Tag: Adam Rank

Why fans should root for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson this season

Despite his impressive career, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has yet to receive recognition as the NFL’s most valuable player.

The Seattle Seahawks added a few new weapons this offseason to quarterback Russell Wilson’s arsenal via free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft. So will this finally be the year he will be recognized as the league’s Most Valuable Player?

NFL.com writer Adam Rank recently put together a piece highlighting one player from each NFL team to root for this season. His pick for the Seahawks is not a rookie or a new team member, it’s not even running back, Marshawn Lynch. Rank names Seattle’s signal-caller as the one he’ll love to watch in 2020.

“I know it seems weird that I would pick one of the most popular players in the NFL for this list. I get that,” Rank writes. “That said, Wilson is one of the most underappreciated players of his era. Most people would agree that he’s one of the most valuable players in the league. The Seahawks have struggled on the offensive line for what seems like years and it’s Wilson who has carried them. And yet, he’s never received a single MVP vote. Not one.”

Wilson has been steady throughout his career despite the many changes around him on the roster. Perhaps 2020 is finally the year Wilson gets the recognition he deserves.

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Adam Rank’s 2020 NFL mock draft gives love to the Bucs’ pirate ship

NFL.com’s Adam Rank thinks the Bucs should find protection for quarterback Tom Brady early as well as add a running back.

The 2020 NFL draft is just around the corner, and despite the fact that the event will be fully virtual this year in light of the coronavirus pandemic, we can be grateful that mock drafts are still being turned out.

While we’ve had several iterations from analysts and draft experts in the last few months, Adam Rank over at NFL.com released his first mock draft this week, and put a twist on it. Rank didn’t set out to predict which player teams will pick. Instead, he told teams who they should take, draft boards be damned. Rank pointed out at the beginning of his piece that had the Bucs listened to him in 2018, Chargers strong safety Derwin James would be in Tampa Bay instead of Vita Vea (not sure how Bucs fans feel about that).

Fortunately, in his 2020 mock, Rank says the Bucs should look to protect their newest asset, quarterback Tom Brady, by selecting offensive tackle Andrew Thomas out of Georgia, a player whose name keeps popping up more and more for the Bucs in recent mock drafts. In his reasoning, Rank not only gives love to Tampa Bay’s new unis, but also to their pirate ship of all things.

Per Rank:

“First off, love the new uniforms. Those look amazing. Second, you need a running back. But I don’t recommend that you take one here. Address that in the second round, when your options at No. 45 could include J.K. Dobbins, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and maybe even a surprise slider like Jonathan Taylor. Take Thomas to protect your most important asset for the team, Tom Brady. Well, second-most next to that huge pirate ship that Kevin Owens didn’t get to jump off for WrestleMania. And having that tackle will help you run the ball, too.”

The Bucs used the majority of their picks in last year’s NFL draft to fix their problems on defense, adding guys like Devin White, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean in the early rounds. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they focused on offense in the early stages of this year’s draft. Getting Brady protection up front and in the backfield would help make Tampa Bay’s passing attack even more explosive.

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Seahawks select defensive tackle in Adam Rank’s mock draft

Adam Rank of NFL.com believes the Seattle Seahawks should select defensive tackle Ross Blacklock at No. 27 overall in April’s NFL draft.

Nothing can stop the NFL draft, not even the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the nation. With the big event set to kick off virtually on April 23 as planned, pundits are putting their finishing touches on their mock drafts.

NFL.com writer Adam Rank has put a twist on his third-annual mock, suggesting which players teams SHOULD select this year. His pick for Seattle is defensive tackle Ross Blacklock out of TCU.

“There’s a need on the offensive line. But I don’t like much of what is left there in this spot,” Rank writes. “Blacklock is way too talented to pass over here. He has the skills to develop into a serious pass rusher from the interior of the defensive line.”

“He seems like the kind of player that Seattle finds and turns into a stud,” Rank continues. “And if you somehow convince Jadeveon Clowney to return (I know, a long shot at this point), this line is going to be amazing.”

The Seahawks may very well need to look to the draft to bulk up the defensive line if Seattle isn’t able to come to terms with Clowney in the near future.

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NFL.com names Von Miller 2nd-best player of the decade

NFL.com has declared Von Miller the league’s second-best player of the last decade.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller was named to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team this week. NFL.com’s Adam Rank took praise for Miller a step further, declaring him the second-best player of the decade.

Miller is ranked No. 2 on Rank’s list of the top players of the decade, behind only quarterback Tom Brady. Miller is ranked higher than star defender Aaron Donald (No. 3), J.J. Watt (No. 4) and Luke Kuechly (No. 5).

“The Broncos’ edge rusher finished the decade with seven All-Pro selections (three first-team honors), a league-leading 106 sacks and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award,” Rank wrote. “Most importantly, though, he won a Super Bowl MVP award (in Super Bowl 50).”

Miller has plenty of accolades but he is yet to win a Defensive Player of the Year award. Miller has 18/1 odds to take home DPOY honors this season. Even if he doesn’t manage to ever win that award, Miller will likely be viewed as a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he retires.

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Adam Rank thinks former Bucs S John Lynch will make it into the Hall of Fame

See why NFL.com writer Adam Rank thinks former Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety John Lynch will make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Super Bowl LIV will kickoff Sunday in Miami between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, but on the eve of Super Bowl Sunday the NFL will hold its NFL Honors show, at which point we will learn the names of the players who’ve been selected to the Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety John Lynch, who also happens to be the general manager of the Niners, is a finalist for the seventh time. And, as Adam Rank of NFL.com predicts, Lynch could find himself getting called to the hall for more than just his play on the field.

Per Rank:

“Lynch was a great player. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But there are some outside factors that are going to help his case this week. For starters, he’s one of the architects of the 49ers team that will be playing in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday. He’s going to be meeting-and-greeting with writers all week leading up to the game. And you know some of these guys are going to get swept up in the moment. Don’t let that take away from the fact that Lynch was a two-time All-Pro and a member of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl XXXVII championship team. He’s also a bit of an elder statesman here, too. Lynch is in his eighth year of eligibility and has been a finalist seven times. He will get in.”

I think many Bucs (and Broncos) fans would love to see Lynch make it in this year, although, as Rank points it, it’d be even more fitting if Lynch were selected at next year’s Super Bowl, which will take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

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