AROUND THE NFL

Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic has 20 bold predictions for 2020 out, and he will spot them in below where appropriate and interesting.  You can read them all here.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

A bold prediction from Sheil Kapadia:

10. The Bears trade for Nick Foles

Publicly, they’ve said they’re committed to Mitch Trubisky. What else are they going to say? Trubisky had the third-worst Total QBR last season and finished 30th in adjusted net yards per attempt. Counting on him to bounce back in 2020 with no other viable option on the team would be front-office malpractice. The Bears are in a tricky spot. They don’t want to admit their mistake with Trubisky and add someone to be the unquestioned starter. But they also don’t want to put all their eggs in Trubisky’s basket. Enter Foles. The Jaguars will have to take a financial hit, but they can at least get something in return for him as they move forward with Gardner Minshew. Matt Nagy coached Foles in Kansas City. New Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was Foles’ quarterbacks coach when he threw 27 touchdown passes and two interceptions in 2013. New Bears quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo was Foles’ coach when he won a Super Bowl with the Eagles and also coached him last year in Jacksonville. The coaching staff should know his strengths and weaknesses. Foles is an elite teammate with great veteran perspective. He will support Trubisky until (unless?) it doesn’t work out and then can step in and give the Bears a level of competence with intriguing upside.

On the boldness scale:  About a 3, not very bold except for salary considerations.

GREEN BAY

A bold prediction from Sheil Kapadia:

6. The Packers trade for Odell Beckham Jr.

General manager Brian Gutekunst was aggressive last offseason, signing Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Adrian Amos to bolster the Packers’ defense. Those moves helped get Green Bay to the NFC Championship Game. But Aaron Rodgers will be another year older — he turns 37 in December — and the Packers have to continue to take big swings while he’s still their starter. Gutekunst told reporters after the season that the Packers looked into trading for an “explosive offensive player” at the trade deadline, but it didn’t work out. This offseason is time to revisit those talks and see if they can pair Beckham with Davante Adams. The Beckham experiment in Cleveland was a massive failure, but new GM Andrew Berry can at least get quality draft picks (maybe a first and a player or a first and a fifth?) in return for him with the focus being on building a consistently competitive team for the long term.

On the boldness scale: A 9, as in we don’t see this happening, it doesn’t feel very Packerlike, especially if you’re expecting a first rounder to be involved.  They’d be better off using their first on one of the several top receivers in the draft.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

A bold prediction from Sheil Kapadia:

9. The Falcons are next year’s version of the 49ers

I’m not saying it will be the same, but it could be close. The 49ers went from 4-12 in 2018 to the Super Bowl. The Falcons were 7-9 in 2019 and it seemed like a given that Dan Quinn would be fired. But Atlanta rallied in the second half of the season and decided to give Quinn another shot. The Falcons have three draft picks in the top 55 and four in the top 100. The plan should be to shore up their offensive line. If Atlanta can do that, Matt Ryan has a chance to get back to MVP form and the Falcons can position themselves for a deep playoff run.

On the boldness scale this is about a 5.  The Falcons played well down the stretch, have a solid QB and have some picks.  Sure, we could see that.

NEW ORLEANS

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com came away from Miami feeling that QB DREW BREES is likely to retire:

Brees just turned 41 last month and has earned nearly $245 million in NFL salary in his career, and the question here is whether he wants to keep playing at all. He has made it abundantly clear that if he plays again, it will be for the Saints. He took a team-friendly deal in free agency two years ago instead of testing the market, and the expectation is that he’d do something similar this time around if that’s what it takes to stay. He’s a Saint until he retires, which means the question is when that will be.

There are people close to this situation who say they would be surprised if Brees didn’t come back for another run, since he has felt for at least the past three years that the Saints have a team that can win the Super Bowl and he’d like to win a second one before he’s done. There also are people close to this situation who believe Brees wants to outlast Brady, even though he’s not nearly as outspoken as Brady is about his longevity techniques. Obviously, the people in these categories expect Brees to re-sign with the Saints, likely on another team-friendly deal that allows him to take it year to year and decide his future based on the way things go.

But at the Super Bowl last week, I encountered more than one person convinced that Brees was seriously considering retirement and at least one who was flat-out convinced Brees was done. If he’s drawing interest from TV networks about big broadcasting jobs, spending time with his family and contemplating the amount of work that goes into getting ready for another NFL season, it’s not hard to imagine Brees walking away without playing another snap. Two weeks ago, I was convinced he was coming back. But the conversations I had in Miami have me leaning the other way.

If Brees does leave, the Saints are left with a quandary. Do they re-sign backup Teddy Bridgewater, who won five games while Brees was injured in 2019, and make him the starter? Do they transition to a gadget offense with the multitalented Taysom Hill as the starter? Or do they make a run at a free-agent veteran like Rivers, Winston or Tannehill? Veterans such as Carr, Andy Dalton and Cam Newton could be traded or cut this offseason and might be options as well for a Saints team that believes it has the roster to make a deep playoff run in spite of their disappointing first-round playoff exit.

The takeaway: This one is entirely up to Brees, who has to decide whether to try to make one more run with this very good Saints roster or call it a career. I wouldn’t discount either possibility at this point.

– – –

An offensive interference penalty that went uncalled did not keep the football fans of their TV sets for this year’s Super Bowl.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

A year ago, Saints fans were so furious about the pass interference no-call that went against them in the NFC Championship Game that they boycotted the Super Bowl, giving the New Orleans market the lowest TV rating for Super Bowl LIII of any American metropolitan area.

