Villanova Hero Kris Jenkins Career in Peril Plans to Rise Again

mayo 23, 2022 Publicar un comentario

A new series of articles here on the Daily Grind are going to focus on popular sports and the plays and strategies behind them that may seem common to the average fan, but many don't know. For example, this week we will be focusing on football routes run by receivers and running backs and while you may know the term "straight down field" for a receiver that runs a straight route down the field, you may have never known it to be a "Sluggo, Fade, or Go" route unless you have first hand football playing experience. We'll be going over the entire football receiving tree and then some in this article, so put on your coaching hats and lets dive in!

Wide Receiver Routes

The Football Tree is a common term for all the routes a receiver can run from his starting position on the line of scrimmage and is put into perspective with the image below. The term "Tree" simply represents the tree like structure when all the receiving routes are mapped out from an aerial perspective.

The receiver starts at the trunk of the tree (line of scrimmage) and can run any of the following routes and even a variation of two routes in one play. The image above assumes the Quarterback is to the right of the Receiver since the "In, Out, Corner and Post" routes would all vary depending on which side is the Quarterback. In and Post routes are always towards the middle of the field, so it would be a Post route for a Receiver that is to the left of the Quarterback and also for a Receiver to the right of the Quarterback, since both go towards the middle. The same terminology is used for In, Out, and Corner routes and those names are self explanatory in terms of how the Receiver runs them once you remember their purpose. Let's look at an example of routes in action.

NFL Analyst Solomon Wilcots breaks down Odell Beckham Jr. running all the routes in the tree in the video below. Remember that even number routes go towards the middle of the field and odd number routes go towards the sidelines.

Running Back Routes

The days are gone where the running back is thought merely as the "safety valve" on a passing play. More and more running backs are eclipsing 50 or more receiving yards in a game and that's due to more plays being drawn up where the running back has a significant role. The image below gives an idea of how many routes a Running back can execute on a passing play.

While this may look like a lot of options, the running back position typically runs short and intermediate passing routes since it takes more time to get down field compared to a receiver lined up on the line of scrimmage and the running back is still in the backfield. Common routes include the Swing, Sit, Sting, Flat, Drag, Settle, and Quick. These maximize the Running Backs explosiveness on slower Linebackers and increases their chances of catching a pass before the Quarterback is sacked. In many cases, a Running Back may offer a quick block and then run their route to offer pass protection and options in the passing game for the Quarterback.

One player that has really brought excitement in the last decade to the value of having a Running Back with good hands is Darren Sproles. The videos below showcase Sproles running a Wheel and Sting route for touchdowns.

As you can see, there is incredible value in a Running Back that has explosiveness and good hands who can turn short catches into big gains with yards after the catch.

Well there you have it! Those are the basics of routes for Wide Receivers and Running Backs, check out our page in the coming weeks for more informational articles that can raise your Sports IQ and lend your more insight into the strategy that coaches ponder about at night.

Live Streaming sports is not a new concept, it has been around for about a decade but usually involves needing an account to a satellite or cable subscription that can cost triple digits per month. Users are looking for cheaper options and they may finally be getting their wish soon with cord cutting becoming more popular.

There is something that is long overdue in the sports business industry, affordable ways to watch your favorite team or any team from your desktop, smart TV, or mobile device. It's no secret as you only have to walk a few feet into any sports bar in America to find someone that knows what you're talking about and how frustrating it can be. However, hope may be on the horizon for fans as Twitter and Facebook have recently gotten in on live streaming sports action, and the most important part of their contractual agreements….. they are free for anyone to watch. So what's holding the live streaming sports craze back? Well honestly, sports are.

