spend a valuable roster spot somewhere else.

When I went into the draft with a passing offense/push rushing defense plan, I had already accepted that my defensive backfield would likely be seen as a weakness. My cornerbacks are nothing special, but I think I got some decent bargains considering how long I waited to grab one. Alan Ball, Rashean Mathis, and Nickell Robey are ranked 31st, 25th, and 28th, respectively with PFF ratings of 7.5, 5.8, and 5.4, respectively. These, while of course not definitive of anything, indicate that this group isn’t going to be a liability. I am especially intrigued by Nickell Robey, who was surprisingly productive last year as a rookie. He’s strictly a slot corner due to his size, but he is already pretty good at blitzing, playing screens, and playing the run. If he continues to develop it’ll make nickel packages even more dangerous as another potential blitzer is added (and I plan of being in the nickel package often). I hope that one or more of my two corner prospects will develop into a solid starter to replace Mathis after my one or two year rental. Stanley Jean-Baptiste is sometimes talked about as one of the better developmental corners in the draft. He’s big, strong, physical, and fast in the mold of the Seahawks’ corners. With this defense he won’t have to start right away, which is likely the best career path for him. I also do not think my safeties will be a major liability. Reggie Nelson is a veteran who plays solid, smart football, even if he doesn’t make a ton of splash plays. He’s exactly the kind of safety I wanted. Stevie Brown, assuming his return to health, will be the more splash-play player. A natural free safety, he’ll give me a bit more coverage ability from the SS spot than a real SS, which is preferable to me. He’ll be the first to slide over to FS once Nelson moves on. Jahleel Addae had a decent rookie year in a rotational safety role. He’ll have the same role here.

I want to use the 4-3 as my “base” defense, and I want to use both a normal and under look in doing so. In the 4-3 normal, which will be used earlier in the game and in running situations, I will use more conservative coverage and try to get pressure with just the four-man line of Kerrigan, Jones, Joseph, and Wake. Khalil Mack, lined up as the SAM, will blitz occasionally, but will mainly play the run and drop into coverage. For a 4-3 under, Joseph will slide over to more of a nose tackle, and Khalil Mack will be brought closer to the line of scrimmage. This will give Mack better looks at the QB, meaning he will blitz far more often. Once Wake retires, unless Marcus Smith or someone else can take over for him effectively as a replacement LE (I’d want Kerrigan to remain RE and Mack to remain SAM), then a 4-3 under look may become my base defense with Joseph at the 3-tech, Williams/Geathers at NT, and Jones at the “elephant” LE.

Once my offense has a lead and the opposing offense is playing catch-up, I will use a 3-4 alignment more often as a better pass rushing formation. As you can see from the above depth chart, the 3-4 will allow me to field a number of linebacker arrangements to best confuse quarterbacks. Do I have all of Wake, Mack, and Kerrigan on the field? What combination of them is rushing? What about Marcus Smith? I want to ensure that quarterbacks always take a careful look at who’s lined up and where, and hopefully most QBs (and pass protectors) will second guess their reads occasionally, leading to fatal mistakes.

Tl;dr – This defense will use a conservative 4-3 base, with Khalil Mack in the Von Miller-esque role, early in the game and in running situations. Once I have a lead, I will use an aggressive 3-4 formation, as well as various sub-packages, to give Cameron Wake, Khalil Mack, Ryan Kerrigan, and Marcus Smith good looks at the quarterback.

Special Teams:

K: Kai Forbath

P: Jeff Locke

KOS: Jeff Locke

KR/PR: Robert Herron (Tavon Austin)

Overall, I think that this must be considered one of the best teams in this league. I know that most everyone probably thinks that about their own team, but the Bears boast all of the following:

1. A true franchise QB in Philip Rivers (argument for such in my analysis of my offense) who is of reasonable age (32).

2. The absolute best set of wide receivers.

3. A top 5 offensive line with an average LT, a top 5 RT, a top 10 center, a top 10 guard and a top 20 guard.

4. A deep set of pass rushers that includes an elite veteran and an elite prospect.

5. Two cornerstone interior defensive linemen in Linval Joseph and Arthur Jones.

6. A secondary group that contains no major liabilities.

7. A young team that can still grow and get better, with a plan for players that will be on their way out soon. The only players on my team over the age of 30 are Philip Rivers (likely to play 5+ years still), D’Brickashaw Ferguson (immediate replacement on roster – Cyrus Kouandjio), Doug Free (immediate replacement on roster – Matt McCants), Cameron Wake (mentor to plenty of young replacements/4-3 under base), DeMeco Ryans (not at important player/immediate replacement on roster – Nate Irving), Rashean Mathis (mentor to a rookie and second year player), Asante Samuel (same as Mathis/not an important player), and Reggie Nelson (immediate replacement on roster – Stevie Brown).

 

[AwesomeAuger]

Chicago Bears

With the 28th pick in this draft, I decided that I was going to wait and see what players fell to me before I made the final decision on what type of team I would build. When Philip Rivers was available at that spot, I couldnt draft him quickly enough. Some opinions may vary on him, but I think most would agree that he is an unquestioned franchise QB and a complete steal at 28.

*denotes rookie

Offense:

QB Philip Rivers

RB Maurice Jones-Drew (Ahmad Bradshaw) (Ronnie Hillman)

H-back Rhett Ellison

FL AJ Green (Julio Jones)

SE Julio Jones (Mohamed Sanu)

SL Stedman Bailey (Robert Herron*) (Mohamed Sanu)

SL/RB/H-back/OW Tavon Austin (Robert Herron*)

TE Dennis Pitta (Mychal Rivera)

LT DBrickashaw Ferguson (Cyrus Kouandjio*) (Matt McCants)

LG Ramon Foster (Ronald Leary)

C Ryan Kalil

RG Geoff Schwartz (David Quessenberry)

RT Doug Free (Matt McCants) (David Quessenberry)

During the draft there was a lot of talk about the Redskins offense as well as some others, but I believe that the best offense in our league resides in Chicago. I want to run a spread offense that utilizes a lot of 10, 01, and empty personnel sets and passes the ball a ton.

It starts at the top with Philip Rivers. Many probably still dont believe in him, but last year told me what I needed to know. Before his two lame duck years with a lame duck coach and a dearth of weaponry, Rivers was a universal top 5 QB that looked like he could push Brady/Manning for the QB title (kind of like where Brees is today). In 2013, with a new coach and just a couple more pass catchers, he reverted to that status, with some people even claiming he was the second best QB in 2013. In this league, Im giving him a ridiculous collection of weapons (AJ Green alone would be the best receiver hes ever had) and turning him loose, giving him the green light to compile stats and push for Mannings records.

My wide receiver group is the youngest, deepest, and most talented in this league, with AJ Green being the oldest at 25 (turning 26 in July). I wanted this group to be the backbone of my dynasty, and I think I succeeded. They will grow and get better together, and in a couple years they will lift up a declining Rivers and then, after Rivers retires, support whoever is my next QB. Everyone knows the names AJ Green and Julio Jones. They are elite outside receivers who I both expect to easily top 1000 yards and 10 TDs year-in and year-out in this offense. Because it would be impossible for any defense to take them both 1-on-1 for prolonged periods, their presence will draw a lot of safety attention, which will then create more-than-adequate space for one of the most dynamic players in the NFL: Tavon Austin. Although he will mainly work out of the slot, Austin will also line up in the backfield and return the occasional kickoff or punt. I will give him the ball in every way possible: handoffs, screens, quick passes, etc, and let him work with the aforementioned space that Green and Julio will create. I really like Stedman Bailey as a prospect, and I think he will grow into a solid possession receiver. He will see plenty of snaps out of the slot and will keep the field spread when I line Austin up in the backfield. He should easily be able to beat the many #4 corners, linebackers, and safeties hell match 1-on-1 against. Robert Herron, obviously, is not Tavon Austin, but he has a similar skill-set, and I would be able to line him up in a lot of similar ways (as an RB, in the slot, as an H-back, etc) to keep my offensive play calling, formations, etc. similar even if Austin were to miss time. He also looks the part of a prototypical slot receiver, so if Bailey doesnt develop into that guy, then perhaps Herron would. Mohamed Sanu is young with a decent amount of NFL experience. Im happy to have him as a backup.

Dennis Pitta will see snaps lined up both on the line and split out wide. He will work underneath routes and help keep the chains moving. Like Bailey, hell almost always be matched up with an inferior defender. Mychal Rivera is still developing, but he shows qualities of a good receiving TE similar to Pitta. My hope is that in a couple years he will slide seamlessly into Pittas role.

I think that, because of the strength of my pass-catchers, the only way a defense is going to hope to contain my offense is through pressuring Rivers. Thats why I drafted two of the very best pass protecting backs in the league: Maurice Jones-Drew and Ahmad Bradshaw, with Jones-Drew allowing an ridiculous zero pressures in over 100 pass-protecting snaps in 2013. Their primary job in this offense is to keep Rivers upright, their secondary job is to catch check-down passes, and then whatever they can gain on the ground is just gravy. Hopefully, this limited role will mean that, despite both of them having injury issues, at least one of them will be available for all games. Ronnie Hillman will hopefully improve upon his fumbling issues. If he does so, hell be an adequate change-of-pace and receiving back.

Im very happy with how my offensive line worked out. With my only weakness being an average starter at LT with DBrickashaw Ferguson, I should have a line that is comfortably in the top 10 and may push the top 5 in this league. They should beat average D-lines with no problems, and they have the help of Jones-Drew, Bradshaw, and Ellison against better ones. The interior line is young enough to stay together for quite a few years, and Cyrus Kouandjio and Matt McCants will get first cracks at replacing 30 year olds Ferguson and Free at tackle.

Tl;dr No defense can cover both AJ Green and Julio Jones for an entire game without letting Austin loose in space. Underneath passes to Pitta will keep chains moving. Jones-Drew and Bradshaw along with a top 5-10 offensive line will keep Rivers upright.

