NFL Trade Grades At The Deadline

Nov 6, 2024
CB Tre’Davious White Traded From Los Angeles Rams to Baltimore Ravens Atop the AFC North right now is a battle between the Steelers and Ravens, both sitting with six wins. With Lamar Jackson and...

The Don’s NFL Week Two Best Bets

Sep 17, 2023
Time to bounce back for week number two. Reluctant to admit we finished 0-3 (-3.53u) last week in best bets. Ended up at 7-9 (-3.1u) for the entire week which is not where we want to be. The good thin...

The Don’s NFL Week One Best Bets

Sep 10, 2023
We have finally made it to the first Sunday of the 2023 NFL season. A full slate of NFL games on a Sunday afternoon is just what the doctor has ordered. Last season was a successful season as my recor...

Lions vs Chiefs TNF | The Don’s Best Bets

Sep 7, 2023
The NFL season is finally upon us and what a great TNF game to start the season. We have the Detroit Lions, who are up and coming, against the defending Super Bowl Champions in the Kansas City Chiefs....

4 Things to Watch: Championship Sunday

Jan 29, 2022
Even when his team has been eliminated, Tom Brady still finds a way to be the main event. With the confusion surrounding Brady’s alleged retirement dominating social media, it’s easy to fo...

8 Things to Watch For: Divisional Round Weekend

Jan 21, 2022
The field is a little smaller as we head into the Divisional Round this weekend. After a few blowouts and some decent matchups, it seems that the hype for this weekend’s games is much higher tha...

12 Things To Watch For: Wild Card Weekend

Jan 15, 2022
Playoff football is here! In the NFL’s longest season ever, we’re also treated to an extended Wild-Card Weekend, as the Cardinals and Rams will face off in the first ever Monday Night play...

NFL Week 13 Preview: Picks and MVP Race Update

Dec 2, 2021
We’ve reached December and the NFL playoff race is really heating up. We’re well into the season and there still may be more question marks than certainties. This is the month where stars ...

NFL Week 11 Preview: Picks and MVP Update

Nov 18, 2021
We’re getting closer and closer to the holidays which means that football season is heating up. As we get into Week 11, the playoff race is as muddled as ever. Plenty of teams from both division...

NFL Week 10 Preview: Picks and MVP Update

Nov 11, 2021
Two names are dominating Twitter as we enter week 10: Cam Newton and Odell Beckham Jr. You might read that and think we’re back in 2015, but it really is 2021, and these are the guys who could b...

NFL Week 9 Preview: Picks and MVP Update

Nov 4, 2021
Whew! Quite a bit happened as the trade deadline came and went, and we can officially gear up for the latter half of the 2021 season. Von Miller was the biggest name to be shipped, but we also saw ple...

NFL Week 8 Preview: Picks and MVP Update

Oct 28, 2021
As week 8 dawns upon us, the big question on many NFL fans’ minds is… “What the **** is up with the Kansas City Chiefs??” A shocking 27-3 blowout loss to the Tennessee Titans h...

NFL Week 6 Preview: Picks and MVP Update

Oct 14, 2021
Week 6 in the NFL is shrouded in controversy. Leaked emails and messages from Raiders’ coach Jon Gruden have taken center stage, and opened up a league wide conversation about respect, privacy a...

NFL Week 4 Preview: Picks and MVP Update

Sep 30, 2021
As we enter the 4th week of the NFL season, we’re going to get a good sense of what’s real and what’s not. Will the Rams ever lose with Matt Stafford? Are the Broncos, Panthers and R...

NFL Week 3 Preview: Picks and MVP Race!

Sep 23, 2021
We enter week 3 of the NFL with plenty of surprises already occurring. The crop of 2-0 teams features some that we’d expect and some new blood trying to prove they’re for real this season....

Week 2 NFL Preview: Picks and MVP Race Update!

Sep 16, 2021
Welcome back to another week of football. Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season gave us a little bit of everything. We saw some teams rise to the occasion and surprise us, while others (cough cough… the...

