Goldfish's Slightly Too Early 2019 Season Predictions - All 32 up

[Thomas5737]

1 hour ago, Shanedorf said:

There will be bumps on that path and we already saw one with Baker calling out Duke Johnson... and the vets setting him straight.
There will be others.... and they are all uber-scrutinized by a media hell- bent on driving wedges and creating disharmony to pad
their clicks and views.

Yeah I don't think anyone set Baker straight. Baker is honest, just like his coach and his teammates know that he has the back of those that want to be here. Duke needs to change his mentality, not Baker. I know it was reported that some players talked to Baker but I don't think he feels he did anything wrong and I don't see anything changing with him. You are either with or or against him, no middle ground. Just ask Hue.

[buno67]

2 hours ago, Thomas5737 said:

Is it more new faces than any other team? A new #1 WR, a guard, a DT, a DE and a safety. 2 probable downgrades and 3 upgrades. Chemistry won't be a problem this is Baker's team and he will fight for his teammates and they will fight for him.

Is it really that bad?  Yeah they have a new starting guard but this will be a second season with the team. OBJ is a new face for the team but he’s pretty familiar with players and his position coach.

One thing that is getting overlooked is the Browns for once have a pretty easy schedule. Their schedule is top 10 easy. Pretty recently the Browns have had One of the harder schedules for the past couple seasons

[MOSteelers56]

I think your assessments of the Ravens and Browns are pretty solid. I expect to see Pittsburgh very shortly. I think the top three in the AFC North are very tightly packed. I'm just hoping the QB experience saves us. 

[Nabbs4u]

1 hour ago, Thomas5737 said:

Yeah I don't think anyone set Baker straight. Baker is honest, just like his coach and his teammates know that he has the back of those that want to be here. Duke needs to change his mentality, not Baker. I know it was reported that some players talked to Baker but I don't think he feels he did anything wrong and I don't see anything changing with him. You are either with or or against him, no middle ground. Just ask Hue.

And if Baker takes this same approach and tone with say OBJ and or Landry you think things will be OK? No tensions, no turmoil, no drama inside the locker room/on the field? Highly unlikely. 

I absolutely think he was approached by a Veteran or two in Hope's he doesn't make the similar comments , right , wrong or indifferent "specifically" to the two above. 

Edited July 5, 2019 by Nabbs4u

[DawgX]

Yeah, the offensive line is our biggest weakness on paper. Still, the unit was fine as soon as Freddie took over as OC. Robinson was solid for us last year, but he's still not a sure thing. Hubbard across from him is pretty mediocre but serviceable. Bitonio is one of the best in the league. Tretter is above average. And Corbett is a complete unknown. We brought in one of the best OL coaches in the league in James Campen, so I'm hoping he can work his magic.

On paper, we have the talent to win way more than nine games. But there's still a couple of question marks - the most important of which is how Freddie Kitchens will do as HC. He was great as OC in a short sample size, but there's obviously way more responsibilities as a HC. I have faith in him, but he's still an unknown at this point.

As for breakout player, I think Antonio Callaway is a better candidate. Higgins has a solid rapport with Baker, but Callaway is simply more talented. He showed flashes of being very good last year as a rookie, and he should do well matched up against defense's #2 CBs. 

[Thomas5737]

26 minutes ago, Nabbs4u said:

And if Baker takes this same approach and tone with say OBJ and or Landry you think things will be OK? No tensions, no turmoil, no drama inside the locker room/on the field? Highly unlikely. 

I absolutely think he was approached by a Veteran or two in Hope's he doesn't make the similar comments , right , wrong or indifferent "specifically" to the two above. 

If Landry or OBJ said they didn't want to be in Cleveland then yes he would react the same way. I don't suspect either of them would do that though. Now his teammates may have told him to tell Johnson what he thinks and not the media but he will either be honest or not comment, he isn't a BSer. He hasn't questioned a teammate on the field or showed frustration with them on the field, he has been the best possible teammate and support system for them (he did have some nice jabs about being a better blocker than Njoku but he did say that to Njoku so it was partly humor and partly trying to get Chubb to bounce it inside and let Baker take on a blocker but no one really wants that other than Baker). I loved Baker coming out of the draft and even more now as a Brown but I'm much more confident in Baker the leader than Baker the QB. I think he is good and will be great but he is already elite as a leader.