Sports are BIG money for TV Providers

There are morethan 84 million paid TV subscribers in the U.S. today, according to Multimedia Research Group. That said, is it safe to assume that all of these cable and satellite customers are happy with their service? Most likely not. In fact, a report from Experian Marketing Services reveals that about 6.5 percent of American households have already cut the cable cord today, up from 4.5 percent in 2010. That's about 7.6 million homes doing away with their pricey cable packages, and if it wasn't for sports programming, the numbers would be much higher.[1] Sports are keeping TV subscriptions from completely falling off a proverbial cliff in the US. Their the main culprit why many subscriptions are so expensive to begin with and continue to require a subscription in order to watch.

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So is there hope of better(cheaper) services?

To put it simply, yes. Twitter during a two-week stretch in July announced partnerships to stream live games in the future from Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the Pac-12, and the numerous college conferences tied to Campus Insiders. The National Basketball Association is also teaming up with Twitter to create an exclusive live NBA pregame show. Facebook had its negotiations for streaming rights to NFL games fall apart, but the social network already has streamed at least a dozen live sporting events. Nine USA Basketball Men's and Women's National Team exhibition games appeared on Facebook Live via the Facebook pages of the NBA and USA Basketball before the start of the Olympic Games.[2] Twitter has consistently streamed one NFL game per week this football season at no cost to viewers. Other services like Sling TV make sports channels such as the ESPN, Fox Sports, and NBC Sports Network available via internet streaming to any device for only $20 or $25 per month depending on the package. That seems like a steal compared to the average bill of a DirecTV customer that ranges between $80 and $130 per month. Check out the Sling TV review below by CNET, and who knows maybe we'll all be replacing our cable subscriptions with live streaming someday.

Sources

[1] Nooney. C. (2014) The Future of sports streaming in a cord cutting age. Wired. Retrieved from: https://www.wired.com/insights/2014/06/future-sports-streaming-cord-cutting-age/

[2] Leung. D. (2016) Twitter and Facebook push into live sports. Sports Techie. Retrieved from: http://www.sporttechie.com/2016/08/30/socialmedia/twitter-facebook-create-sports-live-streaming-viewing-experience/

Virtual Reality or VR is becoming somewhat of a trendy topic around the technology sector if not the hottest topic, but the up and coming technology has already arrived in many industries and specifically in the sports industry it is showing incredible potential.

VR may be more useful to sports athletes and fans one day than all their sports related apps on their smartphones, that's not a wild guess that's a strong possibility with the untapped potential of VR just getting started. Imagine as a fan of your favorite team you could possibly in a year put on a headset and see a live broadcast of the game on the team's sidelines, or maybe instead from the front row of the stands? As a coach, you may be able to screen players through VR testing to see who would fit best in certain positions and roles. Another possibility for coaches is getting players repetitions through VR while they aren't physically on the practice field. Whether you're a casual observer or heavily involved in the sports world from day to day, the prospect of virtual reality could have amazing impacts from every angle.

Live streaming events in VR could be next

During last year's NBA All-Star weekend, the basketball league was the first major sports league to experiment with offering VR experiences for live events. Just prior to the All-Star events, Samsung announced a partnership with the NBA to bring the courtside experience to users via the VR gear Samsung offered.[1] With support for VR going the whole way to the top NBA executives, and three companies already shooting VR footage for Samsung, the commitment to providing fans with VR experiences for live events is becoming a closer and closer reality.

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Training in VR

With teams having a long tradition of studying game film to improve upon their performances, the introduction of VR seemed like studying film on steroids. STRIVR creates VR training videos shot from the player's eye view of the action during practices. It then enables players to receive realistic, repetitive training by visualizing through VR headsets situations they will face on the field. For instance, quarterbacks can review the options and opportunities they missed by going through a play several times and reviewing each of their teammates' positions.[2] This tool will likely spread into more and more organizations as time goes on due to its incredible potential.

Sources

[1] O'Kane. S. (2015) How the NBA became the first major sport to embrace VR. The Verge. Retrieved from:http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/17/8052163/nba-all-star-virtual-reality-samsung-mobile-gear-vr

[2] Dickson. B. (2016) How virtual reality is transforming the sports industry. Tech Crunch. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/15/how-virtual-reality-is-transforming-the-sports-industry/

eSports is the fastest growing sport in America, like it or not the crowds and the money for the events are growing larger and larger even though it may not be a traditional sport with conventional physical training.

Quick question, which sports league will earn more money by 2019, MLS (Major League Soccer) or eSports the upcoming gaming sport? You better believe it will be eSports. The global revenue in the eSports industry rose from $194 million to $463 million from 2011 to 2022 at a 239% increase and is expected to smash $1 billion by 2019.[1] The historically popular sport of Soccer has been gaining popularity in the U.S. and other sports leagues around the nation have seen their revenues increase modestly from year to year, but nothing has come close to the meteoric rise of eSports, and that trend seems unlikely to slow down anytime soon.

So what exactly is eSports?

eSports involves multiplayer video game team competitions ranging from 4 to 16 players per team who battle it out on the big screen for large amounts of cash. According to eSports earnings, some of the top players have made over $2.5 million in winnings and that doesn't even include all the players involved in every competition.[2] In 2015, an International event in Seattle gathered a prize pool of $18 million together. Many of the most popular tournaments are held in large stadiums all around the world, such as The Forum in Los Angeles California where the tickets were sold out within minutes.

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So are the competitors really athletes?

The traditional definition of athletes and a specific sport have been revolved around the physical activity and abilities associated with that sport. The competitors in eSports have different abilities for sure, they have incredible reaction speed with their keyboards and controllers but won't necessarily beat you in a 40-yard dash. More so than ever, eSports has completely redefined the way people spectate, communicate and play with one another. In many ways eSports, regardless of whether it is classified as a sport or not, has still set the standard for the new generation of sports. The ease of access via streaming has allowed for an interactive, unregulated and unified audiences. These aspects are going to be the key factors that will allow sports as a whole to grow to a whole new level.

Is eSports here to stay or is it simply a fad?

Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson recently gave Bloomberg business some insight into the eSports world saying "People seek out games for a lot of reasons but the main one is competition, eSports is a key platform and mechanism for competition. People have been playing competitively for many years and for those who do it really well can now win a bunch of money."[3] The main rise to eSports popularity can be whittled down to the last point Wilson made, large money prizes. eSports will continue to become more and more popular as the prize pools continually stay large, and they are becoming larger and larger. Sure this isn't the sole reason for competitive gaming success as competition is valued among all involved, but gamers are following the money as are eSports companies, and the eSports phenomenon seems poised for continued growth and popularity in the coming years.

Sources

[1] Riddell. D. (2016) Esports Global Revenue Expected to smash $1 Billion by 2019. CNN Sport. Retrieved from: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/29/sport/esports-revolution-revenue-audience-growth/

[2] eSports Earnings retrieved from: http://www.esportsearnings.com/players

[3] EA CEO Interview: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-06-14/electronic-arts-ceo-buybacks-feel-like-right-strategy

Five thousand to one odds are things we would say may happen once in a lifetime, or are nearly impossible. In all seriousness, what in your life would be considered a 5,000 to 1 chance to happen in the next year? Maybe it's becoming a millionaire, or winning a small lottery, maybe it's landing the job of your dreams after working hard for a year then receiving an offer, maybe it's paying off that last chunk of student debt because we all know one too many college grads with entry-level jobs with $50,000 in debt.

No matter what it is that seems almost insurmountable, lets compare it to a sports team. The odds of the Cleveland Browns(aka the laughing-stock of the NFL world since we fell in love with the sport) winning the NFL Championship this year is 200 to 1, the odds of the Chicago Bulls who are the lowest NBA lottery team winning the number one pick is 200/1, Appalachian State College Football had the biggest upset ever in the college sport over Michigan with 150/1 odds, and the Miracle on Ice that has been widely known for decades where Team USA Hockey beat the USSR in Olympic Hockey was 1000/1. So really this puts into perspective has insanely impressive Leicester City title run is, basically if Appalachian State fielded all 16-year-old high schoolers against Michigan they still might not come close to the 5000/1 odds.