2021 Week 1 NFL Preview: Picks and Award Previews!

Sep 8, 2021
Ladies and gentlemen, the NFL is back. Last season was incredible, but something about empty stadiums just didn’t feel right. The atmosphere is half the fun with the National Football League, an...

7 Bold Takes Heading Into the 2021-22 NFL Season

Sep 6, 2021
Fall is arriving and NFL football is right around the corner. The start of September is a wonderful time in sports. Baseball playoff pushes are happening, college football is alive and well, and fanta...

10 Predictions for the 2021 NFL Season

Sep 2, 2021
Since everyone else gets to make some wild predictions I figured I would throw my two cents in. With that being said, they will be reasonable predictions that should seem plausible to the typical NFL ...

NFL Off-Season Grades: NFC South Edition

May 11, 2021
Something I have done for the last few years is taking a look at every team’s off-season (free agency, trades, and the draft) and giving them a grade. Obviously, I try to grade based on a team’s s...

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah: 2021 NFL Draft Breakdown

Mar 16, 2021
JOK is the do-it-all linebacker that made Notre Dame’s defense so good this past season. He is by far the most versatile player in this draft class and one of the most pro-ready. He’s a na...

Micah Parsons: 2021 NFL Draft Breakdown

Mar 16, 2021
Athletic freak. That’s the best way to describe Micah Parsons. Like the Youtube video says, he’s a generational talent. He sat out the 2020 season but was so good in 2019 that it did nothi...

Dylan Moses: 2021 NFL Draft Breakdown

Mar 16, 2021
Dylan Moses is the kind of guy offensive players don’t want to see in the hole. He’s not flashy, but he gets the job done. He was the leader of the Alabama defense that won the CFP this pa...

Pat Freiermuth: 2021 NFL Draft Breakdown

Mar 15, 2021
Pat Freiermuth is the number two tight end in this draft class and for good reason. He’s earned the nickname ‘Baby Gronk’ for his playstyle and you’ll see why in his highlights...

Jay Tufele: 2021 NFL Draft Breakdown

Mar 12, 2021
Jay Tufele is one of the rawest prospects in this draft. He is an athletic freak that headed USC’s defensive line. He opted out in 2020 due to the incompetence of the PAC 12. When he did play he...

Daviyon Nixon: 2021 NFL Draft Breakdown

Mar 9, 2021
Daviyon Nixon is one of those players that makes your jaw drop when he makes a play. He’s 6’3 305 lbs and is quick. A year after AJ Epinesa, the Hawkeyes put another player into the draft ...

Alim McNeill: 2021 NFL Draft Breakdown

Mar 8, 2021
Alim McNeill has quite possibly the highest ceiling of any of the interior D-lineman in this draft class. The 6’2 320 lb. NC State product started all three years, being a key piece to their def...

Marvin Wilson: 2021 NFL Draft Breakdown

Mar 8, 2021
Marvin Wilson was a man amongst boys on the football field during his college career. One of the few shining lights on a poor Florida State team, Wilson, 6’5 305 lbs, proved why he’s one o...

J.J. Watt Picks Arizona

Mar 1, 2021
Super-star defensive end, J.J. Watt, has decided to take his talents to the NFC and join the Arizona Cardinals. Watt has signed a two year deal worth $28 million, along with $23 million guaranteed. He...

Tom Brady Looks to Make (more) NFL History

Jan 19, 2021
This past Sunday, 43 year old Tom Brady started in his 43rd playoff game (32-9). The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveled to New Orleans for the Divisional round, and won the game 30-20 to advance to the NFC...

Why Winning A Super Bowl Didn’t Save Doug Pederson

Jan 12, 2021
If you know anything about me, it is that I strongly believe that good coaching is the most important factor for any team in any sport. Which makes this title seem redundant. However, a major factor i...

Nickelodeon Televises its First NFL Game

Jan 12, 2021
One of the NFC Wild Card games looked a little different this season with the popular kid’s station, Nickelodeon, televising the Bears and Saints game. It was a blast from the past for many fans...

