Tag: nfl

VegasTopDogs Super Bowl Preview

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So here we are, another year of NFL football in the books, and we all patiently await the completion of the season and the crowning of the NFL champion. It was another great season with records being broken, huge comebacks and apparently for this time Tom Brady’s final retirement. And now we get ready to watch the AFC Conference champions Kansas City Chiefs, take on the NFC Conference Champs, the Philadelphia Eagles. But who has the advantage between these two excellent teams, let’s take a look…

Kansas City; 14-3 / 29.2 ppg / 21.7 oppg
Philadelphia; 14-3 / 28.1 ppg / 20.2 oppg

PASSING; 

Kansas City
Patrick Mahomes 
Obviously far and away better than Jalen Hurts. Anyone who can possibly compare Mahomes to Hertz and say that Hurts is better doesn’t understand what a great quarterback really is. Hurts is better with his feet, getting better, but this is a no brainer. He can definitely get out of some tight situations and he’s got good Vision when he takes off out of the pocket. But let’s be honest, Mahomes put up 41 TD passes with 5250 passing yards. He had 12 games throwing for 290 or more passing yards, including 14 games throwing for 2+ TD passes. For years he has arguably been the best QB in the NFL with 5 straight seasons with 4000 passing yards and 26 or more TD passes. And he is solidly the better quarterback of the two in this matchup. 

RUNNING; 
Philadelphia
This is a team who is bread and butter and has been moving the ball on the ground. Having racked up 12 games with 135+ rushing yards as a team. They have a dangerous running game, and Hurts adds a huge advantage. He helped tremendously in the team’s NFL leading 32 rushing TDs. Jalen Hurts on the ground, put up 760 yards, 13 rushing touchdowns and a 4.6 YD /carry, and Miles Sanders is far better than Isiah Pacheco – he ran for 439 more yards, and 6 more TDs. Even their RB2 is better with 4.5 /carry to 4.3 /carry for Kansas City. There is no question the Eagles running game is a far superior weapon. 

RECEIVING; 
Philadelphia
This may come as a surprise with the aforementioned stud quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the gunslinger for the Chiefs. But Philadelphia has much better wide receivers than Kansas City has. Philly has 3 guys with 700+ receiving yards and 55+ catches. Philly’s WR1 is far better than Kansas City’s WR1, JuJu Smith-Schuster, 1496 yards vs 933 yards. There’s just no comparison. TE Travis Kelce is the biggest threat for Kansas City in their passing game – but they still aren’t better with their next 3 WRs with just 9 combined TDs. Get your best odds at AmericasBookie.com.

OLINE; 
Philadelphia
The Eagles are rated as one of the best offensive lines in the game pretty much across the board from almost every source. They stand strong, they open up big holes for the running game, and they give Jalen Hurts enough time. They have been very, very good this whole year. They gave up 44 sacks, with a team sack percentage of 7.6% which a lot of that comes from Hurts moving around to run. The team’s top 3 RBs who carried the ball picked up 4.7 yds /carry and 18 rushing TDs. They move other teams defensive lines around, and make sure that their backs have a place to go. 

DLINE; 
Philadelphia
I know that Kansas City has some very good defensive players like Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed, but the Philadelphia Eagles have had an absolutely devastating effect with their defensive front with 4 players racking 11+ sacks, 4 players with 16+ QB hits and 5 players with 10+ TFL. They have been an absolute nightmare for opponents to handle, you don’t know whether the pressure is coming off the edge or right up the middle with Fletcher Cox or Javon Hargrave. And a lot of the time you have any combination of any of them on your quarterback’s shoulders. They’re a real problem to deal with, and if an offensive line can’t hold their own, and the offensive coordinator can’t put together some good schemes, it makes a team’s chances of handling them that much harder. 

SECONDARY; 
Philadelphia
The Eagles have been ballhawks on defense with their secondary picking up 17 ints, landing them at 5th in NFL. Giving up a pitiful 4.9 net yards per attempt, again landing them in 1st place in NFL.  Another thing is, because they have such a strong defensive line, that in turn, makes the secondary that much more effective. They work in such clean unison together it’s frightening. They had 3 players with 3+ picks and gave up just 3057 opponent passing yards, yet again putting them 1st in the NFL. Their pass coverage was so smothering, that they gave up 235 yards or more in the air, just 3 times over the whole season.

COACHING; 
Kansas City
This to me is yet another no-brainer. You just can’t compare these 2 coaches, Nick Sirianni only has 34 games as a head coach in his career. Don’t get me wrong he has certainly shown to be a good coach he has completely changed the entire culture of the Philadelphia Eagles in the short time he’s been there winning 67% of his games. But, Andy Reid has 24 years experience. Almost a quarter of a century he has been coaching. With 17 years with 10+ wins, he has been a very steady force on the sideline for many years. He has also laid out 8 years with 10+ wins in a row. And a huge advantage, in my opinion, is the fact that he has coached in 37 playoff games. He knows all about the pressure he has had more than his share of games under the spotlight. 

This game is going to be a really good game, and I know fans from Kansas City and Philadelphia are both going to be very excited for the outcome. Both teams have been great, Kansas City with their offense, and Philadelphia with their defense, but in the end you can get the best side, total and player props at VegasTopDogs.

CMC to the SF 49ers changes the NFC

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The San Francisco 49ers shook up the NFC with a big time trade. The Niners picked up a career 7,272 total yards RB, Christian McCaffrey and the Panthers got 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rd picks in the 2023 draft, and a 5th in 2024. Making a move like this in the NFC immediately changes the horizon.  The Eagles were looking like, and still are, based off of what they’ve been putting on the field, I would think it’s fair to say that they are still the favorite in the NFC. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some teams that can easily slip in there. The Niners have been looked at as a defensive lead team this season giving up just 14.8 points per game and with their defense they have been sitting at just a 3-3 record as of this article. The offense, although with its share of very talented players, just has not been what I think that San Francisco fans were hoping for. And that is what they needed to improve on, and with this trade that is what they went and did. 

There are some critics of the trade thinking that the Niners gave up far too much for a running back who has had his share of injury problems. But to me this looks more like a win-win trade in my opinion. Carolina is a roaring tire fire and needs some draft capital to really start rebuilding that team. San Francisco has a team currently that can compete and make some noise in the NFC and they have depth, so right now, I don’t think that drafting is their number one priority – they have a team that just got better and will be the VegasTopDogs favorite in the NFC. 

McCaffrey finds himself now in a much different position than he has ever been in before in his career. Now granted, he has missed a whopping 23 games since 2020 – but when you’re a player who literally carries the team on your back and he touches the ball on what seems to be 80% of snaps there’s a higher chance of being hurt. Now McCaffrey is on a team where there’s a lot of talent around them he’s not going to have to carry as much of the load as he was. In Carolina, there really wasn’t a whole lot of support, the QB situation was not good, there was not a good TE situation, their offensive line was terrible, he’s going to fit in and be just fine in San Francisco. He’s not the only weapon the Niners have which will be a good thing for the 26 yr old RB.

