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Best, worst college games of 2018 Round 1 QBs

The five quarterbacks who were taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL draftgot their first taste of life in the pros at rookie camps earlier this month, with OTAs going on right now and mandatory minicamps coming next month.

Even though none is projected to start in Week 1 this season, we know it's likely that all of them will get regular-season snaps at some point in 2018. Coaches can't keep these players off the field for long -- they have to see what they've got.

So what should we expect from Baker Mayfield (No. 1 pick), Sam Darnold (3), Josh Allen (7), Josh Rosen (10) and Lamar Jackson (32) this season? I go back to the tape -- always. That's where we can see strengths and weaknesses and how their traits will translate to the next level.

I picked out the best games to watch for each of these quarterbacks. And not just for their best performances; I picked out games in which you can see their worst performances too. Let's see how good -- and bad -- they could be in the NFL. I'll run through each game that shows a ceiling and floor, and I'll pick out the QB's best traits, note where he must improve and give a tip for his offensive coordinators in how to get the best out of him.


Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
Game that shows his ceiling: I look at the tape from the Big 12 championship game versus TCU to highlight Mayfield's pro-ready traits. The efficiency jumped on the film, and so did the quick release and ability to anticipate open windows. That showed up on Mayfield's red zone touchdown pass off play-action. Pull the linebacker downhill, and release the ball before the tight end clears the second level. That's an NFL throw, along with the deep ball shot Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley dialed up versus a single-high safety look. Mayfield held that free safety in the post and dropped a dime -- with some touch on the ball -- to the slot receiver running the vertical. Mayfield displayed the movement skills to navigate the pocket, and he attacked all three levels of the TCU defense to rack up four touchdown passes to get the Sooners into the College Football Playoff.

Game that shows his floor: Mayfield went to work on the Georgia defense in the first half of the Rose Bowl, but I have some concerns after rewatching the second half of that game. With Georgia making coverage adjustments while increasing the defensive tempo with pressure, Mayfield struggled to find open windows, and his footwork looked rushed in the pocket, leading to this interception in the middle of the field (check out the video clip above). Yes, Mayfield's intangibles showed up late in the fourth quarter when he put together a game-tying drive, and his touchdown throw was off-script. Get outside the pocket, create and deliver an accurate ball from an unstable platform. Those in-game adjustments from Georgia are exactly what Mayfield will see in the NFL, however, and he has to show the ability to adapt when defenses take him out of his comfort zone as a passer.

Mayfield's best trait: Accuracy. Mayfield completed 70.5 percent of his passes in 2017, with 43 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Although he played in a QB-friendly offense that generated open-window throws, his ability to win with ball placement is a trait that will transfer to the NFL game.

Where Mayfield must improve: Along with taking more traditional drops from under center after playing almost exclusively out of the shotgun and pistol alignments in Riley's offense -- only seven of his 1,497 passes thrown during his college career came on snaps from under center, according to ESPN Stats & Information -- Mayfield will have to tie together his footwork and eyes in the pocket. That will allow him to avoid wasted movement and play more in rhythm with an NFL route tree.

Tip for Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley: Steal from Riley's playbook to incorporate some of the same concepts in which Mayfield flourished. Use play-action, quick passing and college run-pass options in addition to the pro concepts Mayfield will have to master to produce as an NFL quarterback. Plus, the Browns now have the weapons to have a solid offense.


Sam Darnold, New York Jets
Game that shows his ceiling: Darnold's tape from wins at Colorado and Arizona State could be used here, but I go back to the Texas film because of how the No. 3 overall pick played late in the fourth quarter and in overtime. Just look at the double-post concept in overtime. Read the inside safety driving on the shallow post, and throw the outside route before the wide receiver even breaks back to the middle of the field. The jump pass to extend the drive and set up the game-tying field goal in regulation? That's a guy making a play in a prime-time game on the national stage. Coaches love that stuff. Plus, in addition to those key moments to get the win, Darnold displayed an NFL skill set. Just look at his ability to process through full-field reads. Scan and deliver on tight windows. Don't forget about Darnold's accuracy when moving outside the pocket. Yes, he had a couple of interceptions, but the coachable traits that can be developed at the next level were on display against the Longhorns.

Game that shows his floor: The Washington State tape stands out for me due to the lack of rhythm Darnold played with on the road and the late-game turnover that sealed the upset win for the Cougars. That Washington State defense took away the boot, brought pressure and forced the USC offense to lean on RPOs. Just get the ball out on slants and hitches. Darnold didn't look comfortable in the pocket, and he was late on an outside breaking route that resulted in an interception. The fourth-quarter fumble off a delayed blitz (check out the video clip above) was another reminder that he has to be more secure with the ball. His concerning performance here showed me that Darnold still has room to develop in terms of his overall mechanics -- tying his lower body movement to his release, which needs to be redefined -- and consistency in protecting the ball.

Darnold's best trait: Underrated mobility. Working through full-field reads at USC will give Darnold a jump-start in an NFL offense, but I look at his movement inside and outside the pocket as a key trait heading into Year 1 with the Jets. With more reps, Darnold can use that mobility to navigate pressure -- step up, slide, reset -- while making throws on the move off play-pass concepts.

Where Darnold must improve: Ball security issues. Darnold turned the ball over 36 times in the past two seasons. That's a huge number. He must show more consistency handling the ball inside of the pocket while avoiding situations in which he takes chances and forces the ball into nonexistent windows versus secondaries. That isn't going to work at the next level.

Tip for Jets offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates: Darnold has the traits to play immediately for New York, so this isn't scheme-related. Instead, I would tell Bates, a former quarterbacks coach, to focus on the smaller details. Darnold needs to clean up his technique, which took a step back last season when compared to his fantastic 2016 tape. Get Darnold reps, make the corrections and develop him.


Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Game that shows his ceiling: The first half of Wyoming's bowl game win over Central Michigan showcased why Allen was the No. 7 overall pick and reminded us that he has the highest upside of any quarterback in the 2018 class. I'm talking about the natural tools at the position. Just look at the skinny post Allen throws in a tight window down the field (check out the video clip below). Play-pass with a quick climb in the pocket, and then deliver an absolute laser for the score. That's a throw only Allen could make when compared to the rest of these quarterbacks. He also showcased his athleticism on an ad-libbed red zone touchdown pass and followed that with a perfect deep ball throw for another score. Take a shot, and let it go. With a 6-foot-5, 237-pound frame, mobility and tremendous arm strength that absolutely pops on the tape, Allen has an enormous ceiling as a pro -- if he keeps developing.

Game that shows his floor: Allen's two games last season against Power 5 competition -- at Iowa and vs. Oregon -- stand out because of the negative habits that appear on tape. In both of those losses, Allen struggled to find any consistency, and his accuracy suffered. He also needs to work on developing a changeup to put more touch on throws to complement that elite velocity in his arm. This is a raw player who has a tendency to sail the ball and miss with poor placement due to his footwork. That will lead to interceptions in the NFL. As I said above, the natural tools are there. In games against tougher competition, however, Allen created more question as to when or if he will reach his ceiling.

Allen's best trait: Arm talent. There's no question here. That strong arm will allow Allen to challenge NFL defenses in the vertical passing game and attack tighter windows on intermediate throws. Plus, playing in Buffalo, Allen has the juice to cut the ball through the wind, rain, sleet, ice and snow coming off Lake Erie.

Where Allen must improve: Consistent accuracy. Allen has to take major steps in his accuracy to be a successful pro quarterback. It's that simple. He completed just 56.3 percent of his passes in 2017, which was only a slight increase from 56 percent in 2016. There's some work to do for Allen and the Bills here.

Tip for Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll: When Allen's feet are set, he can flat-out rip the ball and put it on target. Too often, though, Allen leans on his arm talent. Daboll and his staff must focus on Allen's footwork for the rookie to progress as a more accurate thrower in a system that can be catered to maximize his ability. Mix in pro and spread concepts that showcase Allen's movement skills, along with his ability to expose the top of secondaries off play-action.


Josh Rosen, Arizona Cardinals
Game that shows his ceiling: I go to Rosen's tape at USC because he displayed the high-level traits of a pure pocket thrower against the Trojans, despite the loss. I'm talking about the timing in the quick game, the anticipation to find open windows on intermediate routes, the natural touch to drop the rock over coverage and the deep-ball accuracy. Just watch the throw from Rosen on the post route versus man coverage (check out the video clip below). That's a straight dime to beat good coverage down the field. This is a quarterback with the skill set to develop quickly. Think of rhythm throws in which the No. 10 pick can dice up defenses in the short-to-intermediate route tree while challenging the top of the secondary with ball placement. Throw the back-shoulder fade, thread the ball inside the numbers, and carve up underneath zones. Rosen is a true pro-style QB with the tools to produce in the right offense.

Game that shows his floor: The Arizona tape jumps out because of the turnovers and the lack of mobility that showed up when Rosen had to battle pressure on the road. Rosen completed only 58.8 percent of his passes and tossed three interceptions due to poor ball placement, timing issues and a misread on an underneath concept. The inability to escape pressure? Yeah, that was a concern for me on the film. Rosen took too many hits against the Arizona pressure, and he doesn't have the natural movement skills to evade rushers. There's no question here on Rosen's toughness after watching that game, though. He got up and kept playing after taking some shots. But those add up quickly at the NFL level when the ball doesn't come out.

Rosen's best trait: Touch. Rosen's ability to make touch throws is such an overlooked trait for quarterbacks. It allows him to drop the ball over underneath defenders and attack third-level windows in the passing game. It's a strength that pocket throwers such as Rosen must have in order to succeed.

Where Rosen must improve: Pocket movement. As a coach, I would give Rosen game tape of Tom Brady and Drew Brees to study. Two veteran quarterbacks who lack top-tier mobility, they have mastered the footwork to maneuver inside the pocket when they feel pressure. That's where Rosen can elevate his game.

Tip for Cardinals offensive coordinator Mike McCoy: Tailor the passing game around Rosen's natural throwing ability in a West Coast system. No need to make this complicated. Win with timing and inside-the-numbers throws, and take shots when you get favorable matchups. That's a fit for Rosen and the NFL game.


Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Game that shows his ceiling: Jackson was electric in Louisville's win at North Carolina, racking up 525 total yards and six touchdowns. It was a combination of upper-tier athleticism and passing-game production in a route tree that mimics the concepts we see in the NFL. While Jackson still showed some inconsistency on outside-the-numbers throws, I saw the No. 32 pick anticipate on middle-of-the-field routes, hold the backside safety to open up a window to hit the seam versus two-deep coverage and use his combination of speed and body control to shred the Tar Heels' defense as a runner. Just look at the ball from Jackson on the deep post route off play-action (check out the video clip below). That's a free rusher off the edge, a cornerback blitz. But Jackson steps up, resets and delivers a perfect throw for six points. Yes, the number of Jackson's designed runs will drop in the NFL, but the red zone RPO Louisville showed against UNC -- pairing the QB draw with the wide receiver screen -- is an example of a concept that should be part of an NFL game plan for Jackson. That's how you maximize his rare talent.

Game that shows his floor: I look at games at NC State and vs. Clemson, two teams with NFL talent on the defensive front that generated pressure versus the Louisville protection schemes. This forced Jackson to look for escape doors at times instead of managing the pocket. And I saw accuracy issues on out cuts and corner routes. The ball sails at times, which means Jackson's lower-body mechanics are inconsistent. Although he used his athletic ability to make plays in both games, he threw two costly interceptions. In the NC State matchup, Jackson forced a ball in a critical game moment into tight coverage, and he made a poor read versus Clemson on a curl-flat combo that changed the tempo of the game. Again, Jackson has talent that you simply can't teach, and that is going to create stress for opposing defenses. But the tape from these two performances showed me that he needs time to develop his game to reach his ceiling.

Jackson's best trait: Athleticism. That's going to impact defensive game plans in the NFL. It's very similar to when I played against Michael Vick. Opposing secondaries have to change the way they plan to account for quarterbacks who can make plays with their legs. Plus, the Ravens could sprinkle in some QB-designed runs to gain an advantage on third downs and inside the 20-yard line.

Where Jackson must improve: Accuracy on outside throws. As I mentioned above and in my piece on Jackson's best team fits before the draft, this was a concern for me on his film. It's a situation in which Jackson has to tie together his feet and arm mechanics to be more consistent when targeting outside cuts.

Tip for Ravens offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg: I expect the Ravens to install a creative package of plays for Jackson this season, but I caution against this because the rookie also needs reps playing quarterback in the Ravens' core offense. For me, that's the West Coast route tree. Drill the footwork and mechanics, and put him in a system in which he can truly develop. Because if Jackson can improve his technique as a pocket thrower, in addition to the concepts the Ravens can install to cater to his athletic ability, he could take off.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...-from-otas-heres-what-we-should-make-of-them/

Teddy Bridgewater has gotten glowing reports from OTAs; here's what we should make of them

Bridgewater apparently looked great during the Jets' first week of OTAs

Organized team activities are in full swing around the NFL, including for the New York Jets.

As usual, the quarterback position is a big focus in New York. The Jets did surrender three second-round picks to move up from No. 6 to No. 3 in the draft, where they landed USC's Sam Darnold. Darnold is not necessarily expected to start right away -- that position seems likely to be filled by Josh McCown, the team's bridge QB. But it's the other quarterback in New York who has been making news this weekend.

Apparently, Teddy Bridgewater looks fantastic at OTAs.

From the Daily News:

Bridgewater was the best quarterback on the field on the first day of the Jets' organized team activities, a promising sign for a guy who had a solid start to his career before a mishap in practice nearly cost him that career. He was fluid in his drop-backs without a trace of a limp. He was smooth on a designed roll-out to his right on one of his nine snaps in 11-on-11 team drills.

If you didn't know any better, you'd think that he was never injured.

And ESPN:

It's still early -- very early -- but one player in particular has generated a legitimate buzz at One Jets Drive -- quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

The organization couldn't be happier with Bridgewater, one of the bright spots in Week 1 of OTA practices. Not only did he perform well in the first practice, open to the media, but he maintained it throughout the week. While it's too soon to wage a "Teddy-should-be-starting" campaign -- his surgically repaired knee won't be truly tested until he gets hit in a preseason game -- it creates some interesting options for the Jets.

When they made a one-year, low-cost investment in Bridgewater, they did so with the belief that he could be flipped for a draft pick under the right circumstances. That's still on the table; his trade value is trending upward. Or they could decide to keep him because, if he stays healthy, he might be the best quarterback on the team in 2018.

The way I see it, one of two things is true here.

The first thing that could be true is that Bridgewater really does look fantastic and is the Jets' best quarterback right now. I prefer this option because anyone who doesn't want good things for Teddy Bridgewater after what he's gone through is a monster. To come back from his injury and lock down a starting job would be a heck of a story, and it would be great for the Jets, too.

The other thing that's possibly true is that this is OTAs and Bridgewater looks great ... and the Jets know they have an incentive to make it known just how great he looks. No matter what happens with Bridgewater this season, Darnold is the future in New York. You don't trade three second-round picks to make a guy your backup to someone you signed for one year and $6 million.

Bridgewater could easily be the team's bridge starter this year if he looks like the best player in camp, but McCown is also fully capable of filling that role. The difference is McCown is going to be 39 years old later this summer and likely worth next to nothing on the trade market. Bridgewater is 25 and only a few years removed from being a first-round pick. There's upside aplenty there, and he could potentially help the Jets recoup some of the investment they made in Darnold if he looks good and somebody decides he's their answer at QB during camp.

This scenario might sound familiar because it's pretty much exactly what happened with the Eagles, Sam Bradford, and Carson Wentz, when Bridgewater himself was injured two years ago. Suddenly, the Vikings needed a starter, and they sent the Eagles their first- and fourth-round picks in exchange for Bradford. The Eagles, who had just traded two firsts, a second, a third, and a fourth to move up for Wentz, surely appreciated the recouping of picks for a quarterback who was not in their long-term plans. If all works out for the Jets, they could pull off the same thing. Or, of course, Teddy could be the guy they've been looking for. He's still 25, after all.

Fox was being moved to OLB and I was anxious to see the transition, however, with the his injury along with Okoronkwo’ s foot surgery and rehab taking him into training camp, will the Rams look to sign a veteran at OLB like Junior Galette for example or bring back Connor Barwin? Or are the Rams set to go to camp with the following options:


Matt Longacre….Longacre is also coming back from injury so I’m sure his play will be monitored and Longacre did showcase the ability to make plays in a small sample size, but will he be 100% and be able to handle the extended playing time moving forward? Longacre does have a great motor and has been a nice find as an UDRFA out of Northwest Missouri State, but again, the rehab and the extended playing time might expose the back yard hopeful.

Samson Ebukam….When Ebukam’ s name was announced by Hall of Famer Jackie Slater last season on draft day in the 4th round, I like others were like, who? Eastern Washinton? Oh, they must of noticed him when scouting Cooper Kupp. Well, Ebukam was a pleasant surprise last season and did showcase the ability to rush the passer and hold the edge against the run, but again, in limited playing time. Ebukam is one of the key to the success because with the interior defensive line strength, Ebukam must prove the Pointer Sisters right and create fire and kiss the opposing Quarterbacks on a consistent basis.

Trevon Young….This is one of my favorites and I really liked the youngster more after watching his interview, as Young has faced adversity having hip surgery after being a stud pass rusher for the Louisville Cardinals, however, that surgery is a long rehab and Young was just starting to come back into his own at the end of last season. The injuries opens the door for Young and my hope that he can take advantage and seize the day because the Rams will need somebody to showcase the ability to put constant pressure on the Quarterback when called upon.

Ejuan Price…Now as tough as I have been on Price dismissing him because again at Pittsburgh, he was not the most durable player, but playing the role of a designated pass rusher, might be the perfect fit for this former Panther. Price does have pass rush ability and at times, it did seem that he belonged, so again with Okoronkwo working his way back, Price will have a chance to shock us all and showcase why Price had 24.5 sacks in his last two years at Pitt.