NFL Wild Card Round Preview

Jan 9, 2021
It’s officially time for the NFL playoffs! The Wild Card round starts on Saturday when we will let all the chaos ensue. NFC Wild Card Matchups #2 New Orleans vs. #7 Chicago One of the few matchu...

Alex Smith’s Newest Trophy

Jan 8, 2021
On November 18, 2018, Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith suffered a spiral compound fracture of the tibia & fibula in his right leg on a sack during a game against the Houston Texans....

Which Head Coach Opening Is The Most Desirable?

Jan 6, 2021
With the NFL regular season concluding teams have begun the more darkest stage of the off-season, firing coaches and executives, if they haven’t already. So far the Jaguars, Falcons, Jets, Charg...

NFL Power Rankings: Week 17

Dec 29, 2020
The final week of the regular season. Which means playoffs football! But also means I can’t spend my Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays watching football. As well as spend hours of every other day ...

The Dolphins Are The Epitome Of Team Building

Dec 28, 2020
Team building is certainly a tricky thing. At least for the Dolphins it has been. The two main parts of team building are the draft and free agency. In my years of observing this league and sports in ...

NFL Playoff Predictions: Who Gets In?

Dec 16, 2020
We are only a couple of weeks away from the NFL postseason and with roughly 24 teams still alive, we have an exciting finish on our hands. There are four spots already accounted for, that being the Ch...

NFC East Divisional Odds

Dec 9, 2020
The NFC East this year has been a train wreck. Even with some of the teams getting hot as of late, the two teams atop the division currently sit at paltry 5-7 records. While it is nothing to write hom...

NFL Week 14 Model Projections

Dec 9, 2020
I’ve been building this NFL predictive model for close to two seasons now with great results. I figured that now is as good of a time as any to make these numbers public to help everyone out! NF...

The Top NFL Coaching Hires for 2021

Dec 1, 2020
Through 12 weeks of play, we have seen three head coaches get fired. Bill O’Brien, Dan Quinn, and most recently Matt Patricia. It is also expected to see a lot more guys get the ax before the se...

Will Fuller Facing Six Game Suspension

Nov 30, 2020
The Houston Texans have lost wide receiver Will Fuller V for the rest of the 2020 regular season after he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. The league decided to hand him a six game sus...

Lions and Cowboys: A Thanksgiving Tradition

Nov 25, 2020
Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, food, and football. The NFL makes sure to give us three games every year on that 4th Thursday of November. And every year there are two teams that play no m...

Drew Brees out for multiple weeks

Nov 16, 2020
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffered five fractured ribs on both sides of his chest and a collapsed right lung after Sunday’s win against the San Francisco 49ers, per Ed Werder. Dr...

The Suffer Index: NFL Fanbases

Nov 13, 2020
Being an NFL fan is tough, especially when your team is no better than a dumpster fire. Obviously, being a fan involves immense amounts of emotion, but I want to take the emotion out of it. My questio...

Why Does Adam Gase Still Have A Job?

Nov 6, 2020
It’s no secret that the Adam Gase led New York Jets are far and away the worst football team in the NFL. Their point differential is -144 so far this season. They are on pace to beat the record ...

Le’Veon Bell Inks Deal With Chiefs

Oct 15, 2020
Three time Pro-Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell was recently released from the New York Jets after just over one season with the team. The two time All-Pro inked a one year deal with the Kansas Ci...

Why Did You Doubt Aaron Rodgers?

Oct 7, 2020
Today, on the Pat McAfee Show, Aaron Rodgers said “I sometimes laugh when people talk about down years for me, because a lot of times down years for me are career years for most quarterbacks....

Titans & Vikings Suspending ALL in Person Activity

Sep 29, 2020
After their game this past Sunday the Titans and Vikings have decided to stop all in person work (for now). They stopped due to eight Titans testing positive for COVID-19 earlier within the last 24 ho...

