NOTE: This mock draft assumes no trades will go through during the draft.

THE TOP 5:

Pick 1) Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, Shooting Guard, Georgia

This pick comes down to three people: James Wiseman, Lamelo Ball, and Edwards. Wiseman can be ruled out due to the lack of meetings the two parties have. Ball is a viable option, but his talent is directly in line with D-Lo, creating poor spacing. That leaves Edwards, an extremely athletic and explosive player that is versatile in the ways that he shoots the ball. He will immediately become a star on the Timberwolves roster, simultaneously become a threatening playoff contender. – @jackz.f2c/@jgzeidel

Pick 2) Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, Center, Memphis

The Warriors core of Curry, Klay, and Green will all return healthy, alongside midseason acquisition Andrew Wiggins, leaving the Warriors with their only need at center. Wiseman, the former number one prospect out of high school, dominated for Memphis in his limited stint with the team, due to a suspension as a result of recruiting violations. In past years, the Center position has always been the weak spot of the team, and they fill that gap with the best prospect in the draft. – @legion-of-bills

Pick 3) Charlotte Hornets: Lamelo Ball, Point Guard, Australia

Despite the breakout season of Devonte Graham, a surplus of forwards force the Charlotte Hornets to go with the 6’7″ point guard. Lamelo has been under the national spotlight for the last five years, especially with the emergence of BBB (Big Baller Brand), his 93 point game, and brothers Lonzo and Liangelo. However, Lamelo is by far the best prospect of all three, with elite ball-handling as well as an uncanny passing ability. Michael Jordan needs a leader, and he would get just that with the franchise-changing player in Lamelo. – @jackz.f2c/@jgzeidel

Pick 4) Chicago Bulls: Deni Avdija, Forward, Israel

Avdija is a great all around prospect who can do a little bit of everything. He is the youngest player ever to win the Israeli league MVP, and managed to win three Israeli League championships. He is a great playmaker for someone who is 6’9” but his shooting is one of the biggest concerns surrounding his game, as he shot just 27.7% from three point range. The Bulls will likely look to move on from Otto Porter Jr’s massive contract, and Avdija would be a nice replacement for him. – @legion-of-bills

Pick 5) Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF, Dayton

When a NBA Team needs a culture change, they immediately refer to their most recent success. Ever since the departure of LeBron James, the Cavaliers have been abysmal at best. The easiest way to recreate a Cavaliers team like LeBron is to draft Obi Toppin. Toppin, the reigning Naismith National Player of the Year, draws similarity to LeBron with his dominant athelticsm, making him a force to be reckoned with near the basket. However, Toppin has an intriguing shot ability, thus giving the Cavaliers an all-around beast. – @jackz.f2c/@jgzeidel

THE REST OF THE LOTTERY:

Pick 6) Atlanta Hawks: Tyrese Haliburtom, G, Iowa State

Haliburton is a long and athletic guard that has the potential to do everything on the floor at a high level. He can score both inside and out, and he does a great job at knocking down shots beyond the arc. Haliburton alongside Trae Young would make a deadly backcourt duo for Atlanta to pair with key players such as John Collins and Cameron Reddish. – @legion-of-bills

Pick 7) Detroit Pistons: Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC

If the Pistons had the chance of taking Okongwu, it would be considered a steal. Okongwu is very agile while also having a large wingspan, allowing him to be a major factor above the rim on offense and defense. With the loss of Andre Drummond as well as the uncertainty of Blake Griffin’s future with the team, Onyeka is the prospect that best fits the Pistons. [email protected]/@jgzeidel

Pick 8) New York Knicks: Devin Vassell, SG/SF, Florida State

Vassell took a huge leap in his sophomore year at FSU. His 6’10” wingspan will certainly grab the attention of multiple teams. Vassell is a great 3 and D wing who knocks down 3 pointers efficiently, even though he can struggle to create off the dribble. Since Kevin Knox has been disappointing in New York, Vassell can come in and potentially become what Knox was supposed to be. – @legion-of-bills

Pick 9) Washington Wizards: Isaac Okoro, SF/PF, Auburn

Although Okoro has dealt with a string of injuries, his raw talent draws the attention of the Wizards. There is a chance that John Wall and/or Bradley Beal get traded, which would likely result in the Wizards drafting a replacement at that position, but for the sake of the mock draft, they will not be moved. Okoro is unique in his ability to defend players from all five positions. The Wizards are loaded with talent offensively, so Okoro’s nascent talent with the ball is a weakness the Wizards can absorb. – @jackz.f2c/@jgzeidel

Pick 10) Phoenix Suns: Patrick Williams, F, Florida State

Patrick Williams is one of two Florida State products that will be taken in the lottery. Williams stock has surged recently despite his mediocre statistics. However, his ability to guard perimeter players and his athleticism make him an intriguing prospect. Phoenix can select Williams to provide a strong defensive asset around their core of Paul, Ayton, and Booker. – @legion-of-bills

Pick 11) San Antonio Spurs: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt

Nesmith going to the Spurs makes perfect sense. Nesmith is potentially the best shooter in the draft, and has the size to become a X-Factor on both sides of the court. He fills the major holes that the Spurs have, giving Nesmith the chance to immediately make an impact. – @jackz.f2c/@jgzeidel

Pick 12) Sacramento Kings: Saddiq Bey, F, Villanova

Bey made major improvements between his freshman and sophomore years at Villanova, as he almost doubled his production in points per game. He is a great two-way player that is a knockdown shooter from deep. Bey took care of the ball well, as he had one of the highest assist to turnover ratio in the nation among forwards, proving he can be another ball handler alongside De’Aaron Fox. The playmaking Fox with Bey’s consistent knockdown shooting could make them a very scary offensive duo. – @legion-of-bills

Pick 13) New Orleans Pelicans: Kira Lewis Jr, PG, Alabama

After drafting Zion Williamson with the first selection of last year’s draft, the Pelicans are looking to build a team around Zion. With the Jrue Holiday trade, they create a major hole in their team, but Lewis fills it. As one of the best transition players in the draft, Lewis will use his combo-guard play to feed off of Lonzo Ball’s playmaking in the back court. While Lewis may not become an immediate superstar, the Pelicans do not need that, as they have numerous players that they can filter their usage of as the season progresses. – @jackz.f2c/@jgzeidel

Pick 14) Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis

Precious took over as Memphis’ best player after the Tigers lost James Wiseman. Achiuwa is an athletic forward and is a very versatile defender. He is an outstanding rebounder at both ends of the floor, and has elite shot blocking abilities. Precious can play at either the 4 or 5, and has a similar skill set to Montrezl Harrell, but with a better jump shot. Boston needs some help at the forward position, as they lack an elite center. At the very least, he can be a serviceable backup for Tatum and Theis, and can provide high energy and solid defensive play off the bench. – @legion-of-bills

THE REST OF THE DRAFT:

Pick 15) Orlando Magic: Killian Hayes, PG, France

Pick 16) Houston Rockets: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky

Pick 17) Minnesota Timberwolves: Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland

Pick 18) Dallas Mavericks: Aleksej Pokusevski, C, Serbia

Pick 19) Brooklyn Nets: RJ Hampton, PG/SG, Australia

Pick 20) Miami Heat: Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina

Pick 21) Philadelphia 76ers: Desmond Bane, SG/SF, TCU

Pick 22) Denver Nuggets: Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington

Pick 23) New York Knicks: Tre Jones, PG, Duke

Pick 24) New Orleans Pelicans: Leandro Bolmaro, SF, Italy

Pick 25) Oklahoma City Thunder: Zeke Nnaji, PF/C, Arizona

Pick 26) Boston Celtics: Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford

Pick 27) Utah Jazz: Josh Green, SG/SF, Arizona

Pick 28) Oklahoma City Thunder: Malachi Flynn, PG, SDSU

Pick 29) Toronto Raptors: Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington

Pick 30) Boston Celtics: Jahmi’us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech

Flash forward to September 3rd, 2020. The Thunder are playing the Rockets in the playoffs. Series tied 3-3. The front court trio of CP3, SGA, and Dennis Schroder have continued their bubble excellence, but not enough to propel their squad above the Rockets. Although James Harden shoots awfully in Game 7, the Thunder lose 102-104.

This season is a success. The Thunder were the fifth seed and had been just five games behind the two-seed Clippers in the Conference Standings. Chris Paul, who was viewed as regressing, was a top five point guard in the league. SGA had a breakout season. Danilo Galinari and Steven Adams produced consistent output. Billy Donovan lead a completely-rebuilt Thunder roster to the playoffs, making Donovan the third-place finisher in the AP Coach of the Year voting. NBA Analysts and Fans see nothing but promise from the Thunder.

SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2020: BILLY DONOVAN OUT FROM THE HEAD COACHING JOB FOR THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER.

What happened? One may assume that a 243-157 coaching record would be satisfactory. However, Billy Donovan’s performance as the Thunder coach was rather underwhelming. After departing Florida University (where he had won two national championships), Donovan was expected to bring a championship to OKC. He was given Russell Westbrook, who had averaged a triple-double during Donovan’s tenure, as well as a second all-star in Paul George and defensive beast Steven Adams. Despite having a top-tier big three, the Thunder accumulated little playoff success, creating frustration among the Thunder fanbase. With Donovan at the helm, the Thunder were plateauing as they never reached more than 50 wins in a season as well as consistently being a sub-top-three team in the Western Conference.

The Thunder are extremely young. Sure, Paul and Gallinari are seasoned veterans. However, the majority of the roster is below the age of 28. Steven Adams is 27. Dennis Schroder is 26. An emerging trio in Darius Bazley, Luguentz Dort, and SGA are 20, 21, and 22 years of age respectively. Hamidou Diallo is 22. With a rebuilding squad that has an abundance of draft picks, the team is shifting towards a new generation of talent. With that, teams almost always tend to move on from their coach, no matter how dominant they may be.

What Is Next For Both Parties?

Billy Donovan is almost guaranteed to find another head coaching job in the NBA. The 76ers, who recently fired Brett Brown, seem to be frontrunners to getting Donovan. Al Horford won two championships with Donovan, and with the dysfunctional roster that the 76ers have, Donovan would be a perfect fit. If Donovan somehow does not manage to get a head coaching job, colleges would hire him in a heartbeat. Donovan’s coaching days are far from over.

The Thunder become yet another playoff team in the market of a head coach. While the team is a small-market, which usually would gain less appeal, the Thunder are an extremely promising squad that will pose a threat to the league for years to come. Kenny Atkinson, former Nets Head Coach, is an extremely talented player development coach who was able to construct a culture in Brooklyn that lured Kyrie and KD to sign there. Former Pacers Coach Nate McMillan has plenty of experience as a coach, who would be a prime candidate to successfully build the foundation of this Thunder team. While Billy Donovan is a spectacular coach, both parties are better off moving on.

As a reminder, all trades made on draft night within the top ten selections will still be included. The 2012 was loaded with quality quarterbacks, while also fielding some of today’s NFL defensive superstars.

This was extremely difficult, as the amount of defensive talent in this draft is incomparable to any other, so here are a few honorable mentions to this draft list just to show you how deep this draft went: Fletcher Cox, Josh Norman, Dont’a Hightower, Melvin Ingram, Whitney Mercilus, and Janoris Jenkins.

That is right, all those top-tier defensive players did not make the top ten. That just shows how stacked this class was.

The 2012 NFL Re-Draft is open, and the Colts are on the clock.

1: Indianapolis Colts: Russell Wilson, QB

Easily the top quarterback in this class. I like the original pick with Andrew Luck, but Luck’s retirement pushes Wilson to the top slot. Unlike in Seattle, Wilson will be able to have a strong run game, and have protection, thus making him more dominant than ever.

2: Washington Redskins: Luke Keuchly, LB

While they originally went with RGIII, I believe they should have gone elsewhere. While Luke Keuchly might have retired this offseason, he is still the best defensive player in this class. The Redskins defense has been lacking for many years now, but this all changes when they get Keuchly.

3: Cleveland Browns: Bobby Wagner, LB

Bobby Wagner might have the closest skillset to Keuchly not just in this class, but in the NFL as a whole. Wagner is a tackle machine, and this pick would be a complete reversal in impact on the team compared to Trent Richardson. Wagner would become a fan-favorite in Cleveland, and potentially even lead them to success.

4: Minnesota Vikings: David Decastro, OG

The Vikings went offensive line in the original draft, so I decided to stick with the same position despite there being better talent still left on the board. DeCastro is a great lineman who was rock-solid guarding Big Ben. Kirk Cousins will be lucky to have a strong line revolving around this guy.

5: Jacksonville Jaguars: T.Y. Hilton, WR

They went with J. Blackmon with the original pick. I like keeping the picks in the same position, so the Jaguars in this redraft will select the top wide receiver from this class T.Y. Hilton. If only he had a good quarterback to throw to him.

6: Dallas Cowboys: Stephon Gilmore, CB

Gilmore is easily the top cornerback in this class, and is potentially the best cornerback in the league. Gilmore solidifies the Cowboys’ secondary, which would be a better pick than Morris Claiborne.

7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Harrison Smith, SS

The hard hitting safety is just what the Buccaneers need. Smith has dominated the competition, and his power is no match to anyone else. Smith could have been the next Ronde Barber, but instead, he is dominating on the Vikings.

8: Miami Dolphins: Chandler Jones, DE

The Dolphins get a great pass rusher in Chandler Jones. In Arizona, he and Patrick Peterson were able to lead a very solid defensive unit. The Dolphins have many holes, but they cover a big one with Jones.

9: Carolina Panthers: Lavonte David, LB

With Keuchley off the board in this redraft, the Panthers need to take the next best available linebacker. David may not be Luke Keuchly, but David’s versatility and IQ make him worthy of being selected at the ninth slot.

10: Buffalo Bills: Casey Heyward, CB

The Bills originally went with Gilmore here, so they now need to find a different cornerback to select. While Josh Norman and Janoris Jenkins are great players, I believe that Casey Heyward would fit in well in Buffalo.

The 2017 NFL Draft was loaded with superstars ranging in all positions. This draft class included offensive superstars such as Christian Mcafferey, George Kittle, and Chris Godwin; but, also includes defensive pro-bowlers in Jamal Adams, Myles Garrett, and Tre’Davious White.

This re-draft will include all draft day trades. Plus, not all selections were based on skill: it depends on replicability at the position. For example, if this re-draft was purely based on skill, then close to half of the top ten picks would have been a runningback.

Now that the perameters have been set, let us re-draft:

1: Cleveland Browns: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech

After being benched behind Alex Smith in his rookie season, Patrick Mahomes has played two star seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs. In this timespan, Mahomes has won the NFL’s MVP award, and most recently a Super Bowl victory, to name a few of Mahomes’ many achievements. The Chiefs made what will eventually be considered as the best move in their franchise’s history by trading to the 10th pick for Mahomes, nabbing the best player in the NFL. However, in this re-draft, the Browns decide to pick Mahomes instead of star defensive end Myles Garrett.

2: Chicago Bears: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M

While Garrett’s season was cut short due to his incident involving Mason Rudolph in a regular season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, let that not undercut Garrett’s talent. Garrett was more than well-deserving of the first-overall pick, but having the generational talent in Mahomes forces Garrett to move down a spot. The only reason I do not have Deshaun Watson landing here is because I think the Bears stick with Mike Glennon after signing him to a ridiculously large deal that offseason.

3: San Fransisco 49ers: George Kittle, TE, Iowa

While we all like to think of the Niners defense as formidable, it was not thanks to the likes of Soloman Thomas. But, that does not mean the Niners did this draft wrong, as they selected George Kittle in the fifth round. In this redraft, the Niners decide to select Kittle with their first round pick, and wait until the later rounds before even considering Thomas. Kittle has been an unstoppable force ever since being drafted into the league. At this point in time, the Niners have many holes, including quarterback, but they wait to get a quarterback until trading for Jimmy Garropolo. Kittle provides their team a dynamic blocker as well as a receiving threat that will scare defenses for weeks to come.

4: Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Mccaffrey, HB, Stanford

The Jaguars initially selected Leanard Fournette at this spot. While I think this was a great fit, I believe that the Jaguars could have gone with a better running back. With uncertainty with Blake Bortles at quarterback, Mccaffrey will be playing in a nearly identical situation to the one he is currently in with the Panthers. Overall, CMC is a much better fit with this squad then Fournette is.

5: Tennessee Titans: T.J. Watt, EDGE, Wisconsin

Watt has improved in every season he has played, and has become a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the Steelers. The Titans went with Corey Davis with this pick, which proved to be bust-worthy, especially now that they have a run-dominated offense with Derrick Henry. The Titans in this redraft go with defense, deciding between Jamal Adams and Watt. They eventually go with Watt, showing that they are confident in their safety group that is lead by Kevin Byard.

6: New York Jets: Jamal Adams, S, LSU

It is not often that in a redraft, a team goes with the same guy they went with in the actual draft. Even though there is uncertainty in his future with the Jets this offseason, the smart move is to keep their pick with Adams going at 6.

7: Los Angeles Chargers: Chris Godwin, WR, Penn State

While this may seem as a surprise to many, I think that the Chargers picking Godwin would be perfect. They initially went with Mike Williams, who they had hoped would provide Philip Rivers with a solid WR2 option. This would have spread the field more, allowing their star WR Keenan Allen and TE Hunter Henry to have more open space, creating more big plays. Williams has been a good pick, posting solid numbers when healthy. But, in comparison to Godwin’s breakout season, Williams stands no match. Chargers stick with a wideout here.

8: Carolina Panthers: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

Ever since the departure of Josh Norman and the rest of the core 15-1 Panther squad, the defense has been lacking in overall talent in exception to newly retired LB Luke Kuechly. This class features many great cornerbacks, including Tre’Davious White, and Marshon Lattimore. But, I am going with Humphrey. Since 2017, Humphrey has been hawking every pass thrown to him down, breaking up 47 passes, ranking fourth since he was drafted into the league.

9: Cincinnati Bengals: Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU

Like I mentioned in the previous selection, this class is loaded with studs at cornerback. The Bengals in the actual draft went with John Ross, going for a speedy wideout to be opposite to AJ Green. Ross has been plagued with injuries, making him not worthy of this selection. The Bengals secondary has been abysmal at best, so they take Pro-Bowl cornerback White at this pick. However, this Bengals team is still far from where they have to be, and even with the selection of White, I would still see the Bengals winding up with the first pick in tomorrow’s draft.

10: Kansas City Chiefs: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

Those that are reading this, I know you are confused. The Chiefs trading to this pick for the fundamental purpose of drafting Patrick Mahomes. That is true. But, they still believe that they have their guy in Watson. While Watson might not be at the same level as Mahomes, Watson would play perfect to this speedy team. Andy Reid would style a playbook that would revolve lots of play-action, screens to both running backs and wide receivers, and QB runs, similar to the current Chiefs playbook. In my mind, this would be a no-brainer trade the Chiefs make to pick Watson.

Here is why the XFL will not turn out like the AAF:

The AAF was purely new, with the goal of becoming a minor-league for the NFL, where young players not fit for the NFL’s 53 man rosters could see action. Trying to work with the NFL was the catalyst of this league’s downfall. The idea that the NFL would be unwilling to work together never crossed AAF executives and investors. That is why they had to acknowledge that their league would never work out with such little understanding of league management.

However, Vince McMahon has done this before. In the first XFL go-around, he had to accept that his league back in the early 2000’s was purely entertainment, extremely dangerous, and simply a bad environment. Now, McMahon seems to have started the XFL on the right foot, implementing strict safety rules and new concepts that change the entire dynamic of the game. McMahon has been able to not only recruit NFL free agents, but has almost stole former top college players, including West Virginia’s Kenny Robinson, a projected second round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. The NCAA has a major flaw: they do not pay their student-athletes. Many of these athletes have complicated backgrounds, which lead to the scandals that involve bribing players to commit certain places. The XFL has an easy pitch: “Play in our league, you get paid early.” This offer will become more tempting as the XFL grows and gains more popularity, thus paving the way for exponential growth.

The XFL has some cool new rules, which also include better advanced safety measures than the NFL. These are the main two new principles:

On the kickoffs at the beginning of a half or following a score, the return blockers and kickoff specialists cannot move until the returner gains possession of the ball. They will start five yards within each other. By creating this delay of forces, the XFL takes a step ahead of the NFL in safety precautions against concussions, which primarily occur in special team plays. Plus, since the kickoff team has less momentum, the returner has a higher chance to make a big play and break out a touchdown return, which all fans appreciate.

The point after try consists of a one, two, and three point conversions, all not involving a kick conversion. While this is not a drastic safety precaution, it allows games to be more competitive: no lead will ever be safe without good play from both sides of the ball.

There is one way I believe the XFL can be defeated:

The XFL has a major hole in their case for relevance and success. The fight for the defeat of the XFL will need to be an effort surrounding not just the NFL, but the NCAA and lawmakers as well. The NCAA must pay their collegiate athletes for their participation in college sports. The athletes make the schools millions of dollars, and on a moral standpoint, college athletes are unpaid workers. If college players can get paid, then the major pitch of the XFL diminishes, and no high school player would ever be more compelled to go to the XFL rather than college, even if the XFL could pay slightly more than college.

All in all, the XFL was a great idea. It is 2020. Media is everything, and the XFL looks to be the next great league.

Last year, the 49ers got the second worst record in the league, and nabbed the best all around player in the 2019 draft class in Nick Bosa. The introduction of Bosa and Jimmy Garrappolo made a massive difference. Currently, they are preparing for the super bowl.

I don’t think that the redskins will be in the super bowl next year. I dont even think they will be contenders for the title until they groom Dwayne Haskins Jr. But, the future of this squad may be brighter than any other.

On the day of the NFL Draft, I can almost guarantee (barring any crazy draft news/deals) that Commissioner Goodell will tell the Vegas crowd: “With the second pick in the nfl draft, the redskins select CHASE YOUNG, Ohio state”. Last year I assumed we saw the next best pass rusher in Bosa. He showed that ability on the niners. I believe that Young will be able to make a more direct impact and Rose to stardom much more quickly. In college, Young faced double and triple teams from the nations top offensive linemen. Young still managed to be a formidable threat s as a pass rusher rule stifling opposing teams’ ground game. If young lives up to his hype, he may be the DPOY for many years.

Chase Young May be special, but in order for the resskins to succeed they will need more help. They started this defense off by signing Landon Collins (arguably the best strong safety in the league) from the giants on a two year deal. They also have been stacking their defensive front 7 through the draft. They have dragged Jonathan Allen (DE) and Daron Payne (DT) from Alabama. They also have drafted Montez Sweat in last years draft at the linebacker position. The true leaders of this defense and arguably the entire team are from the linebackers. Mathew Ionnadis and Ryan Kerrigan. Those two are the veterans on the squad that have been teaching the younger players what it takes to be a top defensive player. However, the cornerback position is a little slim. They have quinton Dunbar and josh Norman, but their futures with the redskins seem small since they started to only have special teams roles on the squad. They will look to build up this position through the draft or stealing Byron Jones from the cowboys to cement their place as the next big team.

The offense will also need to play a huge role in this teams success. For the ground game, They found that in Derrius Guice, with Adrian Peterson taking guice under his wing and polishing his game. At the end of the season, guice looked like a veteran, making defenses look silly. They also found two steals in the nfl draft for their receiving core. Those two are terry mclsurin and trey Quinn. Both are considered “speed demons”, consistently getting thrown the deep ball and scoring on long distance plays. They also have a good tight end crew with Vernon Davis and Jordan reed. If those two can stay healthy for lon periods than they can also become a top tier tight end duo. While they may have a somewhat mediocre offensive line, you can almost always see Brandon Scherff playing as the top offensive guard in the league.

Then there is Dwayne Haskins and the whole qb debacle. At the start of this year they started with Alex smith, colt mccoy, case Keemun and haskins. All except smith started (due to injury) and none of them could truly stand out as the next redskins quarterback. Haskins showed glimpses, but he clearly has flaws when he played in his first career game, throwing three interceptions and one pick six in just one half versus the depleted and below average Giants defense. Haskins is a work in progress, but I think the hiring of Ron Rivera will allow Haskins game to grow into a player like Cam Newton, whom Rivera also drafted and turned into a star. I see a lot of hope in this offense.

All in all, this redskins team is stacked with quality young studs who will all soon be in their prime seasons. NFL Fans, watch out: The Redskins are coming.

Kobe Bryant died earlier today in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

Bryant was going to his daughter Gianna’s travel basketball game of his daughter. Bryant was one of five who died in the crash, with the others being his daughter Gianna, a pilot, another basketball player and their parent.

Bryant was selected 13th in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent all of his entire 20 year career. In his final game, Bryant scored 60 points, capping off a legendary career. Bryant was arguably the best basketball player of all time, accumulating 33,643 points (fourth all-time), 1,827 3 pointers made, 1,944 steals, over 1,346 games, all ranked first in Lakers’ record books. He also had 6,206 assists, ranked second in Lakers’ record books. Bryant’s impact to the game is unmeasurable not only to each and every player but to front offices as well.

Kobe is the only person in NBA History to have two number’s retired by the same team.

The Field2Court Community gives their thoughts to the Bryant, unnamed pilot and other player families. Those that died in the helicopter crash will truly be missed.

UPDATE (6:26 PM): It has been confirmed that nine people died in the crash, four more flyers than the previous total.

***

Jack Zeidel is an editor and writer for Field2Court in all sports.

Going into the playoffs, @jack.f2c and @morelandforpresident rank the top coaches per division.

@jack.f2c’s Rankings:

AFC East:

Best: This is easy. Bill Belichick has dominated this division for the last two decades. The dynasty he has built with Tom Brady is like no other, winning six Super Bowls.

Runner-Up: This is somewhat difficult, as I am deciding between Brian Flores and Sean McDermott. I have to go with Sean McDermott only because of how he was able to develop QB Josh Allen into a strong, NFL ready quarterback and formulating a formidable defense. However, Flores is a coach that the league should keep a close eye on because he is going to accomplish a lot in his coaching tenure in Miami.

AFC North:

Best: When you lead a team to a 14-2 record, you become the best coach in the division. John Harbaugh is without a doubt the best coach in the division, especially with second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson likely winning the MVP honors.

Runner-Up: When Big Ben got injured, the Steelers season was lost. Throughout the season, there was constant uncertainty when it came to the quarterback position. The Steelers did not make the playoffs; however, Mike Tomlin was able to coach a below-average team with little to no star-power into a playoff team without their old core of Ben, Bell, and Brown, thus being the second-best coach in this division.

AFC South:

Best: Moving away from who was meant to be your franchise quarterback is difficult, especially picking him second overall. But, that change was a blessing in disguise, with Ryan Tannehill playing his career-best after replacing Marcus Mariota. When there is quarterback uncertainty, people usually look to the coach for guidance and Mike Vrabel was able to lead this team with Tannehill to the playoffs.

Runner-Up: This could go either way, but Bill O’Brien is only the runner-up because of all the adversity the Titans could rise from. In any other world, O’Brien would be the best coach in the AFC South this year.

AFC West:

Best: Andy Reid is too dominant to not be considered the top coach in this division. In fact, he makes a case to be one of the best in the league.

Runner-Up: Jon Gruden is a spectacular coach. He turned a lost team around by turning his draft picks into strong assets that provide high value to the team. However, the theme of leading a team to success through quarterback turmoil is the theme of this article. With this in mind, Vic Fangio leads his team to 7-9, using three quarterbacks including unknown Brandon Allen. Now, Fangio has a franchise quarterback in Drew Lock, who looked scary in his five starts.

NFC East:

Best: There is no runner-up. Three coaches in this division got fired. That leaves Doug Pederson as the default best coach. He was able to lead his team to the playoffs despite ending the season with a completely different receiving crew from Week 1.

Runner-Up: There is only one head coach in this division. Ron Rivera is the new Redskins head coach, but he has not coached the Redskins in a game so no one will be runner-up. That is pretty sad.

NFC North:

Best: There are too many Packers haters. Matt LaFleur leads his team to a 13-3 record in his first season coaching the team. I think that is very impressive.

Runner-Up: Mike Zimmer is one of the most consistent coaches in the league, earning another playoff berth with his Vikings. Props to him.

NFC South:

Best: Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 in his starts when Drew Brees was injured. Sean Payton is the most deserving of this award, especially after transforming his defense into one of the best in the league.

Runner-Up: Finishing the season 6-2, Dan Quinn managed to retain his Falcons coaching job. His team rallies behind him. They want him to be their head coach, and they play for him. That is an extremely important aspect of a coach that you want. Dan Quinn narrowly wins this runner-up position over longtime head coach Bruce Arians.

NFC West:

Best: 13-3 record. Kyle Shanahan was as stellar a coach as you could ask for. They had a top defense in the league while having enough offensive manpower to compete in high scoring games. Shanahan barely beats Pete Carroll for the best coach this year in the NFC West.

Runner-Up: Pete Carroll is another coach that one consider is the best in the league. However, after losing their final two games, one being against Shanahan’s team and another being an embarrassing loss to the Cardinals, he slots into the runner-up position.

@morelandforpresident’s Rankings:

AFC East:

Best: Bill Belichick

Runner-Up: Sean McDermott

AFC North:

Best: Mike Tomlin

Runner-Up: John Harbaugh

AFC South:

Best: Bill O’Brien

Runner-Up: Mike Vrabel

AFC West:

Best: Andy Reid

Runner-Up: Jon Gruden

NFC:

NFC East:

Best: Doug Pederson

NFC North:

Best: Mike Zimmer

Runner-Up: Matt Lefleur

NFC South:

Best: Sean Payton

Runner-Up: Bruce Arians

NFC West:

Best: Pete Carroll

Runner-Up: Sean McVay

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Buffalo Bills: BOOM

Going into the regular season, the Bills shockingly cut star running-back, LeSean McCoy, when slicing their roster size from 90 players to 53. However, the Bills managed to have the eighth-most yards per game average. Going into the playoffs, rookie Devin Singletary, veteran Frank Gore, and second-year quarterback Josh Allen all have accumulated over 500 rushing touchdowns individually. But, the defense has been phenomenal. The Bills stifled offenses, being one of just three teams that managed to keep offenses from garnering over an average of 300 yards. This is largely in part due to the breakout season of Tre’Davious White who had a league-leading six interceptions. The Bills also had a top ten turnover differential, allowing them to hold high-powered offenses to just an average of 16.2 points per game, second-best in the NFL. Going into the playoffs, the Bills will play a much-deserved wild card game versus the Houston Texans.

Los Angeles Rams: BUST

After suffering a devastating loss to the Patriots 13-3 in the Super Bowl last season, the Rams were able to bolster their defense with Clay Matthews and Eric Weddle. After their career-best seasons, Todd Gurley and Jared Goff were given large contract extensions. Through the draft and free agency, they went from being the worst team in the NFL back in 2015 to a seemingly unstoppable offense with a scary defense. Even during the season, the Rams were able to trade for top-tier cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Where could they go wrong? First, they had an extremely difficult schedule, with one of the hardest strength of schedules. But the real issue was that Jared Goff heavily regressed. Despite throwing for 4,638 yards, Goff threw the fourth-most interceptions in the NFL, having one of the league’s worst QBRs. He was unable to give Robert Woods many red-zone opportunities, with Woods scoring his first touchdown of the season when the Rams could not save their season. The Rams end their season with a disappointing 9-7 record and hope to go back to their playoff ways next year.

San Fransisco 49ers: BOOM

On April 25th, 2019, the first day of the NFL Draft, Roger Goodell said this: “With the second pick in the NFL Draft, the San Fransisco 49ers select: Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State”. I am now going to analyze this statement. The San Fransisco 49ers had the second-worst record in the entire NFL. That is right. The same team that started the season 8-0 and went 13-3, the best record in the NFC and second-best in the NFL. They were the second-worst team in the NFL. The 49ers selected Nick Bosa. Bosa was a high-esteemed prospect in the NFL and was arguably considered the best in his draft class by analysts. Nick Bosa not only proved to be the best rookie in the NFL, posting nine sacks, one forced fumble and one interception, but he now gets double-teams because of the impact he makes on the field when guarded by just one man. But Bosa’s play is just a microcosm of what this defense has done. They allowed the second least amount of yards per game, and the sixth most takeaways. In his second full year with his team, Jimmy Garropolo threw for almost 4,000 yards and had a top ten quarterback rating. With the near-perfect play by the 49ers, they managed to get DL Nick Bosa, FB Kyle Juszczyk, TE George Kittle and CB Richard Sherman to all be selected as starters in the pro-bowl. Also, DL Arik Armstead, DL DeForest Buckner, QB Jimmy Garoppolo, RB Raheem Mostert, C/G Weston Richburg, T Joe Staley, DB Jimmie Ward, and LB Fred Warner were selected as alternates. With home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the 49ers are a favorite to win the Super Bowl.