This year, Saints fans were again disappointed by a pass interference no-call that went against them in their postseason loss, but that no-call wasn’t quite as infuriating, and so Saints fans were back to watching the Super Bowl in large numbers.

FOX Sports announced that New Orleans posted an enormous 54.1 local rating for Super Bowl LIV. The New Orleans local rating was second only to Kansas City among all American markets, and it more than doubled the 26.1 local rating New Orleans had for the Super Bowl last year. It also beat the 53 local rating New Orleans had for the Super Bowl two years ago, showing that New Orleans is all the way back to loving football again.

New Orleans has consistently been among America’s best football cities, with a passion for the Saints, for LSU and for high school football. A bad call was enough to turn New Orleans away from the NFL briefly last year — but only briefly.

TAMPA BAY

Bold predictions from Sheil Kapadia:

4. The Buccaneers sign Philip Rivers

The rumors started shortly after ESPN reported that Rivers and his family were moving to Florida to be closer to family. Maybe that’s nothing, or maybe it’s something. Rivers would be surrounded by one of the best wide receiver tandems in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. He knows how to get rid of the ball quickly behind mediocre offensive lines. And look at what Bruce Arians has said about Rivers in the past. It would instantly become one of the most fun coach-and-quarterback pairings. Rivers yelling at defenders. Arians yelling at the refs. Both of them yelling at each other after interceptions and failed third-down conversions. They’d probably go 8-8 but would have the upside to be the most entertaining 8-8 team of all time.

12. Jameis Winston doesn’t find the market he’s looking for

If Tampa Bay decides to move on from Winston, I’m curious to see if any team will be willing to commit to him long term. On one hand, he’s only 26 and threw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns last season. On the other hand, Winston was first with a 4.8 percent interception rate (30 picks total), and let’s not forget that he also had 12 fumbles, the sixth most. Plus, there are the off-field issues. If I were a coach whose general manager wanted to sign Winston, I would just be emailing him the “Eat a W” video clip on a daily basis until he decided to go in a different direction. Put more simply: If you’re a GM, will signing Winston bring you closer to a title or closer to getting fired? As always, it only takes one. But I don’t think Winston is going to have the market he’s expecting.

These both seem plausible.  We have struggled to identify a team that would give big money, even on a short term deal, for Winston.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO met the media in Santa Clara on Wednesday and had some thoughtful responses:

Asked what it was like to wake up Monday after losing the Super Bowl, Jimmy Garoppolo warned that you didn’t want to be in his head “going through all that stuff.”

Three days later, the 49ers’ 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs still provided heartache and headache for Garoppolo and his teammates as they cleaned out their lockers Wednesday.

Garoppolo said he especially will be fueled more than anyone to rebound and return next season with championship ambitions.

On his initial Super Bowl reflections:

“Didn’t make enough plays when we had opportunities. It was tough to watch. But it is what it is. Got to appreciate the good things from this season.”

On how to turn the loss into motivation:

“I don’t know, I keep telling myself, ‘You’ve got to remember that feeling when the confetti was coming down, just remember that moment and let it fuel you for the offseason. Just come back stronger, more ready for next year.’ ”

On how he handles the waves of media criticism that will keep coming:

“It’s one of those things that you’ve got to own it, got to be a man and attack it right down the middle, right in the face. There were a lot of good memories from this year, this team, the players, coaches. It was a great group to be around. I enjoyed every minute of it. Terrible ending. Just have to take the good with the bad.”

On if plays run through his mind, like an overthrow to Emmanuel Sanders with 1 1/2 mintues to go:

“No doubt. That’s something you’ve got to move on from. It sucks. Obviously some throws I wish I had back, some throws I made differently. The one to ‘E,’ just missing him, putting a little too much on it. But you’ve got to be a man, you have to own up to those things. Some things I’d rather have back. But this whole year, it’s been incredible.”

On what Sanders meant to the receiving corps:

“You can’t even describe it, just what E did, coming in the way he did, never asking for the ball, never doing too much. He was exactly what we needed on this team, that veteran presence, for the younger receivers, for everyone, myself included. Everything he did, he did it with class and couldn’t ask for a better teammate. … He’s one of a kind. Love that guy.”

On the 2020 season’s expectations:

“It’ll be hard to get back here but looking around the room, looking at all the guys, we have the pieces for it, and the guys who have the right mindset for it. That’s the encouraging part. Most guys feel just about the same way the past couple days.”

On what Coach Kyle Shanahan said in the team address?

“Kyle was just honest and straight forward, like he’s always done it. Everyone is feeling about the same way: it sucks, ut it is what it is, and at some point you have to be a man, accept it for what it is, move on and start getting ready for next year.”

On his fourth-quarter statistics (3-of-11) and how to answer the critics?

“If you just look at the stats like that, yeah, it is what it is. As an offense, as a team, we’ve been in that situation multiple times and answered the bell. It’s tough that one time you didn’t. But that’s what people remember, that’s the world we live in and you just have to own up to it and be a man about it.

“It will fuel us in this offseason, fuel me especially in this offseason, to come back better.”

On what was the first thing on his mind when he awoke Monday?

“Gotta catch this flight home. No. It sucked. I wouldn’t want to put anyone in my head that Monday morning going through all that stuff. Like I said before, special year, special group of guys, no one I’d rather be in a foxhole with than these guys. I just love all of them. Alright, thanks guys. Appreciate you guys this year.”

