Tag: 2022 NFL Season

Are the Jaguars poised for a big leap in 2022?

With a new coaching staff, a second-year quarterback and money to spend in free agency, CBS Sports thinks the Jags will improve significantly in 2022.

The only benefit to finishing with the worst record in the league for the second year in a row is that there’s truly nowhere to go but up. The Jaguars will certainly hope to see at least some signs of improvement with a new coaching staff and a (hopefully) retooled roster in place in 2022.

While it would be wise to keep expectations in check, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin felt confident enough about the Jags’ potential that he listed them at No. 1 on his list of the squads that are most poised to make major strides next year.

Here’s his reasoning.

They top the list because, frankly, they were so bad in 2021. Even finishing below .500, at 7-10 or 8-9, would constitute a major step forward for a franchise that can’t get out of its own way. New coach Doug Pederson was the right choice to revive the culture after the failed Urban Meyer experiment, and his personable presence alone should bode well for Trevor Lawrence, who can seemingly only go up from here. While their front office is a question mark, they’ve also got premium cap space and draft picks to bolster the lineup around their young QB. It’ll be hard for them not to be better.

It’s hard to argue with the logic here. If only by virtue of the fact that one of the youngest rosters in the league in 2021 will be more experienced with several additions likely coming down the pipeline. Even a near-.500 finish would be a marked improvement for a team that has finished with a losing record in 10 of the last 11 seasons.

The Jags need to see improved play from Lawrence, who struggled with decision-making as a rookie and led the league in interceptions as a result. However, his play improved near the end of the season, especially in the season finale against Indianapolis, when a fantastic performance ended the Colts’ playoff hopes.

As Benjamin says, it would be hard for Jacksonville to not be better.

Where are the Commanders in ESPN’s early 2022 NFL power rankings?

No surprises at the top. Where is Washington?

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Immediately after the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win-win Super Bowl LVI, it was time to turn the page to the 2022 NFL season.

ESPN took a quick look at the 2022 season, offering very early power rankings. There were no surprises at the top with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Rams, Green Bay Packers and Bengals rounding out the top five.

What do those five teams have in common? A franchise quarterback. When you have a franchise passer in place, you don’t worry too much about how the offseason can change your roster because that quarterback will keep you among the best in the NFL. ESPN’s rankings assume that Aaron Rodgers will return in 2022, of course.

For a team like the Washington Commanders, there’s a lot of uncertainty because no one knows who will be under center next fall. ESPN’s ranking of Washington at No. 25 reflects that uncertainty.

2021 record: 7-10

Offseason in three or fewer words: Another QB search

Washington has started 32 quarterbacks since it last won the Super Bowl after the 1991 season — and eight passers in the past three years. While the Commanders like Taylor Heinicke as a high-end backup, they’re definitely searching for “The Guy” this offseason. Since Kirk Cousins left after the 2017 season, Washington has the NFL’s worst total QBR (36.7). In Ron Rivera’s first two seasons as coach the team is 30th (35.3). Washington will pursue the big names who might be available, but it will be difficult to not only get teams to agree to a trade, but then to have quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson or Watson waive no-trade clauses to come here. — John Keim

Washington will take big swings at the quarterback position for players like Wilson and Watson, but the odds are against either happening for the Commanders. Instead, it could look to trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, or sign a lesser free agent like Mitchell Trubisky and also draft a passer high in the 2022 NFL draft.

Either way, Washington remains in quarterback purgatory and until there’s a solution, there isn’t a lot of hope amongst fans for a big leap in 2022.

 

Jets S Marcus Maye has DUI court hearing set for early March

Jets safety and impending free agent Marcus Maye’s next DUI court hearing will be a week before the 2022 league year starts.

Marcus Maye has a new court hearing for his February 2021 DUI arrest set for March 9, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

The hearing will take place eight days before the 2022 league year begins on March 16, when free agency officially begins. There is a two-day window from March 14-16 when teams and players can negotiate deals before being announced. Maye is one of 28 impending Jets free agents who could hit the open market this offseason.

Maye was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, misdemeanor DUI/damage to property, and leaving the scene of a crash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Feb. 22, 2021. Six weeks later, police stopped Maye for speeding and driving with a suspended license in Orlando, Florida, according to NorthJersey.com.

Maye reportedly didn’t disclose what happened to the Jets, a decision that could impact any disciplinary measures the NFL chooses to take against the safety.

The Jets have been non-committal on Maye’s future with the team. Joe Douglas didn’t say much in his end-of-the-season press conference. The safety himself said he wanted to return to the Jets, though that was before his season-ending Achilles injury.

Maye regressed a bit in 2021 after signing a $10.6 million franchise tag with the Jets. He ended the year on injured reserve after tearing his Achilles in Week 9. Maye finished the season with 46 combined tackles, one sack and two defended passes in six games.

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Washington gets a quarterback and linebacker in new 3-round mock draft

Draft Wire’s new 3-round mock draft addresses Washington’s two biggest needs.

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The two most significant needs for the Washington Football this offseason are quarterback and inside linebacker. Well, after a new name, of course, but that will change next week.

Early mock drafts have Washington selecting a quarterback with its first-round pick — No. 11 overall. Washington is desperate to upgrade the game’s most important position, and head coach Ron Rivera hasn’t been shy admitting as much.

While many believe Rivera would prefer to add a veteran quarterback, it’s no guarantee one will be made available before the 2022 NFL draft. Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and Derek Carr are four franchise quarterbacks who could be available this offseason. However, it seems unlikely Rodgers or Wilson will be made available, and Watson has unresolved legal issues. While not in the same tier as the other three, Carr is a borderline top-10 quarterback who is also doubtful to be moved.

That’s why all early mock drafts have a quarterback landing in Washington.

Draft Wire recently conducted a new three-round mock draft and went with a familiar theme at No. 11, penciling in Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral to Washington.

Taylor Heinicke is a solid backup, but Washington needs a long-term upgrade at the game’s most important position. It’s a bad year to need a franchise quarterback at the top of the draft, but Corral is a versatile playmaker with tons of potential.

Corral is a popular choice early in the mock draft process, which means nothing.

In the second round, Draft Wire has Washington selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere. Petit-Frere has everything you want in a left tackle. He possesses elite size, length and athleticism. While Washington doesn’t need a left tackle immediately, Petit-Frere could serve in a swing tackle role early in his career and eventually take over for Charles Leno. 

In the third round, Washington selected Georgia linebacker Quay Walker. Walker isn’t the most popular Georgia linebacker — that’s Nakobe Dean. However, Walker is a legit NFL prospect in his own right. He has size and speed, in addition to the versatility that Rivera loves having on his roster. He’d be a solid addition in the third round.

 

Washington’s 2022 opponents officially set

Washington’s 2022 schedule is set. Here is a look at all of its 2022 opponents.

After Washington’s 22-7 win over the New York Giants in the regular-season finale Sunday, the WFT’s list of opponents in 2022 was officially set.

Washington finished the 2021 season with a disappointing 7-10 record. After winning the NFC East last season, Washington faced a murderer’s row of elite quarterbacks in 2021. Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr were among the quarterbacks Washington competed against this season.

While the results were primarily negative, Washington’s dominant win over Brady and the Buccaneers was undoubtedly the high point of the 2021 season.

With the 2021 season in the books, we can start looking ahead to 2022. Here is an early look at all of Washington’s opponents next season. The good news is it doesn’t appear quite as daunting as 2021.

Seahawks: Full list of opponents for the 2022 NFL season

While the full 2022 NFL schedule won’t be out for a few more months, we know who and where they’ll be playing next season.

The Seahawks are all but finished for the 2021 campaign, with only one potential spoiler game to go against the Cardinals.

Let’s begin looking ahead to next year. While the full 2022 NFL schedule won’t be out for a few more months, we know who and where they’ll be playing next season.

What does NFL’s expected $208M salary cap mean for Chiefs in 2022?

The NFL’s salary cap is expected to hit the $208.2 million ceiling in 2022, and that is great news for the #Chiefs.

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The NFL’s salary cap is expected to take a big jump in 2022, and it should benefit the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ahead of the start of the 2022 NFL season, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to a salary cap ceiling of $208.2 million. This was a decision made to help make up for the revenue shortfall from the 2020 NFL season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2020 to 2021, the NFL’s salary cap fell by $15.7 million, primarily due to the lack of fans in stadiums due to the pandemic. The lowered number left teams scrambling to get their salary cap in order ahead of the 2021 NFL season. In prior years, the salary cap had been growing by roughly $10 million per season, and teams had planned their spending with that consistent growth in mind.

On Sunday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the salary cap is expected to hit that $208.2 million ceiling in 2022. That’s a $25.7 million jump from the 2021 NFL season’s salary cap and the biggest single-season increase since the 2006 NFL season when the cap increased by over $17 million.

According to Over The Cap, the Chiefs are now projected to have just under $30 million in cap space for 2022, which is right in the middle of the pack among NFL teams. That’s before Brett Veach and the front office does any sort of conversions or releases players with bloated salary cap numbers.

There has been some speculation that the team could take advantage of built-in out years in contracts for players like Frank Clark and Anthony Hitchens. Their releases could save the team a maximum of $28 million for the upcoming season, which in turn would bring the total cap space for Kansas City up to nearly $60 million for 2022.

This would put the Chiefs in a good situation when it comes to extending players like Tyrann Mathieu, Orlando Brown Jr. and others who are in a contract year. They could even opt to add some outside free agents at certain positions if they so choose. Ultimately, the Chiefs will have a lot more flexibility this offseason with the salary cap set to hit its ceiling.

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Looking at 5 Eagles who should be untouchable at the NFL trade deadline and beyond

NFL trade deadline: 5 Philadelphia Eagles who should be deemed untouchable as Nov. 2 approaches

Even after trading Zach Ertz, the Eagles could still be sellers in the next six days.

Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman has a long history of making trade-deadline moves, acquiring Jay Ajayi, Golden Tate, and Genard Avery over the past four years.

We Philadelphia rebuilding and likely set to be sellers at the trade deadline and at season’s end, we’ve highlighted five players who should be deemed untouchable going forward.

Guys like Jason Kelce (possible retirement), Josh Sweat, and Darius Slay are worthy of making the list as well.

3 ways Texans can take advantage of new throwback helmet rules

The NFL will allow for throwback helmets once again in 2022. Here are three directions the Texans could go with the new rules.

Good news: the NFL will allow for teams to have alternate helmets once again starting in 2022. That means teams are going to bust out the throwback helmets to go along with their throwback uniforms once again.

Bad news: the Houston Texans have been wearing the same getup since 2002 that they essentially are wearing their throwbacks. Consider even the Jacksonville Jaguars have undergone about three uniform alterations in the same span.

If the Texans ultimately decide to take advantage of the new changes providing for alternate helmets, here are three options to consider.

NFL, NFLPA agree to 2022 salary cap ceiling of $208.2M; How that impacts the Eagles

NFL, NFLPA agree to 2022 salary cap ceiling of $208.2M

The Eagles had to shuffle some things around to get under the 2021 salary cap, but 2022 has the potential to be a monster offseason for GM, Howie Roseman.

On Wednesday, the NFL and the players union agreed upon a “ceiling” for the 2022 season, stopping at a floor of $208.2 million per Tom Peliserro.

The league and NFLPA previously set the salary cap for the 2021 season at $182.5 million.

With the Carson Wentz dead money and several other huge deals coming off the books, here’s how the Eagles will be impacted by the record number.