Baltimore Ravens vs Minnesota Vikings - 1st Round Picks

Who would win between the All Baltimore Ravens 1st round draft picks and the All Minnesota Vikings 1st round draft picks?  Vote on the right hand side!

*Note: These are only Ravens players drafted by Baltimore from 1996 on, and not players from the Browns prior.

*2nd Round Picks

Minnesota Vikings - All 1st Round Offense

San Diego Chargers - Off-Season

1st Round Pick - Mike Williams
WR
Clemson

STRENGTHS: Williams is an instinctive player and shows tremendous awareness.  His footwork, combined with his sure hands enable him to be a threat in the passing game.  His ability to get off the LOS smoothly and his great footwork allow for him to get just enough separation when going over the middle.  He does a great job on back shoulder throws, using his feet to stop on a dime and his great hands to make the catch.  He does a great job of using his size to his advantage.

WEAKNESSES: While Williams does a great job of getting off the LOS smoothly, he does not have the explosiveness to create much separation on a defender playing man.  In the Auburn game he fumbled the football as he did not do a well enough job covering it when defenders swarmed him and therefore knocked the ball loose.  While he has good hands, several times he dropped the football as he was looking ahead before he caught the ball.

FULL SCOUTING REPORT

Atlanta Falcons Off-season Report

As of 6/18/17

BEST RE-SIGN

RYAN SCHRAEDER

BEST FA SIGNING:

DONTARI POE

18 TACKLES, 1.5 SACKS, 1 FORCED FUMBLE - 2016 KC CHIEFS

1ST ROUND PICK:

Arizona Cardinals Off-Season Report

As of 6/16/17

BIGGEST RE-SIGN:

Chandler Jones

38 tackles, 11 sacks, 4 forced fumbles

BEST FREE AGENT SIGNING:

Antoine Bethea

95 tackles, 1 INT

1st Round: Haason Reddick
34 OLB
Temple

Strengths: 
Reddick is an extremely athletic edge rusher.  His quickness coming off the edge forcing the OL to get off the LOS quickly.  While his size does not allow for him to compete strength wise with an OL on a consistent basis, his quickness enables him to come off the edge successfully.  He shows excellent footwork, sliding his feet nicely, enabling him to break to the ball carrier when lined up at the LOS, as well as enabling him to slide is feet at the 2nd level in pass coverage.  His quickness also enables him to pick up a RB coming out of the backfield and showed fluid hips to maintain coverage.  Shows quick hands to disengage with his block.

Weaknesses: 
While Reddick has the ability to come off the line quickly, he struggles to do so consistently, preventing him from getting a 1st step on the OL.  Reddick does not possess the size to get through a block on a consistent basis as he showed he can be overpowered at the POA.  Reddick has a tendency to try and wrap up the ball carrier high rather than squaring him up, forcing him to miss tackles.  Would like to see Reddick work on more pass rush moves moving forward.

2nd Round: Budda Baker
Safety
Washington

Strengths:

Baker shows he is a very athletic, physical player.  He uses his quickness and fluid hips to get into pass coverage and maintain pass coverage by being able to recover with success.  he has a solid closing burst, enabling him to get to the QB with success on a blitz or close on a ball carrier quickly in the open field.  He shows very good cover skills, both m2m and zone, keeps his eyes on the QB.

Weaknesses:

Baker lacks overall strength, however, he makes up for it with his physicality.  Going forward would like to see him become stronger to make himself that much better, especially in shedding blocks.  While he has the explosive ability, there are times where he does not utilize it as he has the ability to. 

Fans Voice: Los Angeles Rams

Reviewing the Rams Draft Class

By: Joshua Forrest

The Rams had 8 picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, and while none of them were made in the 1st round, the organization still made sure to add the best players available. Drafting the right player is a tricky process; it takes hours upon hours of reviewing game film, analyzing combine/pro day workouts, and interviewing the players themselves. In this article, we are going to review the Rams Best Pick, their Most Interesting Pick, my personal Favorite Pick and UDFA.

Best Pick: Gerald Everett, TE, South Alabama, 2nd Round

The role of the tight end has been aggressively changing from simple in-line blocker to athletic x-factor. Antonio Gates, Delanie Walker, Greg Olsen, and Gronk himself are just a few players who have forced defensive coordinators to change the way they cover tight ends in the NFL. Gerald Everett could be the next match-up nightmare - the 2nd round pick from South Alabama consistently found ways to embarrass defenders at the college level. At 6’3 239 lbs, his unique blend of size and speed will allow him to become one of Goff’s favorite targets.