Nice sendoff for the beleaguered media.

The DB was thinking of the Super Bowl debuts of two of the all-time greats.  Both QB TOM BRADY and QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER were “winners” in their first appearances, but their numbers were kind of crummy.

In Super Bowl 36, at age 24, even aided by the ilicit Spygate taping, Brady passed for just 145 yards and put 20 points on the board in a 20-17 win over the Rams.  He did lead a drive to the winning field goal, reaching St. Louis 30 with 53 of his 145 passing yards and Adam Vinatieri hit the winning field goal.

In Super Bowl 40, aided by the most one-sided officiating in the game’s history, Roethlisberger was a “winner” with 123 yards passing as Pittsburgh put 21 points on the board (7 on a 43-yard pass thrown by Antwaan Randle-El).

Garoppolo might have been a winner if the 49ers had played better defense on Kansas City 3^rd-and-15 conversion.  Or if the officials threw a flag when he was hit near the sideline late in the game.  Or a lot of things.

Both Brady and Big Ben performed well in subsequent Super Bowls and will go to the Hall of Fame.  Garoppolo may, or he may not.  But those who are writing him off at this juncture in his career because of one mid-level game on the biggest stage are premature.  We should let his career play out.

– – –

Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com on what is and isn’t ahead in the coming months for TE GEORGE KITTLE who will no longer be the biggest bargain in football:

The season might not have ended the way he hoped, but this stands to be a great offseason for George Kittle.

And it starts with the fact he won’t need surgery.

Via Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com, the 49ers tight end said he wouldn’t need to get any work done on any of the problems that caused him to miss two games in November with knee and ankle problems.

“I take a couple of weeks off to let the body and the mind get back, as soon as those feel 100 percent, I’ll be rolling,” Kittle said.

“It was a great year to be healthy. Nothing that requires any surgeries. Rehab and get the body back to 100 percent. That’s it.”

Then comes getting a big fat raise.

The 49ers are making an extension for the All-Pro a “priority,” as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, which means instead of making $735,000 next year, he’ll be set up for life.

“I’ll let my agent handle all those questions,” Kittle said.

And with that, he headed off into the offseason, which figures to be a good time to be George Kittle.

AFC WEST

DENVER

A bold prediction from Sheil Kapadia:

16. Courtland Sutton will lead the NFL in receiving yards

The Broncos were largely irrelevant in 2019 so you’re forgiven if you weren’t paying much attention to him, but Sutton was one of the best wide receivers. He showed up every week and finished the season with 72 catches for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns. That was with Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen and Drew Lock playing quarterback. The Broncos’ quarterback situation is still unsettled going into 2020, but if Lock can develop or if Denver can add a competent veteran, Sutton can have a monster year. He has the look of one of the next great wide receivers.

On a boldness scale – we call this a 7.

LAS VEGAS

A bold prediction or two from Sheil Kapadia:

1. Tom Brady signs with the Raiders

Let’s get two things straight. One, the most likely scenario is that Brady remains with the Patriots. They can sell him on having a great defense and a coaching staff he’s familiar with. With an upgrade in offensive talent, they’ll be competing for another Lombardi Trophy. And two, every report about Brady heading elsewhere should be viewed as a leverage play. That’s the way things work this time of year. Having said that, I think there’s a legit scenario in which the Raiders could make sense. Let’s say Bill Belichick meets with Brady and they disagree about which moves are necessary to get the Patriots back on track. Brady wants more weapons — maybe even specific guys. Belichick may look at Brady’s age and declining performance and wonder if such moves would be in the best long-term interest of the franchise. So, Brady starts to explore all his options. The Raiders have an offensive line that produced the sixth-lowest sack rate last year. They’ve got a stud running back who can make plays in the passing game in Josh Jacobs and a dynamic tight end in Darren Waller. Hunter Renfrow had a promising rookie season in the slot. And the Raiders have the resources to add a dynamic wide receiver to pair with Tyrell Williams on the outside. Jon Gruden has an affinity for veteran quarterbacks and has said nothing to indicate he’s fully committed to Derek Carr going forward. Heading to Las Vegas (no state income tax!) could end up being an appealing option to Brady. Is the scenario I laid out likely? No. But is it possible? I think so.

2. The Vikings trade Stefon Diggs to the Raiders

The only scenario in which Brady leaves is if he finds a better situation elsewhere. That means significantly better weapons than he had with the Patriots in 2019. Adding Diggs to the names mentioned above would give the Raiders an impressive supporting cast around Brady. Would Mike Mayock be hesitant to part with draft capital after what happened with Antonio Brown last year? Yes. But this would be a different scenario. Diggs is 26 and has a reasonable contract through 2023. Even if things don’t work out with Brady, he’d still be an asset for the next Raiders quarterback. The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski went over the possibilities of Diggs being dealt last month, and it doesn’t seem like a given he’ll be back in Minnesota. The Raiders have two first-round picks. They can send the No. 19 selection and something else to the Vikings in exchange for Diggs and still draft a quality player at No. 12. The Vikings can use the additional resources to address multiple weaknesses.

– – –

Is it a $2.9 million going-away present or is it a sign that QB DEREK CARR will tee it up for Vegas?  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Raiders may not employ quarterback Derek Carr in 2020, but they now officially owe him $2.9 million.

With the passing of the third day of the 2020 waiver period, $2.9 million in base salary for Carr has become fully guaranteed. The remaining $16 million is not guaranteed.

It hardly guarantees that Carr will get the $16 million during the team’s first season in Las Vegas. With offset language in his contract, someone else would likely pay Carr at least $2.9 million this year, extinguishing the Raiders’ financial obligation to Carr.

Also, at a total compensation package of only $19 million, another team may trade for Carr, if the Raiders opt to upgrade at the position. They reportedly plan to pursue Tom Brady, for example, if he doesn’t re-sign with the Patriots.

Carr complained publicly about the rumors linking Brady to the Raiders after Brady was seen talking to owner Mark Davis at a UFC event in Las Vegas. Carr has yet to react to the Super Sunday Splash! report regarding the Raiders’ interest in Brady.

Or maybe he has. The ultra-sensitive Carr blocked the PFT Twitter account months ago, for reasons that still aren’t entirely clear.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

A bold prediction from Sheil Kapadia:

8. The Ravens win Super Bowl LV

The case for the Ravens is straightforward. They were young on offense with Lamar Jackson, Marquise Brown, Miles Boykin, Mark Andrews and others. Those guys can use their playoff loss as a learning experience and motivation for next season. John Harbaugh will stay committed to process over results. And the Ravens return both coordinators — Greg Roman and ‘Wink’ Martindale — from a year ago. They need to add more to their pass rush and can’t expect older players like Mark Ingram and Earl Thomas to perform at quite the same level. But the Ravens have five picks in the first four rounds (and could have as many as seven with compensatory picks) and are positioned to come back strong. Be cautious with your Jackson takes this offseason or risk getting hit by Old Takes Exposed next offseason.

On the boldness scale, this is about a 2.  I mean wouldn’t you have the Ravens in the top two with the Chiefs at this point.

CINCINNATI

A bold prediction from Sheil Kapadia:

3. The Bengals make the playoffs

Don’t stop reading — at least let me make the case! They draft Joe Burrow with the first pick. Given his excellent pocket feel, outstanding mental processing and uncanny accuracy, he steps in and looks better than most rookie QBs do. The Bengals bring back A.J. Green and already have Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon. They get 2019 first-round pick Jonah Williams, who was injured last season, back on the offensive line and make other upgrades there in the draft. Plus, Zac Taylor figures some things out in his second season as head coach. The offense is set up for success. And remember, the Bengals weren’t quite as bad as their 2-14 record indicated. They went 0-8 in one-possession games. If they win half of those, they’re 6-10 and a respectable team. So, did I convince you? No? OK, let’s just move on.

On the boldness scale – we give this about a nine.  2021 maybe, but not yet.

CLEVELAND

The Browns are trying to get their culture right with John Dorsey out the door.  Jake Trotter of ESPN.com:

New Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Wednesday that he’s already met with both running back Kareem Hunt and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. regarding their recent offseason incidents that drew headlines.

Hunt was pulled over Jan. 21 by police, who found small amounts of marijuana in a backpack in the back seat of the car he was driving. Hunt was only cited for speeding. But according to dashcam video of the traffic stop police released, Hunt admitted he would’ve failed a drug test for marijuana. Police also found an open container of vodka in the backpack.

“Obviously with Kareem, we’ve communicated our expectations for him going forward,” said Berry, who, at 32, is now the youngest general manager in the NFL. “We want guys who are going to be tough, smart and accountable on and off the field. Kareem understands that. And we’re looking forward to him meshing with our culture going forward.”

Hunt served an eight-game suspension last season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He was released by the Kansas City Chiefs in November 2018, after video from February 2018 surfaced of him kicking a woman in downtown Cleveland. Berry’s predecessor, John Dorsey, signed him to the Browns last February.

“It’s not good. Kareem knows he’s got to do better,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who introduced Berry on Wednesday, told reporters. “[First-year head coach] Kevin [Stefanski] and Andrew have talked to him about it, and I’ll just leave it at that. What he did is not acceptable. He’s got to do better. We have and will continue to work closely with Kareem. But he knows our expectations are higher than what he showed.”

Haslam added that Hunt, an impending restricted free agent, still has a future with the Browns if he “can follow the expectations we’ve laid out for him.”

Beckham, meanwhile, temporarily faced an arrest warrant in New Orleans on a misdemeanor complaint of simple battery after video surfaced showing him slapping the buttocks of a Superdome police officer in the LSU locker room after the Tigers’ national championship victory over Clemson. Charges, however, were dropped after the officer declined to pursue them. Video also captured Beckham passing out cash to several LSU players on the field, prompting LSU to contact the NCAA and SEC over potential violations.

“We’ve had really great conversations,” Berry said of Beckham, who had surgery Jan. 21 to repair a hip and groin injury. “He’s one of the most talented receivers in the league. And we’re certainly happy to have him here.

“But again, everybody is going to have to fit into our culture in terms of being tough, smart and accountable. Both of those guys know that.”

PITTSBURGH

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert will do his thing for at least two more drafts.  Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com:

The Steelers have secured general manager Kevin Colbert for another season.

Colbert, who joined the organization in February 2000, signed a one-year extension that will keep him with the Steelers through the 2021 NFL draft.

Colbert’s current deal went through the 2020 NFL draft.

“It’s hard to quantify how fortunate I am to have been a part of this organization the last 20 years,” Colbert said in a statement. “I look forward to the challenge of getting our team back into playoff contention while never losing sight of our ultimate goal — winning a Super Bowl.”

