Author: Robert Alden

Now with the Hall of Fame Game behind us, the 2022 NFL season truly feels like it has arrived. It’s that hopeful time in late summer where we start to look around the league and begin to see how all the teams are stacking up.  Having a top defensive line is critical for a successful defense. Being able to stop the run and pressure the quarterback without bringing additional blitzers allows the other positional groups to operate more efficiently.  Here’s who I think can be among the top 5 defensive lines. 5. The San Francisco 49ers    The 49ers have…

Having taken a look at some of the Tennessee Titans offseason moves, we can now consider their 3rd round pick, Malik Willis. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Willis split his college career between Auburn and Liberty. His time at Auburn offered limited playing time.  As a result, he transferred to Liberty University where he sat out a year due to the transfer rule. Once he was able to play, he began to display his potential.  In two seasons at Liberty, Willis posted a 17-6 record. He completed 62.5% of his passes for 5,107 yards. He threw for 47 touchdowns with 18…

The Tennessee Titans have good reason for optimism heading into the 2022 season. After trading away star receiver A.J. Brown, the TItans had 9 draft picks to help fill out the roster. Of those, the Titans selected their hopeful quarterback of the future, Malik Willis. The signing of their 3rd round pick to a rookie deal means every Titan drafted in 2022 is now under contract.  It’s largely assumed Willis will begin his career as QB2 but his upside does threaten Ryan Tannehill’s job security. Most importantly though, the Titans have their keystone offensive weapon back. Derrick Henry reported to…

The Green Bay Packers have signed former USFL WR Osirus Mitchell.  Born in Sarasota, Florida, Mitchell spent his college career at Mississippi State. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys in May of 2021 but was then waived in August only to be  re-signed to the practice squad the following day.  He was released on December 20th. Mitchell was then drafted in the 15th round of the 2022 USFL draft by the Birmingham Stallions. He had 47 catches for 333 yards and 3 touchdowns for the eventual USFL champions.  Now he heads to Packers training camp to find a role among…

Today marks what would have been the 90th birthday of legendary tight end, Ernie Warlick. Born in Hickory, NC in 1932, Ernie “Big Hoss” Warlick grew up going to school in segregated North Carolina. He found his way to North Carolina Central University.  His pro football career began in 1957 where he played 4 years with the Calgary Stampeders. Coach Lou Saban signed Warlick as a free agent to the Buffalo Bills in 1962. He played the rest of his career in Buffalo, playing in 14 games in all but his 1965 season.  During his time with the Bills, he…

As we approach the 2022 NFL season, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the top quarterbacks drafted in the 2018 NFL draft. There were five QB’s taken in the first round. Top QB’s Selected in the 2018 NFL Draft: The Cleveland Browns selected Baker Mayfield with the 1st overall pick. The New York Jets took Sam Darnold with the 3rd overall pick. The Buffalo Bills drafted Josh Allen with the 7th pick. The Arizona Cardinals selected Josh Rosen with the 10th pick. The Baltimore Ravens, with the last pick in the first…

Here we are, mid-July, and all of us are eager for football news. Cleveland signing Deshaun Watson has dominated the off-season news. As a result, Cleveland finally sent Baker Mayfield off to Carolina for a conditional pick in a deal that made few headlines.  The Panthers released former Elon QB Davis Cheek to make roster room for Mayfield. Here’s a look at the current Carolina Panther QB depth chart: Baker Mayfield will likely serve as QB1 for the Carolina Panthers for the 2022 season. He was traded to the Carolina Panthers from the Cleveland Browns for a 2024 fifth-round pick that…