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NFL 2021 - NFL Pre-Season Discussion
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Blacky
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Is this supposed to be like the NBA on TNT?
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Isn't it similar to players....have to wait till theyre retired 5 years?
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Monson: Is Aaron Donald the GOAT?
By Sam Monson, Jul 19, 2021
Aaron Donald is the best NFL player of his generation, but is he also the best of all time? The longer he stretches this run of peak play, the more that question will push itself to the forefront. And while PFF doesn’t have data on the likes of Joe Greene, Reggie White or Alan Page, we can put his career in the context of the last 15 years of NFL play.
For the fifth-straight year, Donald ranked as the best player in the NFL on the PFF50. As we look toward another NFL season, it’s difficult to find a player who is even remotely comparable in terms of the distance between him and the rest of his peers. Patrick Mahomes is widely regarded as the best quarterback in the league, and because quarterback is by far the most valuable position, there are people who say he is the best player in the league at any position.
But in a given season, Mahomes may not be the best quarterback. Last year, Aaron Rodgers was that guy. The year before that, Lamar Jackson was a unanimous MVP. It has been more than half a decade since anybody was even in a discussion of being better than Donald.
The lowest overall PFF grade of Donald’s career is still his rookie year — a 90.2 mark in 2014 that trailed only J.J. Watt that season (his fourth year) among interior linemen. He has now knocked off seven-straight seasons with a PFF grade above 90.0, something never seen before at any position.
Comparing him to other interior linemen almost seems like a waste of time at this stage, but it’s important to get some kind of understanding of just how far ahead of the pack he is. Since entering the league, Donald has 152 more total pressures than any other interior lineman. His pass-rush win rate is in another stratosphere. Donald’s production is so off the charts relative to players at the same position that we have to show how he compares to edge rushers rather than interior linemen, and even then he blows everybody away.
Edge rushers typically get more pressure than interior linemen. Since Donald entered the league, edge rushers generate pressure on 11.2% of their pass-rushing snaps compared to 7.7% for interior linemen and sack the quarterback almost twice as often (1.73% versus 0.98%) despite Donald skewing the numbers in the direction of interior linemen. For an interior lineman to lead the league in total pressures is extremely unusual and difficult to achieve, but Donald has now done so in three of the past four seasons.
You can make the argument that Donald is the only player PFF has recorded to lead the league in pressures whose alignment is primarily inside. Watt did it on multiple occasions, but by the time he was leading the league in pressure, he was lining up as an edge rusher on the majority of his snaps.
For Donald to be consistently setting the pace throughout his career is remarkable given his position, all the more so when you consider the rich run of elite edge rushers who have been in the NFL throughout his career. Von Miller and Khalil Mack have been at the peak of their powers during Donald’s time in the league, yet Donald leads both in pressures and pressure rate over his entire career and over almost any span you want to choose.
Mack is the only other pass rusher in the league to have over 500 total pressures since 2014, and Donald’s win rate is more than three percentage points better, in addition to being 75 pressures better off — a good single-season’s worth for any player.
When you consider how much easier it is to double team Donald given his interior alignment than it is for an edge rusher, the picture begins to be comical. Donald had a better pass-rush win rate in 2020 against double teams than Shaquil Barrett did when one-on-one. The only player over the last two years with a higher overall pass-rush win rate than Donald’s mark against double teams is Joey Bosa. When Donald is left one-on-one, he has an absurd win rate of 35.2%, more than six percentage points better than the next-best rusher. He isn’t just comfortably the best interior pass-rusher in the league, but comfortably the best rusher at any position.
This is a run of play that only J.J. Watt has come close to emulating during the 15 years PFF has been grading the NFL. Watt had a four-year run that saw him earn three defensive player of the year awards and total 372 pressures. Watt transitioned from an interior player to an edge rusher during that time, and the majority of that pressure came from the edge. Over the last four years, Donald has 375 pressures lining up almost exclusively as an interior rusher.
Watt’s career was derailed after those four seasons by injuries, but Donald has now been the best pass-rusher in the league for six and arguably seven years. While we don’t have data on the peak of some of the greatest seasons of all time, it seems hard to believe that they were dramatically better than what Donald is doing right now, especially as his sack numbers — the data point that does compare across those years — are in the same area as those greats.
Donald has already reached the stage where it is hard to argue there was ever a significantly better player at what he does. The only question remaining is how long he can maintain his dominance. The thing that separates Jerry Rice at the top of most people’s all-time wide receiver rankings is that he did it for longer than anybody else, putting distance between him and the field in the record books. For Donald to surpass the likes of Reggie White or “Mean” Joe Greene in the pantheon of NFL legends, all he needs to do is keep going.
By Sam Monson, Jul 19, 2021
Aaron Donald is the best NFL player of his generation, but is he also the best of all time? The longer he stretches this run of peak play, the more that question will push itself to the forefront. And while PFF doesn’t have data on the likes of Joe Greene, Reggie White or Alan Page, we can put his career in the context of the last 15 years of NFL play.
For the fifth-straight year, Donald ranked as the best player in the NFL on the PFF50. As we look toward another NFL season, it’s difficult to find a player who is even remotely comparable in terms of the distance between him and the rest of his peers. Patrick Mahomes is widely regarded as the best quarterback in the league, and because quarterback is by far the most valuable position, there are people who say he is the best player in the league at any position.
But in a given season, Mahomes may not be the best quarterback. Last year, Aaron Rodgers was that guy. The year before that, Lamar Jackson was a unanimous MVP. It has been more than half a decade since anybody was even in a discussion of being better than Donald.
The lowest overall PFF grade of Donald’s career is still his rookie year — a 90.2 mark in 2014 that trailed only J.J. Watt that season (his fourth year) among interior linemen. He has now knocked off seven-straight seasons with a PFF grade above 90.0, something never seen before at any position.
Comparing him to other interior linemen almost seems like a waste of time at this stage, but it’s important to get some kind of understanding of just how far ahead of the pack he is. Since entering the league, Donald has 152 more total pressures than any other interior lineman. His pass-rush win rate is in another stratosphere. Donald’s production is so off the charts relative to players at the same position that we have to show how he compares to edge rushers rather than interior linemen, and even then he blows everybody away.
Edge rushers typically get more pressure than interior linemen. Since Donald entered the league, edge rushers generate pressure on 11.2% of their pass-rushing snaps compared to 7.7% for interior linemen and sack the quarterback almost twice as often (1.73% versus 0.98%) despite Donald skewing the numbers in the direction of interior linemen. For an interior lineman to lead the league in total pressures is extremely unusual and difficult to achieve, but Donald has now done so in three of the past four seasons.
You can make the argument that Donald is the only player PFF has recorded to lead the league in pressures whose alignment is primarily inside. Watt did it on multiple occasions, but by the time he was leading the league in pressure, he was lining up as an edge rusher on the majority of his snaps.
For Donald to be consistently setting the pace throughout his career is remarkable given his position, all the more so when you consider the rich run of elite edge rushers who have been in the NFL throughout his career. Von Miller and Khalil Mack have been at the peak of their powers during Donald’s time in the league, yet Donald leads both in pressures and pressure rate over his entire career and over almost any span you want to choose.
Mack is the only other pass rusher in the league to have over 500 total pressures since 2014, and Donald’s win rate is more than three percentage points better, in addition to being 75 pressures better off — a good single-season’s worth for any player.
When you consider how much easier it is to double team Donald given his interior alignment than it is for an edge rusher, the picture begins to be comical. Donald had a better pass-rush win rate in 2020 against double teams than Shaquil Barrett did when one-on-one. The only player over the last two years with a higher overall pass-rush win rate than Donald’s mark against double teams is Joey Bosa. When Donald is left one-on-one, he has an absurd win rate of 35.2%, more than six percentage points better than the next-best rusher. He isn’t just comfortably the best interior pass-rusher in the league, but comfortably the best rusher at any position.
This is a run of play that only J.J. Watt has come close to emulating during the 15 years PFF has been grading the NFL. Watt had a four-year run that saw him earn three defensive player of the year awards and total 372 pressures. Watt transitioned from an interior player to an edge rusher during that time, and the majority of that pressure came from the edge. Over the last four years, Donald has 375 pressures lining up almost exclusively as an interior rusher.
Watt’s career was derailed after those four seasons by injuries, but Donald has now been the best pass-rusher in the league for six and arguably seven years. While we don’t have data on the peak of some of the greatest seasons of all time, it seems hard to believe that they were dramatically better than what Donald is doing right now, especially as his sack numbers — the data point that does compare across those years — are in the same area as those greats.
Donald has already reached the stage where it is hard to argue there was ever a significantly better player at what he does. The only question remaining is how long he can maintain his dominance. The thing that separates Jerry Rice at the top of most people’s all-time wide receiver rankings is that he did it for longer than anybody else, putting distance between him and the field in the record books. For Donald to surpass the likes of Reggie White or “Mean” Joe Greene in the pantheon of NFL legends, all he needs to do is keep going.
- Feb 25, 2013
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No Peyton Manning is
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Jets passing-game coordinator Greg Knapp is in critical condition following a weekend bike accident.
Per NBC Denver's Mike Klis, 58-year-old Knapp's bike was struck by a car. Knapp's agent has confirmed he suffered "serious injuries." Knapp has spent more than two decades as an NFL assistant, including stints as the offensive coordinator in San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle and Oakland. He served as Falcons QBs coach from 2018-20 before being added to coach Robert Saleh's inaugural staff in New York. Our thoughts are with Knapp and his family.
SOURCE: Mike Klis on Twitter
Jul 20, 2021, 12:31 AM ET
Per NBC Denver's Mike Klis, 58-year-old Knapp's bike was struck by a car. Knapp's agent has confirmed he suffered "serious injuries." Knapp has spent more than two decades as an NFL assistant, including stints as the offensive coordinator in San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle and Oakland. He served as Falcons QBs coach from 2018-20 before being added to coach Robert Saleh's inaugural staff in New York. Our thoughts are with Knapp and his family.
SOURCE: Mike Klis on Twitter
Jul 20, 2021, 12:31 AM ET
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ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Packers offered Aaron Rodgers a two-year contract extension earlier this offseason.
The deal could have kept Rodgers in Green Bay for the next five years. According to Schefter, the extension would have made him the highest-paid player in football. Rodgers obviously rejected the offer and that indicates that the rift between him and his organization really is about more than just money. Many had speculated that a new deal would bring Rodgers back but it appears the bad blood runs deeper than that. With no trade partners stepping up, the reigning MVP will either play in Green Bay or sit out the 2021 season. If Rodgers does choose to leave the Packers hanging, Green Bay's remaining fantasy options will take a massive hit. Only Aaron Jones and Davante Adams could be safely rostered in most fantasy leagues.
SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Jul 20, 2021, 9:40 AM ET
The deal could have kept Rodgers in Green Bay for the next five years. According to Schefter, the extension would have made him the highest-paid player in football. Rodgers obviously rejected the offer and that indicates that the rift between him and his organization really is about more than just money. Many had speculated that a new deal would bring Rodgers back but it appears the bad blood runs deeper than that. With no trade partners stepping up, the reigning MVP will either play in Green Bay or sit out the 2021 season. If Rodgers does choose to leave the Packers hanging, Green Bay's remaining fantasy options will take a massive hit. Only Aaron Jones and Davante Adams could be safely rostered in most fantasy leagues.
SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Jul 20, 2021, 9:40 AM ET
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NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports Cam Akers suffered a torn Achilles' tendon while training.
Akers will miss the entirety of the 2021 season while recovering from the injury. The news is devastating for Akers, who was poised for a breakout campaign in his second year as a pro. Akers finished his rookie season on a hot streak and Sean McVay had nothing but praise for him this offseason. Darrell Henderson will take on an expanded role with Akers out but the Rams will almost certainly be looking for a veteran to bring in as well.
RELATED:
SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter
Jul 20, 2021, 10:37 AM ET
Akers will miss the entirety of the 2021 season while recovering from the injury. The news is devastating for Akers, who was poised for a breakout campaign in his second year as a pro. Akers finished his rookie season on a hot streak and Sean McVay had nothing but praise for him this offseason. Darrell Henderson will take on an expanded role with Akers out but the Rams will almost certainly be looking for a veteran to bring in as well.
RELATED:
SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter
Jul 20, 2021, 10:37 AM ET
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Horrible news. Reckon Akers was due for a big role/season coming up after the way he finished off 2020
manureid
Laziest Poster on Figbooty
Vale my fantasy team
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I called it. Stafford really is gonna get the Cousins treatment
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Deion Sanders mad at being called “Deion,” falsely says reporters don’t call Nick Saban “Nick”
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 20, 2021, 5:36 PM EDT
Deion Sanders has been called many things in his life. Neon Deion. Prime Time. All-Pro. Hall of Famer. Head coach. But today he got mad at being called by his first name.
Sanders, the football coach at Jackson State, walked out of a press conference today because reporter Nick Suss of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger addressed him as “Deion.”
“You don’t call Nick Saban, ‘Nick.’ Don’t call me Deion,” Sanders told Suss. “If you call Nick [Saban], Nick, you’ll get cussed out on the spot, so don’t do that to me. Treat me like Nick.”
But that claim from Sanders is false. Reporters routinely address Saban as “Nick” and they don’t get cussed out for it. Here’s a video of Saban’s pre-Rose Bowl press conference last season. Several reporters address him as “Nick,” and one reporter begins a question with, “Hi, Saban.” Saban didn’t cuss anyone out or seem to care at all how he’s addressed.
Suss said after the incident that he routinely addresses the people he’s interviewing by their first names and wasn’t treating Sanders any differently than he treats any other coach.
This isn’t a case of a reporter showing Sanders disrespect, it’s a case of Sanders displaying self-importance and thin skin.
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 20, 2021, 5:36 PM EDT
Deion Sanders has been called many things in his life. Neon Deion. Prime Time. All-Pro. Hall of Famer. Head coach. But today he got mad at being called by his first name.
Sanders, the football coach at Jackson State, walked out of a press conference today because reporter Nick Suss of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger addressed him as “Deion.”
“You don’t call Nick Saban, ‘Nick.’ Don’t call me Deion,” Sanders told Suss. “If you call Nick [Saban], Nick, you’ll get cussed out on the spot, so don’t do that to me. Treat me like Nick.”
But that claim from Sanders is false. Reporters routinely address Saban as “Nick” and they don’t get cussed out for it. Here’s a video of Saban’s pre-Rose Bowl press conference last season. Several reporters address him as “Nick,” and one reporter begins a question with, “Hi, Saban.” Saban didn’t cuss anyone out or seem to care at all how he’s addressed.
Suss said after the incident that he routinely addresses the people he’s interviewing by their first names and wasn’t treating Sanders any differently than he treats any other coach.
This isn’t a case of a reporter showing Sanders disrespect, it’s a case of Sanders displaying self-importance and thin skin.
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Hall of Fame to limit enshrinement speeches to eight minutes
Peyton Manning revealed last week that the Pro Football Hall of Fame will limit enshrinement speeches to eight minutes.
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
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Even Tom Brady was trolling Joe Biden today when he met him at the White House. Mentioned how only 40% of the team believed they could win the SB, and how teammates called him Sleepy Tom when he forgot it was 4th down vs Chicago. Both digs at Biden.
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If only he also called him "that mother*er" too
Sven
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Dallas and Pittsburgh (the HOF Game matchup) report to camp tomorrow!
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nutjob....
Deion Sanders’ allegedly blocked a reporter from covering Media DayPosted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2021, 12:34 AM EDT
Calling Deion Sanders anything other than “coach” will get a reporter called out by Deion. Reporting one of the program’s recruits apparently can get a reporter barred from covering the team, at least temporarily.
Jackson State University allegedly prevented Rashad Milligan of the Clarion Ledger from covering Jackson State at the SWAC Media Day, one day after Milligan published a story regarding a domestic violence charge against receiver Quaydarius Davis, a four-star recruit from Dallas.
Milligan reported that Davis was expected to plead guilty to an assault charge. Attorney Henry Campbell disputed the report of the anticipated guilty plea after the story was published. The story went live after multiple attempts to contact Campbell had been unsuccessful.
“A Clarion Ledger reporter was punished for simply doing his job,” Clarion Ledger executive editor Marlon A. Walker said. “The decision to interfere with a working journalist not only is disappointing but also intolerable. . . . It runs counter to the Clarion Ledger’s unwavering mission to freely and fully inform readers throughout Mississippi. It is imperative to stand strong against any attempts to disrupt that effort.”
Sanders, according to the Clarion Ledger, did not want Milligan interviewing Jackson State players and coaches. A spokesperson for Jackson State University claims that Milligan has not been banned going forward. Milligan contends that he’d been told by a Jackson State spokesperson that publication of the Davis story in question could lead to removal of access.
Milligan claims that Jackson State director of internal football operations LaToya Williams had informed him that he could not interview players and coaches during the Media Day event. He also contends that he was barred from listening to and recording interviews conducted by other reporters.
This dynamic may help explain Deion’s decision to chastise a Clarion Ledger reporter for having the audacity to refer to Deion as Deion. Deion simply may have been looking to pick a fight with anyone from the Clarion Ledger on Tuesday. With Milligan muzzled, Deion had to focus his ire on a colleague who dared to call Deion by his given name.
As Jackson State tries to build a larger profile with the presence of Deion as its head coach, growing pains like this are inevitable. No sports program wants negative press. When it comes — and it inevitably does — lashing out and/or restricting access isn’t the way to handle it.
The sooner Deion learns that lesson, the sooner Deion will have the kind of relationship that he needs to have with the folks who buy their ink by the truckload.
Deion Sanders’ allegedly blocked a reporter from covering Media DayPosted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2021, 12:34 AM EDT
Calling Deion Sanders anything other than “coach” will get a reporter called out by Deion. Reporting one of the program’s recruits apparently can get a reporter barred from covering the team, at least temporarily.
Jackson State University allegedly prevented Rashad Milligan of the Clarion Ledger from covering Jackson State at the SWAC Media Day, one day after Milligan published a story regarding a domestic violence charge against receiver Quaydarius Davis, a four-star recruit from Dallas.
Milligan reported that Davis was expected to plead guilty to an assault charge. Attorney Henry Campbell disputed the report of the anticipated guilty plea after the story was published. The story went live after multiple attempts to contact Campbell had been unsuccessful.
“A Clarion Ledger reporter was punished for simply doing his job,” Clarion Ledger executive editor Marlon A. Walker said. “The decision to interfere with a working journalist not only is disappointing but also intolerable. . . . It runs counter to the Clarion Ledger’s unwavering mission to freely and fully inform readers throughout Mississippi. It is imperative to stand strong against any attempts to disrupt that effort.”
Sanders, according to the Clarion Ledger, did not want Milligan interviewing Jackson State players and coaches. A spokesperson for Jackson State University claims that Milligan has not been banned going forward. Milligan contends that he’d been told by a Jackson State spokesperson that publication of the Davis story in question could lead to removal of access.
Milligan claims that Jackson State director of internal football operations LaToya Williams had informed him that he could not interview players and coaches during the Media Day event. He also contends that he was barred from listening to and recording interviews conducted by other reporters.
This dynamic may help explain Deion’s decision to chastise a Clarion Ledger reporter for having the audacity to refer to Deion as Deion. Deion simply may have been looking to pick a fight with anyone from the Clarion Ledger on Tuesday. With Milligan muzzled, Deion had to focus his ire on a colleague who dared to call Deion by his given name.
As Jackson State tries to build a larger profile with the presence of Deion as its head coach, growing pains like this are inevitable. No sports program wants negative press. When it comes — and it inevitably does — lashing out and/or restricting access isn’t the way to handle it.
The sooner Deion learns that lesson, the sooner Deion will have the kind of relationship that he needs to have with the folks who buy their ink by the truckload.
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Tom Brady on his “motherf–ker” comment: Private motivation for me, they know who they are
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 21, 2021, 6:52 AM EDT
Tom Brady revealed a month ago that when he hit free agency last year, he was stunned to learn that an unnamed other team had decided to stick with its current quarterback, rather than extend Brady a contract offer. Or, as Brady stated explicitly, “I was thinking, you’re sticking with that motherf–ker?”
That has resulted in a great deal of speculation about which team and which “motherf–ker” of a quarterback Brady was referencing. Brady’s lips are sealed.
“There’s private things for me that are going to remain motivational for me,” Brady said in an interview with Jim Gray, via the Boston Herald. “They know who they are . . . it’s fine. Everyone has a choice to choose. I think what you realize is, there’s not as many smart people as you think. That’s just the reality. I think it’d be a no-brainer if you said, ‘Hey, you’ve got a chance to get Wayne Gretzky on your team, or you got a chance to have Michael Jordan on your team.’ . . . ‘Oh, we don’t need him, no thanks. We’re good.’
“In my mind, I’m kind of thinking, ‘OK, let me go show those teams what they’re missing.’ At the same time, let me go prove to the team that did bet on me, and the team that really showed they really wanted me, and committed to me, that I’m not going to let them down.”
Even after becoming widely proclaimed as the greatest of all time, Brady finds new ways to convince himself that he’s being doubted. And one unnamed team with an unnamed “motherf–ker” at quarterback is motivating Brady as a Buccaneer.
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 21, 2021, 6:52 AM EDT
Tom Brady revealed a month ago that when he hit free agency last year, he was stunned to learn that an unnamed other team had decided to stick with its current quarterback, rather than extend Brady a contract offer. Or, as Brady stated explicitly, “I was thinking, you’re sticking with that motherf–ker?”
That has resulted in a great deal of speculation about which team and which “motherf–ker” of a quarterback Brady was referencing. Brady’s lips are sealed.
“There’s private things for me that are going to remain motivational for me,” Brady said in an interview with Jim Gray, via the Boston Herald. “They know who they are . . . it’s fine. Everyone has a choice to choose. I think what you realize is, there’s not as many smart people as you think. That’s just the reality. I think it’d be a no-brainer if you said, ‘Hey, you’ve got a chance to get Wayne Gretzky on your team, or you got a chance to have Michael Jordan on your team.’ . . . ‘Oh, we don’t need him, no thanks. We’re good.’
“In my mind, I’m kind of thinking, ‘OK, let me go show those teams what they’re missing.’ At the same time, let me go prove to the team that did bet on me, and the team that really showed they really wanted me, and committed to me, that I’m not going to let them down.”
Even after becoming widely proclaimed as the greatest of all time, Brady finds new ways to convince himself that he’s being doubted. And one unnamed team with an unnamed “motherf–ker” at quarterback is motivating Brady as a Buccaneer.
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