Colbert was instrumental in bringing safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Pittsburgh from Miami in Week 3 in exchange for a package that included a first-round pick.

Whereas coach Mike Tomlin received a contract extension through 2021 before the 2019 season, Colbert elected to work on a year-to-year basis.

But in a sit-down with local media last month, Steelers president Art Rooney II was optimistic that Colbert would return for another year.

“Kevin continues to play a key role in our success and his dedication to our personnel efforts in unparalleled,” Rooney said in a statement Wednesday. “We are pleased he will lead those efforts for at least one more year.”

Colbert is currently 63 years old.  He is a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh.

– – –

Don’t look for Colbert to be making any big moves for a quarterback in the next few months.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Steelers President Art Rooney II says his team could use some offensive playmakers but won’t go shopping for a quarterback this offseason.

Rooney said today that Ben Roethlisberger is making progress in recovery from last year’s season-ending elbow injury, and the Steelers feel good about the backup quarterbacks they have on the roster.

“We are in the process now of preparing for free agency,” Rooney said, via Steelers.com. “The new league year starts on March 18. There is nothing we can do between now and then other than prepare for it. We’ll be looking for opportunities if we can to add a player we think can help us, whether it’s a wide receiver or running back. I am not sure about quarterback, whether we’ll have an opportunity to sign anybody. I think we are pretty comfortable with the people we have on the roster right now in terms of Ben and Mason [Rudolph] and I think we will have Duck [Devlin Hodges] and Paxton Lynch participating and competing in camp and things like that this year.”

Rooney mentioning wide receiver or running back may be an indication that he wants to reassure fans who thought the Steelers didn’t do enough to account for the losses of Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. But at quarterback, the plan for 2020 is to stick with what they had in 2019 — but hope Roethlisberger stays healthy.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

A bold prediction from Sheil Kapadia:

14. The Texans trade for O.J. Howard

Bill O’Brien named Bill O’Brien the GM last week. I don’t think he’s overly concerned with long-term planning or accumulating draft capital. I think his goal will be to put together a team that can win as many games as possible in 2020. That means aggressive moves in free agency (after extending the contracts of DeShaun Watson and Laremy Tunsil, of course) and aggressive trades. One issue the Texans have had is finding a secondary target behind DeAndre Hopkins when Will Fuller is injured. They should look to add a wide receiver in the draft, but they can address tight end via a trade with the Bucs. Arians got very little last season out of Howard, who had 34 catches for 459 yards and one touchdown. Howard is signed through the season and could get his contract extended another year via a fifth-year option. He would be a nice addition to Houston’s offense and a midround pick or another player could get it done.

Wouldn’t almost any other team that might be interested in Howard have more draft capital than Houston?

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

A bold prediction from Sheil Kapadia:

15. Devin Singletary will win the rushing title

Singletary was a lot of fun to watch in his rookie season, rushing 151 times for 775 yards, or 5.1 yards per carry. But he battled through some injuries, and it took a while before the Bills really started feeding him the ball. In the second half of the season, Singletary was tied for ninth with 131 rushing attempts and eighth with 603 rushing yards. With Frank Gore (likely) out of the picture, Singletary should be the unquestioned feature back for the Bills. He has great vision and consistently makes defenders miss. Draft him in fantasy and don’t be surprised if he leads the league in rushing yards in 2020.

On the boldness scale, we call this a 7 or 8 – but on the other hand we like it and think it is plausible.

NEW ENGLAND

A bold prediction from Sheil Kapadia:

11. The Patriots turn to Teddy Bridgewater

When’s the last time the Patriots were in the market for a starting quarterback? They had Drew Bledsoe from 1993 to 2000 and then Brady took over. They have a young quarterback in Jarrett Stidham. Perhaps Belichick turns to him if Brady leaves. Or he could pursue a quarterback in free agency. In Bridgewater, the Patriots could land a starting option who would not break the bank. Bridgewater has the intangibles in terms of leadership and work ethic that Belichick may find appealing. And he’s not the type of quarterback that will lose the game with mistakes. In five starts with the Saints last season, Bridgewater posted a 1.0 percent interception rate and he fumbled just once. It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. The Patriots can bring Bridgewater in and let him compete with Stidham. If they see someone they like in the draft, they can take another swing there. Bridgewater is hitting free agency in a year when teams have a lot of quarterback options. New England could be one of his best chances to start.

Kapadia doesn’t deal with the Saints departure issue for Bridgewater – he must be presuming a Brees continuium. 

– – –

Besides the TOM BRADY conundrum, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com looks at other challenges facing Bill Belichick and the Patriots:

In a Fox television segment leading up to Super Bowl LIV, free-agent tight end Greg Olsen sat next to former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and joked that he would be a third option at the position for the Patriots in 2020.

The back-and-forth highlighted two of the more pressing issues surrounding the Patriots as coach Bill Belichick begins the process of putting the team together in 2020: They have a big hole at tight end, and they capped off this past season looking slow and old in the passing game.

The age factor is particularly notable.

The Patriots had the oldest average roster this season at 27.8 years, according to ESPN’s Stats & Information. That includes all active, injured and suspended players. Furthermore, the Patriots had 17 players who are 30 years or older, which was the highest total in the NFL.

So it’s natural that when Olsen hit the free-agent market after parting ways with the Carolina Panthers that the Patriots would come up as a possible landing spot. He’s 34, and he would fit right in.

