The Final Four is set...Thanks to These Guys

So we have the Final Four set for next weekend! Another great March Madness coming to an end, this one particularly entertaining especially the Elite Eight games. All of them coming down to the final minutes which left all of us on the edge of our seats clinging to our brackets. Thanks to these four MVP's, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan State and Duke are all dancin' in Indy.

Wisconsin- Sam Dekker.
This kid was in a zone you really only see on NBA 2K! He was knocking down moon shots from all over. Step backs to contested 3's he carried the Badgers in the second half to victory. 5-6 from deep and 27 points, the 6'9" swing man really made a name for himself and showed that Kentucky might have its hands full on Saturday.

Kentucky- Karl(Winslow)-Anthony Towns.
He was a beast in the post all game for the Cats. ND decided not to double him and he made them pay. He didn't miss a shot in the second half and every time Kentucky needed a bucket, the fed the big man. He had ONE point against West Virginia so I guess he was letting everyone(especially Wisconsin) know that he is going to be a problem on Saturday.

Michigan State- Their second-half defense.
Watching this game, especially in the second half, I was amazed every time I looked at the score Louisville was still winning. The Cards scored 3 buckets in the first 16 minutes of the second half, all on breakaway steals that led to layups. Other than that and 9 points at the line, The Spartan defense was LOCK DOWN! They forced Louisville into continuous bad shots and didn't give up second chance opportunities. They don't have 1 supreme defender, as a team, they are a supreme defense that moves on a string. Duke better watch out, Izzo has a knack for big-game victories

Duke- Matt Jones
Sometimes, you need a role player or an "unknown" to step up and that is exactly what Jones did. Knocking down 4 big triples, he helped Duke advance to its 12th Final Four. With Okafor, (Carl) Winslow and now Jones all playing great, the MSU defense better come to play again, otherwise Coach K will be dancing all the way to Monday night!

Top 5 Friday...Best College Basketball Coaches under 50

We have started our "Top 5 Friday" and this week we're looking at the Top 5 College Basketball Coaches under 50 years old. With March Madness in full madness, this is a perfect time to explore who the best young coaches are.

5- Buzz Williams Virgina Tech
Aside from being probably one of the sweatiest coaches in college basketball, he is also one of the most passionate coaches. He continuously has his programs competitive and playing hard. He hasn't gotten to the promise land yet, but he is still young enough (42) to get a few opportunities. He might, however, need to tone down the jumping and plyometrics on the sidelines as he continues to get older.


4-Fred Hoiberg Iowa State

This district attorney for Gotham...O wait, it's not the same guy? Sorry I thought that they were the same person. Anyways, Hoiberg has taken Iowa State from a relatively unknown school to a team that is always relevant come March! He has done a great job with this program and at the young age of 42, has plenty of time left to build on his success...And save Gotham!


3- Shaka Smart VCU
I think if there was one college coach I would want to play for, it would be Smart. He not only loves the in-your-face style of defense, but he seems to engage with his players unlike other coaches in todays era. He has an energy and grit to him that makes him desirable to play for. He has done wonders for VCU and put them on the map in terms of an Atlantic 10 powerhouse.



2- Archie Miller Dayton
Younger brother of Sean Miller, it seems as though the Miller family just breeds great coaches. Archie has turned Dayton into one of the best teams in the A10 and consistently they are dancing come March. As unfortunate as it is, he might be so good for Dayton that other, bigger programs could try to scoop him up for more $$$. As an alum of an A10 team myself, THE ST. BONAVENTURE BONNIES, I hope he stays because he is great for the Atlantic 10 and Dayton.

1- Sean Miller Arizona
The OLDER brother of Archie Miller, this guy can straight coach! He got his start at Xavier where he basically dominated the A10 conference for a few years. He got his big break being hired at Arizona trying to fill the shoes of the great Lute Olsen. It's a tough task to follow a legend, however, Miller is paving his own way in leading his Wildcats to yet another Sweet 16 with aspirations higher than that! Miller (S) is in a fantastic spot to continue a run of greatness being at a big-time school while also being wildly successful! This is the type of situation I could see playing out for his younger brother Archie in the near future.

PS...Do those eyes not just SCREAM success!?

