Tag: 2021 NFL draft

2021 NFL Draft: First Pick Overall Odds, Best Bet Value Ranking

Who will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft? The odds are out from BetMGM, and here’s our ranking from best values to worst.

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Who will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft? The odds are out from BetMGM, and here’s our ranking from best values to worst. 

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak

We already know who the No. 1 overall pick is going to be in the 2021 NFL Draft, right? Sure we do … just like we knew last year at this time that fifth-round prospect Joe Burrow was going to turn into the must-have top pick overall.

Just like we knew that a quarterback smaller than your sister would end up being the top overall selection in 2019. And before Kyler Murray went to Arizona, it’s not like anyone had any idea that Baker Mayfield would somehow by the top overall pick for Cleveland in 2018.

This is hardly the slam dunk you might think it is.

BetMGM is out with its initial lines for the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Here’s our ranking from the worst value on up to the best of the bunch.

One quick note before we start. The Field isn’t an option. If it was, that would be the No. 1 choice here. And why? Again, Burrow, Murray, and Mayfield.

Here are all of the 30 prospects listed with the lines to be the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Want to bet on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft?
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30. WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota

The hype will be huge coming off a fantastic 2019, but just getting close to the first round in a deep class of of wide receivers would be strong enough. BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +10,000

29. WR Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State

Wallace will be in for a huge season if he stays healthy. However, it’ll be a long shot to be the No. 1 receiver taken, much less the top overall draft pick. BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +10,000

28. CB Shaun Wade, Ohio State

He’s going to be among the next great Ohio State defensive backs, but great Ohio State defensive backs don’t go No. 1 overall.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +6600

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27. QB Brock Purdy, Iowa State

He is a quarterback, and he is going to throw for a ton of yards, but this isn’t the class to be just a quarterback who’s going to throw for a ton of yards. BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +10,000

26. LB Micah Parsons, Penn State

I like his NFL game a lot more than most, but it would require something unreal for him to get into shouting distance of the top pick. At +2000, it’s not worth it as a flier.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +2000

25. RB Kylin Hill, Mississippi State

Not only is a running back for an okay team in the SEC West not going to get the yards, he’s really not going to get the yards in the Mike Leach offense. The position it too devalued. It is +20,000, but … nah.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +20,000

24. WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

It’s hard enough for a wide receiver to be a top pick, much less one who’ll have to share the wealth with so many other talented stars on his own team. Waddle is special, but notice how many other Alabama guys are on this list.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +5000

23. OT Jalen Mayfield, Michigan

A rising star prospect who should work his way into the first round, there’s going to be too much traffic at the position – forgetting about the quarterback talents – to earn the top pick.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +10,000

22. WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU

His game will be more than fantastic for the NFL, but he’s not exactly the prototype wideout. We’re talking about the No. 1 overall pick in a draft with phenomenal quarterback prospects – +5000 isn’t enough to get interested. BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +5000

21. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC

The next-level talent is there for an offense that’s going to put up insane passing numbers, But he’s still a wide receiver.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +10,000

20. WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama

The +5000 value isn’t enough to bite. A wide receiver isn’t going first, but Smith might play his way into a top 15 pick.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +5000

19. WR Justyn Ross, Clemson

As outstanding as he is, and as good as the +10,000 might look, he doesn’t have No. 1 overall pick talent. He’ll likely go around the 20.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +10,000

18. WR Rondale Moore, Purdue

The blazing speed and all-around playmaking ability could make him the first receiver off the board – think Henry Ruggs – but even at +10,000, don’t worry about him at the top spot.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +10,000

17. CB Patrick Surtain, Alabama

All the NFL tools are there, but if Jeff Okudah couldn’t get higher than the No. 3 pick … it’s not going to happen for a corner in this draft.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +5000

16. RB Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State

Get ready for a theme here. There’s just no value at running back anymore. Even if there is – and Hubbard should be a great pro – it’s asking for way too much to make Hubbard No. 1 overall.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +8000

15. RB Travis Etienne, Clemson

+4000 isn’t enough to get excited about him as the No. 1 overall guy. He’ll have a fantastic season, and the speed is serious, but it’s a position problem – ask D’Andre Swift and Jonathan Taylor about the value of being a great running back.
BetMGM 2021 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds: +4000

NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft: First Pick Overall Odds, Best Bet Value Top 15 Ranking

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Las Vegas playing host to 2022 NFL Draft

Commissioner Roger Goodell broke some draft news Thursday, announcing Las Vegas will play host to the 2022 event.