As it turns out, Olsen will first visit with the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, and those teams have direct connections — coaches Sean McDermott and Ron Rivera — to the Carolina team Olsen played for the past nine years. Olsen is also scheduled to visit the Seattle Seahawks, per Schefter.

In the segment with Gronkowski, Olsen joked that the Patriots’ first choice would be to have Gronk come out of retirement, then he cracked that maybe after someone else, he would garner some consideration. In reality the Patriots don’t currently appear to be on the radar, which might be by Belichick’s own design, and it highlights how striking the balance between filling the roster voids — while also keeping the team young, fast and vibrant — projects as a notable challenge for him in 2020.

It all connects to the NFL’s biggest storyline: The free-agent status of 42-year-old quarterback Tom Brady.

The quickest way for the Patriots to get younger, of course, is to turn the reins over to quarterback Jarrett Stidham, 23, and then make tough decisions to say goodbye to unrestricted free agents such as special teams captain Matthew Slater (34), safety/longtime captain Devin McCourty (32) and longtime special-teamer Nate Ebner (31).

Call making those moves the rip-off-the-Band-Aid-and-start-over approach, with an emphasis on the 2020 NFL draft and development. The Patriots should have a first-round pick and three third-rounders as part of their draft capital once compensatory selections are awarded.

Such an extreme would also have benefits on the salary cap, where the Patriots project to have about $29 million in space for 2020. That is a total they can work with, but when considering the Dolphins project to have anywhere between a league-high $90-100 million, it also shows how the Patriots aren’t in the most advantageous cap position.

Helping the balance sheet sounds good in theory, but then there’s the question of how those major moves that would affect the on-field product.

The Dolphins were the NFL’s youngest team in 2019, with an average age of 25.7, according to ESPN’s Stats & Info. They finished 5-11 and owner Stephen Ross said last week at a Bloomberg Power Players Summit event at Super Bowl LIV that they are in rebuilding mode and couldn’t imagine why Brady would think Miami is a free-agent fit for him.

“We’re at a stage where we’re trying to build for the future and after. We’re looking to build a team that’s really going to be there year after year,” Ross said.

That is where the Brady-led Patriots have been for the past 19 years — competing for championships.

Bringing back Brady and other veterans projects to keep them in that mix for 2020, but how much longer after that?

Those decisions form the backdrop to what promises to be an intriguing Patriots offseason.

NEW YORK JETS

RB Le’VEON BELL says he really is cool with Coach Adam Gase. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Le’Veon Bell‘s first season with the Jets was unsuccessful on the field and it played out with a narrative that head coach Adam Gase didn’t particularly want him on the roster.

Bell signed with the Jets when Mike Maccagnan was still the team’s General Manager, but Maccagnan was fired before last season and reports that Gase didn’t want to sign Bell popped up throughout the year. That led to chatter about the team trying to trade the running back this offseason, but Bell downplayed any issues between him and the coach.

“Everybody blowing everything out of proportion,” Bell said, via TMZ. “Water under the bridge — we’re fine. We good . . . Jets for four more years unless something drastic changes.”

Bell’s actually under contract for three more years and it becomes possible for the Jets to move on without hurting their cap too much after the 2020 season. There’s a lot to play out before reaching that point and that makes it likely that this won’t be the last time we check in on the relationship between Bell and Gase.

THIS AND THAT

17 GAMES

The leadership of the NFLPA wants to give the NFL the 17-game schedule it craves, in return for NFL concessions.  But the membership is balking, despite the lure of international travel.  Mark Maske of the Washington Post:

The NFL Players Association’s representatives for the 32 teams are scheduled to meet Thursday to give further consideration to the proposed new collective bargaining agreement with the league that would include a 17-game regular season, according to people familiar with the planning.

It’s possible, but not definite, that the reps will vote at this meeting on the proposed CBA, according to those people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations are at such a sensitive stage. Even those in leadership positions with the NFLPA were uncertain Wednesday what the outcome would be.

“I don’t have an answer for you,” one person close to the deliberations said.

The CBA would have to be approved by two-thirds of the 32 player reps. If that happens, the deal would be put to a vote of all NFL players and would have to be ratified by a majority of them, under NFLPA procedures. It’s possible the vote of all players could be taken electronically.

NFLPA officials declined to comment and would not officially confirm Thursday’s meeting or disclose its location. The player reps also met last Thursday in Miami.

The proposed CBA would last for 10 years and give the players slightly more than 48 percent of the league’s revenue under the salary cap system, according to people close to the negotiations. It would extend the regular season from 16 to 17 games per team beginning at some point during the deal. The preseason would be reduced to two to three games per team in conjunction with the lengthening of the regular season. The NFL’s playoff field likely would be expanded from 12 to 14 teams beginning at some point during the duration of the CBA.

The new CBA would make changes favorable to the NFLPA to the league’s system of player discipline and its drug policies. The league’s marijuana policy likely would be made less punitive. There probably would be further restrictions placed on teams’ offseason workout and practice programs for players.

Some players and agents voiced objections last week to the 17-game season. San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said publicly it was hypocritical for the league and team owners to seek a 17-game season at a time when player health and safety is a prominent issue. Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Russell Okung said last Thursday at the NFLPA’s annual Super Bowl week news conference that he agreed with Sherman.

But the league and owners have tied a variety of concessions to the players to approval of a 17-game season. Owners want the additional games as a revenue-boosting measure, and believe the longer regular season would be valuable in upcoming negotiations for new broadcasting contracts.

