Richie Incognito – Page 3 – Syndication Server

The NFL’s 11 best offensive guards

Guards are no longer the anonymous guys who toil away without recognition, and here are the best in the NFL to do it right now.

If you were to ask a number of offensive skill players around the NFL just how important offensive guards are, you may get a selection of different answers. One skill position player who may have a stronger take on that than others is Tom Brady. Brady has been to nine Super Bowls in his estimable career, willing six and losing three. In the two the Patriots lost to the Giants, one player made as much of a difference as any other, and that was New York defensive lineman Justin Tuck. Tuck was able to get past New England’s interior offensive linemen and force Brady to deal with the one thing that drives him nuts — pressure up the middle that prevents him from stepping up in the pocket.

More mobile quarterbacks can benefit from great guards who can get up to the second and third levels, and running backs with top-level guards in front of them are obviously going to have a better go of it. Guards are no longer the anonymous guys who toil away without recognition, and here are the best in the NFL to do it right now.

Honorable Mentions

(Jerry Habraken-Imagn Content Services, LLC)

Brandon Brooks of the Eagles would have been in the top three on this list, and perhaps the second guard overall… because no matter what, nobody was replacing my top guy on the list. Last season, Brooks allowed just one sack and 19 total pressures on 647 pass-blocking snaps, and he was also a top-shelf run-blocker. Sadly. Brooks will miss the entire 2020 season with a torn Achilles’ tendon, which has the Eagles trying to switch Jason Peters from left tackle to guard — an interesting experiment. Also, had Baltimore’s Marshal Yanda not announced his retirement, he would have been in the top half of this list, as well.

Beyond that, there were some tough calls as to who to leave off this list. While Joe Thuney of the Patriots was an easy add. But Shaq Mason, his battery-mate, just missed the cut, as there were a few guys who were slightly better run-blockers in 2019, and Thuney’s pass pro was simply on a different level. Gabe Jackson of the Raiders had some great tape as usual, but was a bit too prone to allowing sacks. The same could be said of former Panthers guard Trai Turner, who’s been one of my favorite interior offensive linemen since he came into the league in 2014. Perhaps a change of scenery (Turner was traded to the Chargers in March in exchange for tackle Russell Okung) will put him back on the right foot. And Larry Warford, who the Saints released in May in a cap-cutting move, should find himself on a roster sooner than later.

Now, onto the top 11.

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Bills roster comparison: 2017 vs. 2020 offense

2017 to 2020 Buffalo Bills roster comparisons on offense.

After a couple of seasons, a lot can change in the NFL.

But in the case of the Buffalo Bills, maybe “a lot” just doesn’t cover it.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane both joined the team’s front office prior to the 2017 season. That year the Bills cracked the postseason in very unlikely fashion with a much-inherited team.

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The duo did make big roster moves before that season, like moving Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby. But now entering the fourth training camp under this regime, the names and down-right talent on their roster is a night and day comparison, so let’s do just that.

Here’s a full comparison of the Buffalo Bills’ 2017 roster on offense compared to their current one:

Quarterback

Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

2017	2020
Tyrod Taylor	Josh Allen
Nathan Peterman	Jake Fromm
TJ Yates	Matt Barkley
Cardale Jones	Davis Webb

Advantage: 2020
At this rate, this is a pretty simple pick, even from top-to-bottom. Josh Allen has shown more potential than Tyrod Taylor, and now he’s been an even better gamer for some time now. Jake Fromm is going to push Matt Barkley for the No. 2 spot next season, and both are better than 2017’s No. 2 in Nathan Peterman. And we confess, the Bills did trade Cardale Jones just before 2017’s training camp, but when you have a chance to add 12-gauge into a story, you do it.

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What condition the position is in: Assessing the Raiders need at guard

With free agency under a month away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ guard position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.

Starters: Richie Incognito, Gabe Jackson

Backups: Denzelle Good, Lester Cotton Sr

Free agents: None

Last offseason’s addition of Richie Incognito came with some controversy. He had had a tumultuous NFL career that included a suspension for bullying and the use of racial slurs to a teammate. He was also out of football for a year after abruptly retiring and while away had several run-ins with the police that would no doubt have the 36-year-old guard facing NFL discipline upon re-entry into the league.

Incognito would serve a two-game suspension to begin the season, but before and after that, he was a model teammate and showed no signs that he was ready for retirement. Over his 12 games as a starter, he was one of the top offseason acquisitions and a key part of the Raiders offensive line. The Raiders subsequently signed him to a 2-year extension.

On the right side, it was longtime Raider Gabe Jackson. At times in his career Jackson was among the better guards in the league. But he hasn’t been at that level over the past couple of seasons. He’s rather average now while being one of the higher paid guards in the league.