Garrett Sickels….That’s right, I’m posting this name as he was a late addition to the practice squad and the Rams brought back the former Nittany Lion. Sickels led the Big Ten with 43 Quarterback Pressures, however, is better when he is freed up to not engage with tackles and most likely at this level will be a pass rush specialist.

Brain Womac….Many of you know I visit Texas every year (having family in the Dallas/Fort Worth area) and have an affinity for Rice University as you are a true student athlete at this fine university in Houston. Womac is going to be easy to root for in training camp because he has a nonstop motor and most likely will be the first one on the playing field and the last one off….Does have some pass rush skills and some ability to drop back in coverage, however, has limitations and did not run well at his pro day because of having the flu, so bad timing to be under the weather, but again, he could impress special team coach John Fassel enough to get noticed.


So there you have it, now the Rams might mix and match and they might bring in a veteran that could change the mix, but to this point, this is how OLB’s look heading to the next OTA and things could change drastically before actual training camp because you also have mandatory minicamp June 12-14th so many of us feel this is an area to put under the microscope because somebody will have to rise to the occasion with last year starters Quinn & Barwin not on the roster.

The way I see it is we had this horrible owner in Georgia who was a cheapskate and did not know anything about football. And we had a coach in Robbinson that was run right, run left. Boring old school. And that moron who did the Dickerson trade in Shaw.
Niners had a owner in Eddie D. who was willing to pay for top level talent and put real football people in charge. They had the "next big thing" in coaching in Bill Walsh. Not young though.

The Rams now have a owner with VERY deep pockets and is willing to let the football people make decisions, not the bean counters. And it is THE RAMS who have the "next big thing" in coaching in McVay. Who has a real connection to those 80s Niners who started it all.
And he is very young, smart, talented with something extra about him. McVay is the key, lock him up to a long term deal.
And it is the RAMs with the young core group of talented players.Have our quarterback too.

Have to deal with free agency though. For those of you not old enough to know what it was like before it all started, it is the worst thing to ever happen in pro sports. I could start a whole thread just about that. The Rams "bench" in the early 80s was littered with future Pro Bowlers, never would happen today.
But I was a bit jealous of the 49ers back then. We had our hands tied behind our back and all we could do was watch. All we got was 2 NFC Championship appearances.
Now its our turn, here is to multiple Super Bowls in our future !!

Not sure how many former RRF (realramsfans) members are here, and most that had posted there don’t visit, but it appears that it has finally completed its death spiral. Been a couple days that it’s down
Farewell if so, was a great site at one point

Not so very long ago the following things were true:

Rams were frantically scouring the waiver wire for camp cuts that could improve their team. Now other teams are jumping on OUR cuts.

Rams were disrespected cellar dwellers. Now they are NFCW champs with an 11-5 record (while resting starters in their final game).

Rams coaches were considered inept while fielding underachieving teams. Now none other than Jimmy Johnson says the Rams coaches are best in the league.

Ram fans used to hope that draftees could look decent by year three. Now their coaches are getting star production from draftees in year one.

Rams fans used to start draft discussions as early as October. Now we discuss potential Ram playoff seedings.

Rams used to go through QB’s every year like water through a sieve. Now we have a QB among the league’s most promising.

Rams had the league’s worst O in back to back seasons. Now our team has led the league in scoring (while sitting starters in final game, mind you).

Rams used to dream of improving their roster to respectability. Now they’re straining to be able to keep star players while remaining under the cap.

Ram fans used to dream of an 8-8 non-losing season. Now they entertain legit SB aspirations.


Don’t know about you, but I haven’t felt this good, this confidant, about the Rams chances since the GSOT days. And frankly, I think this run will be for a much longer time.

We got Bill Walsh lucky with the McVay hire. And I don’t think I’m overstating that.

Rams DE John Franklin-Myers primed for breakthrough rookie season

May 26, 2018 | Jake Ellenbogen

The Rams turned some heads when they selected the edge defender out of Stephen F. Austin, but John Franklin-Myers might end up being the star of their class when it's all said and done...


Rams rookie Franklin-Myers is 6-foot-4 and 283 pounds but moves extremely well and it allows to him play on the line or the edge. His body type and athletic profile match former Wade Phillips drafted players J.J. Watt and Adam Gotsis. Obviously, Watt is the bigger name there and for awhile he looked like the best defensive player in football. Franklin-Myers has that same similar build which would make him an extra large outside linebacker.


Watt his rookie year had 5.5 sacks, 56 tackles and two fumble recoveries as a 16-game starter. It's not to say Franklin-Myers is going to be the next Watt, but an injury to Morgan Fox and the fact he's a fourth-round pick in a draft that had the Rams picking as high as the third round this year, will give him some serious opportunity. None of these draft picks are slated to start but Franklin-Myers playing on the same line as Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers and Dominique Easley will allow him plenty of opportunities to learn and grow under their's and coach Wade Phillips' tutelage. The Rams key with this defense will be their defensive depth, they can rotate all around the line and Franklin-Myers is going to benefit from it for sure.


When Franklin-Myers came onto The Downtown Rams Podcast to guest host it with me he mentioned that he saw himself as a Michael Bennett type of player. The Rams rookie played at almost 300 pounds and slimmed down to the 280-pound range. He has a chance to be one of the more powerful 3-4 defensive ends in the league. He displayed plenty of quickness and sheer power on his college tape and that's sure to translate and then some with the Rams moving forward.


Every draft we find a few "diamonds in the rough" so to speak. I believe that when you look at John Franklin-Myers he embodies just that. Coming from a small school, not being heavily recruited because he played for an 0-40 high school football team and was not invited to the Senior Bowl. He tested well at the combine and put on some explosive tape but he didn't play across from any true NFL talent. These are the same things you see when you look back at a guy's career and wonder how teams missed on him. Franklin-Myers sets off that same kind of vibe.


With the coaches in the Rams organization, the amount of talent and the way the modern game has changed, it's likely Franklin-Myers is in the driver's seat to do some damage this season. Does he need to refine his technique? Sure, but his explosion, aggressive nature and his motor are going to propel him into the starting lineup down the road. Expect big things from the former Lumberjack sack artist.

I'm extra excited about Coop Kupp this yr. Coming from a much smaller school, he physically was not catered to, the way big schools like Ohio State, LSU, etc. Have the ability to do for players. These kids are basically kept on extreme diets and training and their bodies are more prepared for the NFL. Kupp not having that luxury and still showed as good as he did means he will be bigger, stronger, and yes FASTER this season. His physical ability should be leaps and bounds ahead of where he was last yr. Has anyone attending OTAs noticed this?

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Cheesy but classic

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...contract-is-a-game-changer-for-the-wr-market/

How Sammy Watkins' contract is changing the game for the WR market

What happens when a receiver gets a huge deal without elite production? Let's take a look
by Joel Corry

Wide receiver salaries unexpectedly exploded during free agency. Wideouts who haven't done much to distinguish themselves during their NFL careers, such as Albert Wilson and Paul Richardson, signed $8 million-per-year deals.

Allen Robinson received a three-year, $42 million contract with $25.2 million in guarantees because the Bears are confident he'll have a complete recovery from the left ACL he tore in the Jaguars' 2017 season opener. He was trying to bounce back from a subpar 2016 campaign that can be attributed to Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles' struggles. Robinson had a breakout season in 2015, when he became the first Jacksonville player to top 1,000 receiving yards (1,400) since Jimmy Smith in 2005. He also led the NFL with 31 catches of 20 or more yards.

The most surprising deal belongs to Sammy Watkins, who got a three-year, $48 million contract with $30 million fully guaranteed from the Chiefs. The 2014 fourth-overall pick is being paid like an elite receiver without matching production. Watkins drew considerable interest in free agency -- the Bears, Cowboys and Packers reportedly were among his suitors -- before signing with the Chiefs.

Watkins caught a rather pedestrian 39 passes for 593 yards and eight touchdowns with the Rams last season after being traded from the Bills during training camp. Watkins' only 1,000-receiving-yard season came in 2015. Prior to the trade, the Bills passed on Watkins' fifth-year option in 2018 at $13.258 million due to persistent problems with a broken left foot.

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The Watkins contract is game changer in the wide-receiver market because of his lack of productivity. The deal's effect is already being seen.

Effect on Jarvis Landry and Julio Jones
Jarvis Landry, who was designated as a franchise player by the Dolphins for $15.982 million before being traded to the Browns in March, has fundamentally changed the way slot wide receivers are paid. The Browns signed Landry to a five-year, $75.5 million deal with $47 million in guarantees and $34 million fully guaranteed at signing.

Wide receivers that primarily thrive in the slot typically have been paid less than those that excel on the outside or can take the top off opposing defenses. This dynamic had the potential to limit Landry to second-tier wide receiver money despite his production. Landry, a 2014 second-round pick, has the most catches in history during the first four seasons of an NFL career with 400. He led the NFL in 2017 with 112 receptions but didn't crack the 1,000-yard mark while averaging a meager 8.8 yards per catch.

Falcons All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones is skipping organized team activities, which started on Monday, because he reportedly wants his contract addressed. He also wasn't present for Atlanta's other offseason workouts.

The top of the wide-receiver market hasn't dramatically changed since Jones signed a five-year, $71.25 million contract extension in 2015. Jones' $14.25 million average yearly salary is still eighth among wide receivers. His $47 million in overall guarantees is tied for third with Landry. Only Mike Evans and DeAndre Hopkins have gotten more than the $35.5 million Jones had fully guaranteed at signing.

Jones, who is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, is underpaid relative to Watkins. He is scheduled to make $34.426 million over the next three years, which includes $10.5 million this season. Watkins, whose three-year contract includes a $21 million signing bonus, is making $34 million in the first two years. Jones has averaged slightly over 100 receptions and almost 1,600 receiving yards a season since Watkins' NFL career began in 2014. The five-time Pro Bowler had one of the most prolific seasons for a wide receiver in 2015 when he had 136 catches for 1,871 yards. Both marks are the second-most ever in an NFL season. Jones' catches in 2015 are nine more than Watkins has had over the last three seasons. Watkins' 2,070 receiving yards during this span are just about 200 more than Jones' 2015 total.

Effect on the Chiefs
The Chiefs aren't paying Watkins, who turns 25 next month, based on past performance but on the speedster's expected contribution. As the NFL's fourth-highest paid wide receiver by average yearly salary, Watkins should be consistently threatening to break every Kansas City major single-season receiving record. Jeremy Maclin owns the reception mark for a wide receiver with 87 in 2015. Derrick Alexander's 1,391 receiving yards in 2000 is the franchise record. The 15 touchdown catches Dwayne Bowe had in 2010 are a Chiefs high.

Watkins may not have an easy time justifying his contract through his play because of Kansas City's other offensive weapons. Travis Kelce is the NFL's best tight end not named Rob Gronkowski. He is the only tight end to top 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. Kelce also leads NFL tight ends in receptions since 2016 with 168.

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill had a breakout season in 2017. His 1,183 receiving yards were seventh in the NFL and led the Chiefs. Hill's 75 receptions were second on the team to Kelce's 83.

Kareem Hunt, a 2017 third-round pick, led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards as a rookie. He established himself as a dual threat running back by catching 53 passes for 455 yards. He earned a Pro Bowl berth.

The Chiefs were comfortable trading quarterback Alex Smith to the Redskins in March because of Patrick Mahomes, the 10th overall pick in 2017. Mahomes' enormous potential and strong arm should allow head coach Andy Reid to have a more vertical passing game, but since he is essentially a rookie in playing experience, there are likely to be some growing pains this season.

A team simultaneously having two 1,000 yard wide receivers isn't unprecedented. It's happened 13 times over the last five years. The Broncosaccomplished the feat four straight years (2013 through 2016). None of those teams had a tight end of Kelce's caliber or a running back as productive as Hunt was in his rookie campaign.

Andy Reid has never had two 1,000-yard wide receivers in the same season during his 19 seasons as a head coach. The closest was in 2010 with the Eagles, when DeSean Jackson had 1,056 yards on 47 receptions while Maclin caught 70 passes for 964 yards with 10 touchdowns. Something is probably going to have to give statistically because of the addition of Watkins and the above factors.

Kansas City has a potential problem on its hands with Hill because of Watkins' contract. As a 2016 draft pick, Hill becomes eligible to sign an extension once the 2018 regular season ends. Kansas City is going to have difficult time getting Hill to accept any offer that's less than Watkins' deal, especially if his production this season is comparable to or better than his receiving counterpart's.

Effect on the rest of the NFL
Watkins's contract is not only a potential headache for the Chiefs, but also the rest of the NFL. Odell Beckham Jr., a fellow 2014 first-round pick, insisting on becoming the NFL's first $20 million-per-year wide receiver wouldn't be unreasonable now. Beckham arguably had the best first three seasons for a wide receiver in league history. He caught 288 passes (tied for first) for 4,112 yards (second) with 35 touchdowns (tied of fifth) in 43 games. Jerry Rice and Randy Moss are the only wide receivers with comparable production. Beckham is still in the top 10 through four seasons in these categories despite missing 17 out of 64 games, which includes the final 12 in 2017 because of a broken ankle.

The Rams acquired Brandin Cooks, also a 2014 first-round pick, in an early April trade with the Patriots to replace Watkins as a wide receiver who can stretch the field. Cooks should be an upgrade over Watkins. If Cooks hits the 1,000 receiving-yard mark this season, it will be three times with three different teams and quarterbacks in five NFL seasons. It would be his fourth-consecutive 1,000 receiving-yard season. Rams general manager Les Snead recently revealed in an interview on Mad Dog Radio that there have been discussions with Cooks' agent about a new deal. Watkins' deal is likely Cooks' salary floor for a new contract.

The Vikings were already going to have a challenging negotiation with Stefon Diggs, who is in a contract year, because of Adam Thielen's All-Pro season in 2017. Thielen signed a four-year, $19.246 million year deal during the preceding offseason as a restricted free agent where he gave up three unrestricted-free-agency years for $16.5 million, which can be worth as much as $25.8 million thanks to base salary escalators and incentives. Diggs might find testing the open market attractive even if he wants to ultimately stay in Minnesota because of the deals wide receivers got in free agency this year.

The explosion of wide-receiver salaries in free agency ensured that the Raiderspicked up 2015 fourth-overall pick Amari Cooper's option year in 2019 for $13.924 million. Cooper's production took a steep drop in 2017. After becoming the third player in NFL history with at least 70 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, Cooper caught only 48 passes for 680 yards with seven touchdowns in 2017. A bounce-back performance this season may not be necessary anymore for Cooper to become one of the NFL's highest-paid wide receivers in 2019, when he is entering his contract year.

Effect on the future
The agent community was pleased with the Raiders' liberal spending during the latter part of the late Al Davis' ownership. The contracts Davis gave to cornerback DeAngelo Hall, defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, wide receiver Javon Walker and safety Gibril Wilson in 2007 helped drive up the market for other players at those positions. Teams would unsuccessfully try to dismiss those deals as market anomalies in contract negotiations with the agents. It remains to be seen whether teams will attempt to take a similar tact with Watkins' contract. The deal could be the bane of every team's existence in negotiations with highly productive or number-one wide receivers over the next couple of years unless Watkins starts living up the potential that made him a top-five pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

Tough call for me between Brandin Cooks and Suh! I think Cooks will really help open up the Rams Offense and it is a real scary thought thinking about Suh and Donald (And, Brockers!) on the same Defensive Line! The NFL Season can NOT get here soon enough!

Because he was recovering from his knee injury, Gurley didn’t run a 40 in the Combine or his Pro Day. I his first year, I wasn’t convinced he had all of his speed back, Ashe was caught on some long runs. I figured he was a 4.50 guy, at best. In year 2, he never seemed to have a chance to show his speed.

Last year... different story. He looked fast...really fast. The best example was the screen pass he took to the house against Tennessee. On that play, He showed a gear I didn’t think he had. I’m thinking he may be more of a 4.40 guy.

So...how fast do you think Gurley is?

I haven't figured out how to create a poll so I will just pose the question.

Which rivalry do we think we be the most compelling over the next 5 years:

1. Rams vs Eagles
2. Rams vs Vikings
3. Rams vs 49ers
4. Rams vs Seahawks

MOD EDIT; added poll

Hi all,

Brand new to this forum. And want to be a positive part of the dialog.

Every now and then I get a great view of the new Stadium while landing at LAX. I would like to share the photos I have and when I take a new one will try and add to this thread.

This is only about the appreciation of the incredible project that will be the RAMS HOUSE for our beloved team. Not the politics of seat prices or licenses. No matter, this will be OUR HOUSE.

The pictures differ in quality due to many factors out of my control. I take them when I can.

This first one I took when it was still somewhat the Hollywood Park Race Track. A good starting point. More to follow:

At least according to Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Media and CBS Sports’ Will Brinson.
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By Kristen Lago

3) Los Angeles Rams

Key players: Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers, Samson Ebukam, Matt Longacre, Dominique Easley, Ethan Westbrooks.

“Teams shouldn't even try to run on the Rams when Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh,
and Michael Brockers are on the field together. That should make the opposition one-dimensional, allowing defensive coordinator Wade Phillips to cook up pressures and get the ball into the hands of his equally talented secondary.

There's no question that the Rams' top edge rushers -- Samson Ebukam and Matt Longacre -- are dangerously unproven. That keeps the group from topping this list, but the pass rushers should be able to roam free, with all the beef up front attracting double teams. The system will carry them.

Donald is the best overall lineman in football and Suh will be playing right next to him in full mercenary mode. Brockers is coming off a career season under Phillips. These three might not each pile up double-digit sacks, but they should lead the league in knocking offensive linemen to the ground, creating chaos in the pocket and generally terrifying quarterbacks.

