CBS Sports writer Sean Wagner-McGough ranks Seattle Seahawks Pete Carroll the 8th-best head coach in National Football League ahead of 2020.
The coronavirus pandemic led to a virtual draft and offseason, but July is normally a quiet month around the NFL. With players on break ahead of training camps later this summer, it’s time to have some fun with opinions and lists.
“If this list was based on wins and losses alone, Pete Carroll would rank closer to the top,” Wagner-McGough writes. “In his 10 seasons as the Seahawks’ coach, he’s posted a 100-59-1 record (62.8 percent). He’s taken them to two Super Bowls, one of which they won. He’s missed the playoffs only twice. Since he got Russell Wilson, he’s missed the postseason once. With Wilson, Carroll’s Seahawks have never finished worse than 9-7. Carroll was always a lock to make this list. If coaches are judged on wins and losses (spoiler alert: they are) then Carroll is one of the best coaches in football.”
Top 10 coaches in the NFL (According to @seanjwagner)
1. Bill Belichick 2. Andy Reid 3. John Harbaugh 4. Sean Payton 5. Kyle Shanahan 6. Sean McVay 7. Mike Tomlin 8. Pete Carroll 9. Doug Pederson 10. Mike Zimmer pic.twitter.com/JVVuns5Oj8
“So then, why is Carroll ranked this low, behind coaches who have accomplished far less than him?” Wagner-McGough continues. “There’s no easy answer to this question, but it’s important to remember that this list is looking forward. It’s not just based on past success. And over the past few seasons, Carroll and the rest of his coaching staff have demonstrated a reluctance to evolve to the changing game. It’s his stubbornness to establishing the run that sticks out, which often requires Wilson to bail the offense out of difficult third-down situations. As analytics have become a weapon that smart teams – like the Ravens – wield to exploit their opponents, the Seahawks have lagged behind.”
There is still hope for Carroll to once again crack the top-5, starting this season . . . if there is one, that is.
Difficult to narrow the list down, these plays are the reason UT is where they are now. Here are the top 10 plays of the Tom Herman era.
Since being hired in 2017, Tom Herman has had some program defining wins at Texas. During those games, there have been some amazing plays, helping the Longhorns secure victory.
Whether it was beating Oklahoma in 2018, winning the 2019 Sugar Bowl against Georgia, or beating Utah in this season’s Alamo Bowl, Texas has made their best plays in the biggest games.
It was difficult to narrow the list down to 10 but these plays are the reason Texas is where they are now. Game-winning kicks, clutch interceptions and even an offensive lineman scoring on a pass from Sam Ehlinger, the Longhorns have been a fun team for the past three seasons.
This season, some of the best running backs in the country reside in the conference. Here are each team’s starting running backs ranked.
Despite being known for the passing game more than the running game, the Big 12 is loaded at the running back position this year. Great NFL players such as Adrian Peterson, Ricky Williams, and Cedric Benson have all come from this particular conference.
Several of the best running backs in the country reside in the conference this season. Although there will be a few fresh faces, experienced players will be carrying the ball for the majority of teams this season in the Big 12.
Here is our ranking of each team’s starting running backs:
Seattle Seahawks rusher Chris Carson ranks No. 7 in CBS Sports’ top 10 running backs heading into the 2020 NFL regular season.
The Seattle Seahawks are known for their run game, however, the rushing attack took a huge hit last season when starter Chris Carson and backups Rashaad Penny and C.J. Prosise all finished the year on the injured reserve.
Before injuring his hip, Carson was able to manage 278 carries for 1230 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. For his efforts in 2019 and potential this upcoming season, Patrik Walker of CBS Sports believes Carson is the No. 7 running back in the league heading into 2020.
“Not mentioning Carson in the upper echelon of RBs is weird, because he deserves the nod,” Walker writes. “The problem is not many outside of the Pacific Northwest would include him in the conversation, and maybe it’s because he operates in the shadow of Russell Wilson and the Seahawks passing attack.”
Ranking the top-10 RBs in the #NFL for 2020 isn't as easy as I thought it would be when I chose to tackle it, but it sure was fun.
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) June 16, 2020
“There’s also the fact he’s tasked with being a star in a post-Marshawn Lynch era – increasing the level of difficulty as it pertains to being recognized for his abilities,” Walker continues. “Make no mistake about it though, Carson gets the job done in all ways possible. You won’t see his name plastered across the Pro Bowl banners or on primetime football lead-ins, but ask Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll what the 25-year-old means to Seattle.”
With reports indicating Carson should be ready for camp at the end of July, he’ll have his shot to jump this ranks this season, assuming football is actually a go.
Terence Crawford heads one man’s Top 10 pound-for-pound list of American boxers.
The United States, the third most populous country with roughly 330 million people, produces more elite boxers than any other nation.
I recently set out to put together my list of the 10 best among them and quickly realized that it was no easy task, as I found that one could make a reasonable case for more than 20 fighters who were either born in the U.S. or spent most of their lives here.
Ultimately, I whittled my list down to 10. Here it is.
No. 1 Terence Crawford
Record: 36-0 (27 KOs) Titles: Lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight Key victories: Yuriorkis Gamboa, Ray Beltran, Thomas Dulorme, Hank Lundy, Viktor Postol, John Molina Jr., Julius Indongo, Jeff Horn, Jose Benavidez, Amir Khan, Egidijus Kavaliauskas Background: Crawford doesn’t have the best resume among elite fighters – he still needs defining victories – but we see what we see, a consistently dominating fighter with a complete skill set and the flair of a star.
No.2Errol Spence Jr.
Record: 26-0 (21 KOs) Titles: Welterweight Key victories: Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter Background: Spence is building a strong resume, particularly with the victories over Garcia and Porter. He has all the tools, although he’s not quite as dynamic as Crawford. I’m assuming he’s 100 percent after his car accident in October.
Mikey Garcia (right) defeated Jessie Vargas by a unanimous decision in February. Amanda Westcott / DAZN
No3.Mikey Garcia Record: 40-1 (30 KOs) Titles: Featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight, junior welterweight Key victories: Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, Dejan Zlaticanin, Sergey Lipinets, Robert Easter, Jessie Vargas Background: Don’t let the Spence setback cloud your judgment of Garcia. He took a big swing and missed but he has otherwise been a dominating fighter over four divisions, with a special skill set and plenty of punching power.
No. 4.Leo Santa Cruz Record: 37-1-1 (19 KOs) Titles: Bantamweight, junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight Key victories: Eric Morel, Cristian Mijares, Abner Mares (twice), Kiko Martinez, Carl Frampton, Miguel Flores Background: Santa Cruz is the ultimate blue-collar boxer. The Mexican-American isn’t particularly quick or flashy but he’ll out-train you, outwork you and almost always beat you. He avenged his only defeat when he outpointed Frampton.
No. 5Shawn Porter
Record: 30-3-1 (17 KOs) Titles: Welterweight Key victories: Paulie Malignaggi, Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, Danny Garcia, Yordenis Ugas Background: Porter is only 6-3 in his last night fights but could be 9-0, as all three of his losses — to Kell Brook, Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. – could’ve gone his way. He is a quick, athletic, swarming nightmare for any foe. Ask Spence.
No. 6Gary Russell Jr.
Record: 30-1 (18 KOs) Titles: Featherweight Key victories: Jhonny Gonzalez, Oscar Escandon, Joseph Diaz Jr., Kiko Martinez, Tugstsot Nyambayar. Background: Russell isn’t active enough and he still lacks a truly defining victory but the man with the blurry-quick hands and polished skills has dominated those in front of him. A big victory or two could lift him higher here.
Jermall Charlo needs a big middleweight fight to rebuild his momentum. Stephanie Trapp / Showtime
No. 7Jermall Charlo
Record: 30-0 (22 KOs) Titles: Junior middleweight, middleweight Key victories: Cornelius Bundrage, Austin Trout, Julian Williams, Hugo Centeno Jr., Matvey Korobov Background: Charlo is in need of a big middleweight fight (Canelo Alvarez?) to rebuild lost momentum but he has all the tools. He’s skillful, powerful, tough, fun to watch, all the ingredients that comprise a star.