The current CBA runs through the 2020 season. If this new CBA is ratified in the coming weeks, some but not all provisions in it would take effect for next season. But if the players reject the proposed CBA because of opposition to a 17-game season, it’s likely that the league and owners would consider that a major setback in the negotiations. Many on the league side believe it is now the responsibility of the NFLPA leadership, including executive director DeMaurice Smith, to usher the proposed deal through the ratification process to completion. A breakdown in negotiations at this point could lead both sides to intensify their preparations for a potential work stoppage in 2021.

There had been hopes that the proposed CBA would be ratified by the Super Bowl, but that didn’t happen when the player reps declined to take a vote last Thursday. The next major goal appears to be early March, before the beginning of the new league year and the opening of the NFL’s free agent market. The NFLPA is due to change its player leadership later in March at its annual meeting. Eric Winston, the retired offensive lineman who has served as the union’s president, is ineligible for another term.

Is it 17 games in 18 weeks?  Or is there another bye for a 19-week span?  Remember, 12 teams already play a 17-game schedule (we know, this would mean 12 or 14 teams would play an 18-game schedule).  But are playoff teams now being put in danger compared to non-playoff teams with their extra game?

2020 DRAFT

Today’s Mock Draft from Chris Trapasso of CBSSports is all about QBs early, including JORDAN LOVE of Utah State:

Fresh off the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win, it’s all about quarterbacks after teams watched Patrick Mahomes take over three straight playoff games en route to winning a title.

And in this mock, there are plenty of quarterbacks off the board. Early.

The draft order is now set. Position rankings are based on our composite prospect rankings.

NFL MOCK DRAFT

ROUND 1

Pick 1  – CINCINNATI

Joe Burrow QB

LSU • SR • 6’4″ / 216 LBS

Joe Burrow is getting drafted by the Bengals. After a few years of not really knowing what would happen with the top pick in the draft, this pairing already seems locked in.

Pick 2 – WASHINGTON

Chase Young EDGE

OHIO STATE • JR • 6’5″ / 265 LBS

While this is the first team that’ll get some trade-up inquiries, Tua Tagovailoa’s hip will limit what teams will offer and should lead to Washington staying put and picking Young.

Pick 3 – DETROIT

Jeff Okudah CB

OHIO STATE • JR • 6’1″ / 200 LBS

There is a good chance the Lions trade down, but Matt Patricia needs quality press man corners for his defense to resemble something like the unit he had in New England before coming over the Detroit. Okudah is the best man-to-man corner in this class.

Pick 4 – NY GIANTS

Mekhi Becton OL

LOUISVILLE • JR • 6’7″ / 369 LBS

The Nate Solder decision failed miserably for the Giants, but Dave Gettleman has to protect Daniel Jones and pave lanes for Saquon Barkley. That’s precisely what Becton can do at left tackle.

Pick 5 – MIAMI

Jordan Love QB

UTAH STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 225 LBS

HELLO. How about Jordan Love, who’s a little more athletic and has a stronger arm than Tua Tagovailoa but isn’t nearly as polished, landing in Miami? Chan Gailey very well could love the quarterback’s experience in a spread offense, his potential and lack of an injury history.

Pick 6 – LA CHARGERS

Tua Tagovailoa QB

ALABAMA • JR • 6’1″ / 218 LBS

The Chargers are ecstatic with Tagovailoa still being available here. Perfect transition from Philip Rivers.

Pick 7 – CAROLINA

Justin Herbert QB

OREGON • SR • 6’6″ / 237 LBS

And we have a legitimate run, inside the top 10, on quarterbacks. Matt Rhule drafts the athletically gifted Herbert to lead his team in Carolina. Cam Newton gets traded at some point this offseason.

Pick 8 – ARIZONA

Tristan Wirfs OL

IOWA • JR • 6’5″ / 322 LBS

The allure of CeeDee Lamb here is enticing, but Kliff Kingsbury knows Kyler Murray has to get more clean pockets to thrive. Wirfs is a super-strong, versatile blocker with underappreciated athleticism.

Pick 9 – JACKSONVILLE

Derrick Brown DL

AUBURN • SR • 6’5″ / 318 LBS

Jacksonville’s defense needs a boost, especially on the interior of its line, and Brown, to many, is the best defensive tackle prospect in this class.

Pick 10 – CLEVELAND

Andrew Thomas OL

GEORGIA • JR • 6’5″ / 320 LBS

Thomas is a road-grader for the run game and improved his footwork in 2019 to become sound in pass protection thanks to his overwhelming power and dancing-bear-like qualities in his kick slide.

Pick 11 – NY JETS

CeeDee Lamb WR

OKLAHOMA • JR • 6’2″ / 189 LBS

The Jets go Lamb over Jerry Jeudy because of the former’s more thorough experience both in the slot and out wide. Also, Lamb tracks the football slightly better than the Alabama star. Sam Darnold’s happy with this pick.

Pick 12 – LAS VEGAS

Isaiah Simmons LB

CLEMSON • JR • 6’4″ / 230 LBS

Another Clemson defender for Mike Mayock’s club. Simmons gives the defense a dynamic playmaker capable of doing whatever is asked of him.

Pick 13 – INDIANAPOLIS

Jerry Jeudy WR

ALABAMA • JR • 6’1″ / 192 LBS

Jeudy makes violent cuts and has serious downfield speed. He’ll bring a much-needed, electric element to Indianapolis’ pass game (beyond T.Y. Hilton).