It's rare to see an all-time defender like Donald paired with an all-time coordinator like Phillips, each flanked by one of the most talented supporting casts in football. This group may only last a year together, so enjoy it while you can.”

Listen to the full podcast and read Brinson’s breakdown by clicking here.

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https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/05/25/t-o-returns-to-football-on-the-cover-of-madden/

T.O. returns to football, on the cover of Madden
Posted by Mike Florio on May 25, 2018

The last great alternative to the primary NFL video game franchise had Terrell Owens on the cover. The latest installment of the only remaining NFL video game franchise has Terrell Owens on the cover.

Yes, T.O. will be on the cover of Madden 19, wearing a Cowboys uniform. They’re calling it the “Hall of Fame Edition,” and it comes out on August 10, the Tuesday after Owens enters the Hall of Fame.

Here’s a look at the new features of the latest edition of the game, which presumably will feature the new kickoff configuration and, possibly, removal of any graphics in which the computerized player attempts to use his helmet as a weapon.

A retired player last appeared on the Madden cover in 2013; Barry Sanders was on the cover of the Xbox 360 and PS4 editions of Madden 25. (Adrian Peterson graced the cover of the Xbox One and PS4 versions of Madden 25.)

The good news for Owens is that he won’t have to worry about the Madden curse. Unless he does indeed get another shot to play in the NFL.

Given the current overall quality of the Cowboys’ receiving corps, maybe they could use him.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...smell-like-a-legitimate-super-bowl-contender/

This is not my decrepit house. This is not my ugly wife. The Los Angeles Rams are the opposite of the "Once in a Lifetime" lyrical musing, a team that was grinding through existence under Jeff Fisher before exploding on the scene under Sean McVay in the young coach's first season last year.

The Rams limped through their first season in their new digs, but started to capture the hearts of L.A. denizens everywhere with a breakout offensive season from Jared Goff and Co. last year. Credit Les Snead for refusing to stand pat or get scared: as Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Media noted on the Pick Six Podcast recently, the Rams' trade for Sammy Watkins, which cost them a second-round pick, was ultimately a bust, but they got right back on the trading horse.

"You can't get Marcus Peters in free agency for the price that he is, so he's worth giving up a draft pick. Just the fact that they got out of the gate so fast in February was really smart," Rosenthal said. "The Sammy Watkins trade -- it was a total bust -- it's not going to always work out. But I think you've got to take the swings and I think the players are going to be easier and better to find in a salary cap league than in free agency."

The Rams did that, trading for Peters from the Chiefs and Aqib Talib from the Broncos to give them a picture-perfect cornerback duo for Wade Phillips' defense. They shipped Robert Quinn out to Miami and then promptly signed former Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Suh plus reigning DPOY Aaron Donald plus Michael Brockers on the defensive line is going to cause a lot of people a lot of problems. If they get any pass rush from Samson Ebukam or Matt Longacre, this defense will be downright frightening.

Offensively it would be surprising if they were bad, although taking a step back is totally plausible. Jared Goff shouldn't regress, but he could flatline a bit in his third season (second under McVay). He won't make an exponential step forward based on 2017. Todd Gurley repeating last season -- 279 carries, 1,305 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns not to mention 64 catches and 788 yards in the passing game -- is asking a lot, but it's not inconceivable.


The Rams are the new class of the NFC West, and their 2018 NFL win total of 10 games reflects that.

Desperately wish you had a 30-minutes-or-so, daily NFL podcast in your podcast app every morning by 6 a.m.? Put some Pick Six Podcast in your life and join Will Brinson as he breaks down the latest news and notes from around the league, as well as the win totals on a team-by-team schedule. It's a daily dose of football to get you right for that commute or gym trip. Subscribe: via iTunes | via Stitcher | via TuneIn | via Google Play

Early Schedule Analysis
The Rams won the NFC West last year, and their schedule reflects it. They also lose one home game because they're taking a trip to Mexico to play the Chiefs; it's cool to play a high-profile international game, but giving up a home contest is a tough break in the NFL. They open at the Raiders, which should be a win, and a home game in Week 2 against the Cardinals sets L.A. up for a fast start. Then things get tricky: Week 3 is the Chargers (home), Week 4 is the Vikings (home) and the next three weeks are road games against the Seahawks, Broncos and 49ers. They get to come off that stretch with a home game against the Packers and follow that up with a road game against the Saints. Woof. The Seahawks at home and Chiefs in Mexico give way to a Week 12 bye. They close out the season with the Lions (away), Bears (away), Eagles (home), Cardinals (away) and 49ers (home). There's potential to go streaking down the stretch, and if they dominate from Week 4 through Week 11 they just might look like one of the best teams in the NFL.

Why They'll Go Over
Goff taking a step back would be a major disappointment, and a major surprise considering how much better he looked in Year 1 of McVay's system. Just like with Kirk Cousins, Goff was given easily definable reads and executed very well. It's a point-guard style offense, and he can distribute in impressive fashion. If Gurley runs like he did last year, the Rams are just going to be dangerous. And I can't find a reason why the defense would be bad. They don't need Ebukam or Longacre to be superstars, they just need to be average pass rushers and this team will be tough. Suh-Donald-Brockers is just absolutely disgusting and Peters-Talib has flamethrower potential, but they can shut any team down. Honestly the only reason to not take this over is the stretch of games they have in the middle of the season that looks like a murderer's row. But it might look a lot easier midway through and the Rams should be able to handle it.


Why They'll Go Under
Perhaps teams get a long look at Goff this offseason and figure out how to slow down the Rams offense. It's possible! Gurley might not have 2,000 scrimmage yards this year. Don't forget we're just a year removed from him plummeting to the late-second and early-third round of fantasy drafts because he was so bad in 2016. Gurley is an otherworldly talent but the NFL is fickle when it comes to running backs. Sammy Watkins' loss might not move the needle, but if Brandin Cooks doesn't make a major impact, it could be felt. Cooks has been traded by both the Saints and the Patriots, which is the red-flag equivalent of being a highly successful person in your mid 30s unable to hold a serious relationship with anyone. I literally don't have an answer for how the defense will be bad, but I guess people could get injured. The schedule -- which, again, is brutal the way it looks right now -- could cause them to take the division with nine wins.

The Pick
The way that things flipped for Los Angeles will have people clamoring to take the over, so that's a little concerning. Again, I'm worried about the schedule and things not going perfectly. But there is too much talent on both sides of the ball and too much high quality coaching on both sides of the ball not to get on board with the Rams winning double-digit games in 2018.

VERDICT: OVER

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1) During individual drills, the linebackers worked on ripping the ball out of a ballcarrier’s arms, plus the proper way to recover a fumble. Again, it’s late May, but the Rams are clearly putting a high priority on both ball security and creating turnovers.

2) On the other field, receivers and quarterbacks worked on timing routes, with the signal-callers throwing the ball before the receivers came out of their breaks. That’s important to establish that chemistry now so that it looks smooth when there’s an actual opponent.

3) L.A. also worked on red-zone specific routes, like fades and slants. That’s one of the first times we’ve been able to see the club work on those kinds of routes in this offseason program. Worked on the red zone, first time we’ve seen that this week.

4) It’s become the norm, but quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Brandin Cooks got their connection going once again. The signal-caller threw a strike to the left sideline for the wideout, who had to climb the ladder a bit to get it. It was a nice throw and catch.


5) Quarterback Sean Mannion made a throw so good to wide receiver Josh Reynolds on the left side of the field that cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant ran over to the signal-caller to congratulate him. The throw was just out of reach for the cornerback and dropped right into the hands of Reynolds.


6) During the 11-on-11 drills, there were points where Goff worked a hard count — inducing some flinching from the defense. That’s another example of a team being able to focus on more advanced aspects of play rather than learning a system during OTAs.

7) The Rams worked on some elements of the red zone in 7-on-7 drills, and Goff threw a few strikes to start the period. The first went to wideout Cooper Kupp in the back of the end zone at about where the goalpost would be. Then Goff found tight end Tyler Higbee on the right side of the end zone after scrambling to his right when the defense’s coverage was tight. It was a pair of strong passes for the young quarterback.

8) During special teams drills, it looked like coordinator John Fassel was practicing kickoffs with the new rules. Players must now begin the play lined up within a yard of the ball to eliminate a running start. That’s what the unit was ostensibly working on during Thursday’s session.

9) In the second 11-on-11 period, Goff completed a pass to wideout Cooper Kupp over the middle that appeared to mildly frustrate cornerback Troy Hill. Hill was matched up with Kupp, who made a move to shake off Hill over the middle. When Kupp made the catch and darted up the field, Hill leaned back with his head looking up to the sky. His body language conveyed, “Man, how did he do that?”

10) The Rams ended the session with some situational work with a two-minute drill. Cornerback Marcus Peters nearly picked off a pass to Cooks on the left sideline, which would’ve given the defense a clear victory in the period. He didn’t end up with the interception, but, as head coach Sean McVay often says, Peters’ presence could definitely be felt on the field.

