Matt's Musings

The 2020 Draft is in the books, and in the wake of the draft it's time to look at where these rookies sit as we prepare for dynasty drafts. Over the next few weeks I'll be looking at my post-draft rookie rankings by position. Today I'm beginning with quarterbacks. This is an interesting position because there is really a couple tiers: the Top Three who seem like solid bets to get playing time soon, and the rest who are all waiting for a clear opportunity to emerge. And that's what really sets these rankings. Even some of those who seemed like solid bets pre-draft are now stuck in a tough spot due to where they landed. So, without further ado, here's my Top 10 post draft. 1. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins : Tua was probably the most talented quarterback going into the draft, and him going fifth to Miami vaulted him to the top for me. I like his talent, and I think the draft capital here answers some of the health questions. Plus, I like the way Miami is trendi

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Bad Education (HBO) Starring: Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Ray Romano Synopsis : This new HBO original film is based on a true story about the biggest case of embezzlement in school history. As the end roll shows you, about $11 million was taken over time by a group that included the top to administrators (Jackman and Janney) at a Long Island School District. This film tells the story of what they did with it, and how they got caught. That includes the fact this huge story was broken by a high school reporter (Viswanathan). I thought the performances here were quite good and the film was pretty engaging for what it is. HBO is great at making original films that are interesting and compelling, and this one is no exception. There is some humor, there are some twists, and this sheds light on a story few are familiar with. Rating : TV-MA Verdict : Three stars out of four. Extraction (Netflix) Starring

It's the end of April, but in terms of looking at TV, it's the the start of the Summer Season. Plus, since it's supposed to be mid-80s by Thursday, it feels wrong to have a Winter anything. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Sunday Nights: Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered April 26) About: Once upon a time "Penny Dreadful" was a show on Showtime that focused on some of the biggest monsters in our lore. But it's time came and went, and it cycled off the air. Now a spin-off of sorts is back, swinging the action to Los Angeles in the late 1930s. While there are some mythical monsters here, the biggest threat in this story is the darker nature of man, particularly as it concerns ideological and racial differences. Yes, this is another series where we get Nazis, this time actual Nazis in a period-correct time f

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 28 Justin Simmons (2016-) About: And now we're starting to get some current players, many of which will be in the next five or so picks. Simmons was a third round pick in 2016, and a player we hoped would be a contributor as fans. What we've gotten is so much more. Simmons started

After making a splash on Thursday and Friday with five selections in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, the Broncos had five more picks in the final four rounds on Saturday. Following the draft, the Broncos also added seven additional undrafted free agents. That has always been a big part of how the Broncos build their team, so let's look at the 12 new faces that joined the party on Saturday. Albert Okweugbanum, TE, drafted Fourth Round Big Albert played with Drew Lock at Missouri, and he's a receiving weapon. Some had him listed as the best receiving tight end in the draft. The curious thing about the pick isn't his ability or the potential as a weapon, but that it wasn't a position of need. In fact, the Broncos drafted Noah Fant last year and signed Nick Vannett this off-season. The team went into the draft with eight tight ends on the roster, so big Albert leaves the team with nine now.... But he's a big, fast weapon who posted 98 receptions for 1,187

The NFL Draft continued Friday with the Broncos adding four more picks in Rounds Two and Three. The team grabbed Jerry Jeudy at pick 15 in Round One, and they weren't done tweaking the roster as they went into the second day of the draft. Below is a look at the newest members of the team. K.J. Hamler, drafted 2.14 The second pick of the draft for Denver was another receiver, this time Hamler from Penn State. He's fast and he has had success as a punt and kick returner. That means he'll likely compete for the third receiver role with DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick, and could challenge Diontae Spencer as the returner for the Broncos. This gives depth, speed and elusiveness to the Broncos. As a junior he grabbed 56 passes for 904 yards and eight TDs . It's an upside pick for Denver. Michael Ojemudia, drafted 3.13 The Broncos had three Round Three picks, and they used the first to address a position of need at cornerback. Ojemudia was a solid player at Iowa, grabbi

The NFL Draft took off last night, and it was certainly unlike any draft we've ever seen. It was also quite long. It was more than four hours to get through the picks, and dead in the center was the Broncos' selection. Pre-draft there was a lot of speculation the Broncos liked Jerry Jeudy, the receiver out of Alabama. And there was a lot of talk Denver would move up to grab him, and that certainly seemed like something that would have to happen. But that's the funny thing about the NFL Draft, sometimes things just work out because you never know how the draft is going to fall. And last night broke pretty well. The draft board fell into place and, all of a sudden, the Broncos had their pick of Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb at No. 15. They didn't have to move up, they didn't have to give up an asset, and yet they still got their guy. They went with Jeudy, who was always atop their board John Elway said. Wide Receiver was a crucial need for Denver. While Courtland Sutt

The NFL Draft kicks off tonight! Round One, in all its glory, will be aired in Prime Time. It will be wonderful to have some real, live, eventful sports to watch. And, of course, I'll be live on air via Facebook and Twitter with the Fantasy Focus Roundtable Podcast all night. In the run up to the first round, I finished my final mock draft. This is my best guess about who goes where in Round One. I made one trade, with Denver swapping picks with Cleveland to move up to Pick 10 to grab their top choice at wide receiver. Will it happen? We'll find out tonight. Round One Mock: 1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, LSU 2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, Ohio State 3. Detroit Lions: Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State 4. New York Giants: Tristan Wirfs, Iowa 5. Miami Dolphins: Justin Herbert, Oregon 6. Los Angeles Chargers: Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama 7. Carolina Panthers: Isaiah Simmons, Clemson 8. Arizona Cardinals: Derrick Brown, Auburn 9. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jedrick Wills, Al

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Good Boys (HBO) Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon, and Molly Gordon Synopsis : This comedy was released late in the summer of 2019, and it came from the producers behind a wilding out teen comedy "Superbad" in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. "Superbad" is a movie, and formula, that "Good Boys" was compared to as well. This one moved the action to a group of middle schoolers, and half the comedy comes from them not really understanding the adult things they're confronted with and pursuing. This is an easy follow with a pretty straightforward plot and a short run time. I thought the performances were OK, and the film had some amusing moments, but it was also a little dry at times and uneven. It was a fine quarantine watch on HBO, but I was glad I didn't pay up to see it in the theater. Rating : R for strong crude sexual content, drug and alcohol material, and language thr

We're nearly to May and we're seeing a shift in the kind of programs that we're getting. But there are still new shows making their way to the air, and it's hard to know what's worth your time. Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Winter/Spring. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks! Monday Nights: The Beauty and the Baker, Mondays at 10 p.m. on ABC (Premiered April 13) About: The set up for this series feels sort of like a Hallmark movie or a romantic comedy you might see at the theater in February. A simple baker's son who works for the family business meets a famous business woman and Social Media icon, and they end up in each other's lives. While it's been a slow burn, as it would have to be with this premise, the romance is coming. And though I was sort of prone to dismiss the series, I found myself charmed by some of the performances and the story. It'

The NFL Draft is Thursday, you might have heard. It will be exciting to have a sporting event to look forward to, one that is live and usually full of twists at that. As we careen toward Round One, it's fun to speculate on what there might be for the Broncos, who currently hold the 15th pick. There is talk of them trading up, and at one point talk of adding a second first round pick. So let's consider a few of the names that might be out there for the Broncos in Round One. The Broncos got their quarterback of the future and present in Drew Lock last year. They are set at tight end and made free agent moves to address defensive line and running back. So there are two obvious areas they figure to target in round one, and one possible surprise. So let's look at the candidates. Wide Receiver: The Broncos have an obvious need at receiver. Courtland Sutton is a stud, and the No. 1 for the team. Behind him there is Tim Patrick and DaeSean Hamilton, Diontae Spencer, Fred Br

This year I've been going through a new book, "The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers." Written by Amy Hollingsworth, a minister and friend of Fred Rogers, it chronicles nine simple lessons she learned about faith from him. I've read it through a couple times, and have been looking at it with my Sunday School Group. Over the next few weeks, I'll be offering short reflections on what I've learned from each segment. We reach the final week of Mr. Rogers lessons on faith. This final chapter is about Heaven. And, of course, you can't talk about Heaven without thinking about how you get there, which makes it a little tough. It seems fitting that we get to this chapter on this day, a week after Easter. Easter is a date where we celebrate and proudly declare that death is not the end, and that was the truth for Fred Rogers and his ministry, too. And though all the hope of Christianity is built on this idea, we often don’t like to talk or think about death. In fact

Over the next 25 weeks I'll be rolling out my favorite films of the last decade. This is, as all lists of this kind, personal selections. Agree, disagree, make a comment and share your thoughts! No. 17 Gravity (2013) Starring: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney Director: Alfonso Cuaron Academy Award Nominations : 10 Academy Award Wins : 7 (Best Director (Cuaron), Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Original Score) About: As my countdown continues, I'm into a set of films that make it here because of their brilliance as a piece of cinematic art. It's not that I don't enjoy the films, but I am also moved by their craft. That's certainly true of "Gravity," which was a technically brilliant piece. Bullock is the face of the film, and she gives a good performance, but this is about the craft and storytelling. That's in part why it got 10 Academy Award nominations, and it's ce

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 29 Julius Thomas (2011-2014) About: Continuing the countdown, I arrive at Julius Thomas, the Broncos' one-time tight end. He only played four seasons, and really was only a force on the field for a couple of them. He also sadly left the team right before they won the Super Bowl, and di

We're a couple weeks away from the 2020 NFL Draft, which means it's time to start thinking about Fantasy Football. And since there are literally no other sports right now, thinking about fantasy football seems like a nice distraction. Over the next couple weeks I'm going to be rolling out my initial rankings for the season, a Top 25 in Quarterback and Tight End, and a Top 50 in Running Back and Receiver. Today that wraps up with tight end. The last position left to cover before we hit the NFL Draft, which kicks off a week from tonight, is tight end. And this is one where I don't think anything in the draft will impact it too much. This is also always a tough position group, outside of the top. I have probably a different take and some about what that top is, as I'm lower on Ertz than others because I think Dallas Goedert continues to eat into his workload. We'll see. So below are the initial Top 25. Agree, disagree, have a different take? Let me know belo

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Cats (VOD) Starring : Rebel Wilson, James Corden, Taylor Swift, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, and Jennifer Hudson Synopsis: The wonder of late 2019 is now available for rental on video on demand. I decided to wade in and see for myself and what I saw was a horror that I wasn't prepared for. People said the film was bad, and it is. But what was disappointing to me is that it was strange and almost unwatchable. It didn't provide the unintentional comedy I hoped for, it was just a limp exercise in how a big film can go off the rails despite a strong cast and director Tom Hooper. The man who once gave us "The King's Speech" and won Best Picture has now come full circle. This is best avoided. Rating : PG for some rude and suggestive humor. Verdict : Zero stars out of four. Code 8 (Netflix) Starring: Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, and Kari Matchett Synopsis: This action drama is one I was curious about because Stephen

We're past Easter, and the traditional broadcast season is winding down, but there are still plenty of new options jumping in there. We've moved to a more year-round content stream, and since TV really has the floor right now since we're all set at home, it makes sense that everyone is putting out new content. In these weekly posts I look at the new scripted series of this Winter/Spring, reviewing the pilot and second episodes. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Monday Nights: The Baker and the Beauty, Mondays at 10 p.m. on ABC (Premiered April 13) About: ABC is starting its new summer Monday nights early, launching the latest iteration of "The Bachelor" and this new drama, based on an Israeli drama of the same name. In the show, it focuses on the wealthy mogul Noa (Nathalie Kelley) who meets a local Miami Baker Daniel (Victor Rasuk) on a tough night. He was celebrating his anniversary with his girlfriend when she proposed. He said

We're a couple weeks away from the 2020 NFL Draft, which means it's time to start thinking about Fantasy Football. And since there are literally no other sports right now, thinking about fantasy football seems like a nice distraction. Over the next couple weeks I'm going to be rolling out my initial rankings for the season, a Top 25 in Quarterback and Tight End, and a Top 50 in Running Back and Receiver. Today that continues with wide receivers. This is another position with a lot of young talent in the draft, and I've included three rookies in the Top 50 so far. But the draft positions will likely shake this group up quite a bit. Plus we already saw one trade last week, as Brandin Cooks went from the Rams to the Texans, that impacts the rankings. So it's fair to say it will be interesting to see how these change. And while the rankings will undoubtedly adjust, I'm fairly confident the Top 4 will stay as they are. So, without further ado, here's my i

Today is Easter. It's been a long strange journey to get here, but there is something beautiful and hopeful about arriving at this day. Though the storm is raging outside this Easter Sunday in Colorado, and the storms of life are raging all around us in our world, it helps to remember that Jesus conquers all. This day is a remembrance of that. I hope you get some time to celebrate, reflect and give thanks today. And I look forward to a time in the future when we can all celebrate together. Until then, on Easter I always think of the lyrics to the song "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher, which give me hope and inspiration. I hope they do for you, too. "In strength You reign Forever let Your church proclaim Christ is risen from the dead Trampling over death by death Come awake, come awake Come and rise up from the grave Christ is risen from the dead We are one with Him again Come awake, come awake Come and rise up from the grave O death, where

Over the next 25 weeks I'll be rolling out my favorite films of the last decade. This is, as all lists of this kind, personal selections. Agree, disagree, make a comment and share your thoughts! No. 18 Jojo Rabbit (2019) Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, and Sam Rockwell Director: Taika Waititi Academy Award Nominations : 6 Nominations Academy Award Wins : 1, for Best Adapted Screenplay About: When you're talking about films in a decade, it's only fair to count all the years. The danger is the first year or two of the decade are far enough away that your feelings for the films might have faded. The danger for the last year of the decade is that the memory is so fresh, you might be tempted to pick more films than you should. I struggled with that during the creation of this list, weighing the 2019 films that came out and trying to think about what really belonged. It seemed absurd to weed them out entirely, so I didn

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 30 Aqib Talib (2014-2017) About: Talib is one of several players on this list that were previously with teams I considered rivals. In fact, Talib was on the field for the Patriots during the AFC Championship game that sent the Broncos to their first Super Bowl with Peyton Manning. He start

We're a couple weeks away from the 2020 NFL Draft, which means it's time to start thinking about Fantasy Football. And since there are literally no other sports right now, thinking about fantasy football seems like a nice distraction. Over the next couple weeks I'm going to be rolling out my initial rankings for the season, a Top 25 in Quarterback and Tight End, and a Top 50 in Running Back and Receiver. Today that continues with running backs. Here is where we start getting interesting with our pre-draft rankings. I have a few rookies in here, but I'd expect their rankings to rise, or fall, and more to possibly work their way in based on the draft in a couple weeks. So we'll see how that goes as I adjust the rankings following the draft. The other challenge here is a few teams where there are some splits, and some places where there are questions. I ranked Jordan Howard (Dolphins) and Ronald Jones (Buccaneers) with the thought someone else is likely to get add

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Coffee & Kareem (Netflix) Starring: Ed Helms, Taraji P. Henson, Betty Gilpin, and Terrence Little Gardenhigh Synopsis: This new release on the surface seems like the ideal kind of film to be released during this time of strange circumstances for our country. It's a brisk action-comedy that doesn't require a lot of heavy lifting or thinking. And I enjoy Helms and his comedy roles. Here he plays officer Coffee, who finds himself drawn into a police corruption scandal alongside the son of his girlfriend, Kareem (Gardenhigh). This turns it into a buddy comedy of sorts. But this one didn't really work. I thought it was overly crude and violent without much in the way of a compelling plot or characters. I guess at some level it helps pass the time, but this was a bit of a disappointment. Rating: TV-MA Verdict: One star out of four. Elephant (Disney+) Starring: Meghan Markle Synopsis: Disney has consistently rele

As we turn the page to April, we are still seeing some interesting streaming options and even some new network shows. But which are worth your time checking out? Let's investigate. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this winter/spring. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Thursday Nights: Broke, Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on CBS (Premiered April 2) About : CBS launched three new comedies in the Fall, and all of them seemed to do pretty well. But with "The Unicorn" and "Carol's Second Act" wrapping up early, there is time to embrace returning shows like "Man With A Plan" and new ones like "Broke." Well, if you were hoping to get something engaging, this sadly won't be it. This is the second new comedy this Spring that focuses on a couple who used to have money that went broke and have to move in with family. The first, "Indebted" on NBC, was about the wo