History suggests Seahawks could find star with No. 26 pick

The Seattle Seahawks are selecting 26th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, and history suggests they could find a hidden gem.

The 2020 NFL draft order has been set, and the Seattle Seahawks hold the No. 26 pick in the first round.

The Seahawks have selected 26th one other time, back in 2005 when they took center Chris Spencer out of Mississippi – two spots behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers and just before receiver Roddy White and tight end Heath Miller.

However, Seattle is known for wheeling and dealing on draft day, and it is entirely possible the team will move up or down in the draft a handful of times before and during the three day draft weekend.

If they do keep the 26th pick, history suggests they could find themselves a nice player. Left tackle Duane Brown (2008) and outside linebacker Clay Matthews (2009) were both taken No. 26 overall, along with Hall of Famer Ray Lewis (1996) and potential future Hall of Famer Alan Faneca (1998).

Receiver Calvin Ridley (2018) and pass rusher Takkarist McKinley (2017) are two recent players who are both panning out well from that draft slot, and Montez Sweat had a solid rookie season after going 26th to the Redskins last year.

It is anyone’s guess this early in the process what the Seahawks will do with their pick, but you can bet they already on their way toward finding an impact performer who could be around at that spot, or else pinpointing teams they can wheel and deal with to acquire more picks in the middle rounds.

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How Andrew Whitworth, Clay Matthews can earn bonuses in Week 17

Andrew Whitworth and Clay Matthews have a lot to play for on Sunday.

The Rams are trying to finish the 2019 season with a winning record by beating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, and doing so will earn Andrew Whitworth a nice check. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Whitworth will earn an additional $500,000 if the Rams beat the Cardinals in Week 17, finishing the year with nine wins.

It’d be a good bonus for Whitworth in an otherwise disappointing season for the Rams. He started the year off slow, but he’s turned things around and returned to his usual level of play as an above-average left tackle.

He’s not the only player who can earn a bonus on Sunday, either. Clay Matthews needs only a half-sack to reach 8.5 on the year, which will trigger an additional incentive. He’s already earned $750,000 for recording eight sacks, and one more will give him another $250,000.

Matthews has had a renaissance season in 2019, playing well for the Rams despite missing three games with a broken jaw. He’s recorded eight sacks after putting up only 3.5 last season with the Packers, his most sacks in a year since he had 11 in 2014.

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Packers won’t face Lions QB Matthew Stafford in Week 17

The Packers won’t face QB Matthew Stafford or DL Mike Daniels in the season finale.

The Green Bay Packers won’t have to deal with veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford in the season finale.

The Detroit Lions, who host the Packers in Week 17, placed Stafford on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Stafford hasn’t played since Nov. 3 because of a back injury. He threw 19 touchdown passes, averaged 8.6 yards per attempt and had a passer rating of 106.0 in the eight games before suffering the injury.

David Blough, a rookie from Purdue, will be the expected starter in Week 17. He has started the last three games, throwing three touchdown passes and five interceptions – with a passer rating of 67.0 – in the three Lions losses.

The Packers, now 11-3, need to win just one more game – either against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16 or against the Lions in Week 17 – to win the NFC North. They can clinch a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs with two more wins.

The Lions also placed former Packers defensive tackle Mike Daniels on injured reserve. Daniels, who signed a one-year deal in Detroit after Green Bay cut him in August, will miss both games against the Packers in 2019.

Clay Matthews makes the Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinal list

Will this finally be the year Clay Matthews gets into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Will this finally be the year Clay Matthews gets into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? The Browns legend has once again made the cut for the semifinalist list for induction.

Matthews is one of 25 players selected as semifinalists from a more extensive list of 122 initial nominees. It’s the fourth time Matthews has made it to the semifinal ballot after his illustrious career playing linebacker and defensive end for the Browns for 16 seasons.

From the selection committee press release,

The Modern-Era players list will be reduced to 15 Finalists that will be announced on Jan. 2, 2020. The finalists will then be presented to the full 48-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual meeting on “Selection Saturday,” on Feb. 1, 2020, the day before Super Bowl LIV. The Selection Committee will elect five Modern-Era players for the Class of 2020.

The full list of semifinalists, which also includes LB Carl Banks, who played his final two seasons with the Browns.

Scouting the Los Angeles Rams

A look at the Los Angeles Rams from a playcalling and tendency point of view ahead of Monday Night Football in Week 12

The Baltimore Ravens travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams on Monday Night Football, as they continue their push for the postseason. This will be the seventh meeting between these two teams, but the first time that a game will be played in Los Angeles. The last time the Ravens went on to the road to face the Rams in 2011, the Rams called St. Louis home.

The Ravens own a 4-2 record against the Rams and have won each of the last three games between the two sides. Their last encounter was back in 2015 in a game the Ravens won 16-13 thanks to a Justin Tucker field goal from 47 yards out as time expired.

Let’s take a closer look at the Rams to better acquaint ourselves with what the Ravens are likely to see on Monday night.

Offense

Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams offense which took the league by storm in coach Sean McVay’s first two seasons has failed to hit these heights in 2019. The Kansas City Chiefs were the only team that scored more points and had more yards than the Rams in 2018. But the Rams are a lot closer to the middle of the pack this season. They are 13th in points scored and 15th in total offense. This is largely due to their failings in the run game, as they sit 21st in rushing yards against 7th in passing.

The Rams are predominantly an 11 personnel offense (three wide receivers, one running back and one tight end), and have lined up this way on 77% of their offensive plays this season. This is the second-highest rate in the NFL. They switch to 12 personnel (one back, two wide receivers and two tight ends) 15% of the time, the 8th lowest rate. The Rams like to run the ball out of 12, doing so on 69% of the time. They average only 3.3 yards per rush attempt, however, compared with 4.1 when they are in 11. The Rams average 7.4 yards per pass attempt in either formation.

From a play-calling point of view, the Rams are balanced between pass and run. They have a pass to run ratio of 1.53 this season, which is 17th in the NFL. The Rams slightly favor passing on 1st-and-10, but not by much. Their pass to run ratio in this scenario is 51-49.

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