Monthly Archives: April 2018

New Orleans Saints (via Green Bay): Marcus Davenport, DL, UTSA

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Strengths: Athleticism, upside.

Weaknesses: Technique, level-of-competition concerns.cheap nike nfl jerseys from china

Bleacher Report profiled Marcus Davenport earlier in April. The short version: athletic marvel and late bloomer; obliterated blockers at the mid-major level; looked lost at the start of Senior Bowl practices but caused sacks and turnovers in the game; mild-mannered “Silent Storm” personality off the field.

One thing to point out about Davenport’s level of competition is that UTSA plays in Conference USA, which may not be the conference it was 15 years ago, but it ain’t the Division VI East Prairie Nowhere Conference, either. The offensive linemen Davenport tossed around like bags of flour were FBS athletes. So the ramp-up to NFL competition won’t be as extreme as it’s made out to be, though he’s still fundamentally very raw.cheap official nike nfl jerseys

A good comp for Davenport is Ziggy Ansah, who was also insanely athletic but raw (and mellow of disposition) coming out of college.

The Saints clearly think they are one player away from the Super Bowl. nfl cheap nike jerseys But is Davenport that player? New Orleans just gave up a first-round pick next year to get a project pass-rusher, albeit a good one. For a team counting on a 39-year-old quarterback to lead it to glory in a tight window, that’s a steep price for a player who may not pay immediate dividends.

Grade: C new nike nfl jerseys for sale cheap

Washington: Da’Ron Payne, DL, Alabama

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Strengths: Athleticism, preparedness, effort.

Weaknesses: Pass-rush technique.nike cheap nfl jerseys

Washington allowed 134.1 rushing yards per game last season, the worst total in the NFL. Teams crammed the ball down its gullet, particularly in the second half of the season. Injuries were part of the problem, but injuries were part of every problem in Washington: The whole roster needs to get deeper, not just healthier.

Da’Ron Payne is a standard-issue Crimson Tide interior lineman, which is to say he’s awesome: a natural 310-pounder with surprising athleticism, a tenacious work ethic, proper leverage technique and a small-but-useful arsenal of pass-nike nfl cheap jerseys rush surprises. Payne is more likely to hurry or spill the quarterback from the pocket than to sack him, but he’ll be a high-impact run defender who can stay on the field and cause congestion on third downs.nike jerseys nfl cheap

Payne is a fine player and a good fit, but it feels like Washington just sat tight here and let a bunch of higher-impact defenders get taken before this.nfl nike jerseys cheap china

Grade: B

2018 NFL Draft Rumors: Baker Mayfield ‘Definitely’ in Play for Browns at No. 1

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Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield is reportedly among the players the Cleveland Browns are considering selecting with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft on Thursday.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, an NFL executive said Mayfield is “definitely” in the conversation for Cleveland at No. 1 overall.youth nfl jerseys

The Browns have long been in search of a franchise quarterback, and all signs point to them finally taking one with the top pick.

Cleveland could wait until pick No. 4 to take its signal-caller, but with the New York Giants and New York Jets each having a quarterback need at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, the safe play would be to go with a quarterback at No. 1.

Mayfield is part of a quartet of options, as USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Wyoming’s Josh Allen are also in the mix.cheap nfl jerseys nike china

On Monday, ESPN’s Todd McShay wrote that he has heard from multiple general managers that the Browns covet Allen with the top pick.

Allen has impressive physical tools, but his collegiate production was lacking. Mayfield is just the opposite.

Mayfield is probably the least physically impressive prospect of the top four quarterbacks in the class at 6’2″ and 215 pounds, but he is coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign.

As a senior with the Sooners in 2017, Mayfield completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 4,627 yards, 43 touchdowns and six interceptions.

If Cleveland passes on Mayfield at No. 1, there has been a lot of recent buzz regarding the Jets wanting him at No. 3.nike jersey nfl cheap

Last week, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com reported that a source told him Mayfield to the Jets is a “done deal.”

All four of the top quarterbacks in the draft appear likely to come off the board in the top 12 selections, and it is possible that five signal-callers could be gone by that point depending on how teams value Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.youth nfl jerseys cheap

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller predicted in his most recent mock draft that the Browns will go with Darnold at No. 1, while Mayfield will fall to the Denver Broncos at No. 5 with a chance to learn behind Case Keenum.

