Patriots Beat Writer - Dave Meltzer
After an 0-5 start and a defense that couldn't seem to stay off the field, speculation swarmed the Patriots with many believing that head coach Dwayne Johnson was going to revert back to the 3-4 and dismiss Will Summers of his duties. Afterall, when a season has been presumed 'given up' for his teams, that is what Johnson has done. However, ever since taking the mantle with the Patriots, Johnson has taken a different approach to his decision making and roster building, proving that he isn't giving up until the numbers say the season is over.
Before preparing for the Bills, Johnson sat down one on one with Will Summers and asked the coach what was missing from his unit that could help the team improve. According to our sources, Summers gave Johnson a list of players that if possible to obtain, would help get the results the team was looking for sooner than later.
Rumors quickly picked up that New England was shopping for a playmaker to add for Summers. It didn't take long but the team was able to strike a deal with the Lions that would bring the dominating play style of Fletcher Cox to the defensive line. Cox wasn't cheap as the Patriots had to cough up Tackle Isiah Wynn and a 2024 3rd round pick. Johnson making a move this big in the middle of the season is unheard of.
It's clear that the Patriots believe they are still in the running for the playoffs. It's unclear if adding Fletcher Cox this late into the season will payoff and help them make it. It will however narrow their focus for improvement once the offseason begins as Cox is said to be lined up for a huge 3 year extension to stay with the team.
Patriots Beat Writer - Dave Meltzer
Dwanye Johnson's first season with Patriots had a lot of frustrations but in the end his team was still one game away from being able to compete in the SFL playoffs. One of the most frustrating aspects of the season for Johnson was that he couldn't adapt to the 3-4 defense that he inherited. He couldn't stop the run and it took half a season to begin to hold a threat against the pass. On top of that, the offensive passing game struggled throughout the season, further hurting the team's overall performance. Finding a QB that Johnson liked affected the team's production, as well as not having a playmaker capable of logging 1,000 yards receiving.
Going to Back to the Basic's - The 4-3 Defense
The first move Johnson made this offseason was to replace the 3-4 system with one that he has found the most success with, the 4-3. Johnson hired former Eagles' defensive coordinator Will Summers to help lead this campaign. The Patriots have added veterans such as Jerry Hughes and Aldon Smith to hopefully improve the run defense while it transitions. The other major area of improvement that needs to be seen is the pass rush for the unit. Johnson hopes the switch to a 4-3 helps players such as Josh Uche see more playing time and hopefully log a double digit sack season, something no player on this defense accomplished last season.
Admitting to Mistakes - Fixing the QB Position
While allowing new coach Will Summers to attend to the defensive side of the ball, Dwayne Johnson personally took on the task of figuring out the QB position for the team and finally committing to a direction. Rumors started early on that Johnson was not happy with Mac Jones at QB. Those rumors were quickly proven true when Johnson made the move to bring in Jordan Love and announced him as the QB for the rest of the season. While finding success after the move by having a record of 8-6, Johnson still wasn't satisfied with the production from the position.
"I'm not afraid to say I was wrong with my quarterbacks. That's the first thing to do to fix this, then I need to commit to one player moving forward." - Dwayne Johnson
In an effort to fix his early mistake with his young QB Mac Jones, Dwayne Johnson promised him the starting position and sent Jones to the SFL PIP Program to help train and improve his game. Mac Jones took advantage of this opportunity by improving his arm strength training with former QB Kyle Boller. The dedication that Mac showed to improve during the offseason has re-confirmed Dwayne Johnson's belief that Jones is the QB moving forward.
Finding an Offensive Threat - Going All In
With a longer season than in the past, not one player clipped over 1,000 yards receiving last year leaving what Johnson felt to be a major position to upgrade. And he just didn't upgrade that position, he completely revamped it.
The first move Johnson made to upgrade the position was to relieve the cap stress that an aging Nelson Agholor, a disappointing Kendrick Bourne and slow slot Jakobi Meyers were taking up. These moves left the team with just 1 WR on the roster. That didn't last long as Johnson traded away Chase Winovich to the Rams for their young raw WR Van Jefferson. Once free agency began, the team added the pass catching services of veteran WR Allen Lazard. None of these additions clipped over 500 yards last year, but Johnson believes that competition brings out the best in young players, and that one of these 2 new weapons can be the crutch that the offense lacked last season.
Johnson was feeling pretty confident moving into the draft, so confident that he pulled an unprecedented move. The Patriots traded away future draft picks to move into the back end of the first round and did this to secure two play-making WR's. First round picks Dominick Morrison and Chad Levy are very different WR's and Johnson has big plans for both of them. Chad Levy is more pro-ready and will be starting alongside Van Jefferson while also seeing time in the slot to begin the season in Week 1 against the Cardinals. Dominick Morrison is a raw big bodied 6'4" fast WR that Johnson hopes to see make an impact later in the season once his route running develops. Johnson hopes that these moves in the draft and offseason can help lead a player to be that impactful WR he desperately needs. If not - that was a lot to pay to stay exactly where the unit was before.
Since being brought in as the Patriots new head coach, Dwanye Johnson has remained tight lipped on how he was going to approach the Quarterback position moving into the sesason. Johnson has always valued a passer who is poised in the pocket and can deliver a dart to any part of the field. He has recently been expressing his doubts and concerns that rookie Mac Jones is that guy.
While it's tough to judge a player off of only 2 games, Mac Jones' performances so far in those games is giving Johnson some evidence for his doubts. "Look, I'm working with what was given to me," Johnson said in his post game interview after a loss to the Jets in Week 2. Jones has thrown for 4 interceptions and 0 touchdowns. When in the redzone and given the opportunity to score Jones has cost his team points by throwing interceptions or losing the ball on a fumble. When needing to push the ball down the field, Jones has not been able to get the ball to his receivers fast enough to prevent breaks up or the safeties from flying in to intercept the ball. "We are really limited in what we can do right now, we are exploring every option to improve." Jonshon sighed as he left the podium.
Only time will tell how the Patriots plan to improve at QB, rumors have it that Johnson is shopping the trade block looking at potential fits for his offense. As the season goes on and nothing is done, the potential for Johnson to pull the trigger at QB early in the next draft will grow. Dwanye has made it clear that he's not going to completely change how his offense works and should be ran to suit Jones' play style - it's going to be up to Jones to grow as a player and prove that this could be his team to lead along side head coach Johnson.
Hello all! It's your favorite Pro ANALyzer returning for yet another SFL Mock Draft. This season's format is less verbal than usual and also only just a top 10 due to the changes in how the draft will be ran. Normally there is enough time for the 'Good Ole College Try' method of creating a mock to work... Last minute preparedness and changes were the specialty of our Mock Draft staff! However, we are now exposed as the unprepared parents that we are, and we must live with what we have.. which is a top 10. Redemption for last year's horrific mock (THANKS COWBOYS) starts.... NOW!
The Eagles received fantastic news this morning when word of Fletcher Cox's return became official. Team doctors all agreed that if needed, Fletcher Cox can practice today and return as soon as the game with Washington. The team however, has decided to preserve the captain for one more week in order to ensure he is healthy for later in the season.
Fletcher was injured on the very first snap of the season. The Eagles have filed charges against the Giants for targeting. The injury occurred away from the play and sadly the only visibility into what happened was the aftermath when Cox was thrown close to the tackle pile. Head Coach Dwayne Johnson alleges that one of the linemen for the Giants must have punched, or pushed, or deliberately made Cox react the way he did which resulted in a broken rib. As of now, the team has not hard back regarding these charges.
During his absence however, the Eagles defensive line has remained among the league's best in stopping the run and pressuring the QB. The line however has been limited landing sacks from the pressures, head coach Johnson believes Cox's return will help those numbers start jumping back up to resemble last season.