[Jakuvious]

13 minutes ago, Thomas5737 said:

If Landry or OBJ said they didn't want to be in Cleveland then yes he would react the same way. I don't suspect either of them would do that though. Now his teammates may have told him to tell Johnson what he thinks and not the media but he will either be honest or not comment, he isn't a BSer. He hasn't questioned a teammate on the field or showed frustration with them on the field, he has been the best possible teammate and support system for them (he did have some nice jabs about being a better blocker than Njoku but he did say that to Njoku so it was partly humor and partly trying to get Chubb to bounce it inside and let Baker take on a blocker but no one really wants that other than Baker). I loved Baker coming out of the draft and even more now as a Brown but I'm much more confident in Baker the leader than Baker the QB. I think he is good and will be great but he is already elite as a leader.

Eh. I hate when we pretend to know what these players are like as leaders. We really have no idea because we barely get to see any of it personally. I'm sure there's plenty of quotes and anecdotes, but you can find those for a lot of failed QBs. You can find sportswriters, teammates, and coaches praising the leadership of basically every QB in the NFL. Might mean a lot, might mean nothing.

[Thomas5737]

21 minutes ago, Jakuvious said:

Eh. I hate when we pretend to know what these players are like as leaders. We really have no idea because we barely get to see any of it personally. I'm sure there's plenty of quotes and anecdotes, but you can find those for a lot of failed QBs. You can find sportswriters, teammates, and coaches praising the leadership of basically every QB in the NFL. Might mean a lot, might mean nothing.

He was mic'd up a few games and you can see quite a bit on "building the Browns" and you can check out what his Sooner teammates say and how they react to him. He is certainly a people person and he knows how to react to people to get them motivated, you can't see everything but you can see enough to know he understands people which is really important. As far as being a leader as in a coach on the field I have no idea but he is a leader of personalities.

[Bolts223]

On 7/4/2019 at 10:38 AM, Buckweath said:

I'd be really curious to know what you had say when going into last season, there was the possibility that Bell would hold out for a long period of time.

Let's just say that I'm pretty sure that yourself or most people did not think the Steelers could easily replace Bell. 

 

Anyways, I've seen how Hill affects defenses with those lateral motions and deep threats but even without Hill all season, the Chiefs would be right in the mix for best offense in the league (meaning definitly top 5). I strongly believe that.

 

I'm not sure I posted a lot about it, as I don't really talk too much about the Steelers in general. You can go back and check my post history if you like. I didn't think the Steelers not having Bell would be anywhere near as impactful as I think the Chiefs not having Hill will be. As I said before, the Steelers O had proven even before last season that they can operate fine without Bell.

And I'm not even disagreeing that it wouldn't still be top 5. But if the Chiefs offense was just top 5 instead of top 1 by far, they are a fringe playoff team rather than a 1-seed. Hence why I said I see them winning 9-11 games this year.

There is only one team that you can reliably guarantee to win at least 11-12 games, and that's the Pats.

Edited July 6, 2019 by Bolts223

[goldfishwars]

11. Seattle Seahawks

What’s New in 2019:

There’s not been a great influx either on the field or at the coaching positions, which is good news for a team who have been through a period of uncertainty. They’ve lost two key players in Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Dough Baldwin and netted 11 players in a really intriguing draft haul which could be their best in years.

Roster Strengths:

Quarterback – The 30 million dollar man, Wilson is fresh of a big payday and still well into the prime of his career.

Linebacker – The ever reliablly awesome Bobby Wagner and extremely solid KJ Wright are the remaining relics of the Super Bowl winning team. Obviously Shaquem Griffin is on the roster and they invested in two interesting athletic linebackers in the draft in Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven. Mychal Kendricks joins on a one year deal with a weird court case looming.

Defensive Tackle – The Seahawks seems to have stumbled into something with Jarran Reed and undrafted rookie Poona Ford who really impressed as a run stuffer when given the opportunity. Reed clocked up 12 sacks last year and nobody saw that development out of him. 

Elsewhere – Wide receiver could be a fascinating spot with Tyler Lockett fresh from a hugely impressive ten touchdown season and speedy rookies DK Metcalf and Gary Jennings coming in from the draft to join the intriguing David Moore who piqued interest in his first year on a 53 man roster. Running back is well stocked, with Chris Carson and last year’s first round pick Rashaad Penny expected to take forward steps and the always hurt CJ Prosise in a now or never scenario.

Roster Weaknesses:

Interior Offensive Line – The Seahawks improvements on their line seemed to have coincided with the departure of Tom Cable, but Mike Iupati and DJ Fluker at the guard spots look troubling if they don’t get beaten out. New rookie Phil Haynes could be one to watch, he was one of my favorite mid-round prospects coming out this year.