He is a generational RB, who put up 1000+ yards rushing in 2018 and 2019 along with 1,872 receiving yards in that time frame as well, to go along with his 32 total touchdowns. He has put out jaw dropping performances with 7 games of 100 yards or more rushing, along with 35 or more receiving. He has also had 17 games of 70 or more receiving, and some think this guy isn’t worth these picks?
That’s crazy talk to me. 
Who are the Niners going to get better than him in that draft? 
I’ll tell you. 
Nobody.

This is a player that was looked at as the ultimate weapon for several years, his ability to hit the hole and take off with explosive speed was outstanding. Adding on top of that his exceptional hands and his ability to run routes. People need to remember that he caught 100 or more receptions twice and this is a RB, this isn’t a WR1. He won’t be used like that in San Fran, which should help him last longer and quite honestly, he could be even more effective.  He won’t be forced to be the focal point of the offense now with the likes of Deebo, along with an improving Brandon Aiyuk. And of course, we can’t forget about their Pro Bowl tight end Greg Kittle and the fact that San Francisco finds ways to get their running backs in the best positions they can be. Undrafted RB, Jeff Wilson ran for 4.8+ YPC in 2 of the last 3 seasons, journeyman Matt Breida ran for 5.0 YPC avg in his 3 years in San Fran – I certainly think Christian McCaffrey will be more than fine in their running scheme. 

The NFC Conference looks a lot different now with their SuperBowl Odds. San Francisco was already looked at as a likely playoff team with a stud defense, and now just adding more firepower to their offense, they certainly have the appearance of a team that legitimately can go to the Bowl this year. This trade means the Niners are all in for a ring this season. I doubt the 49ers will end up regretting this. If you are a team that feels you have what it takes to be a champion you have to take some risks, like the great hockey legend Wayne Gretzky once said – “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Have the Dallas Cowboys turned it around

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It, of course, is far too early to decide just how strong the Dallas Cowboys are going to be by season’s end. Every season, there is a team that will start red hot, and then blow it. Other teams start slow, and bumble along early, and will appear beatable, and then will come roaring back to finish 12-5 .Every.
Single.
Year.

Dallas have been looking pretty strong this season, sitting at 5-1 so far after 6 games. With Dak being Dak, good chemistry and excellent scoring they have seemed like they got things in order. They have rolled up a compelling record vs their division – being able to take care of business in your playground is always a great start. And, playing in a division with the hapless Giants and Eagles – doesn’t hurt, who have been a combined 14 – 31 over the last 45 games. They can legit look at their division and know they should be able to win v the majority of their division games, every year.

Their offense has gotten them big plays and a lot of scoring opportunities – as they have had a lot of coherence on both sides of the ball. Dallas is 9th in the NFL with a meager 35.7% 3rd down conversion rate – which says a lot about why the Cowboys have been able to rack up some big Ws. Their ball movement has been tough to control with their mix of lethal passing and running game. Having that dual threat ability is why the Cowboys have been the top scoring squad in the league

CeeDee Lamb has been a great WR, with 49 targets and 497 YDS, as the 22 yr old and Amari Cooper compliment each other on the field. Cooper catching 72 or more passes a year in 5 out of 6 years from his rookie year has been a real accomplishment, and he appears to be well on his way to those kinds of numbers this season as well. And Dak getting them the ball like he does, with his remarkable accuracy, makes teams confused on who they need to throw a double with a safety on.

Zeke has been one of the best RBs in the league for many years, and with Tony Pollard as his duo – this tandem can be very dangerous. Elliot isn’t quite the complete gamewrecker that he was 3-4 years ago – but he still can tear off a big chunk run or take it to the house if someone misses a tackle. On running plays, they keep blocking until the whistle, as they don’t get overpowered on 3rd and short, as Zeke has picked up 29 first downs, and hammers out 6.5 YPC in the 3rd quarter of games – his pounding style certainly wears down teams. Play action is always a serious threat since their running game is still as potent as the pass, with Zeke pounding the rock.

Success starts with stability – a QB who has thoroughly learned the playbook, and a RB that is fiercely competitive and always wants to keep getting better.
They have these both.
Many teams in the NFL hope to get their team chemistry to the point where they feel confident every Sunday. It is easy to say because the Cowboys play in a weak division in the NFL, they have an easy couple of wins – but that really doesn’t explain everything. Dallas looks like they have finally gotten it together. And I think they will be the team in the NFC East for another several years.

The ongoing dilemma of the rookie NFL QB

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When a team drafts a young QB and the fanbase and team brass are all giddy about their shiny new toy – it’s the same thing, all the time – that old familiar pressure if teams should play the rookie right away. Pressure of starting him and wrecking his confidence, as maybe he isn’t “pro-ready” or toss him in there, and find out what he’s made of under the gun. Baptism by fire – type of stuff. There is always going to be a concern as to when a team starts their rookie QB.

And then the fanbase is screaming for the exciting new QB to take over – so there is also the added pressure of the fans. Depending on their teams last season’s success (which is usually bad if they landed a top rookie QB name) – the fans are usually starving to see the new guy. No team drafts a QB in the 1st round to have them watch the game from the bench for a long time – let’s be honest. The expectation is that he is going to take over and be that guy for the team, at one point.
But when?

Another issue are the teams that are ready to win now. When a team has come off a solid or even decent season, and fell into some bad luck or maybe some injury concerns – but they have a steady QB playing for them – the fans get thinking it is time for a change. Then they want the new young stud to take over. Even if their current starter is solid and can make plays – but they start asking if they are going to make other players around him better? When a team has a team that can compete with what they have on the field, with a guy that has shown he can win games, I feel in that case, it’s best for the rookie and the team, to let the rook wait and learn from the sideline. Even if he was exciting in college and could turn out to be something special.

We also know, of course, about the flops. The ones that were disastrous mistakes. And odds are, some of the big name QBs drafted – will not become the superstar savior that the team had hoped for – or even significant players in the league. For example, there’s no shame in being a Blaine Gabbert-type player, by any means – but when the Jags drafted Gabbert in 2011 at the #10 spot, but I don’t think he or the Jags thought he would be on his 5th team at this point of his career, and never eclipsing more than 12 TD passes in a season.

A coach has to determine the best way to groom their guy – make that decision as to when they hand the reins over.
They have to have a process, and strong vision about the team’s direction, and brutally honest player evaluation.
They have to know where he is at in his development, how have they brought him along. And if the rookie gives the team the best chance to win – that is the guy who needs to be playing as soon as possible. A team wants to get a rookie QB comfortable quickly, and that is usually by running the ball – which will then open up the play-action. Play-action is always comfortable for a QB, especially a young one, so a team with a good RB in place, and a rookie QB can be a pretty promising start.