Pick 14 – TAMPA BAY

Jacob Eason QB

WASHINGTON • JR • 6’6″ / 227 LBS

Eason doesn’t have the fine details of playing the quarterback position down just yet, but his arm was made to rip it vertically in Bruce Arians’ aggressive system.

Pick 15 – DENVER

Javon Kinlaw DL

SOUTH CAROLINA • SR • 6’6″ / 310 LBS

With the long, explosive and powerful Kinlaw, the Broncos will have one of the scariest defensive fronts in football in 2020.

Pick 16 – ATLANTA

A.J. Epenesa EDGE

IOWA • JR • 6’6″ / 280 LBS

Cornerback could be an option here for Atlanta, but Dan Quinn needs more pass rush on the outside. Epenesa can play anywhere and is more athletic than almost all humans his size.

Pick 17 – DALLAS

CJ Henderson CB

FLORIDA • JR • 6’1″ / 202 LBS

Dallas has to go defense, and the front office will probably prioritize cornerback after likely losing Byron Jones in free agency.

Pick 18 – MIAMI (from Pittsburgh)

Josh Jones OL

HOUSTON • SR • 6’7″ / 310 LBS

With Love in the mix, the Dolphins want a left tackle to protect his blindside, and Jones has an awesome blend of nastiness, power, and athleticism.

Pick 19 – LAS VEGAS (from Chicago)

Henry Ruggs III WR

ALABAMA • JR • 6’0″ / 190 LBS

The Raiders get their receiver to complement Tyrell Williams in Ruggs, and he’ll hit big plays on short passes in Jon Gruden’s West Coast offense.

Pick 20 – JACKSONVILLE (from LA Rams)

Trevon Diggs CB

ALABAMA • SR • 6’2″ / 207 LBS

Diggs isn’t the best athlete at his position in this class. He’s probably the meanest at the line of scrimmage, and his physicality at the catch point leads to many big plays for the defense.

Pick 21 – PHILADELPHIA

Laviska Shenault Jr. WR

COLORADO • JR • 6’2″ / 220 LBS

The Eagles need receiving reinforcement. The 2019 season made that clear. Shenault was made to accumulate yards after the catch in a West Coast offense.

Pick 22 – BUFFALO

Tee Higgins WR

CLEMSON • JR • 6’4″ / 215 LBS

Match made in football heaven here. Buffalo needs a catch-radius monster to play on the perimeter. Higgins has the best ball skills in the class and is 6-4.

Pick 23 – NEW ENGLAND

Josh Uche EDGE

MICHIGAN • SR • 6’2″ / 250 LBS

Uche has an elite first step and bend/dip ability around the edge. Plus he converts speed to power and can play off-ball linebacker in running situations. Important chess piece for Bill Belichick’s defense that could lose some critical role players this offseason.

Pick 24 – NEW ORLEANS

Jalen Reagor WR

TCU • JR • 5’11” / 195 LBS

Reagor absolutely flies and plays in fast forward with the ball in his hands. If Sean Payton loved Brandin Cooks when he came into the league in 2014, he’s going to be enamored with Reagor.

Pick 25 – MINNESOTA

Marlon Davidson DL

AUBURN • SR • 6’3″ / 278 LBS

Davidson was a rock on the edge for the past two years at Auburn but has bulked up into the 290s to present himself as an interior lineman. He has a good first step and a developed depot of pass-rushing moves with plenty of power in his punch.

Pick 26 – MIAMI (from Houston)

Brandon Aiyuk WR

ARIZONA STATE • SR • 6’1″ / 206 LBS

With this pick, the Dolphins get Love his wideout of the future — who can really stretch the field — in Aiyuk, after already grabbing the QB and his blindside protector, all in the first round.

Pick 27 – SEATTLE

Grant Delpit S

LSU • JR • 6’3″ / 203 LBS

Going back to this pairing because the Seahawks secondary needs reworking and Delpit is a long, intimidating safety prospect.

Pick 28 – BALTIMORE

Yetur Gross-Matos EDGE

PENN STATE • JR • 6’5″ / 264 LBS

Gross-Matos is the perfect, oversized defensive lineman the Ravens love. He’s an ascending pass rusher too, thanks to an improving arsenal of moves at the point of attack and strength to set the edge.

Pick 29 – TENNESSEE

Jonathan Greenard EDGE

FLORIDA • SR • 6’3″ / 263 LBS

Greenard is a freaky edge rusher with NFL size and effortless wins around the corner on film. He also can sink into zone coverage on occasion. Tennessee has to improve its pass-rushing unit.

Pick 30 – GREEN BAY

Ross Blacklock DL

TCU • JR • 6’4″ / 305 LBS

Blacklock’s first step is probably the best in the class at his position, and his swipe move is effective when heads up with interior blockers. More beef on the interior for the Packers after getting gashed in the NFC title game.

Pick 31 – SAN FRANCISCO

Kristian Fulton CB

LSU • SR • 6’0″ / 200 LBS

Fulton is slightly on the smaller side but is as polished as they come at the cornerback spot with lightning-quick click-and-close capabilities in zone and outstanding mirroring skills down the field.

Pick 32 – KANSAS CITY

Terrell Lewis EDGE

ALABAMA • SR • 6’5″ / 252 LBS

The Chiefs won a Super Bowl with Frank Clark and picking up Terrell Suggs for the playoffs at the edge rusher spot. They could use another piece that position, and Lewis is a tall, advanced outside linebacker type.