Multiple Defense:

4-3:

RE Ryan Kerrigan (Marcus Smith*)

DT Arthur Jones (Linval Joseph)

NT/DT Linval Joseph (Brandon Williams) (Kelcy Quarles*)

LE Cameron Wake (Malliciah Goodman)

SLB Khalil Mack* (Nate Irving)

MLB DeMeco Ryans (Nate Irving)

WLB Wesley Woodyard (Nate Irving)

LCB Alan Ball/Rashean Mathis (Stanley Jean-Baptiste*) (Leon McFadden)

RCB Rashean Mathis/Alan Ball (Stanley Jean-Baptiste*) (Leon McFadden)

SCB Nickell Robey (Asante Samuel)

FS Reggie Nelson (Stevie Brown)

SS Stevie Brown (Jahleel Addae)

3-4:

RE Arthur Jones (DeAngelo Tyson) (Clifton Geathers)

NT Brandon Williams (Clifton Geathers) (Kelcy Quarles*)

LE Linval Joseph (DeAngelo Tyson) (Clifton Geathers)

SOLB Cameron Wake (Khalil Mack*) (Marcus Smith*)

SILB Khalil Mack* (Marcus Smith*) (DeMeco Ryans) (Nate Irving)

WILB Wesley Woodyard (Khalil Mack*) (Marcus Smith*) (Nate Irving)

WOLB Ryan Kerrigan (Khalil Mack*) (Marcus Smith*)

LCB Alan Ball/Rashean Mathis (Stanley Jean-Baptiste*) (Leon McFadden)

RCB Rashean Mathis/Alan Ball (Stanley Jean-Baptiste*) (Leon McFadden)

SCB Nickell Robey (Asante Samuel)

FS Reggie Nelson (Stevie Brown)

SS Stevie Brown (Jahleel Addae)

I built this defense with the assumption that my offense will easily put up points and that I will be playing with a lead often. Therefore, it focuses on pass rushing and confusing quarterbacks.

My edge defenders are the most important players on this defense, and if some key players develop, this group could be one of the best ones in the league. When drafting these players, I valued pass rushing ability over run defense and strongly valued positional versatility. Cameron Wake is already one of the truly elite edge rushers in the game. He will not only put many pressures on opposing quarterbacks himself, but he will also draw a lot of defensive attention that will allow other rushers cleaner lanes and therefore more sacks, much like what he did in 2013 with Olivier Vernons 11.5 sacks. Opposite him is Ryan Kerrigan, who is also already an accomplished pass rusher. Although Kerrigan has only played OLB in the NFL, he played exclusively DE in college, leading me to believe he could make the transition well, especially with Wake as a mentor. Khalil Mack was my target in the rookie draft from the beginning, and as you can see from the above depth chart, he is essential to this teams 3-4 look. He can line up at any of the linebacker spots and rush from all of them, letting me use him as a movable piece to help confuse quarterbacks. In the 4-3 look he will play the Von Miller role, blitzing fairly often. My hope is that he will be a true three-down linebacker and play every snap. I like Marcus Smith (now a first round pick!) as a situational rusher and somewhat of a Khalil Mack-light, in the sense that he can line up and rush from anywhere.

Neither Linval Joseph nor Arthur Jones are elite interior defenders, but they both good, young building blocks for a defensive line. They will collapse pockets to make it easier on Wake, Mack, and Kerrigan, and they will together be solid against the run. Joseph is more of a 4-3 DT and Jones more of a 3-4 DE, but I believe they are both scheme-versatile. The rest of my interior defenders are nothing special, but they are all big bodies who can play multiple positions.

Wesley Woodyard had a very good 2012 at the weak-side linebacker spot. In 2013, the Broncos moved him to MLB. He injured his hip early on in the season, and struggled the rest of the year. I think that he is still the high-quality weak-side linebacker he showed in 2012, he just needs to be healthy and play the correct position, which he will in the 4-3 sets. In the 3-4, he will play the weak inside linebacker, which has similar duties to that of a 4-3 WILL. Many players make the switch or are able to play both, so my hope is that Woodyard can do the same here. If hes unable to, I have no shortage of linebackers to play in that spot. DeMeco Ryans is not a very good 3-4 ILB, which is where he has been playing the last few years. Before that, he played in a 4-3 and excelled. He wont be the same at all now of course, but it shows his skill-set is a better fit for that scheme. I will play him only as a 4-3 MIKE (seeing the field in the 3-4 in very limited situations), and unless he somehow returns to his excellent play, he will be taken off the field in nickel packages. Nate Irving played well in place of Von Miller this year. Hes a good tackler, and I also like his ability to line up in a variety of linebacker positions. That versatility from a backup allowed me to spend a valuable roster spot somewhere else.

When I went into the draft with a passing offense/push rushing defense plan, I had already accepted that my defensive backfield would likely be seen as a weakness. My cornerbacks are nothing special, but I think I got some decent bargains considering how long I waited to grab one. Alan Ball, Rashean Mathis, and Nickell Robey are ranked 31st, 25th, and 28th, respectively with PFF ratings of 7.5, 5.8, and 5.4, respectively. These, while of course not definitive of anything, indicate that this group isnt going to be a liability. I am especially intrigued by Nickell Robey, who was surprisingly productive last year as a rookie. Hes strictly a slot corner due to his size, but he is already pretty good at blitzing, playing screens, and playing the run. If he continues to develop itll make nickel packages even more dangerous as another potential blitzer is added (and I plan of being in the nickel package often). I hope that one or more of my two corner prospects will develop into a solid starter to replace Mathis after my one or two year rental. Stanley Jean-Baptiste is sometimes talked about as one of the better developmental corners in the draft. Hes big, strong, physical, and fast in the mold of the Seahawks corners. With this defense he wont have to start right away, which is likely the best career path for him. I also do not think my safeties will be a major liability. Reggie Nelson is a veteran who plays solid, smart football, even if he doesnt make a ton of splash plays. Hes exactly the kind of safety I wanted. Stevie Brown, assuming his return to health, will be the more splash-play player. A natural free safety, hell give me a bit more coverage ability from the SS spot than a real SS, which is preferable to me. Hell be the first to slide over to FS once Nelson moves on. Jahleel Addae had a decent rookie year in a rotational safety role. Hell have the same role here.

I want to use the 4-3 as my base defense, and I want to use both a normal and under look in doing so. In the 4-3 normal, which will be used earlier in the game and in running situations, I will use more conservative coverage and try to get pressure with just the four-man line of Kerrigan, Jones, Joseph, and Wake. Khalil Mack, lined up as the SAM, will blitz occasionally, but will mainly play the run and drop into coverage. For a 4-3 under, Joseph will slide over to more of a nose tackle, and Khalil Mack will be brought closer to the line of scrimmage. This will give Mack better looks at the QB, meaning he will blitz far more often. Once Wake retires, unless Marcus Smith or someone else can take over for him effectively as a replacement LE (Id want Kerrigan to remain RE and Mack to remain SAM), then a 4-3 under look may become my base defense with Joseph at the 3-tech, Williams/Geathers at NT, and Jones at the elephant LE.

Once my offense has a lead and the opposing offense is playing catch-up, I will use a 3-4 alignment more often as a better pass rushing formation. As you can see from the above depth chart, the 3-4 will allow me to field a number of linebacker arrangements to best confuse quarterbacks. Do I have all of Wake, Mack, and Kerrigan on the field? What combination of them is rushing? What about Marcus Smith? I want to ensure that quarterbacks always take a careful look at whos lined up and where, and hopefully most QBs (and pass protectors) will second guess their reads occasionally, leading to fatal mistakes.

Tl;dr This defense will use a conservative 4-3 base, with Khalil Mack in the Von Miller-esque role, early in the game and in running situations. Once I have a lead, I will use an aggressive 3-4 formation, as well as various sub-packages, to give Cameron Wake, Khalil Mack, Ryan Kerrigan, and Marcus Smith good looks at the quarterback.

Special Teams:

K: Kai Forbath

P: Jeff Locke

KOS: Jeff Locke

KR/PR: Robert Herron (Tavon Austin)

Overall, I think that this must be considered one of the best teams in this league. I know that most everyone probably thinks that about their own team, but the Bears boast all of the following:

1. A true franchise QB in Philip Rivers (argument for such in my analysis of my offense) who is of reasonable age (32).

2. The absolute best set of wide receivers.

3. A top 5 offensive line with an average LT, a top 5 RT, a top 10 center, a top 10 guard and a top 20 guard.

4. A deep set of pass rushers that includes an elite veteran and an elite prospect.

5. Two cornerstone interior defensive linemen in Linval Joseph and Arthur Jones.

6. A secondary group that contains no major liabilities.

7. A young team that can still grow and get better, with a plan for players that will be on their way out soon. The only players on my team over the age of 30 are Philip Rivers (likely to play 5+ years still), DBrickashaw Ferguson (immediate replacement on roster Cyrus Kouandjio), Doug Free (immediate replacement on roster Matt McCants), Cameron Wake (mentor to plenty of young replacements/4-3 under base), DeMeco Ryans (not at important player/immediate replacement on roster Nate Irving), Rashean Mathis (mentor to a rookie and second year player), Asante Samuel (same as Mathis/not an important player), and Reggie Nelson (immediate replacement on roster Stevie Brown).

Definitely one of my favorite teams. Could be my favorite team outside of the ones I drafted.

 

[AwesomeAuger]

Is there a way to email the entire league through mfl? I'd like to finalize the draft and do write ups. Then I can get the two or three judges to look at this.

 

[Late225]

I still never had a chance to put a writeup together about my team. I'll probably do it some time this week.

 

[mlbnfl]

Same here hoping to do a write up asap. Any chance we can be allowed (or are we already I don't know) to release our proxy players and pick up the actual rookies? Hopefully everyone who does it would pick up the right guys but I just think itd be a nicer visual to have the actual players.

 

[FUBAR]

I'll do a write-up later, but just looking at the Titans rookies.

Dennard went a little after I thought he would and took him here. Marcus Martin dropped almost a round.

Tajh Boyd dropped 3 rounds, but he could be good in NY. Reynolds dropped another round. Storm Johnson dropped 2 rounds.

Got Matt Hazel about right!

Titans GM sucks at drafting rookies.

Lions did better.

Clowney was the easiest choice both here and for real. Jernigan dropped a little but within reason.

Breeland dropped a round. Pretty much nailed Ellington.

My 5th and 6th round picks of Kirksey and Watt both went in the 3rd.

Lions are clearly better evaluators of talent.

