Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil landed on the NFL Network’s Top 100 Players list Monday night.
The first-time Pro Bowler claimed his first ever appearance on the list as he ranked No. 66 overall.
Tunsil’s inclusion is a part of a 2020 offseason that has been nothing but wins for the former Miami Dolphins 2016 first-round pick. ESPN polled anonymous coaches, scouts, players, and front office personnel for a series of position breakdowns, and Tunsil was voted the second-best offensive tackle in pro football. Only the Dallas Cowboys’ Tyron Smith was better.
The former Ole Miss product signed a three-year contract extension worth $22 million in April. The Texans gave up two first-round picks and a second-rounder for Tunsil’s services, but he has proven to be the missing piece Houston needed to retool and fortify their offensive line.
“The main thing with me last year was the playbook,’ Tunsil told reporters on April 27. “I came at a late time, only had a couple of days to prepare for the game. But just to have that whole season, then this offseason under my belt, I think it’s going to help me with this playbook and my relationship with the players, and us being on the same page. I think that’s going to help a lot.”
With the rest of the NFL now on notice the Texans have a talented blindside protector, defensive coordinator will need to get more creative in finding ways to harass Deshaun Watson.
The NFL Network is unveiling their Top 100 players as voted on by the athletes. Here is a running tracker of each selection.
As they do every year, the NFL Network is rolling out their countdown of the Top 100 players in the league, as voted on by the players themselves. On Sunday night, the league unveiled the first 30 players, and here is a running tally of the selections to date.
100-91
(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
100. Lavonte David, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
99. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
98. Brandon Brooks, G, Philadelphia Eagles
97. Budda Baker, S, Arizona Cardinals
96. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks
95. Frank Clark, DE, Kansas City Chiefs
94. Jason Kelce, C, Philadelphia Eagles
93. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears
92. Darius Slay, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
91. Grady Jarrett, DT, Atlanta Falcons
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David returns to the Top 100 after missing out the previous four seasons, kicking off the list. David is a force in the interior of the Tampa Bay defense, which has vastly improved over the course of the past two seasons. David cracked the Top Five in Touchdown Wire’s countdown of the game’s best off-ball linebackers.
In just his first season as a starter, Darren Waller produced at a high level for the now-Las Vegas Raiders. Waller led the team in receptions (90) and receiving yards (1,145). He is a true mismatch type of player, with the athleticism to run away from linebackers but the size to create space against defensive backs. With the addition of Henry Ruggs III this off-season, Waller might find even more space to operate in 2020.
The Philadelphia Eagles got some difficult news in the past few weeks when Brandon Brooks suffered a torn Achilles, sidelining him for the entire 2020 campaign. Brooks is one of the game’s best interior offensive linemen, and the team was forced to bring back Jason Peters and move him to guard to replace Brooks on the inside. His combination of power and technique make Brooks one of the league’s best guards.
Hybrid defenders are all the rage in today’s NFL, particularly at the safety spot. Budda Baker is a player in such a mold, who led the NFL in solo tackles last season with 104. Baker has the ability to play free safety, box safety and even as a slot cornerback, and that versatility makes him a special player for the Arizona Cardinals.
Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson cracks the Top 100 for the first time in his short career. Carson notched his second 1,000-plus season last year, and also contributed to the Seattle passing game. Carson set career high marks in targets (47), receptions (37), yards (266) and first downs receiving (10). His growing ability to contribute in both the passing and the running game marks his entry into the Top 100.
Sure Frank Clark might have dropped some spots in this year’s version, falling 11 spots from the 2019 edition of the Top 100, but you can be sure the pass rusher would gladly take such a fall in exchange for a Super Bowl ring. Clark was impressive during Kansas City’s run to a title, tallying five sacks during the post-season.
