Takeaways from the Cardinals’ 26-16 victory over Panthers

The Cardinals evened their record to 2-2 with the win. What can we take away from it?

The Arizona Cardinals picked up a badly needed win on the road against the Carolina Panthers, defeating them 26-16. They are 2-2 and things feel much better than they did a week ago.

In the win, what did we learn?

Our takeaways from the game are below.

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Giants earn C in 2019 NFL draft re-grade

In a Bleacher Report re-grade of the 2019 NFL draft, the New York Giants earn just a “C.”

In yet another ‘re-draft’ of the 2019 NFL draft, the New York Giants don’t fare well as time passes. Maurice Moten of Bleacher Report gives them a ‘C’ grade in his latest loopback on one of the most critical drafts in recent Giants history.

General manger Dave Gettleman made several grave errors, selecting Duke quarterback Daniel Jones No. 6 overall and then traded back into the first round to take Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker, who washed out amid legal troubles.

The Jones pick can still be salvaged if he plays well this season and finally put the franchise’s mind at ease after three inconsistent years.

As a rookie, Jones showed flashes, throwing for 3,027 yards, 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, but his passing yards and touchdown totals have been on the decline thereafter. Though the athletic signal-caller has rushed for 1,000 yards and five touchdowns, he’s had some ball-security issues with 36 fumbles, losing 20 of them. The Giants declined to pick up the fifth-year option in rookie his deal.

The Giants waived Deandre Baker before the 2020 season as he faced robbery charges, but Florida prosecutors dropped those charges.

Third-round pick Oshane Ximines — the first player ever drafted out of Old Dominion – has also yet to establish himself.

Minnesota linebacker Ryan Connelly injured his knee right after becoming a starter and was later released. The sixth-round pick, Washburn cornerback Corey Ballentine, and the two seventh rounders (Syracuse defensive lineman Chris Slayton and Kentucky offensive tackle George Asafo-Adjei), all had very short Giants careers.

Gettleman did hit on a few of his picks, though. Clemson defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence — taken No. 17 overall with one of the picks the Giants received in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade — has become a reliable and steady presence and the team recently exercised his fifth year option.

Fourth rounder Julian Love, a safety from Notre Dame, has become a starter, and Auburn wideout Darius Slayton, selected in the fifth-round, has had some success.

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Giants select WR Terry McLaurin in 2019 NFL re-draft

In a 2019 NFL re-draft conducted by Pro Football Focus, the New York Giants pass on QB Daniel Jones and instead select WR Terry McLaurin.

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With the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL draft, the New York Giants selected Duke quarterback Daniel Jones. However, if they were able to travel back in time and do things over, Pro Football Focus believes Big Blue would go in a different direction.

Trevor Sikkema of PFF recently conducted a re-draft and in it, the Giants nab wide receiver Terry McLaurin with their first pick in Round 1.

At the time, the Giants still had Eli Manning on the roster, but the then-38-year-old was in the last year of his contract and had led the team to a 5-11 record the season before. New York needed a quarterback, but re-drafting one here wouldn’t be fun.

Instead, I’ll anger the entire Washington fanbase by giving the Giants a player who should have gone top 10 in this class. McLaurin has averaged more than 1,000 yards a year through his first three NFL seasons. There’s plenty of reason to believe this upcoming campaign will be the best yet for McLaurin.

At No. 17 overall, Sikkema has the Giants remaining consistent and staying with defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.

The Giants still would have this pick, as it wasn’t a draft-day trade; this was the selection they received in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade. They took Lawrence here back in 2019, and that’s still the right choice in this re-draft. The bigger-bodied Lawrence recorded a 73.3 pass-rushing grade in 2021, which was the fifth-best of any defensive lineman in the class.

As fans might recall, the Giants later traded back into Round 1 in order to draft cornerback Deandre Baker. That, of course, did not work out and Sikkema does not have them repeating history. Instead, the Green Bay Packers stay at No. 30 and select safety Darnell Savage.

Jones, meanwhile, falls out of the first round.

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Texans pick CB Jamel Dean in 2019 NFL draft redo

The Houston Texans shore up their secondary with CB Jamel Dean in Pro Football Focus’ redo of the 2019 NFL draft.

Hindsight always provides clarity, and for the Houston Texans, the 2019 NFL draft is becoming clearer as to where the team started going off the rails.

Consider that entering the 2022 season there are just two picks remaining on the roster in first-round tackle Tytus Howard and second-round guard Max Scharping. Howard had his fifth-year option picked up, but Scharping may not see a second contract with Houston after 2022.

According to Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus, who conducted a redo of the 2019 NFL draft, the Texans take former Auburn cornerback Jamel Dean, who originally went in the third round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On draft night, the selection of Howard at No. 23 was one of the more shocking picks of the first round.

Editor’s note — the only thing “shocking” about the Howard pick was it was framed as a reach because the Philadelphia Eagles took tackle Andre Dillard the pick prior. Of course, the debate was settled by the end of their rookie years as to who the better tackle was. That might be the shocking part of the Howard pick.

If the Texans had to do it over again, they’d likely look to their secondary, especially given how bad it is currently. With a handful of cornerbacks to choose from, Dean stands out as the one with the highest ceiling. He’s recorded a 76.0-plus coverage grade in each of his first three NFL seasons.

General manager Brian Gaine probably should have invested more in the secondary, and they tried in the second round with defensive back Lonnie Johnson, who was yo-yoed between cornerback and safety throughout his career that it spoiled his Texans tenure. But the Texans’ offensive line was either directly responsible or an enabler in the starting quarterback taking a league-high 62 sacks the year before. Gaine’s priority was to find a protector for the presumptive franchise quarterback.

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Giants downgraded to ‘C’ in 2019 NFL draft re-grade

In a re-grade of the 2019 NFL draft, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports downgrades the New York Giants to a “C.”

It’s been four years since the New York Giants made quarterback Daniel Jones the No. 6 overall selection in the 2019 NFL draft.

So, how does that pick and the nine others they made that weekend fare here in the spring of 2022? CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco takes a look back.

New York Giants
2019 Grade: B+

The Skinny: The Giants had 10 picks in the draft, with only three as projected starters in 2022. They are first-round quarterback Daniel Jones, first-round defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and fourth-round safety Julian Love. They got little else from this draft with a major miss on first-round corner Deandre Baker. Fifth-round receiver Darius Slayton has worked out.

How I did: I liked the pick of Jones, although I did say he went a little higher than I would have taken him. I also liked the pick of Lawrence, saying he could be a force. He has been good, but not a force. I questioned the pick of third-round rusher Oshane Ximines, which played true since he’s been mostly a backup.

New Grade: C

The class isn’t as bad as one could make it out to be. If Jones pans out it will be deemed a success especially now since the team exercised Lawrence’s fifth-year option and Love developed into a starter.

Let’s not forget that they got Slayton and linebacker Ryan Connelly in the fifth round in this draft. Slayton had been very productive up until last year and Connelly was on his way to become a starter before blowing out his knee.

One stain that won’t go away, however, is the miscalculation surrounding Baker. The Giants traded three picks to Seattle to move up for Baker only to have him wash out. Experts at the time thought hey could have waited until Round 2 to select Baker and kept the fourth and fifth rounders they give up in the deal.

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Texans’ 2019 draft class may have led to downfall of the Bill O’Brien era

The downfall of the Bill O’Brien era with the Houston Texans may actually have started with the 2019 NFL draft.

The Bill O’Brien era may have gone downhill when the Houston Texans traded two first-round picks and a second-round selection as part of a compensation package to acquire Miami Dolphins left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

The Texans’ top-100 selections were effectively gutted for the 2020 and 2021 drafts — all because O’Brien had influence over the five-man general managing council following the firing of Brian Gaine on June 7, 2019. Senior vice president of football administration Chris Olson may have been the interim general manager, but O’Brien was calling the shots.

However, the downfall of O’Brien’s era as coach may not have been the Tunsil trade. Rather, it may have been the 2019 NFL draft when Gaine was still in control.

According to Pete Prisco from CBS Sports, the Texans had a C-minus grade after that draft, but in a reassessment, Prisco gives them a D.

The Skinny: They had seven picks, but just one — first-round offensive tackle Tytus Howard — is a lock to start this year. Second-round corner Lonnie Johnson was traded to the Chiefs this year after playing both corner and safety for the Texans. Second-round round guard Max Scharping has started and will compete this year for a job.

Initially analysts declared the Texans reached for Howard after the Philadelphia Eagles grabbed tackle Andre Dillard the pick prior. Howard made the Pro Football Writers of America’s all-rookie team and has had a solid career since while Dillard has sailed into bust territory.

The Texans had four picks in the top-100 with back-to-back second-rounders in cornerback Lonnie Johnson and guard-tackle Max Scharping. Neither player manifest as a starter for the Texans.

However, that wasn’t the worst selection of the top-100 that year.

How I did: I thought third-round tight end Kahale Warring had a chance to be special, but he didn’t work out. I questioned taking Howard, and he’s been just OK. I liked the pick of Johnson, but he’s now gone.

Warring didn’t see the field until 2020, and he only caught three passes for 35 yards in his seven games with the Texans. Consider running backs Damien Harris, Alexander Mattison, and receiver Miles Boykin were all in the neighborhood of where Houston picked Warring.

