Colin Kaepernick to find a team? Can Ezekiel Elliott follow up last season? 5 bold predictions for the 2017 NFL season
With training camps finally opening up this past week, the NFL season is edging ever closer. With less than a week until the Hall of Fame game, teams are beginning to shape up, with draft picks and free agent signings learning to settle into their new surroundings. But what does the coming season hold for the league? Here are 5 bold predictions for the 2017 NFL season:
Colin Kaepernick will start at least one game this season.
Colin Kaepernick seems to be a poison apple to every coach and front office in the league. What is simply a silent, peaceful, and totally lawful protest against something he disagrees with may cost Kaepernick his entire career at this rate. However, he is by far the most talented quarterback that currently sits without a contract. In fact, Kap had the 17th best passer rating in the league last year, on a team devoid of talent where his main target was Jeremy Kerley. The same Jeremy Kerley who only had one season with more than 75 targets in his career until last season. In fact, Kap's passer rating ended up higher than surefire starters such as Phillip Rivers, Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning and Carson Wentz. While teams may be apprehensive to handle the negative press Kaepernick may bring, he is by far the best option on the market for a stopgap QB.
The New England Patriots will not reach the AFC Championship game.
Maybe I'm just saying this because I'm a bitter Dolphins fan who is sick of the suffering - but surely the Patriots dynasty has to end soon. No dynasty lasts forever, but the Brady-Belichick one has lasted a good 17 years. Now, Brady has never been a quarterback who relied on his physical attributes, but he's a 39-year-old, who has started 269 NFL games. And he has taken 478 sacks over that time, never mind hits after he threw the ball. There has got to be a time where Brady's play just naturally falls off, and this season is as good as any. The thing with the Patriots is this: they don't necessarily have masses of raw talent on their team. They win in the system, Patriots players aren't always the very best, but they make the system work. This can easily collapse in, and with Gronk continuously injured, the lack of talent could start to show at any moment if teams play the right system against them. This year could well be the beginning of the end for the dynasty, be it with one last run into the moonlight for Brady, or total collapse.
Leonard Fournette will not break the 800-yard mark.
Leonard Fournette is probably the most Alabama running back to never play for Alabama. He basically fits the mould of every Alabama running back but with an ounce more agility and speed. Sure, that sounds good, but Alabama running backs don't work in the NFL. Since Shaun Alexander, 7 Alabama RBs have been drafted in the first three rounds. Only Mark Ingram ran for over 500 yards last year. Running backs in the first round are a notoriously risky pick. Fournette is generally seen as a pretty safe pick, but his game just doesn't seem NFL ready to me. This is probably the prediction that makes me seem most stupid, but I'm just not sold on his talent at an NFL level. I don't see him running teams over like he did in college (mostly weak run defences too), especially if TJ Yeldon and Chris Ivory get regular use as change of pace backs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers make the NFC Championship game.
The Bucs have a lot of young talent on their team. Jameis Winston is a safe pair of hands at quarterback for now, with a lot of upside in future, Doug Martin is entering his prime as an already underrated running back, Mike Evans and OJ Howard have a lot of potential to become a deadly receiving core when partnered with DeSean Jackson, Kwon Alexander can be one of the best linebackers in the league, and their secondary developed into one of the best in the country near the back end of last season. If they can piece it all together, keep momentum, and have their newest acquisitions gel, Tampa may be an under-the-radar contender in the NFC.
Ryan Tannehill will be MVP.
He'll finally hit that 100 passer rating mark, throwing for 5,000 yards and 30 TDs in a Marino-esque... who am I kidding. He'll still be okay. Maybe top 10 QB. Maybe.
Ezekiel Elliott will have a sophomore slump.
Ezekiel Elliott is a really good running back, no doubt about it. He proved great value behind the best offensive line in the game and ran better than anyone expected, even getting ROTY honours as a running back. But every amazing rookie must have their slump. I'm not saying Zeke becomes the NFL's Jeff Francoeur. I'm saying he slumps, partially caused by the offensive line just not being as good, which also causes Dak Prescott more problems, and puts more pressure on Zeke to perform. He doesn't get the same holes due to a weaker line and just falls off a bit. Everyone can still tell he's talented, but the tools aren't the same, and that affects him as a result. He'll still comfortably break 1,000 yards, in part thanks to volume, but he'll suffer the same problems as Jay Ajayi - an elite runner looks less elite without help from blockers.