The Philadelphia Eagles are the first team to see two of their players crack the NFL Network’s Top 100, as center Jason Kelce joins guard Brandon Brooks. Kelce has been a mainstay in the heart of the Eagles’ offensive line for years, and shows both the processing speed as well as the technique you need to dominate in the interior. Oh, and he gives a great rally speech…
Allen Robinson cracking a list like this is not a surprise to us here at Touchdown Wire. Robinson produced at a high level in 2019, leading the Chicago Bears in yards and touchdowns, despite seeing inconsistent play from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. His traits as a receiver saw him land in our Top 11 outside wideouts, and if the Bears can get improved QB play in 2020, Robinson might climb even higher in the season ahead.
Darius Slay made the NFL Network’s Top 100 for the third-straight year, and he is poised to make it yet again after this upcoming season. Slay moved to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, and playing under Jim Schwartz he will be in a scheme very conducive to what he does best. Schwartz often tasks his defenders with playing off coverage, which taps into Slay’s ability to decipher a route and close on the football. This could be a great landing spot for him.
Grady Jarrett makes his debut on the Top 100 after a season where he set a career-high number in sacks with 7.5. He is the kind of dominating interior presence that defensive coordinators covet, and his ability inside landed him in our list of the Top 11 interior defensive linemen. Jarrett has the power to speed ability that you see from edge rushers, but he does that on the inside.
Myles Garrett drops to No. 80 in the NFL 100 for 2020
Myles Garrett is the first Cleveland Browns player revealed on the 2020 edition of the NFL Network’s Top 100 players. Garrett checks in at No. 80 overall. The network unveiled the first 30 spots on Sunday night.
The Browns defensive end was No. 49 on the 2019 edition. Garrett grumbled at the time that the ranking was too low, but he dropped 31 slots in the player survey.
Missing the final six games for his infamous act in Pittsburgh and subsequent suspension definitely played a role in the drop. Garrett was a leading contender for Defensive Player of the Year through the first 10 games, notching 10 sacks, forcing two fumbles and drawing several offensive penalties.
Ex-Lions CB Darius Slay lands at No. 92 on the NFL Network’s Top 100 players
Former Detroit Lions Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay is the first player with Detroit ties to make an appearance on the NFL Network’s annual Top 100 players list. Slay, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, earned the No. 92 spot on the 2020 list, revealed Sunday night.
Slay was traded by the Lions this offseason after seven seasons in Detroit. He made the Pro Bowl in each of the last three years, though his 2019 nod came more on prior reputation than great play. “Big Play” Slay is coming off his worst season since his rookie campaign in 2013.
Despite the underwhelming 2019, Slay’s reputation still carries weight. And he did flash the greatness at times, like when he erased Cowboys standout wide receiver Amari Cooper from the field in Detroit’s Week 11 loss to Dallas last November. Slay made the list at No. 86 a year ago.
Dallas Cowboys news and notes for Friday, January 31st, 2020.
Dak Prescott’s contract is still looming over the Cowboys offseason. What franchise tag options does Dallas have and how might those each impact a long-term deal between the sides? Just one of the many coaching changes, Doug Nessmeier has been moved to Prescott’s quarterback coach. On the defensive side of the ball; how might Mike Nolan and Jim Tomsula help the Cowboys young defensive linemen take the next step?
Also, Jimmy Johnson still hasn’t been invited to the Cowboys Ring of Honor by Jerry Jones, and that’s a problem. The Cowboys owner additionally made news recently after discussing his past desire to draft Aaron Donald, something surely every owner wishes that they could have made possible. All this, and more. Here are the News and Notes.
Jimmy Johnson is slated to receive his gold jacket and bronze bust in August when he’s presented as the Hall of Fame coach that Dallas Cowboys fans always knew he was. He will also hold the distinction of being the only member of the Cowboys to make it to Canton without being in the Ring of Honor. It’s clear that owner Jerry Jones still holds a grudge against his first (and best) head coach. That they couldn’t get along is no secret, but the refusal to bury the hatchet fifteen years later is incredibly petty, and is something that needs to be rectified posthaste.