Despite the fact that Cleveland is coming off an 0-16 season, it could be a good landing spot for Mayfield as well since there wouldn’t be pressure to start immediately over veteran Tyrod Taylor.

Jets Reportedly Cancel Top 30 2018 NFL Draft Meetings with All Non-QB Prospects

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Everyone has known the New York Jets are taking a quarterback from the second they moved up from No. 6 to No. 3 in Thursday’s first round.

Now they’ve made that abundantly clear to all potential prospects.nfl nike jerseys cheap china

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Jets have canceled all top-30 meetings with non-quarterback prospects.

Doing this would indicate the Jets have no interest in trading back into the first round after they use the No. 3 pick. They do not have another pick until No. 72 overall, which makes any other potential deal unlikely as is.nike jerseys nfl cheap

The Jets’ pick will be dependent on where the Browns and New York Giants go with the first two picks. Cleveland is largely expected to choose between Sam Darnold and Josh Allen at No. 1. The Giants are in the market for a long-term replacement for Eli Manning, but smart money has been on them taking Penn State running back Saquon Barkley for some time.
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That would leave Darnold/Allen, Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen on the board, with Lamar Jackson hanging around as a potential shocker. Mayfield and Rosen have been linked to New York more so than either leftover from the Darnold/Allen duo.
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Regardless, this is something we all knew already. The Jets are taking a quarterback. We’re only two days away from finding out who, so there’s little use in sleuthing through and attempting to make a wild guess.

Michael Taylor, Washington Nationals

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Stats: 71 PA, .182/.239/.227, 3 XBH, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 25 K

Potential Replacement: Andrew Stevenson nfl store

Michel Taylor has long tantalized with his power/speed potential.

The 27-year-old was the No. 32 prospect in baseball heading into the 2015 season, according to Baseball America best nfl jerseys from china . The previous season, he hit .304/.390/.526 with 46 extra-base hits and 37 stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A.

A strong final month last year (103 PA, .898 OPS, 7 HR, 15 RBI) and a stellar showing in the postseason (5-for-15, 2 HR, 8 RBI) had him looking like a breakout candidate heading into 2018.

Instead, he’s hitting .182 and striking out at a 35.2 percent rate.

The Nationals outfield is already stretched thin with injuries to Adam Eaton (ankle) and Brian Goodwin (wrist), and top prospect Victor Robles is expected to miss significant time with an elbow injury of his own.

However, the team could still give more playing time to recently promoted prospect Andrew Stevenson—nfl factory jerseys a standout defensive outfielder who has shown a solid hit tool and plus speed in the minors.

Utility man Wilmer Difo could also see an expanded role in the outfield, though he’s currently filling in at third base for Anthony Rendon.

Point being, the team has other options if Taylor continues to struggle.

Hunter Pence, San Francisco Giants

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Stats: 61 PA, .172/.197/.190, 1 XBH, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 22 K

Potential Replacement: Steven Duggar

The days of Hunter Pence playing up to his $18.5 million salary are a thing of the past.authentic nfl jersey china

As recently 2016, he posted a 118 OPS+ and 2.1 WAR, albeit in a season where injuries limited him to just 106 games.

However, that dipped to an 85 OPS+ last season as he hit a pedestrian .260/.315/.385 over 539 plate appearances for a 0.2 WAR.original nike nfl jerseys

The San Francisco Giants would no doubt love to get their money’s worth in the final year of his five-year, $90 million deal, but it’s looking more and more like it’s time for the 35-year-old to be transitioned into a reserve role.

Calling up prospect Steven Duggar could be one potential roster move.

MLB.com ranked the 24-year-old as the No. 3 prospect in a relatively thin Giants system, and nfl wholesale jerseys authentic he has the tools to hit for a solid average, steal some bases and provide above-average defense in center field.

Stats: 4 GS, 1-2, 8.36 ERA, 14.0 IP, 26 H, 13 ER, 9 BB, 17 K

Potential Replacement: Eric Lauer

Luis Perdomo was a pleasant surprise as a Rule 5 pick in 2015 and he took some positive steps forward last season,where can i find nfl jerseys  going 8-11 with a 4.67 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 163.2 innings.

