Category: NFL

After getting dissed by the US Open Tennis Twitter account, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock responded on the Fourth of July.

This past week, the US Open Tennis Twitter account roasted new Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock. A Seahawks fan responded to a Wimbledon highlight video shared by SportsCenter’s Twitter account, saying “not a sport.” That is when the US Open Tennis Twitter account put this particular user in their place, saying “not a sport says the person about to watch 17 games of Drew Lock at QB.”

The comment made by the US Open Tennis Twitter account went viral. Lock eventually issued a response on the Fourth of July, wishing everyone a happy holiday “but especially to the intern at the @usopen.”

Drew Lock responds to diss made by US Open Twitter account

In case you were wondering, yes, the Twitter account did respond to Lock with a familiar meme of the Nintendo character Mario holding a crown.

Lock is in Seattle due in part to the Russell Wilson trade. After spending three seasons with the Denver Broncos, Lock was traded to the Seahawks along with tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and multiple draft picks in exchange for Wilson.

After a promising end to his rookie campaign, Lock was unable to maintain the starting job, as evidenced by him being the backup to Teddy Bridgewater last season. Through three years, Lock completed 59.3-percent of his passes for 4,740 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. He picked up an 8-3 record as the starter.

Lock is competing for the starting quarterback job alongside Geno Smith, who started in games this past season while Wilson was sidelined due to injury.

If you think the balance between the AFC and NFC is wildly out of whack, take a look at the quarterback situation and know it’s going to get far worse.

From 1984-97, the NFC won 14 consecutive Super Bowls.

The AFC might soon go on a similar run of its own.

This offseason saw a pair of star quarterbacks jump from the NFC to the AFC, with Russell Wilson joining the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts landing Matt Ryan.

Those two 30-somethings join a conference loaded with star quarterbacks either entering or in their prime including Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers) and Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns).

Mahomes, Watson and Allen are 26 years old. Burrow and Jackson are 25. Herbert is 24.

Then there are the first-round picks since 2020, headlined by Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars), Zach Wilson (New York Jets), Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins), Mac Jones (New England Patriots) and Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh Steelers).

Finally, there’s Derek Carr (Las Vegas Raiders), who at 31 years old just signed an extension worth $40 million annually and who arguably ranks as a top-12 quarterback.

Now, to the NFC.

Looking at WynnBet’s Super Bowl future odds, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+600), Los Angeles Rams (+1000) and Green Bay Packers (+1000) lead the way for the conference. Their respective quarterbacks are 44-year-old Tom Brady, 34-year-old Matthew Stafford and 38-year-old Aaron Rodgers.

Of the other 13 NFC teams, only four can argue they have a definitive franchise quarterback or have chosen a first-rounder at the position in the last three drafts, with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals in that group.

With the NFL being driven more than ever by quarterback play, the NFC is at a severe disadvantage. When Brady and Rodgers finally decline or retire, there’s not a single quarterback in the conference worthy of a Hall of Fame conversation save for Stafford.

Furthermore, the balance of future draft capital and therefore the opportunity to make a big move towards landing a franchise quarterback is even across the conferences.

While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks hold two first-round picks in 2023, the Dolphins and Houston Texans do as well. And Houston can say the same for ’24, the only team in such a position.

It’s hard to identify another time the conferences have been so imbalanced in terms of quarterback play. Even the aforementioned 14-year stretch of NFC dominance was largely fueled more by complete teams than anything else. In that era, Jim Kelly lost four Super Bowls, John Elway lost three and Dan Marino lost another. All are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Over the next year or two, the NFC still has Brady and Rodgers. Stafford should carry the torch to some degree afterwards.

But the AFC is poised for a sustained run of titles behind a tidal wave of quarterback talent.

Power rankings

Top 10 players who played into their 40s

1. Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco 49ers
2. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
3. Johnny Unitas, QB, Baltimore Colts
4. Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills
5. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
6. Brett Favre, QB, Green Bay Packers
7. Warren Moon, QB, Houston Oilers
8. Darrell Green, CB, Washington Redskins
9. Bruce Matthews, OL, Tennessee Titans
10. Junior Seau, LB, San Diego Chargers

Quotable

“Oh man. We all feel like we’re on an all-star team, so we feel great. We feel unstoppable, I’m not gonna lie. The vibes are great, always have been.”

– Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders on his remade team entering 2022

Everybody remembers a decade ago when the Eagles had a self-proclaimed Dream Team, only to go 7-9. However, Sanders’ confidence is understandable. By almost all accounts, Philadelphia has enjoyed a rousing offseason with a terrific draft, the trade for receiver A.J. Brown and the signing of corner James Bradberry.

An all-star team? That’s a bit much, but the Eagles should strongly contend in the NFC East.

Podcast

Random stat

In 1976, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating in a win a 40-14 AFC Divisional win over the Baltimore Colts. It remains the only postseason game where a visiting quarterback accomplished this feat.

Info learned this week

1. Deshaun Watson’s hearing finished, and now we wait

The NFL and Deshaun Watson spent three days in a disciplinary hearing from Tuesday-Thursday. With it concluded, both parties wait for the ruling of Sue Robinson, the discipline officer overseeing the case.

At this juncture, it seems inevitable Watson will be suspended for a lengthy portion of the 2022 season before training camp, with the entire campaign being in play. If the Browns are without him, the next bit of drama comes with who they’ll start, as both Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett remain on the roster.

Meanwhile, the NFL has to be wondering what the reaction will be nationally if Watson only gets something like half of the season. Most — including myself — have expected the Browns to be without his services until 2023 based on his facing 24 civil suits this offseason, with 20 being settled in June. Still, Watson has four active civil suits against him for sexual misconduct with more potentially coming.

One way or the other, we should know Watson’s fate in the next few weeks.

2. Washington gets good value with Terry McLaurin, but he also wins

It’s rare to say the Washington Commanders did a smart thing. Last week, they did a smart thing.

After an offseason of speculation regarding star receiver Terry McLaurin’s future, the Commanders stepped up and signed the former Penn State star to a three-year extension worth up to $71 million. Most importantly, McLaurin received $53 million guaranteed.

While the pact certainly takes care of McLaurin in the short and long term, some around the league were surprised. In the lead-up to a deal getting done, league sources told FanSided they believed McLaurin would come in around the same numbers as A.J. Brown, who after being traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles, signed a four-year deal worth $100 million with $57 million guaranteed.

In short, McLaurin came in $29 million less on a deal one year shorter. However, he only took $4 million less guaranteed while getting to hit the market again a year earlier than his NFC East counterpart.

This is the rare instance where both the team and player won.

3. Odell Beckham Jr. remains on the market despite talents

The Los Angeles Rams probably don’t win the Super Bowl without Odell Beckham Jr. Yet entering July, he remains a free agent while rehabbing his torn ACL suffered on Super Sunday.

Beckham, 29, remains one of the elite talents at his position. Yet he’s now coming off a second torn ACL in as many seasons, and he’s without a 1,000-yard campaign since 2019. Eventually, he’ll  likely sign a one-year deal and play the latter portion of 2022, but where?

The Rams are the obvious choice, but there could be other teams in play. Green Bay could desperately use another receiver. The Buffalo Bills have Stefon Diggs but little in the way of a proven second option with Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley gone. The Colts also make sense, in need of more weaponry on the outside. The Dallas Cowboys could also use an upgrade after losing Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson.

While his injury situation is limiting, Beckham remains a considerably cheap, high-upside play for a contender.

4. Desmond Ridder draws high praise from Falcons

Maybe Kenny Pickett won’t be the only rookie quarterback starting this season.

In Atlanta, the Falcons took a third-round flier on Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder, and they like the early returns. Head coach Arthur Smith lauded Ridder’s mental acuity, while teammates have spoke about his leadership. While expecting Ridder to start Week 1 over veteran Marcus Mariota is too aggressive, perhaps the youngster seeing time in 2022 isn’t a reach.

Think about it. The Falcons are likely going to be a bad football team. There’s no upside in watching Mariota come November and December when Atlanta is out of the postseason chase. If the coaching staff believes there’s something to Ridder’s long-term viability as a starter, let him play some pressure-free games and get reps with rookie receiver Drake London and second-year tight end Kyle Pitts.

What looked to be a dreary year in Atlanta could prove a turning point if Ridder steps to the fore.

5. Enjoy the 4th!

Nope, not something learned, but something worth saying.

Instead of trying to find some uninteresting note to jam into the column on this holiday, why not celebrate the 246th birthday of America? Wherever you are, hopefully you’re getting a decent fireworks show, some dogs on the grills and a nice dollop of potato salad. That’s my kind of 4th, anyway.

For me, this holiday always signifies the beginning of a new NFL season. The OTAs and minicamps are over. We know who is on what team. We’re only three weeks away from teams showing up and not dispersing again until January — or February.

Football is about to be back in full force,  but until then, enjoy some grilled goods and a beverage.

Two cents

The two rookies who will have the biggest impact on who wins Super Bowl LVII are both first-round defenders which went to the same team.

Meet Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected McDuffie at No. 21 overall before snatching Karlaftis up nine selections later. Both will start immediately, filling roles left by corner Charvarius Ward and edge rusher Melvin Ingram, respectively.

Despite trading receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks — one of which was used to acquire McDuffie — the Chiefs’ offense will still produce. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and a great offensive line has that effect.

But how far Kansas City can go will be determined by the defense, one relying on a litany of new faces. None will be more critical than McDuffie and Karlaftis, two rookies thrust into high-pressure situations.

Normally, there are a bevy of first-year quarterbacks to look at who could shape the league in the year ahead. This season, nobody will alter the championship chase, for good or bad, more than Kansas City’s two defensive rookies.

Inside the league

Count me out on Baker Mayfield going to and getting an extension from the Seattle Seahawks.

Not because it can’t happen — it’s in play — but because it makes no sense for the franchise.

Seattle has enjoyed a decade-long run of success behind quarterback Russell Wilson. Since 2012, the Seahawks have enjoyed four division titles, two Super Bowl appearances, seven playoff runs and a title.

However, Wilson is gone, traded for multiple first- and second-round picks to the Denver Broncos, including such choices in 2023. And it should be noted the ’23 class is expected to be loaded with quality quarterbacks, including Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s E.J. Stroud.

So why would Seattle acquire Mayfield when winning four games is more enviable than winning seven for a rebuilding club?

Mayfield makes all the sense imaginable with the Carolina Panthers, a team tired of losing that doesn’t have a bushel of picks moving forward.

Seattle isn’t in that spot. Locking itself into Mayfield for anything more than one year is lunacy.

History lesson

Only three NFL franchises which existed prior to 1995 have never had a single game started by a Hall of Fame quarterback; the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons.

The Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers are also waiting for a starting quarterback of theirs to don a gold jacket, but each remains in its relative infancy.

Parting shot

Every year, there’s talk about who the first coach fired will be. This year, there aren’t many candidates.

Assuming men in their first or second years are safe, you’re already down to 17 candidates. Then remove the champions, including Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, Pete Carroll, Mike McCarthy, Sean McVay and John Harbaugh, and the list dwindles to 10.

Here are those 10 coaches:

• Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals
• Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
• Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers
• Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
• Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
• Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
• Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts
• Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
• Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
• Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders

Rhule stands outs considering he’s in his third year saddled with a bad Panthers team. Cleveland is unstable, so perhaps Stefanski is the casualty of insanity. Outside of them, you have either established coaches with plenty of good will, coaches with playoff-caliber teams, or a crossover of those two.

The same logic applies to changes after the upcoming season. We saw 10 jobs turn over last offseason. It would be surprising to hit half that number in 2023.

The circumstances behind the tragic death of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jaylon Ferguson have been revealed by the medical examiner.

Ravens linebacker Jaylon Ferguson passed away in June at the age of 26, leaving behind three children and a fiancée. Sadly, we now know the cause of his death was a drug overdose.

An autopsy determined that the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine were responsible for Ferguson’s death.

According to the Baltimore Banner, Ferguson had been battling depression while dealing with the death of his grandmother and a fire at his home.

His death was investigated as “questionable” by police. It has now been classified as an accident.

