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Adrian Peterson set to visit running back-needy Washington Redskins

Running back Adrian Peterson (23), with the Cardinals last season, will visit with the Redskins on Monday. (AP)

Just when you thought Adrian Peterson might fade away after an all-time great career, the Washington Redskins picked up the phone.

Washington, which is in need of running back help after rookie Derrius Guice tore his ACL, will bring in Peterson for a visit on Monday according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Media.

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The Redskins have had other unsigned backs in for visits, including Orleans Darkwa. But Peterson, a sure Hall of Famer and one of the best runners in NFL history, will certainly be the most intriguing name Washington considers.

Adrian Peterson is coming off a rough 2017 season

Peterson became a superstar and an NFL MVP with the Minnesota Vikings, but then he had the type of season which usually indicates the end is near.

Peterson was unsigned for a long time in free agency in 2017, then signed with the New Orleans Saints. He wasn’t happy with his role, which vanished when rookie Alvin Kamara emerged. Peterson was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, who had lost David Johnson, for a late-round pick.

Peterson did have a couple of vintage games with the Cardinals. He had 134 yards and two touchdowns in his Arizona debut. He also had 159 yards in a win over the 49ers. But the sight of Peterson in a Saints uniform, and then in a Cardinals uniform, was jarring.

But he still showed enough last season to pique the Redskins’ interest.

Would Peterson fit with the Redskins?

Washington is in pretty bad shape at running back without Guice. Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine are both pedestrian, and Perine is dealing with an ankle injury. Redskins coach Jay Gruden admitted the team needed help and would look to sign a veteran.

Peterson would fit in, assuming he has anything left at age 33 (and that might be a big assumption, given that he averaged 3.4 yards per carry last season). Washington has Chris Thompson to be the pass-catching back, something Peterson has never done well. What the Redskins need is someone who can run between the tackles and keep defenses honest. Garafolo tweeted that Peterson is “apparently in very good shape,” and that’s not too surprising even though he has been unsigned all offseason.

Which running back will Washington sign?

Just because the Redskins are bringing Peterson in for a visit doesn’t mean he’ll be signed. There were definite warning signs Peterson hit a wall last season, and those warning signs were evident even in his final Vikings seasons. Most running backs aren’t effective into their 30s.

But it would be a heck of a story. Peterson is one of the most famous players of his era, ranking 12th all time with 12,276 yards. He needs just 37 yards to pass Marshall Faulk and Jim Brown and enter the top 10 all time in rushing yards. If he has a 1,000-yard season left in him, he could climb up to the top eight.

Not that Peterson needs to play another down to solidify his legacy. But it would be interesting to see if he could provide anymore classic performances to his resume.

More Redskins news from Yahoo

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog · 6 years

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2018 NFL Preview: The Cam Newton-Norv Turner marriage is crucial for Panthers

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Yahoo Sports is previewing all 32 teams as we get ready for the NFL season, counting down the teams one per weekday in reverse order of our initial 2018 power rankings. No. 1 will be revealed on Aug. 1, the day before the Hall of Fame Game kicks off the preseason.

(Yahoo Sports graphics by Amber Matsumoto)

It wasn’t a move that got as much attention as a head coaching change, or a splashy free-agent signing, but the Carolina Panthers made a switch that is as important as any other in the NFL.

Suddenly, Norv Turner is in charge of Cam Newton’s prime.

Head coach Ron Rivera fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula, citing the desire to bring in some new ideas to an offense that had gone into a funk since a tremendous 2015 season. Immediately, Turner was rumored to be the preferred replacement, and it was no surprise when he was hired. Theoretically, Turner could be so good he gets another shot at a head-coaching job, or so bad he’s fired in a year or two. Realistically, the Panthers’ new offensive coordinator will be guiding Newton well into his 30s.

What would Newton’s legacy be right now, as he heads into his age-29 season? His college legacy is set for his amazing 2010 season at Auburn. His pro legacy isn’t as well established. His NFL story probably starts with his 2015 MVP, when he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl. He has undeniably had a good career, but a great one? As a passer he has only one 4,000-yard season (as a rookie), has exceeded 24 touchdowns only once and has thrown double-digit interceptions each season. His ability as a runner is a huge plus on his resume. Only Michael Vick (6,109) and Randall Cunningham (4,928) have more rushing yards among quarterbacks than Newton, who has 4,320 yards in 109 games. Vick played in 143 games and Cunningham 161. Newton already holds the NFL record for a quarterback with 54 rushing touchdowns.

There’s a lot to like, but it feels like there could be another level for Newton. Maybe that place could take Newton back to the Super Bowl, and perhaps to the Hall of Fame. It’s now on Turner to help unlock it.

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Turner has been a good offensive coordinator for decades, though it is troubling how his time with the Minnesota Vikings ended. He quit midseason, saying he thought he was holding the offense back, though there also seemed to be differences with head coach Mike Zimmer. While Turner is mostly known for work with Troy Aikman and Philip Rivers – big, strong-armed quarterbacks who could throw it downfield, just like Newton – he also adjusted to have success with Teddy Bridgewater, who isn’t like Aikman, Rivers or Newton. Turner can adapt to fit his personnel’s strengths. Newton, however, seems to fit what he prefers. Newton has never been the type of quarterback who will work a defense underneath with precise short passes that generate a huge completion percentage. And Turner mostly hasn’t been that kind of coordinator.

As a passer, Newton should be comfortable throwing deep to Devin Funchess, first-round pick D.J. Moore and tight end Greg Olsen off play-action (Turner’s offenses have had six running backs lead the league in rushing, so a strong run game is always a foundation). Also, Turner understands what makes Newton special and won’t change that.

“He’s incredible as a runner. He’s just an amazing player at that position,” Turner said, according to the Panthers’ transcripts. “There’s two ways that he ends up carrying the ball, obviously: It’s designed runs, and then he’s made a lot of plays where he’s kept the ball in passing situations or when he drops back to throw it and the opportunity to run opens up. I think that’s a real threat to defenses. Defenses, they’re really bothered by that. He’s always got to have that as part of his game. He’s always got to have the threat to run. Depending on who we’re playing, how we’re playing and things that are going, I think it’s always going to be a part of what we do.”

The Panthers have done very well with Newton. He helped turn around a franchise that took him with the first overall pick. Carolina is 49-26-1 over the past five years when Newton starts. Had the Panthers finished a dream season in 2015 with a Super Bowl win, that would be Newton’s legacy. Ask Eli Manning or Joe Flacco how Super Bowls can carry a reputation. Instead, Newton is entering a key point in his career in which he’ll define how we remember him.

However Newton’s legacy ends up, it will be a big part of Turner’s football legacy too.

Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner talks with Cam Newton (1) and Devin Funchess (17). (AP)

Only one 2017 first-team All-Pro player changed teams this offseason: guard Andrew Norwell, who left the Panthers for Jacksonville. The Panthers also lost some familiar veterans: defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, safety Kurt Coleman, tight end Ed Dickson and running back Jonathan Stewart. While teams don’t want to get stuck hanging onto old veterans too long, that’s a lot of experience and production out the door. Among acquisitions, the largest contract by far went to defensive tackle Dontari Poe (three years, $28 million). The other additions were low-priced contributors: receiver Jarius Wright, cornerback Ross Cockrell, safety Da’Norris Searcy, running back C.J. Anderson. I like the first-round pick of receiver D.J. Moore, and third-round cornerbacks Donte Jackson and Rashaan Gaulden could contribute right away. Norwell was a big loss, and that knocks down the grade a bit.

GRADE: C+

The Panthers, as usual, have a lot of talent in the front seven. Tackle Dontari Poe replaces Star Lotulelei, and he should form a really good duo with Kawann Short. End Mario Addison has 20.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Once Thomas Davis returns from a four-game suspension, the Panthers have a tremendous trio of linebackers with Luke Kuechly, Shaq Thompson and Davis. There are plenty of questions in the secondary, but the front seven covers up a lot of issues.

The Panthers had one big stumbling block last season. Including playoffs, they went 11-3 against everyone not from New Orleans, and 0-3 against the Saints. The Saints won those games by a combined 36 points. Forecasting the Panthers for 2017, you have to consider they play in perhaps the toughest division in the NFL. They didn’t match up well against the Saints last season. The Falcons will be good again. The Panthers’ games against the Buccaneers come in Weeks 9 and 13, long after Jameis Winston’s suspension expires. The Panthers have a tough road, starting with trying to figure out the Saints.

Sage Rosenfels, a former NFL quarterback who played for Norv Turner, had some interesting comments to the Charlotte Observer about the relationship between Turner and Cam Newton.

“Cam has twice the talent of a Drew Brees – stronger arm, physically, just a lot of those skills. But it doesn’t feel like to me that he brings that same energy that his teammates can feed off,” Rosenfels told the Observer.

“It’s not necessarily X’s and O’s. But maybe Norv can help him bring that type of tenacity and energy to not only make Cam better and take less hits, but make his teammates around him better.”

It also sounds like Turner will be coaching Newton pretty hard.

“Norv’s demanding. He feels strongly about his offense. He feels strongly about the plays he has designed over the years, helped design, and the way he sees the game,” Rosenfels said, according to the Observer. “And he wants that offense to run smooth and be very precise, and that starts with the quarterback being very precise.

“He puts the most pressure on the quarterback more than any other position, without a doubt.”

When the offensive coordinator change was made, the conversation centered on two topics: Cam Newton, and how to get even more out of running back Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey, the eighth pick of last year’s draft, was solid as a rookie with 1,086 yards from scrimmage. He caught 80 passes. But the Panthers want more. Since McCaffrey isn’t a traditional between-the-tackles running back like fellow 2017 rookie Leonard Fournette – though McCaffrey has the ability to run inside – it’s important for the staff to get creative.

The good news is Norv Turner is already talking up McCaffrey, even making a comparison to Darren Sproles, who Turner coached early in Sproles’ career.

“He’s got such talent, you’re just going to keep finding ways to get him the ball and try to create more space for him,” Turner said in an interview with the team’s site. “That hard-nosed running between the tackles he can certainly do, but I don’t know that’s what you want to lead with him.

“Christian is ahead of [where Sproles was], and there are some things we can do that he did, but Christian can run wide receiver routes. So yeah, there’s a lot of things we did with Darren that apply, and there are some things that I think we can do differently with Christian.”

From Yahoo’s Liz Loza: “Christian McCaffery had a heck of a rookie campaign, as evidenced by his current draft stock. While I’m infatuated with the 22-year-old’s talent, I’m not interested in paying peak value for his services.

“The RB11 overall in half-point PPR formats in 2017, McCaffery was the most targeted RB in the league. He also hauled in the third most receptions at 80 catches on the season. How much better can he realistically do? An increase in totes is the only place for him to significantly up his production. Maybe he averages 10 carries per game – and stays healthy in the process – but that’s not a gamble that I’m willing to take in the first round. Not when perennial producers like Devonta Freeman and Jordan Howard are still on the board.”

[Booms/Busts: Fantasy outlook on the Panthers.]

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The Panthers had a tremendous record in close games last season. Carolina was 7-1 in contests decided by seven or fewer points, and won all four games decided by a field goal or less. No team had a better winning percentage in close games. Only Pittsburgh had more wins in games decided by seven points or less, with eight victories. As I often say in these previews, extremely good or bad records in close games don’t tend to repeat. If the Panthers went .500 in those games last season, we’re having a lot different conversation about them.

CAN LINEBACKER LUKE KUECHLY STAY HEALTHY?

Unfortunately, it’s a question we’ll ask about Kuechly the rest of his career. Kuechly, one of the league’s most dynamic players, has dealt with multiple concussions. Last year he suffered another one in a game against the Eagles, and missed one game. The Panthers’ defense looked entirely different in that loss to Philadelphia without Kuechly, and that’s no surprise. His value is tremendous. Over the past three seasons, Carolina is 26-11 when Kuechly is in the lineup and 5-5 in games he has missed with concussions (h/t to ESPN).

Hopefully Kuechly won’t have to deal with more concussion issues, but it will be a concern the rest of his career.

The Panthers have posted at least 11 wins three of the past five seasons. Cam Newton is a difference maker and if he takes to Norv Turner’s scheme, we know he can play at an MVP level. I’m not sure another 15-1 season is possible, but if the Panthers can get over the Saints hump, they could win the NFC South. And because of Newton, they could be a team that makes noise in the playoffs.

The 2013 and 2015 Panthers were dominant teams. The 2017 version was good, but a little lucky to reach 11-5. They’re not going 7-1 in close games again. That’s not to say the Panthers can’t be in playoff contention again, but some improvements will have to happen to fight regression in one-score games. Because Norv Turner has never coached a quarterback quite like Cam Newton, it’s not a sure thing the offense will click right away. The Panthers’ foundation is strong so I doubt they will collapse, but in a tough division they could see a significant step back.

I have the Panthers at a strong No. 13 on my countdown, and there are two NFC South teams ahead of them. This is a rough division. The Panthers could end up being a very good team and still finish third in their division, in a conference that has 8-10 playoff-level teams. There will be some very good teams in the NFC that don’t make the playoffs, and even though I like the Panthers, they’ll be in that group.