It was a minor flub, but Commissioner Roger Goodell was technically correct.

During the first round Thursday of the NFL Draft, Goodell broke news Las Vegas was going to play host to the 2020 NFL Draft. Of course, Vegas was supposed to play host to this year’s draft before it became “virtual,” due to the coronavirus pandemic.

What the commissioner meant to say was Las Vegas will play host to the 2022 NFL Draft. The 2021 NFL Draft has already been awarded to Cleveland.

An aside, the virtual draft has allowed the commissioner to show some charm and human side fans don’t often see. He’s in the middle of a full-blown babyface turn from the heel who has been booed vociferously for years.

Goodell has done a great job in the first round under extremely challenging conditions. A job well done and he deserves credit for handling this splendidly.

 

2021 NFL Draft: Top 32 Pro Prospects First Look

2021 NFL Draft: What returning college players are the best pro prospects going into the 2020 season?

2021 NFL Draft: What returning college players are the best pro prospects going into the 2020 season?

CFN in 60: 5 Top 2021 NFL Prospects to Know
Pete Fiutak takes a quick look at five key college football players for the 2021 NFL Draft … besides the obvious.

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– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak

CFN 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest NFL Draft Picks From Each School
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
Full 2020 NFL Draft Order
CFN Top 106 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)
How Will Leagues Do in 1st Round?
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC

2021 NFL Draft Top Pro Prospects: Pre-2020 NFL Draft

How hard is it to figure out the top pro players so early in the NFL Draft process?

Had the 2019 college football season never happened, Tua Tagovailoa would’ve been the easy No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and …

Joe Burrow would’ve been a late-round flier.

Sometimes, seemingly sure-thing prospects get banged up or don’t produce at the high level expected. Superstars emerge from out of the blue, and good prospects – think Chase Young and Isaiah Simmons – turn into can’t-miss killers.

CFN in 60 Video: The rising star 2021 NFL Draft prospect is …
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There’s a chance we’ll all have to fly a little bit blind if there’s no 2020 college football season, but it’s possible to figure out who most of the guys with the NFL tools are.

One note before getting going. These might be the top guys – or close to it – but that doesn’t mean they’re all projected to go in the first round. Some positions – like running back – don’t hold as much value in the real world NFL.

With that as a backdrop, 32 of the best-looking pro prospects going into the 2020 college football season – fingers-crossed really, really hard that it happens – are …

All players listed will be seniors unless otherwise noted.

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32. OT Alaric Jackson, Iowa

His stock dropped a bit after fighting through a knee injury that knocked him out for three games and limited him for most of the season, but he’s still a special talent. Tristan Wirfs turned into the big-time first round draft pick, but the 6-6, 320-pound Jackson has the size, quickness and upside to be a stronger NFL left tackle.

31. WR Justin Ross, Clemson (Jr.)

Does he have the raw wheels? He’s got the 6-4, 205-pound size, and he’s been plenty fast on the field averaging close to 22 yards per catch as a freshman and following it up with 66 grabs for 865 yards and eight scores last year. Get the ball in his zip code and he’ll go any get it, but … will he have the 40 time to boost himself up in a class of blazers?

30. CB Shaun Wade, Ohio State (Jr.)

No one will put him in the Jeff Okudah category, but he’s another very good, very athletic Ohio State defensive back – at least, he’s the one returning main man to the secondary – with the leadership and versatility to work just about anywhere. He’s a 6-1, 195-pound corner who picked off a pass, broke up eight, and made 25 tackles last year.

29. DT Jay Tufele, USC

Athletic for his size, the 6-3, 315-pounder also has the strength to hold his own as a next-level anchor against the run. In his first two seasons he made 64 tackles with 6.5 sacks and ten tackles for loss. While he might not be quite as massive as some will want, he’ll make up for it with his quickness off the ball – he doesn’t stay blocked.

28. OG Cade Mays, Tennessee (Jr.)

The 6-6, 328-pound former Georgia Bulldog returns to his hometown in what should be his final season in college. Big and athletic, he’s been able to bulk up over his three seasons after working just about everywhere at times over the UGA line. His NFL future is at guard, but he has the athleticism to be tried out at tackle.

