Tag: dan hanzus

Seahawks finish season at No. 18 in latest NFL power rankings

With the 2022 season in the books, the Seattle Seahawks finished at No. 18 in Dan Hanzus’ final NFL power rankings of the year.

That’s a wrap! Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have been crowned Super Bowl Champions, the 2022 season is officially in the books. Around the NFL writer Dan Hanzus took one last look around the league to determine his final power rankings of the year.

The Seahawks came in at No. 18 on his list.

“Geno Smith balled out for the Seahawks in 2022 and was recognized for his efforts with Comeback Player of the Year honors,” Hanzus writes. “Did he do enough to prove to Seattle brass he should be the long-term answer at QB? Speaking at the Pro Bowl, Smith sounded confident a deal will get done.

“We’ve had talks and we’re in the process of getting all that settled right now,” Smith said. “It’s looking very good.”

“The Seahawks own the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft,” Hanzus continues. “Could they extend Smith on a team-friendly deal, then take a quarterback with that premium selection? It’s possible.”

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Commanders getting no respect in NFL.com Week 1 power rankings

The Commanders get zero respect in new NFL.com power rankings. Is Washington a bottom-three NFL team?

The NFL power rankings by NFL.com writer Dan Hanzus reveal he has little esteem for the Washington Commanders this 2022 season.

Readers will quickly notice that the Commanders open up the season, according to Hanzus, ranked the lowest team in the NFC East division.

Hanzus in his Week 1 season-opening power rankings lists his top five as the Bills, Rams, 49ers, Buccaneers and Bengals. In spots 6-10 are the Packers, Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers and Ravens.

Two NFC East teams appear in the third-tier teams (11-15). Hanzus in that group has the Raiders, Colts, Saints, Eagles and Cowboys. I wonder if Hanzus is an AFC West fan, seeing all four of those teams are in his top 15 in the NFL.

In his fourth tier (16-20) are the Cardinals, Titans, Patriots, Dolphins and Vikings. While in his fifth tier (21-25) are the Steelers, Browns, Panthers, Seahawks and Lions.

Adding salt to an already existing wound for the Commanders, Hanzus actually ranks the Jets, Texans, Giants and Jaguars as better than the Commanders who conclude the sixth tier (26-30) in the 30th spot. Hanzus’ final two teams are the Falcons (31st) and Bears (32nd).

Consequently, in these Week1 rankings, the Commanders are not only dead last in the NFC East but rank above only two other teams in the entire league.

Hanzus’ brief summary of how he views the Commanders entering the 2022 season follows:

Is it time to officially take command in Washington? OK, OK, fans of the Around The NFL Podcast know I just love to hear Carson Wentz rumble his way through a meticulously workshopped corporate branding slogan, but I don’t hate Wentz’s surrounding cast with the Commanders. Terry McLaurin is a certified No. 1 receiver. Curtis Samuel — after a season washed out by injuries — remains a versatile playmaker. Jahan Dotson, the team’s first-round pick, is a polished route runner who should make an instant impact. The offensive line is solid. The erratic Wentz’s ability to get the ball out accurately and on time will be vital to success, but the cupboard is far from bare on offense.”

Wow, he likes the receivers group and the offensive line. Yet, he still has the team ranked 30th? What must Hanzus think of Carson Wentz as a quarterback? If he believes the Commanders are better than only two NFL teams, what does he think about the Commanders’ defense?

Will someone please post Hanzus’ rankings up in the Commanders’ locker room and coaches offices immediately?

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Seahawks climb only 1 spot in power rankings after NFL draft

The Seattle Seahawks climbed only one spot to No. 23 overall in the latest NFL power rankings after the 2022 NFL draft.

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The Seattle Seahawks came away from the 2022 NFL draft with a decent haul this year, earning top grades from analysts after the fact. Seattle did not select a quarterback, however, and that could very well be the reason the Seahawks climbed only one spot in the latest NFL.com power rankings.

“There’s a plausible scenario in which Baker Mayfield still eventually lands with the Seahawks, but it’s far from a sure thing following Ian Rapoport’s report that Seattle’s interest in the Browns QB is ‘lukewarm at best,'” Dan Hanzus writes. “And if that’s true, it might be time to recognize the very real possibility that Pete Carroll and John Schneider are preparing for a post-Russell Wilson world with Drew Lock and Geno Smith as the options under center.”

“Perhaps this makes sense,” Hanzus continues. “It feels like Carroll has been dying to lean back into his ground-and-pound preference for years, a theory propped up by a draft class that saw the Seahawks add two tackles and a running back  in the first three rounds.”

Seattle now sits at No. 23 overall in the NFL post-draft power rankings.

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Dan Hanzus explains Seahawks’ No. 6 ranking in his power rankings

Dan Hanzus of NFL.com explains why he has the Seattle Seahawks’ all the way down at No. 6 in his latest NFL power rankings.

Remember this piece that posted here just a few hours ago?

Seahawks stuck down at No. 6 in NFL’s weekly power rankings

You, know, the one where Dan Hanzus of NFL.com has the Seattle Seahawks ranked way down at No. 6 in his latest NFL power rankings?

Well, here he is now to explain his decision . . .

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By the way, Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire has the Seahawks in the top spot – No. 1 – after Week 5.

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Dan Hanzus predicts the Bucs’ MVP for 2020

Dan Hanzus selected an MVP for each NFC team in 2020. See who he predicted would be the Buccaneers’ MVP.