 

[Whicker]

I had hoped to get unbiased judges to take a look at all the teams, but it looks like that won’t happen so I’ve decided to go ahead and rank the teams as I see them. It was hard to rank the teams by just looking, so I devised a grading system to keep my evaluations somewhat consistent (although I will fully admit they will be inconsistent). Of course, all evaluations are of my own amateur opinion and can easily be wrong. I took no names into account when rating teams, so please do not take my ranking of your team personally. In fact, please post and argue with me.

This is the grading rubric I devised:

Offense

Quarterback / 13

Receiving corps / 8

Running backs / 4

Offensive line / 10

Total points / 35

Defense

Pass rush / 14

Run defense / 10

Coverage / 11

Total points / 35

Special Teams / 5

Youth and Potential / 25

I think that this rubric works better than just evaluating each team position by position, because it better reflects the collaboration of the positions to impact a certain aspect the game and also puts closer to the correct weight on each aspect.

For each sub-category, most of the weight was put on already demonstrated ability and depth, with maybe an extra point thrown in for excess potential. I considered off-field concerns, durability concerns, etc. in these ratings. To evaluate the Special Teams category, I gave a point for each non-replacement level kicker, punter, and returner, and then added one or two points based on whether any of those was an area of strength. The last major category is where I give points for guys that “have talent” but haven’t shown any real NFL ability yet. I think it is important to put this as a category on its own, otherwise , for example, we could put together reasoning as to why a crew of Robert Woods, Justin Hunter, and DeAndre Hopkins deserves a high receiving corps rating, when, to me, it doesn’t yet. This is probably the category where my subjective biases and inconsistencies will come out the most. I based my evaluation of rookies more on where they were taken and the order they were taken in the real NFL draft than anything else. Ties were broken by strength of the quarterback.

I also will not rank the Chicago Bears as I don’t think I’m fit to do so.

Rankings:

31. New England Patriots

Offense – 8/35

Quarterback – 1/13

Neither Ryan Nassib nor Brett Smith is fit to run an offense. I see no choice other than to give this a 1 rating.

Receiving corps – 3/8

I don’t think Torrey Smith is any more than a deep threat, and he won’t have Flacco’s arm this time around. Kendall Wright is good, but the rest is just potential at this point.

Running backs – 1/4

There is quite a bit of potential in this area, perhaps enough to deserve bumping this a point. But, as it stands right now, there haven’t been great results from these names.

Offensive line – 3/10

Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks are both good linemen, but the rest of this group can be seen as a weakness. No tackle depth further hurts this score.

Defense – 21/35

Pass rush – 11/14

J.J. Watt and Nick Fairley contribute greatly to this score, as they will provide significant pressure in the interior. Jamie Collins and Sio Moore have been productive as rushers as well and help this score.

Run defense – 6/10

Once again most of this score comes from Watt and Fairley, as I think their interior disruption will mess with run games. However, no great run-stopping linebacker or safety keeps this score from being higher.

Coverage – 4/11

This defensive backfield contains a bunch of CB2/3’s and some potential in Phillip Gaines. Coverage will be a big problem.

Special Teams – 2/5

Youth/potential – 17/25

This team actually has a pretty good potential in a lot of areas, but this score is hurt a lot by a lack of a franchise QB and one huge whiff in the rookie draft (Jackson Jeffcoat).

Total – 48/100

30. Green Bay Packers

Offense – 21/35

Quarterback – 5/13

Neither Locker nor Tavaris Jackson should be leading an offense, and Garoppolo is just potential at this point.

Receiving corps – 4/8

This score would be higher if it weren’t for Josh Gordon and his off-field issues, but Julius Thomas, Golden Tate, and Julian Edelman are all worthwhile options.

Running backs – 4/4

LeSean McCoy easily gives this a perfect score.

Offensive line – 8/10

This is a very solid offensive line. Only having two tackles rostered keeps this score from going any higher.

Defense – 10/35

Pass rush – 4/14

Kony Ealy would have been a decent savior for this group, but his fall in the draft hurts this considerably. There just isn’t any reliable rusher on this roster.

Run defense – 3/10

Jon Beason is a good run-stopper, but his injury worries are a problem for this defense. There isn’t anyone else to step up, and there’s little disruption at the line.

Coverage – 3/11

Walter Thurmond is most likely a good CB2, but not a CB1. The starting safeties of Wright and Conte really hurt this score as well.

Special Teams – 2/5

Youth/potential – 16/25

Garoppolo is the main hope for potential on this roster, and he contributes a lot to this score. However, lack of any up-and-comers in the defensive backfield or in pass rushers keeps this score from going very high.

Total – 49/100

29. Cleveland Browns

Offense – 13/35

Quarterback – 3/14

Hoyer could maybe step in and not embarrass himself. Vick is at least a veteran.

Receiving corps – 3/8

I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of Percy Harvin, given his durability issues. Marqise Lee’s drop in the draft also hurt.

Running backs – 3/4

Giovani Bernard is one of the better young backs in the league, and DeAngelo one of the more reliable veterans.

Offensive line – 4/10

Older starters on the decline will hopefully play long enough to allow the younger players to develop.

Defense – 20/35

Pass rush – 8/14

Chandler Jones and Ninkovich make a pretty good pair of edge rushers.

Run defense – 9/10

Kuechly is as good as they come in terms of stopping the run. Good interior disruption on the line will help as well.

Coverage – 3/11

This group is an absolute wreck. Drayton Florence will provide some veteran leadership and hopefully be able to take on some WR1’s.

Special Teams – 5/5

Youth/Potential – 18/25

This team has the potential to develop very good offensive and defensive lines. The lack of potential at the QB spot and the secondary keep this score low.

Total – 56/100

28. Denver Broncos

Offense – 10/35

Quarterback – 5/13

Matt Schaub can at least come in and play. Matt Moore could as well. Derek Carr’s potential as a franchise QB helps this score a little.

Receiving corps – 1/8

This is undoubtedly one of the worst groups of pass-catchers in this league. No TE at all, and Britt, Miles Austin, and Pettis are all next to worthless.

Running backs – 2/4

Bell’s reliability saves this score from being a one, but I don’t buy him as the type of back to be able to elevate a team in any way.

Offensive line – 2/10

This is another weak group. There’s no one to play LT, no depth to speak of, and no big names.

Defense – 22/35

Pass rush – 3/14

Jason Babin has declined past relevancy and I believe Dunlap is a product of a very strong Cincy line. This is a weak group.

Run defense – 8/10

A couple of good OLBs, veteran ILBs, and decent interior line play will make this defense tough to run against.

Coverage – 11/11

This team will be extremely tough to throw on, with Sherman and Shields on the outside, and Berry and Vaccaro at safety.

Special Teams – 2/5

Youth/Potential – 22/25

This team has very good potential with the notable exception of the WR spot.

Total – 56/100

27. New York Jets

Offense – 21/35

Quarterback – 8/13

Kaepernick was a hard one for me to grade. I buy him as a strong potential franchise QB, with upside for a little more.

Receiving corps – 4/8

Keenan Allen is for real. Also there is great depth in this unit, even if there isn’t another name that really stands out.

Running backs – 4/4

The best running back in the league deserves the best score.

Offensive line – 5/10

The starting five isn’t too bad with a big exception at LT. There is also no depth whatsoever.

Defense – 16/35

Pass rush – 4/14

This is just ugly, with Mingo being the only worthwhile name.

Run defense – 3/10

This front seven in general is just rough, with no one to soak up blocks or play sideline to sideline. Even the safeties are better covermen than run stoppers.

Coverage – 9/11

This is a serious strength to this team, with no major weaknesses. Davis played like a true CB1 this past year, and both Dennard and Hall should be able to cover inferior receivers. Jimmy Ward was a huge addition at safety as well.

Special Teams – 2/5

Youth/Potential – 17/25

Kaepernick, Ward, Allen, and a few others all have great upside, and they contribute a lot to this score. A lack of any good talent on either line, with the exception of Louis Nix who fell quite a bit during the draft, keeps this score relatively low.

Total – 56/100

26. Cincinnati Bengals

Offense – 22/35

Quarterback – 6/14

This next year should be a make or break year for Tannehill. Some people may tout him as a franchise QB, I see the makings of a fringe one, like an Alex Smith.

Receiving corps – 5/8

This score was mainly affected by Gronkowski’s unsettling injury history. If he were for sure able to play and stay healthy, this could have been a seven easily.

Running backs – 3/4

I don’t think Spiller is quite good enough for a perfect score.

Offensive line – 8/10

There isn’t any huge weakness among the starters. No interior depth keeps this score from going any higher.

Defense – 15/35

Pass rush – 4/14

Demarcus Ware is the only real pass rusher here and he’s on what seems to be a sharp decline.

Run defense – 7/10

Rubin and Ngata will plug up a lot of holes, and Cushing is a good run defender at linebacker.

Coverage –4/11

Joseph hasn’t been a shutdown corner for a long time, and Claiborne hasn’t been great. The safeties are also nothing special.

Special Teams – 2/5

Youth/Potential – 18/25

There is great potential everywhere on this offense, but the defensive side is a different story. A big miss on a corner (Purifoy) and no talent at all on the edge really hurt this score.

Total – 57/100

25. San Diego Chargers

Offense – 17/35

Quarterback – 6/13

Alex Smith has shown himself to be a decent quarterback, but I think we’ve seen his absolute ceiling.

Receiving corps – 3/8

Witten is a great option, and Colston is a good one although declining. The rest I’m not too impressed with.

Running backs – 3/4

These backs fit together to serve their purpose very well, but the lack of any top-end talent keeps this from a perfect score.

Offensive line – 5/10

The retirement of Jordan Gross really hurt this team, as there is now little quality depth.

Defense – 20/35

Pass rush – 12/14

This is a serious strength to this team, with Orakpo, and Crichton on the edge and McCoy and Campell on the interior.

Run defense – 5/10

Like most of the teams with good interior linemen, this team will be disruptive at the line which will help out the linebackers. Unfortunately, there isn’t a great linebacker on this roster to take advantage.

Coverage – 3/11

At this point, I don’t think I would want any of these CBs starting for my team.