Cleveland Browns: BUST

Last offseason Giants GM Dave Gettleman traded Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, reuniting Beckham with a friend and all-star wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Baker Mayfield was going into the offseason with a spectacular first-year campaign at QB. They hired Freddie Kitchens as their next head coach, believing that Mayfield and Kitchens would be this generation’s Brady and Belichek. But, this was not the case. They started the season off terribly, getting blown out by 30 to the Titans, but bounced back in Week 4 with a strong win against the Ravens. They were not the greatest team at the beginning of the season, yet they were in the wild card hunt. Then came Week 10 against the Steelers. Both teams played sloppily, but there was an unusual amount of dirty hits. On the final play of the game, Myles Garrett hit Myles Rudolph late, sending both players to the ground. This initiated a fight between the two, but where it goes to extreme violence is when Garrett rips Rudolph’s helmet and strikes him on Rudolph’s head. Immediately after, punches were being thrown at Garrett, pushing and shoving was being done by both teams. After this all settled, three suspensions were given, most notably being potential defensive player of the year candidate Myles Garrett suspended indefinitely. This took a toll on the team, as they were able to win just two of their last six games to finish the season, ending on getting blown out by the worst-record Bengals. Mayfield threw a whopping 21 interceptions, the second-highest in the league. While Landry had a pro-bowl season, OBJ managed just four touchdowns and career-low numbers. Many believe that Beckham is unhappy with the team and will be traded this offseason. Immediately after the Bengals game, HC Kitchens was fired, and GM John Dorsey parted ways with the team two days later. They go into next season with a lot of uncertainty on what path they want to work with moving forward.

Miami Dolphins: BOOM

I know what you are all thinking. “Jack, they went 5-11 this year!” “How can you say that a team that was tanking exceeded their expectations?” Well, here is why. Coming into the season, people believed that the Dolphins would have a 0-16 record. This estimation seemed more convincing after getting pummeled by the Ravens with a score of 59-10 and being routed by the Patriots 43-0. New HC Brian Flores seemed lost. They had uncertainty at quarterback. If you were a fan of a team playing the Dolphins, you would be excited to see your team blow them out. However, Week 5 seemed like a chance for the Dolphins to win. They were playing a fellow winless team in the Redskins. This was their chance! They lost 17-16, missing out on a game-winning two-point conversion that would have pushed their win total up to one. But, this game was a turning point in the season. They never were routed again. One may argue by just looking at final scores that this is not true, but when watching games, they were closer than what the score appeared. In Week 8, they had a strong win against the Jets 26-18. People thought this was a fluke. However, they kept their dominant play with a 16-12 win against the playoff-hopeful Colts, which derailed the Colts season. Three weeks later, they beat the NFC East winning Eagles 37-21, with HC Doug Pederson calling the Dolphins “a really good team”. HC Brian Flores’ consistency was starting to work out. They lost close games the next two weeks to the Jets and Giants, but the end of their season showed signs of true potential in a young, fiery team. They won against the Bengals in overtime 38-35, but the Dolphins had controlled the flow of the game the whole way. Week 17 was a rematch against the Patriots. The Dolphins were heavy underdogs, yet they were able to take control of the game, with Eric Rowe pick-six in the second quarter, gaining a double-digit lead. But, in Patriot fashion, Tom Brady lead a long, fourth-quarter drive to put the Patriots up top. However, they underestimated the abilities of veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He lead the game-winning drive, throwing a strike to Mike Gesieki to win the game. Not only did this give the Patriots a loss, but it propelled them from the two seed to the three seed, forcing the Patriots to play in the Wildcard round, something the Patriots have not done since the 2010 season. Reflecting on the team, they had multiple breakout players. One being Davante Parker, who became one of the AFC’s best wide receivers this year. Another breakout player was Jerome Baker, who leads the team with an impressive 126 tackles. The Dolphins were able to trade their best players in Kenyan Drake, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Laremy Tunsil for quality draft picks, and they still managed to win quality games. HC Brian Flores is a potential Head Coach of the Year candidate, and they go into the offseason with smiles on their faces.

Los Angeles Chargers: BUST

Last season, the Chargers had a 12-4 record, losing in the divisional round to the Patriots in the playoffs to end the year. Philip Rivers made it to the pro-bowl and showed no signs of regression, while rookie safety Derwin James made the All-Pro NFL Team. 2019 was meant to be their year. In reality, it was the opposite. The first roadblock the Chargers had was the Melvin Gordon holdout. Gordon, a top running-back, believed he should have been paid equally to the amount fellow running-back Leveon Bell did this past offseason. While the holdout only lasted four weeks, the Chargers were able to discover the true talents of Austin Ekeler. You must now think, “since the Chargers now have two-star running-backs, they should play well right?” While that is logical, it did not prove true. When discovering what makes success in the NFL, it always routs to the quarterback. Philip Rivers had one of his worst seasons in his prosperous and long career. He threw 20 interceptions, and in Stephen A. Smith’s words, Philip Rivers is a “stationary quarterback”. In a league where essentially all top quarterbacks except for Tom Brady are mobile, Rivers’ lack of speed did not provide the Chargers the proper fuel it needed to win games. However, not all the blame must be assessed to Rivers. On August 15, it was revealed that James had been dealing with a stress fracture in his right foot. The injury required surgery, requiring a maximum of three months to recover. He was placed on injured reserve on September 1st, 2019 and was designated for return from injured reserve on November 25th, 2019, and was activated on November 30, 2019. In the few meaningless games he played, he was unable to register any meaningful defensive plays, showing that the severity in his stress fracture might have altered his play style. Finishing with a 5-11 record, the Chargers have many questions to address, starting at quarterback.

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Jack Zeidel covers all sports on Field2Court.