Pre-Season Ranks, D/ST and K


Today I conclude my pre-season ranks with defenses and kickers. Many leagues (including several I play in) are going kicker free, but for those who aren't, enjoy.

Top 20 D/ST:
1. Denver Broncs
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Arizona Cardinals
5. Kansas City Chiefs
6. Houston Texans
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. New York Jets
9. Minnesota Vikings
10. New England Patriots
11. Oakland Raiders
12. Green Bay Packers
13. Baltimore Ravens
14. Buffalo Bills
15. St. Louis Rams
16. Jacksonville Jaguars
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
19. Detroit Lions
20. Indianapolis Colts

Highlights:
* A lot of people have the Broncos between 4-6 in rankings. I put them one. Call me a homer if you want, but they were No. 1 last year, and I think they'll be there, or at least have a good shot, again this year. Sure, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevanthan are gone, but Denver is hardly stripped bare. The secondary returns, we have a great pass rush, and I like the potential on the defensive line. I still believe.
* The Houston Texans are often a lot higher on people's rankings. I get it. I love J.J. Watt, too. And they finished strong in '15, but as an early season owner, I can tell you it was not a smooth or dominating season.
* The Oakland Raiders might be the most improved defense, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them make the leap to the top 10. I have them just on the cusp at 11.
* The other surging defense is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who I expect to be greatly improved. They are a defense on the rise.

Top 20 Kickers:
1. Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots
2. Stephen Hauska, Seattle Seahawks
3. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
4. Graham Gano, Carolina Panthers
5. Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers
6. Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys
7. Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons
8. Adam Vinateri, Indianapolis Colts
9. Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos
10. Blair Walsh, Minnesota Vikings
11. Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers
12. Matt Prater, Detroit Lions
13. Chandler Cantazaro, Arizona Cardinals
14. Josh Brown, New York Giants
15. Robert Aguayo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Mike Nugent, Cincinnati Bengals
17. Robbie Gould, Chicago Bears
18. Dan Carpenter, Buffalo Bills
19. Nick Novak, Houston Texans
20. Phil Dawson, San Francisco 49ers

Highlights:
* The rule with kickers is you generally do better if you pick people from high scoring offenses. I've done that a lot here.
* Most people won't have McManus in the top 10. I get it. Limited track record. Potentially poor offense. But he also plays in Denver, where the depth of kicks is longer. I think the distance bonuses will help and he could get a lot of field goals. I'm also a homer...
* Aguayo is a rookie, but he was taken in the third round of the NFL draft. I've seen some rank him in the top 10. He's obviously a talent. But I don't think the Bucs have a great scoring offense, and he's a rookie, so I have him at 15.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more