BigHoppa’s Fantasy Football Review: Week 2

Sep 24, 2020
After an awful Week 1 for all 8 of my Fantasy Football teams, I had something to prove. However, that didn’t happen. Technically, we saw improvement, but that’s relative when you’re ...

BigHoppa’s Fantasy Football Review: Week 1

Sep 16, 2020
Folks, there was football played. It was played this past weekend. As someone whose first love was football, I have gone down the deep hole of getting into too many fantasy football leagues. So each w...

Saints Sign Alvin Kamara to Lucrative Extension

Sep 12, 2020
The New Orleans Saints and super star running back Alvin Kamara have come to an agreement on a contract extension keeping the All-Pro in NOLA. The extension is for five more seasons with up to $75 mil...

Baltimore Ravens 2020 Season Preview

Sep 11, 2020
The Ravens came into 2019 with some question marks. After a dud in the playoffs in 2018, Lamar Jackson needed a big “prove it” year. Well, I would assume winning the MVP proved he belongs ...

NFL Predictions

Sep 10, 2020
It is that time of year! After countless hours of podcasts, TV, and reading articles, it is time to put my entire predictions to paper. Obviously, it is a little intimidating to put all this out. Afte...

Lecture Hall 2020 NFL Season Preview

Sep 9, 2020
If you haven’t been listening, you’ve been missing out first of all, but here is a recap of the Lecture Hall boys 2020 NFL Season Preview! Seeding After 7 long weeks, the boys predicted al...

Tennessee Titans 2020 Season Preview

Sep 4, 2020
The Tennessee Titans are coming off a season that saw them incredibly overachieve. In 2019 the Titans managed to appear in the AFC Championship game for first time since 2002, but came up short agains...

Minnesota Vikings 2020 Season Preview

Sep 3, 2020
2019 was an interesting year for the Minnesota Vikings. They came into the season with decent expectations and were expected to compete for the NFC North crown. That did not happen, but they still man...

My First Fantasy Football Auction Draft

Sep 2, 2020
On Tuesday night I attempted a fantasy football auction draft for the first time. This is my long-standing home league and for years I have been the person pushing for an auction draft. Because 2020 h...

Atlanta Falcons 2020 Season Preview

Aug 31, 2020
From a technical perspective, the Atlanta Falcons have put together a historic offense. They boast a former first round pick at 10 out of the 11 offensive positions. The Falcons finished off the seaso...

Las Vegas Raiders 2020 Season Preview

Aug 31, 2020
No team underwent more changes than the Oakland Las Vegas Raiders this past season. While they signed numerous free agents, the biggest change was leaving The Town for the Vegas Strip. Although many f...

Yannick Ngakoue Finally Gets His Wish

Aug 30, 2020
Former Jacksonville Jaguars star Yannick Ngakoue finally gets out of Jacksonville, just like he wanted. On Sunday morning the Jaguars traded Yannick Ngakoue to the Vikings in exchange for a 2021 secon...

Detroit Lions 2020 NFL Season Preview

Aug 30, 2020
2019 Finish and Record: The Detroit Lions finished the 2019-2020 season with a record of 3-12-1 (No Playoffs) for a poor winning percentage of .219. Detroit finished dead last in the NFC North. Return...

Miami Dolphins 2020 Season Preview

Aug 30, 2020
The Miami Dolphins finished 2019 at 5-11 and look to improve in their second year under Brian Flores. Returning Starters: 12 (5 offense/7 defense) Key Additions: Byron Jones, Kyle Van Noy, Emmanuel Og...

Several NFL Teams Cancel Practice Symbolically

Aug 27, 2020
On Thursday morning, several NFL teams decided to call off scheduled practices for the day. The Cardinals, Colts, Jets,Washington Football Team, Titans, Bears, Broncos, Chargers and Packers were the t...

Jacksonville Jaguars 2020 Season Preview

Aug 27, 2020
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been voted 32nd in the Student Union power rankings. The NFL season is upon us and that means anything can happen. Well, almost anything. Many of our esteemed writers hav...

More Beef? Adam Gase vs. Media

Aug 26, 2020
Let’s be real, Adam Gase is an odd dude. Gase is likely coaching for his job this season and the pressure is most certainly on. Jets Reporter Rich Cimini asked a seemingly normal question when t...

Ian Rapoport vs. Jerry Jones

Aug 25, 2020
A new kind of fight is brewing around NFL training camp, but it does not involve any players. The news and rumors surrounding Earl Thomas and many assumed he would be heading to Dallas. Ian Rapoport t...

Cardinals Make Budda Baker Highest Paid Safety

Aug 25, 2020
On the morning of August 25, the Arizona Cardinals decided to make Budda Baker the NFL’s highest paid safety. The Cardinals extended Baker on a 4- year deal worth $59 million with $33.1 million ...

Earl Thomas the Free Agent

Aug 23, 2020
Former Ravens star safety Earl Thomas was sent home from Thursday’s practice following a fight with position-mate Chuck Clark. When the Ravens returned for practice on Friday Thomas was no where...

Patriots Won’t Host Any Fans This September

Aug 18, 2020
Despite the New England Patriots initial plan of hosting 20% of their stadium’s capacity on July 14. Gillette Stadium officials announced today that no fans will be attending stadium events this...

Travis Kelce: First Purchase on His New Contract

Aug 15, 2020
Following a season in which Travis Kelce had over 1,200 yards with 5 touchdowns, a Second team All-Pro selection, and a Super Bowl victory. The Chiefs rewarded Kelce on a 4 year extension worth $57 mi...

George Kittle Inks Record Extension

Aug 13, 2020
On Thursday super star tight end,George Kittle, signed a 5 year extension worth $75 million with $30 million guaranteed at signing, per Ian Rapoport. Kittle managed to secure the largest contract ever...

Washington Releases Derrius Guice

Aug 7, 2020
The Washington Football Team announced Friday evening that they would be releasing RB Derrius Guice. The release came following Guice turning himself in on domestic violence charges Friday afternoon. ...

Aaron Rodgers’ Future in Green Bay

Aug 5, 2020
In the 2020 NFL draft the Green Bay Packers decided to trade up in the first round to get their guy. Instead of drafting Aaron Rodgers his very first 1st round weapon, their “guy” ended up being R...

Damien Williams Latest Chief to Opt-Out

Jul 30, 2020
The Kansas City Chiefs once again have another starting offensive player opt-out of the 2020 season. This time it’s running-back Damien Williams who has announced that he is opting out of the se...

6 Patriots Will Sit Out of 2020 Season (so far)

Jul 28, 2020
The New England Patriots and Bill Belichick will go into the 2020 season without two veteran defenders. The two vets are starting players (SS) Patrick Chung and (IBL) Dont’a Hightower. They are ...

Jets Deal Jamal Adams to Seahawks

Jul 25, 2020
The New York Jets have finally granted their (former) super star safety, Jamal Adams, the wish that he asked for over a month ago. After months of contract disputes, the 1st team all pro informed the ...

NFL Set to Return in 2020

Jul 24, 2020
The NFL will be returning this fall, while the NCAA and high-school programs are still scrambling to find a healthy concrete plan to have football this fall. The NFLPA player representatives approved ...

Antonio Brown Retiring (again)?

Jul 20, 2020
Former NFL superstar WR Antonio Brown is back in the headlines by claiming he’s hanging up the cleats. Antonio took to Twitter to announce the “news”. “Is it time to walk away ...

Derrick Henry and The Titans Beat The Buzzer

Jul 15, 2020
July 15th 2020- Derrick Henry was the next big named franchise tagged player, next to Dak Prescott and Chris Jones. The two parties were able to agree to a 4 year extension worth $50 million before th...

Chris Jones The Newest Chief to Ink Extension

Jul 15, 2020
July 14 2020- The Chiefs are back giving out an extension just 8 days after extending Mahomes to the largest contract in sports history. The deadline to extend this year’s franchise tagged playe...

The “Redskins” Have Retired

Jul 13, 2020
July 13th, 2020 – Washington’s football team finally decided to drop the nickname “Redskins”, after 10 days of announcing they would be doing a thorough review on the club’s name. A majo...

Cam Newton is a Patriot

Jul 5, 2020
The NFL season lives in the hypothetical, much like almost every other sport during COVID. New England dropped us a bomb shell when it was announced that Cam Newton would be signing with the team. The...

What Does Cam Newton to the Patriots Mean?

Jun 30, 2020
On what seemed to be another quiet Sunday without football on June 28th, the Patriots (of course) made some noise by signing veteran free agent quarterback and former 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton. The Patr...

Zachary Spiecker’s Big Board 1.0

Apr 2, 2020
As of now, the NFL draft is still happening on April 23rd, 2020. And as long as the draft is going to happen, we’re going to write about it. This big board isn’t based on positional value ...

Jordan Love: 2020 NFL Draft Breakdown

Mar 2, 2020
2019 Stats: 3,402 yard 20 TDs 17 ints 62% comp pct Overview Starting off his high school career, Jordan Love stood at 5’6” and weighed 145 lbs. He did not receive a whole lot of national attention...

Eli Manning: Remembering an Ole Miss Legend

Jan 24, 2020
On Friday an Ole Miss legend, Eli Manning, announced his retirement from the NFL. Manning’s lasting legacy will be his two Super Bowl victories over the New England Patriots, but he will have a ...

Not Bad for a Running Back

Dec 16, 2019
Will the Ravens Quarterback, Lamar Jackson, leave his legacy with Baltimore and the NFL by winning the Most Valuable Player award in 2019? Lamar Jackson is only in his second season with the Baltimore...

Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry: Reunited

Mar 13, 2019
My favorite wide receiver tandem of all time is BACK. 2013 is my second favorite college football season behind only the fabled 2007 season. There were so many things that made 2013 such a magical yea...

Will New Helmet Rules Affect Football in the Longrun

Aug 16, 2018
The NFL’s Hall of Fame game against the Baltimore Ravens and the Chicago Bears saw the debut of a couple new helmet rules. The first: a player cannot lower his helmet to initiate contact. The second...

Jerry Rice Talking About a Return Makes me Wonder

Jun 30, 2018
Recently one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL, Jerry Rice made a wild yet not totally unrealistic claim. The 55-year-old said that he could still play in the NFL. Also, former teammat...

Johnny Football is Back(ish)

May 19, 2018
Johnny Manziel took a big step in his attempt at an NFL comeback this week, announcing that he is signing a two-year contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football league, as first rep...

Dear Joey Freshwater: Volume VI

Apr 1, 2018
We’re back, folks! After a few weeks on the job for me and a few weeks of off-the-grid redneck shenanigans for Joey, we’ve returned to give you an Easter edition of the best question and a...

The Student Union Sports Podcast: Trivia Edition

Feb 6, 2018
Todays Episode of the Student Union Sports Podcast features the first round of the Student Union Trivia Tournament of Champions (Its a working title…) Writers competing include Johnny Rambos, PJ...

Dear Joey Freshwater: Volume I

Jan 26, 2018
For most of the editions of The Hangover that I published during football season, a mysterious figure named Joey Freshwater, a Crimson Tide fan from Eutaw, Alabama, provided his commentary on that wee...

Rosen and Darnold Declare For NFL

Jan 4, 2018
Two days removed from the College Football Playoff semi-finals, both Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold declared for the NFL draft. The two Pac-12 quarterbacks are actually the two youngest of the elite quart...

2017 PAC-12 Championship Preview: USC vs Stanford

Dec 1, 2017
USC is looking to win its first conference championship since 2011 while Stanford is trying to win its 4th conference title in seven years, extending their decade long dominance over the PAC-12 confer...