32. Cleveland Browns 31. Indianapolis Colts 30. New York Jets 29. Arizona Cardinals 28. Buffalo Bills 27. Cincinnati Bengals 26. Chicago Bears 25. New York Giants 24. Miami Dolphins 23. Washington Redskins 22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21. Houston Texans 20. Seattle Seahawks 19. Oakland Raiders 18. Denver Broncos 17. San Francisco 49ers 16. Detroit Lions 15. Tennessee Titans 14. Baltimore Ravens

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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2018 NFL Preview: Maybe the dull Ravens can get a jolt from Lamar Jackson

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(Yahoo Sports graphics by Amber Matsumoto)

Winning always sells. No matter the sport or the market, it’s a universally accepted fact that you can overcome about anything – a bad stadium, a wretched history, a dreadfully boring style of play, whatever – just by winning.

The 2017 Baltimore Ravens were an exception.

A strange thing happened last season in Week 17, long before Andy Dalton and Tyler Boyd hooked up on a miracle fourth-down touchdown to knock the Ravens out of the playoffs. Fans didn’t show up, even with a playoff spot on the line for the home team. Coach John Harbaugh blamed the late start on New Year’s Eve days before the game kicked off. Some said it was because fans were upset the team kneeled during the national anthem once in London earlier in the season.

It wasn’t just Week 17. Empty seats in Baltimore was a theme through the season, even though the Ravens looked like they were going to the playoffs until the final seconds of the season. Fan apathy started to become a story in 2016 (long before the kneeling in London, which pokes holes in that theory).

“Am I disappointed in it? Yes, I’m disappointed in it. Concerned? Yes,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said, according to the team’s transcripts. “If winning is what we need to do to fill the stadium up, then that’s part and parcel with why we’re here. We’re here to win games, we’re here to succeed, and when we fail, the no-shows are a way of telling us that our fans aren’t pleased. So, we’ve got to win. And I hope that solves the majority of the problems.”

But winning isn’t the only factor. Baltimore was in playoff contention all season. The truth is, the Ravens are a boring football team and have been for a couple years. Not bad. Just boring.

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The Ravens offense has become dreadful to watch. They were last in the NFL in yards per pass last season. They had more than 400 yards in a game just once – a fun 39-38 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers – and never had a 300-yard passing game. They did, however, have eight games with less than 200 passing yards, and one with 52 passing yards. They had the fewest 20-yard pass plays in the NFL last season, with 29. They were better on offense in the second half, but it still wasn’t an offense that excited anyone.

What do you do when you’re a successful franchise – the Ravens have had only one losing season since 2007 – but the fans are tuning you out anyway? You go take the most exciting player in the NFL draft.

Picking Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson wasn’t the only change the Ravens made or considered, but it will be the one that defines the franchise in the upcoming years. Baltimore announced this is Ozzie Newsome’s last season as general manager, a plan that has been in the works for a while. Bisciotti didn’t deny he thought about replacing Harbaugh (“It was certainly a consideration, but not one that I was inclined to make this year,” he said). There’s a new defensive coordinator, out of necessity after Dean Pees “retired” only to resurface with the Titans shortly after. Baltimore has three new receivers and two new rookie tight ends. And, of course, a new quarterback controversy.

Joe Flacco hasn’t been dealt a great hand lately. The Ravens haven’t put much talent around him. A back injury he suffered last July might be a reason he didn’t play well last season. But here’s what matters now: It has been a long time since Flacco had a good season, he’s 33 years old with a terrible contract, and he’ll soon be the Ravens’ former quarterback. The clock starts when a team drafts a quarterback in the first round. Ask Alex Smith how that goes.

It’s possible Flacco holds off Jackson all this season. The Ravens added receivers Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead in free agency. They drafted tight ends Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews. That will help Flacco. Also, the Ravens probably will be in playoff contention again, and teams rarely change quarterbacks when that’s the case. But the change is coming. It’s just a matter of when.

I think Jackson has the ability to be this year’s Deshaun Watson, a player who has an instant impact and we laugh at the teams that passed on him. There are plenty of teams who will be looking for a quarterback soon but ignored Jackson anyway. Other than Mike Vick, Jackson might be the most dynamic rushing quarterback we’ve seen in college. He’s a far better pocket passer than many critics gave him credit for. Ravens players raved about him in offseason practices. If he’s in the right offense – and the Ravens have assistants who have positive experience with mobile quarterbacks – I think Jackson will be a star. I loved the pick for the Ravens and think it will change their franchise. Even if it makes things uncomfortable in the present.

Even with an inevitable quarterback controversy and incorporating a lot of new faces on offense, we know what to expect out of the Ravens. They won’t be fun to watch, but they’ll contend. They always do.

The question is, will the people of Baltimore come out and watch this time around?

Joe Flacco (5) watches quarterback Lamar Jackson throw a pass during an offseason Ravens practice. (AP)

Before breaking down the moves, a quick rant about the Ryan Grant situation. The Ravens agreed to a $29 million deal with Grant, a former Washington Redskins receiver. It was an enormous contract for someone with Grant’s resume. Before Grant’s deal with Baltimore became official, the Raiders cut Michael Crabtree. The Ravens seemed to have some buyer’s remorse, because they said Grant failed his physical even though he has never missed a game in four NFL seasons. Then — surprise, surprise — the Ravens signed Crabtree. Grant settled for a one-year, $5 million deal with the Colts. While the Ravens stick by their story that is was a medical decision out of their control, it’s easy to be skeptical. And if the Ravens decided to fail Grant on his physical because something better came along, they deserve every bit of bad karma coming to them.

All that out of the way, the Ravens made some necessary moves to improve their passing offense. Crabtree is a solid addition, John Brown has been a good deep threat when he’s healthy and is worth a shot, and Willie Snead was productive with the New Orleans Saints before falling out of favor. Between first-round pick Hayden Hurst and third-round pick Mark Andrews, the Ravens might finally have an answer at tight end. And as stated previously, I believe Lamar Jackson at No. 32 overall will end up being a pick we all remember.

GRADE: B

The Ravens have a heck of a secondary. They allowed a 72.4 passer rating last season. Assuming cornerback Jimmy Smith has a smooth recovery from Achilles surgery, it should be a great group again. Between Smith, Brandon Carr and 2017 first-round pick Marlon Humphrey, the Ravens have great cornerback depth. And Tony Jefferson and Eric Weddle form one of the NFL’s best safety duos.

I wonder if the way last season ended causes a hangover. In the final minute of the season finale, Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd somehow got free on fourth and 12 for a 49-yard touchdown. The Bengals won and the Bills took the Ravens’ playoff spot. You don’t shake that off in a day or two.

“We get into a fourth-and-12 situation, we get into a coverage that we think has a chance,” John Harbaugh said after the season. “We do not play it exceptionally well. It is a little bit of a safer coverage. It is a coverage built for that down and distance, and (Andy Dalton) moves around the pocket a little bit and drops one in there, and your heart is broken. That is football. Nobody writes a script. You do not get a chance to decide how the script is going to be written. That is all you can do. That is the human reality of the whole thing.”

It’s a loss that will sting for years. The Ravens won five of six late in the season, were a huge favorite to beat the Bengals, and had to assume until that fourth-and-12 they were going to the playoffs. Then, poof, their season was over. Harbaugh is a good coach and I figure he’ll lead his veteran team through this, but that’s one tough way to end a season.

This stat is a staple in these previews: Since 2006, the year after Aaron Rodgers was picked by the Green Bay Packers, Jake Locker and Brady Quinn are the only two first-round quarterbacks to not start at least one game as a rookie. Of the past 29 first-round quarterbacks, 27 got at least one rookie start. That tells us the chances of Lamar Jackson sitting all season are probably slim. The holdup might be that the Ravens’ offense will have to change dramatically when the change is made. The offense Joe Flacco runs might not have much in common with what the Ravens use with Jackson. It wouldn’t be easy to change, then go back to Flacco if Jackson struggles. No matter, recent history tells us it’s probably a good bet we see Jackson start at least once this season.

For what seems like the 20th straight season, Terrell Suggs led the Ravens in sacks. And continuing another streak, I’ll wonder in the Ravens preview how long Suggs can keep this going. He’s a great player, a future Hall of Famer, but it’s not like there’s a great history of 36-year-old pass rushers (Suggs will turn 36 on Oct. 11). At least the Ravens have emerging rusher Matt Judon, who had eight sacks last season, but no other Raven had more than three-and-a-half sacks. There is a lot of promise at the position, but they need more production. They need a Za’Darius Smith (who had a lot of quarterback hits, just not many sacks) or 2017 second-round pick Tyus Bowser to take the next step, because Suggs won’t be this good forever … I think.

From Yahoo’s Liz Loza: “Keep an eye on Willie Snead. Sure, his 2017 campaign underwhelmed, but a lot of that had to do with a three-game suspension and a nagging hamstring injury. The year prior, he posted a 72-895-4 stat line, demonstrating sticky mitts (catch rate of 69.2 percent) and dominating after the catch (373 yards). Given the Ravens’ lack of pass-catching weapons, the former Saint figures to get fed. He’s not a prime red-zone target, but he could easily see 95 targets on the season and have value in PPR-friendly formats.”

[Booms/Busts: Fantasy outlook on the Ravens.]

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We talked about fumble luck in the Titans preview. Many analysts believe strongly in fumble luck, good or bad, being a key indicator of regression. The Ravens might have reason to worry then. Baltimore had the best fumble luck in the NFL last season, recovering 65.9 percent of fumbles according to Team Rankings. That helped fuel a plus-17 turnover margin. If that doesn’t repeat, the Ravens will have to improve in other areas to be in the playoff hunt again.

IS ALEX COLLINS THE REAL DEAL?

Collins is a good example of why teams should think twice before investing a lot into the running back position. Collins was a fifth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2016. He got 31 carries as a rookie, was cut before last season and got signed to the Ravens’ practice squad. Then Collins, who couldn’t find a spot on anyone’s 53-man roster to start the season, finished the season as one of the more efficient backs in the league.

The Ravens signed Collins from the practice squad early in the season, and he ended up with 973 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and brought a much-needed spark to the Ravens offense. He had the eighth highest success rate among all NFL backs last season, according to Football Outsiders. While the Ravens get Kenneth Dixon back from a torn meniscus that wiped out his 2017 season, and Javorius Allen is still around too, Collins should be the clear lead back. There’s no reason to believe Collins can’t repeat, or even improve upon, his breakout season.

The Ravens were very good last season on defense and special teams (kicker Justin Tucker is simply amazing), and that should carry over. The offense also improved late, even if few people noticed. There were some important upgrades on offense this offseason. While I’m not sure a team with Michael Crabtree as a clear No. 1 receiver is in a great spot, the offense should be better. If that’s the case and the defense and special teams play well again, it’s not too tough to envision the Ravens improving by a couple wins and challenging the Steelers for the AFC North.

Quarterback controversies are usually tricky to navigate. And there will be a controversy at some point, especially since Lamar Jackson is such an exciting option. If Joe Flacco struggles early, John Harbaugh will be in a tough spot with a quarterback who helped him win a Super Bowl. And as much as I like Jackson, maybe when he gets a shot we’ll see exactly why he fell in the draft. I’m through picking the Ravens to have a losing season because it seems they never do, but it’s easy to see them missing the playoffs again.

The Ravens will probably be what they usually are. They won’t be particularly exciting, but effective. I’ll assume they’re in the nine-win range, not good enough to make the Steelers sweat but in the wild-card hunt. Maybe this time around they won’t have a playoff spot snatched from them in the final minute of the season.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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J.J. Watt quietly donates $10,000 to family of firefighter killed in explosion

J.J. Watt with his Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. (AP)

Shortly after a GoFundMe account was started to benefit the family of a Wisconsin firefighter killed by an explosion, someone took a shot and asked Wisconsin-born J.J. Watt for a donation.

Cory Barr, a captain in the Sun Prairie Fire Department in Wisconsin, was killed in an explosion Tuesday night that was caused by a gas leak. Not only was Barr killed, one of the buildings that was destroyed in the explosion was the Barr House restaurant and bar owned by Barr and his wife, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

A GoFundMe was started to take donations for Barr’s wife and two daughters. And on Twitter, Jenna Blaser asked the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year for help.

@JJWatt please do what you can for Cory Barr's family. He was very well known, liked & appreciated in the Sun Prairie community. He was brave and a true hero! Any & all support from one fellow fire fighter family to another! #RIPCaptCoryBarr #firefamily https://t.co/oEE9aCNPqW

— Jenna Blaser (@jennnn_bunny) July 11, 2018

Soon after, a $10,000 donation was made from one of the NFL’s biggest stars.

Watt delivers a big donation

Watt didn’t announce his donation on social media, or call any attention to it. There was just a donation, alongside the $100 and $50 donations from all over, for $10,000 from Justin Watt, J.J.’s given name.

(GoFundMe screen shot)

The goal of the campaign was to raise $15,000. In the first four hours almost $40,000 was raised.