It’s Super Bowl or bust for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, a statement that would’ve sounded outrageous a year ago. But when you sign a six-time Super Bowl champion, and arguably the greatest quarterback to ever lace up a pair of cleats, championship expectations become the norm.

The Bucs finished 7-9 last season, but clearly have the talent and drive to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2007. It won’t be an easy road to the playoffs, as the Bucs will have to contend with tough divisional opponents in the NFC South on top of a schedule that includes matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams.

But Dan Hanzus over at NFL.com believes Brady is the savior the Bucs have been looking for, which is why he predicted Brady to be the Bucs’ MVP in 2020.

Per Hanzus:

“I will readily admit I’ve been consumed by the hype. We have significant circumstantial evidence, from both last season and the season before, that Brady — set to turn 43 in about six weeks — is in the midst of a gradual and irreversible decline. And yet … and yet! … I can’t help but buy into the setup in Tampa. A vastly improved supporting cast (including Gronk!), a proven offensive mind and veteran QB whisperer in head coach Bruce Arians, and yes, that impossible-to-measure competitive fire that rages inside the old man. They can spin it along Patriot Place all they please, but Tom Brady was booted out of town. Even if I’m wrong (I’m not), you know Brady’s mindset is tuned that way. Bill doesn’t think he needs me. Bill believes he already got the best of me. Bill thinks he’s better off with … JARRETT STIDHAM. I must destroy everything and everyone.”

It’s no surprise that Hanzus picked Brady as the Bucs’ MVP. If that competitive fire in Brady rages like we all believe, then the Bucs could take the league by storm this season. Getting Tampa Bay back to the playoffs would be a huge win for Brady, especially if the Bucs make it and the Patriots don’t.

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Devin White is ready for the Bucs to shock the world

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White took to Instagram to let everyone know he and the Bucs are ready to shock the world.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are itching for the 2020 season to get underway. After an offseason overhaul which saw the franchise change uniforms (and quarterbacks), the Bucs are ready to face the mounting expectations that have been put on them ever since the signing of Tom Brady.

The offense looks virtually unstoppable on paper, with Brady working with guys like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard. But don’t sleep on the defense, which took a big step forward last season under Todd Bowles.

Linebacker Devin White believes his team is going to take the league by storm, and took to Instagram recently to let everyone know. Take a look at this screenshot from White’s IG story.

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Dan Hanzus has the Bucs moving on up in his latest NFL Power Rankings

See what Dan Hanzus thinks about the new-look Buccaneers in his latest NFL Power Rankings.

The Kansas City Chiefs may be riding high as world champions after their victory in Super Bowl LIV last month, but as the NFL free agency period has proven so far, a repeat performance by the Chiefs may be hard to come by.

With several big players switching teams, most notably Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the scales of power in the NFL are beginning to tip. And, for the first time in seven weeks, Dan Hanzus over at NFL.com gave his updated Power Rankings following this first wave of free agency. Not surprisingly, Hanzus had the Bucs moving up seven spots from 19 to 12.

Here’s part of what Hanzus had to say about the new-look Bucs:

“Tom Brady is the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s the biggest free-agent move in the history of the franchise, and it instantly makes the Bucs one of the most compelling teams in the NFL. It was the rare perfect move in free agency: Brady gets a two-year deal for not obscene money (two years and $50 million, with $9 million in incentives) to bring his unmatched experience and leadership to town. Brady will enter Week 1 at 43 years old, but he’s never been this motivated, and he’ll have star players to throw the ball to. This should be fun.”

Fun might be an understatement. Keep in mind that Brady will be taking over an offense that finished tied for third in scoring in 2019, averaging 28.6 points per game, and that was with a quarterback who threw for 30 interceptions. Something tells me Brady won’t hit that mark next season.

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Dan Hanzus says Bucs need to ‘close the deal’ on Shaq Barrett

See why Dan Hanzus of NFL.com thinks re-signing LB Shaquil Barrett should be the team’s top priority.

Now that it’s time to move onto the 2020 season, we can start to look ahead to the NFL draft and free agency.

For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they have a number of big-name free agents that can hit the open market, meaning some important financial decisions are going to have to be made within the next two months. And, given that the Bucs finished 7-9 and had a strong finish down the stretch, this team feels on the cusp of making a return to the postseason next year.

Perhaps the biggest decision the team is going to have to make is how much to pay linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who led the league with 19.5 sacks this season and also broke the franchise’s single-season record of 16.5 set by Warren Sapp in 2000.

In his offseason power rankings, Dan Hanzus over at NFL.com ranks the Bucs at 19, and says getting Barrett under contract is the main priority.

“Let’s not talk about Jameis Winston here. Yes, the future of the quarterback is the most high-profile decision facing Tampa Bay, but it’s not the only big free-agent situation. Cut to: Outside linebacker Shaq Barrett, who signed a one-year contract with the Bucs last spring and proceeded to deliver the best ‘prove-it’ performance since Joe Flacco’s Super Bowl run with the Ravens. Barrett’s monster season — in which he broke the single-season franchise sack record with 19.5 — is going to lead to a massive payday, whether it’s from the Bucs or another team in need of a dominant pass rusher (that’s everyone). Bruce Arians said Barrett, 27, ‘ain’t going anywhere’ … but now the Bucs and GM Jason Licht have to close the deal.”

There’s no question Barrett should be the team’s top offseason priority. The Bucs know what they have in Barrett. With Winston, they are still scratching their heads.

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