Most Interesting Pick: Sam Rogers, Fullback, Virginia Tech, 6th Round

The Rams picking Sam Rogers is a bit of a head scratcher. While he has enjoyed an excellent career at VT showing off his skills as a runner, receiver, and blocker, this was not a position of need for LA; especially when they already have a capable fullback in Cory Harkey. While the pick is a bit strange, head coach Sean McVay is an offensive genius; we could see Sam Rogers being utilized in a Mike Tolbert/John Kuhn type role. However, if Rogers does not find a niche on the team, this will be a wasted pick.

Favorite Pick: John Johnson, Safety, Boston College, 3rd Round

While his name is a bit plain, Johnson’s playing style is anything but. At 6’0, 208, Johnson is a jack of all trades defender; he can line up in the slot, play centerfield, or even come down and defend against the run. While the Rams have Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis, and Lamarcus Joyner returning to the back end of the secondary, Johnson’s versatility will allow him to find his way on the field sooner rather than later.

Favorite UDFA: Aarion Penton, Cornerback, Missouri

A first team All-SEC defender as a senior, Penton did not have the fortune of getting his name called in April. The Rams scooped up the former Mizzou Tiger after the NFL Draft and it may work out in Penton’s favor. Even though the Rams have Trumaine Johnson and have added several other corners in free agency (Nickel Robey-Coleman and Kayvon Webster), if Penton plays well he can find himself on the team's 53 man roster by the end of the preseason.

Joshua Forrest Bio (Click Here)

A Bucking Bronco in 2017?

The Denver Broncos hired Vance Joseph as their 16th Head Coach in franchise history back in January.  The hiring came as a shock to me, not because I didn't think Joseph was qualified, but because the Broncos previous two hires were coaches with previous head coaching experience.  The Broncos missed the playoffs last season after making five consecutive appearances.  The defense is still playing at a very high level, finishing 4th in the NFL in both yards per game allowed and points per game allowed, with 316.1 and 18.6 respectively.  This was the main reason I felt as though the Broncos would go with a candidate that has had previous head coaching experience.  I also felt as though the Broncos would go with an offensive minded coach, as the offense was much of their issue last season.

2017 will be Joseph's 13th NFL season.  According to the Broncos team website, Joseph began his career with the 49ers in 2005 and spent much of his career as a defensive backs coach with the 49ers, Texans and Bengals before getting the opportunity as a defensive coordinator for the Dolphins last season.  Joseph was the DB coach in Houston from 2011-2013 and the DC during that same period was Wade Phillips.  In Cincinnati, he was an assistant under Marvin Lewis, another coach with a history of having solid defenses.  Vance Joseph has had the opportunity to learn under coaches with great defensive minds.

While the Dolphins were a playoff team last year, their defense did struggle, finishing 29th in yards per game and 18th in points per game at 382.6 and 23.8 respectively.  This may be a concern for Broncos fans and may be why Dolphins fans were surprised that he got a head coaching job after being the leader of a unit that struggled.  While he is likely to input his system in Denver, he will not be solely responsible for that unit.  A Head Coach needs to be the leader of the franchise and the entire roster.  He will need to focus primarily on team discipline, accountability and having his team prepared for Sunday's.  One of the moves that he has made that I really like is promoting Joe Woods from DB coach of the Broncos the last two seasons to Defensive Coordinator.  Woods is familiar with the personnel on the defense and is a great resource on what the players can be successful in doing and not so successful in doing.  He also brought in Mike McCoy as his offensive coordinator to help improve an offense that struggled in 2016.  I am very interested to see how the Broncos will rebound from a disappointing 2016 season.  Here is a list of previous Broncos head coaches who have made their debut as an NFL head coach.  This list only gives records of the coaches first full season as head coach.  Thank you to pro-football-reference.com for the stats.

Red Miller and Dan Reeves are the only two that had a great deal of success in their career with the Broncos.  Miller made it to one super bowl and Reeves got the Broncos to three.

As I mentioned earlier, the defense is still playing at a high level and I believe that will continue on in 2017.  This season will largely depend on the offense and whether they can get production at Quarterback.  While Trevor Siemian did not set the world on fire, I thought he did a solid job in his first year as a starter.  He will be competing for that spot with Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly, who if healthy, will be their starter at some point in 2017.  With the Raiders and Chiefs still being strong in that division, I see the Broncos having a tough time getting into the playoffs again this season.  However, if they do get production out of the QB position, I think it'll be neck and neck with the Broncos and Chiefs for one of the wild card positions.  

A Young Ram

Sean McVay became the youngest Head Coach in NFL history when the LA Rams hired him in January.  I was surprised to say the least.  A 31 year old being the head coach of an NFL team, the leader of a group of men, and a guy that is going to be younger than some guys on that team.  McVay has eight years of NFL coaching experience.  One year as a coaching assistant with the Buccaneers, and seven as a coach on the Redskins staff. According to the Rams team website, their roster is fairly young and there are only four players that have 8+ years of NFL experience.  McVay has quickly moved up through the NFL ranks, finishing his playing career at Miami (Ohio) in 2007.  He has coached in the NFL all but one year since college, a one year stint with the Florida Tuskers of the UFL in 2009.  McVay was the Offensive Coordinator in Washington for the past three seasons, with the Redskins finishing 3rd in total offense this past season at 403.4 YPG, and 12th in PPG with 24.8.  The Rams were dead last in the NFL in YPG and PPG, averaging 262.7 and 14 respectively.  Can McVay turn this franchise around with a QB, who in my opinion is a bust in waiting, leading the way?

Here is the list of the youngest NFL head coaches, according to www.profootballhof.com, since 1990, and how they fared in their first season as HC:

I am looking forward to seeing how McVay does this season and beyond and I hope he succeeds.  It's always great to see someone reach their dream, and even greater to see someone as young as he be given that opportunity.  While he is obviously a talented coach, I do not see instant success in his first season as several of the other young coaches listed above have, and I do see him having a first season equivalent to Lane Kiffin's and Raheem Morris'.  As I said, the Rams have a young roster, which I think is great for a young coach.  Jared Goff is not Kirk Cousins, and therefore I see the offense struggling again this season,  but I hope the Rams organization gives him a chance to build and not be so quick to pull the plug if he isn't successful his first one or two seasons.  One of the things I truly believe in is giving a head coach at least four seasons, and I think it's even more important with a first time head coach, allowing him the opportunity to grow into that role and giving him the pieces that he needs to be successful.

A Tamed Jaguar No More?

As I have read on social media, it seems as though a majority of Jaguar fans are on one side of the fence or the other when it comes to the hiring of Doug Marrone.  I love the hiring of Doug Marrone, but I am also a big fan of him.  Now I have never been to a practice, so all I can go on is what I've seen on TV.

I know the biggest gripe about him is his overall record as a Head Coach at Syracuse University and with the Buffalo Bills.  I understand his record is not stellar, but from what those programs were prior to his arrival, his record does show his ability to turn around a football program.

Prior to Doug Marrone, Syracuse had a terrible four seasons, going 10-37.  Marrone went 25-25, including two bowl wins.  Since he has left, Syracuse has gone 18-31.  In the four seasons prior to his arrival, the Buffalo Bills were 22-42.  Marrone went 15-17 and they have gone 15-17 since he has left.

As I said, I understand that his record is "not great", however, in comparison, I find it to be very good.  The Bills have not gotten any better since he has left and Syracuse has gotten worse (although I do believe that Syracuse program is on the rise under Dino Babers). 

Doug Marrone is an old school type coach that will have his team's prepared for gameday.  He is a disciplined coach that will demand a lot from his players and coaches.  He has turned two programs around from bottom dwellers to contenders.  In his last season in Buffalo, he went 9-7 and was on the verge on the playoffs with an offense that was not all that talented.  I am excited to see what he does in Jacksonville as I truly believe he will turn the Jaguars around as he has done with Syracuse and Buffalo.  With Tom Coughlin running the football operations, I see this franchise getting back to playoff contention within the next two or three years.

Will 'Madden 18' Sack The G.O.A.T?

Dolphins, Bills and Jets fans have likely been rejoicing the last couple of days as Tom Brady will be gracing the cover of 'Madden 18'.  I should add in every fan other than Patriot fans to the mix, but with 8 straight and 13 of the last 14 AFC East titles, I'm confident that Dolphins, Bills and Jets fans are rejoicing the most.  Will the 'Madden curse' follow Tom Brady into the 2017 NFL season and give another AFC East team a chance at winning the division, or will Brady debunk this curse.  I did some research today and here's what I found with the players that have been on past 'Madden' covers.


'Madden 1999' - Garrison Hearst - San Francisco 49ers
In 1997, Garrison Hearst ran for 1019 yards and 4 touchdowns.  He also had 21 receptions for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns.  In 1998, after being named to the 'madden' cover, Hearst ran for 1570 yards and 7 touchdowns.  He had 39 receptions for 535 yards and 2 touchdowns.

While statistically speaking, Hearst did have a much better season in 1998 than he did in 1997, however, he was injured in the divisional round against the Atlanta Falcons, having 1 carry for 7 yards.  This is a tough one, but I think I'm going to chalk this up as a win for team 'curse'.  1-0

'Madden 2000', Dorsey Levens, Green Bay Packers
Barry Sanders was initially on the cover for this one, however, he decided to retire and therefore Dorsey Levens got the nod.  In 1998 he only played in 7 games, rushed for 378 yards and 1 TD, along with 27 receptions for 162 yards.  In 1999, he had 1034 yards rushing with 9 TDs, and 71 receptions for 573 yards along with 1 TD.  This one is easy, team no 'curse'. 1-1

'Madden 2001', Eddie George, Tennessee Titans
Eddie George got the nod for the cover due to his solid 1999 season.  He had 1304 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns, 47 receptions for 458 yards and 4 TD's.  In the 'Madden' season, he rushed for 1509 yards, 14 TD's while catching 50 passes for 453 yards and 2 TD's.  A bobbled pass in their playoff game that resulted in an INT could happen to anybody.  2-1 no 'curse'.

'Madden 2002', Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings
Culpepper had a tremendous 2000 season, throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and 33 TD's.  Culpepper was injured in Week 12 in 2001.  Prior to the injury he had 2612 yards, 14 TD's and 13 INT's while the Vikings were 4-6.  I'll go with the 'Madden curse' on this one.  2-2

'Madden 2003', Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams
Faulk rushed for 1382 yards and 12 TD's while adding 765 receiving yards and 9 TD's in 2001.  This was also the season they lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.  The 2002 season saw Faulk rush for just 953 yards, the first time he failed to eclipse the 1,000 yard rushing mark as a Ram.  Another easy one for the 'curse', 3-2

'Madden 2004', Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons
Michael Vick, everybody's favorite 'madden' player.  In 2002, he threw for 2612 yards, 14 touchdown's and 13 interceptions.  It wasn't his arm that won him the honors of the 'madden' cover, it was his legs.  113 carries for 777 yards and 8 TD's.  Vick was injured in the preseason and missed the first 11 games of the season.  He ended up with 585 yards passing, 255 yards and 5 total touchdowns. This one is very easy.  4-2 for the 'curse'.

'Madden 2005', Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
Ray Lewis' 2003 season saw him with 6 interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.  He also recorded 120 tackles.  In 2004, Lewis failed to get an interception, however, he did finish with 100 tackles.  The Ravens did fail to make the playoffs that season.  I cannot consider it a 'curse', as he wasn't the reason they missed the playoffs.  4-3.  Interesting, exactly the defense that Ray Lewis was so dominant in over his career.

'Madden 2006', Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles
McNabb had a tremendous 2004 season that ended with a loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl. McNabb threw for 3875 yards, 31 TD's and only 8 interceptions.  The following season he was injured and played in only 9 games, throwing for 2507 yards, 16 TD's and 9 interceptions.  Another easy one, 5-3.

'Madden 2007', Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks
Shaun Alexander had a ridiculous 2005 campaign, which also ended in a Super Bowl loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Alexander ran for 1880 yards and 27 touchdowns.  He only played in 10 games in 2006, rushing for 896 yards and 7 TD's.  'Curse' leads 6-3

'Madden 2008', Vince Young, Tennessee Titans
Vince Young's 2006 season was not all that spectacular.  While he rushed for 552 yards and 7 TD's, he only threw for 2199 yards and had more INT's than TD's, 13 to 12.  His 2007 season was better yards wise, throwing for 2546, but had 17 interceptions to just 9 TD's.  I never thought Vince Young was a great quarterback, so I'm going to go with no 'curse' on this one, 6-4.

'Madden 2009, Brett Favre, New York Jets
Favre wore a Packers uniform on the cover, but he played for the Jets in 2008, throwing for 3472 yards, 22 touchdown's but threw for 22 interceptions as well.  That is a far cry from his final season with the Packers when he led them to a 13-3 record.  He threw for 4155 yards and 28 TD's.  This one is really a tossup because he did switch teams.  I'm going to go with no 'curse' and make it close again, 6-5.

'Madden 2010'
Madden 2010 showed Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald on the cover, however, I do not consider this to be particular player on the cover.  Just two guys that played in the Super Bowl the previous season.

'Madden 2011', Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Brees got the nod after the Saints storybook season after Hurricane Katrina, beating the Colts in the Super Bowl.  Brees had an incredible 2009 campaign, throwing for 4388 yards, 34 TD's and only 11 INT's.  He had similar success in 2010, with the only glaring difference being interceptions where he had 22.  He threw for more yards, 4620 and 33 touchdowns.  The Saints went 11-5 in 2010, hardly calling for 'the curse' 6-6.

'Madden 2012', Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns
Hillis is probably the least likely player to ever be on the cover of 'Madden', and it is likely the biggest upset in any video game cover.  While he had a solid 2010 season, rushing for 1177 yards and 11 TD's, while compiling 477 yards and 2 TD's receiving, he did not have an overwhelming season that you see from 'madden' cover stars.  Hillis only played in 10 games in 2011, rushing for only 587 yards, while also having some off the field issues as well.  I'm just going to go ahead and blame the 'curse' here.  7-6

'Madden 2013', Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Boy do I miss watching Calvin Johnson play football.  His 2011 season was unreal, going for 1681 yards receiving and 16 TD's, helping send the Lions to the playoffs.  While Johnson did not do so hot in the Touchdown's category, he ended up with more yards, 1964 and more receptions, 122, during the 2012 season, however, the Lions went 4-12.  The Lions record is not enough for me to say he was 'cursed', 7-7.

'Madden 25', Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Peterson's 2012 season saw him come 8 yards short of tying Eric Dickerson for the all time single season rushing record as he came away with 2097 yards rushing.  He added 12 touchdown's as well as 217 yards receiving an a touchdown.  The 2012 season saw a significant decline with only 1266 yards rushing as he was dealing with an injury.  He played 14 games that season and only played 1 game in 2014.  Chalk this up as the 'curse', 8-7.

'Madden 15', Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
Richard Sherman had an outstanding 2013 campaign with 8 interceptions, 1 of which he returned for a touchdown, and 18 passes defended.  He also had 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.  Not many thought he could replicate that in 2014 and he didn't, although he still posted 4 interceptions, 11 passes defended and had 52 tackles.  This is still a great season.  8-8

'Madden 16', Odell Beckham Jr, NY Giants
Odell Beckham Jr came on the scene in 2014 in incredible fashion, including his one handed catch.  He had 91 receptions for 1305 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games.  He did even better in 2015, albeit with more games played, but he had 1450 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns.  No curse here and they take the lead 9-8.

'Madden 17', Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
The greatest tight end in the game right now and may very well become the best tight end of all time.  He had a terrific season in 2015, 72 catches for 1176 yards and 11 touchdowns.  In 2016 he only played 6 games while dealing with injuries.  The Patriots even went on to win the Super Bowl without him.  'Curse'. 9-9.

'Madden 18', Tom Brady, New England Patriots
We finally come to Tom Brady, the man many call the GOAT.  Five Super Bowl Rings and part of the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.  It's tied 9-9 with whether the cover is a 'curse', and of course Tom Brady will break that tie.  It's only fitting.  Many of these 'curses' have been due to injury.  While Brady is getting up there in age, I do not see him slowing down at all.  They've acquired Brandin Cooks and Gronk will be back.  Could he get injured?  Of course he could.  However, the Patriots offensive line, for the most part, year after year, has been very good and very rarely allows Brady to get hit.  This past season he was hit quite a bit for his standards, but there isn't anything I don't think Bill Belichick can fix.

Dolphins, Bills and Jets fans, don't expect the 'madden curse' to affect Brady this season.  It looks like you'll just have to beat him in 'Madden', although if you're anything like me, he'll still beat you on there as well.

Way, way, WAY too EARLY 2018 Mock Draft