What’s Watt’s connection to Cory Barr?

There are two connections to the story for Watt. He was born and raised in Pewaukee, Wis., about an hour from Sun Prairie. Also, Watt’s father was a firefighter for 28 years.

Watt’s charity work is a part of his celebrity. He raised more than $37 million for people in Houston affected by Hurricane Harvey. In 2016, similar to Wednesday’s donation, he gave $10,000 to a GoFundMe account for a Texas high school player who needed emergency brain surgery following an injury suffered in a game.

During a horrendous time for the Sun Prairie community, maybe it will provide a bit of comfort that Watt was willing to help out.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

More from Yahoo Sports: • Bucks rookie is down to his last $3.71 as he awaits NBA paycheck • Ex-UCLA star found dead after posting cryptic YouTube message • How one LeBron tweet led to a sad day in the sun for LA fans • Rescued Thai soccer players forced to decline World Cup invite

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2018 NFL Preview: Can Lions' Matt Patricia reverse a trend from Bill Belichick assistants?

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(Yahoo Sports graphics by Amber Matsumoto)

Bill Belichick, the greatest football coach of this era and perhaps of all time, hasn’t produced one great NFL head coach from his tree.

Bill Walsh had seemingly dozens of assistants move on to NFL success. Paul Brown and Tom Landry had assistants who made great NFL coaches. Bill Parcells had successful coaching offspring, including Belichick. From this era, Andy Reid’s coaching tree has produced some of the league’s best head coaches. Yet, Belichick’s coaching tree is startlingly bare.

Nick Saban has done great at Alabama, but he was an assistant under Belichick a lifetime ago with the Cleveland Browns, and Saban’s one shot at the NFL was a failure. Romeo Crennel failed. People in Denver still curse Josh McDaniels. Eric Mangini was bad. Charlie Weis failed miserably in college. Bill O’Brien is 31-33 with the Texans and he’s clearly the best of the group. Belichick is a step ahead of the NFL in every way, and yet none of his assistants have figured out how to replicate that success.

The Detroit Lions are going to try to break the streak with Matt Patricia.

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Patricia was with Belichick since 2004, the last six seasons as his defensive coordinator. He’s a smart guy; you might have heard a time or 10,000 that he’s an actual rocket scientist. His stint at Lions coach hasn’t gotten off to a great start, to say the least. After everyone knew the Lions would hire him, Patricia’s Patriots defense allowed Nick Foles to become a legend at the Super Bowl. That was minor compared to the disturbing story about a dismissed 1996 sexual assault accusation against him. Patricia denied any wrongdoing and the Lions stuck by him.

Patricia takes over one of the NFL’s toughest jobs. The Lions’ history is remarkable. In a league that is designed so every team has a shot at building a winner in just a few years, the Lions have had almost no success. Detroit has never won the NFC North. The last time it won a division title was 1993, before realignment when it was in the NFC Central. Since 1957 it has won three division titles and one playoff game.

The past four years have actually been OK, based on that. The Lions have gone 36-28 with two playoff appearances, mostly due to Matthew Stafford’s steady improvement and a good cast around him. They still haven’t won a playoff game with Stafford (last playoff win: Jan. 5, 1992), and ownership’s lack of patience led Detroit to dump Jim Caldwell after consecutive 9-7 seasons.

Part of the frustration has to center on not doing more with Stafford. He has become one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks. He has a 96.5 rating over the past three years, which puts him a small step behind the NFL’s elite. The Lions wasted Barry Sanders’ career. They really wasted Calvin Johnson’s career. At least Sanders got to experience one playoff win. Stafford is only 30 years old so he still has a lot of time as a good quarterback, but the Lions have to worry about wasting his career too.

If you scan the roster, the Lions should be optimistic. They have good receivers. They have poured resources into the offensive line and running game. Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah has played at a Pro Bowl level, and cornerback Darius Slay was a first-team All-Pro last season at a loaded position. Stafford is a fine option at the toughest position to fill.

Patricia at least has pieces to work with. I’m not sure why Belichick’s assistants haven’t done much. McDaniels failed in Denver partially because he tried to replicate the worst traits of Belichick – intense secrecy and warring with the media, all while alienating the Broncos’ roster with his love for former Patriots players – while not using many of Belichick’s better traits. There was a report that part of McDaniels’ decision to return to the Patriots and leave the Indianapolis Colts hanging this offseason was that Belichick offered to open up his vault of knowledge to him, which seems to indicate Belichick really hasn’t mentored any of his assistants for the next step. Perhaps Belichick is so brilliant at what he does, it’s impossible to pick it up even if you’re around him every day. And, like McDaniels in Denver, his assistants end up copying the wrong things that have nothing to do with winning football games. Perhaps it’s a small sample size of failures. It’s a strange mystery.

“I’ll say this, there’s only one Coach Belichick, that’s it,” Patricia said at his introductory news conference. “He’s amazing. He’s in New England. I’m Matt Patricia. I’m kind of my own person. I’m my own guy. I’ve got my own style.”

No matter the reason for the history of Belichick assistants flopping, it makes Patricia interesting to track. At some point, just by the luck of the draw, one of Belichick’s assistants will become a highly successful NFL head coach. Detroit is banking on Patricia being the first.

Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia watches his team during practice. (AP)

The Lions didn’t do much in free agency. They signed linebackers Christian Jones and Devon Kennard, and they’re mediocre options. Running back LeGarrette Blount is good at his role, although it’s fairly limited. The team’s big move was giving the franchise tag to defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, which was necessary. The Lions didn’t lose much, either. The draft was solid and unspectacular. Center Frank Ragnow was a smart first-round pick for a team that can’t seem to figure out its offensive line problems. There were better backs on the board when the Lions moved up for Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson, though Johnson is talented and fills a need. There’s really not much to get excited about here, either way.

GRADE: C

Surprisingly, the Lions haven’t really missed future Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson since his retirement. They’ve done a great job giving Matthew Stafford viable targets to throw to. Golden Tate is a reliable possession machine with the ability to hit a big play. Marvin Jones was another strong free-agent addition. He went from A.J. Green’s sidekick in Cincinnati to one of the NFL’s best receivers in Detroit. And the Lions seem to have struck it big on 2017 draftee Kenny Golladay, who would be starting for many NFL teams but has to be a high-level third option in this offense. There’s no tight end to make defenses worry, and that’s not ideal, but the receivers the Lions have are tremendous.

Lions fans booed Eric Ebron last season, but they might miss him now that he’s gone. Ebron, a disappointing first-round pick, was cut due to salary-cap reasons and the Lions have no clear replacement. It’s not mandatory to have a good tight end, especially when you have plenty of good receivers, but the Lions have one of the thinnest tight end depth charts in the league. Detroit signed Luke Willson, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, ex-Atlanta Falcons blocking tight end Levine Toilolo and still have 2017 fourth-round pick Michael Roberts. None of them have a 400-yard season in the NFL. Maybe Roberts emerges or Willson does well with a larger role, or the Lions have enough elsewhere that they won’t need much from the tight end. But that position is probably the biggest weakness on the roster.

The NFL is more than just the quarterback, but quarterback is where every conversation has to start. And the Lions have a good one. There are probably “quarterback wins” zealots out there who don’t appreciate Stafford, but he’s the Lions’ best hope. Over the past three seasons Stafford has averaged 4,345 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 66.1 percent of his passes. Put it this way: It’s not like Stafford is the reason the Lions haven’t won in the playoffs. Stafford has improved a lot the past few years, and a case can be made he’s the NFL’s most underrated quarterback. He’s underrated because the Lions have had little team success, but football is a team game.

The Lions gave Ezekiel Ansah the franchise tag. Did they do so because he’s worth the price, or because they didn’t have any better option? Ansah is good, but inconsistent. He followed up a 14.5-sack, Pro Bowl season in 2015 with an injury-filled two-sack season in 2016. Last season he had 12 sacks, but nine of them came in three games against a pair of awful offensive lines (New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals) and a Green Bay Packers team with Brett Hundley and nothing to play for in Week 17. Not that three-sack games are bad, but the Lions need more than the three sacks he produced in the team’s other 13 games, especially given his $17.1 million price tag this season. In fairness, Ansah gets more offensive attention than anyone else in the front seven. Anthony Zettel had six-and-a-half sacks last season and Kerry Hyder had eight two years ago before missing 2017 with a torn Achilles, so Ansah has some help. But Ansah is probably the only one on the line with a Pro Bowl ceiling.

From Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “Kenny Golladay could have been an impact player as a rookie, but a balky hamstring limited him to 48 targets. Nonetheless, he made plenty of splash plays, averaging 17 yards per reception and scoring three times (he also had two preseason touchdowns). The Lions have two steady, fantasy-proven wideouts in Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, and they’ll probably be solid investments again. But the Lions were a mess when trying to convert touchdowns from just outside the end zone last year, and that’s where the lanky Golladay (6-foot-4, 213 pounds) could shine.

“The Lions don’t have a pass-catching threat at tight end, so this is an offense that could, theoretically, support three fantasy wideouts. Golladay is an excellent late-round choice, when plausible upside is the primary thing you’re after.”

[Booms/Busts: Fantasy outlook on the Lions.]

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It’s time for everyone’s favorite segment of the NFL offseason preview countdown: Guess how many games it has been since the Lions had a 100-yard rusher! One of the amazing streaks in the NFL continued for another year when the Lions failed to have a 100-yard rusher last season. The answer to the trivia question remains Reggie Bush, who had the last 100-yard game for the Lions on Thanksgiving of 2013. The Lions have gone 68 games without a 100-yard rusher. According to Football Perspective the all-time record is 72 games set by the Washington Redskins in the 1960s. The Dallas Cowboys have had 34 100-yard rushing games since the Lions’ last one, according to Football Perspective. The Lions drafted Kerryon Johnson, signed LeGarrette Blount and still have Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick. If they don’t have a 100-yard rusher this season, something is seriously wrong. But that one stat is a good reminder: If you’re blaming Matthew Stafford for the Lions’ lack of success, you haven’t noticed the deficiencies around him.

WHAT’S MATT PATRICIA’S CORE PHILOSOPHY, AND HOW DOES IT FIT THIS LIONS TEAM?

Matt Patricia offered a glimpse into his vision for the Lions when he was introduced as the team’s head coach.

“From a philosophical standpoint, what I’ll tell you is this,” Patricia said. “When you build — and this is really both sides of the ball — you want to build from the ball out, OK? So start at the ball, and work out. You always want to be strong in the middle of your defense. So anybody who plays through the core, whether it’s the linebackers or safeties, they’re critically important to what you’re trying to do. And that was one thing we were able to do consistently over the years in New England.”

He’ll have time to build that, and the first-round pick of center Frank Ragnow shows a commitment to that inside-out philosophy. What Patricia inherited isn’t a great fit for what he wants to do. Defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson hasn’t done much yet. Former first-round pick Sylvester Williams was signed and could start alongside Robinson, but he hasn’t done much either. Middle linebacker Jarrad Davis, a 2017 first-round pick, had his rookie struggles. However, he could blossom in Patricia’s defense. Things look OK at safety, where Glover Quin is pretty good and there are solid options to play alongside him.

The Lions’ priority in upcoming years will be to add at defensive tackle, but the middle of the defense isn’t close to being a strength yet.

It’s hard to concoct a scenario in which the Lions win the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers are loaded. The path to a division title probably includes Matthew Stafford having an MVP season, which I can’t rule out. If the running game finally produces something and Matt Patricia fixes the defense, the Lions will be a tough out. They haven’t been that bad recently, so a jump to 11 or 12 wins isn’t impossible. Still, it would be a tremendous upset if the Lions beat out both behemoths in the division.

The Lions seem to have one of the narrowest ranges of outcomes in the NFL. I don’t see them being that great, but I can’t see them being terrible either. This was a 9-7 team last year and all the stats say they should have been about 9-7. Outside of Matthew Stafford getting hurt or Matt Patricia pulling a “Josh McDaniels in Denver” debacle, it’s hard to see the Lions slipping too far under .500, even in a worst-case situation. They’re probably going to finish close to .500, give or take a game.

You have to think the Lions finishing in third place of the NFC North is one of the safer predictions there is. They’re not as good as the Packers and Vikings, and the Bears are probably a year away at least. The Lions are No. 16 on this list, right in the middle of the 32 teams, and that seems about right. They’re probably not good enough to make the playoffs in a loaded NFC and not bad enough to be picking high in the 2019 draft. Lions games are typically fun to watch so it’s not like they’re boring, they just seem predictable. We’ll see if Matt Patricia surprises us.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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LeSean McCoy denies domestic violence accusation against him as police investigate 'targeted' home invasion

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Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy denied claims of domestic violence against him on Tuesday after an Instagram post made serious allegations against him, including beating up a woman.

The Instagram post, from @miamor_i_adore (the post has since been deleted), had a picture of a woman with a bruised and bloody face. The woman who posted the photo claimed to be a friend of McCoy’s ex-girlfriend.

“I can’t believe you did this to my best friend!!!!! YOUR KARMA IS GOING TO BE SO REAL!!!!!! The world needs to know what type of animal you really are!!!!!!!” the caption of the post said. She later posted a message, indicating Cordon’s lawyer “forced” her to remove the post.

The Buffalo Bills’ LeSean McCoy, pictured with ex-girlfriend Delicia Cordon outside a Super Bowl party in 2017, denies assault charges that were lobbed at him via social media. (Getty Images)

McCoy used Instagram to put out his denial. He said he hasn’t seen the women involved in the accusations “in months.”

A post shared by Lesean Mccoy (@shadymccoy) on Jul 10, 2018 at 9:16am PDT

In a story published Tuesday afternoon, TMZ said EMTs were at a home on the woman’s street Monday morning, and there are only three houses on her block. Officials declined to reveal any details to TMZ.

McCoy is one of the NFL’s biggest stars, a six-time Pro Bowler who became a star with the Philadelphia Eagles and has spent the last three seasons with the Bills after a trade.

“We have spoken to LeSean and have been in contact with the National Football League. We will continue to gather information,” the Bills said in a statement.

Instagram post accuses McCoy of abuse

The Instagram post accused McCoy of many things other than injuring the woman in the photo. It says he beat his dog “into kidney failure,” beat his son “for small things like peeing in the bed” and also mentions “all the ILLEGAL steroids and needles you were using.”

ESPN’s Dianna Russini said the team was looking into the post. The Bills later issued a statement saying, “We have spoken to LeSean McCoy and have been in contact with the National Football League. We will continue to gather information.”

Meanwhile, Matthew Bove of WKBW in Buffalo said police in Milton, Georgia, told him they were investigating domestic violence allegations against McCoy.

Police in Milton, Georgia tell me they are investigating domestic violence allegations involving #Bills running back LeSean McCoy @WKBW

— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) July 10, 2018

Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson posted a report from Milton Police that said the preliminary investigation indicated the residence was not a random incident.

Update on LeSean McCoy allegation: Milton PD investigating it as a "targeted" home invasion at 3:18 am Tuesday. Officers "found one victim who had been physically assaulted by a lone intruder. During the altercation, the suspect demanded specific items from victim." #Bills #NFL

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) July 10, 2018

Robinson also said the Bills and NFL have been in contact with the police department there.

Updating the LeSean McCoy story, the Milton Police Department in Georgia is still preparing a police report on the alleged incident. Extremely early in the process of investigation. Department has already been contacted by #NFL and #Bills.

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) July 10, 2018

TMZ claims McCoy and ex-girlfriend had ‘contentious relationship’

On Tuesday afternoon, TMZ published a story that cited court documents and said McCoy and his ex-girlfriend had a contentious relationship. TMZ said in court documents, McCoy referred to the woman as his “ex-girlfriend.”

TMZ said McCoy sought a judge’s order last month to force her out of a home he owns in Alpharetta, Ga. TMZ, citing court documents, said McCoy discussed marriage with her on May 28 and gave her a “substantial gift.” She claimed that days later, McCoy’s friends and family members removed furniture and furnishings from her home without her knowledge. She called police when she saw it happening on a security camera feed, TMZ said, and police stopped the people from taking the items away. The woman also claimed, in court documents cited by TMZ, that McCoy had the electricity to her home cut off.

TMZ published another story later Tuesday afternoon that said police and medical personnel were sent to McCoy’s house in Georgia at 3:23 a.m. on Monday morning for a “home invasion.” According to TMZ the dispatcher said, “It’s gonna be in reference to a female who was assaulted, hit in the head and locked in the bathroom.”

More from Yahoo Sports: • Ex-Panthers owner’s farewell was missing one pretty huge detail • Ronaldo’s blockbuster transfer is a done deal • MLB player retires at 28 to help people with eating disorders • How a child-molesting trainer and teenage steroid user has come to define Latin American baseball

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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2018 NFL Preview: 49ers are grateful the Patriots gifted them Jimmy Garoppolo

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(Yahoo Sports graphics by Amber Matsumoto)

Imagine if New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick hadn’t texted San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan last October with a gift out of the blue.

We’d be talking about a 49ers team that started 0-9 and probably would have finished with three or so wins. We’d be wondering about some of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s personnel moves. We might focus more on star linebacker Reuben Foster and his off-field issues. We’d look closer at the roster and see the warts and the work that needs to be done.

Good thing Shanahan checks his messages. The 49ers are this year’s fun sleeper, all because of a text from the Patriots about Jimmy Garoppolo and a five-game winning streak to end last season.

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The conversation between Belichick and Shanahan came down to one shocking offer: Garoppolo was suddenly available, for the unbelievable price of a second-round pick. Presumably, had the Patriots shopped Garoppolo around they would have gotten a first-round pick and then some. Maybe they’d have landed two first-round picks. There’s no question he’s worth at least that now.

Instead, Shanahan got a random text from a fellow coach, and it turned the direction of the franchise. It was that easy.

“I called [Belichick] back and he told me [Garoppolo] was available,” Shanahan said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “… So now he was available when he wasn’t earlier in the year. There really wasn’t much talk. It was just that: He wasn’t available and now he is. And that was intriguing.”

Intriguing? You think?

If Garoppolo wasn’t so cheap, or if Belichick didn’t hand-pick Garoppolo’s landing spot, the 49ers probably wouldn’t have pursued it. Shanahan loved Kirk Cousins. Nobody has denied that after the fact. It seems clear the 49ers were going to blow him away with an offer in free agency. But Belichick gave the 49ers the deal of the century, for whatever reason.

It’s not hyperbole to say that conversation might end up changing NFL history. Whether the Patriots’ generosity was because Belichick liked and respected Shanahan’s father Mike, the former Broncos coach, or that Lynch spent a bit of time at the end of his career in New England, or whatever conspiracy theory you have about why Belichick sold Garoppolo for a couple quarters on the dollar – we’ll presumably never hear Belichick discuss it at any length – the 49ers turned around their franchise’s future with one move.

Still the hype seems a little too much and too soon, for Garoppolo and the 49ers as a whole. The five-game winning streak was great but you can pour some cold water on it if you look closely:

Win 1, 15-14 at Chicago Bears: The 49ers beat the Bears, who finished 5-11, on a field goal with four seconds left. San Francisco didn’t score a touchdown. Any win in the NFL is an accomplishment but let’s not put this in the “quality wins” bin.

Win 2, 26-16 at Houston Texans: The Texans went 1-9 without Deshaun Watson. T.J. Yates, who doesn’t have a job in the NFL right now, was Houston’s starter. The Texans still led in the second half before fading.

Win 3, 25-23 vs. Tennessee Titans: The Titans were technically a playoff team but also one that needed overtime to beat the Browns and got its final six regular-season wins against the Colts (twice), Browns, Bengals, Texans without Watson and a Jaguars team with nothing to play for in Week 17. And the 49ers, at home, needed a field goal as time expired to win. The 49ers didn’t score a second-half touchdown. It was fine, but …

Win 4, 44-33 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: This was a good win. The Jaguars led 19-16 in the second half and then the 49ers got hot. Quality win.

Win 5, 34-13 at Los Angeles Rams: Hopefully we all remember that the Rams seemed determined to lose in Week 17 and get a more favorable playoff draw, and sat basically anyone who could help them win. This was the easiest win an NFL team had all year; it was the rare instance of one side literally trying to lose.

Winning five games in a row in the NFL is hard, no matter the opponents or circumstances. But if we’re jumping fully on board with the Garoppolo 49ers after those five games – in which he had six touchdowns and five interceptions – it’s fair to look at it through a realistic lens.

Here’s where the eye test matters. If you watched those games, Garoppolo really did look like a future star. He handled himself as you’d hope a franchise quarterback would. He made everyone around him better. Four of the wins might have been against the awful Bears, even worse Texans, paper tiger Titans and the Rams’ junior-varsity team, but he definitely looked the part. Shanahan gave up his man-crush on Cousins, and the 49ers paid Garoppolo like he had already won an MVP. There’s risk in the five-year, $137.5 million deal. But what were the 49ers going to do, not pay him?

“I wouldn’t have signed with the team if I didn’t believe in Garoppolo,” new 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said in an interview with the NFL Network. “I watched how he moved down the stretch, I watched how poised he was. I had conversations with his teammates, I had conversations with the head coach about how they coach him, about how he approaches the game.

“And just seeing his demeanor and seeing how he interacts with his teammates, I think I made a fantastic decision [to join the 49ers].”

The hype train isn’t going to slow down. We want to believe a star was born in December of last season, even if the hype got out of control this offseason. Given the way he got to the 49ers, with the Patriots’ confusing charity, it will be a part of NFL lore if Garoppolo is as good as everyone wants him to be.

And maybe the 49ers will be as good as everyone hopes. Shanahan believes running back Jerick McKinnon, signed from the Vikings, can be great in his offense. Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, second-round pick Dante Pettis and tight end George Kittle have promise as a skill-position group. The offensive line added tackle Mike McGlinchey, the ninth pick of the draft. The defense has intriguing pieces, especially if Sherman rebounds from an Achilles injury.

But the sunny outlook centers around Garoppolo. However the 49ers landed him, he’s there and will be for a while. Hope is a good thing, and the 49ers have plenty now.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo turned around the 49ers’ long-term outlook with a strong stretch of play last season. (AP)

The Jimmy Garoppolo heist has obscured that the 49ers have made some odd moves in the year-plus with John Lynch/Kyle Shanahan running the show. This offseason, the splashiest moves were to sign running back Jerick McKinnon, who Shanahan is convinced can be a star despite little NFL production to prove it, and 30-year-old cornerback Richard Sherman coming off Achilles surgery. The largest contract went to former Giants center Weston Richburg, who has concussion questions. The first-round pick was offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, who was a bit of a surprise pick at No. 9 overall with some really good prospects still on the board, and the second-round pick was receiver Dante Pettis, who was also a surprise ahead of some other receivers. The moves could work out, and there’s nothing wrong with going against the status quo, but the 49ers see greatness in their acquisitions that other teams might not.

GRADE: C-

Since we spent many words on the obvious answer above, let’s pick something other than Jimmy G. I like what the 49ers are building in the front seven, though that progress will hinge on Reuben Foster not getting in any more trouble. As we’ve seen, expecting unreliable players to change can be a fool’s errand. The defensive line has DeForest Buckner, a fantastic player, and former first-round picks Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas. Armstead has shown promise, though some injuries have slowed him down. Thomas was a blue-chip prospect. On the field Foster was great as a rookie, when healthy, and I like the third-round pick of BYU linebacker Fred Warner. It’s not a finished product yet, but you can see what the 49ers are building.

The two-game suspension for Reuben Foster was probably a best-case scenario from a football standpoint for the 49ers. The NFL did its usual dance around consistency and decided to suspend Foster for a marijuana possession arrest and pleading no contest to a gun charge, while practically ignoring a very serious domestic violence accusation. Foster’s ex-girlfriend recanted her statement and said in court she was lying. The NFL has ignored similar changes of heart in other cases, but Foster got just two games. It’s still a blow for the 49ers on the field. The 49ers start the season at the Vikings and then host the Lions, and will do so without one of their best defensive players. Given how tough the NFC will be, you don’t want to get off to a slow start. Malcolm Smith will probably get a bigger role, and that’s not the best news after he missed all of last season due to injury. Rookie Fred Warner could become a starter in place of Foster. The 49ers defense will be affected for a couple games by Foster’s absence.

It’s fine if you don’t buy my argument above that we might be a little too early on the Jimmy Garoppolo love for 2018. But maybe you’d listen to Joe Montana?

“I think it’s still a little early for it myself,” Montana said on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” this offseason, via the San Francisco Chronicle.

“I still want to see a full season played, because it’s easy to come in at the end of a season when the team’s down and no one’s expecting things and be able to win. I won’t say it’s easy — that’s a bad word to choose — but I think it was set up for him to be successful that way.”

Jerick McKinnon wasn’t considered a star, at least not until some glowing words from Kyle Shanahan and a large contract from the 49ers. McKinnon, who split time with Latavius Murray on the Vikings last season after Dalvin Cook’s injury, got a four-year, $30 million contract with $15.7 million guaranteed. That’s star running back money for a player who has never had 1,000 yards from scrimmage in a single season and has 1,918 rushing yards in four seasons. Shanahan clearly believes McKinnon will do far more in his offense than he ever did with the Vikings. Shanahan talked about watching McKinnon’s tape and visualizing all the ways to use his versatility.

“What is a huge bonus on him is when you talk about the pass game,” Shanahan said, according to the 49ers’ transcripts. “When it comes to separating and beating linebackers and safeties in man-to-man coverage, I definitely think he’s an issue for teams.

“There’s lots of things you can do with them and when you have a guy like Jerick, when he’s on the field, he’s not on the field just to run passes. He’s not on the field just to run the ball. He can do both and when you can do both, it puts defenses a lot more in a bind and gives us a lot more options.

“He’s good enough to make it as a runner alone in this league. He’s good enough to make it in the pass game as just a third down threat alone, but when you can do both of those, it gives you a lot of freedom as a coach. Based off of what downs you put him in and that when you do put him in, the defense doesn’t know exactly what type of plays you’re trying to run because he can do it all.”

