” best plans mice and humans often go astray.”
We don’t need Robert Burns to suggest that the same applies to general managers who are out of their element in mid-March, devising powerful moves for players who are spoken of as gods, ready to turn wavering squads into beasts.
The intentions are good – and sometimes acquisitions come true – but so often the levers we hum about in the off-season fall into choppy water, caught in the muck of injuries and the ill fate of football deities at the top.
Good concepts with far from brilliant results in 2022. That’s what we’re selling here.
Be a good reader and dive in.
49ers send a package to Carolina for CMC
Kyle Shanahan traded 2023 picks in the second, third and fourth rounds and 24 picks in the fifth round for the guy he used to be nanny. While the cute on-paper storyline swaying boldly for Christian McCaffrey left doubters wondering if the Nines weren’t too far into their arrogance-filled self-image of their ability to soar deep into January. Instead, Shanahan and McCaffrey merged from the first frame, and the coach, acting as a savvy conductor, unleashed his newly polished weapon to rain a cascade of meters, scores and poetry onto the pitch.
The point of non-development comes down to Shanahan babysitting McCaffrey in front of the chest tube on Sunday while the Eagles represent the NFC. However, one of the most versatile defensemen in the game is under contract for two more years, while the Niners have a couple of new players in the field in Brock Purdy and Trey Lance.
The bills give Miller a nine-figure sum
Von Miller, who Buffalo got his hands on on a six-year, $120 million contract, was a roving terror who fit perfectly into Sean McDermott’s Buffalo deep front. In the opening notes of his 2022 campaign, he dealt massive damage to former teammate Matthew Stafford in an NFL opening game. Miller’s presence on the edge allowed the Bills to crush the signalers without relying on the blitz, disguising a corrupted minor player and filling the fan base with notions of hurting the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow when it mattered most. .
The master plan ran smoothly until Miller — up to eight sacks a year — suffered a season-ending torn ACL in a Pyrrhic victory over the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Gregory Russo, Ed Oliver and AJ Epenesa helped along the way, but the monstrous Buffalo front lost its ability to terrify the next level after Vaughn left the stage.
Lions trade for speedy Williams
Jameson Williams was tucked away recovering from a blown ACL until he exploded on stage with a 41-yard touchdown — his first professional tackle — in a Week 14 win over the Vikings, the same club that agreed to the draft day trade. . this allowed Detroit to move up to 12th to secure the former Alabama star. Included in the game, Williams turned his only touch into a 40-yard rush against Chicago in Week 17.
With the return of Ben Jonson to call the draws, the Lions, having finished fifth in the offensive DVOA according to Football Outsiders, enter the off-season as one of the NFC’s most frisky offerings. Williams does the same as the X Factor from the underworld.
Bengals sign Karras, Kappa and Collins
Cincinnati’s mission for the 2022 offseason was clear: Stop letting the enemy hit our star quarterback. Joe Burrow’s quick release, elusiveness and recklessness against the blitz fueled the club’s Super Bowl win last season – a Cinderella story that unfolded despite a patchwork line that saw 51 of the worst sacks in the NFL in the regular season before Burrow lost another 19. once in the playoffs.
The Bengals front office rebuilt the offensive line, signing center Ted Karras, defenseman Alex Kappa, and tackling Lael Collins. Karras (who finished 15th overall in his position according to Pro Football Focus) and Kappa (22nd) were solid additions, while Collins held on until he tore his ACL on Christmas Eve. It got darker from there, with Kappa losing for good with an ankle injury in Week 18 and Jonah Williams leaving tackle with a dislocated patella in a win over Baltimore with the Wild. Cinsi survived with a group of understudies in a powerful showdown for the Bills, but the line collapsed against the supersonic Chris Jones and his friends in the AFC title tilt. Fans are left wondering what this line of Bengals would have done had so many bodies not been lost along the way.
The Raiders reunite Adams with Carr
It’s hard to argue with the raw statistics of this reunion of former Fresno State teammates. Adams shone brightly in his Vegas debut, scoring 100 balls, throwing 14 aerial touchdowns and finishing second in rushing yards (1,516) of his stellar career. He pulled off a whopping seven 100-yard appearances with Carr behind the wheel, proving that their best friend status can lead to monstrous numbers on the NFL grid.
Adams also lost by 36 yards or less in five other contests—four of them losing—before Josh McDaniels made Carr the scapegoat by replacing a loyal and longtime player on the bench in the final two games of the year. Carr was far from his best in 2022 and now he is not hunting for the team. Meanwhile, Adams’ next reality could catch him and Aa-Rod back together in Vegas after Rogers contemplates total darkness.
Chargers trade 2nd round player for Mack
If everyone remembers that the Bolts lost 27-0 in the playoffs against Jacksonville, it’s bad luck. You can’t lobby for more nuance, but Brandon Staley’s defense had its moments. So did Khalil Mak, who charged onto the stage with a vengeance, completing five presses and three sacks in one go. destruction alone from the Raiders in the first week. After working with Staley in Chicago, Mack hit his second-round bounty with eight sacks as well as many flashy plays, led by his Drake London streak in a 20-17 win. over the Falcons. “I think the last time I saw someone just take the ball in an open field and go the other way, it was probably the little league,” said fellow defender Christian Covington.This guy is a freak.“
The trade went well. Chargers are not made.
GOAT’s Non-Retirement
On the edge. Looking a little to the underworld. Brady never felt completely motherboard-bound during his last pro season. We still saw him make more pass attempts (733) and completions (490) than anyone in the history of the Earth, but this emerges as a cumulative statistic reflecting a Buccaneers offense that happily ignored the concept of ground play tactics. I doubt that Brady sits and swings his fists, throwing more passes than anyone else. Instead, he’s seething over a scheme that turned into a ghost against the Cowboys on Monday in January – his last night in the ring. It was an ugly campaign rife with images of Brady taunting aside, throwing a Microsoft Surface and wondering where Mike Evans had gone. However, he threw the ball confidently and did just about everything that Pro Football Focus was required of him to do.
The boxes were annoying. Hard on the eyes…
Source: www.nfl.com