- Dave Melterz
The Eagles have started their 2021 SFL campaign at 1-0. While it was a back and forth nail biter versus the Giants, the Eagles found a way to secure the victory at the end of the 4th quarter. The game was kept close by the solid and promising play by rookies on defense. DT Cory Durden and CB Paulson Adebo stuffed their stats sheets, leaving many Phili fans wondering if this is their peak or if there is more to come.
The 35th overall pick Cory Durden got called into the game on the second play - needing to replace the injured Fletcher Cox (Broken Rib - out for 4 weeks). The rookie DT came in and outperformed his expectations, by recording 2 sacks, including 1 on the Giants final drive of the game.
CB Paulson Adebo was awarded the final Team Captain spot based on his impactful play. The rookie was named a starter midway through the pre-season and is building a fast case to become the teams future franchise DB. Adebo picked off Daniel Jones twice, taking one back for a touchdown pushing the Eagles ahead early. He also lead the team in tackles, including 1 for a loss.
It is only one game, so expecting these players to develop into All-Pro's is not realistic, but the potential has been shown, it's now up to Dwayne Johnson and his coaching staff to keep finding ways to tap into their young stars.
When head coach Dwayne Johnson was hired after the Eagles dismal 2-5 start, he made it clear that his priority was to win the division then focus on what to do in the offseason. He accomplished his priority, but now what? The Eagles went into the offseason with -$20M in cap space; some cuts were made, some trades... are being made. Do the Eagles know what they are doing?
Among these cuts are starting WRs Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson; leaving Wentz and the offense depending on WR Jalen Reagor and HB Miles Sanders to continue to increase their production and development. HC Johnson seems to have confidence in the young offensive stars, but ultimately Wentz will need to carry the load and make the offense succeed.
DT Fletcher Cox was among those involved in trade rumors, but he is staying put for at least another season. However, he won't have much returning to the line with him. DE Brandon Graham and DT Malik Jackson were released. As well as DE Derrek Barnett being traded to the Jets. The Eagles have many holes now on the defensive line to make up. Great JOB creating a problem that they didn't have before!
All of these moves; while clearing the -$20M in cap space, has left the Eagles with around $10M in cap space left - that's $10M to use to try to improve the offense and defense that has lost key starters. It's clear the Eagles went into this offseason with zero plans and are shoe stringing along to make anything work. We have zero confidence that they have even properly prepared for the draft. Eagles fans, if any are left - next season may be rough, we can only hope that HC Johnson's reputation of rebuilding teams can pull through for us.
Dwayne Johnson has been excited recently as his Eagles head into their bye week in first place of the NFC East. The new coach has calmed a chaotic front office that was in dismay following a 4 game losing streak. Johnson (2-1) has injected enthusiasm unseen in Philadelphia since the Andy Reid era.
'I wasn't hired to rebuild a football team. I was hired to win a division.' Johnson claimed as he was entering the weight training room with other players. Something Andy Reid would dream of doing.
Players have gravitated towards Johnson and the way he carries himself. He leads by example both on and off the field as a true People's Champion would. Players have begun to accel under Johnson's play calling and schemes. Most importantly, QB Carson Wentz who has gone from averaging 215 passing yards a game before Johnson's arrival and is now averaging 275 yards. The biggest improvement in Wentz's game though, is his limits in turnovers as his TD to Int ratio has gone from 1.8 to 3. That's impressive.
There's a long way to go before the season is over. The 3-5 Eagles have many challenges in front of them, but Johnson believes they are up to the task. After the bye they face the Giants again, and when asked his thoughts about the upcoming game, coach Johnson replied, 'They can't catch. lol.' When asked to emphasize what he meant by that, Johnson raised his brow and said, 'They really can't catch the damn ball you jabroni.'
The San Diego Chargers have announced that they have resolved their contract issue with WR Kenny Stills by cutting him before the advance deadline tonight. Stills was signed two seasons ago with the hope of replacing Michael Floyd opposite of Keenan Allen. Stills struggled and was soon buried on the depth chart behind LaMarcus Cook and Darren Montgomery. Fed up with his position on the team, Stills failed to participate in team practices and only played when San Diego was forced to because of stamina issues late in the season. The two have agreed moving forward together isn't the best decision for either parties.
