What Will 2021 Hold for the New York Jets!?

Author: Patrick Sullivan

Editor: Mark Awadallah

Heading into the 2021 NFL season, the New York Jets have a completely different look compared to last season. With an offseason full of new acquisitions, the Jets now have a new coaching staff for the most part and a whole lot of new players from free agency and the draft. There’s a new feel to this era of Jets football as head coach Robert Saleh has brought a whole new positive energy to the Jets that they have severely lacked with the previous head coaches. This upcoming season can truly be a turning point for the Jets as they hope to turn things around and play meaningful games all season long which they haven’t done in a very long time.

Joe Douglas deserves a lot of credit for pumping talent into the depleted roster the Jets finished last season with. This offseason has been huge for the Jets as it seems they made the right moves in free agency and the draft. Firstly, the Jets traded Sam Darnold to the Panthers and drafted Zach Wilson, and the hope is that Wilson will perform at a higher level than Sam Darnold ever did. Next, in terms of the wide receiver core, the Jets were able to improve their wide receiving core significantly with the free agent additions of Corey Davis and Kennan Cole along with second round draft pick Elijah Moore who has impressed thus far in minicamp. These additions along with Denzel Mims and Jamison Crowder make this wide receiving core, one of the most talented in recent Jets’ history. Furthermore, the defensive line has also improved as the Jets added their first true pass rusher in a decade with Carl Lawson. Along with Lawson, the Jets added Sheldon Rankins and Vinny Curry which bolsters this line even more. These new linemen with Quinnen Williams and John Franklin-Meyers could be an overall elite defensive line. The Jets also having CJ Mosley returning to the team, after only playing one game in the last two seasons, improves the linebacking room drastically. However, the Jets have not truly improved their DB room, but they drafted a ton of young defensive talent to hopefully make a positive impact on the secondary. Shifting focus to the offensive side of the ball once again, the Jets improved their O-line by drafting Alijah Vera Tucker at left guard and there are even talks that the Jets may acquire free agent Morgan Moses which will improve this O-line even more. This O-line should be much improved this season as left tackle Mekhi Becton and center Connor McGovern both had strong play throughout last season. The Jets have improved their running back room as well by bringing in free agent Tevin Coleman and drafting Michael Carter which can hopefully help the Jets establish a run game.

Robert Saleh shares the same mindset as Joe Douglas on building this team the right way with players that are of good character and have a strong work ethic. Most Jet fans truly believe Saleh is the right coach for this Job because he is a motivator that brings positive energy each day which can help the Jets establish a winning culture. It is truly refreshing to see a Jets coach that shows he cares for the team and is always motivating the players, something Jets fans did not see with Adam Gase or Todd Bowles. Overall, the Jets have improved in many ways this offseason, and it is very realistic for fans to believe this team will improve, because they will.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

16 Going On 17 Going On 18

Author: Matt Iberger

Editor: Fran Attie

The 2020 NFL season was one for the books. While it went along with very few hiccups and all games were played, it truly encapsulated the strange year the entire world was facing. 2021 seemed to be the light at the end of the tunnel: fans were back, off-season workouts were mostly back to normal, and we were finally going to have regular football games again…

Then the NFL decided to keep us on our toes, and announced that this season would be the longest ever with 17 games. And with more football for fans and more money for the league, who wouldn’t be happy? Well, the players.

Football itself is a fantastic spectacle for the viewer; but take a look under the hood and we see it can often be a whole different story for those playing in that spectacle. Football is a destructive sport for the human body and, while one week may seem like nothing to us, every additional week does take its toll on players. You can say they are millionaires and have access to top tier medical care, but it would be naive to believe that NFL owners have the health and safety of players at the forefront of their minds.

An albeit smaller yet also warranted concern is how this messes with the season scheduling. 16 game seasons had a simplistic system to figure out what opponents your team would face next season depending on where they ended up in the standings. Again, not the biggest concern, but just somewhat of an annoyance when that 17th opponent is being picked.