The Texans’ other selections were fifth-round defensive end Charles Omenihu, who was traded last year, sixth-round cornerback Xavier Crawford, who was waived after over a month into his rookie season, and seventh-round fullback Cullen Gillaspia, who only played two seasons with the team.

With just one starter developing out of the 2019 class, the Texans didn’t have the homegrown talent to replace departing veterans. Adding general manager duties to O’Brien only doomed his tenure with the Texans.

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NFL trade rumors: 2 Texans available, could Browns be interested?

While the Browns roster is stacked, there are areas of concern that could be addressed as the team tries to get down to a 53-man roster. Two Texans are reportedly on the trading block that could intrigue Cleveland:

The Cleveland Browns haven’t been in a position of having too many talented players very often. Instead, often the Browns have been trying to pick up players waived or cut by better teams.

Everything is different in 2021 in Cleveland. Expectations are high, proof is littered throughout the successful 2020 season and the team has continued to add talent across the roster. All of that could lead to some very difficult decisions for the Browns when it comes to formalizing their opening 53-man roster.

That doesn’t mean general manager Andrew Berry will not continue to look to add talent. While the roster has a lot of quality players, there are still areas of need that the team could address.

A recent NFL trade rumor includes that the Houston Texans have been talking trades related to two of their defenders:

 

Lawson was brought over from Miami in a trade this offseason after signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the Dolphins in the 2020 offseason. After stumbling early in his career, Lawson had 6.5 sacks his final season with the Buffalo Bills before signing his contract with Miami.

Johnson was drafted as a cornerback in 2019 but transitioned to safety in 2020. The former second-round pick played better in the safety role but could return to corner in the right scheme.

With the Browns still looking to solidify their defensive line and having injury concerns throughout their secondary, both players could make some sense. Johnson, in particular, due to his age, upside, position and positional flexibility could be a prime target for Berry.

While Cleveland may not want to pay a high price in draft picks, the Texans and Browns could figure out a player-for-player deal with a draft pick to sweeten the pot for Houston. Having Johnson’s versatility while awaiting Grant Delpit’s return from injury could be very helpful early in the season.

With a stacked roster, it is likely that Berry gets some offers for players he may cut. Instead of stocking up with draft picks, it will be interesting if Cleveland adds talent in trades instead.

Texans still with ‘below average’ grade for 2019 NFL draft class two years later

Two years later, Pro Football Focus is still unforgiving when it comes to their grades of the Houston Texans’ 2019 NFL draft class.

The last time the Houston Texans had a first-round and a second-round pick in the same draft was in 2019.

With two seasons worth of playing time to look at, a proper grade — rather than the day-after grades more instantaneous than general manager Nick Caserio’s use of the word “right” — would be welcomed.

According to Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus, the Texans had a below average grade immediately after the 2019 NFL draft. Two years later, PFF is standing by their analysis that the Texans’ 2019 class was below average.

We viewed the Texans’ first two selections of tackle Tytus Howard and cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. as massive reaches at the time. They haven’t proven much better in retrospect, as Howard earned a 62.1 grade last year and Johnson had to be moved to safety after a 30.0 grade as a rookie.

The evaluation of Howard is a bit skewed and subject to revisionist history. At the time, Howard was a “reach” because he was selected after the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Andre Dillard. Rumors abounded that the Texans actually wanted Dillard and panicked when Philadelphia selected him. Erego, that’s how the Texans ended up with Howard.

However, Renner only mentions Howard’s 62.1 grade in 2020 without context. Never mind Howard’s 59.4 PFF grade as a rookie was good enough to land him on CBS Sports’ all-breakout team or that the Pro Football Writers of America named him to their all-rookie team, and that he did so playing in just eight games as he battled an MCL injury.

The Texans nailed the Howard pick.

The rest of the draft class may leave more to be desired. Johnson’s yoyo-ing between cornerback and safety may have stunted his development, and second-round guard Max Scharping took a step back in 2020. Third-round tight end Kahale Warring has been more myth than man, and seventh-round fullback Cullen Gillaspia was cut at the end of the 2020 season. Sixth-round cornerback Xavier Crawford did not even make it through his rookie season with the club.

Fifth-round defensive end Charles Omenihu gets overlooked. The former Texas Longhorn has provided Houston with 7.0 sacks, 30 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits, four pass breakups, and two forced fumbles through 29 games, five of which he has started.

Houston may not have scored a passing grade for their 2019 draft class, but they did find some gems that have proven to be quality players over the past two years.

PFF regrades 2019 NFL draft: Giants take another tumble

Pro Football Focus has regraded the 2019 NFL draft and for the New York Giants, things look worse now than they did then.

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In looking back on the New York Giants’ 2019 draft class, it has — like many other team’s drafts — changed in perspective as time has passed.

The main thing to remember is that they made three picks in the first round, which were all questionable at the time, and two of the three could end in disaster if quarterback Daniel Jones doesn’t pan out.

Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus revisits the Giants’ 2019 draft, which began as above average and has taken a slight dip over the past two years.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Round 1 (6): QB Daniel Jones, Duke
Round 1 (17): DI Dexter Lawrence, Clemson
Round 1 (30): CB Deandre Baker, Georgia
Round 3 (95): EDGE Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion
Round 4 (108): CB Julian Love, Notre Dame
Round 5 (143): LB Ryan Connelly, Wisconsin
Round 5 (171): WR Darius Slayton, Auburn
Round 6 (180); CB Corey Ballentine, Washburn
Round 7 (232): OT George Asafo-Adjei, Kentucky
Round 7 (245): DI Chris Slayton, Syracuse

Then: Above Average
Now: Average

As bad as Deandre Baker looked as a rookie, it’s difficult to ding the Giants too much for the pick; off-field issues ended his time with the franchise. The relative merits of the Daniel Jones pick still looms large over the organization, but they got three other solid players in this draft in defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, defensive back Julian Love and wide receiver Darius Slayton.

To be clear, the Baker thing was more than a mess because they traded three picks to get back into the first round and have nothing to show for their efforts. This class naturally relies on the success of Jones. If he becomes a franchise quarterback, no one will care about Baker.

The positives to take away are exactly what Renner pointed out — Lawrence, Love and Slayton are all viable pieces. Ximines has a chance to still salvage his status but must stay healthy, something he has failed to do. Connelly looked like a gem but blew out his knee and the team gave up on him. Ballentine, Asafo-Adjei and Chris Slayton are no longer with the team.

Deandre Baker named Giants’ biggest draft mistake of past three years

Cornerback Deandre Baker has been named the New York Giants’ biggest draft mistake of the past three years.

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Every NFL team makes mistakes at the draft table and the New York Giants have had their share over the years. One of their biggest mistakes came just two years ago in 2019 when they traded back into the first round to select Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report lists the Baker selection as one of the league’s seven worst over the past three years. You don’t have to convince Giant fans about that.

In 2019, the New York Giants used the sixth pick to select the heir apparent to Eli Manning in Duke quarterback Daniel Jones. But Big Blue wasn’t done. The team shipped fourth- and fifth-round picks to Seattle for the right to move up seven spots and select Georgia cornerback DeAndre Baker at No. 30.

In retrospect, the Giants would have been much better off standing pat—and drafting someone else.

To be fair, Baker was a highly regarded prospect after a standout career in Athens. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports ranked the 5’11”, 180-pounder as the No. 2 cornerback prospect in the class.

True. Baker was the first corner taken in what was a weak one for cornerbacks. He likely would have gone undrafted in the first round and even fallen to the Giants at No. 37. There was no need to trade.

“Baker reminds me of Tre’Davious White,” Trapasso wrote. “Not someone who’ll wow you with his physical stature, twitch or length. But his vast experience (and productivity) in the SEC has led to him being a mirroring magician. He stays glued to receivers and has awesome awareness.”

That was the last time Baker’s talents and the word “awesome” would be used in proximity.

As a rookie, he was roasted in the Big Apple. Baker allowed 15.7 yards per completion and half a dozen touchdowns with a passer rating against of 116.2.

That was red flag No. 1 with Baker. He was uncharacteristically unprepared for the NFL for a Georgia player and looked completely lost out on the field. To compound issues, Baker seemed aloof at meetings and off the field, and didn’t appear to be taking his position as a pro seriously.

The Giants figured they righted the ship with him as the season went on. Then, in the offseason. the boom was lowered.

In May 2020, Baker was arrested in Florida and charged with four counts of robbery with a firearm, as well as four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm/intent to commit a felony. That July, Baker was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, and by September 2020 the Giants released him after just one season.

Yet last November, all charges against him were dropped. Per assistant state attorney Paul R. Valcore, “The alleged victims and the known witnesses have become uncooperative, and their credibility is inalterably tarnished.” In addition, an attorney for three of those victims was arrested and charged with extortion related to the case.

Baker would catch on with the Kansas City Chiefs on their practice squad in mid-November of last year. He eventually was elevated to the active roster for the final three games of the regular season and even sacked Los Angeles Chargers rookie sensation Justin Herbert before suffering a broken femur in Week 17.

Baker was re-signed by the Chiefs in February but his legacy will always be tied to the Giants’ miscalculation of him, even though they said they saw no red flags during the vetting process.

Baker’s combination of being overvalued and then being in the wrong place at the wrong time sunk him as a Giant but everyone seems to get a second act in this league. Perhaps he’ll become the player everyone thought he was in Kansas City.

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