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od **linchao** » pát 01. bře 2019 3:55:36

Earlier in the week Danny Shelton Color Rush Jersey , I broke down some possible trade deadline acquisitions that the the Patriots could make on offense. I wrote about the pros and cons of adding to the offense, but I think that we can all agree that adding to the defense should be a higher priority. After a 2017 season that saw an inconsistent and slow defensive group finally get exposed in the Super Bowl, not many of the major questions have been answered. The 2018 Patriots still lack speed and their edge rushers remain inconsistent. I expect them to look for front seven upgrades today, and there are plenty of trade candidates.Edge DefendersMarkus GoldenGolden, a 3-4 linebacker turned 4-3 defensive end in Arizona’s new scheme, has underwhelmed since he broke out with 12.5 sacks in 2016. After tearing his ACL and missingthe final twelve games in 2017, Golden has returned as a part-time player in the last year of his rookie contract, playing 46.7% of defensive snaps. Golden has been hot over his last three games, recording 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, and one pass defended.While Golden will likely never be the double-digit sack guy (and Marcus Cannon annihilator) he was in 2016 – and PFF suggested that he was a regression candidate – he is a guy that will add needed depth to the Patriots edge players at a minimal draft pick and financial cost. As a former second round pick at a premium defensive position, the Patriots can expect Golden to factor into compensatory pick calculations with his next contract. Shane Ray/Shaquil BarrettShane Ray and Shaquil Barrett are edge defenders that have had experience playing both 3-4 outside linebacker and 4-3 defensive end. On a non-contending team like the Broncos, they should both be available as free-agents to be. Ray was a hyped prospect at Missouri playing alongside Michael Sam. Despite being issued a misdemeanor citation for marijuana possession three days before the draft, Ray was traded up for and selected 23rd overall back in 2015. After showing promise in limited snaps behind Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware his first two seasons in the league, many though that he was going to shine in a full-time role. Instead, Ray has struggled with a nagging wrist injury and has been ineffective when healthy. Denver declined to pick up his 5th year option.Shaquil Barrett fought his way onto the Denver roster as an UDFA, and quickly became a regular. While Ray has a much higher ceiling and has arguably better utility on the Patriots as a pure sub-rusher, Barrett has a much more well-rounded game. Barrett has been active for every game dating back to week 1 in 2015 and has been a major contributor on special teams every year of his career. He also has a knack for forcing turnovers with seven forced fumbles in his career.Vinny CurryCurry was a part of the Eagles’ fearsome edge defender rotation last year with Brandon Graham, Chris Long, and Derek Barnett, before he became too expensive to keep this offseason. He cashed in with Tampa Bay on a three-year deal worth $23 million, but his contract really only consists of a one-year guarantee. All money after 2018 is only guaranteed for injury, so the Patriots could clear Curry’s $8 million dollar cap hit for 2019 with no dead money after the season. Curry is currently nursing an ankle injury that has sidelined him since week six, and he’s probably out for another couple of weeks. Contingent on his injury not threatening the rest of his season, Curry is a solid option as a 3rd down sub rusher and his 2018 base salary is $3 million, so trading for him would not put the Patriots over the cap. My opinion: Yes on Golden and Barrett, no on Ray; Curry is too risky with his ankle injuryLinebackersJamie Collins Sr.The “Jamie Collins to the Pats” rumblings began with an innocuous suggestion by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in a trade idea column three weeks ago. While Collins’ prorated base salary is more than the Patriots can afford with their cap space, Barnwell introduces the idea of Cleveland converting some of it to a bonus to lower the cost for the Patriots. Whether or not Barnwell’s conclusion that Cleveland would dump Collins for nothing but a 7th round pick to save $2.5 million is realistic is another story, but that’s the framework of what the potential deal would look like. As one of the only Jamie Collins truthers left, I would more than welcome the return of Collins, who in my opinion should have never been traded in the first place. The acquisition of Collins would help address the biggest issue with the Patriots’ linebackers, their lack of speed. He would push Hightower and Van Noy to the edge more where they can better utilize their skill sets. Jeff Howe reported this weekend that the Patriots did in fact inquire about Collins. Todd DavisDavis has long been an underrated linebacker, and he’s under contract through 2020 on very reasonable cap hits. He isn’t a guy that Denver has any obligation to trade, so we’re probably looking at an offer of at least a 4th