Special Teams – 5/5

Youth/Potential – 17/35

Almost all the starters on this team have already reached their ceiling or are on the decline. This score is mainly attributed to a core of Osweiler, Seastrunk, Jake Matthews, Scott Crichton, and of course the names that have already produced and may get better, such as Orakpo, Campell, and McCoy.

Total – 59/100

24. Kansas City Chiefs

Offense – 28/35

Quarterback – 12/13

Andrew Luck hasn’t quite broken into the top tier of quarterbacks.

Receiving corps – 6/8

Marshall and Hilton are both great options, and they contribute most to this score. Forte and Garrett Graham are also good underneath options.

Running backs – 3/4

Went back and forth whether to give Forte a four or not. I decided against it due to his injury history, his age, and the fact that there’s little depth behind him.

Offensive line – 7/10

This is a solid group. It’s a little shallow though, especially with the miss of Antonio Richardson in the rookie draft.

Defense – 14/35

Pass rush – 3/14

Julius Peppers is the only worthwhile rusher on this roster, and he’s long past his prime.

Run defense – 6/10

The linebackers represent a strength of this team, and the safeties are good run-stoppers. The defensive line, however, isn’t going to be great at run-stopping.

Coverage – 5/11

The corners are mediocre and the safeties are more geared towards run-stopping.

Special teams – 3/5

Youth/potential – 15/25

With the glaring exception of Andrew Luck, most of this offense will be worse in a few years, and I don’t see too many replacements that I like very much. On the defensive side, there are no pass rushers or safeties being developed, either.

Total – 60/100

23. San Francisco 49ers

Offense – 13/35

Quarterback – 2/13

Mike Glennon and Thad Lewis are both of backup quality currently.

Receiving corps – 4/8

Jeffrey is a possibly elite option, and Ertz is definitely on the rise. The rest is not good, however.

Running backs – 2/4

I don’t know if Ben Tate can be that workhorse back. I don’t know that about Terrence West, either.

Offensive line – 5/10

Both of the tackles have a chance to develop into something very good, but as of right now they are just average. Outside of Ben Grubbs, this whole line is average.

Defense – 26/35

Pass rush – 12/14

Cameron Jordan is one of the best on the inside, and Michael Bennett and Ahmad Brooks are solid on the edge. Anthony Barr has huge potential and I give him credit for it here.

Run defense – 7/10

The linebacker group is solid, as well as the interior defensive line. This will be a tough team to run against.

Coverage – 7/11

Unless the rookies develop, the corner depth is a little concerning, which is why this score is as low as it is.

Special Teams – 1/5

Youth/Potential – 23/25

In terms of developing youth, this is one of the best teams, as there is a young and talented player at nearly every position. I gave this only a 23 because I’m not sold on Glennon developing into even an average starting quarterback.

Total – 63/100

22. Seattle Seahawks

Offense – 18/35

Quarterback – 7/13

Andy Dalton was another tough to grade quarterback. I think this score is a fair one.

Receiving corps – 2/8

Mike Evans and Seferian-Jenkins keep this from being a total disaster.

Running backs – 1/4

I don’t think Jonathan Stewart deserves any more than this. David Wilson neither.

Offensive line – 8/10

This is a very strong group, with two good to great tackles and good depth in the interior.

Defense – 21/35

Pass rush – 10/14

Clay Matthews and Chris Long would make a formidable edge duo. There isn’t any depth though and Matthews seems to be hurt often.

Run defense – 7/10

The interior linemen are nice run-stoppers, and the linebackers are solid.

Coverage – 4/11

This secondary has a chance to develop into something pretty good, but right now they haven’t proven much.

Special teams – 1/5

Youth/potential – 23/25

Like the 49ers, this team has the potential to develop into something very special in the next few years, especially on defense. A rough WR and shallow pass rushing group keep this score at a 23.

Total – 63/100

21. Minnesota Vikings

Offense – 21/35

Quarterback – 9/13

Tony Romo is a franchise QB, but we’ve seen his upside.

Receiving corps – 4/8

This team has a decent assortment of receiving options, but unless Ebron develops into something, there aren’t any special playmakers.

Running backs – 3/4

A committee of Lacy and Chris Johnson is a nice combination, but I think the upside is limited with Johnson’s 2000 yard season long in the past.

Offensive line – 5/10

The line has questionable tackles, but the interior of the line is very strong.

Defense – 23/35

Pass rush – 9/14

I think Freeny is mostly over the hill, and Allen likely getting there very very soon, but those two along with Pierre-Paul represent good upside.

Run defense – 7/10

The edge defenders are mainly pass rushers, but the interior linemen will take up a lot of space and Sean Lee and the other linebackers will take advantage.

Coverage – 7/11

Talib is a great CB1, and assuming Verrett can step into the slot role, the rest of the corner spots aren’t too bad either.

Special teams – 2/5

Youth/potential – 19/25

The quarterback position and especially the pass rushers are significantly aged, and I’m not too excited about their immediate replacements. The rest of this roster has good upside, however.

Total – 65/100

20. Atlanta Falcons

Offense – 16/35

Quarterback – 3/13

This group is not good, but I gave a little credit to potential due to the number of darts thrown.

Receiving corps – 7/8

I’m not thrilled with the TE position in this regard, but Vincent Jackson, Sammy Watkins, and Kelvin Benjamin will make things very easy on quarterbacks.

Running backs – 2/4

I think Ball will be an average to slightly-above average workhorse back.

Offensive line – 4/10

This group has a few good pieces, but I’m thinking that one or two starting spots will be below average. No good tackle depth further hurt this score.

Defense – 23/35

Pass rush – 7/14

There will be decent interior pressure, but with no great rushers coming off the edge, I don’t think I could give this any higher of a score.

Run defense – 10/10

This team will be very, very hard to run against. There will be great interior disruption from the line, and the linebackers are a solid group.

Coverage – 6/11

This score depends a lot on Byron Maxwell and how much he was helped by his surrounding secondary. I believe he can cover WR1’s.

Special teams – 4/5

Youth/potential – 23/25

There is ridiculous upside on this team practically everywhere on this roster. The one exception is no good pass rushing upside, which limited this score slightly.

Total – 66/100

19. St. Louis Rams

Offense – 28/35

Quarterback – 9/13

Jay Cutler has proven he’s a worthwhile QB capable of leading a franchise.

Receiving corps – 8/8

Just Calvin and Cobb together would be scary enough, but there are good role players here as well.

Running backs – 2/4

I don’t buy the Richardson hype anymore, but surely one of these backs will turn into something worthwhile.

Offensive line – 9/10

The starters are among the best in this league, but only two tackles on the roster keep this score from being a ten.

Defense – 14/35

Pass rush – 4/14

The edge rushers are just awful, but there should be some interior pressure with Melton and Floyd. Easley also is a first rounder and possibly a good contributor.

Run defense – 5/10

The linebackers are nothing spectacular, but the interior of the line should play the run sufficiently.

Coverage – 5/11

The safeties should keep offenses from going over the top, but the corners are really lacking.

Special teams – 4/5

Youth/potential – 20/25

No good developing corners or edge rushers keep this score somewhat low.

Total – 66/100

18. Oakland Raiders

Offense – 21/35

Quarterback – 11/13

I am of the group of that believes we’ve about seen Matt Ryan’s ceiling as a great quarterback, but not an elite one.

Receiving corps – 4/8

I think I may have been a bit generous with this score, but it seems a near consensus opinion that Patterson will be a pretty great receiver. I also think Stills is a good player and Steve Smith will produce for another year.

Running backs – 3/4

Doug Martin is a good every-down back, and the depth is nice, but there won’t be elite production from this group.

Offensive line – 3/10

This is a big weakness on this team. Jake Long is the only above-average starter, and he has a worrisome injury history. The lack of quality depth also hurts.

Defense – 23/35

Pass rush – 6/14

Avril and Galette are good enough off the edge, but there is no quality edge rusher behind them.

Run defense – 10/10

Keisel and Phil Taylor will disrupt offensive lines well enough for Willis and Jerrell Freeman to stop running backs with ease. There are also fantastic run-stopping safeties on the roster which push this to a perfect score.

Coverage – 7/11

The safeties on this roster are more run-stoppers than covermen, but they will contribute well in coverage. There isn’t a true CB1, but there also isn’t a major hole in this secondary.

Special teams – 5/5

Youth/potential – 17/25

This team has plenty of upside in the secondary and receiving corps, but the rest of the roster is older with few talented youths.

Total – 66/100

17. New York Giants

Offense – 13/35

Quarterback – 5/13

EJ Manuel isn’t the worst option, but he still needs to prove he’s a starter in the NFL, much less a franchise QB.

Receiving crew – 2/8

This is mostly a group that’s still trying to develop. At this time, though, this would be among the worst receiving groups in the league.

Running backs – 2/4

These backs could all be used to make a decent RBBC, but none of them standout as a good option on their own.

Offensive line – 4/10

I’m not a big fan of the strategy that was used to build this offensive line, but if Lewan can really step in and play LT, this line will be able to hold itself together.

Defense – 27/35

Pass rush – 8/14

Wilkerson and Vernon should make a pretty good pass-rushing combo, but there are no other significant rushers on this roster.

Run defense – 9/10

The interior of the line is very good, and the linebackers are great. The edge rushers are weak against the run, and that limits this score.

Coverage – 9/11

This team has one of the better corner duos in Haden and Amukamara, as well as a great center-fielding safety in Harrison Smith. An unknown at slot corner and a weakness at SS lower this score some.

Special teams – 3/5

Youth/potential – 24/25

The only reason I didn’t give this a perfect score was because all of the rookies taken on the offensive line for this team ended up dropping more than expecting, raising their bust potential a little in my mind. The rest of this roster is filled with potential.

Total – 67/100

I will have the second half of the teams up by this weekend hopefully.

 

[mlbnfl]

Hey Whicker thanks for doing that man. I know myself and most others have slacked on our write ups as this has died down slowly but what youre doing obviously takes time and Im sure I can speak for most of us that we appreciate the effort.

PS. Hopefully this post can get my receiver grade out of the negative.

 

[Late225]

Hey Whicker thanks for doing that man. I know myself and most others have slacked on our write ups as this has died down slowly but what youre doing obviously takes time and Im sure I can speak for most of us that we appreciate the effort.

PS. Hopefully this post can get my receiver grade out of the negative.

Exactly. Each time someone posts in here, I remember that I wanted to do a writeup for my team, but still haven't had enough time.

 

[Whicker]

16. Arizona Cardinals

Offense 23/35

Quarterback 9/13

Matt Stafford is a franchise QB, but I dont think he has the upside of an elite one.

Receiving corps 5/8

Jordy Nelson is a solid WR1, and Wallace should function well as a WR2. The rest, however, is not good, assuming Finley has some trouble returning to form.

Running backs 3/4

Stacy showed last year he can take the bulk of carries, and I really like Mason as a prospect. Bernard Pierce is also a viable back, regardless of his struggles last year.

Offensive line 6/10

A weakness at RT, along with limited quality depth for older starters, keep this score low despite having three very strong starters.

Defense 24/35

Pass rush 9/14

Mario Williams is a good pass rusher, and there will be a good rotation of role players next to him.

Run defense 6/10

I buy CJ Mosley as a good ILB, and he completes what will be an above-average linebacker group.

Coverage 9/11

The corners are very shallow, but McCourty is a good #1, and the rest of the corners should match up well against most of their opponents. The safeties are good to great, also.

Special teams 2/5

Youth/potential 18/25

There is no young talent in the receiving corps, the interior line, or the offensive line, all of which contain players that should have some age concern.

Total 67/100

15. Miami Dolphins

Offense 26/35

Quarterback 11/13

Cam Newton is still developing, but his upside is huge.

Receiving corps 6/8

Dez Bryant, of course, is one of the elite receivers. Bowe should be a fantastic WR2. The rest of the group is below average.

Running backs 3/4

This is a great stable of backs, but no elite talents keep this from a perfect score.

Offensive line 6/10

This group has a couple areas of strength, but everything else is average.

Defense 18/35

Pass rush 9/14

Charles Johnson is responsible for much of this score, as hes as good as they come. The interior pressure also wont be too bad.

Run defense 6/10

The interior of the line is not a weakness, and Shazier should help out what would otherwise be a weak linebacker group.

Coverage 3/11

This is a huge weakness. Cromartie is no longer a CB1, and no other corner has proven hes a viable NFL starter. The safeties arent a big help, either.

Special teams 3/5

Youth/potential 20/25

Im not a fan of the youth in the receivers or offensive line, and it is nearly nonexistent anywhere on the defensive line.

Total 67/100

14. Carolina Panthers

Offense 19/35

Quarterback 3/13

I like Matt Flynn the most out of all these quarterbacks, and thats not a good thing.

Receiving corps 3/8

Dwayne Allen will likely be a very reliable option, and Reggie Bush adds a dimension as well. The receivers are not good, though.

Running backs 3/4

Bush and Blount complement each other well, but as with many teams no elite talent equals an imperfect score.

Offensive line 10/10

The interior of this line is just ridiculous, and the tackles are talented and deep.

Defense 25/35

Pass rush 6/14

LaMarr Woodley is on the downside of his career, and the rest of the edge defenders have yet to prove their impact. Sheldon Richardson will put on decent pressure inside to help this score some.

Run defense 9/10

The interior linemen are some of the best against the run, but there isnt a great linebacker to truly great run-stopping linebacker or safety to push this to a perfect score.

Coverage 10/11

Revis and Chris Harris are both fantastic, and the depth behind them is great. No elite cover safeties keep this one from an eleven.

Special teams 5/5

Youth/potential 19/25

The problem that I have with the youth on this team is that most of it is concentrated in areas that were already strong. This team badly needs developing pass-rushers, safeties, and receivers.

Total 68/100

13. Buffalo Bills

Offense 20/35

Quarterback 8/13

Despite Elis struggles, hes still a franchise QB.

Receiving corps 3/8

Reggie Wayne and Greg Jennings are both polished receivers and will produce. Im not impressed with much else, though.

Running backs 2/4

Murray, when healthy, is a complete back, but health is a concern, and the backups arent anything special.

Offensive line 7/10

There are questions marks at tackle, but the interior of this line is very good.

Defense 25/35

Pass rush 9/14

Greg Hardy is a great rusher, and Aaron Donald was one of my favorite prospects from the draft. The other edge rushers are lacking which limits this score.

Run defense 7/10

Bobby Wagner leads a solid linebacker group, and the interior linemen arent too bad, either.

Coverage 9/11

Patrick Peterson and Stephon Gilmore have the potential to be something truly special as a duo, and the rest of the corner group is deep. The safeties arent special but they wont be a liability.

Special teams 4/5

Youth/potential 20/25

The receivers will fall off the map very quickly, and there are no players that can step into that role on the roster. I also dont like the lack of youth on the edge of the defense.

Total 69/100

12. Indianapolis Colts

Offense 20/35

Quarterback 6/13

Im an OU guy so maybe Im a little high on this score, but I still think Bradford has a chance to be a franchise QB.

Receiving corps 4/8

There isnt an elite playmaker, but Randle and Stevie Johnson will hold their own, and Cooks has great potential as a first rounder.

Running backs 3/4

Foster is no longer an elite back in my mind, but he should still be solid and will be able to handle a load.

Offensive line 7/10

The starters are an above-average group, but Im not thrilled with the guys behind them.

Defense 29/35

Pass rush 13/14

Quinn and Tuck off the edge and Lotulelei up the middle is a scary prospect. Add some decent depth and you have a fantastic pass rushing group.

Run defense 8/10

The interior of the line should be a good run-stopping group on its own. The weak linebacker group hurts this score some.

Coverage 8/11

The corners are a bit too shallow for my taste. I think this team will struggle to cover offenses that can really spread it out.

Special teams 3/5

Youth/potential 18/25

There isnt a good replacement for an aging Tuck off the edge, and the offensive line and secondary are very shallow.

Total 70/100

11. Dallas Cowboys

Offense 19/35

Quarterback 7/13

Carson Palmer is a decent quarterback. I also give a little bit of credit here for Blake Bortles.

Receiving crew 2/8

Garcon showed the past couple of years that he can operate as a number one, but there isnt much more behind him.

Running backs 3/4

Alfred Morris is a solid running back, and Jacquizz is used to a role as a change of pace back.

Offensive line 7/10

This is a good group with legitimate depth, but there are no elite talents.

Defense 26/35

Pass rush 10/14

Aldon, Ansah, and Suggs are all great rushers or likely will be, and Dareus will disrupt well inside. I give a penalty for Aldon due to off-field concerns.

Run defense 7/10

Dareus is a big presence inside, as well as the other interior linemen. Spikes is strong against the run and the rest of the linebackers are solid.

Coverage 9/11

Assuming Fuller will play somewhat well on the outside, the corners are well above average. The safeties are not a weakness, either.

Special teams 3/5

Youth/potential 23/25

There is a lot of good, young talent throughout this roster. A miss in the secondary (Craig Loston) and limited developing youth on either line keep this score from being any higher.

Total 70/100

10. New Orleans Saints

Offense 23/35

Quarterback 12/13

I still consider Brady an elite QB, but the score of 12 instead of 13 represents his potential downside that he showed last year.

Receiving corps 6/8

This team has a relatively weak receiver group, but Jimmy Graham and Vernon Davis are as good as they come at TE.

Running backs 1/4

Both Woodhead and Pierre Thomas fit the receiving back role well, but theres no one here to really run the ball.

Offensive line 4/10

Eugene Monroe is the only stand-out name, and hes not an elite tackle. Raiola also may have had an inspired season last season, but I dont think he can do it again. There is also little depth here, with only two tackles on the roster.

Defense 24/35

Pass rush 9/14

Trent Cole has been good for a long time, and I think he has one good season left at least. Sheard has produced and will likely get better, and Lawrence has good potential as a rusher. Knighton will also provide some pressure on the inside.

Run defense 7/10

The interior linemen are big and against the run, and Tulloch and Briggs bring a strong presence to the linebacker core.

Coverage 7/11

Every secondary position is manned sufficiently, but this group wont be shutting down any passing games.

Special teams 5/5

Youth/potential 18/25

Tom Brady is old enough to worry about his age, and I dont think Barkley is a sufficient replacement, even with development. The offensive line has no developing youths, and the secondary is lacking in talent as well.

Total 70/100

9. Houston Texans

Offense 28/35

Quarterback 10/13

Griffin has extreme upside, but he still carries significant risk.

Receiving corps 6/8

Well see if Decker can be a WR1, but Terrence Williams and Emmanuel Sanders are talented WRs, and Cameron is a pretty good TE. Charles in the backfield doesnt hurt either.

Running backs 4/4

Jamaal Charles is one of the elite backs in my mind. The guys behind him arent bad, either.

Offensive line 8/10

Matt Kalil and Alex Mack are both near the top at their respective positions, and Zack Martin was touted as one of the safer and most versatile rookies. The other two spots likely wont be a weakness, either.

Defense 18/35

Pass rush 5/14

Robert Mathis was one of the best rushers last year, but he is currently facing suspension and could have easily fallen off this year anyway. There isnt too much to get excited about behind him, either.

Run defense 7/10

This unit will be very solid against the run, as there wont be many weaknesses in the front seven, but there arent any standout playmakers, either.

Coverage 6/11

The corners are solid and should be able to cover most WRs, but the safeties are a significant weakness.

Special teams 5/5

Youth/potential 20/25

There isnt any developing pass rushers to take over or fill-in for Mathis. I also think the secondary is a bit lacking of young talent.

Total 71/100

8. Detroit Lions

Offense 23/35

Quarterback 8/13

Joe Flacco is a franchise QB as he proved with Super Bowl win, but hes in the lowest tier of those franchise QBs.

Receiving corps 3/8

Crabtree is a good WR1, Ginn works well with Flaccos arm, and Reed should be a good TE (although I do penalize him some for injury history), but this is not even close to an elite group.

Running backs 2/4

Toby Gerhart should be reliable to carry a decent load, but Im worried about Lattimore after the 49ers drafting of Hyde.

Offensive line 10/10

This is one of the best offensive lines in the league, with no weaknesses among the starters and with quality depth.

Defense 25/35

Pass rush 14/14

Giving credit to Clowneys hype and draft slot, he and Geno Atkins will form one of the better rushing duos in the league. Throw in Michael Johnson, Timmy Jernigan, and others and it starts to get ridiculous.

Run defense 4/10

The defensive line is an elite pass-rushing unit, but that comes at a cost of size and therefore run defense. The linebackers are a decent group, but they wont make up that difference.

Coverage 7/11

There arent any major weaknesses in the corners or safeties, but there isnt an elite talent among them, either.

Special teams 2/5

Youth/potential 22/25

Joe Flacco may very well have reached his ceiling, and there is a general lack of talent in the skill positions.

Total 72/100

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Offense 22/35

Quarterback 11/13

Russell Wilson may be a Super Bowl winning QB, but he had the best possible situation around him. Im not buying him as a truly elite option just yet.

Receiving corps 3/8

Roddy White is on the decline and the tight end position is mainly just potential. Michael Floyd is a good option but still carries more value in potential as well

Running backs 2/4

I dont think Ellington can be a feature back, and Im not thrilled with either Starks or Todman.

Offensive line 6/10

Defense 25/35

Pass rush 11/14

Justin Houston is one of the best, and Attaochu has good potential. The interior pressure will also be significant.

Run defense 7/10

There wont be elite disruption at the line, but it will make it significantly easier on the linebackers. Hightower should play the run well, but the others, however, are more concerning.

Coverage 7/11

Rodgers-Cromartie will be able to take on most WR1s, and Kareem Jackson is a good #2. The rest of the corners may struggle, though. The safeties are also solid.

Special teams 2/5

Youth/potential 23/25

This team lacks developing youth along the offensive line, most notably a replacement for Jason Peters.

Total 72/100

6. Philadelphia Eagles

Offense 26/35

Quarterback 13/13

I dont think Ill get too much argument for giving Peyton a perfect score.

Receiving corps 5/8

These receivers are reliable, especially with Peyton around, but there isnt a great talent here.

Running backs 3/4

Rice had a bad season last year, but before that he was among the elite. Im splitting the difference here especially with a solid backup in Rashad Jennings.

Offensive line 5/10

This is a below-average offensive line, with no good standouts and a couple of weaknesses. I gave a little extra credit for Peyton increasing the value of his line.

Defense 28/35

Pass rush 10/14

The defensive line will give Hali a lot of good looks off the edge. Worilds, however, is only a solid rusher and there isnt anyone behind him.

Run defense 10/10

Bowman and Johnson is a formidable combo at ILB, and the defensive line is very good as already stated. The safeties are also good run-stoppers.

Coverage 7/11

The corners are solid and deep, with some upside based on Gilbert. However, there arent any shut-down corners and the safeties are much better at playing the run than the pass.

Special teams 3/5

Youth/potential 15/25

As anyone can see, this team is very, very old. Although there are some decent replacements already on the roster for some of the positions, it would be nearly impossible for them to match the production of the veteran, limiting this teams potential for the future.

Total 72/100

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

Offense 18/35

Quarterback 6/13

To me this was the same as the Cowboys QB situation: a veteran stop-gap and a developing rookie. One fewer point to Bridgewater based on their difference in the draft.

Receiving corps 1/8

This is just ugly. Marvin Jones is a decent receiver, but he isnt even close to a WR1, and it only gets worse from there.

Running backs 2/4

I think Hyde can be a decent 1st and 2nd down back, with Hunter being a decent 3rd down back.

Offensive line 9/10

The LT is average, but the rest of the starters are strong. This group is also a little bit shallow.

Defense 29/35

Pass rush 14/14

Von Miller and Dumervil are two of the very best, and Jurrell Casey might be soon as well.

Run defense 8/10

The disruption at the line will be enough to stop a lot of run games. There isnt an elite run-stopping linebacker, however.

Coverage 7/11

The corner group goes deep, but at this moment it would be at a disadvantage against several WR1s and WR2s. The safeties, however, are very good and they help this score.

Special teams 2/5

Youth/potential 24/25

The linebackers and receivers are lacking any great developing talent, but the rest of this roster is filled with it.

Total 73/100

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

Offense 24/35

Quarterback 10/13

Roethlisberger is a true franchise QB, but like most others, weve seen his upside. A little credit is given here to Manziel, also.

Receiving corps 3/8

There is very good upside in this unit, but in reality the only established receivers here are Cecil Shorts and Scott Chandler.

Running backs 2/4

Frank Gore will fall off very soon, and the rest of this group is underwhelming.

Offensive line 9/10

You cant do much better than these five starters. There is no depth, however, which keeps this from a perfect score.

Defense 22/35

Pass rush 6/14

Jerry Hughes had sack numbers last year, but he was in a good system and played with superior rushers. I dont buy him as very good just yet. Mebane was good in limited snaps, but how would he fare with more?

Run defense 7/10

There are good run-stoppers all over the front seven, although no elite ones.

Coverage 9/11

Verner and Grimes will make one of the best corner pairs in this league, and Newman and Rashaad Reynolds wont be bad as the #3 and #4. The safeties limit this score.

Special teams 5/5

Youth/potential 23/25

Manziel alone represents very good potential, and there are good youth in the receiving corps, secondary, and linebackers. There are no good young pass-rushers to bump this score higher, though.

Total 74/100

3. Tennessee Titans

Offense 27/35

Quarterback 10/13

Nick Foles was another difficult quarterback to rate. If I went off only his previous season, hed deserve a 12 or 13, but that was certainly too high at this point. In the end I think this score is a good representation of his upside and risk.

Receiving corps 6/8

This is a very good group, but no true elite options limit this score.

Running backs 4/4

Marshawn Lynch is as reliable as they come right now. I also like Bobby Rainey as a change-of-pace and receiving option.

Offensive line 7/10

The tackles are fantastic, but the interior of the line is just average.

Defense 19/35

Pass rush 8/14

Derrick Morgan is good, and Umenyiora and Abraham will form a decent rotation behind him.

Run defense 7/10

Mayo and the other linebackers will play the run well, but there wont be enough disruption on the inside to give this any higher of a score.

Coverage 4/11

Xavier Rhodes isnt there quite yet, and I think Dennard will struggle for a couple years like most other corners. The safeties are also a weakness of this team.

Special teams 5/5

Youth/potential 24/25

This team could probably use more developing talent in the secondary, but otherwise it has great potential everywhere.

Total 75/100

2. Baltimore Ravens

Offense 31/35

Quarterback 13/13

Drew Brees is among the truly elite QBs.

Receiving corps 7/8

Fitzgerald, Cruz, and Vereen make a great core of receivers, and Rudolph is a decent TE.

Running backs 3/4

Vereen is a great fit for this offense, but Im a little unsure of how good Ridley actually is.

Offensive line 8/10

The starters are a very solid group, but the lack of depth is what hurts this score.

Defense 22/35

Pass rush 10/14

Dion Jordan hasnt produced yet, but hes still a high draft pick and I buy that the Dolphins didnt have a clue what they were doing, so I give some credit for him here. Bruce Irvin can also rush the passer. Hageman will also be a good presence inside.

Run defense 6/10

This team will mostly be average against the run, with no stand-out run-stoppers.

Coverage 6/11

McKelvin had a good year last year, and Weddle is among the elite safeties. The rest Im not too impressed with, however.

Special teams 4/5

Youth/potential 20/25

The offensive line is older with no immediate replacements, and Marcus Roberson was a significant whiff in the rookie draft. The rest of the team, however, has good potential.

Total 77/100

1. Washington Redskins

Offense 34/35

Quarterback 13/13

The best quarterback gets the best score.

Receiving corps 8/8

A fantastic set of receivers. One concern is Deseans offseason, but that wasnt enough to lower this score.

Running backs 3/4

The backs fit their purpose in this offense very well, but the decline of Sproles and the uncertainty of Joique Bell with a full load keep this from a perfect score.

Offensive line 10/10

As stated many times throughout the draft, this is simply an elite offensive line.

Defense 19/35

Pass rush 10/14

Everson Griffin and Coples make a pretty good duo off the edge, but I think Dee Ford is the real hero here. I also like the interior pressure with Kawann Short.

Run Defense 5/10

There arent any great run-stoppers on this roster, but the disruption at the line should help the linebackers.

Coverage 4/11

Brock, Scandrick, and Greer are decent covermen, but none are CB1s, and Greer is old and injury prone. Poor safeties also hurt this score.

Special teams 5/5

Youth/potential 22/25

The offense is mostly set for the next few years, even with limited depth on the offensive line. The edge rushers also have the potential to develop into something great. However, there isnt quite enough potential for my liking in the defensive backfield and linebacker core.

Total 80/100

 

[RBM]

Awesome job Whicker. Thanks!

 

[FUBAR]

Thanks for doing this whicker!

I'm pretty happy to have the 3rd and 8th best teams.

 

[Whicker]

You guys are welcome. This draft was one of the most fun things I did this March and I wanted to breathe a little more life into it.

 

[AwesomeAuger]

Thanks for the writeup, Whicker!

Sorry for disappearing on you all, life has gotten pretty hectic for me (still is). I still have the 3 judges I had on hold until the writeups are completed. I can bring them in now since it looks like a lot of teams still owe one and it looks like most probably won't do one (I even owe one still, oops!).

Should we wait any longer for more writeups or should we have the judges judge without them?

 

[AwesomeAuger]

Since you didn't grade the Bears, I'll do it for you based on my opinion.

Bears

Offense 30/35
Quarterback 10/13
Rivers is a franchise QB. He's probably past his peak but he still has a lot of good football left in him.
Receiving corps 10/8
AJ Green and Julio is just unfair. This offense would greatly change the perception of Tavon Austin. Pitta is a solid tight end. Sanu and Bailey are good depth.
Running backs 3/4
MJD and Bradshaw are both solid, veteran backs. I consider both to be "complete" backs without any gaping holes in their games. Age and injury are the only downsides here.
Offensive line 7/10
The line is neither a strength nor a liability in my eyes. Definitely a capable, competent group though.

Defense 21/35
Pass rush 12/14
Wake, Kerrigan, Mack, and Marcus Smith. That's a very scary group. Your interior is what prevents this from getting an elite score.
Run defense 7/10
Like you mentioned in your writeup, your defense is built around rushing the passer. I do think your run defense will be solid though.
Coverage 3/11
This is definitely the weak spot of your team. I'm not a fan of any of your players, honestly.