A mock draft this early is always absurd, but at the same time fun to do. Once Free Agency has cooled off and combine results filter out, we'll have a better idea of where teams may go with their selections, but for now we got some pretty good guesses. In this mock, some schools dominated the first round much like they did their previous season, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, UCLA, and Penn State all had at least 3 our more players drafted in the first round. This draft also saw a return of the run of QB's similar to the 2016 Draft, FIVE QB's are projected to be selected in the first round this year, also SEVEN WRs have been projected to get their names called early, it'll be interesting to see how that plays out.
2020 NFL Mock Draft
1st Pick - Rams - Adonis Patrick - LOLB - Tennessee - St. Louis actually has a pretty decent roster compared to the rest of the league, how they continually end up in the top ten of the draft is a mystery, well not really, it's the coaching. Regardless, Santez Klein has been a great player developed for their defense and Robert Quinn is getting up there in age, besides those two St. Louis has zero depth at OLB, adding the Heisman Trophy winner to their roster will add an impact to their defense now and in the future.
2nd Pick - Redskins - Nick Gordon - LT - Penn State - Washington needs help on both sides of the line and Nick Gordon is the best player to add a punch to one of the sides with. Washington has a big ole' fat hole at RT plus Trent Williams is creeping up in age at 32, Gordon would not only fill in for RT, but can easily be moved to the LT to replace Trent once he calls it a career. This is a no brainer.
3rd Pick - Cardinals - Patrick Franklin - QB - Michigan State - Arizona has no QBs on their depth chart, and a little over ten years since Matt Leinart still isn't enough for them to pull the trigger on another top QB prospect from USC, this is another no brainer.
4th Pick - Browns - Courtney Gardner - DT - USC - Cleveland needs a lot of help everywhere on their roster, the popular pick here would be a QB since that position has doomed the franchise since it's rebirth, however Cleveland will smartly take this chance to beef up their interior defensive line who has almost nobody on the roster.
5th Pick -Falcons - Tyrone Pope - LT - Texas A & M - Atlanta is the fourth NFC team to round out the top five picks of the first round, and they literally have zero depth and zero players capable of starting on their offensive line. Tyrone will give them that first big buidling piece to rebuild around so they can protect their second year standout QB in Ronald Burton.
6th Pick - Bucs - Jaron Nelson - WR - Miami - Tampa Bay could also go offensive linemen, but this high up in the draft and with the top tackle prospects already taken, it would be considered a reach. The next best option is to build more depth at the WR position and this 6'4" framed WR will do just that. Aaron Rodgers gets one more discount on his career with this weapon.
7th Pick - Texans - Vidal Boyett - WR - Pittsburgh - Houston is in serious need of help for offensive weapons, Boyett is another big framed WR that can help give more relief to DeAndre Hopkins and QB Parker Patrick.
8th Pick - Patriots - Trevor Washington - QB - USC - The Garoppolo/Tannehill experiment needs to come to an end, what better way of doing that then forcing them out with the young blood QB from USC? Washington may not be the next Tom Brady, but he will be a better option then what New England currently has.
9th Pick - Chiefs - Russell Dorsey - ROLB - Penn State - The Chiefs have one linebacker under contract, this is the best linebacker available, 1+1=3 basically, right?
10th Pick - Raiders - Jermyrin Lucas - MLB - Nebraska - Oakland's fall from Super Bowl grace won't last as long as it did in 2003-forever. They begin their restocking process by adding Nebraska standout Jermyrin Lucas to their defense. Lucas can fill in at any linebacker spot when Oakland's aging starters start to gass.
11th Pick - Giants - Joseph Samuels - QB - UCLA - New York would be wet in their panties if the third best QB lasted till the 11th pick, congrats New York, you get to have your panties wet.
12th Pick - Titans - Renardo Woods - CB - Ohio State - The Titans have killed it in the draft on the defensive side of the ball the past few years, and they start 2020 with more of the same getting the nations best DB off the board at the 12th pick.