Throwdown Thursday - Fore!!

Throwdown - Alternate Shot (9 holes)

Matchup - Mcilroy & Barkley vs. Barker & Gilmore

The NBA is evolving, and THE FLOP is leading the way.

As someone who has watched basketball for over 20 years, played basketball both competitively and for fun, and also currently coaches, I've found it incredibly disheartening to see the evolution of basketball the past 20 years. It's gone from the physical "grit and grind" type game it was with the Bad Boy Pistons, to the "clear path" nonsense its become. Leading the attack in how soft the NBA has become...THE FLOP.

The art of The Flop was perfected by guys like Vlade Divac and continued by Manu Ginobili and others- a lot of foreign players who probably learned The Flop from the soccer field. Let's be honest, European players are much more prone to The Flop due to the incessant acting that they see/participate in as they are growing up playing soccer. It obviously parlays over to the basketball court and has taken the NBA by storm. It is comical to now see guys like James Harden, Chris Paul and even Lebron James do ANYTHING they can to get a competitive advantage. These are some of the best players in the NBA and they are throwing themselves out of bounds and flailing their arms and bodies all over the court, just to get to the line or draw a foul. When one isn't called, they act as though everyone else is stupid when in fact, its them who look like clowns. I can almost guarantee that Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and players from the early 90's are shaking their heads when they see this pathetic display of "competition." 

Right now, there are only a few of the "old school" mentality type of players left. Kobe, Duncan, The Truth Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, are guys that have competed the right way and won championships. This new-school wave of players is more worried about the amount of twitter followers they have, rather than how many rings they are trying to get. The Flop is a symbol of where the NBA is going. The NBA is moving to a league where its damn near impossible to get physical with anyone without it being a foul/flagrant/suspension. THEY REVIEW EVERYTHING! I can only imagine what they would call common fouls from the late 80s/early 90s right now. Clear path fouls. Flagrant 1. All these ridiculous terms that have been implemented for whatever reason are watering down this great game. It's getting so bad that I have kids on my 6th-8th grade team who ask me, "should I work on my flopping to try to get calls?" I made them run 5 suicides for that comment!

Adam Silver seems like he is going to do right by the NBA. He was given a product that is getting worse in my opinion. I understand that David Stern did a lot to revive the NBA from the mid-80s, however, where the NBA is now is not where the saviors of MJ, Bird and Magic wanted it to be. The NHL embraces fighting and the NFL is obviously a contact sport. Why is the NBA so afraid of a little contact, pushing and shoving and a scuffle from time to time? 

I don't know whats wrong with a little physicality! 

Back to the Future - Tiger Woods 2015

You would be hard pressed to find even a casual PGA fan that wouldn't argue that at one point, Tiger Woods had the game of Golf by the fingertips. When he wasn't atop the leaderboard, you would hear more rumbles of "Where's Tiger" than "Who's actually winning" (and to some degree, this is still the case). Since then and in the wake of other off-course issues, Tiger Woods now finds himself a 39 year old 14 time Major winner nursing a few strains, bumps & bruises and looking to find his former self (on the course at least..) and make his comeback.

In that sense, once left to wonder, is Tigers former self good enough? Sounds crazy I know, but so long are the days where Tiger will have the tournaments won on the first tee based on his physical skills and dedication alone. You can't ignore what Tiger has done for the game of golf but if there is a comeback to be had, Tiger not only has to find his game from the glory days, but he would be foolish to think even if he does, Sundays would be a runaway victory. 

Believe it or not, Tiger has himself to thank for this. In essentially captivating the world and putting golf back on the map, Tigers fame gave rise to the now generation of Golfers looking to follow in the footsteps of their childhood idol and steal the headlines. McIlroy, Fowler, Johnson, Scott, Day, Spieth, Kaymer to name a few.

While many experts argue that Tiger is "finished" and that his fall from immortality was inevitable, others see Tiger primed for a second act in 2015 and after all, who doesn't like a good comeback story. I can't say that Tiger is down for the count. Also can't say I'm pulling for the guy to be a lifer on the DNP list plagued with injuries. What I can say though is that IF Tiger is able to return back to his former self, there are a gauntlet of young talented players that are primed to steal his thunder and one is left to wonder - will the Tiger of old be good enough to dethrone the new era field that now stands in his way of Major #15..? Golf season is again upon us! Chapter 1: The Masters - April 9th 

16 teams left, what if we were to build a starting five of the best players remaining?