Edge – With no more Frank Clark, it’s a troublesome roster spot which will be filled by surprise 1^st round pick LJ Collier and the often-injured Ziggy Ansah if he can play healthy. Rasheem Green, who was injured in 2018, and last year’s 6^th rounder Jacob Martin will also push for snaps. The latter could be a real wildcard with his natural flexibility as a pass-rusher.

Breakout Player:

Tre Flowers – A former college safety who made the surprise move to cornerback in his rookie season and had plenty of success in his first NFL season. It was a steep learning curve last year, but he’s way ahead in his development and looks set to flourish going into year two.

How they can win in 2019:

A total commitment to a run and gun offense looks like the order of the day in Seattle. That means a heavy dose of pounding the rock and then explosive plays in the passing game, which they look well set-up to do. It’s really exciting to think what DK Metcalf, in particular, can give Russell Wilson in terms of a big down field target that can consistently beat press. Wilson also has plenty of other explosive downfield weapons to turn to, but that space will only come if the Seahawks can make find their runners in the run game. Will Dissly should return for training camp after giving the team a couple of added dimensions as a blocker and receiver in his rookie season, but he's coming off a torn patella so he's a bit of a wildcard in 2019. If Tyler Lockett can come on from, or even repeat an impressive 2018, this is could be fun. 

On defense, the Seahawks have two potential problem issues to overcome. One is the outside pass-rush as previously mentioned and linked to that, they need to know what they’re getting from the cornerback position. They found something in Tre Flowers last year and would hope that rise continues. Opposite him they need to hope for a bounce back season from Shaquill Grffin who is talented, but was poor by his standards last season. They also have to find a new slot corner with Justin Coleman departing. New draft picks Marquise Blair and Ugo Amadi might be well suited for that role and both offer help at safety where the Seahawks have been picking up a stock of versatile talent. Bradley McDougald was quietly excellent last season at strong safety and that needs to continue, there be a battle for the free safety role alongside him.

Predicted record 2019:

9-7* - I think people forget what a great head coach Pete Carroll is and I feel like John Schneider has finally turned a corner in restocking this team with some dynamic talent. With a pretty favorable schedule to negotiate, I think they could be a very fun team to watch in 2019. 

Edited July 23, 2019 by goldfishwars

[aDandyGuyInSpace]

On 7/5/2019 at 5:19 AM, Elky said:

Lamar is going to be one of those QBs who makes their line worse due to his garbage pocket awareness.

Sounds like someone never watched Lamar navigate the pocket at all last season. We would have lost every game if he didnt avoid sacks and bail the line out with his feel for pressure all while looking downfield.

[Chiefer]

18 hours ago, Nabbs4u said:

And if Baker takes this same approach and tone with say OBJ and or Landry you think things will be OK? No tensions, no turmoil, no drama inside the locker room/on the field? Highly unlikely. 

I absolutely think he was approached by a Veteran or two in Hope's he doesn't make the similar comments , right , wrong or indifferent "specifically" to the two above. 

Well if they put in the work then there will be nothing to complain about. 

[Thomas5737]

54 minutes ago, aDandyGuyInSpace said:

Sounds like someone never watched Lamar navigate the pocket at all last season. We would have lost every game if he didnt avoid sacks and bail the line out with his feel for pressure all while looking downfield.

Flacco must have some amazing footwork since he was sacked 16 times on 379 pass attempts and Jackson was sacked 16 times on on 170 attempts.

[SBLIII]

1 hour ago, Thomas5737 said:

Flacco must have some amazing footwork since he was sacked 16 times on 379 pass attempts and Jackson was sacked 16 times on on 170 attempts.

Flacco was an elite break dancer in high school

[Nabbs4u]

20 hours ago, Thomas5737 said:

If Landry or OBJ said they didn't want to be in Cleveland then yes he would react the same way. I don't suspect either of them would do that though. Now his teammates may have told him to tell Johnson what he thinks and not the media but he will either be honest or not comment, he isn't a BSer. He hasn't questioned a teammate on the field

My post was more about Bakers reactions to OBJ or Landry when not if they start complaining on or off the field when things dont go well, aren't the focal point of the offensive game plan in a loss, not targeted? 

He going to shoot from the hip in his post game PC or on the sidelines because "he isn't a BS'er"? If so then what? You honestly think either of those two won't respond? To be clear I didn't have a problem with what he said about Duke. It's refreshing! Try that with OBJ and it will be comical watching the Smitt Storm that will follow!!!

You keep things "In House". That's all I'm getting at.

Edited July 6, 2019 by Nabbs4u