Had to get this color so that I could represent every day.

The wife was also very cool. When we had our white car, I gave her a seafoam green steering wheel cover that was this color and fabric (microfiber)



well, the wife saw the color (darker than we initially ordered, but we both liked it better) and said to the salesman "you can keep it. The blue with that green? Nope. There's no way we can have Seahawks colors. Husband won't have it."

She hates football. Will actively leave the room if I even have a show on about football. But... she knows. Rams for life. So, yeah, she's awesome!

As is the new whip. Man am I loving this car. Looks like a million bucks AND gets over 40mpg legit. Also, my 6'6" son can sit fully up in the back and with the front seat all the way back, his knees don't touch the chair in front. It's HUGE inside.




Edit: It's the 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring.

damnt. No more olb injuries please. Well guess DE. But think they were trying to convert possibly? Not a huge injury but still sucks.

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AD (and his pos agent) will come to their senses and sign a lucrative 5 year contract extension through 2023. It will be in the neighborhood of $110 million for the last 5 years with heavy guarantees of, say, $70 million+. All of Ramdom will rejoice for a few months before we start to fret about the futures of Gurley and then Goff. These extensions are gonna be an annual cause for concern for years, I’m afraid. The result of building a loaded roster via draft, FA, and Trade. (The good news is that our FO and coaching staff now appear to have the talent to maintain or even rebuild a loaded roster, if necessary).

Joyner must accept a reasonable extension offer or he’ll be a goner in ‘19. Somewhere in the $8 million range? Snead will need to save some cap dollars and has demonstrated great ability to find outstanding secondary players. I don’t expect to see Joyner buy a new house in LA just yet.

Brandin Cooks is gonna be extended before opening day. Won’t be cheap, either. He’ll probably get Watkins type money, but he’ll be worth it. He and Goff will be a feared duo for the next 6 years. Their chemistry is already on display in OTA’s and McVay loves them both. The Cooks extension is my “bank it”.

Suh is a one year rental, I think. Not that I don’t expect a helluva year from him, because I do. But the cap ceiling dictates that the Rams simply can’t keep everyone and there are other long term players that must be provided for just around the corner so he becomes a cap casualty. Let’s enjoy Suh while we can. I think it’s gonna be a helluva ride, frankly.

I suspect that the Rams may have already made some future cap saving OL moves via this last draft. It’s conceivable that the future starting replacements for Whit, Saffold, and Sully may now be on the roster. Yeah, that’s quite a statement, but Kromer is quite an OL coach and he had a big influence in the selections of Noteboom, Allen, and Demby. If I’m right, heck, even if they get 2 future OL starters from this draft, then that’s a coup, IMO. We could reasonably extend Hav and JB and be set with a young and relatively inexpensive OL for 4 more years while having tons of money for the many skill position players whose contracts are coming up.

No need to comment on Peters and Talib, is there, since both will be here through ‘19. I will predict that MP will get a 5 year extension by sometime in ‘19. He’ll be a Ram through ‘23. A wealthy one, at that.

Looking down the road...

Goff will be extended in due time and for whatever amount it takes. Franchise QB’s are retained, no matter what dollars or players it may cost.

Gurley? I dunno. The Rams would love to keep him, of course, but that cap might force a parting of the ways. I’ll be torn on this decision, no matter which way they go. But it IS a business, after all, and, as such, sometimes excruciating decisions become necessary.

So, how did my crystal ball do? Should I take it to Vegas or should I put in some new batteries? Lol.

Every NFL Logo Ranked by Over 1,400 NFL Fans

• May 24, 2018
• Heath Gregory
• NFL Football

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As a sports fan, you may not put much thought into a team’s logo, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. From a branding perspective, a good logo is crucial. In fact, a logo is often the first thing others will see when they decide what your brand stands for and what it can do for them. When it comes to the NFL, teams are definitely brands. That’s partly why I was interested in how NFL fans would rank the logos of the league’s 32 teams.

I recruited 1,488 fans, primarily from the community at r/NFL, to participate in a MaxDiff research study with the goal of understanding which NFL logos work and which do not. While MaxDiff is a great technique for ranking any long list of items, it particularly shines when it comes to ranking logos. When people are asked to rank 30+ images, it quickly becomes apparent just how impossibly difficult (not to mention time-consuming) that task can be. It is much easier for people to view sets of four logos and choose the one they like most and least in each set. The experience is more enjoyable, less time-consuming, and it yields much more rich and accurate data. That’s why Maxdiff studies like this one are commonly used by big ad agencies and their clients when they have a large number of logo or ad designs and need to choose a few to put into market.

It is worth noting that the vast majority of the respondents in this research are hardcore NFL fans. How would you answer the following question?


“On a scale of 1 – 5, with ‘5’ being ‘extremely closely’ and ‘1’ being ‘not closely at all,’ how closely would you say you follow NFL football?”


In this research, a majority (55%) chose a ‘5’ and 35% chose a ‘4’. In other words, about 9 out of 10 respondents are close followers of the NFL, which means that almost all of the people in this research will have seen these logos before, probably hundreds or even thousands of times in a variety of contexts. It is something worth keeping in mind when looking at the results.

In market research, ratings and rankings are all well and good, but we really want to understand why people feel the way they do. I’m not a graphic designer, so it was difficult for me to speculate on why certain logos rose to the top. That’s why I partnered with Eugenie Mclellan, a freelance graphic designer here in New Orleans, to get her take on each logo and their rankings. Eugenie (“The Graphic Designer”) was quick to point out that she’s not a hardcore NFL fan (she’s a ‘2’ on the 1-5 scale), but she does openly identify as a Saints fan. Regardless, she’s probably better than most at separating her opinions on the logos from her feelings for the team. The Panthers’ logo is her favorite from a design standpoint, so take that for what you will. We discussed each logo in a random order, so as not to bias her opinions, but overall she generally agreed with the rankings. Of course there were some big exceptions, which you can read about below.

Now to the results!

A Graphic Designer’s Point of View


#32 Cleveland Browns


FanJuicer: What are your first thoughts on this logo from a graphic design standpoint?

The Graphic Designer: My first thought is that it is just not working. It’s boring. There’s nothing representing the Cleveland Browns here. You have this brilliant color here, but it is just a helmet. There’s nothing special about it, especially to someone who doesn’t know anything about football.
FanJuicer: When you looked through all of the logos, did this one stand out as a bad one?

The Graphic Designer: Yes, it did. Despite it being boring, it isn’t symmetrical or in any way pleasing to the eye.


#31 New York Jets

The Graphic Designer: There’s too much text layered on top. It’s hard to read and clunky. It doesn’t make visual sense and isn’t clear what is going on.
FanJuicer: So you are saying it is too busy?

The Graphic Designer: Yes, I am saying that, but it it is busy in a way that does not add anything.

FanJuicer: What are your thoughts on this oval shape?

The Graphic Designer: The oval is necessary because otherwise all the other elements do not mix properly. Without the oval there is nothing to contain everything going on.

#30 Cincinnati Bengals

The Graphic Designer: I almost like this logo. They have this nice white border around it, but it is hard to see against a lot of backgrounds. The white border adds a finishing touch that makes this work against darker backgrounds. It adds a layer of depth that I think brings it together, but you can’t make it out against a lighter background. Overall, the color scheme works for me, but particularly when this logo is up against darker backgrounds. I can see how some may say that this doesn’t immediately scream that it is a football logo because there isn’t a lot of excitement. The shape of the “B” is a little short and fat – it just doesn’t feel football. There isn’t a lot of strength. Something taller and less squat would be a better approach.
#29 Washington Redskins

The Graphic Designer: Purely from a design standpoint, I wish it was a little more centralized. What I mean by that is that I wish the feathers worked a little more with the circle. The feathers outside the circle are too large, and they could have wrapped with the circle. This is actually a good illustration [OF THE CHARACTER], it is simple, but defined, and it looks good.
FanJuicer: This was one of the lowest rated NFL logos by our sample of fans. Purely from a graphic design point, why do you think this is?

The Graphic Designer: The color scheme feels a little old fashioned to me, and the logo itself looks a little dated, but not in a timeless way. Yellows, browns, and dark reds are never the most exciting color scheme to begin with. I think the color scheme to an extent makes me feel that this logo is dated.

#28 Chicago Bears

The Graphic Designer: I’m not sure how I feel about the underbite on the “C.” I can see how this would be a polarizing feature of this logo. I wish to an extent that it met up more evenly. I think they could have had the bottom meet up in a more even fashion and still maintained the sharpness, of the “C,” which I like. I don’t mind the point [ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE “C”], without the point it would be super boring. The point actually does add something from a design standpoint that makes it stand out.
#27 Tennessee Titans

The Graphic Designer: Overall, I like it. I think the only negative is that it kind of clashes somewhat when you look at the “T.” It doesn’t fully go with everything else. Everywhere else in the logo you have great smooth lines and curves to make this great effect, and the “T” is very sharp and angular like a dagger. I’m not saying it doesn’t look modern, because there are a lot of great angular designs now. It is still a good logo, I think they might could have gone with a different script for the “T.”
FanJuicer: Did you notice the three stars to represent the Tennessee flag?

The Graphic Designer: No, I didn’t, but now that you point it out, I do like them. It is a good way to fill the space with imagery that works in a meaningful way.

#26 Baltimore Ravens

The Graphic Designer: I really love the colors. The dark navies, purples, and gold create an intense effect. Mixing it with the red eye is a really great effect. I think that makes a lot of sense and adds a lot. While I love the use of colors, I don’t really like the full shape of the logo. There’s almost too many curves and hooks. It is a little too narrow to the point to where it is almost rectangular. That could make this logo difficult to work with. From a design standpoint, I think you usually want a shape that is conducive to a lot of different formats and situations. You want something that is going to go well on a hat, a shirt, but also look nice in print or on TV. I could see them having trouble with this one because of how long and narrow it is. I think you could make this one a little more round and it would still work. I still think this is a good one.
#25 Indianapolis Colts

The Graphic Designer: I can tell this is one of the older ones. I like the simplicity overall, but I could also see how this one might be too simple for a lot of today’s tastes. There’s no depth, there’s no shading, which makes this one feel very flat.
FanJuicer: So when you are saying it is flat, you mean it is boring?

The Graphic Designer: Yes, it is a little boring. It doesn’t make too much of a statement.

#24 San Francisco 49ers

The Graphic Designer: It just feels clunky. The two letters have been squished together really tightly, and I almost feel like it would have worked a little better in a circle. I’m also not sure how I feel about all of the outer ovals being all different sizes. The original designer may have done this to create a little excitement. The classic typeface is okay, it’s just a little clunky and maybe a little old fashioned. To modernize it, I’d really like to unsquash them so you can see the shape of both letters. I’d like to be able to at least see some of the full shape of the “S” and the “F.” They are almost so condensed that I feel they are fighting for space. I am tempted to say that they wanted to force an “SF” into a football shape.
#23 New York Giants

The Graphic Designer: I like the fact that this fits into a good shape. There is this asymmetric thing here [POINTS TO THE UPPER LEFT PART OF THE “N” IN THE LOGO”]. This tail sticks out from the rest of the logo’s overall shape, but I think that was necessary because it would have been too much of a square without it. This is a good combination of roundness and sharp points that creates an interesting overall effect. I don’t hate this. It isn’t my favorite of these logos, but it works. I like how the bottom of the tail has a nice rounded effect that works with how the rest of the logo has more angular edges. When it comes to graphic design, there aren’t rigid rules about what is and is not going to work. Everyone can have an opinion and there is no right or wrong answer. Sometimes you have to just try a few things and see what works. It is very subjective. This just happens to work in my opinion.
FanJuicer: Does the font or script of the “NY” make you think of football?

The Graphic Designer: No, it actually almost makes me think of baseball. I think because baseball logos tend to have more tails and underlines.

#22 Kansas City Chiefs

The Graphic Designer: My first thought is that this “KC” works a lot better than the “SF” on the 49ers logo. The letters are not overly invasive towards one another. They work really well together. This looks much better to me.
FanJuicer: So you like the script of the “KC?”

The Graphic Designer: I really wouldn’t call it a script. This is really called a cipher. It is two letters intertwined together. It is going to be more commonly known as a monogram today. People wouldn’t usually apply this term to football logos, but that’s what this is – a cipher.

FanJuicer: It seems like ciphers are really popular on sports logos. The New York Yankees logo probably is the most famous one I can think of.

The Graphic Designer: The Yankees logo is an example of a very good cipher. What’s funny about ciphers is that they have been around for a long time. During the Victorian Era they were very popular. I have books full of vintage ciphers that are much more innate than the ones you’d see on sports logos, but they do follow similar shape patterns. The ones on sports logos try more to communicate “manliness,” so they remove the dainty ornate features.

FanJuicer: How do you feel about the jaggedness around the arrowhead on the Chiefs logo?

The Graphic Designer: I don’t like it. I get what they are going for with the shape around the arrowhead. I’ve seen an arrowhead in real life, and I understand this is how they look, but it doesn’t mean it is going to look good in a logo. These squiggly lines contrast really oddly with these good clean lines in the cipher. It is kind of jarring and it doesn’t go well together.

#21 Pittsburgh Steelers

The Graphic Designer: I think this looks super dated. This is one that might could use a redesign to modernize it. These are really flat graphics.
FanJuicer: By flat, you mean there is no depth?

The Graphic Designer: Yes – there is no shadowing or coloring that would suggest depth. I just think it looks very dated. The typeface is very boring. I like the shape of the sparkles, and I do like how they are contained nicely in the round shape, but still, the whole thing is so flat that it doesn’t work. The main thing I would do to do to improve it would be to add some suggestion of depth. I get that the typeface is suppose to suggest “industry,” but I would do something to make it less boring. Maybe just making it all caps would help.



#20 Green Bay Packers

The Graphic Designer: I like this logo. It does the contained shape better than most of the other ones we’ve looked at. Earlier, when we looked at the Chicago Bears logo earlier, I mentioned that the bottom curl of the “C” didn’t line up perfectly with the top curl. This logo, lines up perfectly, creating a very good sense of balance. The green and white with the yellow outline works great. Overall, this is a great logo. I feel like I have seen this before, but it isn’t boring.
FanJuicer: It is one of the more copied logos in the NFL. The University of Georgia and Grambling University both use versions of it. [SHOWS HER THE UGA AND GRAMBLING LOGOS]

The Graphic Designer: That’s interesting. I think from a design standpoint this follows a lot of good principles. It’s clear, it is symbolic. It has great presence. It doesn’t make the type of statement the Panthers’ logo makes, but it is a great logo that is going to be conducive to representing something iconic. I like it.



#19 LA Chargers

The Graphic Designer: My first thought is that it is unusual to see the lightning bolt in a rounded format. The shape does serve the purpose of keeping it from looking generic or a like copy of the Gatorade logo. I’m not saying I dislike the shape, but there’s something about it that is causing hang-ups for me.
FanJuicer: So what doesn’t work about this logo?

The Graphic Designer: I’m having trouble figuring that out, but there is something. While I don’t dislike the shape, some of the angling of the lines kind of makes it look like a head of hair. Some of that angling does make it feel unnatural and somewhat clunky. There’s a bit of unnaturalness to it because a lightning bolt is not supposed to look this way. It can feel a little odd at first glance.

#18 New England Patriots

The Graphic Designer: I like this logo. There’s a lot of good motion to it.
FanJuicer: By “motion” what do you mean?

The Graphic Designer: There’s great implied motion. These lines give it great flow that create the impression of movement to the eye. There’s great angles on the face, but also great simplicity in how the face is constructed that pairs well with the implied motion of the back of the hat. There’s also good familiar colors like you’d see on the American flag that ties into a lot of great symbolism that is easy to understand. It communicates “patriotism” well. I don’t think the star in the middle of the hat is 100% necessary, but it still works. This is one of the better ones. Where was it ranked?

Fan Juicer: It was actually ranked toward the middle at number 18. I think that might have to do with the fact that the Patriots are one of the most successful and hated franchises in the NFL.

The Graphic Designer: That would make sense. It would at least be in my top half for sure.

#17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Graphic Designer: It definitely has a modern NFL feel to it. There’s good depth and shading, and great implied motion. But there’s still a lot going on here. The skull, the football, and three swords is a lot.
Fan Juicer: You’ve talked a lot about implied motion. Is that a common design principle?

The Graphic Designer: No, not really. For me personally, however, in a sports logo having implied motion helps drive home the point. Sports are about movement and action. This logo has that with the angling of the saber and waving of the flag. Some might say this is a little cartoonish, but a lot of the logos I like have cartoonish elements. Lastly, I really like the final gray outline around everything, it would really make this work with white and darker backgrounds.



#16 Oakland Raiders

The Graphic Designer: My immediate thought is that there is too much going on. You have this detailed drawing of the figure, the swords, and the font pushed up very high in the shield almost against the boundary of the logo. It is just a little too much in my opinion. I almost want to move the figure of the man outside of the shield in some way because everything feels really squashed.
FanJuicer: In the 80’s the Raiders were sort of the “bad boys” of the NFL. Do you get that from this logo?

The Graphic Designer: I don’t necessarily get that from this logo. It kind of just looks dated and flat to me.



#15 Miami Dolphins

The Graphic Designer: I like the color scheme overall. I’m not sure if this color scheme is my favorite overall in the context of an NFL team, but I do like them overall. I’m just not sure if there are enough contrasts here. There’s a lot of white that isn’t fully working. There’s a lot of white in the middle of the circle, but there’s also this big white line within the dolphin itself. I think they could have gone with a different shade of green here and it would stand out more. I actually think this white line makes it look dated even. I really do like the shape of the dolphin a lot against the circle. That works. It’s a natural shape.
FanJuicer: That’s funny you mention the shape of the dolphin. They recently redesigned this logo to change the shape of the dolphin. [SHOWS HER THE OLD DOLPHINS LOGO]

The Graphic Designer: I actually do like the newer logo more than the old. The new shape just looks more natural and a little more intimidating even.

#14 Dallas Cowboys

The Graphic Designer: It’s maybe a touch more dull than say, the Panthers logo, but overall I like this logo. It feels classic. It has a classic shape, easily recognizable symbolism with Texas, and I don’t think there is a situation where this wouldn’t work. I might could see how some could say this is boring, but I personally don’t think so. I really like the white outline followed by another navy outline. I could see how this logo would stand the test of time.
#13 Arizona Cardinals

The Graphic Designer: I like this logo a lot. It is a bit scary, it has that great cartoon look that I mentioned earlier that works in sports logo, but it still looks aggressive. I like the color contrasts with the dark red, black, and yellow. There is this great swoop from the top of the head, but it still maintains a great shape that would look good if you were to view this on a hat or t-shirt. Overall, it’s just well done.


#12 Jacksonville Jaguars

The Graphic Designer: This is another good one. It’s fierce, a bit scary. I like this one for a lot of the reasons I like the Arizona Cardinals logo. It has those cartoon elements I’ve mentioned but it still manages to look aggressive and fierce. There’s great color contrast with the orange and black jaguar pattern, but it merges will with the green accents. It also has a great swooping shape, but manages to overall maintain a shape that’s going to look good on their helmets as well as on apparel.
#11 Carolina Panters

FanJuicer: You’ve alluded to this one quite a bit when we’ve talked about some of the other logos.
The Graphic Designer: It is definitely one of my favorites. I don’t think I realized that until I started comparing all the logos to one another.

FanJuicer: So from a graphic design standpoint, what works about it?

The Graphic Designer: The colors are the first thing that sticks out. The black and the blue look great. You have this excellent bright blue to contrast this deep dark black that gives the shadowy effect of the panther. The white teeth and the eyes contrast very well with the darkness of the figure. They stand out well against the dark shadowy figure. It communicates toughness and aggression in a visually pleasing way. It’s an ominous effect that the designers achieved without looking like they were trying too hard. That’s tough to pull off. I love how this looks.

#10 Seattle Seahawks

The Graphic Designer: I don’t like this as much as the Panthers, but I do like the navy with the lime green. I like that the beak hooks under, and for symmetry purposes they create a similar peak at the top left of the logo. In fact, those two details really help this logo to not look too boring and rectangular. There are great angles [ON THE BIRD] that keep it out of that purely rectangular form. It is a little narrow, so I wonder how challenging it might be to work with in some formats. The green eye works here in a very effective way similar to how the red eye works in the Ravens logo. On the other hand, I think they overuse the grays to an extent, and there isn’t a whole lot of depth. It would surprise me if this was in the top ten, but it’s a good logo overall.
#9 Houston Texans

The Graphic Designer: Yeah, this is one that stood out to me as one of the best logos. It has this great roundness to it to keep it from feeling flat. They aren’t using color here to create depth, they are purely using shape, and that is very interesting and difficult to do this well. It takes some technique to create depth with shape alone. For instance, this star on the head isn’t a correctly shaped star, it is very asymmetrical, but the way it is shaped flows with overall figure to give the illusion that the bull’s head is leaning forward. That’s what I mean by the shape giving the illusion of depth. In addition, this whole thing is clean, it’s classic, and also modern at the same time. The colors are also very Texas. I really like it. I’ve talked a lot about implied motion, and how much I like that in sports logos, and it is done well here.
#8 Denver Broncos

The Graphic Designer: Again, the implied motion is strong here, but what stands out on this logo are the great angles. The eye is also a great detail. The little speck of orange against the blue works very well. There’s a lot of white here, but it isn’t bothering me that much. I think it is due to this great blue border. The thick outline clearly separates it from the environment around it, which is important.
FanJuicer: So, you’d say this is one of the better ones?.

The Graphic Designer: Yes, I would put this one in my top five.

#7 Buffalo Bills

The Graphic Designer: I actually like the Broncos better than this one. However, again, there is a lot of great implied motion with the stripe. There’s a great organic form of the bison paired with the somewhat unnatural stripe to create the effect of movement. Somehow, it still works. It is definitely one that I can see working in the past as well as now. How old is this one?
FanJuicer: It is a little over 40 years old.

The Graphic Designer: I think it is one that would work back then and now. It feels modern and realistic even now still. This is a good one.

#6 Philadelphia Eagles

The Graphic Designer: I like this one overall. What sticks out about this one is that it has great depth. The subtle gray contrasts make it feel like there are multiple layers. The much darker outline that contains everything well while working with the interior colors. Like a lot of the other great good NFL logos, there’s great implied motion. I like how the shape of the beak implies that there is an attacking action going happening.The whole thing has an organic shape, but has a more modern NFL look.
FanJuicer: Do you like that this one is facing “the wrong way,” or the opposite way as the the other logos?

The Graphic Designer: It doesn’t bother me. I see that they did that to create this “E” shape with the feathers. I don’t particularly like the “E”, but the fact that this logo faces the opposite direction does not bother me.

#5 Minnesota Vikings

The Graphic Designer: Anything that I don’t like about this logo comes down to personal preference.
FanJuicer: What do you mean by that?

The Graphic Designer: It is very manly, which is great for football. It’s not my personal style, but from a design standpoint it is well done, and I can understand why it may be one of the higher ranked ones. The outline of the figurine is great and sends a distinct message. He has a strong jaw and facial features, and I really like the implied shape of his shoulder – that creates a nice effect. I imagine it might be difficult to fit typography under the logo with this braid sticking out. There’s quite a few shapes sticking out from the central figure, but again, my hangup with that is personal preference. Regardless of any of my hangups, it still feels classic, and I mean that in a good way.

#4 LA Rams

The Graphic Designer: I like the gold and the blue. I love the subtle, white details. There is a good amount of depth they’ve created with this interesting shape here. Kind of like a corkscrew. There’s definitely a good amount of implied motion here. You feel like he is about to headbut someone really hard, and he is growling and fierce. There’s a little bit less detail here than some of the other logos but it is made up for with this great corkscrew shape. With a great shape like this, if you add too much detail, it might become overwhelming. Overall, this one works and I like it.
#3 Atlanta Falcons

The Graphic Designer: Despite being a Saints fan, I do like this logo. I like the simplicity, and also there’s no lack of detail here [REFERRING TO THE LOOK ON FALCON’S FACE]. There’s a great shape in his wing and his claws. The shape of the bird is a little unnatural, but it is very sharp, with a lot of great implied motion, and I like it as a football logo. You can still tell that it is a bird.


#2 Detroit Lions

The Graphic Designer: I’m not sure about the blue. It is a little tame, but there is a great organic shape here with some great subtle details that give it a bit of depth and interest. It isn’t just a silhouette. Still, I’m not sure if I would put this one in my top ten. I don’t think it is that exciting. I like the ones with a little more depth. It’s a great logo overall, but it doesn’t excite me quite as much as some of the others. This is still a really good shape, which is important. The shape itself is what makes this logo work. I just feel there might be something missing.
#1 New Orleans Saints

The Graphic Designer: I am a Saints fan, so I’m going to have a biased opinion. But to start, this one has a great color combination with the black and gold. The triple black-white-black outline works very nicely here to create depth around the gold interior. As far as the actual symbol goes, the fleur-de-lys is just a classic symbol representing New Orleans. You see the symbol all around the city in non-sports contexts; it is even on the city flag. However, the designers made some effective adaptations to the fleur-de-lys symbol to make it work here as a sports logo. The symbol itself has a great symmetrical shape. Particularly, there’s a great combination of sharp points and smooth roundness, which creates a pleasing effect on the eye. I think that’s what gives it a bit of a formal, austere feel. Maybe even a bit intimidating.
FanJuicer: One criticism I’ve heard is that this doesn’t scream “football.”

The Graphic Designer: I guess I can see that, but it would have looked hokey if they would have tried to add in a football or something similar to what they did with the Jets logo. I just think the symbol itself is powerful enough to stand on its own. They’ve done enough here to make this work as a sports logo. You see the three outlines of the original shape to create almost four points at the top here. I think that adds depth and makes it look sportier. I think an effect like that may even help the Colts logo, which is a little too simple, but I’m not sure. Everything is subjective and situational in graphic design.

Notes on the Sample and Bias
We received a good amount of participation from every NFL fanbase. To bias the total results, you have to have a fanbase that participates in proportionately larger numbers than the others and has a particularly more favorable opinion of themselves than everyone else. I didn’t find that to be the case in this research, so I ultimately decided not to weight the data. Firstly, there was no single fanbase overhwelming the sample enough to push the results in their favor.



Homer bias is always an interesting topic of discussion in studies like this, and there was actually quite a bit of homer bias in this research. Still, every fanbase displayed some bias in this research, and I didn’t find that problematic since again, there was not a particular fanbase that was represented in large enough numbers for their bias to not be counterbalanced by the bias of the other fanbases.




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