Ravens linebacker Jaylon Ferguson’s cause of death was drug-related

Fentanyl has been at the root of many high-profile overdoses in recent years as it is increasingly cut into cocaine. The results of mixing the two together can be deadly given the high overdose risk the drug exhibits when combined with others.

Ferguson, who was nicknamed “sack daddy,” was drafted by the Ravens out of Louisiana Tech in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He started nine games as a rookie in 2019, then took on more of a rotational and special teams role in 2020 and 2021. He had 67 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two pass deflections and two fumble recoveries in his career.

He was set to enter the fourth and final year of his rookie contract this year.

Before making it to the NFL, Ferguson was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. He had 17.5 sacks as a senior in college.

Over the weekend, friends and family gathered in Louisiana for a celebration of his life, which ended far too soon.

Ferguson’s death was followed by the passing of former Ravens defensive lineman Tony Siragusa, making for a sad stretch for the Baltimore community.

If Najee Harris is like Hines Ward, then that is only a good thing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Vince Williams expects running back Najee Harris to take on a bigger leadership role in his second year with the team to become somewhat of a Hines Ward.

Williams appeared on The Arthur Moats Experience with Deke, touching on Harris being an ideal fit for the Steelers to build their team around “not only athletically, but also culturally”. Harris was a former first-round pick by the Steelers for a reason, as he took home the Doak Walker in his final season at Alabama. Harris has long been a team-first type of player, so this is not really a surprise.

This is Williams’ quote of comparing Harris to Ward, a Steelers legend who belongs in Canton.

“He gives me a lot of that Hines Ward-type vibe,” said Williams. “He’s smiling, he’s kissing the babies, but then he keeps it real in the interviews. He speaks true, he works hard, he’s dedicated to his craft, he’s no-nonsense. I think that’s gonna be big. I think that’s what the Steelers from that offensive side of the ball.”

Here is the episode of The Arthur Moats Experience with Deke in which Williams appeared.

Vince Williams compares Najee Harris to Pittsburgh Steelers legendary WR

From his days at the University of Georgia, Ward built a reputation on being able to do whatever it took to help his team win games. His versatility and willingness to put the team ahead of his own accolades is why Ward is beloved in Pittsburgh and at his alma mater. As far as Harris becoming the next Ward, he can emerge as the leader on the offensive side of the football the Steelers need.

Williams did mention the Steelers no longer have stars on offense the caliber of Maurkice Pouncey at center and Ben Roethlisberger at the quarterback position. Surely, rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett will fill the leadership void in due time, but 2022 is a perfect opportunity for Harris to take what is his and then some. One would expect Harris to be a focal point of the offense this season.

Regardless of when Pickett overtakes Mitch Trubisky as the Steelers’ starting quarterback, the offense will only be as good as Harris allows it to be. If he has a breakout season like many people expect for him to, Pittsburgh might be able to hang in the AFC North to stay in the playoff mix. More importantly, how Harris grows as a leader could pay out in future dividends for this team.

If Harris plays up to his potential, he could be as celebrated in Pittsburgh as Ward is to this day.

A “new team” has emerged to thwart a Baker Mayfield to the Seattle Seahawks deal for the Cleveland Browns.

The Seattle Seahawks have long been a potential trade destination for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, but not so fast, my friend…

If it was not going to be the Seahawks, then the next likeliest team for Mayfield had to be the Carolina Panthers. Outside of that duo, you would be really grasping at straws to find an ideal landing spot for the former No. 1 overall pick. Trading him in-conference has never seemed likely, but what if teams like the New Orleans Saints or Tampa Bay Buccaneers were interested in him?

Michael Balko reported on Sunday morning, “the Seahawks and the Browns are still in discussions regarding quarterback Baker Mayfield. A deal was close to done, but a new team has reportedly entered the Mayfield sweepstakes as well. Stay tuned.”

How much validity is there to this, or are the Browns just making up a “new team” for leverage?

Baker Mayfield trade rumors: “New team” emerges for Cleveland Browns QB

There are three primary holdups in Mayfield getting dealt: How much of his salary will the team trading for him have to take on? Will this team need to release a player or two to get under the salary cap to acquire him? And above all else, how long will Deshaun Watson be suspended for? If Watson is not suspended for the entire season, then it makes moving Mayfield all the more likely.

Mayfield is playing on his fifth-year option in 2022 worth $18.5 million, which is fully guaranteed. He will be a free agent after this season, so this fall would essentially be a trial run for him to see if he is a potential long-term solution for his new team. Interestingly, Cleveland has the most cap space in the NFL at $41.2 million. Carolina could take on all his salary with $24.3 million in space.

Admittedly, New Orleans and Tampa Bay are interesting potential landing spots for him. Mayfield is arguably better than Saints starter Jameis Winston, but New Orleans already has guys like Andy Dalton, Ian Book and the ultimate gadget guy in Taysom Hill on their roster. As for the Buccaneers, this is probably Tom Brady’s last year. Mayfield is way better than Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask.

And if we want to have some fun, what about the Detroit Lions? Cleveland could in theory swap Mayfield out for Jared Goff just to get him out of the building. The problem is Goff is under contract for the next three seasons and carries a $41.5 million dead cap hit for Detroit in 2022. The Lions also cannot afford Mayfield presently, as they do not even have $10 million in available cap space.

Ultimately, this feels like the Browns are doing their best to drive up the price on the Seahawks for them to take on more of Mayfield’s guaranteed salary. However, if Watson is suspended for the entire season, it serves Cleveland and Mayfield to mend fences and stay together for the kids for one more year. Otherwise, it will be The Jacoby Brissett Show for the laughable Browns franchise.

If the Browns do trade Mayfield, it may indicate Watson is not going to be suspended indefinitely.

Brett Favre may have an accurate evaluation of Derek Carr, but Davante Adams is still elite.

With Davante Adams leaving the Green Bay Packers for the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, Brett Favre believes he downgraded at quarterback from Aaron Rodgers to Derek Carr.

That is undeniably true. Rodgers is a perennial top-three quarterback in the league who will get into the hall of fame on the first ballot, while Carr is a top-12 passer who will be thanking his lucky stars to have a bronze bust in his likeness in Canton one day. Carr is considerably younger than Rodgers and that absolutely plays into Adams’ favor here, as he pushes towards the hall of fame.

Here is what Favre said to TMZ Sports about the decision Adams made to switch allegiances.

“It’s just hard to shift gears, especially from a player as prolific as Aaron Rodgers,” Favre told TMZ Sports. “I think Derek Carr is a very good quarterback, but, he’s not in Aaron’s league yet. May never be, and that’s no disrespect.”

This is the entire clip of Favre speaking with TMZ Sports about the new Raiders’ offensive pairing.

Favre may not have meant to throw shade at them, but this is a long-term play for the Raiders.

Brett Favre is right about Derek Carr, but not so much with Davante Adams

At best, Carr is a borderline candidate for Canton. Everybody with a brain understands what he has meant to the seemingly always chaotic Raiders organization. He has been a multi-time Pro Bowler and has guided them to the AFC playoffs twice during his playing career. However, Rodgers is a transcendent talent at the quarterback position. His mechanics are flawless, the gold standard.

Even if Carr flourishes in the second half of his Raiders career, he could end up becoming his generation’s version of Ken Anderson or Donovan McNabb, forever stuck in the Hall of Very Good. As far as Adams is concerned, he has been the best wide receiver in football for the better part of three years now. He is in his prime, but should age gracefully on the back-nine of his NFL career.

It is not really changing gears so much for Adams, as he was college teammates with Carr at Fresno State. They remain very close, as Carr was a big reason why Adams wanted to leave Green Bay. He grew up cheering for the Raiders as a West Coast kid. With an offensive-minded head coach in Josh McDaniels, the Silver and Black are poised to make some noise in the AFC West.

Is there going to be a drop-off from Rodgers to Carr for Adams? Yes, but not to the degree Favre expects. Keep in mind that Adams already has a strong rapport with Carr. Not only that, but he gets to play in the same offense with two other elite pass-catchers in Hunter Renfrow in the slot and Darren Waller out at tight end. The Packers have not had anything close to that for years now.

Ultimately, look for Adams to have around three more Pro Bowl seasons before he exits his prime. A deep playoff run or two with the Silver and Black before he retires should get Adams into Canton, no questions asked. However, there is so much more left to be written in the former Fresno State Bulldogs’ careers than the long-time Packers starter who used to play for Cal…

Packers fans have to accept that Adams will have a ton of success early playing for the Raiders.

The US Open did not take kindly to a Seattle Seahawks fan’s criticism of the sport of tennis.

Let’s just say the US Open is actively rooting against Drew Lock being a great quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.

With the US Open underway, an uniformed Seahawks fan decided to reply to a SportsCenter tweet about how awesome the sport of tennis is. In case you did not know, tennis is definitely a sport, arguably one of the most mentally and physically demanding individual sports in the history of the universe. Too bad the Seahawks will go 5-12 and then fire everybody into the sun come January…

Watching 17 games of Drew Lock as your starting quarterback is cruel and unusual punishment.

US Open Tennis absolutely embarrasses a Seattle Seahawks fan on Twitter

To think tennis is not a sport is to think that water is not wet. Facts may not be all that important in this day and age of the world, but you gotta call somebody out when they are so wrong. Good for the US Open Tennis account for spitting truth in its absolutely hellish takedown of this poor fan’s soul. Lock was not even that good at Mizzou, as the Denver Broncos totally gave up on him.

The most notable part of Lock’s pro career was how he put on for his city while on the Broncos’ bench as a rookie. It is a great song that brings me back to freshman year at UGA, but Lock is the latest example of John Elway not knowing how to draft John Elway’s replacement. It’s cool though, as Broncos Country is going to ride with Russell Wilson into the playoffs, one tired cliche at a time.

But in all seriousness, could the Seahawks make the playoffs with Lock as their starting quarterback? I mean, we did see the 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars nearly make it to the Super Bowl with Blake Bortles as their starter, so anything is possible. The Seahawks’ best bet is for there to be free-range Pete Carroll going full-blown Martyball all over everyone’s asses in the NFC West.

Run, run, pass, punt sounds especially Drew Lock and the Seahawks’ outlook for the 2021 season.

Jerry Rice has picked a side in the Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Trey Lance debate when it comes to who should be the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback going forward.

When it comes to who should be starting under center for the San Francisco 49ers, Jerry Rice believes that man should be Trey Lance over Jimmy Garoppolo.

Rice may have only wanted a slushy or a scratch-off ticket at his local convenience store, but when KSBW put a camera and a microphone in his face, the 49ers legendary wide receiver answered the call alright. 2022 will be Lance’s second NFL season out of North Dakota State, while Garoppolo may have already been traded had he not undergone offseason shoulder surgery.

“Trey Lance, I think he’s ready to go,” said Rice to KSBW. “I think he’s incredible because he has that one aspect that Jimmy [Garoppolo] doesn’t have, and that’s the threat of running with the ball and stuff like that. His mobility, his strong arm. This guy is before his time. He’s a young kid, but he’s very experienced and I think he’s ready to go.”

Is Rice right in his logic, or is he being a good soldier by embracing the inevitable with the 49ers?

San Francisco 49ers: Jerry Rice picks Trey Lance over Jimmy Garoppolo

Look. From a goodwill ambassador standpoint, this is the right call for Rice to make. The 49ers are going to roll with Lance this season, as they look to trade Garoppolo sooner rather than later. San Francisco did give up major draft capital to move all the way up to No. 3 to take Lance out of North Dakota State in the 2021 NFL Draft. They also selected him ahead of Justin Field and Mac Jones…

In terms of Rice’s claim that Lance has a stronger arm and is more mobile than Garoppolo, he is absolutely correct. Again, this is why the 49ers seemingly gave up the farm to get him. As far as Rice’s other claims that he is “very experienced” and “he’s ready to go”, let’s put a pin into the balloon and pop that bad boy real quick, shall we? This is why moving off Garoppolo is so risky.

