Ten Things I Think
1. I think the Browns trading for Tyrod Taylor is the most underrated move of the NFL offseason. People often overlook him, but Tyrod can play. While he may not have the arm talent of a Cam Newton or a Carson Wentz, over the past two seasons he turned the ball over just 18 times. For context, Tom Brady had 22 turnovers over that same period of time while playing two fewer games. Tyrod Taylor might not win you a plethora of games, but he certainly won’t lose many either. That has to be refreshing for Browns fans.
2. I think it is crucial that the Cavaliers land the third seed (or fall to sixth or seventh) in the Eastern Conference. Why? To avoid the Raptors in round two. As it stands now, the Raptors appear to be locked into the one seed, with Boston firmly in at the two. By being the third seed (or sixth or seventh which is still in play) LeBron and company would avoid the potent Raptors squad until the Conference Finals. In addition, the Celtics appear vulnerable. Kyrie’s knee ailment is no laughing matter and Daniel Theis and Marcus Smart appear to be done for the season. Many seem to be concerned for Cleveland about a potential first round matchup with the 76ers, but Embiid and Simmons aren’t ready to go toe-to-toe with LeBron quite yet. With just a handful of games remaining the Cavaliers need to be strategic about where they wind up in the standings.
3. I think the Jets trading up to three is idiotic at this point in time. Let’s talk this out. Theoretically, a team should only trade up if they KNOW that the player that they desire will be on the board when they make their pick. For argument sake let’s say the Jets desperately want Josh Rosen (this could be any player, but they definitely have a particular player in mind because if not then they wouldn’t have traded up in the first place). Well, with the third selection one month before the draft, how can the Jets possibly know that Rosen will be available? They don’t know who the Browns will take or who the Giants will take. For all they know Cleveland or their cross-town rival could select Rosen themselves or trade out of the spot to a team that wants Rosen as well. My point here is this: Unless you trade up to number 1 where you have your pick of the litter, a team should never trade up until draft day, and specifically on draft day when the pick that they want to trade for is on the clock. This is because at that point, and that point only, the team can rest assured that the player that they are trading up for will be available.
4. I think Michael Porter Jr. should return to Missouri for his sophomore year. After missing all but two games with a back injury, the highly-touted freshman has a decision to make. He can enter the NBA Draft, where he will likely be selected in the in the 6 to 8 range, or he can come back to school, dominate college basketball in 2018-2019 and cement his spot as the top prospect in next year’s draft. To me the decision is a no-brainer: MPJ should return to school. Next year’s draft class, by all accounts, is notably worse than this year’s and thus if he can rekindle his play pre-back injury, Porter Jr. will be the prohibitive favorite to go number one overall in June 2019.
5. I think the Vikings will fail to make the postseason in 2018. It’s nothing against Kirk Cousins, but I just don’t believe the Vikings are that good relative to their competition. Yes, they made the NFC Championship Game last season, but I think most would agree that they got lucky with that Stefon Diggs miracle touchdown. It’s simply a numbers game. The Packers will win the NFC North, assuming Aaron Rodgers can walk. That means Minnesota’s ticket to the postseason would be a Wild-Card. Well, two of the Saints, Panthers, and Falcons will be vying for a Wild-Card as well as the Cowboys, 49ers, and Lions. While Kirk Cousins is a fine quarterback, is he really much of an upgrade over Case Keenum? Mark it down, the Vikings will miss the playoffs after breaking the bank for their quarterback.
6. I think the Blazers are going to make the Warriors lives hell in the second round of the playoffs. While, Golden State has their eyes set on James Harden and Houston, Damian Lillard is putting together an MVP-caliber season as Portland is quietly in third place in the jam-packed Western Conference. If chalk holds, the Warriors and Blazers will meet-up in round two of the playoffs. I am not saying that the Blazers will win; they won’t. But I can see them pushing it to six hard fought games. It has been awhile since the Warriors faced some real adversity, but I think they will endure their share starting fairly early this postseason.
7. I think Clayton Kershaw has firmly inserted himself into the discussion for the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball. The Dodgers southpaw, entering his age 30 season, has three Cy Young Awards to his name and another trio of top-three finishes. He has also had an ERA under 2 in three of his last five seasons and his ERA has not exceeded 3 since his rookie season in 2008. It is certainly fair to criticize Kershaw for his postseason shortcomings, but the dominance he has displayed in the regular season is unprecedented.
8. I think that the NBA’s bottom-feeders will remain the NBA’s bottom-feeders for the foreseeable future. The Bulls, Grizzlies, Hawks, Kings, Knicks, Magic, Mavericks, Nets, and Suns occupy the NBA’s cellar. All teams could be accused of tanking in attempt to secure a favorable draft pick. However, I don’t believe even a top-pick could transform many of these teams. They are locked in NBA purgatory. I do not foresee much upward mobility for any of them. Perhaps the Knicks if Porzingis returns healthy from his ACL injury and goes supernova, or the Grizzlies if Memphis can squeeze a year or two more out of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, but by and large I expect the laughing stocks of the NBA to remain just that.
9. I think Sony Michel will be the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. I do not even know where he will be playing this fall, but he is lethal with the ball in his possession. I have been beating this drum for a while, but Michel reminds me a lot of Alvin Kamara who had a sensational rookie campaign with the Saints. This is bold, especially considering he probably won’t be picked until round three, but Sony Michel will be a top five running back in the NFL next season. Mark my words.
10. I think Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the best player in the NBA in five years. I hate to say it but at that time LeBron’s reign will have likely come to a close. Other heirs to LeBron’s throne could be Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Bradley Beal, or one of the youngsters in Philadelphia, but I am betting on Giannis. At this current juncture, in his age 23 season, The Greek Freak is averaging over 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per contest. He is doing that while standing nearly seven feet and at times running the point for the Bucks. His jump shot needs to improve, but assuming it will Giannis will be as forceful a player as the league has ever seen.