PG - Jerian Grant - Notre Dame



Honorable Mention - T.J McConnell - Arizona, Delon Wright - Utah, Travis Trice - MSU



This position is absolutely stacked.   So much so that you could have gone in a few different directions here.  Kevin Pangos doesn't even make the cut nor does Terry Rozier who has been lights out.  I decided to leave Terry off the list because he just recently got thrown into the PG spot with the cutting of Chris Jones at Lville.  Marcus Paige has been solid too as has Tyus Jones from Duke.  However, at the end of the day Jerian Grant poses the biggest threat at the PG position.  He is probably the best pro prospect of any of these guys and one that can put ND on his back.  Love TJ, Delon and Travis as well.  It's going to be a great seeing all of these guys battle against each other moving forward.



SG - Buddy Hield - Oklahoma



Honorable Mention - Aaron Harrison - Kentucky, Norman Powell - UCLA



Was hoping GA State could pull out the win on Saturday so we could have put RJ Hunter at the top of the list but Buddy Hield isn't a bad option.  One of the better pure shooters in college basketball Buddy can take over any game with his abilities.  This kid from the Bahahmas looks like he will transition nicely into the NBA.  Hield’s a big reason why Oklahoma is in its first sweet 16 since the days of Blake Griffin back in 09'.



SF - Stanley Johnson - Arizona



Honorable Mention - Sam Dekker - Wisconsin, Rondae Hollis - Jefferson - Arizona, Pat Connaughton - Notre Dame



Another position with some solid depth.  Brandon Dawson from MSU is a name that you don't see on this list that very well could have been.  The other three Honorable Mentions are great players in their own right but Stanley Johnson is the cream of the crop.  6'8 freshman that can do a little bit of everything, going 4-5 from three in Arizona's first matchup and grabbing 10 boards on Saturday against OSU. He blocks shots, comes up with big time steals - this guy can really impact a game.  Arizona has 4 legit NBA prospects and that doesn't even include TJ McConnell (see above).



PF - Karl -Anthony Towns - Kentucky



Honorable Mention - Trey Lyles - Kentucky, Domantas Sabonis - Gonzaga, Kyle Wiltjer - Gonzaga



KAT is one of the more dynamic big men we have seen in quite some time. 7 Footer that can run the floor extremely well, likely to be the first or second pick in this coming draft.  Love Wiltjer's game being able to step out and hit from 3 but I just don't think he or anyone else can make the impact that Karl does on the defensive end.



C - Jahlil Okafor - Duke



Honorable Mention - Frank Kaminsky - Wisconsin, Willie Cauley - Stein - Kentucky, TaShawn Thomas - Oklahoma



Toss up in my opinion between Kaminsky and Okafor.  You can’t really going wrong with either guy but the reason I went with Okafor was based purely on their success so far in this tournament.  Both guys have been phenomenal but Okafor is a whopping 21-27 from the field so far in this tournament!  Duke will make it to the final four if he keeps putting the ball through the hoop at that clip.



Thoughts?  Anyone I leave out?

Happy Monday

Throwdown Thursday - March Madness

2v2 - March Madness

Morris Peterson & Mateen Cleaves

Juan Dixon & Steve Blake

The Road to Indianapolis- A bit too long!

Officially, the 2015 March Madness tournament begins today featuring the Hampton Pirates vs. the Manhattan Jaspers. The first of 4 "first round matchups" that have been also coined the "play-in games". While you would hear no argument from me if you said March Madness was the greatest event in modern sports, I can't help but argue that the NCAA is walking a thin rope in expanding the tournament to 68 teams. Let me explain:

1. First and foremost I got to just say it, its extremely confusing to the casual fan (who this event prides itself on attracting). By default then calling the round of 64 the "second round match ups", is ridiculous seeing that 60 of those 64 teams have yet to step on the court. 