Special teams 3/5

Forbath's accuracy is above average but his leg strength is one of the worst in the league. Locke is just another guy at punter. The bright spot is Tavon Austin as a returner.


Youth/potential 23/25
Wake (32) is your only key player who is what I'd consider old. Rivers is 32 also, but quarterbacks can play well into their upper 30s. I really like your core group of rookies (Mack, Cyrus, and Marcus Smith).

Total 78/100

This is definitely one of the best teams in the league in my eyes. Good job!

 

[FUBAR]

The slight hijack in the Rodgers thread reminded me of this...

Denver pick Joel Bitonio, OT Nevada

helluva pick.

Detroit Lions not liking this team much.
QB - Flacco, Henne
RB - Lattimore, Gerhart
FB - Brian Leonard
WR - Crabtree, Mike Brown
WR - Wheaton, Ginn Jr.
TE - Reed, A Robinson
LT - Duane Brown, Byron Bell
LG - Sitton, Winters
C - Ramirez, Barrett Jones
RG - Warmack, Reynolds
RT - Bushrod

DE - Willie Young
DT - Atkins,
DT - S Marks, Roy Miller
DE - Michael Johnson, Okafor
SLB - Akeem Ayers, Shaughnessy
MLB - David Harris, Bradham
WLB - Geno Hayes
CB - Captain Munnerlyn,
CB - Logan Ryan, Carlos Rogers
FS - Church, Sendejo
SS - Antrel Rolle, Will Allen

K - Dan Carpenter
P - Marquette King
KR - Ted Ginn Jr.
PR - Ted Gin Jr.

TENNESSEE TITANS Now this is a team I can get behind.

QB: Foles, Freeman
RB: Lynch, B Rainey
FB: Bohanan
WR: ABrown, Charles Johnson
WR: Maclin
WR: Ace Sanders
TE: Eifert, Gonzo, Craig Stevens
T: Tyron Smith, D Dotson, Youngblood
G: Silatolu, Massie, Hugh Thorton,
C: Ben jones

DT: Damon Harrison, Cam Thomas
DE: Devito, Jerod-Eddie
DE: Cedric Thornton
OLB/DE: Derrick Morgan, Umenyiora
I/MLB: Brad Jones, Vince Williams
O/ILB: Mayo
OLB: Jarvis Jones, Abraham
CB: Tarell Brown, K Webster
CB: XRhodes
S: KLewis, Sanford
S: D Searcy, Shawn Williams

PK: Folk
PN: Hekker
PR: Ace Sanders
KR: Ace Sanders

The defensive coordinator will need to figure out if this is a 3-4, a 4-3 or a hybrid. Leaning hybrid but need to see how it works.

WOW Watt at 1.3. I would not take him over a franchise qb, as good as he is.

in hindsight, a solid pick.

 

[Jack White]

The slight hijack in the Rodgers thread reminded me of this...

Denver pick Joel Bitonio, OT Nevada

helluva pick.

Detroit Lions not liking this team much.
QB - Flacco, Henne
RB - Lattimore, Gerhart
FB - Brian Leonard
WR - Crabtree, Mike Brown
WR - Wheaton, Ginn Jr.
TE - Reed, A Robinson
LT - Duane Brown, Byron Bell
LG - Sitton, Winters
C - Ramirez, Barrett Jones
RG - Warmack, Reynolds
RT - Bushrod

DE - Willie Young
DT - Atkins,
DT - S Marks, Roy Miller
DE - Michael Johnson, Okafor
SLB - Akeem Ayers, Shaughnessy
MLB - David Harris, Bradham
WLB - Geno Hayes
CB - Captain Munnerlyn,
CB - Logan Ryan, Carlos Rogers
FS - Church, Sendejo
SS - Antrel Rolle, Will Allen

K - Dan Carpenter
P - Marquette King
KR - Ted Ginn Jr.
PR - Ted Gin Jr.

TENNESSEE TITANS Now this is a team I can get behind.

QB: Foles, Freeman

RB: Lynch, B Rainey

FB: Bohanan

WR: ABrown, Charles Johnson

WR: Maclin

WR: Ace Sanders

TE: Eifert, Gonzo, Craig Stevens

T: Tyron Smith, D Dotson, Youngblood

G: Silatolu, Massie, Hugh Thorton,

C: Ben jones

DT: Damon Harrison, Cam Thomas

DE: Devito, Jerod-Eddie

DE: Cedric Thornton

OLB/DE: Derrick Morgan, Umenyiora

I/MLB: Brad Jones, Vince Williams

O/ILB: Mayo

OLB: Jarvis Jones, Abraham

CB: Tarell Brown, K Webster

CB: XRhodes

S: KLewis, Sanford

S: D Searcy, Shawn Williams

PK: Folk

PN: Hekker

PR: Ace Sanders

KR: Ace Sanders

The defensive coordinator will need to figure out if this is a 3-4, a 4-3 or a hybrid. Leaning hybrid but need to see how it works.

WOW Watt at 1.3. I would not take him over a franchise qb, as good as he is.

in hindsight, a solid pick.

Not really. Top QBs win Super Bowls; Watt hasn't won anything. He couldn't prevent his team from going 2-14 last year. His team is 7-6 this year and will not make the playoffs.

 

[FUBAR]

The slight hijack in the Rodgers thread reminded me of this...

Denver pick Joel Bitonio, OT Nevada

helluva pick.

Detroit Lions not liking this team much.

QB - Flacco, Henne

RB - Lattimore, Gerhart

FB - Brian Leonard

WR - Crabtree, Mike Brown

WR - Wheaton, Ginn Jr.

TE - Reed, A Robinson

LT - Duane Brown, Byron Bell

LG - Sitton, Winters

C - Ramirez, Barrett Jones

RG - Warmack, Reynolds

RT - Bushrod

DE - Willie Young

DT - Atkins,

DT - S Marks, Roy Miller

DE - Michael Johnson, Okafor

SLB - Akeem Ayers, Shaughnessy

MLB - David Harris, Bradham

WLB - Geno Hayes

CB - Captain Munnerlyn,

CB - Logan Ryan, Carlos Rogers

FS - Church, Sendejo

SS - Antrel Rolle, Will Allen

K - Dan Carpenter

P - Marquette King

KR - Ted Ginn Jr.

PR - Ted Gin Jr.

TENNESSEE TITANS Now this is a team I can get behind.

QB: Foles, Freeman

RB: Lynch, B Rainey

FB: Bohanan

WR: ABrown, Charles Johnson

WR: Maclin

WR: Ace Sanders

TE: Eifert, Gonzo, Craig Stevens

T: Tyron Smith, D Dotson, Youngblood

G: Silatolu, Massie, Hugh Thorton,

C: Ben jones

DT: Damon Harrison, Cam Thomas

DE: Devito, Jerod-Eddie

DE: Cedric Thornton

OLB/DE: Derrick Morgan, Umenyiora

I/MLB: Brad Jones, Vince Williams

O/ILB: Mayo

OLB: Jarvis Jones, Abraham

CB: Tarell Brown, K Webster

CB: XRhodes

S: KLewis, Sanford

S: D Searcy, Shawn Williams

PK: Folk

PN: Hekker

PR: Ace Sanders

KR: Ace Sanders

The defensive coordinator will need to figure out if this is a 3-4, a 4-3 or a hybrid. Leaning hybrid but need to see how it works.

WOW Watt at 1.3. I would not take him over a franchise qb, as good as he is.

in hindsight, a solid pick.

Not really. Top QBs win Super Bowls; Watt hasn't won anything. He couldn't prevent his team from going 2-14 last year. His team is 7-6 this year and will not make the playoffs.

He's doing better than drew Brees, cam, Matt Ryan...

 

[AwesomeAuger]

WOW Watt at 1.3. I would not take him over a franchise qb, as good as he is.

in hindsight, a solid pick.

Watt at 1.3 is indeed a good pick in hindsight. I think Rodgers and Luck are still clearly better. However, I don't know if I would recommend or pick another QB over Watt. The MFL link died and the url to the spreadsheet for year 1 died... did anybody happen to save the results?

 

[AwesomeAuger]

Washington Redskins

QB: Aaron Rodgers

RB: Joique Bell

WR: Demaryius Thomas

WR: DeSean Jackson

RB/WR: Darren Sproles

TE: Martellus Bennett

LT: Ryan Clady

LG: Andrew Whitworth

C: Evan Dietrich-Smith

RG: Larry Warford

RT: Cordy Glenn

DE: Everson Griffen

DT: Kawann Short

DT: Akiem Hicks

DE: Quinton Coples

WLB: Daryl Smith

MLB: Jon Bostic

SLB: Jameel McClain

CB: Orlando Scandrick

CB: Tramaine Brock

FS: Ryan Mundy

SS: Dawan Landry

SCB: Richard Marshall (plays outside with Scandrick moving to slot)

K: Blair Walsh

P: Britton Colquitt

KR: Sproles/DeSean Jackson/Jonyer/Sims/Hawkins

PR: Sproles/DeSean Jackson/Joyner/Sims/Hawkins

Bench:

Dominique Davis, QB

Charles Sims, RB

Jerricho Cotchery, WR

Andrew Hawkins, WR

Ryan Grant, WR (Tulane)

Andrew Quarless, TE

Sean McGrath, TE

Tim Lelito, C/OG

Jack Mewhort, OT/OG

C.J. Mosley DT

Devon Still, DT

Dee Ford, DE

Anthony Spencer, DE

Darryl Tapp, DE

Dane Fletcher, LB

O'Brien Schofield, LB

Telvin Smith, LB

Dwight Bentley, CB

Jabari Greer, CB

Duron Harmon, SS

Lamarcus Joyner, FS

I still think my offense is nasty. Rodgers is clearly the best player in the league and it's not close. DT and DeSean Jackson is a nasty combo that would allow Hawkins/Bennett space in the middle. Sproles looked spry this year and healthier. Defensively, my secondary... leaves a lot to be desired. Short, Griffen, Barr, Hicks have bright futures in the league though and Smith and McClain are serviceable for now. Overall, I still like this team a lot and think Rodgers and the offense can help make the defense look better than it is.

 

[Whitney26]

Someone graded my team as the worst:

31. New England Patriots

Offense – 8/35

Quarterback – 1/13

Neither Ryan Nassib nor Brett Smith is fit to run an offense. I see no choice other than to give this a 1 rating.