You would think a team that was almost relegated last year would skim by with one goal leads or have a team of misfits that barely got the wins when needed, but Leicester City had 2 of the top 5 goal scorers in the league, and that's insane considering the talent of players like Aguero, Kane, Lukaku, Sanchez, Rooney, and more. Jamie Vardy was 2nd with 24, and Mahrez was 5th with 17. These two will surely be sought after by the big giants of the Soccer world come the offseason, but the team as a whole beat these giants which include, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, and more as seen in the clip below.

I mean come on… that video gives chills down soccer fans spines. If you missed it at least check out Vardy's stunning strike at 3:47 in the video. After the turn of the year, LC was in fourth place behind the likes of Manchester City and many of their critics assumed they would fall apart. With a goal like that on a statement victory they were in control of their own destiny no matter what they odds said. This season will go down as the most improbable of any sports team title run ever, but this story really started last season with the departure of Nigel Pearson as manager and the questionable (at the time) hiring of Claudio Ranieri. Ranieri was a former Chelsea manager for a short time, but switched up tactics and players compared to the miserable team that Pearson set out. Ranieri also wasn't backed by an ultra wealthy group like many of the top clubs are. Millions of dollars are thrown around in the EPL like its ice cream money, but the Foxes produced a club 1/8 the cost of Manchester City, and 1/4 the cost of Manchester United. The clubs of United, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea all have individual players that cost more than the Foxes entire squad, so this goes to show that money doesn't always buy wins. Really the Foxes had every reason to doubt their chances at being a top 3 team in the EPL, let alone win it, but it goes to show why soccer (Coming from an American who is bombarded with NFL, NBA, and MLB news every day) has some of the most unbelievable stories ever in sports. Here's to you Leicester City, the Fearless Foxes of the soccer world.

How about those sautéed onions?!? Villanova beat the North Carolina Tarheels in the NCAA basketball tournament last night, and if you didn't stay up for the end of the game you won't see a better ending to a game possibly ever. Here is the last two minutes of the game….

Now from an unbiased point of view, this game had everything you really could want in a game, let alone a championship game. Villanova pulled out to an early lead in the first half, and then UNC held the lead into the middle of the 2^nd half. The score was back and forth, and the biggest lead for either of the two teams was 8 or 9. Of course, the first thing that was in the comments section of most websites was how UNC was somehow screwed by the referees. The first thing I thought on most of those comments is if UNC got the majority of the calls in the game nobody would've said a peep, but because it was the powerhouse UNC prematurely christened the winner by many before the game because of their history, coach, and popularity it was somehow a surprise. Villanova had the better offense of the two teams, not only in this game but the whole year, and UNC had the big advantage down low. So the way the game played out didn't necessarily surprise anyone that knew the strengths and weaknesses. It was interesting how this game also had a "Team Stream" broadcast for both teams, with UNC on TBS and Nova on TruTV. TNT had the unbiased broadcasters and was the one most watched, but my hunch is a lot of fans watched the UNC stream and may have contributed to this thinking of UNC being screwed, which other than a few on the floor calls in the first half was not the case, and if people want to look at that as a turning point, they are ignoring other blatant facts.

But besides all the haters doing what they do, this game was not lost by UNC, it was won by Villanova. Kris Jenkins is going to go down as a legend with that shot, and Arcidiacono played 144 games in his four years at Nova which is a team record. Jay Wright was considered among many, as a regular season coach that flops in the tournament before this run to the title. UNC nearly doubled Nova in rebounds and lost the game, and Nova only committed 4 fouls less. Those stats somewhat embody exactly how Villanova plays, they shoot the lights out better than anyone, they play stingy defense and have a coach who is not only smart but experienced. The video of the buzzer beater will be replayed over and over but the reaction on Jay Wright's face is priceless! The man has a stone cold reaction the entire time until he greets Roy Williams with the facial reaction that says, "Game over, called it." Kris Jenkins was the perfect player to shoot in this moment because he is the type of player that thinks every shot is going in. He came off the bench in the 2^nd half due to getting in foul trouble in the first half, and immediately shot his first open three. He missed it, his teammate got the rebound dished it out to him, and immediately shot it again. If this doesn't say confidence in his shot I don't know what does, but his bomb against Miami was a thing of beauty….

That type of confidence is more important in crunch time then any percentage, and he was the perfect man to take the shot heard round the world.

From a more biased Villanova perspective, this game was needed in the Philadelphia area. I live in Pennsylvania, and the vibe on sports teams currently is pretty sour. The Sixers are the worst team EVER in the NBA currently, the Eagles are clawing back to the playoffs post Chip Kelly, the Flyers are still trying to find their identity while being so-so, and the Phillies are just plain bad. A lot of this failure in the Philly area may come down to coaching or management but the players and joy of sports has been in shorter supply than normal lately. Villanova is from the Philly area where fans and teams expect the bad to almost happen more often, compared to the good. The media hates the area due to the hardcore fans, and subpar aesthetics compared to other cities, and referees for events are sometimes more hated than corrupt politicians. Villanova gave hope to an area that needed it badly in the sports world. Nova was number 1 overall the majority of the year, and has been a small powerhouse in the basketball scene for some time but hasn't gotten the respect it deserved until last night. This win may go down as the best championship game of all time with the players and coach that really embody the Philly sports area. Jay Wright isn't only the coach of the champs, but the personality associated with many veteran sports fans and athletes that have a plan, stick to it, and don't deviate from that path to follow the rules of popular opinion. He's a stubborn, and smart professional that know how to win in his own way and will stick to it through the many lows, and few highs, but when it's high it's the whole way. Ryan Arcidiacono is the senior guard that played a record number of games for the school, and was the fearless leader for the champs. He not only is one of the best players in college basketball as a person, but plays the game as a teammate, not a superstar. Arc flys and crashes with his team, but does it as a part of the team none the less, not as himself alone. And last but certainly not least in the hero Kris Jenkins. His personality and play style reminds me of many fans in the area which is never give up, don't ever give up, block out the haters and doubters, and keep your eye on the prize not the obstacles. His happy trigger finger is what Villanova is great at, shooting the lights out, and the way he got in foul trouble early only to come back in and win the game at the end is how he plays, all in and shooting for the win. Villanova won't only be known for their Cinderella 85' team now, but the 2022 squad with the most entertaining championship game of this generation.

Is there anything these days in modern day America that isn't politicized? It seems wherever you go whether its social media, radio talk, or television talking heads, you basically need to unplug from technology in order to get away from obnoxious opinions, faulty policies, and backstabbing campaigns. We the people of the great US of A, certainly will not agree on the candidates still in the race, but one thing we all love and can agree on needs to stay in our lives is fantasy football. With that being said here is a list of candidates for their respective fantasy football election races….

President of the Fantasy States (MVP)
Frontrunner: Antonio Brown
Sticky Bun is the first WR in years to finally get the nod at the #1 draft spot over the dominant RB mindset of the nation. You hear it every year how the top RB's will grab the top 3 to 4 spots in drafts with even PPR scoring. However, the veteran WR has taken his faithful gathering, to a full-scale frontrunner position to secure the Presidency of Fantasy Football this year in early offseason mock drafts. Partially due to the longtime members of the RB elite party to digress statistically, and versatile MVP talents like Leveon Bell, and Todd Gurley with more questions than answers hovering over their campaigns.
2022 totals: 123 receptions, 1647 yards, 9 TD's