27. WR Seth Williams, Auburn (Jr.)

Okay, QB Bo Nix … get your big star the ball. The 6-3, 224-pound Williams might not have the 4.3 wheels of some of the other stars in the 2021 draft class – assuming he comes out – but he averaged 16 yards per catch in his first two seasons with 85 grabs for 1,364 yards and 13 touchdowns. Very big and very physical, throw it somewhere near him and he’ll come up with a big play.

26. TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn State (Jr.)

From the start, Freiermuth has been an ultra-reliable target who always seems to come through with the big grab down the middle. At 6-5 and 259 pounds he’s got the bulk, the blocking ability, and the hands, catching 43 passes for 507 yards and seven scores last season.

25. DE/LB Quincy Roche, Miami

Can his game translate to the ACC level? There isn’t much concern about it, especially with pass rushing star Gregory Rousseau on the other side. The 6-4, 235-pound Rouche is a hybrid pass rusher who came up with 137 tackles with 26 sacks and 39.5 tackles for loss in three years at Temple. The motor doesn’t stop, and the quickness and burst are special on the outside.

NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Top Prospects 17-24

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2021 NFL Draft Order: What Should It Be If There’s No 2020 NFL Season?

What happens to the 2021 NFL Draft if there’s no 2020 season? How would the NFL figure out the order? Here’s a possible solution if needed.

What happens to the 2021 NFL Draft if there’s no 2020 season? How would the NFL figure out the order? Here’s a solution that’s hopefully not going to be needed.

CFN 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest NFL Draft Picks From Each School
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
Full 2020 NFL Draft Order
CFN Top 106 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

So I couldn’t sleep the other night, and that led to a meandering rant asking question after question about what might happen to the 2021 NFL Draft if there’s no 2020 NFL season.

Hopefully we don’t need to worry about any of this and there’s a delightful 2020 NFL campaign that will figure everything out for the 2021 NFL Draft, but it’s a far more realistic issue than any football fan wants to admit. But …

How do you possibly come up with the 2021 NFL Draft order if there’s no season?

It wouldn’t exactly be fair if Cincinnati got two straight No. 1 overall picks just because the season didn’t get going, and it wouldn’t seem kosher to punish the weaker teams that didn’t have a chance to see if they’ve improved or not.

Throw in all of the trades, all of the contracts to deal with, free agency, and on and on and on, and it could be one gigantic mess.

What would be the right solution?

CFN in 60: Why You Don’t Take A QB Early

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I wrote in the first piece that I had no clue what the correct call is, and then I received a whole lot of thoughts and ideas.

So let’s figure this out. How should the 2021 NFL Draft order go if there’s no season to base it off of? Let’s start with a few basic assumptions.

1. It’s the NFL. It’s the league the overreacted to one bad call by implementing a challenge rule for pass interference. Don’t underestimate the ability for the league to try killing a mosquito with a bazooka. It’s going to make this hard.

2. It’s the NFL, and it HATES adopting anything used by other leagues or other sports. For this to all be fair and equitable, there will have to be some sort of a random way to determine the draft order. Again, it’s the NFL – do NOT expect the word lottery to be used for any aspect.

3. There will have to be some rationale here. The bad teams are still going to be the bad teams until proven otherwise. The whole point of the draft order is to help out the weak and the sad, and that doesn’t necessarily change just because there’s no season. But …

4. Every team will want some chance at a good draft pick somewhere. The New Englands and Kansas Citys of the league aren’t going to cheerfully accept picking at the end of every round and be punished for being great.

Let’s make this as simple and as fair as possible.

The 2005 NHL Draft example – coming off a lockout with no season – was just too funky. It doesn’t seem fair that Kansas City and San Francisco should have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick, but it’s also not right that franchises that sucked over the last several years should be automatically rewarded.

Here’s the compromise.

The draft order is determined by the average of each team’s first round draft slots over the last three years. If a team traded out of that position in the first round, it gets credit for that slot.

Reverse it in the second round to throw the teams that draft late a bone, and then go back to the first round draft order the rest of the way – factoring in previous trades made for 2021 draft picks.

