July 23, 2018

Cleveland Browns: Who Is the New Left Tackle?

Trying to replace a guy who made 10 consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and who has been a six-time first team All-Pro is no enviable challenge. However, that’s exactly nike nfl jerseys cheap what the Cleveland Browns have to do now that Joe Thomas has retired.

Left tackle is easily Cleveland’s biggest question mark heading into training camp. It won’t matter if it’s Tyrod Taylor or Baker Mayfield under center if opposing pass-rushers regularly have a free path to the quarterback. Whether it’s Shon Coleman, rookie second-round pick Austin Corbett, 2014 first-rounder nfl jerseys cheap nike Greg Robinson or even guard Joel Bitonio—who played left tackle at Nevada—someone has to solidify the position.nfl nike jerseys cheap

“Coleman is leading the charge (at left tackle),” offensive line coach Bob Wylie said, per Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. “But we have a lot of bodies.”

Having a lot of bodies doesn’t always nike nfl jersey cheap produce a surefire starter, though. Cleveland needs to see if it has one in the group.

July 23, 2018

Josh Gordon Won’t Be at Browns Training Camp as Part of Treatment; ‘Doing Great’

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon said he will not be at training camp when it opens this week as he continues a treatment program.customized nfl jerseys

Gordon posted this statement on Twitter:

“To my Cleveland Browns and NFL family, I am reaching out to you all personally and letting you know that I am not only doing great physically but mentally as well.nfl custom jerseys cheap

“You will notice that I will not be in Cleveland for the start of training camp. Rest assured this too is a part of my overall health and treatment plan. I appreciate the awesome support I have received from teammates, friends, fans, and the Brown’s organization. Just like you, I am excited to start the season and cheap custom nfl jerseys I have every intention of being ready and available to join my teammates soon to help bring winning football to our fans.

“With the help of the NFL, NFLPA,cheap customized nfl jerseys and the Browns’ organization, I have been able to utilize the resources available to me that will ensure my well-being on and off the field. By continuing to follow the plan set up by our medical director and his team and taking this time before this season starts, we believe it will help me maintain the progress I’ve made for not only today but for many years to come.”cheap nfl custom jerseys

Gordon, 27, has played in just 10 NFL games over the last four seasons in large part due to repeated violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.

July 21, 2018

Orlando Magic: Center

The following sentence, submitted by the Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks, should thrill Orlando Magic fans since he’s discussing one of their own:

“He could develop into one of the best centers official nfl jerseys cheap in the NBA by the time he reaches his prime.”

Sounds incredible, right? There’s only one catch—Tjarks wasn’t talking about No. 6 pick Mohamed Bamba or $12.7 million man Nikola Vucevic. To cover all bases, he wasn’t referring to fellow Magic centers Timofey Mozgov or Khem Birch, either.

No, Tjarks poured that praise onto last summer’s sixth pick, Jonathan Isaac, who might have his brightest future at a position occupied by four other players on the roster. Further muddling this mix, his current home is at the 4, where Aaron Gordon just orchestrated a breakout season so convincing that Orlando nfl authentic jerseys spent $84 million to secure his next four seasons.

Stockpiling young talent is generally fine for rebuilders, but how are the Magic ever going to align these puzzle pieces? It’s not like they can expect their floor generals to figure it out when D.J. Augustin, Jerian Grant and Isaiah Briscoe comprise one of the Association’s worst point guard groups.nfl authentic jerseys cheap

Vucevic needs to go, whether in a trade now or when his contract expires next summer. Mozgov and Birch are placeholders who should battle each other for mop-up duties. But Orlando must assess the long-term viability of the Gordon-Isaac-Bamba nfl jersey wholesale trio. Maybe there’s a minutes mix that keeps all three satisfied and effective, but there’s a decent chance the Magic will be forced to choose two keepers sooner rather than later.

July 21, 2018

Miami Heat: Frontcourt

Four different players averaged more than 27 minutes last season; none of them factored into the power rotation.

The 4 and 5 minutes had to be split five ways. James Johnson, Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow, Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo all received between 26.6 and 19.8 wholesale nfl jerseys minutes per game. Johnson, Whiteside and Winslow each lost floor time from the previous season, collectively logging 18.1 fewer minutes per outing.

Whiteside was unhappy and less productive. Winslow was dispatched at both forward spots and backup point guard just to get him burn. Johnson, perhaps pressuring himself to live up to his $60 million deal, took time to find his rhythm and never quite looked fully comfortable. Adebayo’s role fluctuated. Olynyk, nfl jerseys wholesale who had the rotation’s top net rating (plus-4.9), spent more than half the game on the sideline.

“I’m going to tell you one thing about our team that we do have a problem with—we have a logjam,” team president Pat Riley said, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “nfl jerseys china We have too many good-to-great players.”

The ideal solution would be shedding Whiteside and the $52.5 million owed to him, but that’s not happening without adding a sweetener (or more) to the transaction. The Heat have searched for a suitable trade and predictably come up empty, per Jackson.nfl wholesale jerseys

Someone else needs to go, then. Adebayo and Winslow should be untouchable given their youth and upside. That means it’s Johnson or Olynyk, with the former the preference since he’s four years older.nfl jerseys from china Johnson’s two-way versatility would help a contender and should deliver something decent to South Beach. His absence would make this rotation more manageable and increase the franchise’s future flexibility.

July 18, 2018

WR John Ross, Cincinnati Bengals

It’s unfair to say a player is a disappointment when injuries take their toll. But John Ross’ issues extended beyond last season’s knee and shoulder ailments. His benching and healthy scratches were far more concerning.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Ross with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft to be an explosive threat opposite A.J. Green. His combine-record 4.22-second 40-yard-dash speed makes the wide receiver a unique talent. Although, he clearly wasn’t ready to play at the NFL level. cheap nfl custom jerseys

“Not to have excuses or anything, I just honestly wasn’t physically and mentally ready for what I got myself into,” Ross said, per WKRC Cincinnati’s Richard Skinner. “I couldn’t put a stamp on what was the problem, because there were so many problems. I was focused on something new every week. nike nfl jerseys cheap That’s what I realized it’s just not working for me.”

Now, everything is starting to click for the second-year receiver.

“I was in college last year and it’s a different game,” wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell said. “Even beyond not being here because he was injured, which is not something he nfl jerseys cheap nike can control, you need that time and you need to be able to be around NFL defenses and to see it. I think he’s progressing great and I think he’s learning well.”

July 18, 2018

WR Josh Doctson, Washington Redskins

Josh Doctson has never lacked talent. But he hasn’t put it all together yet.

The Washington Redskins receiver enters his third season after an injury-plagued rookie experience and an underwhelming sophomore campaign. Doctson finished fifth on Washington’s roster last year with 35 receptions and 502 yards. Playing 16 games, though, built the young receiver’s confidence. nfl custom jerseys cheap

“Every new year I’m looking to be better. I have been better,” Doctson said, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Drew Davison. “Just off the field maturing, off the field understanding how to be an NFL player. There’s just a lot that goes into this game that people overlook when they first get into the league.cheap custom nfl jerseys I lost my first year [to injury], last year I was able to play and then this year looking to do huge things.”

The TCU product entered the 2016 NFL draft as the top wide receiver prospect of the class. Concerns over a lingering Achilles injury caused a draft-day slide and continued to plague him. Now fully healthy, Doctson should return to the player who showed explosive downfield capabilities and once leaped over cheap customized nfl jerseys defenders with the greatest of ease.

Alongside Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed, Doctson will be new quarterback Alex Smith’s vertical threat.

July 16, 2018

Utah Jazz

Unless you count the sudden Grayson Allen hype, the Utah Jazz haven’t done much this summer. They didn’t need to.

No team posted a higher point differential per 100 possessions after the All-Star break. The Jazz have been free to go about their general upkeep and spin that as a victory—as they should. They never needed a face-lift to increase demand for their stock. The natural transition from 2017-18 to 2018-19 will do that for them.china nike nfl jerseys cheap

Think about all the extra bumps Utah could get by doing virtually nothing:

A more experienced Donovan Mitchell.
A healthier Dante Exum, Rudy Gobert and Thabo Sefolosha, who missed a combined 138 games last year.
More exposure to Jae Crowder-at-the-4 lineups, which outscored opponents by 13.5 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning The Glass.
Better availability from Ricky Rubio during the playoffs.
Whatever Grayson Allen is.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china (Related: May Alec Burks’ chances of consistently cracking the rotation forever rest in peace.)

Much like the Thunder, the Jazz could find themselves competing for a top-two playoff seed if the Rockets incur any measurable fallout from Ariza’s and Mbah a Moute’s departures. And they have the expiring contracts to cobble together some low-key awesome trade packages at the midseason mark.

Begging the Jazz to push their status even further is tempting. They still have the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, and extracting Kyle Korver from Cleveland would nfl cheap jerseys nike be a great fit for the offense. But they don’t have the ready-made roster space to go on a last-second talent hunt. Nor do they need it.cheap nike nfl jerseys free shipping

In fact, consider this the last time Utah makes an appearance among under-the-radar contenders. The secret’s out. The Jazz are terrifyingly good.

July 16, 2018

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder have become the NBA’s go-to luxury-tax punchline. That’s fine. Let the James Harden trade jokes flow. Some of them are funny. All of them are fair game.

But the Thunder’s steep operating costs have nothing to do with their proximity to title contention. They’re closer to the championship clique than people who’ve nike nfl jerseys for cheap forgotten about Andre Roberson think. As ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe wrote:

“They have a chance to be really good. The Thunder hit a winter groove after a rocky start and might have continued apace had Andre Roberson not ruptured his left patellar tendon. The [Russell] Westbrook/[Paul] George/Roberson/Steven Adams foursome was among the nastiest and best four-man groups in the league, per NBA.com. They get more time to jell now. They are short on shooting, but that’s not a new problem.nfl jerseys nike cheap

“This core won’t touch Golden State as long as all four incumbent Warriors stars stay healthy, but they can compete in the upper tier of the conference. Get there, and you are one big break away from something interesting.”

Cutting ties with Carmelo Anthony will amount to addition by subtraction. His divorce from the Thunder has been deemed an inevitability, according to cheap nike nfl jerseys china Adrian Wojnarowski. Their pecking-order concerns go out the window once he skips town.

George and Westbrook are more natural complements to one another and extra compatible when they don’t have to account for Anthony. Oklahoma City posted a plus-9.7 net rating in the time George and Westbrook played without him compared to a plus-6.1 when all three took the court together, according to Cleaning The Glass.

Replacing Anthony’s minutes may still be hard. The Thunder enjoyed limited success when subbing him out for Jerami Grant or Patrick Patterson, per Cleaning The Glass. But that says more about the teensy-tiny sample sizes than anything else.new nike nfl jerseys cheap

Grant and Patterson are both superior defensive options at power forward. Grant only needs to shoot something like 33 percent from deep to be a primo asset, and Patterson will look better after an offseason that doesn’t include left knee surgery. Oklahoma City could hit on some Alex Abrines and Terrance Ferguson lineup iterations as well.

Bake in the Nerlens Noel addition, and a fully healthy Thunder squad has the defensive switchability to make life hell on the NBA’s elite. If it turns out the Rockets really, really (really)cheap nfl nike jerseys china miss Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, you could be looking at the West’s No. 2 seed. Seriously.

July 15, 2018

Solomon Thomas, San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are going in the wrong direction with last year’s third overall pick, Solomon Thomas. The defensive lineman is a far better interior defender than he is an edge-rusher. Yet the team is now moving him from “big end” to Leo (rush end) in its base front, according to the San Francisco Bee’s Matt Barrows. customized nfl jerseys

On the surface, the move seems to make sense since Arik Armstead didn’t provide what the scheme needed as last year’s starting Leo, and Thomas is an exceptional athlete after finishing top five among 2017 defensive line prospects in bench press, broad jump, three-cone drill and short shuttle. nfl custom jerseys cheap

Yet the move doesn’t correlate with Thomas’ skill set.

The 22-year-old isn’t a fluid edge-rusher who will turn the corner with quickness and flexibility to beat offensive tackles. His strength is working over guards and centers by cheap custom nfl jerseys defeating blocks with upfield explosiveness, athleticism and technique.

At a listed 280 pounds, Thomas may never become a full-time defensive tackle, even though 3-technique is arguably his best position, especially in sub-packages.cheap customized nfl jerseys Still, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh must align his approach with his players’ strengths and weaknesses.

An interior duo regularly featuring Thomas and DeForest Buckner could develop into a devastating duo even if the 49ers would be considered undersized along their front.

July 15, 2018

Mike Remmers, Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings signed Mike Remmers last offseason to solve their right tackle problem. Instead, the organization seems to have found an answer at guard. Remmers made 52 career starts at offensive tackle before moving to guard last season during the team’s stretch run.

According to the Star-Tribune’s Andrew Krammer, Rashod Hill “took nearly every rep” as first-team right tackle this spring with Remmers at right guard. So, nfl jersey wholesale the transition is already underway. However, it has yet to become a permanent solution.

Any injury or poor performances from Hill and rookie Brian O’Neill could force Remmers’ return to tackle. Instead of leaving Remmers in limbo, his position switch should be considered permanent. nfl jersey for cheap

A strong interior is important to build the pocket’s depth for new quarterback Kirk Cousins, who lacks Case Keenum’s mobility. Even Keenum couldn’t escape from best nfl jerseys being the league’s third-most pressured quarterback last season, per Pro Football Focus.

“Mike’s a very instinctive player in there,” head coach Mike Zimmer said, per Zone Coverage’s Sam Ekstrom. “He sees a lot of things. He’s got good quickness. He’s got good power. nfl jerseys cheap authentic He’s been able to get the 3-technique reached a couple times, been able to sit down on some guys rushing.”

The Vikings’ offensive line is far from settled, but right guard shouldn’t be viewed as a problem.