This is only tangentially related to America’s Team in that they have no award winners (though it is a small sample size). San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo edged out center Travis Frederick for comeback player of the year. Garoppolo will be playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday which drives the narrative that his season has been better than Frederick’s, though the All-Pro voters disagree. Garoppolo received no votes there while Frederick had two.
The Cowboys don’t have many regrets about drafting Zack Martin in the 2014 NFL draft. Martin’s been a first-team All-Pro on four occasions, the other two seasons he had to settle for second-team. He’s as good as they come at the guard position, but still, there’s at least one player selected ahead of him that owner Jerry Jones would have preferred: Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
In the NFL’s centennial season, they’re all about celebration. Unfortunately there’s some ugly skeletons hiding in the league’s closet. The most egregious of all is the freezing out of Black players from 1934-1946. A summary of the article doesn’t do it justice, so click through to read more about how some of the names that helped shaped the NFL and are celebrated so thoroughly likely did more harm than good, and how the sentiment from then has shaped the front office and head coaching hurdles still present in today’s game.
With players like Robert Quinn, Maelik Collins, Kerry Hyder and Michael Bennett due for new contracts on the defensive line Dallas has to be prepared incase either player were to hit the open market. Learn more about how when some spots open up in Mike Nolan’s multiple 4-3 front, the Cowboys’ young defensive ends Armstrong and Jelks would have all the chance in the world to step into those roles.
The Richard experiment didn’t go quite how the Cowboys thought it would. Once at the top of the game, the former Legion of Boom defensive coordinator was welcomed by Dallas fans with open arms. Two quick seasons later and both parties are going their separate ways.
Richard, a California native, is on the 49ers radar to potentially join their staff as the defensive passing game coordinator. The Cowboys have already filled his role of defensive backs coach by hiring Maurice Linguist and Al Harris.
A reoccurring theme in Dallas this offseason will be the discussion of Dak Prescott’s contract talks. Prescott, still just 26, is fresh off the best year of his career in most aspects and is facing his first potential free agency. Contract negotiations are proving to be increasingly tricky across the NFL, with holdouts becoming more popular than ever; look at Ezekiel Elliott just last season. A short term option many teams use is the franchise tag. Our own Ben Grimaldi dives into the possible outcomes of these scenarios.
The last decade the Cowboys have drafted about as well as any team in the league. There are a few blemishes here and there, but the Cowboys drafted nine pro bowl players with their first round picks since 2010. While Trysten Hill was a secound rounder, not having a first round pick that year puts a higher value and higher expectations on Hill.
His rooike campaign was largely uneventful. That’s not uncommon though at a position (defensive line) that usually sees players take a few years to get acclimated to the size and strength of the NFL. Dallas new defensive line coach Jim Tomsula has made a habit of getting the most out of his players in his long NFL career. How will the addition of Tomsula help Trysten Hill reach his potential?
Doug Nussmeier is one of three holdovers from Jason Garrett’s coaching staff. Nussmeier, the Cowboys tight ends coach each of the last two seasons, was a quarterbacks coach and/or offensive coordinator for the previous 17 seasons. With Jon Kitna out after one year as the Dallas quarterback coach, Nussmeier is excited to be back to his most familiar position.
New Orleans Saints superstars Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara won featured roles in a Super Bowl commercial advertising the #NFL100 campaign.
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Alvin Kamara is resplendent, dressed in black and gold, bobbing and weaving through traffic with the football held high and tight against his chest. The crowd is pressing in on him with a wall of masked opponents blocking his way. So he turns and flips the ball back to his quarterback, on a trick play, setting Drew Brees up to pass from a protected position. It’s all something we’ve seen before in recent games.
