Midwest Sports

I dont know if its the smartest move for the Washington Commanders not giving wide out Terry McLaurin a new deal. He has stuck with Washington through the bad years, was never a distraction, and put up good numbers. He's a pro's pro and a fan favorite in DC.  Maybe a new team will try and trade for him. *now McLaurin is requesting a trade from the Commanders. 

How have the Detroit Lions not given linebacker, Alex Anzalone a new deal? There are more than 30 linebackers that make more money then Anazlone. He is a big reason why Detroit has a good defense. We'll see how Anazlone does in a contract year.

How will the Minnesota Vikings split carries with runingbacks Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason? Jones had career year in multiple categories, but he is on the wrong side of 30. Mason stepped in for injured Christian McCaffrey last year wirh thr 49ers and played well. Whichever runningback gets the ball, they will do well because the Vikings have a good (possibly top 5) offensive line and both runningbacks are quick and explosive.  The Vikings have weapons all over the place on offense. 

Looks like DE Trey Hendrickson's holdout will end without a new deal. Reports say Hendrickson will show up to Cincinnati Bengals training camp tomorrow.  This is a team that looked like they would need to score 35 points just to have chance to win games this year. Now the Bengals signed first round pick Shemar Stewart and Hendrickson is arriving at camp.  Maybe the Bengals' defense won't be so bad. If the defense plays well enough, Cincinnati may be a team that can make noise in the playoffs.  Joe Burrow is one of the few quarterbacks that has beaten Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. 

Apparently Packers rookie wide out, Matthew Golden is turning heads and impressing early in training camp. Golden is the first receiver the Packers selected in the first round since 2002 (Javon Walker). I don't know if that is an indication of Green Bay not having faith in their current wide receivers or if they thought they didn't have a true number one wide out prior to drafting Golden, but early signs point to Golden possibly being their number one receiver. 

There have been more fights/scuffles this year at Green Bay's training camp. CB Hobbs had a hard hit on RB Josh Jacobs on Monday.  Now apparently it was the offensive's turn. O-lineman, Rasheed Walker did something to DE Kingsley Enabare that pissed Coach Matt LaFleur off. LaFleur told Walker to take a lap. Feisty group this year in Packerland.

Green Bay cornerback, Nate Hobbs is athletic and intense. Both reasons they signed him hoping he brings those traits to the field this fall.  Coaches have to remind Hobbs to take it down a notch as he has been hitting teammates hard, below the knee, and injuring runningback, MarShawn Lloyd. The Packers didn't sign Hobbs to hurt teammates. 

About time! The Cincinnati Bengals finally ink rookie Shemar Stewart to a fully guaranteed 4 year contract. Not sure why the Bengals have to make things difficult especially when they end up giving the fully guaranteed deal.  Now Trey Hendrickson? Come on Cincinnati we want to see Hendrickson and Stewart get after the opposing team's quarterbacks!

Apparently Caleb Williams and the Bears offensive is struggling. Now it's the first couple days of training camp, you'd rather have the struggles now when the team is learning the new playbook, figuring out their limits, and timing instead of struggling when the season starts.  Calm down Bear fans. Let's give the Ben Johnson era more than a few days of training camp before you get too worried. 

Minnesota Vikings wide out Justin Jefferson is out with a hamstring injury. Jefferson needs to let that heal all the way to avoid it lingering into the season. Hamstring injuries are never good.

Why is Bo Melton lining up at cornerback? The Green Bay Packers have good corners in Nate Hobbs and Keisean Nixon, but not sure why they are switching Melton from wide out to corner.  The Packers play the Lions, Bears, and Vikings twice a year. That includes receivers Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St Brown, DJ Moore, Jordan Addison, Jameson Williams, and Rome Odunze. The Packers went 1-5 in their division last year. Maybe Green Bay thinks they have another Travis Hunter?

You think the Milwaukee Bucks regret not drafting Terrance Shannon Jr in 2024? They picked AJ Johnson with the 23rd pick who is no longer with the Bucks. He was traded to the Washington Wizards in the four team Khris Middleton trade in February. Terrance Shannon Jr looks to help the Minnesota Timberwolves get back to their third straight Western Conference Finals and first NBA Finals appearance in the upcoming season. 