Now, rumors are already swirling that the NFL has its eyes set on an 18 game season, with some guessing it could be implemented by 2030. If this was to happen, I would also like the NFL and the NFLPA to come to a compromise of also including a second bye week for teams in the season. Frankly, I would like a second bye week to be around even for a 17 game season to give players needed rest during the season. But seeing as that the opportunity for that has passed, the next best time would be if the NFL attempts to add an 18th game. At some point, players need to be their own best advocates for the NFL to care about their health and safety, though I know that is not the focus for most players in the short term since the average NFL career is only about 3 years. This also benefits the owners too, indirectly, as a second bye week would also extend the duration of the NFL season, and when the NFL is on, nothing else comes close to the amount of attention it garners. Making the season longer only adds to the influence and revenue of the league; a benefit for both owners and players.

It remains to be seen how a 17 game season will change the dynamics of the league, if it would at all, but my hope is that a longer season will open the door to more pro-player rules being made; larger rosters and greater research into better equipment among other things. I hope players and the league will eventually make strides in this area. At the end of the day, this will benefit not just one party, but the entire league and its brand.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERS

Aaron Rodgers to Denver

Author: Jack Casabonne

Editor: Mark Awadallah

With one of the most well-balanced rosters in the entire NFL, the Broncos are looking to compete for a playoff spot in 2021, and thus hope to improve upon their abysmal 2020 record of 5-11. To help with that, Denver will be getting star receiver Courtland Sutton back from his knee injury last season. On the other side, Von Miller will also be returning to action after missing the entire season due to an ankle injury. The Broncos are entering the season with a loaded roster, sporting talent on both sides of the ball. However, their biggest need happens to be at the most important position in the game.

In a division that consists of quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Derek Carr, a talented player at the position is a must have. For the Broncos, however, they’re stuck in quarterback purgatory. Drew Lock is returning, following a disappointing sophomore season in which he failed to deliver on a promising rookie year. Throwing for 2,933 yards at a porous 57.3% completion percentage, Lock has yet to show that he should be a starting quarterback in this league. Combined with the fact that he only threw for one more touchdown than interception in 2020, it’s no wonder the Broncos made a move by acquiring journeyman Teddy Bridgewater. The 28 year old isn’t a long term answer at quarterback, or even an answer in the first place. Bridgewater threw for only 15 touchdowns in 2020, a season in which he disappointed Carolina enough to trade significant draft capital for Sam Darnold - another quarterback who’s failed to live up to expectations. With neither Lock nor Bridgewater being capable of leading a team towards the playoffs, what can new general manager George Paton do?

Not often does a player generate trade buzz following an MVP season. However, Aaron Rodgers is not your typical player, and his situation is anything but regular. The 37 year old has been at odds with his team since they elected to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2019 draft, without even talking to him about the situation. Tensions have escalated so much so that at the end of April, he let members of the organization know that he did not want to return to Green Bay. If Rodgers truly won’t suit up for the Packers this season, then they need to find a way to generate as much value as possible for him. They also won’t deal him to an NFC team, which makes the Broncos a perfect trade partner.

Sending Rodgers out West would be a best case scenario for Green Bay and Denver alike. Green Bay would be able to hold out for a haul, which likely will include multiple first rounders, as well as young ascending players. On the other hand, Rodgers will instantly make Denver not only a playoff contender, but a true competitor to hoist the Lombardi. A trade involving three 1st round picks, Bradley Chubb, and a few mid round picks could convince Green Bay to move their MVP signal caller, all while bolstering the Broncos offense and improving their odds to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2016.

Including significant draft capital alongside a 25 year old Pro Bowl pass rusher may seem like an overtrade to some. However, this league is dominated by stellar quarterback play, which puts a heavy emphasis on the position. A team like Denver can be solid on both sides of the ball, but without a top quarterback they have no real shot at competing. Furthermore, after seeing a 43 year old Tom Brady win a Super Bowl, there’s no reason Rodgers can’t compete for another 5 seasons. Coming off an MVP season, trading for Rodgers is Denver’s best bet to win another ring, rather than settling for mediocrity.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE