The unwritten rule of the NFL goes something like this: If you're QB is bad , you'll end up with a top-10 pick. It's as simple as that. Unfortunately, great QB's like Tom Brady only come around once in a generation. Even good ones don't grow on trees. Teams with a need at QB will be thrilled when they find out what the free agent market looks like this year:
-Brian Hoyer -Ryan Mallett -Mark Sanchez -Michael Vick -Jake Locker And those are the notable options.Well, at least teams with top picks can look forward to drafting the next franchise QB, right? Wrong. While I believe Jamies Winston will have a better career than Marcus Mariota, both aren't too promising when it comes to having the "it" factor. Can they carry a stinky Buccaneers/Titans team on their back? They won't have the same supporting cast like they did at Florida State and Oregon. I have ranked the top 10 NFL teams in terms of their QB need (one being the worst). For example, the Colts probably won't be needing a QB anytime soon, so they're not ranked. But the Jets on the other hand... Well... 1. Tennessee Titans- Charlie Whitehurst? Yuck-o. The Titans have been plagued by bad QB play ever since Vince Young decided to change his attitude... For the worst. 2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Josh McCown is too old. His one good saeason with the Bears is looking a lot more fluke-ish. And there's a good chance Mike Glennon gets traded away. 3. Cleveland Browns- This is bad. Johnny Manziel was a "jersey sales" selection. The Browns needed to sell some tickets, but all they got in return was a huge need for a QB. If Brian Hoyer isn't resigned, the future looks bleak in Cleveland. 4. Houston Texans- Ryan Fitzpatrick is a solid -3.6 on the Dalton scale, and isn't going to improve any time soon. Case Keenum is what he is, and undrafted free agent QB. 5. New York Jets- The Jets have never had a good QB. If Joe Namath hadn't won Super Bowl III, he wouldn't be remembered. But fumbles don't help either. And how is Geno Smith still the presumed starter? 6. St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford is very fragile and the Rams need to move on. Shaun Hill and Austin Davis don't exactly strike fear into the opposition either. 7. Buffalo Bills- Kyle Orton could have at least kept the Bills in contention... If he hadn't retired. E.J. Manuel looks like the "best option" at this point. 8. Jacksonville Jaguars- I am not as high on Blake Bortles as other people are. His mechanics are not suitable for the NFL, and is looking very much like Jay Cutler in that department. I would start looking elsewhere if I were the Jaguars. 9. Chicago Bears- Jay Cutler had all the talent a QB could ever want, but he was never able to put it all together. A lot of things factored into this; A new OC almost every season, a deteriorating defense and the overall lazy mechanics Cutler has displayed throughout his career. Unfortunately, with the lack of QB options, the Bears are probably stuck with him for another season. 10. Washington Redskins- What ever happened to RGIII? After a fantastic rookie campaign, he has now hit rock bottom and his future in Washington is very much in doubt. Hopefully he fixes his mechanical flaws, but even that is being overly enthusiastic. Honorable Mentions- Cardinals (Carson Palmer is old and injury prone) Broncos (Will Peyton Manning return?) Raiders (Can Derek Carr prove to be consistent?) We would like to apologize to all of the fans that have been looking forward to Mason's & my mock drafts. During our time off we decided that instead of posting both of our mock drafts together, we would post them separately to save time and make it more convenient for both of us. We have also put in numerous hours of study (Sports Center highlights) in order to formulate our mock drafts. So anyway, lets begin with mine:
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB- Despite the "off-field issues", I still believe that Winston will be drafted 1st overall. He is a very good athlete, and the Bucs are desperate for a QB. 2. Tennessee Titans: Dante Fowler Jr., DE- The Titans need a QB, but is there one that is really worthy of the 2nd overall pick? Fowler's is rising within NFL's circles. And his combine performance will probably help him out to. 3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Williams, DT- Williams is a beast. He's too quick for interior linemen, and too strong for offensive tackles. Gus Bradley could use a disruptive player like him on his defense. 4. Oakland Raiders: Kevin White, WR- I am not very high on White, but he's very athletic. And that also seems like the only thing the Raiders ever care about. 5. Washington Redskins: Randy Gregory, DE/OLB- If I were the Redskins, I would be looking to dump RG"ME" off to another team, but I highly doubt they do that. The quickest way to improve a defense is through adding a good pass rush. 6. New York Jets: Amari Cooper, WR- Eric Decker is an ok option for the Jets, but they need another option whether or not they get a QB outside of Geno Smith. 7. Chicago Bears: Shane Ray, DE- The Bears defense stinks. Shea McClellin has been a bust ever since being drafted a few years ago and Jared Allen is getting old. Adding a fresh pass-rusher would help the Bears in many ways. 8. Atlanta Falcons: Shaq Thompson, OLB- The Falcons offense is set for the most part, but a three-down linebacker with decent ball skills like Thompson could help this team a lot. 9. New York Giants: Landon Collins, SS- The Giants need a hammer on defense, and Colllins fits the bill. 10 St. Louis Rams: Marcus Mariota, QB- Mariota's fall stops here, as the Rams need another QB option outside of the injury-prone Sam Bradford. 11. Minnesota Vikings: Brandon Scherff, OG/OT- The Vikings LG Charlie Johnson stinks. And their LT Matt Kalil needs to improve a lot if he wants to keep his job. 12.Cleveland Browns: Vic Beasly, OLB- What are the Browns going to do? Might as will try and bolster the defensive line at this point. 13. New Orleans Saints: Gerod Holliman, FS- Jarius Byrd was a huge free agent bust, and the position needs to be addressed. 14. Miami Dolphins: DeVante Parker, WR- Mike Wallace hasn't done anything significant, and a WR opposite of Jarvis Landry is needed. 15. San Francisco 49ers: Rashad Greene, WR- I believe there will be another run on WR's this year, and some teams will end up over drafting some of them. 16. Houston Texans: Kevin Johnson, CB- Jonathan Joseph is on the decline, and a replacement will be needed for Kareem Jackson if the Texans are unable to sign him. 17. San Diego Chargers: Andrus Peat, OT- Phillip Rivers' window is beginning to close, and they need to protect him as well as they can if they want to make a serious run. 18.Kansas City Chiefs: Devin Funchess, WR- The Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to not have a WR score a receiving TD, and they almost made the playoffs. Alex Smith kinda stinks, and he needs all the help he can get. 19. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): Eddie Goldman, DT- If their isn't a QB Cleveland likes, they should just keep building the defense up. 20. Philadelphia Eagles: Trae Waynes, CB- The Eagles are pretty much set on offense, but Chip Kelly needs to at least attempt to play some sort of defense. 21. Cincinnati Bengals: Benardrick McKinney, MLB- If Rey Maulaga doesn't return, a replacement will be needed. 