Denzelle Good stepped in for Jackson late in the season due to injury and played well, with no noticeable dropoff. He was also re-signed this offseason to a one-year deal as a dependable backup. Cotton was an undrafted rookie who was called up late last season from the practice squad.

Condition: Stable

This trio is one that many teams would love to have. Good is a valuable piece in this to solidify the unit. The question mark may be Jackson, who is set to make $9.6 million this season and would leave behind no dead money if traded or released. He is better suited for a power scheme, so he could be more valuable to a team that runs one, which the raiders do not. Good being in-house keeps the position stable should the Raiders decide to move Jackson.

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Bills in the 2010s: Best offensive players of the decade

Here are the best players of the 2010s for Buffalo’s offense.

The 2010s have come to a close. The Buffalo Bills found much more success toward the end of this decade, as the team broke their 17-season playoff drought in 2017 and then returns to post-season play following the 2019 season.

Let’s thank general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott for the massive turnaround in this team’s fortunes.

Now that the calendar shifts to 2020, it gives us a natural break to take a look back at the progress of the Bills over the past 10 years. Many players (coaches and front office personnel, as well) have come and gone through One Bills Drive.

Here are the best players of the 2010s for Buffalo’s offense:

(Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Quarterback: Tyrod Taylor

There’s a lot going on with the Bills quarterbacks over the past decades. Buffalo had 10 quarterbacks who started double-digit games for the team. Interestingly enough, three of the five led Buffalo to a winning record in games that they started. Each of the top-three players on this list has their successes and flaws.

While Ryan Fitzpatrick led the decade averaging over 227 yards passing per game, the nod goes to Taylor. The Virginia Tech product had the best passer rating, interception percentage, and average yards per attempt among the top-three options. He also led the Bills to 22 victories in his three seasons as the team’s signal-caller, the most of all quarterbacks.

Now, the ascension of Josh Allen has been impressive, to say the least. His six come-from-behind victories lead the group, and his 56-percent winning percentage is four-percent better than Taylor’s. As Allen’s passing stats improve, he will surely top Taylor in the long run with respect to Bills historical numbers. For now, Allen will probably be the top quarterback for the next decade in Buffalo lore.

What's next for Tyrod Taylor and the Bills? (via @rapsheet + @mikegarafolo) pic.twitter.com/lpCiboRdPu

— NFL (@NFL) February 23, 2018

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The worst Pro Bowl picks — and the players who should replace them

Every year, a group of undeserving players are named to the Pro Bowl. Here’s this year’s list, and the players who should replace them.

If you think the Pro Bowl is a meaningless exercise, don’t tell the fans, players, and teams when somebody on their side is snubbed in the process. Every year, there are deserving players who aren’t voted to the Pro Bowl roster, and every year, there are players who get on more through previous reputation than current performance.

Here are the most egregious omissions in the 2019 voting, with thought on which players these unfortunate snubs should replace. Because if you’re going to complain about a player who’s wrongly off the Pro Bowl roster, you should be able to find a guy who’s taking up space. That’s where things get a bit more difficult!

Quarterback (NFC)

In: Dak Prescott or Kirk Cousins
Out: Aaron Rodgers

Either Prescott or Cousins would be a better fit on the NFC roster than Aaron Rodgers, who had just three games with more than 300 passing yards this season, three games with less than 200 yards passing, and eight games with one or zero touchdowns. Cousins has been on fire after a rough start to the season, and Prescott ranks first in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted efficiency metrics. Not that Rodgers has had a bad season, but this seems much more like a reputation pick than anything else.

Receiver (AFC)

In: Julian Edelman
Out: Jarvis Landry

Landry has been one of Cleveland’s few bright spots on offense this season, but it’s kind of ridiculous to have him in over Edelman, who was part of a total snub of New England offensive players that hasn’t happened since 2003. Yes, Landry has 74 catches on 1,018 yards and five touchdowns, but Edelman has 92 catches for 1,019 yards and six touchdowns in an offense so broken, opposing defenses can bracket him on just about every play. Edelman has faced more double teams than at any other point in his career, and he’s having arguably his most productive season.

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19 NFL players who received lengthy suspensions

Add Myles Garrett’s name to the list of NFL players hit with lengthy suspensions.

Myles Garrett received an indefinite suspension for his actions against Mason Rudolph in Thursday’s Steelers-Browns game. He joins a list of players who have been hit with lengthy bans, which will be considered as four games or more for this exercise.

Paul Hornung and Alex Karras

Paul Hornung (pictured, left) and Alex Karras were two of the biggest stars in the NFL in the early ’60s. The Packers and Lions stars were found to have bet on NFL games and that earned them a year-long suspension for the 1963 season.

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