Receiving corps – 3/8

I don’t think Torrey Smith is any more than a deep threat, and he won’t have Flacco’s arm this time around. Kendall Wright is good, but the rest is just potential at this point.

Running backs – 1/4

There is quite a bit of potential in this area, perhaps enough to deserve bumping this a point. But, as it stands right now, there haven’t been great results from these names.

Offensive line – 3/10

Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks are both good linemen, but the rest of this group can be seen as a weakness. No tackle depth further hurts this score.

Defense – 21/35

Pass rush – 11/14

J.J. Watt and Nick Fairley contribute greatly to this score, as they will provide significant pressure in the interior. Jamie Collins and Sio Moore have been productive as rushers as well and help this score.

Run defense – 6/10

Once again most of this score comes from Watt and Fairley, as I think their interior disruption will mess with run games. However, no great run-stopping linebacker or safety keeps this score from being higher.

Coverage – 4/11

This defensive backfield contains a bunch of CB2/3’s and some potential in Phillip Gaines. Coverage will be a big problem.

Special Teams – 2/5

Youth/potential – 17/25

This team actually has a pretty good potential in a lot of areas, but this score is hurt a lot by a lack of a franchise QB and one huge whiff in the rookie draft (Jackson Jeffcoat).

Total – 48/100

QB Ryan Nassib

QB Brett Smith
RB Latavius Murray
RB Christine Michael
RB Roy Helu
RB Mike James
WR Torrey Smith
WR Allen Robinson

WR Kendall Wright
WR Rishard Matthews
WR & KR Dwayne Harris

WR Da'Rick Rogers
TE Jared Cook
TE Ladarius Green
OT Terron Armstead
OT Lane Johnson

OT Michael Schofield
OG Brandon Brooks
OG John Jerry

OG Wesley Johnson
OC Alvin Bailey
OC Eric Kush

DL J.J. Watt

DL Allen Bailey
DL Nick Fairley
DL Kendall Reyes
DL Datone Jones
DL Glenn Foster
IB Mychal Kendricks
IB Jelani Jenkins
IB Zavier Gooden
IB Devonte Holloman (Retired - Injury)
IB-OB Jamie Collins
IB-OB Sio Moore
OB Jackson Jeffcoat
CB Davon House
CB Cortez Allen
CB Josh Robinson
CB Phillip Gaines
CB Tharold Simon
CB Steve Williams
DS J.J. Wilcox
DS Josh Evans
DS Antonio Allen
DS Delano Howell (Retired - Injury)
PN Sam Martin

I haven't spent any effort looking over the other teams, but I have a difficult time believing mine was as bad as it was graded. I really wish we could have gone the distance in the draft before the majority quit so I could have had a full roster. Regardless, there were some questionable picks starting with the QB position. Smith was a big swing and miss, but I personally think the G-Men would of had a more successful season if they given the keys to Nassib. At some point, he's going to emerge. It might require a move out of NY. I still think he showed enough this year for savvy evaluators to project something other than him being a bum.

The offensive line was absolutely bashed, but I think the analysis was way off target. My tackles, Johnson and Armstead, are arguably the most athletic in the league. I can't imagine a team not wanting to build around those two. Besides Brooks, the guys inside aren't that strong. Jerry is obviously the weak link and close to the end, but Bailey is extremely versatile and one of the most athletic lineman in the league as well. Johnston and Schofield are young and possess the ability to play inside or out. They just need a year or so in the weight room. I liked Kush coming out of college, but he's nothing more than depth.

I'm not going to talk much about the skill guys, but I could live with every position on the team. I'd like to have gotten a couple of more upside guys for depth. Yes, I'd still have Da'Rick Rogers on my team if I were a real GM.

In my opinion, the strength of this team would be the defensive side of the ball. Assuming we're playing a 3/4 - 4/3 mix:

DE J.J. Watt (Glenn Foster)

DT Nick Fairley (Kendall Reyes)

DE Allen Bailey (Datone Jones)

IB Mychal Kendricks (Devonte Holloman - Retired)

IB Jelani Jenkins (Zavier Gooden)

OB Jamie Collins

OB Sio Moore (Jackson Jeffcoat)

CB Davon House (Phillip Gaines)

CB Cortez Allen (Tharold Simon, Steve Williams)

SCB Josh Robinson

SS J.J. Wilcox (Delano Howell - Retired)

FS Josh Evans (Antonio Allen)

The pressure from the front 7 would protect my secondary. I don't think there's an OL in the league who could handle it. Allen had a bad year at CB, but he's still dripping with potential. House and Robinson have been solid all season. Gaines and Simon are beginning to flash their skills. Williams was hurt early, but he'll get another opportunity. I'd like to have better safeties, but Wilcox, Evans and Allen are all versatile. Again, the pass rush would hide a lot of deficiencies in the back end.

It's always difficult to be objective when you're talking your own team. At the same time, I thought it was too early to grade before the season began. It was a fun exercise, and I hope we do it again.

 

[FUBAR]

Someone graded my team as the worst:

31. New England Patriots

Offense – 8/35

Quarterback – 1/13

Neither Ryan Nassib nor Brett Smith is fit to run an offense. I see no choice other than to give this a 1 rating.

Receiving corps – 3/8

I don’t think Torrey Smith is any more than a deep threat, and he won’t have Flacco’s arm this time around. Kendall Wright is good, but the rest is just potential at this point.

Running backs – 1/4

There is quite a bit of potential in this area, perhaps enough to deserve bumping this a point. But, as it stands right now, there haven’t been great results from these names.

Offensive line – 3/10

Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks are both good linemen, but the rest of this group can be seen as a weakness. No tackle depth further hurts this score.

Defense – 21/35

Pass rush – 11/14

J.J. Watt and Nick Fairley contribute greatly to this score, as they will provide significant pressure in the interior. Jamie Collins and Sio Moore have been productive as rushers as well and help this score.

Run defense – 6/10

Once again most of this score comes from Watt and Fairley, as I think their interior disruption will mess with run games. However, no great run-stopping linebacker or safety keeps this score from being higher.

Coverage – 4/11

This defensive backfield contains a bunch of CB2/3’s and some potential in Phillip Gaines. Coverage will be a big problem.

Special Teams – 2/5

Youth/potential – 17/25

This team actually has a pretty good potential in a lot of areas, but this score is hurt a lot by a lack of a franchise QB and one huge whiff in the rookie draft (Jackson Jeffcoat).

Total – 48/100

QB Ryan Nassib

QB Brett Smith
RB Latavius Murray

RB Christine Michael

RB Roy Helu

RB Mike James

WR Torrey Smith

WR Allen Robinson

WR Kendall Wright
WR Rishard Matthews

WR & KR Dwayne Harris

WR Da'Rick Rogers
TE Jared Cook

TE Ladarius Green

OT Terron Armstead

OT Lane Johnson

OT Michael Schofield
OG Brandon Brooks

OG John Jerry

OG Wesley Johnson
OC Alvin Bailey

OC Eric Kush

DL J.J. Watt

DL Allen Bailey
DL Nick Fairley
DL Kendall Reyes
DL Datone Jones
DL Glenn Foster
IB Mychal Kendricks
IB Jelani Jenkins
IB Zavier Gooden
IB Devonte Holloman (Retired - Injury)
IB-OB Jamie Collins
IB-OB Sio Moore
OB Jackson Jeffcoat
CB Davon House
CB Cortez Allen
CB Josh Robinson
CB Phillip Gaines
CB Tharold Simon
CB Steve Williams
DS J.J. Wilcox
DS Josh EvansDS Antonio Allen

DS Delano Howell (Retired - Injury)
PN Sam Martin

I haven't spent any effort looking over the other teams, but I have a difficult time believing mine was as bad as it was graded. I really wish we could have gone the distance in the draft before the majority quit so I could have had a full roster. Regardless, there were some questionable picks starting with the QB position. Smith was a big swing and miss, but I personally think the G-Men would of had a more successful season if they given the keys to Nassib. At some point, he's going to emerge. It might require a move out of NY. I still think he showed enough this year for savvy evaluators to project something other than him being a bum.

The offensive line was absolutely bashed, but I think the analysis was way off target. My tackles, Johnson and Armstead, are arguably the most athletic in the league. I can't imagine a team not wanting to build around those two. Besides Brooks, the guys inside aren't that strong. Jerry is obviously the weak link and close to the end, but Bailey is extremely versatile and one of the most athletic lineman in the league as well. Johnston and Schofield are young and possess the ability to play inside or out. They just need a year or so in the weight room. I liked Kush coming out of college, but he's nothing more than depth.

I'm not going to talk much about the skill guys, but I could live with every position on the team. I'd like to have gotten a couple of more upside guys for depth. Yes, I'd still have Da'Rick Rogers on my team if I were a real GM.

In my opinion, the strength of this team would be the defensive side of the ball. Assuming we're playing a 3/4 - 4/3 mix:

DE J.J. Watt (Glenn Foster)

DT Nick Fairley (Kendall Reyes)

DE Allen Bailey (Datone Jones)

IB Mychal Kendricks (Devonte Holloman - Retired)

IB Jelani Jenkins (Zavier Gooden)

OB Jamie Collins

OB Sio Moore (Jackson Jeffcoat)

CB Davon House (Phillip Gaines)

CB Cortez Allen (Tharold Simon, Steve Williams)

SCB Josh Robinson

SS J.J. Wilcox (Delano Howell - Retired)

FS Josh Evans (Antonio Allen)

The pressure from the front 7 would protect my secondary. I don't think there's an OL in the league who could handle it. Allen had a bad year at CB, but he's still dripping with potential. House and Robinson have been solid all season. Gaines and Simon are beginning to flash their skills. Williams was hurt early, but he'll get another opportunity. I'd like to have better safeties, but Wilcox, Evans and Allen are all versatile. Again, the pass rush would hide a lot of deficiencies in the back end.

It's always difficult to be objective when you're talking your own team. At the same time, I thought it was too early to grade before the season began. It was a fun exercise, and I hope we do it again.

Seems to be an annual tradition after the Super Bowl.

FWIW, your offense is offensive but your defense could be downright nasty.

Worst case scenario, you're the Jets with better receivers. But Watt alone adds a few wins.