22.Pittsburgh Steelers: Danny Shelton, DT- The Steelers go back to their roots with this pick. Defense. 23. Detroit Lions: Marcus Peters, CB- Lions could use some secondary help, especially if the pass-rush flops because of the probable departure of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. 24. Arizona Cardinals: Brett Hundley, QB- Some team will overdraft a QB, and it's the Cards in this one. 25. Carolina Panthers: T.J. Clemmings, OT- Panthers make Cam Newton happy with this pick, as their tackle duo is the worst in the NFL. 26. Baltimore Ravens: Sammie Coates, WR- Ravens decide to replace Torrey Smith, as Coates is probably the best deep threat in this draft. 27.Dallas Cowboys: Melvin Gordon, HB- Jerruh Jones goes Jerruh Jones with this pick, its all bout the flash. 28. Denver Broncos: Arik Armstead, DE- At the end of the 1st, its all about potential. Armstead is full of it. 29. Indianapolis Colts: Michael Bennett, DT- The Colts decide to bolster their depleted defensive line with this pick. Bennett has been a quiet prospect as of late, and could end up being a huge steal. 30. Green Bay Packers: Jaelen Strong, WR- If the Packers don't resign Randall Cobb, a replacement will be needed as DeVante Adams is not a viable #2 WR option. 31. Seattle Seahawks: La'el Collins, OT- Why does Collins fall all the way down here? I don't know, but it always happens every year when teams over-draft other players. 32. New England Patriots: Alex Carter, CB- If Darrelle Revis isn't resigned, it would be a huge blow to the Patriots much improved defense. A replacement would be needed. Super Bowl 49 was one of the most exciting Super Bowls I have ever seen. It was filled with drama, big plays, and Bill Belichick picking his ear and smelling his finger. Even in spite of the awful halftime show, Super Bowl 49 will go down as one of the greatest ever. Of course, the defining moment of the game was Malcolm Butler's interception at the goal line to seal the Patriots' 28-24 victory and Tom Brady's fourth ring. Forever we will wonder, why didn't Pete Carroll run the ball? While Carroll does deserve much of the blame for his idiotic and ill-advised play call, the game was really decided by the Seahawks defense's inability to get off the field on third down. On 3rd and three, the Seahawks would give up 4. On 3rd and 9, they'd give up 10. The Patriots went 8-14 on third down, that compared to just 3-10 for the Seahawks offense. Tom Brady went 37-50. Both of his interceptions were complete gifts. While many may point the finger at the offense for not handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch, it was Seattle's vaunted defense that cost them the game. The Legion of Boom was completely outmatched by Julian Edelman, Shane Vereen, and Rob Gronkowski. Russell Wilson may never quite get the taste of this loss out of his mouth. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS. THE BIGGEST EVENT IN NORTH AMERICA. THE TRADITION THAT HAS CONTINUED FOR 48 YEARS AND COUNTING. THE SUPER BOWL. THIS YEARS MATCH-UP INCLUDES PLENTY OF DRAMA (THAT I DON'T CARE ABOUT) THAT WILL SURELY HYPE THE GAME UP TO EXPONENTIAL LEVELS. EACH STAFF MEMBER WILL NOW GIVE THEIR INSIGHT ON AND PREDICTIONS OF THE GAME:
NATE- I'M PRETTY PUMPED FOR THIS GAME. WE'VE GOT TOM BRADY LOOKING TO SECURE HIS LEGACY AS THE GREATEST QB OF ALL TIME ON ONE SIDE. AS FOR THE OTHER SIDE, WE'VE GOT A YOUNG (OVERRATED) QB LOOKING TO TAKE A SECOND SUPER BOWL TITLE IN A ROW. HE WOULD BE THE FIRST QB DO SO SINCE... TOM BRADY IN 2003-2004. I REALIZE THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE QB'S ALL THAT WE WANT, BUT LIKE THE OLD SAYING GOES, "DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS". THE SEAHAWKS PROVED THIS LAST YEAR WHEN THEY SPANKED PEYTON MANNING AND HIS UNSTOPPABLE BRONCOS. BUT, THE HEART AND SOUL OF THAT DEFENSE (THE LEGION OF BOOM), IS BANGED UP RIGHT NOW. AND THE PATRIOTS OFFENSE HAS BEEN SPINNING THE HEADS OF OPPOSING DEFENSES THIS SEASON WITH GRONK AND CO. HATE ON THE "DEFLATRIOTS" ALL YOU WANT, BUT I REALLY THINK BRADY AND BELLICHICK ARE RUNNING AWAY WITH THEIR FOURTH SUPER BOWL THIS YEAR. SCORE: PATRIOTS-34 SEAHAWKS-27 RHETT- HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR'S SUPER BOWL WILL BE MUCH BETTER THAN LAST YEAR'S DISMANTLING OF DENVER. I THINK THAT TOM BRADY WILL LEAD THE PATS TO AN EARLY LEAD, BUT SEATTLE AND THEIR TORN-UP D WILL HOLD TOMMY IN THE SECOND HALF TO ONLY A FEW POINTS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY MAKING HIM TURN THE BALL OVER. MORE IMPORTANTLY, RUSSELL WILSON WILL LIMIT HIS MISTAKES, TURNING THE BALL OVER NO TIMES. THE HAWKS WILL BENEFIT FROM THEIR D, AS BANGED UP AS SHERMAN IS. THE PATS WOULD BENEFIT GREATLY FROM TARGETING THE LESS-THAN 100% SHERMAN, AND I FORESEE THEM THROWING THE BALL HIS WAY A TON OF TIMES. GRONK WILL CATCH 2 TD'S OUT OF BRADY'S 3, BUT THE SEAHAWKS WILL RIDE BEAST MODE TO THEIR SECOND STRAIGHT SUPER BOWL TITLE. SCORE: SEAHAWKS-34 PATRIOTS-30 EVAN- SUPER BOWL 49 WILL BE ONE THAT EVERYONE WILL LOVE TO HATE. EVEN SO, WE CAN BE ALMOST GUARANTEED THAT THIS YEARS GAME WILL BE A GOOD ONE. I'M HAVING TROUBLE DECIDING WHO I THINK WILL WIN, BUT CAN YOU BLAME ME? NOT EVEN VEGAS CAN DECIDE WHO IS GOING TO WIN. WE CAN COUNT ON TWO THINGS THIS YEAR- THE SEAHAWKS DEFENSE WILL BE OUTSTANDING AND GRONK WILL BE THERE FOR TOM BRADY WHENEVER HE NEEDS HIM. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS GAME WILL NOT BE A 43-8 TROUNCING FOR EITHER TEAM. HOWEVER, QUESTIONS REMAIN FOR BOTH TEAMS. WILL THE PATRIOTS BE ABLE TO RUN THE BALL? WILL THE SEAHAWKS DEFENSE BE HEALTHY? IN THE END, I THINK THE SEAHAWKS WILL WIN IN A CLOSE ONE. SCORE: SEAHAWKS-28 PATRIOTS-27 NATHAN- I AM NOT A BIG FAN OF THE SEAHAWKS OR PATRIOTS, BUT THIS WILL BE A GREAT SUPER BOWL MATCH UP. THE KEY FOR THE SEAHAWKS TO REPEAT IS PRETTY SIMPLE; STOP GRONK AND AVOID TURNOVERS. IF RUSSELL WILSON THINKS HE CAN PLAY SLOPPY FOOTBALL AND STILL HAVE A CHANCE OF WINNING, HE'S DEAD WRONG. PRESSURE, PRESSURE, PRESSURE. IF THE HAWKS CAN GET INTO BRADY'S HEAD, HE'S KNOWN FOR MAKING MISTAKES. BOTH TEAMS NEED TO CAPITALIZE OF TURNOVERS AND EXECUTE IN THE RED ZONE. IF BRADY STARTS TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE POCKET HE CAN JUST DUMP IT OFF TO GRONK WHO WILL MAKE A PLAY. I BELIEVE THE PATRIOTS WILL BREAK THEIR SUPER BOWL LOSING STREAK AND COME AWAY WITH YET ANOTHER TITLE. SCORE: PATRIOTS- 26 SEAHAWKS- 19 MASON- THIS IS THE POINT IN THE NFL SEASON WHERE WE ALL START CRYING. ONE MORE WEEK OF FOOTBALL, THEN IT'S BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD FOR 31 NFL TEAMS THAT DIDN'T WIN THE SUPER BOWL. THIS YEAR'S ENDING MAY NOT BE AS BITTER AS LAST YEAR. MANY FANS INCLUDING MYSELF GAVE UP ON THE SUPER BOWL AT HALFTIME. THIS YEAR PROMISES TO FEATURE TWO SUPERB TEAMS WHO DESERVE TO BE THERE. BRADY IS TRYING TO CEMENT HIS LEGACY AS ONE THE BEST OF ALL TIME, WHILE RUSSELL WILSON IS TRYING TO PROVE HE'S ONE OF THE BEST NOW. THIS SHOULD BE A HARD FOUGHT GAME FOR BOTH TEAMS. I EXPECT THE SEAHAWKS AND PATRIOTS TO SWAP LEADS BACK AND FORTH THROUGHOUT THE GAME, WITH MARSHAWN LYNCH SCORING A TOUCHDOWN WITH CLOSE TO FOUR MINUTES LEFT PUSHING THE HAWKS UP 27-24. DON'T COUNT OUT TOM BRADY THOUGH. BRADY LEADS THE PATRIOTS ON A GAME WINNING TOUCHDOWN DRIVE WITH VERY LITTLE TIME LEFT THROWING THE GAME WINNER TO JULIAN EDELMAN. TOM BRADY WINS THE MVP AWARD WITH 327 YARDS TWO TOUCHDOWNS PROVING HIS LEGACY AS MAYBE THE BEST