A 61.8 percent groundball rate that ranked second among qualified starters was a big part of that modest success. This season has been a struggle, though, and a dip in his groundball rate to 42.9 percent is a big reason why.

The 24-year-old was absolutely shelled in his most recent start on Wednesday, allowing 10 hits and nine runs (seven earned) while recording just nine outs against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With three minor league options remaining, it might be time to consider a change.

Meanwhile, left-hander Eric Lauer is knocking on the door.

The No. 25 pick in the 2016 draft was viewed as one of the most polished arms in his draft class after a stellar junior season cheap china jerseys nfl at Kent State and he’s delivered on those expectations with a rapid ascent through the minors.

After posting a 3.30 ERA with 132 strikeouts in 122.2 innings between High-A and Double-A last year, he’s off to a strong start in his first taste of Triple-A with a 3.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings over three starts.

The 22-year-old is more floor than ceiling, but he could be ready to make the jump.

Dallas Goedert Leaps from Small-Town Hero to the Top of the Tight End Class

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Dallas Goedert’s home town of Britton, South Dakota, is so small that the football teams only have nine players and the bicycles only have one wheel. cheap nike nfl jerseys free shipping

“You can tour the whole city in about two minutes,” says Goedert, arguably the top tight end in this year’s draft class, as well as an avid unicyclist. “After that, you’re on your own.”

The only traffic light is a flasher in the middle of town. The nearest McDonald’s is an hour away, though there is a Subway and a summer-only ice cream stand. There are no malls or movie theaters for miles in every direction. Just farms, lakes and game reserves.

Britton is so small that it’s hard to tell whether folks from there are pulling your leg when they tell you how small it is.nike nfl jerseys cheap china

“Sometimes, our parades are so small that they go through town twice,” says Pat Renner, head coach of Britton-Hecla High School’s nine-man football team.

Britton is so small that, ironically, it was hard for a Paul Bunyan-sized prospect like Goedert to stick out. Not only did the big colleges overlook him, but even South Dakota State had a hard time noticing him.

But the NFL finally discovered Goedert, thanks to an attentive clergymen and a viral highlight. Now, the 6’5″ tight end atop the six-foot unicycle is a likely first-round pick, and he’s poised to make Britton more than just an imperceptible speck on the map.china nike nfl jerseys cheap

The Discovery

Britton is so small, it takes an act of god to get recruited for football.

Goedert was the star of his nine-man football team, but he was a young man without a position. With just 25 players on his roster, Coach Renner did everything possible to get the ball into the hands of his most talented player.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

At first, Renner tried Goedert as a Cam Newton-style option quarterback. But the underclassman wasn’t ready for a life of plunging between the tackles on keepers.

“He wasn’t real physical then,” Renner recalls. “He didn’t like to lower his shoulder that much when we tried to run him.”

Goedert then began sliding all over the formation on offense and defense. In the red zone, Goedert could usually be found at wide receiver. “We’d just send him into the end zone for jump balls, and he could jump higher than anyone,” Renner says.

Manziel over Carr, Lynch over Prescott, Trubisky over Watson

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Lesson to be learned: Be better at evaluating quarterbacks

It’s that simple, right?

Teams still don’t know how to predict with any accuracy which quarterback prospects will succeed and which will fail, which is why seven quarterbacks, including first-round cheap nfl jerseys china nike bust Paxton Lynch, were selected ahead of 2016 Offensive Rookie of the Year Dak Prescott. It’s why Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel were first-round picks nfl nike jersey cheap ahead of Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr in 2014. It’s why Mitchell Trubisky went second overall and Deshaun Watson went 12th overall in 2017.

Don’t even get us started on the year Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden were first-round picks, and Russell Wilson, Nick Foles and Kirk Cousins were mid-rounders. That deserves its own essay but is thankfully beyond the five-year sample we’re using for this breakdown.

The lesson above is tongue-in-cheek, but the real message here might be that a team in need of a franchise quarterback would be best served swinging the bat as often as possible. Let’s all stop pretending we know who’ll pan out and who’ll bust.

It would have seemed pretty silly for the Browns to have taken Manziel with the No. 22 pick, as well as Carr with the No. 35 pick (one spot ahead of Oakland), but they would have essentially doubled their chances of finding a new franchise quarterback, and Carr’s presence would have made it easier to forgive and forget the Manziel selectioch eap nike nfl jersey n.

That doesn’t mean the still-quarterback-hungry Browns should use both of their top-four selections on quarterbacks this year, but doing so isn’t as wacky as many believe. The only way it would backfire is if both signal-callers became busts, but in the Browns’ current state (also known as rock bottom),cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale  that might not be any worse than drafting one bust along with Saquon Barkley.

That remains a far-fetched scenario regardless, but the Browns should at least strongly consider drafting a second quarterback in a later round, just as the Washington Redskins smartly did with Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in 2012.

Teams have to learn that they aren’t smart enough to correctly and consistently identify future franchise quarterbacks, and then they either have to learn to start rolling the dice more or find a new way to evaluate entry-level players at the game’s most important position.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

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While this NFC South battle between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints is an intriguing game on its own between two 2017 playoff teams, it stands out as one of the best prime-time matchups because it is on Thanksgiving Day.nike nfl jerseys wholesale cheap

Families gathered across the country looking to watch some pigskin after enjoying their turkey will be pleased to know the NFL rewarded them with a high-stakes contest that could have playoff implications.cheap nike nfl jerseys free shipping

The Falcons won the NFC South in 2016 and proceeded to make the Super Bowl before losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Patriots, while the Saints won the division in 2017 before losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC divisional round.

New Orleans finished a game ahead of the Falcons in last year’s race after the two teams split their matchups.

Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune noted, “The Saints-Falcons series is one of the most intense and long-running rivalries in the NFL and has become a favorite of the league’s network broadcast partners. This year will mark the 10th time in the past 12 seasons that one of the games in the annual series has been broadcast in prime time.”

Like the Patriots and Packers battle, the quarterback matchup stands out in this one.nfl cheap jerseys nike

Matt Ryan was the MVP of the league in 2016 but is looking to bounce back after throwing just 20 touchdowns to 12 interceptions last year. Drew Brees is an 11-time Pro Bowler and has a Super Bowl MVP on his resume and has thrown for more than 4,000 yards in each of the last 12 seasons as a future Hall of Famer.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

This Thanksgiving game between the two signal-callers is late enough in the season that the divisional standings will  nfl nike jerseys for cheap be on the forefront of everyone’s minds, and a head-to-head win would go a long way toward propelling one toward the NFC South crown.

Those stakes, along with the fact it is such an important game on a holiday largely defined by football, make it a primetime clash to watch.

NFL Primetime Schedule 2018: List of Monday, Thursday and Sunday Night Games

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As NFL fanbases across the country scour the 2018 schedule following its release Thursday, division rivalries, potential postseason showdowns and holiday matchups surely stand out.

So do the night games.

It is difficult to top the pageantry of NFL night games, where a nation of football fans all tune into the same game under the lights with the cheap nfl nike jersey  hopes of seeing some of the sport’s biggest stars. This year’s slate of night games will be no different, as powerhouses such as the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers all make appearances.

Here is a look at the entire schedule of 2018 night games, per NFL.com, as well as some intriguing showdowns that highlight the list.

2018 NFL Night Schedule

Week 1

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, Sept. 6 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
New York Jets at Detroit Lions on Monday, Sept. 10 at 7:10 p.m. ET on ESPN
Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders on Monday, Sept. 10 at 10:20 p.m. ET on ESPN cheap nfl jerseys china nike

Week 2

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NFL Network
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears on Monday, Sept. 17 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 3

New York Jets at Cleveland Browns on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 8:20 p.m. on NFL Network
New England Patriots at Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, Sept. 24 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 4

Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NFL Network
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC nike nfl jerseys cheap china
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos on Monday, Oct. 1 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 5

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox and NFL Network
Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Washington at New Orleans Saints on Monday, Oct. 8 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 6

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox and NFL Network
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC china nike nfl jerseys cheap
San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers on Monday, Oct. 15 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 7

Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, Oct. 18 at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox and NFL Network
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons on Monday, Oct. 22 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 8

Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox and NFL Network
New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills on Monday, Oct. 29 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 9

Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox and NFL Network cheap nfl nike jerseys from china
Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys on Monday, Nov. 5 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 10

Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox and NFL Network
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers on Monday, Nov. 12 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN