While numerous cities could make a case, we’ve identified four global destinations with the necessary infrastructure, fan base, and market potential.

Expanding America’s Biggest League World-Wide

1. London, England

Let’s go ahead and get the obvious one out of the way. London has demonstrated a fiery passion for American football, regularly hosting NFL games since 2007. The city has successfully staged 35 regular-season matchups and even hosted four NFL London Games in one season from 2016 to 2019.

a) Market Potential

London’s metropolitan area boasts a population of over 14 million people, providing a vast potential fan base for an NFL team. A study conducted by the NFL indicated that over 13 million people in the UK are interested in American football, with around four million considering themselves avid fans.

b) Financial Viability

According to Forbes, the average NFL team is valued at $3.05 billion. London, as a major global financial hub, offers substantial market potential for investors and sponsors, making it an attractive destination for franchise owners. The NFL London Games have consistently drawn large crowds, with an average attendance of over 80,000 fans per game, showcasing the city’s capacity for hosting regular-season contests.

2. Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico’s capital city, with its vibrant culture and immense love for sports, represents an enticing opportunity for the NFL to establish a presence in Latin America. Mexico City has already hosted four regular-season NFL games with great success.

a) Passionate Fan Base

Mexico City boasts a passionate and knowledgeable fan base, consistently drawing large crowds to NFL games held at the Estadio Azteca. The NFL’s annual game in Mexico City, reinstated in 2016, has witnessed remarkable attendance, with over 100,000 fans filling the stadium on multiple occasions. 

b) Market Size

With a metropolitan population of over 21 million people, Mexico City presents a substantial market for an NFL team. A study by the NFL indicates that Mexico has over 23 million American football fans, showcasing the sport’s widespread popularity and potential for growth.

3. Toronto, Canada

While Canada already has a thriving football culture with the CFL, Toronto represents an attractive market for an NFL team due to its size, proximity to the US, and diverse fan base. Toronto is a city we don’t see as often on these types of lists. So consider the following factors:

a) Population and Market Potential

Toronto is Canada’s largest city, home to over 2.7 million residents, with a greater metropolitan population exceeding six million. The Toronto region also has a substantial American football following, with millions of fans eagerly following the NFL. They already have three teams out of the four major sports leagues, why shouldn’t the NFL tap into the market? 

b) Economic Strength

Toronto’s strong economy, backed by a diverse range of industries, provides an ideal foundation for generating revenue streams through sponsorships, ticket sales, and merchandise. See, if Drake wants to be an owner. He’s got the money and star power to attract top-tier talent to the 6. While also having a cult following that would almost certainly do huge numbers for the NFL.  

4. Frankfurt, Germany

The aforementioned Frankfurt, known as the financial capital of Germany and a major economic hub in Europe, presents a compelling case for the NFL to consider establishing a team in the city.

a) Population and Market Potential

Frankfurt is one of the most populous cities in Germany, with a population of over 750,000 residents. Moreover, the Frankfurt Rhine-Main metropolitan area has a population of more than 5.5 million people, offering significant market potential for the NFL. Germany as a whole has a passionate and growing fan base for American football, with an estimated 20,000 registered players and an increasing number of fans who follow the NFL.

b) Economic Strength

Frankfurt boasts a robust and diverse economy, driven primarily by its status as a global financial center. The city is home to numerous multinational corporations, including some of the world’s largest banks and financial institutions. This economic strength provides a solid foundation for generating revenue through sponsorships, ticket sales, and merchandise, as well as attracting potential investors or owners for an NFL team.

Additionally, Frankfurt has a strong sports culture, with successful professional teams in soccer, basketball, and ice hockey. The city has a passionate and dedicated fan base that regularly supports its local teams, indicating the potential for a similar enthusiasm and support for an NFL team.

While the NFL isn’t chomping at the bit to expand, it’s only a matter of time before they want to further America’s #1 sport to the world. The NFL will without a doubt continue to explore opportunities beyond the United States, with these three global cities standing out as prime candidates for hosting an NFL team.

London’s thriving market, Mexico City’s passionate fan base, Toronto’s distance to the States, and Germany’s passion make them alluring prospects. With the NFL’s global popularity on the rise, expanding into these cities could further solidify American football’s place on the global sports landscape.

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If we spin our idiom wheel, we’d use phrases like ‘football is a team sport’ and ‘you win as a team and you lose as a team’, and both are true, tried, and tired. Looking beyond Josh Allen, there are several people who need to step up this year if the Bills want to get back to the AFC Championship game and beyond.

Buffalo Bills Who Must Excel in 2023

1. Whoever is Calling the Plays on Defense

Leslie Frazier is gone, and I mean gone gone, not just ‘on a break’.