round pick. To me, Davis strikes me as a linebacker that Belichick likes. He represents an upgrade over Elandon Roberts as an early down run stuffer and can push Hightower and Van Noy to the edge as well. Haason ReddickReddick was an athletic freak coming out of Temple and the Cardinals pounced on him with the 13th overall pick in 2017, knowing that he was heading for a position change from defensive end to linebacker at the next level. Midway through the second year of his career, Reddick is trying hard to avoid bust status. It’s way too early to declare it right now, especially when considering all of the coaching https://www.patriotsfanstore.com/Malcom-Brown-Jersey , scheme and multi-position work he’s had to go through early in his career, but his name has already been floated in trade talks. After playing no more than 18% of defensive snaps in weeks 1-4, Reddick hasn’t left the field over his last four, playing almost exclusively 4-3 OLB. PFF thinks that he’s OK but Ian Rapaport insinuated last week that Reddick may have played his way off of the trading block in the eyes of the Arizona front office. Perhaps that is the case, but the theory that the Cardinals used the last four weeks to showcase him for a trade could also hold true. At this point, Reddick’s trade value is at least a 3rd round pick. The Patriots make a lot of sense as a suitor, as they have a need for an athletic linebacker and are projected for four 3rd round picks.My opinion: Yes on Collins if they can make the money work. I wouldn’t pay the Broncos’ asking price for Davis. If the Cardinals will accept the Lions’ 2019 3rd rounder and another piece (Eric Rowe?) for Reddick then I’m in.All-in tradesPatrick Peterson/Chris Harris Jr.Patrick Peterson is the guy that many have been clamoring for since he made a declaration that he wanted out of Arizona. GM Steve Keim publicly rebuffed the request, likely in an attempt to save his job. That being said, I could see the Patriots giving out an offer the Cardinals can’t refuse like a 2019 1st round pick, Eric Rowe, and a conditional 2020 3rd rounder. If the Patriots are really serious about going all-in on Brady’s final years, controlling Peterson alongside Stephon Gilmore through 2020 would be one hell of a way to do it. The same concept would be true if the Patriots made a similar offer for Chris Harris Jr. who is controlled for one fewer year, but at a much cheaper price. Elway would hate to deal CHJ to someone in his conference, let alone the Patriots, but a 1st round pick offer could be too good to resist.Bobby WagnerSeattle is dead. They might now want to hear it, but that team isn’t winning anything with their current core, their championship window is closed for now. The cost for arguably the best linebacker in the game will be steep, at least a 1st round pick. And hell, John Schneider and Pete Carroll might just hang up the phone. But this kind of aggressive acquisition would inject new life into a defense that has struggled in the middle for most of the last two years. Wagner is controlled through 2019 and space for his $11.5 million cap hit next year can be made by the release of Hightower and Dwayne Allen. My opinion: I would trade a future 1st round pick (or more) for Peterson and Wagner if available. I would probably balk at Elway’s price for Chris Harris Jr.If someone asked a room full of Patriots fans “have you ever been personally victimized by the Patriots’ defense in last two years”, every hand in the room would go up. Once a team that was known for its tenacious defense and opportunistic and scrappy defenders, the Patriots’ defensive unit has been out of character for going on two years now. Will it take a blockbuster move for them to fix it? Can the Patriots afford to only add marginal talent to their front 7 when the window for a championship could shut at any moment? Those are questions that I am throughly unqualified to answer, but I’m sure they have been thought about for hours and hours in the Patriots’ front office. The deadline is today at 4:00 PM EST and I’m looking forward to seeing how they address them. I apologize for my tardiness. Normally, I have this column written by Thursday or Friday, getting it out in plenty of time before Sunday’s games. However, this week has been extra busy, and the World Series is only one of a handful of reasons for that.That being said, even though I had plenty of Red Sox coverage to deal with on Friday night, I had every intention of getting this thing written after Game 3 wrapped up. Well, at least until the Red Sox and Dodgers decided to play the longest game in World Series history. These two teams played for 18 innings — TWO whole games — at Dodger Stadium, and the Red Sox had multiple opportunities to win the game. But the best offense in baseball was all but lifeless, scoring two runs in 18 innings, and allowing the Dodgers to walk it off in bottom of the 18th.So, instead of getting a chance to write out my NFL picks for this week, I spent my Friday night (and part of Saturday morning) watching one of the most dreadful baseball games of my life. It was definitely an experience, I will give it that. So that’s why this column isn’t getting written until the very last minute. Better late than never, right?On to the picks.(Home teams in caps, and all lines courtesy of OddsShark.com)Eagles (-3) over JAGUARS – London The designated “home” teams for these ridiculous London games have had serious trouble covering the spread in recent attempts, and meanwhile Shaq Mason Color Rush Jersey , this Jaguars offense is more incompetent right now than the London Silly Nannies. Neither team is a sure bet, as Philly blew a 17-0 lead last week to Carolina, but Jacksonville is in a slump of all slumps right now.Ravens (-2.5) over PANTHERSCheck it out, we’ve got ourselves a home underdog! As I mentioned seven seconds ago, the Panthers came back from a 17-0 deficit to beat the defending champion Eagles last week. But the Eagles aren’t playing their best football right now, while the exceptional Ravens defense held Drew Brees and the Saints to seven points through three quarters.Ultimately, that Baltimore defense should be too tough for the Panthers, even at home.Browns (+8) over STEELERSThey might not be winning a lot of games, but the Browns are covering spreads left and right, mainly because they have a knack for taking games to overtime. They are 5-2 against the spread this season. I wouldn’t normally endorse picking the Browns on the road, but Baker Mayfield makes you feel a little bit better about it simply for the fact that’s he’s brought this team from complete and total irrelevancy to minor relevancy.And plus, eight points is a big spread. Cleveland is 3-0 ATS in its last three games against Pittsburgh. Le’Veon Bell still apparently doesn’t exist. And lastly鈥?are we really that confident in the Steelers, even at home?CHIEFS (-9.5) over BroncosPatrick Mahomes and Kareem Hunt are the best fantasy football duo I have ever had. They are absolutely incredible. Thanks to those two guys, my fantasy team is a win away from going to 8-0, my best ever start to a fantasy football season. I just wish I had Tyreek Hill to go along with it. My team next season might be 60 percent Chiefs.Also, take the Chiefs in this game because they are 7-0 against the spread this year. They even covered in their one loss at New England. Jets (+8) over BEARSThis is a bold pick, but the vaunted Chicago defense is vulnerable right now. They gave up 31 points, and the win, to Brock Osweiler two weeks ago in Miami (something they may never fully recover from emotionally), and then Tom Brady and the Pats burned them at home last week for a 38-31 victory. It’s hard to imagine this Bears team losing a third straight game, especially at home to the Jets. But teams are putting up points against this defense, and asking them to cover eight points might be a little too much.Seahawks (+3) over LIONSThe Lions are 5-1 against the spread this season, and the fact that they’ve been so successful ATS makes me nervous. One of my good friends is from Detroit and has taught me to never trust the Lions, even when they seem like they just might be trustworthy.BENGALS (-3.5) over BuccaneersYeah, nobody is watching this game.Redskins (-1) over GIANTSSaquon Barkley and O’dell Beckham Jr. are the lone bright spots in this New York black hole. It’s funny that this is pretty much the second straight year in which the Giants front office thought they were Super Bowl contenders but instead are most likely headed for a top three pick in the draft.COLTS (-3) over RaidersI don’t often bet on the Colts, but when I do, it’s against Jon Gruden’s Raiders. Gruden has been depleting this Oakland team on what feels like a weekly basis, and the most recent blow came in the form of a trade that sent Amari Cooper to Dallas earlier this week. Even the Raiders players are starting to hate Gruden, unsure if they are even going to still be with the team the next week.RAMS (-9) over PackersI was looking for any possible reason to pick the Packers to cover nine points in this game, and even Aaron Rodgers isn’t a good enough reason. That’s because Green Bay has one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, allowing 116.5 yards per game, and Todd Gurley is already difficult enough to stop when you have a good run defense.This Rams team is just too good.CARDINALS (+1) over 49ersThis game is going to be wildly intense. Which team will advance to 2-6 while the other drops to 1-7? I can’t even imagine the pressure these players are under.VIKINGS (+1.5) over SaintsOnce again, we have the game of the Week on Sunday Night Football. The Saints are red hot right now, having won five straight games, while the Vikings are getting back on their feet after a bad start with three straight wins. The big selling factor on the Vikings in this game? They are pretty dominant against the spread when playing at home; 29-11-1 ATS in their last 41 home games at U.S. Bank Stadium and the Metrodome. Patriots (-13.5) over BILLSIt’s hard to turn my back on the Bills in this game when they are nearly two-touchdown underdogs, but could I really live with myself if I actually bet on Derek Anderson against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick? That question answers itself.Last week: 7-7This week: 1-0Season: 52-51-5