A four way battle for the starting quarterback in Cleveland? Flacco, Pickett, and the rookies (Sanders & Gabriel) dook it out.  When will, if ever, will the Cleveland Browns sign rookie running back Quinshon Judkins? The Browns really should have resigned Nick Chubb who signed with the Houston Texans. They still have Jerome Ford to handle the bulk of thr carries. I'm predicting the Browns will have a top three pick in the 2026 draft.

The Minnesota Vikings have one of the most competitive rosters in the NFL. The main question is second year quarterback, JJ McCarthy who missed his rookie season to injury.  The Vikings could add depth in the secondary with safety, Josh Metellus looking for a new contract. Stephen Gilmore who played for the Vikings last season is still available. Maybe he is waiting until a couple weeks into training camp to sign to avoid some of the grind of a long season. Minnesota resigned Byron Murphy and signed Isaiah Rodgers and former first round pick Jeff Okudah. They also have Harrison Smith who has been one of the better safeties and is the longest tenured Viking.

The Detroit Lions drafted Tate Ratledge to be the replacement for the unexpected retired Frank Ragnow. If Ratledge can come in and play even average, then the Lions will be alright. I expect Detroit to continue to have a good offensive line.

Competition brings out the best is people right? That is what the Indianapolis Colts are hoping for with their quarterbacks.  Anthony Richardson enters his third year in the league and as it stands now he is labeled a bust. Yes injuries have played a major role in that (he's only played in 15 games). He is built like a linebacker and if can stay healthy it will be fun to see him play. He's a mix of Cam Newton and Daunte Culpepper.  The guy the Colts brought in to compete with Richardson is Daniel Jones. Jones was cut by the Giants last year and was also labeled a bust after being a high draft pick. He was picked up by the Vikings and learned from one of the better offensive minds in football last year with Kevin O'Connell.  We'll see who wins this QB battle. The Colts could be good. They have one of the best running backs in Jonathon Taylor. They have a good defense. Their secondary just signed Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum. It'll be an interesting year in Indianapo...

The AFC West consists of Andy Reid (KC), Pete Carroll (LV), Jim Harbaugh (LAC), and Sean Payton (Den). Andy Reid has been to 6 Superbowls (1 with Phi, 5 with KC) and won 3 of them (all with KC). Pete Carroll has been to 2 Superbowls and won 1 of them (both with Sea). Jim Harbaugh went to 3 straight NFC Championship games and 1 Superbowl appearance (all with SF). Sean Payton won a Superbowl (with NO). Bounty gate leaves an astrict next to his Superbowl win. This division has some good head coaches. 

The Green Bay Packers extend right tackle Zach Tom. He hasn't missed a game since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. Now the Packers need to fix the Elgton Jenkins holdout. Don't let that stem into training camp.

Is this the year the Kansas City Chiefs will be dethroned? Will it be the Denver Broncos with their second year quarterback and good defense or will it be the Los Angeles Chargers with Justin Herbert who only threw 4 interceptions last season? 

Kansas City Chiefs wide out, Rashee Rice is guilty of two felonies related to a high speed chase in Dallas. He has a 30 day jail sentence and 5 year probation. He can serve the 30 days of jail within the 5 years.

The Green Bay Packers have center, Elgton Jenkins starting on the non-football injury list due to his hold out for a new contract.  More optimistic news for the Packers is they have three young players on the All Breakout Team. Defensive End, Lukas Van Ness and Linebacker, Edgerrin Cooper. Both of those young guys look to take more strides forward. Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Hafley certainly hopes so. The third is offensive lineman, Jordan Morgan who could be the Packers' starting right guard if he beats out Sean Rhyan or left tackle if he beats out Rasheed Walker. I would say Morgan has a better chance of winning the right guard spot. 

The Chicago Bears wide out, Rome Odunze is listed as a break out player candidate this season. The three years that Ben Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Lions, Amon-Ra St. Brown averaged 113.3 catches, 1,313 yards, and 9.3 touchdowns.  I think its safe to say that Odunze will have much better numbers than his rookie year.

The Pittsburgh Steelers just gave TJ Watt a 3 year extension for $123 million. That averages out to be $41 million per year passing Myles Garrett and Ja'Marr Chase as the highest paid non quarterback. 

Damian Lillard signs with Portland Trailblazers, 3 year $42 million deal (3rd year is a player option). What about wanting to contend for a championship?

Apparently if the Phoenix Suns traded Kevin Durant to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns would have gotten Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Terrance Shannon Jr, and the 17th pick in the draft in return.  Too bad for the Suns that Kevin Durant refused to go to the north pole.

Minnesota Vikings wide out, Jordan Addison pleads guilty to a lesser charge of wet reckless driving. I don't know if a suspension is coming from the NFL, but it could be 1-3 games. We'll see if Riger Goodell decides to suspension Addison or not. This is a big year for the Vikings and Addison, who is eligible for a contract extension. The Vikings also will have to decide to pick up a fifth year option or not since Addison was a first round pick (in 2023). 

The Kansas City Chiefs sign offensive lineman, Trey Smith to a 4 year $94 million deal with $70 million guaranteed. This makes Smoth the highest paid guard in the NFL. This was a must sign for the Chiefs.  Will it effect what offensive lineman, Elgton Jenkins is asking? He played guard at a very high level last year. He can also play all five spots on the line.

You hear reports that JJ McCarthy is having a bad offseason and is a bust and other reports says he looks great. Only time will tell. He is in a good position with the Minnesota Vikings who have a top 10 offensive line, great weapons (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, Aaron Jones, & Jordan Mason), and good coaches and play callers who will put him in the best possible spot to succeed. 

Are the Green Bay Packers going to get the Elgton Jenkins contract situation resolved before training camp? He is a very versatile player who can play any of the five spots on the offensive line. With Jenkins starting at center the Packers could have one of the best lines in football. This comes at a pivotal season for the Packers and quarterback, Jordan Love.  League wide, Jenkins is ranked as a top 10 interior offensive linemen. 

The Bengals have Trey Hendrickson holding out and still haven't signed first round pick, Shemar Stewart. What is going on in Cincinnati? They are going to waste Joe Burrow's and Ja'Marr Chase's prime years. Trade them to a team that will maximize those prime years.

TJ Watt and Myles Garrett were both drafted in 2017 by the Steelers and Browns.  Garrett got a contract extension paying him an average salary of $40 million per year. TJ Watt is holding out for a new deal. Watt has 108 sacks and 7 interceptions in his career. Watt turns 31 in October.  Garrett has 102.5 sacks and zero interceptions in his career. Garrett turns 30 in December.  Both players are very good defensive players and can get after the opposing team's quarterback. 

Patrick Mahomes has been the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs since 2018. In those 7 season he has led them to the AFC Championship game all 7 times. The Chiefs won 5 of those games to make it to the Superbowl. In the 2 AFC Championship games he lost, both were in overtime and the losses were to Tom Brady and Joe Burrow. Mahomes has won 3 of those 5 Superbowls. He is already a first ballot hall of famer and he has probably 10 more years left of he wants.

TJ Watt is still holding out. He isn't due any guaranteed money this year and his contract expires at the end of this season. I have read that his asking price is to pass Myles Garrett (Cleveland) who is now making an average salary of $40 million with his extension.  No way the Pittsburgh Steelers should pay that for a player who turns 31 in October and only had 11.5 sacks last year. Watt should play this season and then he might get the contract he is looking for.

Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders for the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback? Head coach, Kevin Stefanski has a good track record of working with quarterbacks.  In Minnesota he worked with Case Keenum (the surprise year Keenum led the Vikings to the NFC Championship game), Teddy Bridgewater, and Kirk Cousins. He worked well with Baker Mayfield as well. Can he develop one of these rookies to lead the Browns to the promise land? Only time will tell.

Sounds like Kirk Cousins is regretting signing with the Atlanta Falcons last year. Kirk said he was misled by the Falcons and didn't know they were going to draft quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons severely overpaid for Cousins to start 14 games for them. Cousins was 7-7 with only 18 passing touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He also had 13 fumbles and lost 2 of them. The Falcons still have to pay Cousins for this season and $10 million next year. They paid Kirk Cousins $100 million for 7 wins. Maybe he should of taken the one year deal Minnesota offered him. At least they were up front with him about plans to draft a quarterback. Cousins playoff record is 1-4 so I doubt he would of been an upgrade over Sam Darnold against that Rams defense.  Cousins has made $331.6 million throughout his NFL career. Only fou players have made more money than Cousins:  Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, and Russell Wilson. Those four quarterbacks all have at least one superbowl ...