Dark horse: Odell Beckham Jr .
It seems silly to put OBJ as the dark horse for anything, but he wasn't consistently the best over the whole field at any one point of the season last year. He is currently being drafted around the #8 position, which is close to where Antonio Brown went last year. With the steady play of Eli behind center, mystery still at the RB position and health not being as much of a concern going into this season, OBJ may be numero uno by the season's end.
2022 Stats: 91 receptions, 1396 yards, 13 TD's

Vice President (Breakout Player)
Frontrunner: Lamar Miller
The logic behind Lamar Miller really breaking into the upper echelon of fantasy producers this year should come at no surprise. He has flashed plenty of potential and talent down in the depths of the Miami backfield over the past few years, but the coaching staff couldn't tell the difference between Andrew Luck of 2022 or 2022 down there, it was just sad almost every week watching their play calling. So now being thrust into the supposed role Arian Foster used to have, his numbers could be similar to the elite level of Foster when he was in Houston.
2022 Stats: 812 yards rushing, 8 TD's, 46 receptions, 394 yards, 4 TD's

Dark Horse: Michael Floyd
Honestly, this man is long past due for a breakout, yet hasn't done it yet. Fitzgerald began to heavily decline this season, he is 32 at the WR position which is like 39 for QB's so he is going to see a reduced role. However, the offense is not going to reduce passing with a quality QB in Carson Palmer, and a head coach in Bruce Arians who loves to air it out and rack up the score. It comes down to John Brown, and Michael Floyd. Brown last year saw an uptick, but that was a large part to do with Floyd being down in the preseason and first few games with injuries. Now Floyd is healthy and back in the role the Cards always wanted him in. Fireworks will be happening for this man unless the injury bug hits.
2022 Stats: 51 receptions, 833 yards, 6 TD's

Congressional Races (Players to keep an eye on)
David Johnson
DJ was on a complete tear in the last few games of the season last year. The only thing that stopped him was the absence of actual games needed to be played in. With an early draft position around 4 or 5 overall, the people of the fantasy nation are expecting the same from Johnson. So he could be a top 3 producer by the end of the year, or a complete bust for going so high in the first round.
Tight Ends- Coby Fleener, Ladarius Green, and Zach Ertz
It's funny how the last 3 years there was a stark contrast (at least a perceived one) between the top 4 or 5 TE's and the rest of the field. Gronk, Olsen, and Reed are still the elite few of the whole bunch, but the tight position is deep this year, I mean 1992 dream team deep. The three that caught my eye specifically that are being drafted after the 7th or 8th spot at the position are Fleener, Green, and Ertz, and all three of them could be in the top 5 or 3 at the position by the end of the year. Fleener goes to New Orleans, where being the only legit TE for Drew Brees just screams production. Green moves from San Diego to Pittsburgh where he will replace the fan favorite Heath Miller, and team up with Big Ben who has a suspended Martavis Bryant. The eagles, on the other hand, showed how good Zach Ertz can be when given the ball in the second half of the season last year. He single handily owned some defenses last year, and that was under the mad scientist Chip Kelly (emphasis on the word mad). Now Ertz gets a "healthier" Sam Bradford and a coach who loves to use the TE position in Doug Pederson.
Golden Tate
There really is only one thing needed to say about Tate's 2022 prospects….. Calvin Johnson has retired and Tate is hands down the best WR on the roster. He will be a high-end WR2 or possibly a 1 depending on Stafford's play.
Reuben Randle
Randle has also had the talent in New York to open up defenses, and become an elite type of talent, but his usage and his attitude and drive can sometimes get in the way of that. Now that he is in Philadelphia with only Jordan Matthews ahead of him on the depth chart, he could really begin a stellar career there starting this year. Philadelphia has a good enough offense to light up the scoreboard every Sunday, and they are still undecided on the RB position with the draft coming up and Ryan Matthews as the starter. So it is a safe bet the Eagles will be throwing a lot more this season and that's a good thing for Randle and Ertz primarily.
Josh Gordon
This is the name that people want to keep an eye on before training camp because currently Gordon is going off the board as the 20th WR, and this is a guy that is he returns to camp in the mental and physical shape he used to be is a top 3 WR EASILY! So keep an eye on him and his news before the start of the season. His current position screams Tom Brady of last year going in the 7th round, but being a top 5 overall producer.

FOOTBALL IS BACK FOLKS!!!

Preseason is winding down and the real games are about to begin, so if you haven't drafted yet most leagues are most likely this weekend, so here are the best PPR Rankings prior to week 1. Now these rankings are based off of expert analysis on certain players and my personal shuffling to move players where they SHOULD be, not just the typical ADP chart that you can find anywhere and won't necessarily help since everyone has access to it. I will add notes for the players that are higher or lower based on their ADP and explain why they should be there, so lets jump in to the top 50 players.

Le'veon Bell RB1
Adrian Peterson RB2
Antonio Brown WR1
Jamaal Charles RB3
Julio Jones WR2
Demaryius Thomas WR3
Eddie Lacy RB4
Rob Gronkowski TE1
Dez Bryant WR4
Odell Beckham Jr. WR5
Matt Forte RB5
CJ Anderson RB6
Calvin Johnson WR6
Marshawn Lynch RB7
AJ Green WR7
Randall Cobb WR8
Justin Forsett RB8
Jeremy Hill RB9
Demarco Murray RB10
Alshon Jeffrey WR9
Mike Evans WR10
Lesean McCoy RB11
Brandin Cooks WR11
TY Hilton WR12
Aaron Rodgers QB1
Jordan Matthews WR13
Frank Gore RB12
Andrew Luck QB2
Deandre Hopkins WR14
Lamar Miller RB 13
Emmanuel Sanders WR 15
Mark Ingram RB 14
Andre Johnson WR16
Julien Edelman WR17
Latavius Murray RB15
CJ Spiller RB16
Andre Ellington RB17
Keneen Allen WR18
Jimmy Graham TE2
Amari Cooper WR19
Brandon Marshall WR20
Alfred Morris RB19
Jonathan Stewart RB20
Golden Tate WR21
Allen Robinson WR22
Greg Olsen TE3
Golden Tate WR23
Carlos Hyde WR24
Russell Wilson QB3
Jarvis Landry WR25

Top 50 Notes: Now most are surprised by Julio to crack the top 5 before Lacy and others but why is this? Injury history? Probably, but if this man plays 16 games which is just as likely for him as any of the top RB's then he will be a top 5 player guaranteed. Antonio is at #3 due to the fact this is PPR and if you stat him out for a full season at 16 games he beats nearly everyone in total points. If OBJ were to somehow play the whole season I might honestly take the guy in the top 5, but with his hammy issues he is probably one of the most fragile top picks. If Justin Forsett just catches 80 balls this year and stays healthy inspect him to be a top performer. Jordan Matthews and Brandin Cooks are the two receivers on the cusp of becoming a WR1, as long as their QB's don't think about retirement too early or take a Suggs hit one too many times. Aaron Rodgers will most likely still be the top QB even without Nelson, Luck has one hall of fame season so far, Rodgers has 6. Imagine if the colts had Frank Gore in the role Ahmad Bradshaw was last year, well now they do. Melvin Gordon should not be in the top 50 players easily to start the year, why you say? Brandon Oliver and Danny Woodhead, thats why. Greg Olsen could be a big time catcher this year since Kelvin went down. Allen Robinson is the poor man's Dez Bryant, same size and volume of targets.

Above all else remember all analysis even from experts is not a sure fire thing, rankings and pickups change at a flip of the hat before kickoff actually happens. But this is still a game and a hobby for many so keep your league light hearted, fun, and full of twists like the madden movie….