OF ALL TIME SCORE- PATRIOTS 31 SEAHAWKS 27 TAJ- THE PATRIOTS WILL WIN BECAUSE I THINK THEY WILL WIN. SCORE: PATRIOTS- 24 SEAHAWKS-20 Every year, part of the storied tradition of the Super Bowl is dreaming up the most ridiculous and idiotic prop bets imaginable. Classic prop bets include the color of the Gatorade bath and the winner of the coin toss. Here at Rational Fanz, however, we like to get a little more creative than that. So, without further ado, here are your official Super Bowl 49 Rational Fanz Prop Bets. How many obscene gestures will Marshawn Lynch Make? Over/Under: 1.5 How many words will Marshawn Lynch speak during media day? Over/Under: 20.5 Length of Bill Belichick's Hoodie: Cut Off(3/2) Full Length(3/1) 3/4 Length(7/1) Half Length(12/1) In the MVP's speech who will be the first one he thanks? Teammates(3/2) God(5/1) Fanz/City(15/2) Coach(12/1) Family(12/1) Owner(12/1) Other(2/1) Will Bill Belichick smile during the game on camera? Yes(3/2) No(1/2) How many times will the announces refer to the "Deflategate"? Over/Under 3.5 Will Marshawn Lynch be fined for any incident on media day? Yes(9/2) No(1/3) Will the jersey number of the first touchdown be odd or even? Odd(1/1) Even(1/1) How many unused timeouts will be there by both teams combined at halftime? Odd(1/1) Even(1/1) How Long will the National Anthem be? Over/Under 2 minutes 2 seconds Will the first commercial be for a beverage product? Yes(1/1) No(1/1) Will the first commercial feature an animal? Yes(1/1) No(1/1) Andy Dalton is in the pro bowl. Andy Dalton. He had 3,398 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions in 2014. Those might have been good numbers in 1975, but today, they aren't exactly note worthy. Andy Dalton has been futile in the postseason. Every year since 2011 Andy Dalton and the Bengals have refused to show up on Wildcard weekend. He shows flashes of brilliance and talent that give Bengals fans hope, and then he goes and throws 3 interceptions in the first half against the Buccaneers. Dalton and A.J. Green light up the field and set the league on fire. Then Green gets injured and Dalton throws for a measly 155 yards in a 17 point loss to the Colts, a team that couldn't stop a nose bleed. One year he throws for 33 TD's, the next he throws for 19. There is only one conclusion: Andy Dalton is average. Not only is he average, he is the single most average quarterback in the NFL. This conclusion is the basis for the Dalton Scale: since Andy Dalton is the most average quarterback, every quarterback in the NFL can be measured in terms of Andy Dalton (Either positive (better than Andy Dalton) or negative (worse than Andy Dalton). Here is a taste of my very first Dalton Scale: .Aaron Rodgers: +30.1 Tom Brady: +29.4 Andrew Luck: +25.6 Russell Wilson: +25.6 Cam Newton: +10.2 Ryan Tannehill: +3.3 Andy Dalton: 0 Jay Cutler: -1.5 Colin Kaepernick: -2.1 EJ Manuel: -8.4 Johnny Manziel: -23.7 Geno Smith: -35.2 Ryan Leaf: -109.8 The NFL draft is kind of like birthday presents. You'll get some really awesome gifts (Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Teddy Bridgewater), pretty terrible gifts (Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russel) and really great surprises (Tom Brady, Russel Wilson). And every year, the hype for the "gifts" always seems to increase infinitely. The two biggest gifts in this years draft are (obviously) Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Many people will use the "Ready, FIRE!, Aim" tactic when debating the two QB's. They will say that Mariota is far more mature and the overall better QB without thinking twice. But not so fast, I believe we all need to slow down and break them down before making rushed conclusions.
Buccaneers- Nate- Jameis Winston (QB) Mason- Marcus Mariota (QB) No way I see the Buccaneers going any other way than Mariota he is the most pro ready quarterback out there. Titans- Nate- Leonard Williams (DE) Mason- Leonard Williams (DE) The Titans won't be looking for a quarterback this year I expect them to take best available. Jaguars- Nate- Shane Ray (DE) Mason- Randy Gregory (DE) The Jaguars are in large need of a DE they should take one here. Raiders- Nate- Amari Cooper (WR) Mason- Amari Cooper (WR) The Raiders are starting James Jones and Andre Holmes at the wideout spot, need I say more. Redskins- Nate- Landon Collins (WR) Mason- Brandon Scherff (RT) Jets- Nate- Marcus Mariota (QB) Mason- Vic Beasley (OLB) I expect the the Jets to take best available at this spot. Bears- Nate- Shaq Thompson (OLB) Mason- Jameis Winston (QB) I expect Jameis Winston to fall during the draft falling all the way to the Bears who need to make a decision on Jay Cutler this year. Falcons- Nate- Vic Beasley (OLB) Mason- Shane Ray (DE) Giants- Nate- Brandon Scherff (RT) Mason- Landon Collins (SS) Rams- Nate- Devante Parker (WR) Mason- Devante Parker (WR) Rams are one of many teams in desperate need of a receiver they should take one here. It's week one the Seattle Seahawks are walking off the field victorious over the Green Bay Packers after running all over them 36-16. Aaron Rodgers finished with 189 a touchdown and a pick. While his counterpart Russell Wilson finished with 191 and two TD's both very similar statlines but it's the run game where Seattle really took over.Eddie Lacy finished with 37 yards and no touchdowns but Marshawn Lynch had 110 with two touchdowns. Fast forward to the NFC Championship game this week it may be a reversal of the script for the Green Bay Packers who are riding Aaron Rodgers and his strained right calf along with Eddie Lacy and his recent dominance stretch to the NFC Championship game to face the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks are bound to put pressure on Aaron Rodgers flushing him out of the pocket, they should be able to force him to make quick decisions on the run where he is typically good but may not be as good as usual with the leg injury. Matchups to watch: Seahawks running game vs the Green Bay defense. Packers last two playoff defeats have come at the hands of a team with a mobile quarterback and solid running game. Enter the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson averages about 50 rush yards per game along with 7.7 yards per read option play. While the Packers allow 6.2 yards per read option play. Expect the Seahawks to try and run the ball down the throats of these Packers. Eddie Lacy vs. the Seahawks front seven. The Seattle defense has played exceptionally well as of late beating the Carolina Panthers last week 31-17. They allow 3.4 yards per rush this season second best in the NFL. But when the only four times the Seahawks have lost they've been defeated by a team that continuously likes to run the ball. Their only four losses have been when the opponent rushes more than 27 times. Expect Eddie Lacy to play a large role if the Packers expect to win. Game Predicitons Mason: Packer 28 Seahawks24 Taj: Seahawks 28 Packers 24 Evan: Seahawks 21 Packers 17 Nathan: Seahawks 24 Packers 17 |
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