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| Monday, August 7, 2023 |
| Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter! |
| I just want to warn everyone now, you have one month to get your affairs in order, because, as of today, we are exactly one month away from the start of the regular season. The NFL season will be kicking off on Sept. 7 with the Lions playing the Chiefs, which is actually fitting, because we're going to be talking a lot about the Lions today. |
| Before we get to the regular season, though, we have to make it through the preseason, and thankfully, the best week of the preseason is here: the first week. |
| Anyway, for today's newsletter, we'll be recapping Saturday's Hall of Fame ceremony, plus, we'll be taking a look at all of the suspensions that the NFL handed out over the weekend. |
| As always, here's your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. Let's get to the rundown. |
| 1. Today's show: Breaking down the Lions offseason and predicting how they'll do in 2023 |
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| It's time for another episode of our "All 32" series, and believe it or not, we have finally reached the end. I know I've been saying that every day for the last three weeks, but this time, I actually mean it. I double-checked my numbers and then double-checked those numbers and I'm now 100% sure that this is the end. |
| For our final episode, we've saved the best for last, and by best, I mean, we saved the team with the most hype for last: the Detroit Lions. |
| To talk about how things are going in Detroit, we brought on Nolan Bianchi, who covers the Lions from the Detroit News. |
| Since this is the final episode in the "All 32" series, we threw in another bonus: It was hosted by Ryan Wilson and me. Here are two topics that Wilson and I covered with Bianchi: |
| Is Jared Goff a top five QB in the NFC? We had a wild conversation about where Goff ranks among NFC quarterbacks, and forget the top five, because we made the argument that he might be top three by the end of 2023. Goff got hot last season playing under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and Nolan thinks that duo will be even better in 2023. "I think that this is an offense that has been built to suit him and that was by design," Bianchi said of Goff. "What you've got right now is an offense where the player's input is valued super highly and Jared Goff's input is valued super highly and that's allowed [Johnson and Goff] to grow together. I think that's something that can be built on going into [2023]." Basically, the Lions offense was good last season and don't be surprised if it's even better during the upcoming season. Will the Lions win the NFC North? There is no team the oddsmakers love more than the Detroit Lions. Despite finishing four games out of first place last season, the Lions are the FAVORITE to win the NFC North this year. So are they actually going to win it? Nolan is buying into the hype. "What the odds are saying right now is probably accurate," Bianchi said. "I feel like the other three teams are unknown entities." That being said, Bianchi did note that the division is going to be hard to predict because anyone could win it. "It wouldn't surprise me if any of those teams won five games. It wouldn't surprise me if any of those teams won 11 games." |
| Bianchi spent nearly 30 minutes talking about the Lions, and if you want to hear everything he had to say, you can listen to today's show here. You can also watch today's show on YouTube by clicking here. |
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| 2. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Recapping the enshrinement ceremony for the class of 2023 |
| The Pro Football Hall of Fame officially has nine new members following the enshrinement ceremony over the weekend that saw Joe Thomas, Ronde Barber, Don Coryell, Darrelle Revis, Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko, DeMarcus Ware, Ken Riley and Zach Thomas all get inducted. |
| There were plenty of memorable moments during the ceremony. Here are a few that stood out: |
| Zach Thomas shares emotional tribute to Junior Seau. The former Dolphins linebacker said that Junior Seau was his favorite player when he was younger, which made it incredibly special when the two ended up being teammates in Miami. "His poster hung on my wall in college and he was everything I wanted to be as a football player," Thomas said. "He was my inspiration and he became my teammate and friend." DeMarcus Ware reserved seats in honor of several deceased teammates. The nine-time Pro Bowler said he saved a seat the ceremony for Demaryius Thomas, Ronnie Hillman and Marion Barber, three of his former teammates who all passed away over the past few years. "We lost some guys too soon," Ware said. "I held these seats in my heart for you guys here today. Keep resting in peace." Darrelle Revis credits Deion Sanders for blazing the path to Revis Island. "I didn't get a chance to play with this guy named Deion Sanders, but he was the prototype for me," Revis said, via NFL.com. "What Jordan is to Kobe, is Prime to Revis Island. You came first and I wanted to play just like you. You were the road map to greatness. Thank you for paving the way."Ronde Barber thanks his brother. Ronde Barber was present for induction by his twin brother Tiki. "I am here because of my brother," Ronde said. "The inherent competition, the easy motivation to match accomplishments and the unwavering, unconditional support only a twin can know. You simply cannot tell my story without telling our story." |
| For all of the highlights from Canton, be sure to check out our summary of the ceremony by clicking here. |
| 3. Predicting the 2024 Hall of Fame class |
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| With this year's class officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, now seems like a good time to go ahead and take a look at who might be in the class of 2024. |
| CBSSports.com's Bryan DeArdo got out his crystal ball so he could tell us who's going to be inducted next year. Going through DeArdo's list, there's one thing I definitely noticed and that's that the class of 2024 is going to be pretty impressive no matter who gets in. |
| One notable name who will be eligible next year is Andrew Luck. HOW HAS IT ALREADY BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE HE RETIRED?! Although Luck was definitely a talented QB, I don't think we'll see him get in. |
| Anyway, here's a look at DeArdo's list of some of the players who might get in next year: |
| TE Antonio GatesEDGE Julius Peppers WR Reggie WayneQB Ken Anderson LB Patrick Willis |
| If you want to see DeArdo's full list of candidates who might end up getting inducted in 2024, be sure to click here. |