He may coach again, but I’d give the chances of Frazier donning a Bills hat again at about 10%. That said, somebody will be on the headset giving out schemes and coverage assignments. Given the embarrassing way the defense sort of showed up against the Bengals in the playoffs, this year’s defense will be under quite the microscope as the preseason shuffles along into the regular season.

Defense may not win championships, but it certainly loses them (the 2017 Atlanta Falcons have joined the call). The Bills offense may be prolific, but if the Bills are in shootouts week after week because the defense doesn’t play well, the Bills will be in for an exhausting season.

2. Stefon Diggs

If one were to describe Diggs’ offseason in a single word, that word would be bombastic.

Diggs wears his mood on his sleeve and has no filter when it comes to his opinions. You take the bad with the good as a Bills fan. You take loving his passion and commitment to the position and to winning, but his ‘say whatever I feel’ cavalier Twitter posts and outbursts are at times cringy and uncomfortable.

No one can deny the talent and leadership that Diggs brings, so most of the time fans will take the baggage with it. That said, this is a watershed year for Diggs. He’s been with the Bills for 4 years now; he knows the system, he knows the quarterback, and he’s been outspoken about wanting to win. It’s time for him to put his cleats where his conversation is and show out on the field as much as he shows up on social media.

3. Dawson Knox

I know, I know, the Bills used their first-round pick on a tight end. Shouldn’t we be talking about him? We are, in a way.

Knox has proven to be a serviceable target the last two years, but all of a sudden the NFL is stupefied over superstar tight ends. Maybe Dalton Kincaid will be that in a few years, but Buffalo needs a ‘better than average’ tight end right now. Kincaid should free up Knox to become more productive and dangerous in the high-scoring Bills offense.

If, as many pundits surmise, the Bills plan to run two tight end sets the majority of the time, Knox has got to take advantage and ball out. His time as TE1 in Buffalo may be short now that Kincaid has arrived, but he needs to prove he’s a capable and consistent weapon so that the Bills win now, and so that wherever he lands next has the confidence to pay him his worth.

4. Von Miller

Oh, what might have been for Buffalo. If Miller hadn’t suffered a catastrophic injury, how different would the Bills defense have looked, especially in that ill-fated snow playoff game in Buffalo in early January?

How much was really lost when Von went down? Von Miller defines synergy: he adds more than just his value to what he is involved in. His play is monstrous; his leadership is monumental. He needs to stay healthy, and as Coach Sean McDermott often reminds his players, to “Stay humble and hungry”.

If a healthy Von Miller can stay humble, he is going to feast on opposing offenses. The Bills will need him to channel all of that humility into a huge year. It may not even be too early to say that as Von Miller goes, so goes the Buffalo defense.

Buffalo seems poised upon a precipice, teetering, uncertain if they will fall back or surge forward. These four people may well hold the balance in their hands, and their importance cannot be overstated. The Bills and Bills Mafia together are holding their collective breath, hoping that finally, they can ascend to the mountain top.

Josh Allen, while superhuman, can only do so much. Iron Man needed the Avengers, Josh Allen needs some help too.

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The End of First Ballot Running Backs?

The Most Recent Hall of Fame Running backs

Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. Smith’s career lasted for 15 years. 13 years were with the Dallas Cowboys, and his last two were with the Arizona Cardinals. Within that 15-year career, Smith only had one season when he did not at least have 240 carries, with his highest carry total coming in the 1995 season where he toted the ball 377 times, he also had some receiving chops. Within that 15-year career, he ran and received for 21,579 yards. There was only one season that Smith did not reach his average total of carries and that was 2003 when he suffered a shoulder injury that had him sidelined for most of the season. That season he only carried the ball a total of 90 times.

LaDainian Tomlinson

LaDainian Tomlinson is the next running back, inducted into the Hall of Fame as a first ballot. Tomlinson played 10 years as a workhorse running back throughout his entire career. He had 3,174 carries with 624 receptions, that was definitely a Hall of Fame career. His most work on the ground was in 2002, with 372 rushing attempts and 79 receptions.

Barry Sanders

Even the great Barry Sanders gave us 10 years and retired before his time, with him still having a lot of juice in the tank was also the workhorse back for his team as well. We all know what he did for the game of football. He gave us a lot of great years.

There are two things that these Hall of Fame running backs have in common.

1. They were workhorse backs for their respective teams their whole careers.
2. All three of these running backs played for 10+ years at a high level.

Adrian Peterson

The story is still out on Adrian Peterson, he meets both criteria that the two previous running backs that were just discussed have. He has played for 10 or more years and most of his career he has played at a high level as the workhorse back of his respective team. So he will more than likely be a first-ballot Hall of Fame running back, but we will see.

Why Will It Be a While Before We See Another First-ballot HOF Running Back?

Longevity

There are running backs in this era that have the talent that Emmitt, Barry, and LaDaninan had, we will just never see the numbers because most running backs slow down by their sixth or seventh year on average. Nowadays if a running back gives you 8 years then that is considered a long career for a running back.