From Yahoo’s Dalton Del Don: “George Kittle fell to the fifth round despite off the charts workout metrics, thanks to playing in an Iowa system that didn’t utilize him much as a receiver. You can bet Kyle Shanahan has big plans for the sophomore tight end, who impressed as a rookie while playing through multiple injuries and often with poor quarterback play. Jimmy Garoppolo looks like a budding star in a productive (and fast-paced) system that’s short on threats in the red zone, where the 6-4, 250-pound Kittle should be targeted frequently. Kittle’s yards per route run (2.57) during Garoppolo’s five starts would’ve ranked first over the full season last year, so he’s primed for a breakout and should be treated as a top-10 fantasy tight end.”

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If you believe extreme records in close games is a good way to predict regression, that’s another reason to like the 49ers. The 49ers became the first team in NFL history to lose five straight games by three points or less. They went 0-5 while being outscored by 13 total points. That includes two overtime losses on the road. Considering that stretch was historically unprecedented, it’s safe to say such bad luck in close games won’t repeat in 2018.

ARE JIMMY GAROPPOLO’S RECEIVERS GOOD ENOUGH?

Everyone is excited about Garoppolo, but a lot of a quarterback’s success is based on how good his teammates are. The 49ers have some questions in their receiving corps, but there’s promise within the group.

Pierre Garcon is returning off a neck injury and is 31 years old, but if he’s healthy he has 1,000-yard potential. The 49ers rewarded Marquise Goodwin’s 962-yard season with a three-year deal worth a little more than $19 million. Tight end George Kittle, a fifth-round pick last year, looks like a steal. He was really good late last season. And the 49ers have doubled down at slot receiver, with 2017 rookie Trent Taylor and 2018 second-round pick Dante Pettis. Pettis should also help in the return game.

There’s uncertainty throughout the group, but on paper it looks good enough to help Garoppolo succeed.

Maybe the five-game winning streak was a sign of things to come. I think the Rams would need to take on injuries to open up a window for the 49ers to win the NFC West, but injuries happen. Jimmy Garoppolo has looked like a future star for a while, and it’s not crazy to dream a scenario in which he’s an MVP candidate this season. After all, the 49ers have the most expensive offense in the NFL according to the San Francisco Chronicle. And if Garoppolo is one of the league’s best quarterbacks the 49ers can be in competition for a playoff spot, even in the brutal NFC.

Welcome to life in 2018: It seems we intentionally overhype young players just to overreact when they have normal regression. That’s what happened with Dak Prescott. Jimmy Garoppolo is a really fun story, and I assume he’s going to be very good. It also wouldn’t be a huge shock if he struggles some in his first full year as a starter. Don’t forget, the 49ers were 0-9 just eight months ago; they still have issues to work on. If Garoppolo isn’t great right away, that would probably lead to a negative overreaction that would equal all the over-the-top gushing over him this offseason. That’s just how it works these days.

The 49ers might be the team people are most excited to watch this season. They are tied for the NFL lead with five prime-time games, a rarity for a 6-10 team. I think the expectations are just a little too high. While 8-8 would be a fine growth season, it wouldn’t meet the hype. I think Jimmy Garoppolo plays well, the 49ers finish about .500 and perhaps next year they’ll have a huge breakout.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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Man finds Andrew Luck's wallet, returns it and gets a nice surprise

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Imagine finding a lost wallet in Indianapolis, trying to figure out who it belongs to and discovering it’s the property of perhaps the city’s most famous figure.

Good thing for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck that he didn’t have his $32 million signing bonus stuffed in his wallet. Luck lost his wallet earlier this year, according to the Indianapolis Star. However, it ended up back in his hands thanks to a good deed.

According to Haleigh Hoffman, a TV producer at RTV6 in Indianapolis, her friend’s dad named Charles found the lost wallet on a bike ride. And he did what any good samaritan would do when he found a lost wallet: He brought it back to its owner, untouched.

Man who returned Luck’s wallet doesn’t want publicity

The Star said Luck got his wallet back intact after Charles returned it. RTV6 said Charles took it to a security guard at the Colts training complex, and it ended up with the quarterback. As surprised as Charles must have been to find the wallet of one of the NFL’s biggest stars, Luck had to be just as surprised when his wallet was returned to him with everything still in it.

It’s not like Charles did it for publicity. After Hoffman shared the story and it got traction, she said her friend’s dad didn’t want to speak to the media about his good deed.

Luck sent the person who found his wallet a nice gift

Charles was rewarded, however, with a great gift: Luck sent him a signed football and a thank you card that said he was reminded of the “kindness of strangers.”

My friend’s dad found Andrew Luck’s wallet while he was on a bike ride. He returned it to the practice facility and a few weeks later he got this in the mail! Such a nice gesture. @Colts @NFL @JimIrsay #Colts pic.twitter.com/1UVfXt9ZQS

— Haleigh Hoffman (@HaleighHoffman) July 6, 2018

All’s well that ends well. Luck got his wallet back, and even if you’re a millionaire NFL quarterback it can be a pain to replace everything after you lose your wallet. Charles got a pretty cool and meaningful gift from Luck. And Charles reminded us all that there are some good people out there willing to do the right thing, just because.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck lost his wallet, but a man who found it on a bike ride returned it. (AP)

More from Yahoo Sports: • Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson reportedly planning $10M golf duel • French player might have one-upped Neymar’s flopping • 49ers WR Marquise Goodwin surprises mom, sister with new home • Maryland subpoenaed in feds’ college basketball investigation

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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2018 NFL Preview: What are the Seahawks doing?

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(Yahoo Sports graphics by Amber Matsumoto)

When the Seattle Seahawks’ brass wakes up, the first thing it should do is thank the football gods for Russell Wilson.

NFL teams dream of landing someone like Wilson. The New York Jets have been searching for a quarterback like Wilson since Joe Namath, and he hasn’t played for them in more than 40 years. The Chicago Bears have been searching longer than that, since well before the Super Bowl was even dreamed up. Many teams have undergone long searches to find an elite quarterback. The Seahawks have one, and he’s just 29 years old.

Wilson is undeniably great. He had a fantastic 2017 and if we didn’t shut our minds to a player on a non-playoff team being MVP, Wilson could have won the award. The Seahawks are slipping, but the clearest path back to the top is through their amazing quarterback.

Yet, the Seahawks seem to see it differently. I like Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, and general manager John Schneider too. They built a great championship team in Seattle. But as some of their stars have gotten older and left, they seem to be grasping at how to remain a contender. Their main focus this offseason seemed to be minimizing Wilson, the one advantage they still have, in favor of running the ball more. It’s confusing.

“We have a real formula of how we win and we have been unable the last two years to incorporate a major aspect of that and it’s running the football the way we want to run it,” Carroll said, according to the team’s transcripts. “I think you see tremendous examples around the league of teams who have turned their fortunes around and they have turned it around in a formula that I think should sound familiar to you. [By] teams running the football. Teams playing good defense and doing the kicking game thing. That is the formula that has proven historically the best in this game. We have been committed to that from the start but unfortunately we have not been able to recapture it the way that we have in years past.”

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He was serious. The Seahawks hired offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who is a staunch believer in a run-first offense. They drafted running back Rashaad Penny in the first round, a move that surprised everyone and didn’t make much sense given Seattle’s many other needs. Pass catchers Jimmy Graham and Paul Richardson left in free agency, and nothing substantial was done to replace them.

And if that wasn’t enough, Schottenheimer made sure everyone knew what this offense’s focus would be.

“You’ve got to have the ability to run the football when people know you are going to run the football,” Schottenheimer said, according to the Seattle Times.

You have to run the ball when people know you’re going to run the ball? When you have one of the best quarterbacks in football? Yep, that sums up the Seahawks’ mantra this offseason. I don’t get it.

I understand there’s nuance involved. The Seahawks aren’t going to become the 1973 Buffalo Bills and run 75 percent of the time. Some balance isn’t a bad thing. But it’s a fallacy to believe the best path back to greatness is through more run plays.

First of all, NFL teams pass to run, not the other way around. Most teams pass to get a lead, then use the running game to finish. Teams that rely heavily on the run usually do so out of necessity — they would change course immediately if they had a potential Hall of Famer at quarterback.

Many Seattle fans will argue the Seahawks’ championship formula was Marshawn Lynch and defense. But the 2013 Seahawks defense doesn’t work here anymore. That unit was incredible, and in Super Bowl XLVIII it had one of the best single-game performances by any defense in NFL history. The 2018 Seahawks defense isn’t in the same conversation as that group. Wilson was also a young quarterback in 2013; he hadn’t yet blossomed into one of the NFL’s best. Running the ball and playing defense was a great formula for that team five years ago. For this Seattle team, with a defense that isn’t bad but certainly slipping, and without a Hall-of-Fame-level running back like Lynch, running “when people know you are going to run the football” doesn’t make any sense.

It’s understandable why the Seahawks are searching for ways to hang onto the past. This era has been amazing. But there were signs of erosion last season. While the Seahawks weren’t a bad team last season, they went 9-7 and missed the playoffs. Depending on what happens with Earl Thomas’ contract situation, the Seahawks could be without Thomas, practically retired safety Kam Chancellor, defensive linemen Sheldon Richardson, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, and cornerback Richard Sherman from last year’s defense. The offense took some hits too. A declining NFL power had a brutal offseason.

Perhaps because some key mainstays will still be around – Wilson, receiver Doug Baldwin, linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, Carroll and Schneider – it has gone a bit unnoticed that these Seahawks have undergone a massive change.

“With those guys leaving, or some guys leaving and some guys not being here, it’s sad,” Baldwin said. “It changes the dynamic of the team in some ways. Obviously, like I said, the energy is different.

“At times it’s sad because I’ve grown up with [Sherman] in this system, in this organization and we built something special here together, in terms of the culture and the championship atmosphere. But going into the unknown, there’s a level of excitement because we have an opportunity to continue that and bridge the gap between what has happened in the past and what’s new and hopefully continue that championship legacy.”

It’s a new era in Seattle. When you have a quarterback like Wilson, you shouldn’t slip too far. Do the Seahawks understand Wilson is the one asset that gives them the best shot at returning to glory?

Last season, Pete Carroll’s Seahawks missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season. (AP)

I hated the Seahawks’ draft. With all their needs – pass rusher, interior defensive line, safety, cornerback, receiver, offensive line and tight end are all legitimate needs now – taking running back Rashaad Penny in the first round was a weird choice, especially since Seattle has been very good at finding quality running backs in the bargain bin. The offseason buzz about running back Chris Carson reinforced that the Seahawks could have used their draft assets in a better way. The Seahawks also drafted a punter before an offensive lineman. The biggest deal the Seahawks handed out in free agency was to 30-year-old tight end Ed Dickson, who has averaged 248 receiving yards in his eight NFL seasons. Receiver Brandon Marshall was signed, but he looks like he’s near the end. They needed to find a new kicker after Blair Walsh cost them dearly last season, but the main move there was signing Sebastian Janikowski, who is 40 and missed all of last season with a back injury. The Seahawks had a lot of talent leave the building, not much came in, and very little was done to help Russell Wilson.

GRADE: F

I would say it’s having one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, but I’m not sure the Seahawks agree. It is possible the defense doesn’t slip too far, despite some great players leaving. Frank Clark is a good pass rusher. Bobby Wagner is a great middle linebacker, and running mate K.J. Wright is underrated. I assume Earl Thomas will be on the field at some point, and he is one of the best safeties in the game. They still have some talented defensive backs; even with Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman missing time last season, the Seahawks still allowed a quarterback rating of just 79.1, the eighth best mark in the league. Nobody will confuse this group with the 2013 or 2014 defense. But it shouldn’t be bad.

Part of the Seahawks’ focus on the run game meant they ignored the pass game in the offseason. Doug Baldwin is an exceptional receiver. And he might get half of the team’s targets. Tyler Lockett could be a good No. 2 but he’s no sure thing. Lockett did not rebound well from a horrible leg injury suffered in 2016. Nick Vannett is the best pass-catching tight end on the roster, and he has 156 yards in two seasons. Brandon Marshall has 942 yards and three touchdowns over his past 20 games spanning two seasons, and he’s 34 years old. There’s not much to like further down the depth chart either. The Seahawks should have been trying to sign Allen Robinson or Sammy Watkins, or at least re-sign Jimmy Graham or Paul Richardson. Instead, they decided they wanted to be a ground-and-pound offense.

In Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts last season, J.D. McKissic ran 30 yards for a touchdown to give Seattle a third-quarter lead. Why does that matter? That is the only offensive touchdown the Seahawks scored all last season that didn’t involve Russell Wilson. The Seahawks scored 38 offensive touchdowns last season and Wilson ran or threw 37 of them. We might never see something like that again. I don’t care what the Seahawks’ record was, Wilson should have gotten serious MVP consideration (Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr agrees with me).

It’s unclear how the Earl Thomas situation will shake out. It’s surprising the Seahawks haven’t paid him yet, or traded him if they don’t plan to give him a deal. Thomas might be the most important player the Seahawks have had over their great run, even more valuable than Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman or Marshawn Lynch. His ability to dominate deep in the secondary has allowed the Seahawks to be extremely aggressive on defense. They know Thomas can erase mistakes in front of him. However, Thomas’ name was floated in trade rumors this offseason and then he announced he will hold out of “any team activities until my contract situation is resolved.” It’s hard to predict what will happen in contract standoffs, but don’t doubt that the proud Thomas would stay away indefinitely. Don’t forget he has also had retirement thoughts in recent years. The Seahawks, who have lost a tremendous amount of talent, can’t afford to play hardball here.

From Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “Although Doug Baldwin has ranked quite well over the last three years (WR8, WR10, WR13), he’s done it through efficiency and not volume. He’s been targeted a modest 344 times in that period, with a high of 125. This could be the year Baldwin finally is forced the ball like a true elite receiver; the Seahawks lost Jimmy Graham (their red-zone guy) and Paul Richardson in the offseason. Throw in a shaky, declining Seattle defense and a Baldwin pick looks appealing, especially if you can snag him in the third round. Every NFL player is an injury concern on some level, but Baldwin answers the bell — he’s missed just two games over seven seasons. Riding shotgun with elite quarterback Russell Wilson is an obvious plus.

“Even some of the softer factors line up — Baldwin has always been a film-study guy and a maximum-effort player; he desperately wants to be the best player he can be. Seattle needs Baldwin more than ever before, and you want to be in on this ride.”

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While the NFL is trying to find the next brilliant, progressive offensive mind, the Seahawks hired Brian Schottenheimer as their offensive coordinator. His record shouldn’t excite anyone, and nor should his run-first approach in a pass-first NFL world. Schottenheimer has been the coordinator of nine offenses, and only one (2010 Jets) finished higher than 16th in yards gained. Seven of his nine offenses finished 20th or lower. Since his first offense (2006 Jets), every Schottenheimer offense has finished 21st or worst in net yards per passing attempt. Even his results in the run game aren’t great: Six of his nine offenses finished 19th or worse in total rushing yards and six finished 15th or worse in yards per attempt. In fairness, Schottenheimer never had a quarterback as talented as Russell Wilson. But when people complain about the recycling of coaches in the NFL, this is one instance they can point to.

IS THE SEAHAWKS’ OFFENSIVE LINE ANY BETTER?

For years, everyone has known the Seahawks’ offensive line was a problem. Yet, it made strides last season.

The in-season trade with the Texans for tackle Duane Brown helped a lot, and Brown should be much better this year. Brown held out deep into last season and then had to switch teams shortly afterward. Still, he calmed down a terrible left tackle situation. It’s a clear upgrade.

Free-agent addition D.J. Fluker has never lived up to his promise as a former first-round pick, but he cost just $1.5 million over one year. With Fluker probably slotting in at right guard, the Seahawks are projected to start three former first-round picks and two former second-round picks on the line. Draft pedigree isn’t everything, but it’s better than some of the other plans the Seahawks have tried the past couple years.

A promise to run more of a power scheme and less of a zone-blocking scheme might help, particularly with former first-round pick Germain Ifedi, who has been a bust to this point. Oft-criticized line coach Tom Cable is gone as well.

While the line isn’t great, it has gotten a little bit better, mostly thanks to Brown.

Part of me assumes that when push comes to shove, the plan to “run the football when people know you are going to run the football” is going to take a back seat and Russell Wilson will be asked to carry the team again. He can do it. What Wilson did last season was amazing. This is a team with a championship pedigree, and it had five losses in games decided by seven points or less last season (three of those losses were by a field goal or less). They were an unlucky 9-7. Any team with a quarterback like Wilson should at least be in contention for a division title, and that’s on the table for Seattle.

Again, having Russell Wilson means the floor can’t be too low. The Seahawks are in major trouble if Wilson gets hurt, but that’s true for many teams. I can see the Seahawks finishing below .500, however. Brian Schottenheimer was an uninspiring offensive coordinator hire, new defensive coordinator Ken Norton’s three Oakland Raiders defenses never finished better than 20th in yards or points allowed, and I believe I’ve mentioned how confusing Seattle’s offseason was. A six- or seven-win season wouldn’t be a disaster for some teams, but it would be horrible for a Seahawks team that put together a mini-dynasty this decade.

The Seahawks seem to be stuck on the idea they’ll be better off with more Rashaad Penny and less Russell Wilson. We’ll see if words turn into action, but I’m not encouraged. The Seahawks’ moves this offseason spoke loudly. The amount of talent the Seahawks lost this offseason has not gotten enough attention, for some reason. They lost multiple players who should be in the Seahawks’ Ring of Honor, and some could end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (especially if Thomas never returns). I’ve enjoyed this Seahawks run. They’ve been compelling and dominant. I’m not biased against Seattle, Pete Carroll, Starbucks coffee, the Space Needle or anything else I’m sure Seahawks fans will scream about. I simply don’t like or understand the direction they went this offseason. The over/under win total for the Seahawks in Las Vegas is either 7.5 or 8, and the under seems like the right play.

More from Yahoo Sports: • Jason Pierre-Paul shares horrific photo reminding people to stay safe on July 4th • Ex-wrestler claims Rep. Jim Jordan witnessed lewd shower acts at OSU • Report: Raiders CB sues woman who accused him of rape • Ranking Carlos Gomez’s dugout meltdown among the other great ones

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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49ers linebacker Reuben Foster suspended two games by NFL

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The NFL was able to suspend San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster without ever acknowledging the very serious domestic violence allegation against him.

Foster pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor gun charge and was also arrested for marijuana possession this offseason. The NFL was able to do some gymnastics to turn that into a two-game suspension, while never addressing the domestic violence charge that ended up being dropped.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the two-game suspension was for “violating the NFL’s Conduct and Substances of Abuse policies. The violations stem from a weapons offense and a misdemeanor drug offense, both of which were resolved earlier this year.”

#49ers LB Reuben Foster is fined and suspended without pay for the first two games of 2018 for violating the NFL’s Conduct and Substances of Abuse policies. The violations stem from a weapons offense and a misdemeanor drug offense, both of which were resolved earlier this year.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 3, 2018

Note that Rapoport made sure to not mention the domestic violence case.

Finding a way to suspend Foster

The NFL was in a tough spot with Foster’s case. Foster was accused of dragging his girlfriend and punching her in the head, but then she recanted her statement and testified in court she lied.

The NFL has often ignored what happens in court, especially in recent domestic violence cases after the Ray Rice debacle, to suspend players. Greg Hardy’s ex-girlfriend didn’t testify against him and charges were therefore dropped on appeal, but the NFL suspended him anyway. Ezekiel Elliott was suspended six games after a domestic violence accusation although no charges were brought against him. Jameis Winston just got hit with a three-game suspension for allegedly groping an Uber driver, though she never bought the matter to legal authorities.

The NFL couldn’t let Foster off without a suspension, after those examples. Also, if they suspended Foster the six games they outlined in the new domestic violence policy, they would be doing so based on the recanted statement of a woman who testified in court she was lying.

So the NFL took the easy way out and suspended Foster for something else.

Foster says he’s sorry

The NFL, Foster and 49ers general manager John Lynch released statements on Tuesday:

Statement by an NFL spokesperson: “Reuben Foster of the San Francisco 49ers has been fined and suspended without pay for the first two games of the 2018 regular season for violating the NFL’s Conduct and Substances of Abuse policies. The violations stem from a weapons offense and a misdemeanor drug offense, both of which were resolved earlier this year.

“Foster will be eligible to return to the 49ers’ active roster on Monday, September 17, following the team’s September 16 game against the Detroit Lions.

“Foster is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.

Foster: “I accept the League’s decision and am sorry that my mistakes have hurt my team. I have a responsibility to the 49ers, our fans and our community, and I am committed to learning from this situation and making better choices in the future. The support I have received over the last five months has been humbling, and I do not take it for granted.”

Lynch: “Our organization understands and supports the League’s decision. Although we are disappointed that Reuben will not be with our team for the first two games of the season, we will continue to work with him on making better decisions and eliminating unnecessary distractions. We are encouraged to see Reuben take responsibility for his mistakes, and hopeful that he has learned from them as well.”

Where do the 49ers and Foster go from here?

The 49ers, who didn’t take action with Foster despite the serious allegations, will lose one of their best defensive players for two games. Foster was a first-round pick last year, and the 49ers clearly were hoping the situation would pass without them having to let Foster go.

While the entire sequence makes little sense, the NFL can say it gave Foster some punishment, and the 49ers and Foster can quietly serve two games and move on. And it’s probably a good bet the NFL’s next round of player punishment will be just as confusing as this one.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was suspended two games by the NFL. (AP)

More from Yahoo Sports: • Boogie to the Warriors: NBA Twitter appropriately stunned • Sources: NFL pushes for ruling on whether Colin Kaepernick collusion case should get tossed • Golfer withdraws from British Open qualifier after airline loses his clubs • Japanese team leaves World Cup dressing room spotless even after loss

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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2018 NFL Preview: Redskins coach Jay Gruden believes in Alex Smith, and he better be right

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(Yahoo Sports graphics by Amber Matsumoto)

The Washington Redskins emerged from the Kirk Cousins contract debacle as well as could reasonably be expected.

And if you believe Jay Gruden, the team upgraded when it traded for Alex Smith.

“Yeah, without a doubt,” Gruden said. “I don’t want to compare two players, but we’re always trying to be better at every position. We got better.”

It’s a double-edged sword for Gruden. He probably doesn’t have the job security to oversee a long rebuild with a bad quarterback. But by proclaiming the Redskins got better at quarterback, he has left himself no outs if it doesn’t work. His seat has to be considered warm coming into this season, and he can’t buy himself more time by blaming a bad quarterback situation in Washington’s post-Cousins world. He told the world Washington improved in that spot.

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It always seemed Gruden and the Redskins had a strange relationship with Cousins. The “How you like me now?” moment a few years ago seemed to reveal tension beneath the surface over the lack of appreciation for Cousins’ skills. The front office never gave him the contract offer he knew he could get on the open market (he got that mega-deal from the Minnesota Vikings). Gruden always held back praise for Cousins. After the season was done, Gruden made a comment that’s ridiculous from an NFL coach.

“You’re 7-9, you know it’s hard to say, ‘Wow, this guy really was outstanding,'” Gruden said.

That’s inane. Cousins played remarkably last season given the injuries and lack of talent around him; downgrading his performance based on the team’s record is delusional. He’s the only reason the Redskins weren’t picking in the top five of this year’s draft.

But when former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan said in an interview with 104.3 The Fan in Denver after the season that he didn’t see a “special” player in Cousins, we can probably assume many decision makers still with the team share that feeling. For whatever reason, the Redskins never embraced Cousins as much as everyone else did.

And it’s possible Washington is right. They were around Cousins every day and know his limitations. Cousins was quite productive, and the Vikings believe Cousins is a franchise quarterback, but for a few years the Redskins have been telling us through their actions that they didn’t love him. When Gruden says Smith is better than Cousins, it doesn’t seem like predictable praise for a new player. He seems to genuinely believe it.

There are reasons to like Smith. He led the NFL in passer rating last season, albeit with a far better supporting cast than Washington will give him. Gruden listed all of the things he likes about Smith, and it seemed like more praise than he gave Cousins in six seasons.

“It’s not one thing, it’s everything. It’s the entire body of work,” Gruden said, according to ESPN. “He’s very good at the intermediate ball. He’s good with the quick game. He can run zone reads, the [run-pass options]. Very exciting. … The ability to ad-lib, make plays that aren’t there and keep plays alive. Coaching him for the first time will be exciting because I don’t think there’s a limit on what he can do. He has all the things you want a quarterback to be able to do.”

This means there are no more excuses. Gruden could freeze out Robert Griffin III for Cousins and be given a pass for a few years. But you can’t offer that kind of praise for a new quarterback after another change and then not show improvement. Gruden is 28-35-1 as Redskins coach. While you can never predict what a team will do when it comes to head-coaching decisions – see: Lewis, Marvin – it seems like a good bet that Gruden better have some quick success with Smith, because he won’t survive otherwise.

There’s more to team success than quarterback play (you wouldn’t know it from Gruden’s ignorant “7-9” comment about Cousins). The Redskins aren’t bad around their new quarterback, but they’re not great either. The defense is good, a bit underrated, though it won’t scare anyone. The receivers could be good if some things break right, but that group is largely unknown. The run game should be much better with rookie Derrius Guice, but we don’t know.

This is a middle-of-the-road team expecting its improvement to come from ditching a quarterback with 13,176 yards and 81 touchdowns the past three seasons.

Gruden better hope he’s right about how good Smith can be.

Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith came over from Kansas City in an offseason trade. (AP)

Let’s ignore the missteps that led to the Kirk Cousins departure and focus on where the Redskins were at the end of last season. They were without a quarterback and had no obvious path to get one. In that context, ending up with Alex Smith was a fine outcome, though they paid a hefty trade price giving up a good cornerback in Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick. Signing the 34-year-old Smith to a four-year, $94 million extension is risky, but the Redskins will deal with that down the road. I like the signing of receiver Paul Richardson, and cornerback Orlando Scandrick helps to replace Fuller. There were some free-agent losses other than Cousins, but nothing too devastating. I liked the rookie class because Derrius Guice will be one of the best picks of this year’s draft.

GRADE: B

If the Redskins’ last two first-round picks pay off, the front seven could be very good. End Jonathan Allen was a good value pick in the first round last year, though his rookie season was limited to five games due to injury. If you watched Alabama in the College Football Playoff last season you know the potential of 2018 first-round pick Da’Ron Payne. Inside linebackers Mason Foster and Zach Brown are good at what they do, and Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith form an underrated pass-rush duo. They combined for 21 sacks last year. There’s a lot to like.

Alex Smith benefited from very good talent around him with the Chiefs last season. It’s unclear how good Washington’s cast is. Jamison Crowder is a fantastic slot receiver, even if he took a step back last season, and that’s a good start. Who else is reliable? Jordan Reed can’t stay healthy. Josh Doctson makes some great catches but he has shown no consistency. I liked Washington’s addition of Paul Richardson, but he was a low-volume receiver for Seattle and we don’t know what he could do with a bigger target share. You can easily talk yourself into this group being good. It’s also easy to see how it could disappoint.

The Redskins botched the Kirk Cousins contract situation, then overcompensated with Alex Smith’s deal. For practical purposes it would be hard for Washington to get out of his four-year, $94 million deal before 2021, according to Spotrac’s figures. Of that $94 million, a whopping $71 million is practically guaranteed. Smith’s 2020 salary of $16 million becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2019 league year, according to Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington, and it’s impossible to believe Washington would cut him after one year and $55 million in guaranteed money. That means in any realistic scenario, no matter how good or bad Smith is in 2018 and 2019, Smith will be Washington’s quarterback in 2020 at 36 years old. That might work out very well, but that scenario carries risk.

Cornerback Josh Norman came to Washington with great fanfare, and he has been a good addition. However, now on the wrong side of 30 years old, he’s also at a point where cornerbacks start to slide. We might have seen the beginning of his decline last year. Pro Football Focus, which has always graded Norman well, ranked him as the No. 53 cornerback in the NFL last season (Norman disagreed). Bleacher Report’s film analysis for its NFL1000 series put Norman No. 24 among outside corners. There’s nothing wrong with being a top-25 NFL cornerback (not as great to be top 53), but the Redskins need Norman to be an elite cornerback, especially when you consider they traded away Kendall Fuller. However, a rebound becomes less likely at Norman’s age. Norman will turn 31 years old on Dec. 15 and also has a salary-cap number of almost $17 million. The Redskins could reasonably move on from Norman in 2019, when he is slated to make $11 million in base salary. But they have to be hoping he returns to form as a top-10 cornerback and becomes an easy investment for another year.

From Yahoo’s Andy Behrens: “You shouldn’t need a fantasy expert to tell you that Derrius Guice has a chance to be very good, very soon. His talent is hard to miss and he’s clearly the best early-down rushing option on this team’s roster. No one should be surprised if he delivers a top-10 or 12 positional finish in his first season.

“If there’s a sneaky-good fantasy option in Washington, it’s fourth-year receiver Jamison Crowder. He was a semi-buzzy player last summer, but nagging injury issues limited him in the early weeks. Crowder’s performance in the second half of the season offered a glimpse of what he’s capable of doing in 2018. Between Weeks 8 and 16, he caught 44 passes for 615 yards and three scores. He’s a decent bet for 90 receptions and 1100-plus yards in a healthy season, with Alex Smith at the controls of the offense. Crowder and Smith reportedly clicked during OTAs, so there’s that.

“It’s possible that Dez Bryant could land in Washington and unsettle the receiving hierarchy, but, at the moment, Crowder looks like a strong candidate for a breakout season.”

[Booms/Busts: Fantasy outlook on the Redskins.]

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Football Outsiders tracks injuries not just by adding up games lost, but weighing which players were hurt. An injury to a backup safety doesn’t have the same impact as an injury to a team’s quarterback, and FO’s adjusted games lost metric accounts for those differences. In FO’S AGL metric, the Redskins lost the most games to injury last season, thanks in large part to a crushing wave of ailments on the offensive line. Even with the worst injury situation in the NFL, the Redskins went 7-9. A lot of credit goes to Kirk Cousins, who played very well when everything around him was falling apart, but it also reflects well on Jay Gruden.

CAN DERRIUS GUICE BE OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR?

Technically, the answer is probably no because voters like quarterbacks. Five quarterbacks were taken in the first round and Saquon Barkley exists as a rookie, therefore it will be hard for anyone else to make a run at Rookie of the Year. But I like Guice as a dark horse. We still don’t know exactly why Guice slipped to the second round, but he was the second-best back in this class. He’s not great in the passing game and that likely hurt his stock, but he’s fantastic as a runner. He runs a sub-4.5 40-yard dash and packs a violent punch in his 224-pound frame. I like everything about Guice as a runner, and there’s nobody on the Redskins who should stop him from an early down role. It would be a surprise if he doesn’t rush for more than 1,000 yards this season.

The subtle slights of Kirk Cousins are ridiculous, but maybe Jay Gruden is right and Alex Smith is better. It’s not like the Redskins were terrible last season, and that was with some awful injury luck. If they have better health and Smith is an upgrade, the Redskins could be in playoff contention. That’s a tough task in a deep NFC, but the pieces are there for it.

There’s a reason Alex Smith was available. The Chiefs thought they had gone as far as they could with Smith, and drafted Patrick Mahomes to push them further. Smith has always been a solid quarterback, but not one who can lift a middling supporting cast. However, when the Redskins paid a steep price for Smith, it wasn’t counting on getting a game manager. He needs to be really good. If Smith isn’t better than Kirk Cousins, that will be pointed out often in Washington. And Smith will very likely be the starter through 2020 no matter what. A step back puts Jay Gruden on a much hotter seat, and then all of a sudden Washington would be a backsliding team that made a huge investment in a good but not great quarterback in his mid-30s.

Washington is a team I struggled to rank. It could be much better than No. 23. I don’t buy that Alex Smith is an upgrade over Kirk Cousins, but Smith is capable. I also believe that Derrius Guice can be a difference maker. Yet, the Redskins play a tough schedule again and there’s nothing about them that indicates a big breakout. I could see them being about 7-9, just like last season. It will be interesting to see if that’s enough to buy Jay Gruden a sixth season.

32. Cleveland Browns 31. Indianapolis Colts 30. New York Jets 29. Arizona Cardinals 28. Buffalo Bills 27. Cincinnati Bengals 26. Chicago Bears 25. New York Giants 24. Miami Dolphins

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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Vince McMahon is reportedly spending a fortune on the new XFL

WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon is reportedly investing $500 million into the new XFL football league. (AP)

When the new XFL was announced — right now you’re saying, “Oh that’s right! I totally forgot about that whole XFL thing!” — part of the story was that Vince McMahon had cashed in $100 million of his WWE stock for the new football league.

And $100 million would have been a major financial commitment. It was actually just a taste.

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ESPN’s Darren Rovell reported that McMahon has told people he actually plans to spend $500 million on the new football league. Mr. McMahon isn’t playing around.

McMahon is making a massive investment into the XFL

While McMahon’s WWE empire allows him to take a half-billion dollar gamble on football, it’s a sign of how serious he is about making the XFL work this time.

The first time the XFL debuted, it started great and fizzled fast. The league didn’t seem to know how to turn the ship back around, and couldn’t overcome its fatal flaw of lousy play on the field.

Most startup businesses need funding and patience. The XFL, which is slated to start in 2020 as one of two new start-up leagues planning to enter the market, seems to have both this time around.

“People were focused on the $100 million, but the truth is that doesn’t even get us to the 20-yard line,” league CEO and commissioner Oliver Luck told ESPN.

What is costing McMahon so much?

The biggest part of McMahon’s investment, Rovell said, are player salaries and injury insurance. ESPN, quoting Luck, said the teams will have 40-man rosters and the average salary will be about $75,000. Players who can command a higher salary will be paid more.

Luck told ESPN insurance is costly because there are “few participants who underwrite for this market anymore.”

It’s a glimpse into why there have been very few competitors to the NFL through the years, despite the fact that football is by far and away the most popular sport in America. It’s an expensive endeavor.

Why is McMahon going all-in on his rebooted football league?

We know what McMahon is spending his money on, but why? It’s reasonable if he thinks it’s a good business investment. There has been room for many years for a second professional football league. If another league got 10 percent of the NFL’s following, that wouldn’t be too bad.

But it seems like more than just an investment to McMahon. Perhaps McMahon is proud and the failure of the first XFL go-around in 2001 eats at him. He’s not used to losing. Maybe he dislikes the NFL and wants to knock it off its perch. It’s hard to know.

While the initial news that the XFL could be reborn seemed strange, it’s no joke for McMahon. Money talks, and McMahon’s investment tells us what he thinks of the XFL’s chances of succeeding.

More from Yahoo Sports: • Chris Mannix: LeBron James’ decision will be bigger circus than previous dramas • Tiger Woods surges into contention at Quicken Loans tournament • World Cup: Power ranking teams Nos. 1-16 • Eric Adelson: Bucs shouldn’t hand back Jameis Winston his starting job

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog · 6 years

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NFL says it could ban Jameis Winston if there's another violation in future

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The details that have come out since the NFL announced a three-game suspension for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston are a bit odd.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said three games was a negotiated settlement between the league and Winston. Winston didn’t have to admit guilt from an incident in which he was accused of groping an Uber driver. He did apologize for … something. He blamed alcohol. The NFL was good with that and gave him just three games, presumably to avoid an appeal or legal battle. Winston didn’t fight the suspension.

It wasn’t the toughest stance for the league to take, but the NFL and inconsistent punishment are intertwined at this point, especially since it said it would get tough on domestic violence. But it promises that if Winston does anything else, then it will get very tough.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston was suspended three games by the NFL. (AP)

Would Winston be banned for another incident?

As part of the NFL’s statement on the matter, it included that Winston could be banned for any further violations.

“A failure either to obtain the evaluation or to cooperate with treatment will result in further discipline,” the league said in its statement, according to NFL.com. “In addition, a future violation of the personal conduct policy will result in more substantial discipline, including a potential ban from the NFL.”

The three-game suspension, while making the NFL look like it cares more about contrition and avoiding conflict than the violation itself, should be a message to Winston.

Winston doesn’t deserve a benefit of the doubt anymore

As Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson predicted, we’re already seeing Winston’s camp start to do some image repair. There’s talk about how this time he has already changed. We’ve heard it all before, and this time it feels empty.

Winston doesn’t deserve much benefit of the doubt, and the Buccaneers have no reason to trust him anymore. The Buccaneers, or whoever Winston’s next team is if he doesn’t get a contract extension (based on the Bucs’ statement that went easy on Winston, Tampa will probably pay him), will just have to worry about something else happening and hope it doesn’t.

And if something else happens, we’ll see how serious the NFL is about a major punishment. Maybe it’ll negotiate another settlement. Whether or not the NFL would follow through with its threats, a message has been sent: Patience with Winston has run out.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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2018 NFL Preview: Maybe this time Dolphins coach Adam Gase can finally run his offense

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(Yahoo Sports graphics by Amber Matsumoto)

When the Miami Dolphins hired Adam Gase in 2016 it was supposed to be a new age for the franchise, particularly on offense.

Gase was going to run an exciting, up-tempo offense. The debate wasn’t whether they’d run a no-huddle attack. The talk was about how fast their no-huddle offense was going to be.

Two years later, the Dolphins are as boring as any offense in the NFL. Over the past two seasons only the Chicago Bears, run by outdated coach John Fox, ran fewer plays than the Dolphins. Miami finished 24th in yards in 2016 and 25th in 2017. The Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets are the only teams that haven’t finished higher than 24th in total yards either of the past two seasons.

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The revolution hasn’t happened. The Dolphins’ offense has been slow and ineffective. There were reasons. The Dolphins slowed to a crawl in 2016 because the faster tempo wasn’t working early in the season. Then the Dolphins got on a roll with a slower offense (albeit against a very friendly schedule) and made the playoffs. Hard to argue.

“When you get into a situation where the quarterback feels comfortable but then you have 10 other guys that it’s hard with, you really have to go away from it,” Gase said in 2017, according to the Sun-Sentinel, explaining why the Dolphins gave up the no-huddle approach the year before. “If you have 50 percent, it’s just not enough. Last year we just got into a situation where we needed to settle everything down and really keep learning what we were doing and get better at that.”

With another offseason to implement the scheme, 2017 was supposed to be the year. Then Ryan Tannehill tore his ACL in training camp and the Dolphins had to drag Jay Cutler out of retirement. They played slow again. The offense was awful most of the season, and Gase knew it.

“I’m tired of watching for two years this garbage,” Gase said after a 20-6 loss to the Jets last September, when the Dolphins were shut out until a meaningless touchdown on the final play. “We’ll make the proper adjustments, probably make some changes. We’ll figure out what we’ve got to do and get that thing rolling. I’ve been watching it for two years and it hasn’t worked.”

You don’t get unlimited time to figure things out as an NFL head coach, unless you’re Marvin Lewis. Gase has been on the job two seasons and hasn’t run his offense yet. It might be now or never.

“Obviously we want to run an up-tempo, no-huddle offense,” new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said this offseason, according to the Dolphins’ transcripts. “That’s what Adam has done in the past and that’s where our vision is and we’re trying to get going that way.”

We’ve heard that before. At least this time the Dolphins should have their quarterback, although perhaps not much else.

Tannehill is back. He is practicing and all signs are that he has recovered from his injury, but there was the same optimism last offseason and it didn’t matter. There should be concern until Tannehill makes it through August looking healthy.

This is a huge season for Tannehill, who will turn 30 on July 27. Tannehill has played well at times. His career 86.5 rating is less than a point behind the career marks of Alex Smith, Andrew Luck and Jameis Winston, and ahead of the career marks of Cam Newton and Eli Manning. However, he hasn’t been overwhelming and he’s expensive. Tannehill’s annual average salary of $19.25 million is 18th highest in the NFL, more than any non-quarterback in the league. It’s hard to justify paying Tannehill more per season than Von Miller or Antonio Brown. Tannehill’s 2019 salary-cap number, as it stands, is $26.6 million, according to Spotrac. It’s hard to imagine the Dolphins paying that if Tannehill doesn’t take a step forward (though, NFL teams often make suboptimal decisions when it comes to average quarterbacks).

If Gase wants to finally run his preferred offense and Tannehill is going to turn into more than a forgettable quarterback, some offensive talent will have to emerge. Jarvis Landry was traded this offseason. Jay Ajayi was traded last season. Former first-round pick DeVante Parker hasn’t panned out, though there’s another offseason of syrupy sweet reports that this looks like his breakout. Sure. The Dolphins will try again at tight end with athletic rookie Mike Gesecki. Miami’s offensive line is in the bottom half of the league. Receivers Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson were added, Kenny Stills is an interesting weapon, Kenyan Drake would probably be a fine running back if the Dolphins would finally trust him, but it’s still a thin offense.

Excuses won’t matter. Gase and Tannehill have to make it work. Gase has good reasons for not yet delivering on his offensive promises, and Tannehill’s development wasn’t helped by mediocre supporting casts, a coaching change and injuries. The NFL generally doesn’t care about anything but the bottom line.

If things don’t look different this season in Miami, they’ll probably look a lot different next year.

Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase enters his third season with the team. (AP)

It’s hard to get too excited when the biggest move of Miami’s offseason was cutting defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. We can argue if Suh was worth what he was getting paid, but the Dolphins can’t replace him. Losing center Mike Pouncey is an underrated blow too. The main free-agent additions of receiver Danny Amendola, guard Josh Sitton and running back Frank Gore are fine, but all are at least 32 years old. Receiver Albert Wilson will be 26 this season and is an intriguing gamble, but he still has just 1,544 yards and seven touchdowns in four seasons. The Dolphins spent what amounts to only a fourth-round pick on pass rusher Robert Quinn, which made sense. I like first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick, and second-round pick Mike Gesecki has great athleticism for a tight end. But overall, it’s hard to say the Dolphins are better.

GRADE: C-

The Dolphins’ secondary could end up being a strength. Safety Reshad Jones is one of the best in the NFL, and should still have plenty left in the tank at age 30. Cornerback Xavien Howard had a great stretch late last season, and perhaps he’s ready to consistently play at that level. First-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick was a great value pick at No. 12, and his versatility will be a plus for the Dolphins from his first game on. The Dolphins’ secondary wasn’t good last season – a poor pass rush didn’t help – but if Miami can turn that into a strength, it’s a big boost.

I’d like to have more faith in the Dolphins’ receivers. I get why they didn’t want to invest a huge contract in Jarvis Landry. But Albert Wilson is unproven, Danny Amendola is old (for all his playoff success, he has never posted 700 yards in a regular season), Mike Gesecki is a rookie and DeVante Parker is a perennial tease. Kenny Stills is a good deep threat but isn’t a No. 1 receiver. Maybe one or more of these targets has a great season, but you’d like to see more certainty as Ryan Tannehill tries to get back on a positive career track.

The Dolphins are in a tough spot. Ryan Tannehill is slated to get paid like a perennial Pro Bowler next season. Yet, they have no substantial backup plan if they have to move on from Tannehill next year. The other quarterbacks on the roster are Brock Osweiler, Bryce Petty and David Fales, and none of them should be starting for an NFL team. It’s understandable why the Dolphins didn’t move up like the Buffalo Bills or Arizona Cardinals for Josh Allen or Josh Rosen, and it was even reasonable for them to pass on Lamar Jackson. But now Tannehill could have a bad season and still have leverage with his $26.6 million salary-cap hit next season. The Dolphins are walking a tightrope at quarterback.

The Robert Quinn trade was a surprise. The Los Angeles Rams are loading up for a Super Bowl run, and traded away a former All-Pro pass rusher with no clear replacement? The Rams saved more than $11 million on the cap, but it was still startling a contender would trade a 28-year-old with 62.5 career sacks for what amounts to a fourth-round pick (the Dolphins and Rams swapped sixth-round picks too). Why would the Rams dump him? Quinn was a 2013 All-Pro with 19 sacks, but the past three seasons have produced just 17.5 sacks combined. Are the Dolphins getting the guy who had 40 sacks from 2012-14 or the player who has struggled with injuries for three years? Cameron Wake is amazing, but he’s also 36 and won’t post double-digit sacks forever. The Dolphins need Quinn to make an impact.

From Yahoo’s Liz Loza: “In 2016, with Ryan Tannehill under center, Jarvis Landry averaged 8.5 targets per game. With Landry gone, one might assume Danny Amendola would receive a hearty target share. Except … the Dolphins have a plethora of bodies that can man the slot. From Albert Wilson to Jakeem Grant to two pass-catching running backs, the Dolphins have options. At 32 years old, and with a history of durability concerns, Amendola seems much more like insurance than reassurance. Don’t chase the brand name.”

[Booms/Busts: Fantasy outlook on the Dolphins.]

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If you’ve read these previews over the years, you know I study win-loss records in close games. A great record in close games is often fool’s gold and not repeatable, and a bad record in close games usually means a team was unlucky. Well, the 6-10 Dolphins were 5-2 in games decided by a touchdown or less (and 3-1 in games decided by a field goal or less). That’s right, the Dolphins had one convincing win all season, a 35-9 drubbing of the Denver Broncos in Week 13. As bad as this sounds, the Dolphins were lucky to be 6-10. That’s not good.

WHY DON’T THE DOLPHINS LOVE KENYAN DRAKE?

It’s a red flag when teams can’t see what they have in a player. Case in point: Last season’s Tennessee Titans staff refused to make Derrick Henry their lead back over DeMarco Murray. Murray was finished and everyone could see it … except the Titans’ staff. Then Murray got hurt, the Titans had no choice, and Henry dominated in a playoff win at Kansas City. If last season’s Titans staff couldn’t get that obvious decision right, how many other things was it screwing up? In a similar tale, I wonder why the Dolphins are so lukewarm on Drake. Even when Jay Ajayi was traded during last season, the Dolphins made sure to give pedestrian Damien Williams close to half the snaps. When Williams went down, they had to use Drake. And the multi-talented Drake played very well, gaining 129 yards from scrimmage per game in five games as the unquestioned lead back. The Dolphins should be thrilled by that development, right? They didn’t show it, engaging in trade rumors for some running backs, then signing Frank Gore and drafting Kalen Ballage. Every team needs depth at tailback, and Drake hasn’t shown he can hold up with 250 or more carries over a season, but reports indicated Gore is far more than just a veteran insurance policy. Based on the Dolphins’ weird reluctance to feature Drake, would it surprise anyone if Gore gets way too many carries this season? Probably not. The Dolphins have a young, talented back in Drake. Now let’s see if they give him a real chance to shine, or if they screw it up.

The most optimistic, “everything that could possibly go right goes right” prediction for the Dolphins still puts them in only second place of the AFC East. And that isn’t all that impressive. The AFC isn’t as deep as the NFC, so perhaps the Dolphins can work some 2016 magic and get a wild-card spot. Regardless of record, it would be nice if they finish the season believing Adam Gase and Ryan Tannehill are the answers at the two most important spots for an NFL franchise.

The worst possible outcome might be mediocrity. What if Ryan Tannehill is just good enough that the Dolphins can’t cut him and that enormous 2019 salary? What if Adam Gase still doesn’t field a good offense, but the Dolphins win just enough games that they convince themselves to run it back with Gase for a fourth season? If the Dolphins win two or three games, everything is easily defined: Gase is gone, Tannehill gets cut and the Dolphins draft a quarterback replacement in the top three next year. It seems like the Dolphins aren’t good enough to make the playoffs, yet won’t be bad enough that they’ll hit the reset button. That’s a bad place to be in the NFL.

The Dolphins will be OK, right in that middle ground that will probably paralyze them next offseason. The fact that we’re at No. 24 on the countdown and three AFC East teams have already appeared says there are some winnable division games on Miami’s schedule. Ryan Tannehill may not thrill anyone, but he’s better than Jay Cutler. Adam Gase will finally get his offense going, to some extent. Seven wins sounds about right. And if I’m being too optimistic and the Dolphins finish with double-digit losses again, there’s a good chance we’ll see a new coach and quarterback in Miami next season. Who knows, maybe that would be for the best.

32. Cleveland Browns 31. Indianapolis Colts 30. New York Jets 29. Arizona Cardinals 28. Buffalo Bills 27. Cincinnati Bengals 26. Chicago Bears 25. New York Giants

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog · 6 years

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NFL fines former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson $2.75 million for improper conduct

Former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson was fined $2.75 million by the NFL. (AP)

The NFL probably could have let former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson slip off into the night, without ever doing a proper investigation into the alleged workplace harassment that was uncovered last year. After all, Richardson had sold the team and isn’t in the league anymore.

But the league did a full investigation, and hit Richardson hard as he exits the NFL. The league announced Thursday that it found Richardson had engaged in improper workplace conduct and he was fined $2.75 million.

Cynically, that’s a tiny portion of the sale price Richardson got for the Panthers, so it hardly affects his bank account. But it was still a substantial fine, and a statement from the NFL about sexual harassment in the workplace.

NFL’s investigation substantiates claims against Richardson

The story about Richardson’s behavior, which included inappropriate actions of a sexual and racial nature, was published by Sports Illustrated last December. It also said multiple Panthers employees received monetary settlements after being harassed. Very shortly after, Richardson announced he was selling the Panthers, a team he founded, and removing himself from day-to-day operations.

The NFL didn’t let Richardson off just because he said he was going to sell the team. The league started an investigation, conducted by former U.S. Attorney and SEC Chairman Mary Jo White.

The league looked into the claims and was able to “substantiate the claims that have been made, and identified no information that would either discredit the claims made or that would undermine the veracity of the employees who have made those claims.” The investigation also noted the Panthers did not report what happened to the NFL.

Richardson’s fine money will be given to specific groups

The $2.75 million will go to “organizations dedicated to addressing race and gender-based issues in and outside of the workplace,” the NFL said. From the NFL, here are the first three organizations the league will give money to:

Beauty for Ashes Ministry, Inc. – This Charlotte, North Carolina organization provides faith-based resources and spiritual support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other trauma and provides training for clergy and lay leaders in these issues.

Black Women’s Blueprint – This national organization, based in Brooklyn, New York, focuses exclusively on issues of concern to black women, and operates an Institute for Gender and Cultural Competence that delivers prevention education and intervention curricula that addresses the spectrum of discrimination and oppression that affects lives.

Women of Color Network, Inc. – This national grassroots non-profit organization, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is dedicated to building the leadership and capacity of women of color advocates and activists to respond to violence against women in communities of color through training, technical assistance, and advocacy

Panthers, rest of teams will review workplace policies

The investigation said that while Richardson engaged in inappropriate behavior, no other Panthers employee did. It was Richardson alone who committed the workplace violations, the NFL said. Still, the Panthers have already “developed and implemented enhanced policies, procedures, and training” to avoid a recurrence of the workplace misconduct Richardson was engaged in.

“I particularly appreciate the work of the club employees in assessing the need for enhancing the club’s workplace policies, procedures, and training and implementing appropriate changes,” White said, according to the NFL.

The entire league will see some changes. Teams will be required to review workplace practices. Claims of workplace misconduct issues must be reported to the league under its personal conduct policy, and a hotline will be set up to report issues. It also prohibits non-disclosure agreements, which the Panthers reportedly had used when it gave out the monetary settlements to employees.

More from Yahoo Sports: • Why Conor McGregor’s bank account is suddenly the topic du jour • What Kevin Durant’s reported opt-out really means for Warriors • TV host makes racist gesture when South Korea saves Mexico • Paul George to opt out of his contract and become a free agent

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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