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| 4. NFL hands out four suspensions: Alvin Kamara, three other players get punished by league |
| The weekend started off with a bang on Friday when Roger Goodell decided to suspend nearly every player in the NFL. Actually, that's an exaggeration, but only slightly. There were four suspensions handed out by the NFL with the most notable one going to Kamara. |
| Here's a look at each player who got suspended along with the length of their suspension: |
| Saints RB Alvin Kamara (Three games). The Saints running back got suspended for the role he played during a February 2022 incident in Las Vegas. Kamara got caught on video getting into an altercation with a man at a night club. You can read more about the suspension here. Colts CB Chris Lammons (Three games). Lammons was actually with Kamara on the night of the alleged assault in Vegas, which is a big reason why he was given the same punishment. Chiefs DE Charles Omenihu (Six games). Less than five months after signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the team, Omenihu has been hit with a suspension. The defensive end was suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Back in January, Omenihu was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. Seahawks WR Dee Eskridge (Six games). Like Omenihu, Eskridge got punished for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Back in February, Eskridge was arrested following an incident with the mother of his child. |
| All four players will be allowed to attend training camp and play in the preseason, but they'll be banned from the team facility when preparation for Week 1 starts in September. |
| 5. Ranking second-year players coming back from injury |
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| There were quite a few rookies last year who had their first NFL season cut short due to injury, so it's hard to say how they're going to look in 2023. With that in mind, Chris Trapasso decided to take a look at those players and rank them by who has the best chance of becoming a breakout star this year. |
| Here are the top three players on his list: |
| Jets RB Breece Hall (36th overall pick in 2022 NFL Draft -- Missed 10 games). "Hall looked like a budding star in the Jets backfield through seven contests with 5.8 yards per carry and the third-highest yards-after-contact-per-rush average (4.13) among qualifying backs. With so much attention being paid to Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Wilson and the rest of the offense, don't be surprised if Hall continues his breakout from his rookie campaign."Vikings S Lewis Cine (32nd overall pick -- Missed 14 games). "Even in today's NFL, which is oozing with insane athletes, there aren't many 6-2, 200-pound safeties with 4.37 speed like Cine. He'll play in Brian Flores' defense, the same scheme that highlighted then-rookie Jevon Holland as blitzing specialist and versatile coverage player. ... Playing alongside fringe future Hall of Famer Harrison Smith is a boon for Cine. too."Lions DL Joshua Paschal (46th overall pick -- Missed seven games). "Paschal is one of two sleeping giants on the Lions defensive line -- Levi Onwuzurike is the other. At nearly 6-3 and almost 270 pounds, he has a position-flexible frame and can win with burst or violent hands at the point of attack. ... Playing on a front with Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston, the wide and nimble Alim McNeill plus third-round monster Brodric Martin will free Paschal in many situations. I feel good about an impending breakout for Detroit's 2022 second-round pick." |
| Be sure to click here so you can see Trapasso's full list of seven potential breakout players. |
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| 6. Extra points: Panthers set to sign four-time Pro Bowler |
| It's been a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you. |
Justin Houston agrees to one-year deal with Panthers. The Panthers added some serious pass-rushing help on Sunday night in the form of Houston, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth up to $7 million. Although Houston is 34, the four-time Pro Bowler has still been productive as he's recorded at least eight sacks in five of his past six seasons, including 9.5 last year with the Ravens. Kareem Hunt to visit Saints. The 2017 NFL rushing leader will be meeting with the Saints today, according to ESPN.com. The Saints are in dire need of some running back help after a rough weekend that saw Alvin Kamara get suspended while Eno Benjamin suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Vikings sign former Patriots first-round pick. N'Keal Harry is going to have a chance to revive his career in Minnesota. The 2019 first-round pick has signed with the Vikings after working out with them over the weekend. Harry only lasted three seasons in New England after being drafted by the Patriots and he also had one disappointing season in Chicago (2022). The Vikings now have three former first-round picks at receiver with Harry joining Justin Jefferson and Jalen Reagor. Russell Wilson and Broncos starters will play Week 1 of the preseason. For the most part, you don't usually see very many starters on the field during Week 1 of the preseason, but the Broncos are going to be doing things differently this year. Sean Payton revealed over the weekend that Russell Wilson and several other starters will be taking the field against the Cardinals on Friday. Bryce Young to start preseason opener for Panthers. The No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft will be making his debut on Saturday. Panthers coach Frank Reich confirmed that Young will be starting against the Jets on Saturday. Patriots give Matthew Judon a huge raise. Judon's sit-in is over. Although the Patriots' defensive star showed up for training camp, he hadn't really been practicing, but that should change this week after Judon was given a revised contract. According to ESPN, Judon will now make $14 million in guaranteed money this year, which pushed him from the $2 million in guarantees he was previously scheduled to get. Josh Jacobs drawing interest from multiple teams. Here's a fascinating tidbit: The Broncos and Chiefs are both interested in acquiring Jacobs should he become available, according to PFT. There are two scenarios where Jacobs could leave Las Vegas: He would either have to be traded or the Raiders would have to rescind the franchise tag. Although it's unlikely we'll see either of those, the Raiders should be aware that other teams would snap Jacobs up in an instant if they decide they don't want him.
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