No. 8Jermell Charlo
Record: 33-1 (17 KOs) Titles: Junior middleweight Key victories: Gabriel Rosado, Vanes Martirosyan, Erickson Lubin, Austin Trout, Tony Harrison Background: Some have questioned his skill set because he was losing to John Jackson before stopping him and lost a decision to Harrison but recent results – wins over Lubin, Trout and Harrison (by KO) in the rematch — speak loudly. Charlo is locked in.
No. 9Teofimo Lopez
Record: 15-0 (12 KOs) Titles: Lightweight Key victories: Diego Magdaleno, Masayoshi Nakatani, Richard Commey Background: Lopez already has a big victory at 22 – over Commey to win his title – but his inclusion here is based mostly on what I see, a gifted boxer who can also remove your head from your body. He’ll skyrocket if he beats Vasiliy Lomachenko.
No. 10Jose Ramirez
Record: 25-0 (17 KOs) Titles: Lightweight Key victories: Amir Imam, Antonio Orozco, Jose Zepeda, Maurice Hooker Background: Ramirez is still building his resume but the victories listed above – which came in succession – give you a good idea of what he’s capable of. The former Olympian is skillful and ferocious, which doesn’t bode well for future foes.
Tom Herman and UT have made in-state recruiting a priority. Here are the top 10 in-state recruits and where Texas stands with each of them:
Since Tom Herman took over as head coach in 2017, he has made in-state recruiting a priority. In Texas’ 2019 class, all but one signee was an in-state prospect, giving the Longhorns another top-ranked class in the Big 12.
This year’s recruiting cycle is no different: Nine of the 11 commits are from Texas. The Longhorns want to not only going after the best players but also do so within their area of expertise.
Looking at the top 10 in-state players of 2020, the Longhorns have struggled. They have commitments from only three, and rivals such as Oklahoma and Texas A&M have seen opportunities to swoop in. If Texas wants to make late pushes for the recruits, the recruiting staff will have to fight off some of the best in the game.
Here are the top 10 in-state recruits and where Texas stands with each of them:
Dasan McCullough has announced his top 10 schools, with Texas making the list. Oklahoma is the only other Big 12 school within the top 10.
2021 four-star prospect Dasan McCullough has announced his top 10 schools, with Texas making the list. Oklahoma is the only other Big 12 school on the list, while powerhouses such as Clemson, LSU, and Ohio State join the Longhorns.
Two different mock drafts recently released have Samuel Cosmi in the top 15 and another Longhorn selected in round two.
Over the last several years the Longhorns haven’t had many draft selections to celebrate. It is well known that the last first round pick that Texas has produced goes back to 2014 with Malcolm Brown to the Patriots. That could very well change in the 2021 NFL Draft. The big name to watch is offensive tackle Sam Cosmi. He could be the highest offensive lineman drafted since Mike Williams was selected fourth overall by the Buffalo Bills in 2002.
Recently CBS Sports came out with another NFL Mock Draft in which Samuel Cosmi was selected in the first round. Not only a first round selection but a top ten pick. According to R.J. White, the Dolphins land Cosmi at number nine overall.
The Dolphins picked up a potential left tackle in Austin Jackson in the 2020 draft, but there’s no harm in adding more talent at the position and having the luxury of figuring out where everyone will play later on. Protecting Tagovailoa is paramount.
With a new quarterback that has had his fair share of injuries, protecting him should be top priority. Cosmi has played on both the left and right sides of the line so he provides flexibility. As White stated, get your best group and put them on the field. That will give Tagovailoa the best chance to succeed.
Our colleague at Draft Wire, Luke Easterling put out his own two-round mock draft in which two Longhorns were selected. He saw Cosmi’s projection much the same as CBS with him going to Miami with the 13th selection overall.
