Tag: 2020 NFL Draft

Twitter Reactions to Commanders declining Chase Young’s 5th year option

The reactions were all over the place regarding the Commanders’ declining Chase Young’s fifth-year option.

Chase Young was the 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year.

That season, the Ohio State rookie forced four fumbles, recovered three fumbles, ran one back for a touchdown, collected 7.5 sacks, made 42 total tackles, had 10 tackles for a loss and 12 quarterback hits.

However, in 2021, Young, in 9 games, did not resemble the player we observed in 2020. There were only 3 tackles for a loss and only 4 quarterback hits and a mere 1.5 sacks.

Then a horrible knee injury occurred against the Tampa Bay Bucs. He missed the remainder of 2021 and almost all of 2022.

There is no easy answer to what the Commanders’ decision regarding Young’s 5th-year option should be.

Here is some of the varied Twitter reactions to the Commanders’ decision.

Zac Taylor talks about 2020 draft, waiting for Logan Wilson

Bengals coach Zac Taylor gives a fun example of draft patience paying off.

The Cincinnati Bengals are looking for a big hit in the upcoming draft that begins on Thursday.

One recent example head coach Zac Taylor can think of came on the second day of the 2020 draft when the Bengals selected LB Logan Wilson with the 65th overall pick.

Here’s what Taylor had to say in Geoff Hobson’s article on the Bengals official website:

“Logan is the guy I can remember watching 30 picks tick off the clock with your fingers crossed. He’s one. There have certainly been other guys that fit that description from, what was Tee, 33? From about pick 34 to whatever we drafted Logan, you are just crossing your fingers and watching the clock.”

With three years in the books, Wilson has brought in seven interceptions, along with 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Wilson was absolutely a worthwhile pick where they were able to get him, and Cincinnati should hope it can do the same thing this week when the second day rolls around.

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Grading the 2020 Bears draft class

A good rule of thumb is to wait and grade a draft class after three years. With that, we give our final grades on the 2020 Bears draft.

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to begin in less than a week and the Chicago Bears will be looking to upgrade their roster to take the next jump in the Ryan Poles era. With 10 selections, most notably their No. 9 overall pick that was part of their acquisition of pics from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the No. 1 pick, Chicago will have plenty of opportunities to come away with impact players.

Though the draft is exciting and teams rarely feel like they get worse after the weekend concludes, it’s extremely difficult to judge a draft class fairly without having anyone playing a game. Even one season feels unfair given how much things can change from year to year. The rule of thumb is to wait until three years after a draft is complete to give it a fair evaluation.

That three-year evaluation brings us back to 2020, where the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force and the league needed to cancel the in-person draft festivities. The grand stage with thousands of fans in attendance became Roger Goodell’s basement, where he announced picks while sitting in a large leather chair.

Interestingly enough, the Bears had one of their strongest classes in recent memory during the virtual draft. Though they were without a first-round pick due to the Khalil Mack trade with the Las Vegas Raiders and a fourth-round pick that was sent to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for Nick Foles, they were still able to grab impact players, headlined by two second-round picks. Here is how we graded the 2020 draft three years after it happened.

Saints’ 2020 draft class entering make-or-break season in 2023

The Saints’ 2020 draft class is entering a make-or-break season in 2023. Cesar Ruiz, Zack Baun, and Adam Trautman can still change the narrative, but they’re running out of time:

Much of the attention on the New Orleans Saints’ 2020 NFL draft class has centered on right guard Cesar Ruiz, and for good reason — the former first-round pick struggled mightily through the first two years of his career before turning things around last season, and now he’s going into what could be a career-year with plenty of momentum behind him, despite an unfortunate season-ending injury in rearview. If the Saints don’t choose to exercise his fifth-year option after this year’s draft (which would cost them more than $14 million in 2024), he’ll be a free agent next year.

His other 2020 draftmates don’t have the luxury of a fifth-year option ahead of them, and they also haven’t quite met expectations up to this point. At the time of the draft, general manager Mickey Loomis and the team’s decision-makers like assistant GM Jeff Ireland told us they were going for a quality-over-quantity approach by drafting just four players, and trading up for three of them — linebacker Zack Baun, tight end Adam Trautman, and quarterback-turned-tight end Tommy Stevens. That strategy was met with skepticism at the time, and history hasn’t exactly justified the idea there.

Stevens was waived and kicked down to the practice squad within six months, and the Saints cut him for good 199 days after they picked him. Baun has been limited to special teams for most of his Saints career. Trautman hasn’t developed as hoped and the team was actively looking for his replacement in hosting Foster Moreau on a free agent visit.

So the way things stand right now, it’s hard to look at the 2020 class as anything but a failure. The Saints either took the wrong approach, picked the wrong prospects, or had the wrong vision in mind for them. Draw your own conclusions there.

That’s not to say there isn’t a scenario where things turn around. If Ruiz continues playing well and earns a long-term extension with the Saints, that does a lot to salvage the 2020 draft for New Orleans. So too would Baun taking a step forward in the role Kaden Elliss flourished in last season. He excelled as a pass rusher in college but the Saints overcomplicated things by making him play out of position and off the line of scrimmage. Elliss lined up closer to the ball and experienced great success because of it. Maybe that’s the proof-of-concept the coaches needed to let Baun do what he’s done best.

But that’s still just two players out of an entire draft class, and they each need to meet those expectations. Whether they can change the narrative or not is undetermined. Let’s hope they can go the distance. These players haven’t met expectations yet, but there’s still some time left on the clock for them to get there.

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27 Days, 27 Picks: RT Tristan Wirfs

The next player in our 27 Days, 27 Picks series is arguably Jason Licht’s very best first-round selection:

In 27 Days, 27 Picks, Bucs Wire will analyze the last 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft picks, one for each day leading up to the 2023 NFL draft. We’ll take a look at the player’s college stats, their pre-draft numbers (either via the NFL Combine or their Pro Day), their NFL stats, some player footage and analysis at the end on whether the pick itself was a good one.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans should know this name well.

Our player for April 1 was the Bucs’ most recent first-rounder in 2021, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Now, we go back to 2020, the year the Bucs won the Super Bowl — and their first-round pick that helped make it happen.

Check out our draft rundown for RT [autotag]Tristan Wirfs[/autotag] below:

Salary cap analyst predicts Commanders will pick up Chase Young’s 5th-year option

Will the Commanders pick up Young’s fifth-year option?

The clock is ticking on an important decision for the Washington Commanders. No, we aren’t talking about who owner Dan Snyder will sell the franchise to, but a personnel decision that could have a long-term impact on the organization.

NFL teams have until May 1 to pick up the fifth-year option on first-round picks selected in the 2020 NFL draft. The Commanders selected defensive end Chase Young No. 2 overall in 2020. This should be a no-brainer, right?

Well, according to head coach Ron Rivera, it’s complicated. Rivera surprised everyone this offseason by saying the Commanders were considering not picking up Young’s fifth-year option. Rivera cited Young’s health as a factor but also noted how playing in a contract year motivated Daron Payne. Payne signed a record four-year extension earlier this month.

Was Rivera suggesting Young needs motivation? If so, that’s not ideal. However, Young didn’t return until late December from a major knee injury he suffered in November 2021. But before Young’s injury, he wasn’t exactly looking like the generational pass rusher many labeled him. Young recorded just 1.5 sacks in the nine games before he was lost for the 2021 season.

So, here we are. What will Washington do?

PFF analyst and salary cap expect Brad Spielberger made his prediction for all of 2020’s first-round picks, and he believes the Commanders will exercise Young’s fifth-year option:

This is the most fascinating decision facing any team on this list for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, the Commanders recently extended interior defender Daron Payne to the tune of $90 million across four years just one offseason after signing Jonathan Allen to a four-year, $72 million extension. Edge defender Montez Sweat is entering his fifth-year option season in 2023 coming off a career-high 86.4 grade. Washington simply cannot pay all four players, but do they push that decision out another year and buy themselves time with Young? Or rip the Band-Aid off now?

While Young’s knee injury sustained in 2021 cost him a whopping 22 games, he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie for a reason, with his 87.2 overall grade ranking sixth among edge defenders on the season. The risk associated with not picking up his option could be that if Washington doesn’t extend Sweat this offseason, they’d only have one franchise tag at their disposal with both entering unrestricted free agency.

All outstanding points from Spielberger. Everything he said is correct. This is a fascinating decision that Washington probably can’t believe it needs to make. After Young won NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2020, many expected the Commanders to be working on a generous extension for Young.

I agree with Spielberger here. The Commanders will pick up Young’s option. Even though it will be costly, it doesn’t tip their hand on which defensive end they want to keep beyond 2023 between him and Montez Sweat.

Sweat is a free agent after 2023, and if the Commanders can’t agree to a long-term deal with him, they can apply the franchise tag. If the option is picked up, Young will already be under contract for 2024 at around $17.5 million.

It should be an interesting few weeks for Washington, and that decision on Young likely will not come until the last minute.

This 2020 NFL redraft will be painful for Washington fans

Imagine how different Washington’s fortunes would be if this had happened.

The 2020 NFL draft will be remembered as the year the draft went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also be viewed the year three quarterbacks and Ohio State defensive end Chase Young were among the first six picks.

Joe Burrow of LSU went No. 1 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals; the rest is history. After injuring his ACL in November of his rookie season, Burrow returned for the beginning of the 2021 season and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl. He nearly led Cincinnati to another Super Bowl this season.

The then-Washington Redskins selected Ohio State defensive end Chase Young at No. 2 overall. Washington bypassed quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa to take Young, who many considered a generational pass rusher.

It’s been said if Burrow had fallen to No. 2 overall, he would’ve been the pick. Otherwise, Washington was set on Young.

Three years in, we can start to assess that draft. The biggest superstars from the 2020 draft are Burrow, wide receiver Justin Jefferson and Herbert. Meanwhile, after winning NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2020, Young has played 12 games and recorded 1.5 sacks. He tore his ACL in Nov. 2021, and the Commanders are hoping Young rebounds in 2022.

What if things had gone differently in that draft?

Diante Lee of The Athletic recently did a 2020 NFL redraft, and, surprise; Burrow didn’t go No. 1

Lee went with Herbert at No. 1, saying he was the more talented passer. That meant Burrow fell in Washington’s lap at No. 2.

Washington avoids the hamster wheel of Alex Smith, Taylor Heinicke, Carson Wentz and Sam Howell by adding a true franchise quarterback.

We know, in hindsight, that talent along the defensive front is neither Washington’s issue nor the cure-all for what else ails this roster. Making a change at QB would help Washington get the most out of Terry McLaurin (who still has averaged 80.3 catches and 1,120.7 yards receiving the past three years). Burrow is comfortable in chaos and has a proven track record of navigating average or worse offensive line play.

Young went No. 6 overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.

A franchise quarterback camouflages other flaws. Burrow in Washington would have the Commanders as a contender despite questionable coaching and personnel.

Oh well, it’s fun to daydream for a bit.

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The Athletic’s 2020 redraft has the Saints passing on Cesar Ruiz

The Athletic’s 2020 first-round redraft has the Saints passing on Cesar Ruiz, instead picking local product Robert Hunt to step in at right guard:

They say hindsight vision is 20/20, and it’s tough looking back on what the New Orleans Saints did in the 2020 NFL draft. The Athletic’s Diante Lee completed a do-over of that year’s first round which has the Saints passing on their top choice in favor of another player at the same position.

Instead of drafting Michigan center Cesar Ruiz and asking him to convert to right guard, Lee suggests picking Louisiana offensive lineman Robert Hunt. Hunt mainly lined up at left guard and right tackle for the Ragin’ Cajuns, but he’s gone on to be a rock-solid starter at right guard for the Miami Dolphins. Lee’s take on what the Saints should have done at No. 24 overall:

“Ruiz looked viable in his rookie campaign, but it became clear over time that he’s not the answer and New Orleans needed to add more players along the interior.

Hunt can step in and do more as a run blocker and pass-protector, supporting the Saints’ goal of staying competitive as the franchise begins to venture into life after Drew Brees.”

Ruiz has actually played much better in his third season than the first two years of his Saints career, but there’s little doubt Hunt would have made a more immediately positive impact in New Orleans given his success in Miami (where he landed at No. 39, early in the second round). The Saints wanted to move on from Pro Bowl right guard Larry Warford that summer, and though Ruiz was a consensus better prospect at the time as a center he was a total projection at another spot. It’s taken time for him to adjust to the different assignments — time that may have been better spent on a player with more experience in the role.

Ah well. What’s done is done, and what matters more is what’s ahead of Ruiz and the Saints. He’s coming off his best year as a pro, though it ended with an unfortunate Lisfranc fracture in his foot. The good news is that he’s expecting to be cleared in time for training camp. The bad news is that the Saints must decide by May 1 whether to exercise the fifth-year option in Ruiz’s contract and guarantee him more than $14 million for 2024. If they believe he’ll continue to play at a high level after improving last season, it should be an easy decision. You just have to wonder how heavily his early-career struggles factor into that equation.

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Grading the Vikings 2020 NFL draft class

With three seasons in the books, let’s reflect on the 2020 NFL draft class

Now that we are three years removed from the 2020 NFL draft class, we can start to get a semblance of what they are as professional football players.

Why do you need three years before you fully grade out a class? It’s simple. The development of young players takes time. The college game is competitive, but also incredibly different. The speed and spacing of the game is different on a significant level.

Now that the class has had three seasons to adjust to the NFL game, we can properly assess if the Vikings picked good players at each of their 15 picks.

How Bill O’Brien wrecked the Texans over an 8-month span

Bill O’Brien did a number on the Houston Texans in just eight months as he doubled up as coach and shadow general manager.

The Houston Texans have been clawing their way out of a rebuild, and they may finally be out of it with the hiring of coach DeMeco Ryans.

While it can be argued that the conflicts with the franchise quarterback beginning in January 2021 were a huge setback for the organization, there were decisions made by Bill O’Brien over an eight-month span that were far more injurious to the team than just the problems at quarterback.

According to Michael Renner from Pro Football Focus, there were six mistakes that O’Brien made from August 2019 to March 2020 while coach and moonlighting general manager that set the Texans up for failure over the 2020-22 seasons.

The Texans gave O’Brien general manager control in the summer of 2019, and he reacted like a kid in a candy store. Here’s a highlight reel:

Tunsil turned out to be a three-time Pro Bowler. However, the capital given up to acquire him was detrimental to the Texans’ ability to assemble good drafts, especially in general manager Nick Caserio’s first draft in 2021.

The Texans clearly lost on the Hopkins trade, but the worst parts of O’Brien’s wheeling and dealing was giving up third-rounders for role players such as Johnson and Conley.

O’Brien was part of the Texans’ five-man general manager council following the firing of Brian Gaine in early June 2019. Chris Olsen was the interim general manager, but the moves were more like what a coach would make to shore up his roster.

The Texans fired O’Brien after an 0-4 start in 2020. Executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby was named the interim general manager until Caserio was hired in January 2021.

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