2. In expanding the field to 68, its not like your are adding spots for the top 4 teams. With the 36 at large bids, you are ensuring a spot for basically the 33rd-36th best teams (ignoring conference winners). Last time I checked, if your the 33rd best at anything, someone better be in your ear telling you to try something else because lets face it, you just don't stack up. Aside from the $$$ aspect, why its so hard for someone to not hand out 33rd place trophies is beyond me. Frankly, it takes away from those that put up the resume to deserve it. 

3. Thirdly and perhaps most importantly - Lets be honest,  NOBODY cares about these games! Nothing much else to say there. 

I beg the NCAA to scale back this to the usual 64 teams and make the tough decisions come selection Sunday. Again, I will admit, I get the $$ side of it rules all, but at the risk of turning the regular season into some watered down prequel to a free for all 128 team bracket - Enough already! 64 teams was already plenty. If a 14 loss team that was good in the early 90's has any beef with that, hit the weights and come back next year. 

The OTHER NFL Combine...Defensive Edition

So we had some conversations about who would be a solid NFL Player from the NBA. We discussed the offensive side of the ball, now lets take a look at the ball hawking and pass rushing defenders who, from the NBA, have some unique talents that could transfer well over the National Football League.

DT- Glenn Davis (NFL Equivalent- Vince Wilfork)
The only reason I chose this one is because Big Baby is one of the biggest (Fattest) players in the NBA and could probably do some damage clogging up the middle to make it difficult to run the ball.

DE- Kawhi Leonard (NFL Equivalent JJ Watt)
Leonard is becoming a BEAST and with his size and speed, he could wreak havoc on any QB. Not to mention, those mitts jumping up to bat balls down like Watt does!



MLB- Lebron James (NFL Equivalent....Again, no one!)
This guy is such a freak he could play either side of the ball and would be a Pro Bowler! He is physical enough to help stop the run and take on blockers, and athletic enough to cover a TE or a RB out of the backfield. He, isn't, human!

CB1- Chris Paul (NFL Equivalent- Joe Haden)
To be a CB in the NFL, you need to have SWAG! You have to not only be physical and quick, you have to have that certain moxy about you where you KNOW you will shut down the opposing teams best players. CP3 has that pittbull mentality that is required to play CB.

CB2- Patrick Beverley (NFL Equivalent Richard Sherman)
Only fitting that I dislike both of these loud mouths, but they are very similar in their game personalities. Up-in-your-face mentality while also letting you know all about it is exactly how both of these guys play. I personally think both are vastly overrated...but that's neither here nor there. Beverley has the confidence (and mouth) needed to shut down pretty much anyone.


SS- Tony Allen (NFL Equivalent Kam Chancellor)
Chancellor is a one-man wrecking crew! Like him, Tony Allen is physical and powerful. His tenacity, drive and heart makes him a player that could come into the box and stuff any running play!

FS- Russel Westbrook (NFL Equivalent...None)
There isn't a player in the NFL who is like Westbrook...I don't think there is a human on Earth that is like him! He is on another level. I think that all 32 NFL teams are glad that Westbrook didn't try the gridiron over the hardwood. Imagine Russel patrolling the middle of the football field looking to intercept pretty much anything and tackle anyone he could...SCARY!

What do you think???

Patriots continued success means more chaos for the rest of the AFC East

This has been an eventful first few days of free agency to say the least. Blockbuster trades, surprising signings and interesting coaching decisions have highlighted a number of moves that could change some of the landscape of the NFL. One thing, however, that most likely wont change, is the dominance of the Defending Champion New England Patriots over the AFC EAST. This is because, even though the Jets, Bills and Fins have significantly upgraded, while some could say that the Pats took a step back losing their starting CBs, the Pats still have number 12 behind center while the Bills and Jets are scrambling to find a guy, and the Fins are just keeping their fingers crossed that they did find the guy.

We are aware that the Bills resigned Hughes and got Shady and everything looks promising in Buffalo. We do also realize that they also signed Matt Cassel who, I dont think is the second coming of Mr. Kelly. Their defense was dominant last year, no question, however, their offense is still shaky a little bit and without an answer at QB, they will continue to chase the Pats and Brady.

The Jets made a few great moves to bolster their secondary (Sometimes I am not sure if the Jets realize there are other positions on the field other than cornerback.) Either way, signing Revis and the infamous father who can't name his own children, Cromartie, as well as Buster Skrine, the Jets have a great, lockdown group. In a passing league, this is always helpful. Getting B.Marsh is a big upgrade too, however, same situation with the Bills, without having a QB that can get him the ball, they will continue to be the rabbit that is chasing the carrot (The Pats)

The Fins (my team, and I am trying to not be biased here) did a great job of signing SUH, a corner from the Steelers in Brice McCain as well as Jordan Cameron to beef up their offense. As recently as 10 miuntes ago, they just traded for, in my opinion, a STUD WR from the Saints Kenny Stills. Even with all that $$$ they spend and the moves they made, their biggest bank roll is whether or not Ryan Tannehill is going to be the guy they can ride for the next 10 years. If he is, they are in a prime place to overtake the Pats, if hes not, then the fins are going to be at the bottom of the AFC East for years to come!

Bottom line, the Jets, Bills and Fins have done a lot to help their chances to dethrone the Pats this season. With the Brady/Belichick combo still pumping out division titles and Super Bowls with almost what sometimes seems to be makeshift rosters, these 3 wanna be champs will continue to be looking up at the greatest Player/Head Coach combo ever...maybe in any sport! (Topic for another day)

Throwdown Thursday - 500

500 - the schoolyard football game of "up for grabs". Despite what the rulebook says, this is full contact:

Game- 500 

Matchup- 

Megatron (6'5'') 
vs. 
DeAndre Jordan (6'11'')

Class is back in session

FREE AGENCY BEGINS WITH A BANG...

We have all been patiently waiting for this day to come and boy did it not disappoint.  Too many moves to account for but man does this have me itching for some pigskin.  Is it September yet?  How important it is to win in Free agency will remain to be seen but no doubt some teams are off to a fast start.  Big thanks to everyone that has taken time to read our articles.  We, like Free Agency are off to a fast start and hope to one day land a similar contract that Suh just signed in Miami.  Until then it's back to the drawing board. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts...

DAY 1 WINNERS/LOSERS

WINNERS

NEW YORK JETS 

The Jets just locked in a familiar face and one that happens to be the best corner in the game.  Really doesn’t matter what happens from here on out this move is huge.  Also am hearing that Cromartie could be on his way back to the NYJ as well.  AFC East is gearing up to make Tom Brady’s season a living hell.  Don’t sleep on the acquisition of Brandon Marshall either.  B Marsh gets a lot of flake for his off the field antics but no one can contest his dedication on the field.  Played most of last year on one leg and played at a very high level.

BUFFALO BILLS

Could be some bias here but hard to argue that day 1 was nothing but a success.  Jerry Hughes returns to one of the NFL’s best front lines. Couple that with the acquisition of Shady McCoy, and we now see a plan in place for our Bills.  Ground and Pound with Shady and Freddy and play dominant defense.  If anyone is going to break the mold on getting to the playoffs without a QB it will be the Bills this year.  That roster is stacked.

ST LOUIS RAMS

Finally found their QB of the future in Foles and didn't have to give up all that much in doing so.  We all know the Rams were scared to death about Bradfords current deal (on his way to being cut anyway?) and it looks like Philly was more than willing to take that off their hands.  We will see where Bradford lands.  Something tells me his last stop will not be in Philly.  Cleveland anyone?  Still think Chip will find a way to land Mariotta.

UNDER THE RADAR MOVES THAT WIILL HELP

ATL FALCONS

Signing of Brooks Reed and Justin Durant give the falcons and their awful defense their starting LBs for the next few years.  My pick for surprise team of 2015 looks like they are off to a good start.  Just need to work on shoring up that O line to keep Matty Ice upright because you know Dan Quinn will bring some immediate credibility to that defense.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers

Torrey Smith gets to team back up with Anquan Boldin where they dominated during their stints with Baltimore.  Beginning to see a trend here?  Everyone heading back to where it all began.  Just wish the Bills were that lucky and could somehow find a way to lure Gronk back to where his football days all began.

NEW YORK GIANTS

The addition of Shane Vareen adds another dimension to the Giants and what Eli and OC Ben McAdoo will look to do.  Finally have a threat to catch balls outta the backfield.  One they envisioned David Wilson would be before injuries took him off the field.  Shane Vareen will be loved by Giants fans and I think you'll see him on the field more often than not. 

LOSERS

NOLA

Franchise under water had to make the move but losing the best target in football will certainly leave a mark.  Who knows maybe Marques Colston has a rebirth but right now Drew is looking for weapons.

SAN FRANCISCO

As much as I love the Torrey move they certainly did pay him quite a bit of money.  With that said, that is the least of their problems.  Losing the talent of Willis and Justin Smith on the defensive side of the ball will hurt.  Frank Gore was getting up there in age so letting him walk was probably the right move but the loss of Iupati will leave a big hole on that line for whoever comes in next year.

JAGUARS

If there is anything I have learned from being a Bills fan it is that no matter how hard you try some guys just don't wanna play for you or your bad team.  The Jags are going through that right now, but there is also something to be said for being patient.  Throwing out a ton of money for a guy who got to play under Peyton Manning for two years?  Granted he put up some great numbers but plug in anyone with Peyton and Tom Brady and they're surely to produce something.  Julius is good but I'd be shocked if his numbers are half of what they were last year.

TEAMS THAT WILL BE MAKING A SPLASH IN THE COMING DAYS

PHILLY

Something crazy is going to happen here soon.  Either that or the city of Philly will burn to the ground

OAK AND JAX

Does anyone want to play for these guys?  More money to spend then any other organization and they cant seem to get their hands on anyone.  I think that changes here shortly.  Demarco Murray anyone?  Del Rio will find a way to get him to Oakland is my assumption here.

MOTOWN LIONS

The move to grab Haloti Ngata will help stop the bleeding from Suh bolting but they do now have quite a bit of money to spend. 

...love to hear everyone's thoughts

I’m expecting a lot of heat from nothing on the Suh to Miami move and quite honestly I'm torn.   I would say this is TBD.  What else can Miami do this offseason?  How strapped will they be moving forward on this deal?  No doubt they got one hell of a talent.

Happy Hump day everyone

The OTHER NFL Combine

So everyone is, for whatever reason, enamored with the NFL combine right now as they watch to see who their teams are going to draft in a few months. With zero pads and zero defense, I don't think the combine is a true representation of what the NFL is going to be for these kids but, whatever. I've decided to take a look at the OTHER NFL Combine, the NBA, and try to correlate who in the NBA would also be able to handle Sunday afternoons on the gridiron. Now I am sure others will have opinions on this, and they are welcome to share, but this is my edition of NBA players in the NFL.

QB- Kevin Love (NFL Equivalent- Joe Flacco)
If anyone has seen Kevin Love play over his career, you know he is a master of the outlet pass as seen here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99iT6DQj6Zo

This guy is country strong and makes full-court passes on a dime to his teammates with little to know effort. Imagine what he could do with a 7 step drop to a streaking Calvin Johnons!
Backup- Chris Paul.

RB-Kyle Lowry (NFL Equivalent- MJD..in his prime)
Lowry has the thick build of an NFL bruising running back. With his quickness and his strength, he would be sure to break some tackles running behind almost any offensive line.
Backup- Marcus Smart



WR1- DeAndre Jordan (NFL Equivalent Calvin Johnson)
This guy is a FREAK athlete! His ability to go get literally anything, it wont matter if it's Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler or Mark Sanchez.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIDS3q3F0H4 ...DAMN!


WR2- Leandro Barbosa (NFL Equivalent Antonio Brown)
The Brazilian Blurr as he is called, is one of the fastest guys in the NBA. His ability to get past the defense would be a benefit to any QB looking to get a quick 6 points.

WR3- Jimmy Butler (NFL Equivalent Anquan Boldin)
One of the more physical perimeter players in the NBA, Butler has a knack for not only creating contact, but having the ability to take a hit as well. Leading the league in minutes played, he surely has the stamina to make those crossing routes and big 3rd down catches.



WR4- Steph Curry( NFL Equivalent Wes Welker)
If anyone didn't see Curry's play this past Sunday...WOW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NudiJUlxb10

With moves like that, he would be able to get open against any type of defense...and shown in the clip, he will finish the play!

TE- Lebron James (NFL Equivalent...None)
There is no NFL Equivalent to Lebron, lets be honest, he could probably strap on shoulder pads and go play on Sundays right now if he wanted. He could probably make Gronk look human.

So obviously I went with a spread formation here with 4 wide receivers, but they don't all have to play at the same time. I would welcome others to see where I was on to something, and where I could be way off. Tune in soon for the defensive side of the ball!

Does the Jerry Hughes Signing Mark the Beginning of an Era in Buffalo?

Greetings from the 4th blogger on 2 Eggs, Toast and Homefield Advantage. To answer your questions: 1) Yes I do in fact exist, 2) Yes I intend to focus on the NFL, MLB, and NCAA, 3) Yes I am a Bills, Yankees, and Syracuse fan, and inherently have some level of bias to those teams, and 4) Yes I do my best to remain objective despite those bias' (you be the judge of that at the end of this blog).

Now moving on...

If you overslept your 4AM alarm that you set this morning to make sure you were up for any NFL free agency news (sleep is for quitters), it's possible you missed that the Bills re-signed Jerry Hughes to a 5 year, $45M deal with $22M in guarantees. Bottom line; at $9M/year average salary, this is a serious win for the Buffalo Bills. With Hughes arguably the #1 edge rusher available in free agency this year, maybe even before JPP was franchise tagged by the Giants, a $9M/year average salary at a time where teams are paying for QB pressures/sacks feels low. As Vic Carruci of the Buffalo News reports, this may in fact have been driven by Hughes' desire to remain a Buffalo Bill.

News that a player wants to remain in Buffalo is not something that you typically hear. A combination of the upstate NY weather, the unfavorable state tax rate, and 15 years of a losing culture (maybe that last one should have been listed first?) has kept high profile free agents away from Buffalo for a long time. So why would a highly touted edge rusher give Buffalo what seems like a hometown discount? Two words: Rex Ryan.

Everyone knows Rex has a reputation for being a 'players coach' and someone that players love to grind for. While that may be true, that's not enough for a guy like Hughes to leave $2-$3M/year on the table. What may be enough though, is the thought of being a part of a record-setting defense that leads a team to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. I already know the response to that last statement: "But Blair, you're acting like the typical Bills fan, calling playoffs the second something positive happens in Buffalo." 

Fair, but riddle me this: If Ryan was able to coach his talent-lacking '13 and '14 Jets defense's to an 11th and 6th ranking respectively (on a yards/game basis), what can he do with a unit that over the same time frame lead the league in sacks (111), forced 60 total turnovers (3rd best), and finished 10th and 4th in total yards allowed per game? Simply looking at the discrepancy in edge rushing talent between the Jets and Bills over the last two years is enough to make anyone wonder just how good this defense can be. The Hughes/Williams combination averaged 126.0 Hurries/Hits/Sacks the last two years, versus the Pace/Coples combination at 74.5 over the same time frame. Upgrade anyone?

At the end of the day, Jerry Hughes is coming back to a team that took a chance by trading for him from Indy in 2013, ultimately reigniting his career. He's signed on for five years to play for one of the best defensive minded coaches in football, and with a unit that has emerged as the most threatening pass rush in the game. If the Bills keep their aggressive approach to free agency alive and sign some more beef up front to block for new RB Lesean McCoy, and maybe a pass catching TE as well, the 'Bills to the playoffs in 2015' call might end up not being so crazy after all.

P.S. This blog sets up the worlds easiest rebuttal.....

Bidder Beware!!

It's hard to believe there is chatter again about making SIGNIFICANT moves to move up to snag another unconventional QB (Mariota) come draft day.  If history is any indication, you can bet the mortgage this won't come cheap (just ask the Redskins). As part of the RG3 trade in 2012, the Rams were able to score BIG by moving back just just 4 spots to then move back 8 more spots to then...well actually, just check out the picture:

I will be the first to admit, locking down a franchise QB should be priority 1 for teams that don't have one already. Having said that, if it comes at too steep of a price - how much better off are you long term (again, just ask Washington)?? For whatever its worth, consider this a firm warning to Chip Kelly and the Eagles (Who seem to be in line to be the highest bidder) that if this goes through and is anything short of a grand slam - I'd be on the lookout for that pink slip in the locker (and frankly, in the NFL as well).