His second pick for the Longhorns predicted safety Caden Sterns to the Detroit Lions. The Lions take Sterns with the 38th pick overall. He would be the eventual replacement of another former Longhorn, Quandre Diggs who was traded to Seattle during the 2019 season. The Lions are in need of playmakers on the back end after trading Diggs and Darius Slay.
Todd McShay ranked Samuel Cosmi in his top 10 prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft. His footwork and use of his hands make Cosmi a top prospect.
With the 2020 NFL Draft taking place just over a month ago, Texas had three players selected, the most since 2018. It has been five years since the Longhorns produced a first-round selection when Malcolm Brown was the 32nd overall pick to the New England NFL Draft.
Going into the 2021 NFL Draft, Texas has a couple candidates to be selected in the first round. With a good season, quarterback Sam Ehlinger and safety Caden Sterns could sneak into the top 32. For now, there is only one surefire pick with left tackle Samuel Cosmi.
Cosmi shows some quick feet for a 6-foot-7 lineman and can redirect really well in pass protection. He has 26 career starts, playing both sides of the line.
Expected to start at left tackle this season, Cosmi will be protecting Ehlinger’s blindside. He has played at right tackle, however, showing he can play both sides of the offensive line.
Cosmi’s athleticism is what makes him such a special talent. Listed at 6-7 and 310 pounds, his ability to move around and stay with defenders puts him in the conversation as one of the best tackles in the nation. His footwork and use of his hands make Cosmi a top NFL prospect.
Under new offensive coordinator Mike Yurich, Texas’ passing game is expected to elevate to a new level. In order for it to be successful, it will begin with solid protection across the line. The left side will be a strength for the Longhorns thanks to Cosmi.
Bleacher Report recently ranked its top 10 CFB teams of all time. 2005 Texas, led by Mac Brown and Vince Young, made the list.
For long, there has been a debate over who is the greatest college football team of all time. Bleacher Report recently joined in the conversation, ranking their top 10 teams of all time.
The earliest team selected was Oklahoma’s 1956 team, while LSU’s 2019 national championship team also made the list. Half the teams selected for the top 10 have come since the turn of the century.
Texas’ 2005 team made the list, coming in at No. 8. Led by Mack Brown, the Longhorns had a perfect 14-0 while winning the Big 12 and National Championship.
The season was capped off against USC, playing the famous 2006 Rose Bowl. Arguably the greatest college football game of all time, Texas cemented their place in history with a walk-off touchdown from Vince Young.
Here is the full list:
2001 Miami
1971 Nebraska
1973 USC
1995 Nebraska
2005 USC Trojans
2019 LSU
2018 Clemson
2005 Texas
1979 Alabama
1956 Oklahoma
Texas had to face two teams on this list, playing against 1956 Oklahoma and 2019 LSU.
The Longhorns played the annual Red River Shootout against the Sooners at the Cotton Bowl and got shutout 45-0. To this day, it is the fourth-largest margin of victory in the rivalry.
Fairing better against the Tigers, Texas lost by seven in Austin this past season. Only Alabama and Auburn played LSU better, losing by five and three respectively.
As for 2005 Texas, B/R agrees the 2006 Rose Bowl brings a whole new element when discussing the Longhorns that season.
If the 2006 Rose Bowl isn’t the greatest game ever played, it’s certainly no lower than the highest tier in history.
Vince Young’s legendary fourth-down scramble gave Texas a dramatic win over USC—then considered a potential all-time team. Given that context, how could the unblemished Longhorns not then be catapulted into that discussion?
Texas allowed just 16.4 points per game, but Young and Co. demanded the headlines with a top-ranked 50.2 points scored per game.
Young, who finished second in Heisman voting behind USC’s Reggie Bush, became the first NCAA player to throw for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 in a single season. Running back Jamaal Charles, a future NFL star, topped 1,000 scrimmage yards, too.
No matter how many great teams win national championships in the future, it will be difficult to knock the 2005 Longhorn team out of the conversation. With a game and moment as special as beating USC, they’ll be remembered for the rest of history.