13th Pick - Jets - Jordan Reed QB - Nebraska - The Jets let Philip Rivers walk instead of finishing out his career, now they are left reaching for a spot they could've stop-gapped with Rivers.
14th Pick - Cowboys - A.J. France - CB - Michigan State - Dallas must be killing themselves seeing Woods fall so far in the first just to be snatched a pick ahead of them, so becuase of that they go with the next best option at their biggest position need.
15th Pick - Panthers - Jeffery Dennard - CB - Tennessee - While they could also choose to go with the tackle position to help protect their second year QB, taking Dennard before the run of the rest of the DBs start to go makes sense. Sherman is 32 and besides Benwikere, Carolina has no main stays at the position.
16th Pick - Vikings - Patrick Orr - LT - Michigan State - Minnesota won't let the recent run in CB's scare them into reaching below where they need to for a position of need, instead they fill another position in dire need of youth and potential by taking the 6'7" giant tackle prospect.
17th Pick - Broncos - Gordon Stumph - QB - Miami - Russel Wilson is gone, thankfully, somewhere else to save his career. Denver will be left in a tough spot gambling on a reach with a prospect more suitable to be drafted in the second round, but with only AJ Scott on the roster at QB, this reach makes sense.
18th Pick - Bengals - Dre Hart - CB - Miami - Miami has two prospects taken back to back in the first round here as the Bengals try to revamp the run on the DBs in the first round. This isn't a reach by any stretch, Javonti Moss needs help on the other side of the field and Hart will fill that role for him.
19th Pick - Cowboys - Christopher Mack - RE - Pittsburgh - After being slightly disappointed earlier, Dallas is now thrilled to see Mack fall from the 13th spot to the 19th. Risking not taking a huge need at RE by going CB, Dallas now has two potential franchise pieces locked in on defense for five years.
20th Pick - Raiders - Lenard Harper - LE - Auburn - Oakland can afford to reach a little bit with this pick. They need another standout DE but Harper probably could be had slightly later in the draft if Oakland wanted to risk it, but with limited needs to fill, why not go with one of the best pass rushers on the board this late in the first?
21st Pick - Chargers - Kedrick Scott - ROLB - LSU - San Diego won't even take the full amount of time needed if Scott is available at their pick. the 6'3" OLB is a perfect fit for their scheme and they could easily luck out with Scott falling to them with other teams racing to fill bigger holes and needs, this late in the first though San Diego could hit a homerun at any of their few positions of needs they chose too.
22nd Pick - 49ers - Stephen James - LOLB - Alabama - San Francisco could really go anywhere with this pick they wanted too. They don't have many positions to fill on the depth chart, except for OLB. James is the best available at this point since San Diego took Scott a pick earlier, this gives San Francisco some more youth at the position behind Claude Morris, as well as giving them more potential trade bait moving forward.
23rd Pick - Colts - Jemale Lowe - FS - Michigan State - Indy is in dire need of help in the backend of their defense. Burnett won't be around many years longer and Hubbard, while a nice prospect for depth, isn't start material, the ball hawking Lowe will start day one on this defense and is really a good fit.
24th Pick - Bucs - D.J. Jackson - TE - Georgia - The first TE off the board goes to Tampa, who again could decide to reach for offensive line help earlier then they need to, or they can keep restocking weapons for Rodgers and whomever his successor at QB will be for the future.
25th Pick - Ravens - Russ Mason - HB - UCLA - At this point the Ravens are just making roster problems for themselves by not retaining one HB heading into the offseason, this will force them to reach a little early, but still land a great player for them in Mason.
26th Pick -Seahawks - Will Morris - WR - Nebraska - Why not? Anything else they pick here won't make sense to anyone except Farid.
27th Pick - Saints - Jayrone Jackson - WR Penn State - New Orleans jumps on the train of taking a quality receiver before it's too late. Jackson will come in with a chance to start and contribute right away since the Saints only have 2 WR's under contract.
28th Pick - Jags - Nino Hart - WR - Ohio State - Jacksonville is desperate for play makers, they could go for a multiple of other WR's at this spot, but the one that makes the most sense is the one that's worth reaching a little bit for in Hart.
29th Pick - Bills - Marcell Mays - WR - Florida State - The run on WR's continues at the bottom of the first as Buffalo takes on another pass catcher that Cam Newton desperately needs.
30th Pick -Eagles - Ryland Grove - LT - Pittsburgh - What a break for the Eagles, they get the last tackle prospect worth taking in the first round, and they got him just by sitting and waiting. Grove can immediately play at RT before ultimately replacing Bruce Campbell a few years down the road.
31st Pick - Steelers - Taylor Mayes - DT - UCLA - Pittsburgh can really go in any direction with this pick, with a stocked roster they can afford to reach if they want, but why reach further then the best of the DT's on the board in Taylor Mayes? This standout at UCLA is a perfect fit for DE in Pittsburgh 3-4 scheme and will have an immediate impact to helping their rush defense.
32nd Pick - Bears - Shayn Royser - WR - Wisconsin - They'll reach with this pick and most likely miss like every other draft, the two time in a row super bowl champions don't need much help anywhere, so why not give the record breaking Jameis Winston more weapons to work with?
The playoffs are right around the corner and teams are either locking up their playoffs slots or securing their draft position for the offseason, regardless it was a fun, quick ride this spring and below are how each teams rank moving forward:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars - #1 seed in the AFC, and really #1 in our hearts. Jacksonville has fixed a recent slide and has locked itself up as the best sim team in the league.
2. Seattle Seahawks - Just didn't want them #1.
3. Chicago Bears - Green Bay has dominated all season yet Chicago has stuck with them, we really believe Chicago to be the best team between the two without a CPU involved.
4. San Francisco 49ers - They will be on the road in the playoffs, and they will knock off a home team. I would call them a sleeper team, but they're ranked #4 so we cannot.
5. Indianapolis Colts - Much like Chicago hung with Green Bay, Indy hung with Jacksonville as long as it could. If they were in another division they'd be looking to lock up a first round bye this week, however they're looking to find out who their wildcard opponent will end up being.
6. San Diego Chargers - They started at the bottom, and now they're here. Struggling to start the season at 2-3 and then again at 5-5, the San Diego Chargers have bolted their way to the top of the conference over the last month. We don't think their as good as their record, but they could do some damage depending on the opponent they face in the playoffs.
7. Philadelphia Eagles - Won a weak division, good for them, now we'll see if their internet fucks up their playoff run this season.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers - Lol, they did good this year, but the CPU is going to take the division, however we do think Pittsburgh will have a deep playoff run this year.
9. Baltimore Ravens - CPU
10. New Orleans Saints - Just isn't the same for SIMMed games, if the user plays in post season could be a dangerous team.
11. Detroit Lions - After a down year of embarrassment, the Lions have come back with some what of a vengeance. Next season will be the year they return to the postseason.
12. Denver Broncos - CPU couldn't get it done down the stretch. OH SO SOWWY
13. Miami Dolphins - Simming only gets so far, the only way to take the division is to play the games.
14. Buffalo Bills - May be the third CPU team in the playoffs this season.
15. New York Jets - CPU
16. Dallas Cowboys - Hope all is well with the baby!
17. Tennessee Titans - What the hell man?
18. New England Patriots - The curse of Brady lives
19. Green Bay Packers - New user, wrong time to join, we see the Packers crumbling in the playoffs.
20. Cincinnati Bengals - CPU
21. Minnesota Vikings - CPU
22. Cleveland Browns - So much for the #1 pick.
23. New York Giants - CPU
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - CPU
25. Carolina Panthers - CPU
26. Washington Redskins - ROCKET LEAGUE CHANGED YOU
27. Oakland Raiders - They seem primed for a good offseason, super bowl hangover is over?
28. Houston Texans - CPU
29. Atlanta Falcons - Basically CPU
30. Arizona Cardinals - At least they got Gurley? =\
31. Kansas City Chiefs - CPU
32. St Louis Rams - Damn it Frankie.