So the Philadelphia Eagles in typical Chip Kelly fashion have rattled the NFL world once again with the signing of the incredibly popular former Heisman winner Tim Tebow. Many will bash the signing saying it brings more headaches with the media attention and he might not even make the team, while that is all true lets remember what he brings to the City of Brotherly Love. Above all else I find it funny people are surprised by the move, this is Chip Kelly's team he does what he wants, if that wasn't clear enough already. So above all else bringing Tebow on as a guy who will obviously buy into what Chip tells him, be a positive influence to other guys in the locker room and create a good atmosphere, provide leadership, and heck if two QB's in front of him get hurt have the chance to step in. Those things alone are worth the mere minimum of $660,000 that he will receive as the base salary for the Eagles to cultivate a Super Bowl atmosphere in the locker room is a great transaction, plus he's a 3rd string quarterback, its not like people are discussing how bad a QB Matt Flynn, Curtis Painter, Dustin Vaughan, and Tyler Thigpen on a weekly basis like they do with Tebow. Yes 3rd stringers are not usually competent enough to be starters in the NFL that is why Tebow is under a one year contract for the bare minimum salary with none guaranteed. All that to say its about how your perform in the field, historically Tebow has not been a great practice QB so sticking out and winning starting jobs have been tough for him. As we know from his 2012 Playoff victory over the Steelers he performs in the moment not leading up to it in practice necessarily….

Career Stats

-48% completion percentage, with a 75 QB rating.

-Ran for 12 TD's and nearly 1,000 yards in 34 games.

Here is a more in depth look to his career thanks to Pro Football Reference….http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TeboTi00.htm

So he isn't a quality starting QB clearly, but he has worked with Tom Brady's QB coach for the last few years and many including Brady say he has dramatically improved and are impressed by his current abilities. So all this to say he could make an impact if the Eagles stick with Sam Bradford and both him and Sanchez go down in the coming season then it's Tebow time but if the Eagles get Marcus Mariota or Tebow struggles that may never happen. He certainly can create some special moments when he does get on the field though….

After the Masters ended this weekend I wondered what are the top 5 dates in Sports? Both for amount of people who are interested and the money each brings in. No this isn't about the 2007 fiesta bowl with Boise States statue of liberty play, or Boston coming back to beat the Yankees in the ALCS, or the Miracle on ice by the US men's hockey team over the USSR. I loved all of those moments (Especially David Oritz walking off on the Yankees), but were talking about the days on the calendar that happen every year. Here are the top 5 that cover Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Golf …

1. Super Bowl Sunday

I mean you get the commercials, the halftime show, ridiculous commentators, steriods galore, and oh yeah the end of the NFL Season in one night. The Patriots beat the Seahawks this past year in a down to the wire game that went back and forth. Here are the awesome moments from this year's championship…

2. First and Second Day of the NCAA Basketball Tournament

Diaper Dandies! (Dicky V Voice) I can't name many better plays in sports than a NCAA buzzer beater for a huge upset in the Tourney. Congrats to the Duke Blue Devils for winning the Tournament recently over Wisconsin in a huge comeback.

3. MLB Opening Day

Baseball is America's Pastime, even though by June most of us are like "Ok we get it you hit the ball and have 162 games in the season that"s really long! Can we please have the playoffs already?" The moment of opening day is a breath of fresh air from the long winter weather. The Yankees might have the worst record in their division this year for the first time in ages, with the Nationals have their first "Power Rotation" in Franchise history.

4. First Round of the NFL Draft

I know I am hoping for Marcus Mariota in a few weeks to fall to the Eagles, but so many fans of the biggest sport in America will be hoping for a playmaker to come to their team. Quarterback to Fullback it all makes a difference for those Super Bowl runs. NFL Draft home is right here… http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015

5. Masters Sunday

Masters has a little bit of everything, great skillful shots, good athletes, silky smooth commentating, beautiful natural Augusta National Course, and of course a brief glimpse of Sergio Garcia before he plummets down the leaderboard.