Colin Kaepernick will start at least one game this season.
Colin Kaepernick seems to be a poison apple to every coach and front office in the league. What is simply a silent, peaceful, and totally lawful protest against something he disagrees with may cost Kaepernick his entire career at this rate. However, he is by far the most talented quarterback that currently sits without a contract. In fact, Kap had the 17th best passer rating in the league last year, on a team devoid of talent where his main target was Jeremy Kerley. The same Jeremy Kerley who only had one season with more than 75 targets in his career until last season. In fact, Kap's passer rating ended up higher than surefire starters such as Phillip Rivers, Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning and Carson Wentz. While teams may be apprehensive to handle the negative press Kaepernick may bring, he is by far the best option on the market for a stopgap QB.
The New England Patriots will not reach the AFC Championship game.
Maybe I'm just saying this because I'm a bitter Dolphins fan who is sick of the suffering - but surely the Patriots dynasty has to end soon. No dynasty lasts forever, but the Brady-Belichick one has lasted a good 17 years. Now, Brady has never been a quarterback who relied on his physical attributes, but he's a 39-year-old, who has started 269 NFL games. And he has taken 478 sacks over that time, never mind hits after he threw the ball. There has got to be a time where Brady's play just naturally falls off, and this season is as good as any. The thing with the Patriots is this: they don't necessarily have masses of raw talent on their team. They win in the system, Patriots players aren't always the very best, but they make the system work. This can easily collapse in, and with Gronk continuously injured, the lack of talent could start to show at any moment if teams play the right system against them. This year could well be the beginning of the end for the dynasty, be it with one last run into the moonlight for Brady, or total collapse.
Leonard Fournette is probably the most Alabama running back to never play for Alabama. He basically fits the mould of every Alabama running back but with an ounce more agility and speed. Sure, that sounds good, but Alabama running backs don't work in the NFL. Since Shaun Alexander, 7 Alabama RBs have been drafted in the first three rounds. Only Mark Ingram ran for over 500 yards last year. Running backs in the first round are a notoriously risky pick. Fournette is generally seen as a pretty safe pick, but his game just doesn't seem NFL ready to me. This is probably the prediction that makes me seem most stupid, but I'm just not sold on his talent at an NFL level. I don't see him running teams over like he did in college (mostly weak run defences too), especially if TJ Yeldon and Chris Ivory get regular use as change of pace backs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers make the NFC Championship game.
The Bucs have a lot of young talent on their team. Jameis Winston is a safe pair of hands at quarterback for now, with a lot of upside in future, Doug Martin is entering his prime as an already underrated running back, Mike Evans and OJ Howard have a lot of potential to become a deadly receiving core when partnered with DeSean Jackson, Kwon Alexander can be one of the best linebackers in the league, and their secondary developed into one of the best in the country near the back end of last season. If they can piece it all together, keep momentum, and have their newest acquisitions gel, Tampa may be an under-the-radar contender in the NFC.
Ryan Tannehill will be MVP.
He'll finally hit that 100 passer rating mark, throwing for 5,000 yards and 30 TDs in a Marino-esque... who am I kidding. He'll still be okay. Maybe top 10 QB. Maybe.
Ezekiel Elliott will have a sophomore slump.
Ezekiel Elliott is a really good running back, no doubt about it. He proved great value behind the best offensive line in the game and ran better than anyone expected, even getting ROTY honours as a running back. But every amazing rookie must have their slump. I'm not saying Zeke becomes the NFL's Jeff Francoeur. I'm saying he slumps, partially caused by the offensive line just not being as good, which also causes Dak Prescott more problems, and puts more pressure on Zeke to perform. He doesn't get the same holes due to a weaker line and just falls off a bit. Everyone can still tell he's talented, but the tools aren't the same, and that affects him as a result. He'll still comfortably break 1,000 yards, in part thanks to volume, but he'll suffer the same problems as Jay Ajayi - an elite runner looks less elite without help from blockers.
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