I still feel it usually takes a QB around 3 years to fully comprehend and have full command of an NFL offense, and even more-so an NFL defense. But, with that being said, it seems as if the young QBs seem to be more NFL ready anymore.
I think the guys playing in this day and age are playing in more complicated systems – making the transition earlier does not seem quite as treacherous as it used to be. I also think teams that draft these guys seem to be more flexible in their offensive gameplay to fit the skillset of the new QB. Something that wasn’t always the case years ago. Baker Mayfield was really fun to watch in his rookie season, he threw for 27 TDs, and in 2019, the 5-10 Kyler Murray showed Cardinals fans that he had something special to his game. Back in the day, it was always the player who had to learn to adapt to the team’s scheme. Teams seem to change things for the players far more frequently these days.

One will always make the argument that a team should let the rookie QB start in their 1st year – and then we can also make the argument that a team should let the rookie sit and learn the system. What direction should a team go in?

Many teams and fans are just waiting for their veteran QB to blow it on the field (which is awful – by the way) – so the coach can pull him for the rookie.
So why wait?
If a team has been struggling – throw him into the fire. I think usually, if the team is floating along in the bottom section of the league – the rookie may have a chance to play just as well as the vet QB, maybe even better. Especially when most know that the young guy is going to be the starter next year regardless – so why sit him? You don’t know what you have – until you get them on the field, in a real game.

If a team is coming off a bad season, and are muddling with a mid-level QB and no real aspirations make the playoffs – let the rookie QBs play, I think one way or the other, it will help the franchise in the long run. Throw the young QB out there to learn. Teams will find out if he has heart, and gumpshion, or will the sacks and mistakes break him?

If a team has a solid veteran NFL QB that can put TDs on the board and has a team on the brink – let the rook wait.
His time will come. People have to remember, like Mick Jagger once sang – you can’t always get what you want. If that rookie doesn’t pan out and become the player you wished for – you may be begging to have the “solid middling average QB” back holding the team together again every Sunday.

At least until the next new shiny toy comes along…

Put up or shut up time for NYG QB Daniel Jones

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Daniel Jones showed signs that he has improved quarterbacking skills with 9 games of 2 TDs or more, including 5 TD passes vs division rival Washington back on 12/22/2019 in a 41-35 win. Along with throwing for 300 more passing yards on 5 occasions in his 27 games played. But, in games where Jones had an average on the ground or 7+ /carry, the Giants were a much better team winning 75% of their games. Meaning, his ability to run from the pocket has shown to be more valuable to the team than his actual ability to throw the ball thus far.

Jones has also struggled pretty badly in crunch time – as he has not been good in the 4th quarter or in close games.
He has shown a problem with playing even worse when the game is close – or the Giants need a drive, as his QBR rating in the 4th quarter plummeted to 73.4. And having thrown just 3 TD passes to 2 picks, and completing just 51% in close games, where there is less than 4 minutes and trailing in the score, he cannot be relied upon to move the ball or score the ball when they need points. A team’s QB is supposed to be the central cog of the team, the one the team looks to. And since we’re being brutally honest, the 6-5 QB has not been extremely accurate overall, with 9 games completing a miserable 59% or less. Those kinds of numbers are not going to win a whole lot of games for the G-men. When a QB is struggling to get the ball to his weapons – there typically are not good results.

He has shown to have some solid athletic ability being able to bust out of the pocket when things are collapsing around him – as has been showcased with his career 6.38 YDs /carry. And the 24 year old doesn’t take off immediately when things are falling apart – because he instinctively trusts his progression to find his guys, which is a good thing. As he doesnt panic – but he has had a problem being able to get the ball there, when he does sling it.

The division is not pretty but it certainly has a lot of movement for positive directions. The New York Giants can be a division winner, just as much as the next team. There genuinely isn’t a strong leader in the NFC East. Washington has made it clear that defense it’s going to be the biggest part of this team’s identity, as they dont have a great offensive tack or passing game. Dallas, regardless of how inconsistent they’ve been – still have a strong RB and some very dangerous WRs, and I do think, as well, that Dak Prescott is very underrated. Philly made some moves and has been rebuilding. This is the “magical 3rd year” for the former 6th overall pick – this is the year a QB has absolutely got to make or break it.

The Giants have made every possible move they could think of to try and surround him with help. 6-4 Kenny Golladay is a great deep threat receiver who can make big plays downfield, as he showed when he was in Detroit. The former Lion brings length and speed, he is coming off an injury plagued season, but with 11 TDs and 1190 YDs in 2019, he has shown he can carry the load as a WR1 when given the opportunity. Darius Slayton is also a receiver who showed the ability to be able to make plays with 50 catches and 751 yards and also chipped in with 3 TDs last year. 24 year old Saquon Barkley is a powerful and explosive RB coming back with the huge exponential ability to break off huge plays and to also be able to make plays out of the backfield with his hands, as he had 143 catches out of the backfield his first 29 games. How he will bounce back from his injury – we will see.

We need to stop pretending that “Danny Dimes” is as good as they want us to believe, he has not been worth the 6th overall draft pick from back in 2019. This is it for Daniel Jones put up or shut up – this is going to be the year we see what he can do. There are no more excuses – he has the team around him to show what he has. New York has shown they believe in him by not drafting a QB in this year’s draft.

If Daniel Jones does not show vast improvement this year with the team around him – I believe the Giants will either be drafting a QB next year – or making the move for a free agent.

Dallas Cowboys Will Win the NFC East

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The Cowboys are going to be very good this year. They have loads of talent on offense and the return of Dak Prescott is only going to make them strong. I think they are going to run away with their division, and this wager offers more value than their season win total, which is at 9.5 and remember they play 17 games this year. The biggest move the Dallas Cowboys made this offseason was drafting pretty much all defense with 3 key signings: Key 2021 Draft Picks: LB Micah Parsons, CB Kelvin Joseph, DT Osa Odighizuwa. Also – Key Additions: DL Brent Urban, OT Ty Nsekhe, EDGE Tarell Basham. The Giants and Eagles will  be poor this year as the Washington defense is tough but they aren’t ready on offense yet.  The Cowboys have the strength and talent to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. And as long as their pass defense holds up, they could once again post units ranked in the Top 10 in offense and defense like they did a few years ago. The Cowboys lost five games in the 4th Q last year and with their duel threat QB back he will be the difference maker in the 2021 NFL season.  

Take the DALLAS COWBOYS +110 to WIN THE NFC EAST. 

Betting the NFL Preseason in 2021

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The Hall of Fame Game is the first NFL preseason game of the year, which closes the annual Hall of Fame enshrinement festivities. On August 5th, 2021, the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers will kick-off the preseason at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The game marks the seventh appearance by each squad in the annual preseason classic which is tied for the most by any team. Both clubs own 3-3 straight-up record. The game starts at 8:00 PM ET and can be viewed on Fox.

You will hear people say “Don’t bet on NFL Preseason Football”. Big Mistake! It’s actually easier than capping the regular season. In most cases you can read ahead of time the exact game plan for each team. I feel the NFL preseason is a great opportunity to start and build a nice bankroll for the upcoming regular season. Many handicappers have the opinion that the preseason games should be left alone and not bet on. I feel just the opposite. If you do your homework–the preseason offers sharps and squares a tremendous opportunity to make a lot of money. Here are my personal keys, stats, systems, angles, reasons, and teams to consider when betting NFL Preseason football in 2021.

1) Depth

This one is obvious. Jo public gets so worked up about the starters and skill position players on certain teams during the regular season. But they’re the same in the preseason. Teams that can go two-and three-deep (sometimes four-deep) at the skill positions have a decided advantage over a club that has a few stars that will be sitting after the first or second series. A perfect example of a team like that this season, is none other than the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky, and Jake Fromm are a solid top three. They signed Davis Webb who has a big arm. Even if Josh Allen plays very little, the next three should give teams fits in August. Don’t forget, the Bills have been running Sean McDermott’s system for 4 years. The Bills went 4-0 ATS when we last saw the NFL preseason (2019). On the flip side, the Detroit Lions will break in a brand new head coach (see below), new offensive coordinator, and new defensive coordinator. Jared Goff, Tim Boyle, and David Blough will be learning a brand new offense. The Lions’ defense will be learning a new scheme as well. I think this team is heading for a rough preseason!

Quarterbacks and continuity are key. NFL preseason wagers, just like those during the regular Season, often come down to the last eight minutes of a game. So find teams that have solid depth at QB and/or has some experience or success in the league. They’ll have a tremendous advantage in the closing moments of a game against a third and/or fourth-string defense.

2) Experience

I don’t necessarily mean which team has the most grizzled veterans on it. In fact, experience can be a detriment. Most older players hate preseason games. And teams that have established players in certain positions or roles will often see those guys “mail it in” during the preseason because they know the games are “meaningless” and already have their “jobs” locked up.

However, experience is a key factor when it comes to handicapping coaches/systems. Organizations that haven’t experienced much turnaround have a significant advantage over those that are easing in a new brain trust. For example, the Seattle Seahawks have been running Pete Carroll’s system since 2010. The Seahawks are going to be much sharper than a team that is going through drastic changes. Take the Philadelphia Eagles for example. They are breaking in a brand new head coach (Nick Sirianni), new offensive coordinator (Shane Steichen), and new defensive coordinator (Johnathan Gannon). Keying on clubs that have familiarity & continuity, and finding teams that are much less comfortable with their new system is a big key when wagering on preseason games. I can’t stress this enough!



3) First-Year Head Coaches with new team (Full Season)

We have seven for the 2021-22 season in alphabetical order by team. First year head coaches can be tricky, but generally perform very well in their first August home game.They went 6-1 ATS in their first home game five years ago, 5-2 ATS four years ago, 4-1 ATS three seasons ago and 6-2 ATS in 2019. That adds up to a a bankrolling 21-6 ATS mark the last four preseasons combined! A lot of expectations are put on these guys coming in. They all want to show the Owner, General Manager, players, and fans that he is the right man for the job. Setting the tone early means playing to win in the preseason. With just three games this preseason, it’s even more important to win early.

Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons)

Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions)

David Culley (Houston Texans)

Urban Meyer (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Brandon Staley (LA Chargers)

Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles)

Robert Saleh (NY Jets)

4) Competition/Philosophy

If you know how head coaches were raised and what their philosophies are than you will have a big advantage this August. I will give you one HC that treats the preseason as the regular season. That would be John Harabaugh of the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are 17-0 ATS over the past four preseasons. Who needs Bitcoin? His 37-12 ATS overall record in the preseason would have made you a small fortune. On the flip side, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams clearly hates the preseason. He uses August to scout his younger guys while keeping his starters and key backups healthy. The Rams went 1-3 ATS last year. Sean McVay is 5-8 ATS in his career and it could be much worse. The odds-makers are going to inflate the Rams’ opponent lines this August. Be careful! Keep an eye on the Seattle Seahawks this August. Pete Carroll has always played to win in the preseason, evident by a 36-18 (66.6%) ATS record. Seattle went 3-1 ATS in the 2019 preseason after going 0-4 ATS in 2018. That was the first time Pete Carroll and the Seahawks never cashed at least one preseason game. I would expect Seattle to make bettors money once again this August.

5) Motivation

If you watched the NFL for any number of years you should know that not every Head Coach cares about winning in the NFL Preseason. Different HC’s have different agendas when playing in August and they all pretty much stick to their beliefs. I gave you four very good examples above that should hold true once again this upcoming preseason. Each coach handles the preseason differently. Some put a premium on the second game. For some it’s the third or even the fourth back in the day. Some coaches just mess around and tinker with their lineups during the preseason and use it to evaluate their younger guys. But here’s the key – and this is a big difference between the regular season and preseason football – most coaches are forthright about what the game plan will be. All you have to do is a little research from the local beat writers.




6) Scheduling

The NFL preseason schedule generally isn’t too taxing on the teams and players. But there are quirks. The two teams that play the Hall of Fame Game are a good bet to fade in their next game. If some key players are a bit banged up then you can expect those guys to be watching in street clothes. Keep a close eye on how players from the Cowboys and Steelers come out of the Hall of Fame game. Also, NFL teams who play on the West Coast (with little to no humidity), and than travel to play a high humidity East Coast game. It would be wise to fade those West Coast teams, especially if installed as a favorite. This has worked extremely well over the past few years with the new OTA rules in place.

Jeff’s NFL Preseason system to consider in 2021

If you are looking for a very profitable system/angle in the NFL preseason here is one to consider this year. Teams that get crushed by 28+ points in their first preseason game are a great bet in their very next game (week two). Mostly because the public overreacts and the lines get super inflated. NFL teams in this role are cashing 62% over the past decade. Choose wisely!



Jeff’s #1 NFL Preseason Team to “Play On” in 2021

Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings went 7-9 SU in 2020. Mike Zimmer is 18-8 ATS (69%) in the preseason and has always played to win August games, especially following a losing regular season. Kirk Cousins, Kellen Mond, Jake Browning, and Nate Stanley seem capable to execute a veteran system. I especially like the Vikings -3 at home against the Colts in week two (August 21st). The Colts play the Panthers on Saturday, August 15th and will have one less day to recover and prepare. The Vikings Week one game is on August 14th. I like this all the way up to 6 points!

Jeff went 16-6-1 ATS (including postseason) last year documented at The Sports Monitor of OK. Look for more articles in the coming weeks. Jeff was ranked No. 3 in the NFL two seasons ago, No. 3 in the 2017-18 NFL regular season, and No. 1 (tied) in the postseason at The Sports Monitor of OK, cashing just under 70%. Jeff has shown a profit in 8 straight football seasons, fully documented. Jeff is a 7x NFL Top 10 Handicapper. Early Bird Football season packages are now available.

Good Luck this Football Season!

Written by Jeff Hochman.

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TOP 5 QB’S in the 2021 NFL DRAFT

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Teams all want the best QB they can get, it’s common sense, and the race to get them – everyone wants the guy who they feel is going to be able to lead them, and get the wins with. The guy who leads them and gets the teams wins. QBs make the team, let’s be honest – regardless of dual threat RBs and great WRs – the QB makes the teams be all end all, and gives confidence to a team and their entire offense. Football is the greatest team sport there is, but the team’s QB is still the heart and the leader of a team.

This year has some very interesting QB names in the QB position – we have the versatile mobile guys and we have the big well known names that make GMs smile. But who is going to be the best of the best of this year’s QB class?
VTD will tell you.
Let’s take a look at the top QBs in this year’s draft.

5.  JUSTIN FIELDS / 6-2, 230lbs, Ohio State
Justin Fields has shown awesome on field capabilities with his feet and his arm, in his excellent career at Ohio State.
He has a slick ability to keep a play alive with his legs when he is under attack, and his 15 rushing TDs certainly confirms that. He is brave – and is willing to take a big hit to complete a pass, as he has a lot of courage when standing in the pocket, he isn’t afraid to take the shot from an oncoming DE to fire a pass. He can generate bigtime plays, whether he is taking off or throwing from the pocket, and he has been a very good passer in his time at OSU with a 68% passing percentage. One problem, he has, is he tends to stay with his WR1, if he isn’t open, it’s a quick look to WR2, then he is ready to move. He needs to get more patience, especially when he needs to start looking for his WR3 and WR4, as he needs to get a bit better reading what the field is giving him. With that being said, he has a really good chance to be good – it’s going to be tricky with him. He is a very interesting, hit or miss QB this year.

4.  MAC JONES  / 6-3, 220lbs, Alabama  
Mac Jones has shown some great improvement as a QB over the last 2 years from accuracy to moving the ball downfield. Jones has a nice soft touch when hitting across the middle, as he has the skill to hit his guys over the top for short 5-6 yard passes against LBs all game long. He isn’t a huge risk taker, and doesn’t take unnecessary throws, he is cautious and plays it safe on his choices of passing plays. When being chased in the pocket, he could get a bit rattled at times – and could get in trouble if things fall apart. But generally, if he is forced to leave the pocket under pressure – he does have the ability to pick up yards. He isn’t cemented to his spot, like some may think. Jones is very self aware of downs and distance – and is the kind of QB who will chuck the ball before taking the loss or throwing a bad pick. Not unsimilar to Aaron Rodgers style. Overall, his game style should be able to transfer to the next level very well.

3. TREY LANCE / 6-4, 230lbs, North Dakota State
Trey Lance plays strength, and can take off upfield if he sees an inch to make something happen, as he is very mobile and can take off and get yards on the ground at any time. Even at his massive size, he moves with ease. Lance is excellent in the pocket – who can get the ball to his guys with accuracy, throwing from tough angles is also not overly tough for him. He can find a way to fire off passes over and around defenders, as he is a beautiful passer. If you haven’t watched him, check him out, it’s pretty nice to watch. Lance also seems to be a genuine good guy, who appreciates his opportunities, that goes a long way for his likeability factor. I think he can be a legitimate franchise QB for a team, in my opinion.

2. ZACH WILSON  / 6-3, 210lbs, BYU
Zach Wilson has a great arm, we all know that, and he knows how to command an offense, he has a great leadership ability. His senior year was awesome, with 33 TDs and 3692 passing yards, along with a whopping 73.5% passing.
Wilson is a big play waiting to happen with his big arm and tight throwing – and he does not leave his guys waiting to get the ball. He has great timing, they turn, they have the ball. The 6-3 QB is not afraid to spread the ball around – he uses all his guys, in 2020 he had 4 guys with 35 or more catches. He finds a way to give himself some room when things go sideways, but has had his struggles vs top teams, having a bit more problems with pressure. So we will see what he does when playing the best. One other issue – if he has had some injury problems, how dependable is he going to be? If he can stay healthy, he has the ability to be very good.

1. TREVOR LAWRENCE  / 6-6, 220lbs, Clemson
We are all aware of Trevor Lawrence, and the adoration for him, he is a generational QB, that comes along once in a while. At 6-6 and 220, he is the perfect prototype for today’s franchise QB, size-wise, along with awesome arm strength, and an uncanny ability to deliver absolute lasers on the field. He carries a commanding presence on the field, with an air of confidence that things are always under control when he is out there. Teams play better with that. To have a QB who you feel is always a few plays away from getting the win, changes everything. He has top notch pocket passing qualities as well as running threat abilities as well, as he ran for 766 YDs and 17 TDs over the last 2 years. When things fall apart – he can make explosive plays happen when moving outside the pocket. He can make all the throws, from simple hitches to going deep. On the easy throws, he is extremely accurate – which is key for any QB worth his weight to make. He has the highest ceiling, without question. He can become a top 5 QB in the NFL in the next 3-4 years.

This NFL draft looks to be loaded with QB talent – let’s see where they go and who lives up to the hype, and who collapses. Be sure to visit VegasTopDogs.com for your daily sports info and predictions.

Will Lamar Jackson have another MVP year

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Russell Wilson was awesome this season with 4110 passing YDs, 31 TDs, and just 5 picks – Christian McCaffrey had a monstrous season with 2392 total yards from scrimmage and 15 TDs, and Derrick Henry can’t go unrecognized with his 1540 rushing YDs and leading the NFL with 16 rushing TDs for the NFL this season.
But then there’s Lamar Jackson – what Lamar did was beyond any semblance of normal – 36 passing TDs and 7 rushing TDs are pretty hard to overlook. With 6 games of 300+ of total offensive yards including 4 games of 100+ rushing yards or better, he dominated the AFC. Teams knew he was coming and he still racked up 4333 YDs of offense for Baltimore this season.
Lamar made the Baltimore Ravens Oline look better than they are – the Ravens have the same front that couldn’t block for Joe Flacco. As Baltimore’s Oline was banged up quite a bit – guys that were hurt for numerous games – so they barely had the same front all season long. If Jackson couldn’t get outside the pocket, when things went sideways – there would have been a lot more sacks. The 23 year old QB also did more with less with his receiving corps – as he only had Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown as his primary guys to throw to, and neither are really looked at as elite players, that are ripping up teams on the field. Lamar had very few weapons around him, but was lucky to be on a team that has a defense one that gave up just 17.6 ppg – which I think is based solely on the fact of their offense being so potent. The defense was able to tee off – because they found themselves ahead and putting up so many points – it forced teams to start throwing. Their receivers wouldn’t be starters for most offenses in the NFL. Andrews is a solid weapon – but otherwise they don’t have a ton of guys to throw the ball to, without Lamar – the Baltimore Ravens probably win 6-8 games. Tops.
Jackson put together an amazing season while leading his team to 14 wins – including wins over he Niners and the Pats and they hung 33 pts per game because of him. The MVP is the player who was most valuable to his team, the guy who, if without him, the team would’ve been a middling team at best.
That is what the NFL MVP should be – it has been slowly turning into the player who is the most flashy over the last few years. We have to really remember the MVP is for the most valuable player – not necessarily the player that did the coolest things. At the beginning of the season, the Ravens were projected to finish around 3rd place in the North – but suddenly people are going to say he has a great amazing team – I don’t think so. Lamar Jackson was fun to watch. He led the league in TD passes with 36 – and he lit up the ground with 1206 YDs on the ground rushing, giving him a total of 4333 yards of offense he was responsible for.
Pretty top notch.
Conventional, no.
Everybody’s cup of tea, no.
But a weapon on the field, absolutely. How long his career lasts, who knows – but for now, his timing and rushing ability was pretty phenomenal to watch.
Lamar Jackson was the #1 reason Baltimore won the games they did this season. And without the 23 year old – the Ravens would never have accomplished much of anything nearly as to what they did during the 2019 campaign.

Grading the Winners and Losers in NFL Free agency and Trades

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In This piece Rob will grade each NFL Team and take a look at Key additions and Departures in free agency as well as trades.
The teams will be listed in alphabetic Order

Arizona Cardinals- Grade A
Key additions: WR DeAndre Hopkins (trade), DT Jordan Phillips, OLB Devon Kennard, LB De’Vondre Campbell
Key losses: RB David Johnson (traded), DE Rodney Gunter
Notable re-signings/tags: RB Kenyan Drake (transition tag), WR Larry Fitzgerald
The Big trade netting DeAndre Hopkins headlines the off season and gives 2nd Year Qb Murray a big time target. Arizona made some solid moves on the defensive side of the ball while also dumping some bad contracts. Solid off season thus far.
Atlanta Falcons- Grade C-

Key additions: DE Dante Fowler Jr., RB Todd Gurley III, TE Hayden Hurst (trade)
Key losses: TE Austin Hooper, RB Devonta Freeman (released), CB Desmond Trufant, DE Vic Beasley, LB De’Vondre Campbell
Notable re-signings/tags: None
The Falcons made some nice upgrades and did so efficiently  Fowler is better at his point than Beasley and taking a chance on Todd Gurley at a nice price while saying good bye to D. Freeman. Atlanta over paid  to obtain  Hurst while letting go ofHooper, they also lost Campbell and Trufant and now are without a round 2 draft pick. Atlanta could struggle this season

Baltimore Ravens- Grade B-

Key additions: DE Calais Campbell (trade), DT Michael Brockers
Key losses: DT Michael Pierce, S Tony Jefferson (released), G Marshal Yanda (retired)
Notable re-signings/tags: OLB Matt Judon (franchise tag), CB Jimmy Smith.

Baltimore can move ahead by bringing back more of their own guys.They should be a handful after getting Brockers and Cambell, good luck running the ball on this team. They did lose Guard Yanda to retirement and that could hurt as they like to run the ball. However we may see the offense open up a bit this season anyway as Baltimore wont want to become too predictable.

Buffalo Bills- Grade A

Key additions: WR Stefon Diggs (trade), OLB Mario Addison, LB A.J. Klein, DT Vernon Butler, DT Quinton Jefferson, CB Josh Norman
Key losses: DT Jordan Phillips, DE Shaq Lawson
Notable re-signings/tags: G Quinton Spain
The Bills made a statement here picking up Diggs which is the game breaking Wiedout that has been missing for them. They did give up a lot to get him but they are looking to seize control of the AFC East and upgraded what is already a top 3 defense.

Carolina Panthers- Grade C+

Key additions: QB Teddy Bridgewater, DE Steven Weatherly, WR Robby Anderson
Key losses: LB Luke Kuechly (retired), CB James Bradberry, OLB Mario Addison, DT Gerald McCoy, DT Vernon Butler, S Eric Reid (released), TE Greg Olsen (released)
Notable re-signings/tags: S Tre Boston
Carolina gets the C+ grade just for Getting Bridgewater who should make the fan base quickly for get about Cam Newton.They also big up big play threat Robby Anderson. However losing Kuechly who is retiring and a pair of defensive tackles will hurt. They need to draft well this year.

Chicago Bears- Grade D-
Key additions: DE Robert Quinn, TE Jimmy Graham, QB Nick Foles (trade)
Key losses: LB Nick Kwiatkoski, OLB Leonard Floyd, S Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, QB Chase Daniel, WR Taylor Gabriel (released), CB Prince Amukamara (released)
Notable re-signings/tags: LB Danny Trevathan
Chicago is taking a big chance on Quinn here who was solid last year but not so much in years past. Jimmy Graham and Nick Foles may not have much left. The Bears lost a lot of depth on defense and look to be headed in the wrong direction.

Cincinnati Bengals- Grade A
Key additions: DT D.J. Reader, CB Trae Waynes
Key losses: OT Cordy Glenn (released)
Notable re-signings/tags: WR A.J. Green (franchise tag)
The Bengals Went balls to the wall this off season obtaining Waynes and Reader to upgrade the defense. They tagged Green and are likely to take Heisman winner J. Burrows number 1 overall later this month. This would make for a solid off season.

Cleveland Browns- Grade B+

Key additions: TE Austin Hooper, OT Jack Conklin, QB Case Keenum, CB
Kevin Johnson, S Karl Joseph
Key losses: LB Joe Schobert, LB Christian Kirksey, S Eric Murray
Notable re-signings/tags: None
Cleveland did well here landing two of the top free agents in Hooper who is the best tight end available and Top offensive lineman Conklin, both will support an offense which is likely to improve as Mayfield enters his 3rd year at the helm. Cleveland did lose sone quality on the defense. If they upgrade their line backers this grade can easily go to an A.

Dallas Cowboys- Grade D-

Key additions: DT Gerald McCoy, S Ha-Ha Clinton Dix
Key losses: CB Byron Jones, DE Robert Quinn, WR Randall Cobb, S Jeff Heath, DT Maliek Collins, TE Jason Witten, C Travis Frederick (retirement)
Notable re-signings/tags: WR Amari Cooper, QB Dak Prescott (franchise tag), TE Blake Jarwin
Dallas decided to bring back Cooper which they almost had to do and after that tagged Dak Prescott. However they did lose Jones and Quinn and that will be a severe blow to the defense.Another big loss on the offensive line is Center Travis Fredrick as he decides to call it quits. Also departing is Cobb and Witten. This was a rough off season.

Denver Broncos- Grade B+

Key additions: G/C Graham Glasgow, RB Melvin Gordon, CB A.J. Bouye (trade), DT Jurrell Casey (trade)
Key losses: C Connor McGovern, CB Chris Harris, QB Joe Flacco (released)
Notable re-signings/tags: S Justin Simmons (franchise tag)
Denver brings in Melvin Gordon to change the pace with Lindsay in the back field to take the pressure off Drew Lock. They scored getting Casey for a 7th round pick to upgrade the D-line. The Broncos also tagged safety Simmons and did not lose too much other than Bouye. A very Productive off season so far be Denver who looked good late last year.

Detroit Lions- Grade D-
Key additions: OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, LB Jamie Collins, DT Danny Shelton, QB Chase Daniel, S Duron Harmon (trade)
Key losses: CB Darius Slay (trade), G/C Graham Glasgow, LB Devon Kennard, OT Rick Wagner
Notable re-signings/tags: None
The Lions have not done much and lost Darius Slay. They panicked and over paid Vaitai who hasnt been a full time starter. This looks like a long year for Detroit and probably spells the end for coach Patricia who looks in over his head with this roster in the tough NFC North.

Green Bay Packers- Grade C-
Key additions: LB Christian Kirksey, OT Rick Wagner
Key losses: LB Blake Martinez, OT Bryan Bulaga, TE Jimmy Graham, OLB Kyler Fackrell
Notable re-signings/tags: None
The Packers have not done much and wont be as good as last season. They have Kirksey replacing Martinez. Other than that Rick Wagner takes over for Bulage and that will hurt them. The Packers really need to make a splash and we havent seen it yet.

Houston Texans- Grade F
Key additions: RB David Johnson (trade), WR Randall Cobb, S Eric Murray
Key losses: WR DeAndre Hopkins (traded), DT D.J. Reader
Notable re-signings/tags: K Ka’imi Fairbairn, CB Bradley Roby
When the best move you make is bringing back your kicker that shows what a poor job of upgrading your team. David Johnson is no longer the back he was a few years ago and he makes a ton of money, they also  lost one of the best wide outs in the game in Hopkins. They made things worse by over paying Cobb to replace him. This could be one of the worst off seasons for any team in recent history. Yikes.

Indianapolis Colts- Grade B+
Key additions: DL DeForest Buckner (trade), QB Philip Rivers
Key losses: TE Eric Ebron, CB Pierre Desir
Notable re-signings/tags: OT Anthony Castonzo
The Colts bring in Philip Rivers here and this will be a significant upgrade. They also made a big slash trading for one of the best Defensive Lineman in Buckner who will bolster the line and cause havoc. They should be able to replace Ebron without much difficulty. We like their chances in this division and they have had a nice off season.
Jacksonville Jaguars- Grade D
Key additions: LB Joe Schobert, DE Rodney Gunter, CB Darqueze Dennard
Key losses: QB Nick Foles (trade), CB A.J. Bouye (trade), DE Calais Campbell (trade)
Notable re-signings/tags: DE Yannick Ngakoue (franchise tag)
The Jaguars will need a big draft to better this grade as they have not done much to upgrade this team. Their trades have given them some back end draft picks and defensive end Ngakoue isn’t happy with the tag. Schobert is a nice player, but a five-year, $53.75 million deal was simply not worth it and would have been allocated better somewhere else. Be a long year in the AFC South for the Jags.
Kansas City Chiefs- Grade C+
Key additions: OT. Remmers, CB Hamilton, QB Henne, TE Seals- Jones
Key losses: CB Kendall Fuller, DE Emmanuel Ogbah
Notable re-signings/tags: DE Chris Jones (franchise tag) WR Robinson
The Chiefs have been mostly dormant this off season and as seen above have just made some marginal moves. Offensive lineman Remmers may wind up starting but this looks like a team that knows it has to pay Mahomes and wont do too much this off season.
Los Angeles Chargers- Grade C- Perhaps a B
Key additions: G Trai Turner (trade), OT Bryan Bulaga, DT Linval Joseph, CB Chris Harris
Key losses: QB Philip Rivers, RB Melvin Gordon, OT Russell Okung (traded), FB Derek Watt, OLB Thomas Davis, LB Jatavis Brown, S Adrian Phillip
Notable re-signings/tags: RB Austin Ekeler, TE Hunter Henry (franchise tag)
The Chargers have been very busy this off season. They bring back  Ekeler and Henry as they start life without Rivers. The offensive line should be solid with the Turner and Bulaga as upgrades. The Chargers will have to make a move as Tyrod Taylor is not the answer.  Cam Newton or even Jameis Winston might wind up here. Should they obtain either one of these two the grade would go up to a B.
Los Angeles Rams- Grade D
Key additions: DT A’Shawn Robinson, OLB Leonard Floyd
Key losses: OLB/DE Dante Fowler Jr., LB Cory Littleton, DT Michael Brockers, RB Todd Gurley III (released), CB Nickell Robey-Coleman (released), OLB Clay Matthews (released), S Eric Weddle (retired)
Notable re-signings/tags: OT Andrew Whitworth
The Rams have had the second worst off season with only Houston ahead of them. Should they move Brandin Cooks the grading will be even worse.T he losses of Weddle to retirement and releasing of Mathews, Gurley and Coleman will hurt they pick up 2 decent defenders but this team is a shell of what is was just 2 years ago
Miami Dolphins- Grade A
Key additions: CB Byron Jones, LB Kyle Van Noy, DE Shaq Lawson, G Ereck Flowers, DE Emmanuel Ogbah, RB Jordan Howard, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
Key losses: None
Notable re-signings/tags: None
The Dolphins spent a ton of money adding 6 potential starters and were one of the busiest teams in the off season, They did not lose anyone note worthy and have improved their team in what suddenly looks like a wide open AFC East. The feeling is they will do even more. Right now they are having a solid off season.
Minnesota Vikings- Grade C+
Key additions: DT Michael Pierce
Key losses: WR Stefon Diggs (trade), CB Xavier Rhodes (released), DE Everson Griffen, CB Trae Waynes, DT Linval Joseph, DE Steven Weatherly
Notable re-signings/tags: S Anthony Harris (franchise tag), K Dan Bailey
Minnesota loses one of the top wide outs in the game in Diggs and really the move was predicated on a bad cap situation as they did release some quality players particularly on the defensive side of the ball. They did get an above average return for Diggs but the feeling is that the team lost a lot of depth.
New England Patriots- Grade D
Key additions: DT Beau Allen, S Adrian Phillips, QB Brian Hoyer
Key losses: QB Tom Brady, LB Kyle Van Noy, LB Jamie Collins, DT Danny Shelton, K Stephen Gostkowski (released)
Notable re-signings/tags: S Devin McCourty, G Joe Thuney (franchise tag)
The Patriots start life without Brady and Brian Hoyer is clearly not the answer. There is a newton and or Winston out there but this team looks like it may wait a year and draft a new franchise guy. They still have sone talent mostly on defense and will always be better than we think. But this was a dismal off season unless they get a better QB.
New Orleans Saints- Grade B+
Key additions: S Malcolm Jenkins, WR Emmanuel Sanders
Key losses: QB Teddy Bridgewater, CB Eli Apple
Notable re-signings/tags: QB Drew Brees, G Andrus Peat, DT David Onyemata
The Saints look like they want to take one more big shot at things as they Bring back Brees. The loss of Bridgewater only hurts if Brees goes down. We should see nice production from Sanders and the Jenkins move at Safety will help as well. Quality over quantity in what should be a solid season for New Orleans.
New York Giants- Grade C+
Key additions: CB James Bradberry, LB Blake Martinez, OLB Kyler Fackrell
Key losses: LB Alec Ogletree (released), QB Eli Manning (retired)
Notable re-signings/tags: DE Leonard Williams (franchise tag)
The Giants may have over paid a bit but they did need to defensive help and bringing in Martinez and Bradberry will surely help. They had no choice but to tag Williams after giving the Jets a third rounder for him. If the Giants draft well and can get a solid offensive lineman this C+ goes to a B.
New York Jets- Grade A
Key additions: WR Perriman OT George Fant, C Connor McGovern, CB Pierre Desir, OT Lewis, G Van Roten, CB Poole, CB Maulet
Key losses: CB Trumaine Johnson (released) WR Anderson
Notable re-signings/tags: LB Jenkins, LB Burgess
The Jets swooped in and had one of the best albeit quietest off seasons of any teams. GM Douglas retooled the offensive line led by Fant and saved money replacing WR Anderson with Perriman from Tampa. The Jets bring back two solid line backers and a slew of much needed defensive back help. New York gets a solid A Grading no matter what they do in the draft.
Oakland Raiders- Grade B
Key additions: LB Cory Littleton, DE Carl Nassib, LB Nick Kwiatkoski, CB Eli Apple, S Jeff Heath, DT Maliek Collins, TE Jason Witten, WR Nelson Agholor, QB Marcus Mariota
Key losses: LB Tahir Whitehead
The Raiders did well here getting Mariota and Nassib as well as picking up Agholor who we think can flourish here. Witten comes over to add depth and experience from Dallas and Eli Apple will be a big help in the defensive back field. The Raiders have been very busy thus far and will be much improved this year especially on defense.
Philadelphia Eagles- Grade B
Key additions: CB Darius Slay (trade), DT Javon Hargrave, LB Jatavis Brown
Key losses: OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, S Malcolm Jenkins (released), RB Jordan Howard, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, WR Nelson Agholor, OT Jason Peters
Notable re-signings/tags: S Rodney McLeod
The Eagles plucked Darius Slay and Hargrave both of whom are expected to start as the Eagles retool on defense.  Philly lost some key pieces as they did not want to over pay. Most of what they lost is replaceable. Philadelphia spent wisely and did well this off season.
Pittsburgh Steelers- Grade C+
Key additions: TE Eric Ebron, FB Derek Watt, OL Stefen Wisniewski
Key losses: DT Javon Hargrave,G Ramon Foster (retired)
Notable re-signings/tags: LB Bud Dupree (franchise tag)
The Steelers did not do a whole lot to really improve. They get some tight end help with Ebron and shore up the offensive line. The loss of  Hargrave who was coming off a big year will hurt. However tagging Dupree was the right move. All in all though this off season was average at best.
San Francisco 49ers- Grade C+
Key additions: Gurard Compton, DE Hyder, WR Benjamin
Key losses: DL DeForest Buckner, WR Emmanuel Sanders
Notable re-signings/tags: DL Arik Armstead, S Jimmie Ward
San Francisco gets a C Grade as they were mostly looking to resign their own players and they did a decent job of it. However the loss of Buckner on the defensive line will hurt as they decided to stick with Armstead. Most of the players they are bringing in are depth deals on 1 year contracts. Nothing exciting thats for sure.
Seattle Seahawks- Grade C
Key additions: OT Brandon Shell, TE Greg Olsen, CB Quinton Dunbar (trade)
Key losses: OT George Fant, DT Quinton Jefferson
Notable re-signings/tags: DT Jarran Reed- Clowney ?
The Seattle off season is basically going to be graded on their ability to bring back Clowney. Bringing back Reed back was a nice move. They lost Fant to the Jets but were able to get Shell and Carolina long time tight end Greg Olsen which gives them a C. Should they get Clowney We will grade them as an A. Yes he is that important.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Grade A+
Key additions: QB Tom Brady, OT Haeg, LB Pieree Paul, DT Suh
Key losses: QB Jameis Winston, DE Carl Nassib, WR Perriman
Notable re-signings/tags: DE Shaquil Barrett (franchise tag), DE Jason Pierre-Paul
The biggest free agent splash this year is Brady to the Bucs. Winston and his picks will be a mere after thought. The Bucs bring in OT Haeg from Indy to protect him and Pierre Paul on defense as well as Suh. The Bucs have had a sensational off season and get our highest grade A+
Tennessee Titans- Grade B
Key additions: DE Vic Beasley, OT Kelly
Key losses: OT Jack Conklin, QB Marcus Mariota
Notable re-signings/tags: QB Ryan Tannehill, RB Derrick Henry (franchise tag), OL Dennis Kelly
The Titans Bring back Tanneyhill and wave good bye to Mariota. The key loss in Conklin on the offensive line though. On defense Beasley is a solid pass rushing pick up and they saved some nice change with offensive linemen Kelly who will replace Conklin. The rest of their moves were one year deals on guys who can add some depth.
Washington Redskins- Grade C-
Key additions: CB Kendall Fuller, S Sean Davis, OLB Thomas Davis, RB Barber, TE Rodgers
Key losses: G Ereck Flowers, QB Case Keenum, CB Josh Norman
(released), TE Vernon Davis (retirement), CB Quinton Dunbar (traded)
Washington has had an average off season thus far as they bargain shopped with Running back Barber and tight end Rodgers. They were smart to tag Guard Scherf and decided to bring back Fuller on defense. they did lose Flowers on the defensive line and he will be hard to replace. They did have a lot of cap space and the feeling is that they would make a bigger splash.
In closing we hope you enjoyed our NFL off season free agency and team activity report. Please stay safe and hopefully we will be able to overcome this pandemic and be able to at some point enjoy one of our favorite sports.