The Indianapolis Colts Running Back, Jonathon Taylor has had a very productive first six seasons in the NFL. Taylor has 6,013 rushing yards, a 4.9 yards per carry average, with 51 rushing touchdowns, and 5 receiving touchdowns.  Compared to Adrian Peterson's first six seasons in the NFL (all with Vikings): 8,849 rushing yards, a 5.0 yards per carry average, had 76 rushing touchdowns, and 4 receiving touchdowns.  Remember Adrian Peterson had 2,097 rushing yards in 2012 and was the last non quarterback to win NFL MVP that year.  Taylor isn't as productive as Peterson, but even being in the same conversation is impressive. Look for more exciting games with Jonathan Taylor this year with the Colts. 

I heard on the radio that the top NFL franchises for setting themselves up to win now and for the future were:  The Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, LA Rams, and Detroit Lions. The Lions have been irrelevant up until a couple years ago. The 49ers have had Kyle Shanahan as their head coach since 2017. They have missed the playoffs four of the eight years. Yes he's taken them to four NFC Championship games and two Superbowls, but they didn't win either. I think they forgot a couple franchises that are set up well to win now and for the future: the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.  Matt LaFleur and Kevin O'Connell are both very good head coaches and play callers. Brian Gutekunst and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have constructed very competitive rosters. 

Remember when quarterbacks were actually given time to develop and weren't recycled every couple years. Aaron Rodgers sat for three years behind Brett Favre. Jordan Love also sat behind Rodgers for three year before starting. Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady were backups their first years and they both have won multiple Superbowls. Steve Young sat behind Joe Montana and Young went on to win a Superbowl. Kirk Cousins sat behind Robert Griffin. Even Drew Brees was a back up in San Diego before being the starter. Look at some of the quarterbacks recently that were either traded or cut still on their rookie deals and then went on to play better. The Browns traded Baker Mayfield and he has been much better in Tampa Bay than Cleveland. Jared Goff was alright with the Rams, but he played significantly better in Detroit. Sam Darnold and Geno Smith both left the Jets and have resurrected their careers. I know a lot depends on the team that drafts them, the surrounding players, and coaches, but...

The Denver Nuggets may be the team that can take out the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Nuggets did bring the Thunder to seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals this past post season.  They resigned Bruce Brown, signed Tim Hardaway Jr., Aaron Gordon will be healthy heading into the season, and Nikola Jokic will be a top three MVP player. Losing out on Jonas Valanciunas sucks, but maybe they'll be able to sign Bradley Beal if he becomes available?

What the heck are the Indiana Pacers doing? This team was three quarters away from winning game 7 of the NBA Finals less than two weeks ago! Tyrese Haliburton is out with a torn achilles, they were too cheap to resign Myles Turner, they didn't have a first round pick in the draft, and they didn't sign any free agents. Saying the Pacers fans are disappointed is an understatement. They'll be lucky to make the playoffs next year.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were abke to resign Naz Reid and Julius Randle. They lost Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Atlanta Hawks, but they're still a good team. Starters are Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert. Possibly have Naz Reid in starting lineup instead of McDaniels. Then Donte DiVincenzo, Rob Dillingham, Jaylen Clark, Terrance Shannon Jr.  Imagine Damien Lillard coming back healthy towards the end of next season and signs with the Twolves?! That might be interesting. 

It seems like a long time ago the Milwaukee Bucks were NBA champs. They won four years ago (2021). Now Jrue Holiday is in Boston, Kris Middleton is in Washington, Brooke Lopez is in LA, PJ Tucker is in New York (and 40 years old), and Pat Connaughton is in Memphis. The only two players left are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. The Damien Lillard trade did not go as expected and now they waived him. The Milwaukee Bucks waived Damien Lillard. I never thought that would happen. Some people are upset because he still gets his salary for the next two years (now it is spread out throughout five years). Lillard wouldn't have played much if at all this coming season so this paved the way to the Myles Turner signing.  The Bucks are getting younger and better. I think the future is bright and hopefully we will see Giannis and company compete for another title.