Though they both were outstanding FCS quarterbacks, Garoppolo had way more experience collegiately and professionally than Lance. He starred at Eastern Illinois for years before backing up Tom Brady in New England, and that was all before he got to San Francisco mid-season in 2017. Lance has essentially one year of FCS-level college football under his belt at this juncture.

Given that Kyle Shanahan’s offense is so incredibly complex, who is to say Lance is best-equipped to run this thing in his second professional season? Surely, Shanahan will shrink the playbook to help bring Lance along, but the 49ers could be a major regression candidate team this fall, based on making a change at quarterback. Long-term, it may work out, but he could also be Jordan Love.

Ultimately, the 49ers drafted Lance so high believing he could be the next Josh Allen or Carson Wentz. Newsflash, there is no next Josh Allen. As far as the Wentz comparisons, yes, they share the same alma mater, but Wentz is running through teams like the late Larry King did wives over the last three years. If he bombs in Washington, Wentz’s NFL career might be over as we know it.

While it serves Rice to be a big believer in Lance, he has proven nothing at the professional level.

No, Brett Favre does not believe Davante Adams will be as good with the Las Vegas Raiders.

With Davante Adams switching teams this offseason, Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre does not think he will find similar success now that he is with the Las Vegas Raiders.

“It’s just hard to shift gears, especially from a player as prolific as Aaron Rodgers,” said Favre to TMZ Sports. “I think Derek Carr is a very good quarterback, but, he’s not in Aaron’s league yet. May never be, and that’s no disrespect.”

Adams had spent his entire professional career in Green Bay prior to being traded to the Raiders this past spring. He reunites with his college teammate and close friend Derek Carr in Las Vegas. Adams grew up on the West Coast and rooted for the Raiders as a youth. While Rodgers is the two-time reigning NFL MVP, Adams does have a strong rapport with Carr, who is not retiring soon.

Here is the entire clip of Favre speaking with TMZ Sports about the wide receiver switching teams.

Brett Favre fades Davante Adams having similar success with Las Vegas Raiders

Look. Adams is entering his age-30 season out of Fresno State. Rodgers may forever be the better player over Carr, but one is going to be out of the league in three years and the other is not. While it may have served Adams to stay put in Green Bay for as long as Rodgers decided to play, he has to do what is in the best interest of his career and family long-term. Maybe this was in Las Vegas?

Though the Raiders have been poorly run throughout much of Adams’ lifetime, the Silver and Black did make the AFC playoffs last year with an interim head coach. Carr is a proven Pro Bowl-level commodity under center. With other elite playmakers in the receiving corps like Hunter Renfrow in the slot and Darren Waller at tight end, there are reasons to be bullish on Las Vegas.

However, Green Bay does play in the weaker of the two NFL conferences. Outside of the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who else is challenging the Packers this season in the NFC? Las Vegas will have success this year and beyond, but Favre is right that Rodgers is the better quarterback, who did benefit from playing in a better organization.

Even if Adams downticks for a year or two, Las Vegas has the shot to be a better long-term spot.

The New Orleans Saints seem to have good news regarding Michael Thomas and his injury, which is exciting. 

A video surfaced of New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, and it seems like he is getting healthier.

Seeing him run routes is such a positive sign that he could be back in time for the season, and the Saints need him to be there.

New Orleans insider Nick Underhill snagged a screen recording of Thomas running routes off his Instagram story, and the receiver looked like he was gaining back his strength.

Thomas didn’t look perfect with his routes, but he didn’t look like he was limping either. He looked like he had made progress in his rehab.

The Saints got a good sign from Michael Thomas and his injury status

Since getting hurt last season, he has had a lot of ups and downs, but after surgery and months of rehab, he seems to be on the right track now.

The Saints need him healthy so Thomas can give them the offensive production they need out of him.

When he is healthy, it is truly a difference-maker for the offense because Thomas is such a game-changer.

Now that he is running routes, it’s safe to assume that Thomas is heading toward being able to play in 2022. If the Saints can incorporate him back into the offense, he can be the leader and help this newer offense find as much success as possible.

New Orleans fans should be really excited to see Thomas running routes because, without him, the Saints don’t have much of a go-to receiver.