That way, the team that drafts last in the first round – and every round from 3 through 7 – gets two of the top 33 picks. The team that gets the No. 1 overall pick would then have to wait 62 before its next pick, but it would get three of the top 65 picks.

Basically, we’re putting massive value on the first pick in the second round. But how do we determine the first round?

Again, let’s make this easy. Take the average position of the last three draft first rounds. That means, for example, Cincinnati would get the No. 2 overall pick after picking 1st overall in 2020, 12th in 2017, and 9th and 2018. 1+12+9=22, divide that by three drafts, and its average score is 7.33.

Why might this thing actually fly? Where’s the 2021 NFL Draft supposed to be held?

Cleveland.

And with that …

2021 NFL Draft Order Idea

2021 NFL Draft First Round Might Be …

Team followed by average of last three first round draft positions. For the ties, do what the NFL does now and flip a coin.

1. Cleveland (4.00)
2. Cincinnati (7.33)
3. NY Jets (7.67)
4. NY Giants (9.67)
T5. Chicago (10.00)
T5. LA Chargers (10.00)
7. Indianapolis (10.33)
8. Washington (10.67)
9. Arizona (12.00)
10. Miami (12.67)
11. Carolina (13.00)
T12. Denver (13.33)
T12. Tampa Bay (13.33)
T14. Jacksonville (14.00)
T14. San Francisco (14.00)
16. Detroit (14.67)
17. Las Vegas (15.33)
18. Jacksonville traded from LA Rams (16.00)
19. Buffalo (17.67)
20. Miami traded from Houston (18.33)
21. Baltimore (20.00)
22. New Orleans (20.67)
23. Dallas (21.33)
24. Philadelphia (21.67)
25. Minnesota (23.00)
26. Seattle (23.67)
27. Tennessee (24.00)
T28. Atlanta (24.33)
T28. Green Bay (24.33)
30. Pittsburgh (25.33)
31. Kansas City (27.00)
32. New England (28.67)

But then … reverse it for the second round.

2021 NFL Draft Second Round Might Be …

33. New England
34. Kansas City
35. Pittsburgh
T36. Atlanta
T36. Green Bay
38. Tennessee
39. Seattle
40. Minnesota
41. Philadelphia
42. Dallas
43. New Orleans
44. Baltimore
45. Miami traded from Houston
46. Buffalo
47. LA Rams
48. Las Vegas
49. Detroit
T50. Jacksonville
T50. San Francisco
T52. Denver
T52. Tampa Bay
54. Carolina
55. Miami
56. Arizona
57. Washington
58. Indianapolis
T59. Chicago
T59. LA Chargers
61. NY Giants
62. NY Jets
63. Cincinnati
64. Cleveland

And then reverse it back to the first round order for the rest of the draft, and …

Let’s really, really hope we don’t have to use this.

CFN 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest NFL Draft Picks From Each School
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
Full 2020 NFL Draft Order
CFN Top 106 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)

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What Happens To The 2021 NFL Draft If There’s No 2020 NFL Season?

How do you prepare for the 2020 NFL Draft if you don’t know if there will be a season? Even harder, what will the 2021 NFL Draft look like?

How do you prepare for the 2020 NFL Draft if you don’t know if there will even be a season? Even harder, what will the 2021 NFL Draft look like if there’s no 2020 season?

CFN 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest NFL Draft Picks From Each School
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
Full 2020 NFL Draft Order
CFN Top 106 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

All apologies in advance – this is one of those only-questions-no-answers things, because I have no earthly clue what the best possible solution is.

And I really, really hope this is a wasted theoretical exercise.

Work with me here.

The 2020 NFL Draft is just fine. Cincinnati takes Joe Burrow, Washington does whatever it’s going to do at the two, and we all love every moment of a sports event that actually matters.

And then …

Hypothetically, the doomsday scenario happens and there’s no 2020 NFL season.

Of course we all want football as long as it’s safe – with safe being loosely defined as everyone on the field being confirmed negative for the coronavirus – but how do you practice, train, travel, play, etc. without testing everyone daily, and on and on and on with all of the practical and logistical issues?

For now, at least consider the possibility that all of a sudden it’s July, and 345 Park Avenue doesn’t have it. After brainstorming every plan and idea, the NFL can’t find a way to make it work for 2020.

What happens to the 2021 NFL Draft?

You can’t just cancel it.

CFN in 60: Why You Don’t Take A QB Early

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Eligible college players will be ready to make the jump, NFL teams have contracts to deal with, free agency will still happen, players will get older, some will retire – you need to have a 2021 draft.

Do you keep the same draft order from 2020? Good luck selling THAT to teams picking late in the 2020 first round.

Do you come up with some sort of lottery for just the top ten picks? Again, have fun getting Kansas City, San Francisco and Green Bay to be on board, and have an even better time convincing Cincinnati, Washington and Detroit to give up their prime positions when they don’t have anything on the field to go off of.

Do you create a tiered lottery with teams without a 2020 first rounder getting their slots back for 2021? Maybe teams keep their 2020 positions with picks 1-5 all in Tier 1, teams 6-12 in Tier 2, and on from there.

What the hell do you do with conditional picks, or worse yet, traded first round picks? Miami gets Houston’s 2021 first rounder, Jacksonville has the Rams’ first, and don’t even start with all the past trades that kick in along with whatever deals come from the 2020 draft.

It would be the mess of all messes to get the 32 owners as well as the Players Association to agree on how it to do something that’s fair to everyone.

But NFL teams had better have a plan in place for every possibility.

If you’re a pragmatic NFL general manager worth your paycheck, how do you draft this weekend without having an answer to one key question?

If you were told right now that there isn’t going to be a 2020 season, would you change anything about your draft strategy?

Do you move heaven and earth now to trade up to grab a quarterback early, knowing you might have a free year to develop your guy?

Do you move heaven and earth now to trade up to grab Tua Tagovailoa, rolling the dice that you might get a full 12 months or more to let his hip get even better?

Do you plan your draft around positions that are fine for this season, but will be an issue next year once contracts expire or change? GMs do that no matter what, but maybe a player currently on a roster is more valuable to sign back up if he has a year off. Maybe he’s easier to let go because he’ll be a year older and you see strength at the position around your 2020 slot in the 2021 draft.

Try this out.

Cincinnati takes Joe Burrow with the first pick on Thursday night. There’s no 2020 NFL or college football season, and with the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select … Trevor Lawrence.

Welcome to the mother of all trade talk scenarios – and a dream for sports media everywhere.

Does Washington take a massive home run swing and trade Dwayne Haskins for a whole lot of prime picks/players now, thinking there might be a shot at Lawrence or Justin Fields if the same draft positions hold for a 2021 draft without a 2020 season?

Or will teams simply go full steam ahead and not even entertain the possibility of there not being a season?

Do your draft, don’t get caught up in hypotheticals, the future will take care of itself, take one game and draft pick at a time, and …

This is going to be the weirdest NFL Draft ever.

Let’s just hope it’s not topped in 2021.

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Georgia football player profile: DB Richard LeCounte

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Richard LeCounte will be the leader of the Bulldog defense in 2020.

Safety Richard LeCounte (#2):

Class: Senior

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190 lbs

Hometown: Riceboro, Georgia

High School: Liberty County High School

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: Richard LeCounte of the Georgia Bulldogs intercepts a pass against the Baylor Bears during the Allstate Sugar Bowl. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Richard LeCounte will be the leader of the Bulldog defense in 2020. He returned to Athens for his senior season instead of entering his name into the NFL Draft. He’ll have another shot at the college football playoffs in his final year.

LeCounte has been playing since he was a freshman, but he began starting as a sophomore. In 2018, LeCounte was the University of Georgia’s leading tackler with 74 total stops.

LeCounte has established himself as a playmaker on Georgia’s elite defense. Georgia had the top-ranked scoring defense in the nation last season. LeCounte does lose his partner in crime at the safety position, J.R. Reed. LeCounte will miss Reed, but now he’s ready to run the back-end of UGA’s defense.

Riceboro, Georgia product has forced a combined nine turnovers over the last two seasons. LeCounte recorded the second most interceptions in the SEC last season with four. He recovered the most fumbles (three) in the league as well. It’ll be a pleasure to watch his last season between the hedges.

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Tank for Trevor Lawrence in 2020? Bears fans and experts debate

The Bears are in win-now mode. But would they be better off trying to tank for next year’s NFL Draft prize in Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence?

Chicago Bears fans know the pain and agony of not having a true franchise quarterback all too well. In the team’s 100 year history, not a single player has thrown for 4,000 yards or scored 30 touchdowns, milestones that become more pedestrian by the year.

The Bears took another stab at solving its continued conundrum this offseason, trading for the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback and Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles in hopes of pushing, and possibly supplanting, starter Mitchell Trubisky following a disappointing 2019 season.

The trade, along with other free agent acquisitions such as tight end Jimmy Graham and edge rusher Robert Quinn, prove the team is in win-now mode. But would they be better off trying to tank for next year’s prize in the 2021 NFL Draft, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence?

Lawrence, the sensational sophomore quarterback, led the Tigers to a National Championship over the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2018-19 and became the talk of college football. The 6′ 6″ 220-pound passer was tabbed as the likely first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft two years out and will be the focus of many teams when college football returns this fall.

But when it comes to the Bears, are they in position to land Lawrence? The question became a hot topic this past weekend and many experts and fans had an opinion on the matter.

To start, Ben Brown of Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently published an article detailing which teams should consider tanking for the college phenom this season. The Bears were fourth on their list, and PFF made the case for why they are in good position to potentially land Lawrence:

Nick Foles immediately emerges as the odds-on favorite to win the starting quarterback position for the Bears after being traded from Jacksonville. Foles had the perfect contract to take on, as it contained a guaranteed salary in 2020 with only a $5 million roster bonus thereafter, according to OverTheCap.com.

This gives the Bears the opportunity to evaluate Nick Foles, and if he plays well, the Bears could keep him for two more seasons. If he doesn’t play anywhere near the 2018 Super Bowl MVP level he has flashed, the Bears can move on from him and hopefully be in a position to draft (Justin) Fields or Lawrence in 2021.

Brown argues the Bears could easily move on from Foles if this season doesn’t work out for a small penalty and hopefully be in a position to land Lawrence or another highly-touted college quarterback such as Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Trubisky, meanwhile, could also come off the books depending on how the team decides to handle his fifth-year option.

PFF made their case for the tank while one Bears writer gave fans two options on the matter. NBC Sports Chicago’s Bryan Perez created a “would you rather” scenario regarding Lawrence, asking if fans would rather see an 11-5 season culminate in a loss in the NFC Championship game with Nick Foles, or see them go 3-13 and land Lawrence in 2021.

The results, as expected were mixed.

While having a player such as Lawrence don the navy and orange in 2021 would be a pleasant sight to see, I would still opt for the first scenario. The Bears have made the playoffs five times in 20 years, winning only three playoff games. To have the team finish in the NFL’s final four would be worth celebrating, even if it means not winning a Super Bowl. The Bears would still be set up for success and the core of the team would remain the same.

Stumbling to a 3-13 record, while it would land Lawrence, would create another set of problems. A new coaching staff, possibly jettisoning key players and bringing in a whole new regime for the third time in a decade for a player who appears to be the real deal, but isn’t guaranteed to have success in the NFL. One player, even a quarterback, cannot save a franchise if the other pillars are constantly being rebuilt. Teams who don’t have stability usually don’t have success.

The argument on whether or not to tank for a highly-touted quarterback is always an interesting one and is here to stay. But given the Bears current pieces, they’re in win-now mode and should do what it takes to rise to the top. Even if that means trying to catch lightning in a bottle at the quarterback position for yet another year.

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Ravens on track to earn 1 compensatory pick in 2021 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens have usually been great at gaming the compensatory pick formula but are currently on track to earn just one in 2021

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The Baltimore Ravens are one of the best teams at gaming the compensatory pick formula. Though the NFL had been handing out comp picks for two years before the Ravens came into existence, Baltimore has managed to lead in that department. Their 52 comp picks outpace the 43 selections the two teams tied for second (Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots) have earned. With the Ravens entering this offseason with 21 pending free agents, there was some hope Baltimore would once again top the league when the 2021 comp picks were handed out.

After more than a week of free agency, the Ravens actually haven’t earned as much as originally expected. According to Over The Cap, Baltimore is currently on track to earn a sixth-round pick back after calculating their additions and losses.

Part of the problem is actually a positive for the Ravens this offseason. Baltimore has done a great job of re-signing their own free agents, bringing back potential comp pick earners like cornerback Jimmy Smith, safety Chuck Clark and defensive end Jihad Ward. Re-signing their own players from a 14-2 team is a smart move but it limits what the Ravens can earn in comp picks.

Baltimore has also been aggressive this offseason, adding Calais Campbell and agreeing to terms with Michael Brockers. Yet, thanks to Campbell coming via a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s really only Brockers that is set to count against them currently. According to OTC, his addition will wipe out the loss of Michael Pierce, who signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings worth $27 million. That leaves — surprisingly enough — wide receiver Seth Roberts’ one-year deal as the only player set to earn the Ravens a comp pick.

Baltimore doesn’t have any free agents remaining that are expected to get big enough deals to earn any more comp picks. With a few major needs still remaining which could be remedied in free agency, the Ravens could easily be looking at a rare year where they don’t get any extra selections.

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Bears have compiled a handful of compensatory picks this free agency

The Bears have lost some key players to free agency. But it hasn’t been without its compensation – 4 compensatory picks, to be exact.

The Chicago Bears have lost some key members of their roster to free agency. But it hasn’t been without its compensation.

Compensatory draft picks, to be precise.

Following the first wave of the NFL’s free agency, the Bears have racked up four compensatory draft picks for 2021.

According to Over The Cap, the Bears currently are projected to receive four compensatory selections: Three sixth-rounders and one seventh-rounder.

Those come courtesy of new contracts for quarterback Chase Daniel, defensive lineman Nick Williams, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis.

Daniel continues to make the most of his journeyman backup quarterback role as he signed a three-year, $13 million deal. Williams’ impressive performance with the Bears last season earned him a two-year deal with the Lions worth $10 million.

Meanwhile in the NFC East, Clinton-Dix headed to Dallas on a one-year deal that’s set to give him $4 million and $2.5 million guaranteed. Pierre-Louis landed with the Redskins, where he’s set to make $3.45 million.

The Bears were previous projected to land a fifth-round compensatory pick for inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, who agreed to terms with the Raiders. But the signing of All-Pro pass rusher Robert Quinn negated that compensatory selection.

The Bears earned a compensatory pick for 2020 — a fourth-rounder for safety Adrian Amos, who departed for the Packers last offseason. But Chicago traded that fourth-round pick for quarterback Nick Foles.

If these latest projections hold up, the Bears will get some valuable draft capital heading into 2021.

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Bad news for Jets: Leonard Williams, Giants far apart on new deal

The Jets will get the Giant’s 2021 fourth-round pick if Leonard Williams signs a long-term contract with the Giants before March 18.

Leonard Williams plays for the Giants now, but his contract situation still affects the Jets.

The former 2015 first-round pick will be a free agent when the 2020 league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 18 unless the Giants sign him to a new contract or place the franchise or transition tag on him. The Giants have less than a week to decide what to do, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the two sides “are not close” to an extension. Rapoport added that Williams has a “strong market,” which leads many to believe the Giants will opt for one of the tags. 

Which path the Giants choose affects the Jets’ 2021 draft. The Giants traded a 2020 third-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2021 that could turn into a fourth if Big Blue re-signs Williams to an extension before March 18. It looks like an extension is unlikely, though, meaning the Jets will be stuck with the fifth-round selection they initially acquired.

The crux of the negotiation likely stems from Williams’ positional designation and the value difference between a defensive end and defensive tackle. If the Giants tag him as an interior lineman, he’ll be looking at a slightly lower contract to work with while negotiating a long-term deal after March 18.

Williams didn’t look any better with the Giants than he did with the Jets. He tallied only half a sack in eight games and registered 26 combined tackles, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. Williams recorded only seven sacks and 109 combined tackles in the previous 39 games for the Jets over the past 2.5 seasons. 

The Giants could easily look at that production, realize Williams isn’t worth the $15.3-$17.9 million he’d earn under either tag at either position or $12 million annually on an extension and simply let him walk. If that happens, the Jets would keep the picks, obviously, but wouldn’t see their pick upgrade from a fifth to a fourth.

There isn’t much time to make a decision on Williams’ future. The Giants have until March 10 to sign him to the transition tag and until March 12 for the franchise tag. Doing either would give them time to negotiate a long-term deal for Williams but wouldn’t give the Jets a better draft pick.