Except it’s not a game. It’s Carnival season. Kamara has swapped his helmet and shoulderpads for a gorgeous leather jacket and colorful beads, and Brees is riding high in a Mardi Gras float. All the theatrics are part of a commercial advertising the NFL100 initiative, which will be shown in the hours leading up to Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. See it for yourself in this exclusive clip from the NFL:
Buffalo Bills season recap podcast from The Bills Wire.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen calls signals at the line of scrimmage in the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
With the 2019 season being over for nearly a week, podcast hosts Matt and Jeremy have had some time to properly reflect on this 2019 season. While the way that it ended was not ideal, and pretty upsetting, it was a good year from an overall perspective.
Despite all of the criticism about strength of schedule, a young roster with growing pains, and a lot of “coulda, woulda, shoulda” moments, Bills fans should look back fondly on the 2019. With a solid coaching staff, whose instilled motto of “Trust the Process” has made considerable gains, and a General Manager who has flipped this roster, nearly 100% from before his reign, all signs point to up.
Josh Allen progressed relatively well in 2019, giving more fuel to the Allen apologists. He showed incredible growth, while still making some rookie mistakes, but importantly, has played well enough to leave no questions if he should continue to be a starter going into the 2020-21 season.
The fortunate aspect for this off season is that Beane and McDermott know have a smaller amount of spokes to replace on the wheel that is the Buffalo Bills, and are able to hone in on the most important needs before free agency and trades open up in a few months.
John Elway’s famous helicopter run in Super Bowl XXXII has advanced to the Round of 16 in voting for the greatest moment in NFL history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrYsO67ZZCU
In celebration of the NFL’s 100 years, the league is encouraging fans to vote for the greatest moments in pro football history on NFL.com/GreatestMoments. John Elway’s “helicopter run” in Super Bowl XXXII has advanced to the Round of 16.
“The word ‘sacrifice’ in sports can be clichéd and misused, but if ever a play demanded the use of that term, it was in the third quarter of a tie game in Super Bowl XXXII, in January 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego,” the league captioned a video of Elway’s famous play.
Facing a third-and-6, Elway had to make a decision about sliding or attempting to convert a third down to keep Denver’s drive alive.
“Rather than be content with a field goal, at the 7-yard line Elway jumped headfirst into the air, where a Green Bay defender took out Elway’s knee and Elway was spun around 360 degrees for the first down,” NFL.com wrote.
The Broncos went on to score and take a 24-17 lead before ultimately going on to win 31-24, marking the team’s and Elway’s first Super Bowl victory.
Voting for the Round of 16 will close Jan. 15 and voting for the Round of 8 will close on Jan. 22. Voting for the Round of 4 will wrap up on Feb. 2, the day of Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens. Vote here.
Buffalo Bills NFL podcast following Wild-Card loss to Houston Texans.
In a game that had all of the excitement, drama and controversy, the Buffalo Bills 2019 campaign ended. It was an incredibly disappointing ending as well, as the Bills had a 16-point lead in the middle of the third quarter over the Houston Texans in their Wild-Card matchup.
Complacency cost the Bills their first postseason win in this millennium.
Buffalo looked explosive, and dynamic on offense for the first time this year, on the opening drive, wasting little time to make it into the endzone with a mix of trickery and balanced play-calling. It seemed to truly peak there however. While the Bills did manage to get some points on the board after that, it became the proto-typical Bills offense, and that is something that must change if the team is to make leaps and progress.
Devin Singletary shined though in this game, and was utilized incredibly well in the first four quarters. His pass-catching ability is lucrative to the future of this team, as we see top-tier offenses strongly utilize those dual-threat running backs. His future is exciting and one that has a high upside.
Today, it may not feel like it, and maybe not even tomorrow, or next week, or next month, but this team has a bright future. This is not me saying the classic “next year” line that this fan base has heard for two decades, but this team has a bright future.
With young, affordable center pieces to the team, a culture first head coach and a general manager with a good sense of direction, expect the Bills to continue to be effective heading into the 2020 season.
The Bills Wire’s Matt Johnson breaks down the Wild Card game that was in this week’s Bills Wire podcast:
