Arrowheadlines: Larry Fitzgerald to the Chiefs would make sense

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Patrick Mahomes Needs to Call Larry Fitzgerald and Try to Go Ring-Hunting Together | Sports Casting

When the Arizona Cardinals acquired DeAndre Hopkins in the spring of 2020, it all but signaled the end of Fitzgerald’s tenure as the Cardinals’ top receiver. Indeed, the Cardinals legend had career-lows in catches (54), receiving yards (409), and touchdowns (one) in 13 games last year.

But while he’s getting older and slower, Fitzgerald still has incredible hands and awareness. He only dropped a single pass last season and remained in excellent shape despite his age. If he intends to play in 2021, he will not do so without giving his absolute best effort.

Such a player is exactly what Mahomes and the Chiefs need on offense, especially on a cheap salary. So what do they lose by adding a veteran receiver with exceptional catching abilities and who wouldn’t need to be anything more than a rotational target?

Mecole Hardman takes issue with Tyreek Hill ranking | 247 Sports

Hill is coming off a season where he caught 87 passes for 1,276 yards and a career-best 15 touchdowns in 15 games. And Pro Football Focus, in its ranking of the NFL’s top 50 players, slotted Hill at No. 18 overall.

For Hardman, that was far too low.

Patrick Mahomes pacing for third in Chiefs’ career passing yards in 2021 | Chiefs Wire

During the past three seasons, Mahomes has averaged 4,623 passing yards per year. If Mahomes just continues to hit his average in passing yards, he’ll finish the 2021 NFL season with 18,491 career passing yards. That number is good enough to bring Mahomes up to third in franchise history.

It’d drop Bill Kenney, starter from 1980-1988, down to the fifth-place ranking with 17,277 career passing yards. Mahomes would also pass over his former teammate and mentor, Alex Smith, who had 17,608 passing yards in five seasons as the Chiefs’ starter. Smith would then hold the fourth-place ranking.

Can Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire be RB1 during 2021 NFL season? | Pro Football Network

Is Edwards-Helaire the next coming of LeSean McCoy?

Edwards-Helaire’s final season at LSU was both magical and breathtaking. CEH ranked ninth in the FBS with 1,867 yards from scrimmage and scored 17 total touchdowns in 15 games in 2019. Furthermore, his rushing yards rank as the third-highest single-season total in school history. He would go on to finish his college career 15th in LSU’s career rushing yards. In addition, CEH holds the school’s single-season record for a running back with 55 receptions.

Edwards-Helaire’s versatility allowed him to make plays for the Tigers as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. His statistical contributions helped to propel LSU to its fourth national title that year.

In 2009, McCoy accumulated 945 total yards and 4 touchdowns as a rookie with the Eagles. From 2010-2014, he averaged 22 opportunities (rushing attempts plus targets), 110 total yards, and 18.6 PPR fantasy points per game.

Similarly, Edwards-Helaire finished his rookie season with 1,100 total yards and 5 touchdowns. Keep in mind that he’s only 22 years old and can still have a career arc similar to McCoy’s.

Around the NFL

Agent’s Take: Breaking down extensions for 2018 first-round QBs Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson | CBS Sports

The four-year, $160 million contract Dak Prescott received from the Cowboys in March that made him the NFL’s second-highest paid player at $40 million per year certainly got Allen’s attention.

Prescott’s deal has $126 million in guarantees where $95 million was fully guaranteed at signing, which is an NFL record.

Allen should replace Prescott in the NFL salary hierarchy with his deal. It’s also conceivable that he will be the first to ever hit $100 million fully guaranteed at signing.

The Bills will probably use a signing/option bonus structure in an Allen extension signed this year, like they did with offensive tackle Dion Dawkins and cornerback Tre’Davious White in 2020. An option bonus is essentially an additional signing bonus that’s usually paid in the second or third year of a contract to exercise a later year — or years — in the deal. Since an option bonus is given the same treatment on the salary cap as signing bonus, it is also prorated or evenly spread out over the life of a contract for a maximum of five years.

Ranking NFL’s top linebackers entering 2021: Bobby Wagner retains top spot, Buccaneers boast two in top 10 | CBS Sports

5. Lavonte David

David has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers, and his production hasn’t slowed down at age 31. In 2020, he recorded 117 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 12 tackles for loss. In nine seasons, he has failed to record 100 combined tackles just once! While the Bucs picked up legendary quarterback Tom Brady last offseason, it was David who captained Tampa Bay’s defense through the postseason. In his first four playoff games, he recorded 26 combined tackles, one sack and four passes defended while playing every defensive snap possible.

David suffered through terrible seasons with the Buccaneers, but remained motivated and showed up when he finally got the chance at a Super Bowl. Only one NFL player has recorded more tackles than David in the last decade, and he’s found later on in this list. Additionally, according to PFF, only three linebackers have earned a coverage grade of 80.0-plus while seeing at least 90 targets since 2011. David has done it twice in the last two seasons.

How Steelers’ revamped offense will benefit Big Ben; plus, QB-coach combos under pressure

2 - Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh

Jackson has posted a 30-7 career regular-season record and claimed an MVP award in 2019 while dazzling as an electric dual-threat playmaker. But questions persist about his pocket-passing ability after observers watched the Ravens’ run-heavy offense fizzle in three straight early playoff exits. With Jackson and Co. underperforming in the postseason, the pressure is mounting on Harbaugh to diversify the offense to give the Ravens a better chance of advancing in the tournament. Will the Super Bowl-winning head coach stick to the unorthodox script that has made the Ravens perennial title contenders in the Jackson era? Or will he scrap the plan in favor of a traditional approach that could produce better results in the postseason? The outcome of the decision could make or break the Ravens’ next few seasons.

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