Why?

It seems that defenses have gotten a lot stronger and a lot faster than in the previous era of football. Running backs like Dalvin Cook, that have elite talent and get a lot of carries can give you six years of workhorse value and give you elite seasons but can never sustain that type of workload through a 10-year career. As you can see right now, Cook is waiting for a job as we speak and it more than likely will not be a workhorse role like we have been used to seeing with him, but we shall see.

Ezekiel Elliot has been the workhorse back for most of his career with the Cowboys as well and has given us elite production, but for the past two years, he has been sharing a backfield with Tony Pollard on top of the obvious decline in his explosiveness that he has shown throughout the early part of his career. Elliott has also only given us seven years of workhorse seasons.

There is one outlier, that could beat the odds and hit the mark of the Hall of Fame running backs I have discussed, and that’s Derrick Henry, but again we will have to wait and see.

Committee Backfields

Another reason why there probably will not be a Hall of Fame Running Back is because of teams having more than one running back getting carries. The fewer touches mean less wear and tear on a running back but also less production that a player can give. A player I would like to highlight in this scenario is Nick Chubb. He is a beast of a running back. In his career, he has given us an average of 5 or more yards a carry every year.

This should amount to a lot of yards, but the problem is that he has also shared the backfield for most of his career with Kareem Hunt. With Chubb sharing the backfield every season he has only eclipsed 300 carries one time. Can you imagine if he had the workload of Emmitt or Barry at five plus yards a carry where his yardage total would be at? This same scenario goes for a lot of other teams’ backfields around the NFL.

Again history shows us that the way to become a first-ballot Hall of Fame running back has to, of course, have the talent, and longevity, and also be the sole ball carrier in the team’s backfield. There are a few that are still out there that are on the right path but the way the running back market is right now, it’s not looking too promising. So will we ever see a First Ballot Hall of Fame running back again?

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This week we have gotten to see a new Russell Wilson workout video that left many fans wondering what he is doing. Each year a new video comes out making us question its purpose, these videos have always sparked curiosity and raised questions about their effectiveness. So let’s answer the question, “Why?”

Unique Ways to Workout

Russell Wilson: Sliding Catches and Weightlifting

All my life. #RestorationSzn pic.twitter.com/Skd53J8UyE

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) June 17, 2023

Russell Wilson has become known for his athleticism and ability to extend plays. In this off-season workout video, we see Wilson incorporating sliding while catching and weightlifting into his training routine. The purpose behind these unconventional exercises is to enhance his agility, hand-eye coordination, and overall body control.

By practicing sliding movements while catching snaps, Wilson simulates game situations where he may need to adjust his body position while maintaining control of the football. Sliding on this slippery surface challenges his balance and requires him to react quickly and maintain stability, enhancing his overall agility and footwork.

Additionally, incorporating weightlifting into this exercise adds an extra challenge. Lifting weights while sliding forces Wilson to generate power and explosiveness from an unstable position. This can help him develop core strength, stability, and overall body control, which are crucial for quarterbacks to make accurate throws and maintain control of the ball in challenging game situations.

Alvin Kamara: Jeep-Pulling Squat Rack

Alvin Kamara is ready to put the @Saints on his back… and a jeep. (via @A_kamara6) pic.twitter.com/KXsoiFk2zz

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) March 7, 2018

Alvin Kamara, the star running back for the New Orleans Saints, caught the attention of fans in the 2018 offseason with this jaw-dropping workout video. After winning the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Kamara was lifting a squat rack loaded with two 45lbs weights while simultaneously pulling a jeep by his waist. This unique exercise aims to develop his lower body strength, explosive power, and core stability.

By combining resistance training with unconventional strength-building movements, Kamara challenges his muscles and central nervous system in new and demanding ways. The jeep-pulling element adds a dynamic and functional component, simulating the resistance encountered during bursts of speed and tackling attempts. This intense workout helps Kamara enhance his ability to break tackles and maintain balance while carrying the ball.

Jameis Winston: Towel-Throwing Antics

Jameis Winston is back with more workout videos. Always A+ content. pic.twitter.com/NLMc15XvJ3

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 19, 2021

This list wouldn’t be complete without off-season workout extraordinaire, Jameis Winston.  The charismatic quarterback for the New Orleans Saints has garnered a lot of attention for his interesting approach to off-season training. In this video that went viral, Winston is seen mimicking a throwing motion with a towel in his hand instead of a football. While it may appear unconventional, this exercise serves a purpose in developing his grip strength, hand dexterity, and wrist mobility.

By throwing a towel, Winston challenges his hand and wrist muscles to generate force and control the movement. This exercise helps improve his ability to grip and release the football with accuracy and power. Additionally, it can assist in preventing hand and wrist injuries by strengthening the muscles involved in ball handling. Moving his feet while doing this also adds to his footwork, the dog is a fun added touch.

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Breaking Down the NFC North Division

Minnesota Vikings

First, we will make our way to Vikings land where this team seems to be the favorite right now.

This team has arguably the best receiver in the NFL right today. Justin Jefferson has proved from the time he stepped on the field that he belongs and he is here to stay, but is that enough? The Vikings did not think so and that’s why they went out and drafted Jordan Addison in the first round of this year’s NFL draft. Addison should come in and take a lot of that attention off of Jefferson, since the release of aging veteran Adam Thielen who is now playing for the Panthers. Right now that seems to be just what the doctor ordered since teams were doubling up their efforts to take Justin Jefferson out of the game.

The Dalvin Cook saga seems to have ended for the Minnesota Vikings since he has just been released, but where he ends up is another story. The rumors right now are still Miami. This now opens the door for Alexander Mattison to be next in line to try to fill the big shoes of Mr. Cook. Mattison has shown time and time again that he can fill in for Cook, and has done so admirably when Cook was injured, but can Mattison fill those shoes for a full season is the question. Ty Chandler, a second-year player, and seventh-round pick, DeWayne McBride, are also there to help if called upon. Both players had great final years of their college careers. 

Brian Flores has come in to fix that terrible defense from last season as defensive coordinator. He has a perfect resume, starting off as defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots in their last Super Bowl win, but they have lost their best pass rusher in Za’Darius Smith and also have a not-so-great secondary. Fixing this defense might be Flores’ biggest test yet but he is up to the task.

Chicago Bears

Next in the division is the Chicago Bears. Now the Bears have made a huge jump from last season to this season on paper, but will it be enough to take the division?

The team plans for Justin Fields to make a massive leap from last season to this season. With the upgrades on the offense, he has been given the talent to do so.

The Bears have a very formidable backfield with the additions of D’Onta Foreman and third-round rookie Roschon Johnson. Foreman has been a force since being given a second chance coming back from his early career Achilles injury. Johnson is a third-round rookie that would have started anywhere else but ended up playing behind the generational talent of Bijan Robinson. Alongside them is the longest-tenured Chicago Bear in the backfield Khalil Herbert, who has provided outstanding games in the absence of David Montgomery, who was recently lost to them in free agency.

Also, the additions of D.J. Moore, who was acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers to serve as the much-needed alpha in the wide receiver room, and fourth-round rookie speedster, Tyler Scott, will be there to help the development of Justin Fields. With massive upgrades to the offensive line and advancements in the defense, the Bears have definitely done their part in seeing to it they will be a problem in the NFC North.

Green Bay Packers

Next up is the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay has probably made the biggest and most impactful move in this division: the loss of future Hall Of Famer Aaron Rodgers. His departure has given four-year veteran Jordan Love his opportunity to see if he can lead the Green Bay Packers to a divisional title.

Love has been playing behind Rodgers since he became a pro. We are going to find out this upcoming season if all of that waiting has paid off.

The running back room has pretty much remained the same. They drafted a running back in this year’s draft but he’s nothing more than a depth piece playing behind AJ Dillon, who is expected to have huge positive regression this year, and the explosive veteran, Aaron Jones.

The wide receiver room took a huge loss two years ago with the departure of Pro Bowler Davante Adams but has also shown great promise with the addition of rookie wideout Christian Watson. He made huge strides in his rookie year posting 41 receptions for 611 yards and seven touchdowns. He will more than likely be the number-one receiver for Love coming into this season. Watson has shown a lot of explosiveness in his rookie season and will hopefully take another big leap coming into this season.

Romeo Doubs had his moments as well last season. A very good possession receiver, he missed some games last season due to injury but he still had some pretty solid numbers in his rookie campaign, posting 42 receptions for 425 yards and three touchdowns. They have also drafted rookie wideout Jayden Reed in the second round of this year’s draft. He has posted pretty good numbers in all four years of his college career. He will be competing against Doubs for that number two option for Love this season, it’s going to be a pretty interesting competition.

The “cheeseheads” also drafted rookie tight end Luke Musgrave out of Oregan State 42nd overall in this year’s draft. He is a very good pass-catching tight end and will serve as a good option for Love. Keep in mind that he did suffer a season-ending injury in his final year that will potentially slow down his progress a little this year. Plus, the history of rookie tight ends shows us that it takes a while for them to develop, but we will see.

Detroit Lions

Last but definitely not least we have the Detroit Lions. The Lions have been at the bottom of this division for a good little while until last season when they made significant moves to make their team a very formidable contender in this division. It has been a long time coming for this team.

It started two years ago with the Matthew Stafford trade for Jared Goff and some key draft picks. In that same year, they hired Dan Campbell, who has had a very positive effect on the team.

Since then comes Amon-Ra St. Brown, the firey wide receiver that has forced his way to the top of the wide receiver room from day one and has also become one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL. Last season, they also drafted the Alabama star field stretcher, Jameson Williams. If he can get on the field and stay on the field the team could possibly have a top 10 wide receiver duo. When he returns from his suspension, he will hit the ground running.

They continued with the addition of Iowa’s outstanding pass-catching tight end, Sam LaPorta, but, again, it normally takes a while for rookie tight ends. They did not stop there. Last year, they beefed up their defense by drafting Aidan Hutchinson, who produced 9.5 sacks in his rookie campaign. The running back room got a whole lot better this season with the addition of free agent David Montgomery and also the rookie star running back Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama.

This division looks to be a dogfight within, with not one of them gaining much ground over the others. There will not be a clear separator between them and the way it looks nothing will be determined right away. All four teams are making the necessary moves they need to win, so we will have to see who will reign supreme in the NFC North.

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These four teams have been battling inconsistent-quarterback play, injuries, and ever-changing head coaches. However, three of the four teams believe they have their answer at Quarterback, while the other doesn’t know where to start after losing an all-time great to retirement.

Predicting QB1 in the NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Ridder

The Atlanta Falcons look to move forward with second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder. The former University of Cincinnati quarterback looks to be the one to win the job, as there is little to no competition around him. The Falcons released then-starter Marcus Mariota to show more faith in Ridder.

The team added Bijan Robinson in this year’s draft to jumpstart the running game, and the offense still has playmakers in Kyle Pitts and Drake London. Ridder went 2-2 across four games started, with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. This year, Ridder will be able to operate in an offense tailored to his skill set. Hopefully, he can produce. Teammates have supported this move for the organization and, as far as we can see, believe in Ridder.

Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young

Currently, the starter is veteran Andy Dalton, who the Carolina Panthers brought in from the New Orleans Saints. However, Dalton understands that the organization’s future is this year’s number one draft pick, Bryce Young. The Panthers signed Dalton to a two-year deal as they intend to have Dalton help the rookie adjust to the play style of the NFL.

Fans should expect Young to showcase his ability in the preseason, and he will be starting come Week 1 of the NFL season. This new offense boasts Miles Sanders, Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, and Hayden Hurst, all brought in during free agency. The Panthers also drafted Johnathan Mingo, a 6’2″ speedster from Ole Miss, in the second round of this year’s draft. Young has the weapons and talent to take this team to the top of the NFC South.

New Orleans Saints: Derek Carr

After being released by the Las Vegas Raiders, quarterback Derek Carr headed to New Orleans on a four-year deal. He will presumably be QB1 ahead of Jameis Winston and rookie Jake Haener. In addition, Carr takes over an offense starring Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and (hopefully) Michael Thomas.

More importantly, Carr finally has some help defensively, something he didn’t while with the Raiders. The Saints QB1 situation has improved after dealing with a duo between Winston and now-Panther, Andy Dalton. Carr has lofty expectations as he takes the reins of an offense with many productive playmakers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield

This quarterback decision is an interesting one due to Tom Brady retiring, leaving only Kyle Trask and the free-agent acquisition of Baker Mayfield.

I expect a competitive quarterback battle during training camp that could extend into the preseason. Although, I believe the starter, at least for the beginning, will be Baker Mayfield, former Ram, Panther, and Brown. He has the most experience and did have a few productive games last year as a member of the Panthers and Rams.

However, Tampa Bay did little to improve this offseason but still has playmakers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They also signed running back Chase Edmonds to pair up with Rachaad White after they decided not to re-sign Leonard Fournette. This offense has a plethora of weapons that whichever quarterback wins the starting position will have at their disposal.

The decision as to who will lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a trickier selection as the question remains. Between the two quarterbacks, who will be able to take control of a once unstoppable offense that won a Super Bowl just two years ago?

The NFC South has historically been near the bottom of the league since it was created in 2002. Although there have been some bright spots, all four teams have been to a Super Bowl since 2002, and two have won at least once. This year, Atlanta, Carolina, and New Orleans seem confident in their quarterback rooms. Tampa Bay looks like the odd man out after Brady’s retirement leaves them with a depleted room.

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Here are some reminders that whatever happens during the off-season doesn’t always come to fruition.

NFL Offseason Overreactions Don’t Always Pan Out

Ja’Marr Chase Can’t Catch an NFL-Size Ball

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals had a bit of controversy when they took a wide receiver over an offensive lineman. They didn’t draft just any regular wideout, though. They drafted the 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner and former LSU teammate of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase.

Other than not drafting a lineman to help with Cincy’s horrible O-line, the pick seemed like the Bengals would be getting a perennial Pro Bowler. However, by the time training camp rolled around, it seemed all hope was lost because of one staggering issue with the rookie receiver: he had a hard time catching the bigger NFL football.

It went from what seemed like a minor rookie growing pain in OTAs to, as Bengals writer James Rapien put it, “Officially Becoming an Issue.” Ja’Marr only had five total drops during his 2019 campaign at LSU and had four drops in just three preseason games alone.

Chase knew it was a problem too, having told reporters, “It doesn’t have the white stripes on the side, so you can’t see the ball coming from the tip point, so you actually have to look for the strings on the ball at the top, which is hard to see because the whole ball is brown and you have the six strings that are white. But for the most part, I just have to get used to it and find out what I am comfortable with catching.”

Being comfortable with catching is exactly what Chase did in his rookie year, as he had 81 receptions on 128 targets for 1,455 yards, an AP Offensive Rookie of the Year trophy, and an AFC Championship trophy. Not too bad for a guy who, during the off-season, couldn’t catch the ball.

The 2015 Carolina Panthers Will Go .500 at Best

The Carolina Panthers came into the 2015-2016 NFL season unhappy with their offseason additions, or at least the fans were. Sports Illustrated gave them a C+ on their off-season report card, and for anyone who has ever brought their math report card back home with a C+, you know that’s not very good.

They had brought in Jarrett Boykin, Charles Tillman, Michael Oher, Kurt Coleman, Ted Ginn Jr., Jonathan Martin, and Jason Trusnik. While this seems to be a big free-agent haul, Coleman was the only guy who seemed to be considered for a starting role.

Carolina did have a good draft, picking up Shaq Thompson and Devin Funchess in the first two rounds, but these additions still didn’t add any excitement to the team’s fanbase. It’s worth mentioning they lost defensive end turned MMA fighter, Greg Hardy, as well. People said that Carolina’s roster was “unfit for the long haul.”

Many fans held out hope for the offense with the rising star Cam Newton at the helm, but the defense was another story. Many believed that their pass rush and secondary would be underwhelming.

Worries about the Panthers lack of a good running back came into play as well. Bleacher Report gave them a preseason prediction of 8-8, while Dan Hope agreed, stating the team would “hover around the .500 mark.”

These remarks and predictions couldn’t have been worse, as the team would go on to win 15 regular-season games and the NFC before losing to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. The defense was sixth in the league in total yards allowed, and Carolina’s running back Jonathan Stewart was eighth in the league in rushing yards. The 2015 Panthers were also named the second-best team of the 2010s.

Russell Wilson Makes the 2022 Broncos Contenders

Just this past season, the 2022 Denver Broncos had just traded for former Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson. With new head coach Nathaniel Hackett behind the headset and a team that was “a quarterback away,” it seemed as if the nine-time Pro Bowler would come in and readily put the Broncos into the AFC title picture.

He was lighting up the Broncos fanbase with his offseason workout videos, showing up to preseason games rocking his own jersey, and his new catchphrase “Let’s Ride.” Everyone, from the media to fans, and even former players like Derek Wolfe, told the Broncos they got their “missing piece.”

Vegas even bought into the hype, giving Denver anywhere from the fifth to eighth-best odds to win the Lombardi based on the sportsbook. Training camp didn’t stop these claims either, as each day more and more news came out about how well Russell looked in Denver’s offense and how his deep ball was going to be lethal in the Mile High City.

Even the Week 1 homecoming loss to the Seahawks was looked at as a growing pain. However, it was a sign of more to come, as Wilson had his statistically worst season in almost every passing category. The Broncos missed the playoffs instead of winning the Super Bowl and wound up being the fifth-worst team in the league. Russell Wilson might have actually made the Broncos less of a contender.

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The Two Most Interesting Backfields Heading into the 2023 NFL Season

Chicago Bears

Khalil Herbert

This backfield is very ambiguous right now. Who is going to be the guy behind Justin Fields? The Chicago Bears have a three-headed tandem as of right now, and there is a solid argument for any one of them. Khalil Herbert is the 2021 sixth-round pick that showed a lot of promise in the past seasons for the Bears. He stepped in while David Montgomery was injured and showed a lot of explosiveness and was a great producer for the team.

D’Onta Foreman

The team also added the big bruising journeyman, D’Onta Foreman. Foreman was drafted in 2017 in the third round but then suffered an Achilles injury that put him on the shelf for a while. His comeback story has definitely been an inspiring one. He played for the Titans where he filled in for the dominant force known as Derrick Henry after having a season-ending injury. He filled those shoes quite well that season. Which, in turn, got him a job in Carolina where he also performed very well.

Roschon Johnson

Finally, we have the promising 2023 third-round rookie, Roschon Johnson. Johnson played behind Bijan Robinson at Texas, who, more than likely, would have been the starter in any other collegiate backfield. When he was on the field, he carried the ball really well with the work he got. He’s great in pass protection and has very good passing chops for a bigger back. He could take a lot of work from this backfield. This backfield is going to be very interesting to watch and see how it unfolds and who emerges as the lead back.

New Orleans Saints

Jamaal Williams

Next, we will travel to “The Big Easy”. Jamaal Williams is the definition of the term “Steady Eddie”. He has been a coach’s dream player everywhere he has been. He does exactly what you want him to do on the field, he is a productive player, and is a solid pass-catching back. Has a good reputation everywhere he has been as a great locker room guy. On his former two teams, he has played a solid role splitting touches with the explosive Aaron Jones, and in his last landing spot, he split with D’Andre Swift. The team also paid him $12 Million for three years, so he will get work in that offense.

Alvin Kamara

The other running back in that offense is the household name, Alvin Kamara. Everyone knows his resume: Great running back, great between the tackles, awesome in the receiving game. His best years were with the future Hall of Famer, Drew Brees, and great coach and play caller, Sean Payton.

Since those two guys have been out of New Orleans, Kamara has not had the same type of production we are used to. He hasn’t been used much in the passing game, which is where he has made his money. The concern is how much he has left in the tank as a 27-year-old back. He also could miss half to all of this season with his pending charges and suspension.

If he is able to come back this year and play a full season, he is still going to have to fight off the rookie that the Saints just drafted and Williams, who will see some work even though Williams isn’t a spring chicken either.

Kendre Miller

Next up is the 2023 third-round pick, Kendre Miller. He could possibly be the main reason the Saints could move on from Kamara and be comfortable with it. With Kamara’s off-the-field issues, Miller should have a lot of work coming to him.

He is a six-foot, 206-pound back with a lot of power and explosiveness. In his three years with TCU, he tallied 2,410 rushing with 26 touchdowns to go with it, along with 29 catches for 229 yards and a receiving touchdown. His best season was last year when he amassed 1,399 yards on the ground.

His most impressive stat was his average yards per carry, in 2020 it was 7.2, in 2021, 7.5, and in 2022, 6.2. This is the rookie that could take Kamara’s job if he can capitalize on the opportunity that he will receive if Kamara has to miss any time this season.

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Ekeler, entering the last year of his four-year 24.5 million dollar deal, is set to make 6.25 million this year.

This past year, Ekeler rushed for career-highs with 13 touchdowns and 915 yards on 204 carries. The year before that, he had similar numbers with 12 touchdowns and 911 yards on 206 carries. Ekeler believes he should be compensated more based on this production level, and rightfully so, but to request a trade when he’s entering the last year of his deal took the franchise by surprise.

Meanwhile, the Chargers have no plans to move on from Ekeler and are reluctant to consider any trade packages. They also restructured his deal a bit so that he is eligible to earn nearly two million in incentives. That being said, here are the three teams that would benefit the most in trading for Ekeler.

The Teams Who Should Trade for Austin Ekeler

1. Houston Texans

The Texans got a stud in the fourth round of the 2022 Draft in Dameon Pierce. However, he had mediocre production in his rookie season for a lead back.

In his first season, he rushed for 939 yards on 220 carries with three touchdowns. He also had 165 yards on 30 catches with one touchdown. While this production isn’t terrible for a fourth-round rookie, it isn’t enough to keep him as the lead back if Ekeler is on the trade block. As Ekeler has told the Chargers front office, he wants out.

Ekeler would immediately bring high-caliber play to a struggling Texans offense that greatly benefitted from this year’s draft by taking quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick. In order to have a chance at prying Ekeler out of LA, as the organization has made it clear they do not want to trade him, a potential trade package could be the Texans sending LA one of their two first-round picks in 2024 or a second/third-round pick in 2024.

The Texans would gain a dynamic playmaker still at his peak as he rushed for the most touchdowns in his career this past season (13). Unfortunately, he isn’t cheap, and he most likely would want a larger contract, as that was his main issue with LA. The Texans have roughly $18 Million left in cap space for this season, the sixth highest in the league, so this deal would be doable if LA is open to moving him.

2. Denver Broncos

The Broncos have a solid starter in third-year running back Javonte Williams, although he blew apart his knee last year and missed most of the season. The organization has stated they don’t have an exact return date for Williams.

New Head Coach Sean Payton would be ecstatic to land the dynamic back in Ekeler and use him effectively, allowing Williams to recover fully. All that being said, the Broncos are light in salary cap right now, with roughly seven million. Still, they have first-round picks in 2024 and 2025, as well as some second and third-round picks that can be used to entice the Chargers.

Although, there is no timetable for Williams’ return, the Broncos Front Office likes what they have seen so far in him. Since this trade would be primarily early to mid-round picks, the salary cap becomes an issue once Ekeler joins the backfield if he is to get moved. Denver also finds themselves in a bit of a hole due to the number of picks they gave Seattle in exchange for Russell Wilson, who had an abysmal season in 2022 while with the Broncos.

The acquisition of Ekeler would take a lot of pressure off of Williams as he tries to prepare for the next season and would completely change the way opposing teams view Denver’s offense from a weapons standpoint. It would also take the pressure off Wilson, as teams would have to shift their focus to Ekeler.

3. Chicago Bears

The Bears let go of long-time starter David Montgomery this offseason, leaving behind Khalil Herbert to take the reins. The Bears did bring in D’Onta Foreman on a one-year deal after a productive year with the Carolina Panthers. However, this leaves the Bears with a relatively unproven backfield with no bonafide starter.

A move for Ekeler would be massive for this organization as they continue to try to surround third-year quarterback Justin Fields with high-quality players. The Bears have numerous picks in the early rounds of next year’s draft and the league’s highest salary cap at roughly 30 million, making this move quite doable.

This is quite possibly the best deal for both teams, of course, if LA is willing to let go of their star and hope that their backups can emerge as solid playmakers. This move would help the Bears make the jump into the postseason, where they haven’t been since 2020. It would give Ekeler a chance to make the money he deserves and change the outlook of a franchise that always seems to be just barely missing the playoffs.

Bottom Line

The likelihood of Los Angeles shipping off Ekeler is low. He is an integral part of their offense as they look to make a deeper playoff run this coming season. However, if the Chargers decide to move on from Ekeler (which is highly unlikely due to the restructuring of his contract), the teams listed above should make sure they submit a proposal, as the acquisition of Ekeler would boost any backfield.

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Most other fan bases can’t stand the Cowboys or their fans (or their owner). The Cowboys were recently voted ‘The most hated team in the NFL’ by fans, edging out the New England Patriots. The Boys end up being too polarizing to be truly called ‘America’s Team’. These five teams would be great candidates to replace Dallas. Sorry guys, you had a good run.

Replacements for the Cowboys as “America’s Team”

1. Cincinnati Bengals

There’s no denying the charisma that this team has suddenly started oozing. Star players, well-coached gameplans, and a winning culture all stir into the pot and make a delicious recipe. Just when you thought the Chiefs would dominate the AFC for years to come, here comes the Cincinnati Bengals. They are young and exciting to watch in a division of teams that like to trip over their own cleats. The scary part of the Bengals is, it doesn’t look like they’ve reached the peak of their potential yet.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

Last year’s runner-up team has suddenly shed their gruff listless ways and become a team that is hard to root against (unless you’re a fan of another NFC East team). After numerous misfires, the Philadelphia Eagles have found their next franchise quarterback and paid him like one. They have names on offense and a defense without big names that still make big plays. The Eagles seem poised to be a problem in the NFC for years to come, but that doesn’t make them less watchable or less winsome.

3. Buffalo Bills

Once the sort of lovable losers of the NFL, the Buffalo Bills have established themselves as the new powerhouse of the AFC East (Aaron Rodgers who?). After years of obscurity and underachieving, the Bills are among the favorites to win the Super Bowl and it’s just hard to not cheer for them.

If any franchise deserves to finally get over the hump and off the schneid, it’s Western New York’s favored sons. Buffalo has become a destination for big named players like Diggs, Miller, and Poyer. They have six prime-time games this year. The NFL schedulers seem to think that America wants to see the Bills. America wants to see them finally win the big game.

4. Green Bay Packers

As far as storied franchises with more history than some countries, the Green Bay Packers are top dogs. Their fans travel really, really well. That alone should put them into consideration to be America’s Team. Beyond that, a team that is owned by fans and not disillusioned Billionaires certainly seems like a candidate for the title. Green Bay is all about tradition and consistency. Being one of the oldest teams is another checkmark for the cheeseheads. The Packers are different. Their appeal is universal.

5. New Orleans Saints

This proud team and proud city has had their share of hard times and too few shining moments. It is hard to believe that the New Orleans Saints have only one Super Bowl win to their credit. Drew Brees’ career alone should qualify the Saints for America’s Team. If the title of ‘America’s Quarterback’ existed, Brees would win going away. Sure, Drew has ridden off into the sunset, but the gunslinger Derek Carr steps into the limelight looking to restore the Saints to contenders. I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone who hated the Saints. That sounds like a team for America.

America’s Team

The one thing most of these teams have in common is that they are smaller market teams. Philidelphia is the largest city on the list, and it’s the sixth largest city in the US. New Orleans is number 53. Cincy is number 65. Buffalo is number 78. Green Bay? 292. The other commonality is that they all have young superstar quarterbacks.

No offense to Dak Prescott but he’s not young, nor is he a superstar. Derek Carr is barely holding on as a young superstar, and this chance with the Saints may be his last to prove himself. With that old guy Aaron Rodgers going to the New Jersey Jets, Green Bay turns to the Padawan Jordan Love to return Green Bay to the playoffs. Then of course there are the wonder boys Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts.

One can debate who could be the 2020’s version of America’s Team, but for certain, it’s not the Cowboys, and it hasn’t been for a long long time, in a galaxy far far away called Jerryworld.

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