Post by MGB01 on Feb 15, 2023 21:19:49 GMT -5
A continued overview of the key replacements on 12 of the 16 teams across the league, minus the four new/returning teams (played replaced in parentheses)
ORLANDO
WR: Antonio Callaway (Ray Ray McCloud)
To silence (somewhat) the critics who believed all this move was doing was taking snaps from young WRs Tre Nixon, Marlon Williams, and second round pick Jalen Tolbert Callaway needed to have a huge preseason, and he did just that, to not only lock up WR3 but possibly his own roster spot as well. Now the Rage can go slowly with their young trio while having plenty of experience atop the depth chart.
OG: Kevin Dotson (Ted Karras)
OG: Yasir Durant (Jamarco Jones)
Karras moved over to Tampa, with Dotson taking his spot at left guard. The Rage brought back Jones from the Xtreme (he spent his first two seasons in Orlando) to play right guard, but Jones will start the season on IR so Durant, who's seen most of his snaps at right tackle but did play some at right guard with Dotson out, comes in.
DE: Jonathon Cooper (Da'Shawn Hand)
Karras wasn't the only one to move down the 4, as Hand joined in the TSP. Cooper, who saw minimal defensive snaps as a rookie, will make the huge jump, a tremendous opportunity given how high Richard was on Hand when he drafted him in 2018.
CB: Michael Ford (J.C. Jackson)
It's almost universally accepted that Jackson's long-term megadeal with the Stampede was a case of 'love the player/hate the contract', so replacing him with Ford, like Jackson a former undrafted free agent who rose to a starter, is more than acceptable.
P: Ryan Wright (Tommy Townsend)
The Rage tired of Townsend's inconsistency so he went off to Columbus in the expansion draft and they snapped up Wright, a big-legged punter as well who averaged 46 yards per punt in the preseason, as an undrafted free agent.
ST. LOUIS
QB: Jarrett Stidham (Brian Hoyer)
For better or worse, it's #STIDHAMSZN. His first start of 2023 will be the second of his career, after starting the 2020 regular season finale in San Antonio.
OT: David Bakhtiari (Jackson Barton)
OT: Abraham Lucas (Joe Haeg)
You can basically substitute anyone on the team's depth chart at OT for the players in parentheses, Barton and Haeg were the combo for the season finale against Kansas City. Bakhtiari's return almost feels like a new player, given his first season in the Lou was almost a wash as he was still coming back from a 2021 ACL tear, and Lucas will put an end to the right tackle OT-go-round as the Stallions started five different players there.
OG: Luke Goedeke (Colby Gossett)
The Stallions going OL their first two picks showed their seriousness of addressing the 2022 horrorshow, although the interior arguably saved it from becoming the biggest disaster in Missouri since the Chiefs before Andy Reid showed up.
LB: Curtis Bolton (Micah Kiser)
Just the league-leading tackler the last two seasons to replace as he starts the season on IR, no pressure there. Also was sort of a surprise pick over productive holdover Te'Von Coney.
S: Dane Cruikshank (Kyzir White)
Same for the former Enforcer starter, who will try to get off to better start with the Stallions than he did when he struggled through a so-so rookie year and lost his job to Godwin Igwebuike.
K: Matthew Wright (Greg Zuerlein)
Even though "Legatron" was only in the Gateway City for two seasons he became somewhat of a popular figure, so it would behoove Wright to get off to a strong start, say making his first 10 or 15 kicks, to at least make headway to winning them over
P: Justin Vogel (Johnny Hekker)
Then there's Hekker, who was with the team all the way back to the Vegas days when they were a legitimate threat to ending the Monarchs' dominance before it began. So Vogel's work will be at least twice as cut out for him.
SAN ANTONIO
WR: Collin Johnson (Josh Gordon)
The big play threat, coming off a season in which he actually outperformed Gordon, now replaces him as a starter.
OG: Solomon Kindley (Nick Easton)
OG: Jake Curhan (Kindley)
Kindley will join the list of interior offensive linemen making the switch from the right to the left side, while the second-year Curhan, an undrafted in 2021 who made it as a tackle, will move over to right guard.
OLB: Nik Bonitto (Ogbonnia Okoronkwo)
OLB: Joseph Ossai (Cameron Wake/Genard Avery)
We'll find out if the Stampede took a beating in free agency, or merely made the decision to make mass changes after falling to 8-8 after a 7-4 start. Their top three edge rushers either left as free agents or retired, so they used their first pick on Bonitto and 2021 second round pick Ossai gets his shot
ILB: Tegray Scales (Jake Ryan/Ramik Wilson)
With the Stampede employing more of a nickel-based alignment in 2023 only one off-ball LB will get the majority of snaps. Scales made his plays count in 2023, including a game-changing blocked FG/TD return against the Monarchs.
CB: J.C. Jackson (Justin Coleman)
Jackson didn't have any interceptions but he did force a pair of fumbles and had the most passes defensed in the league (23), plus his performance in helping slow down the Monarchs in the playoffs landed him this deal. Now it's up to him to start justifying it
SAN FRANCISCO
RB: Tyrion Davis-Price and co (Brian Hill)
The Demons in all likelihood will go RBBC to replace Hill, as only second rounder Tyrion Davis-Price resembles anything close to Hill style-wise. Not only will Corey Clement feature in here, but don't sleep on either Javian Hawkins or even Bo Scarbrough, an afterthought in Dallas last year but a Sherman tank in the preseason.
WR: Christian Watson/Trevon Grimes (Allen Lazard/A.J. Green)
On paper the losses of both, Lazard to Chicago in free agency and Green to retirement, should have no effect of Marcell Ateman, who's caught 66, 63, and 61 balls the last three years, however there is slight concern given Watson's level of competition and Grimes near-non-involvement in the offense last year. But Doug Pederson will figure it out as good as anybody.
TE: Cade Otton (Levine Toilolo)
It might be a stretch to think Otton could be Zach Ertz in this offense, but with the questions at wide receiver without Lazard and Green look for Otton to be heavily involved from the go.
OG: Colton McKivitz (Cole Toner)
McKivitz has played both spots on the left side and now will get the nod at his natural position.
OT: Jermaine Eluemunor (Jerald Hawkins)
The versatile, steady, yet oft-injured lineman makes his way out west to join his fourth team, third since being traded in 2021.
OLB: Devon Kennard (Leon Jacobs)
OLB: Davin Bellamy (Shaquem Griffin)
Kennard seems to have disappeared off everyone's radar, but is still very much the same playmaker he was in Las Vegas and Orlando, the Demons are counting on it as well. Bellamy had three sacks in a reserve role last year and takes over full-time.
ILB: Jacob Phillips (Marquel Lee)
Lee was a bargain for the Demons last year, even showing off some pass rush skills in subpackages, but as was the case in his last two years in Tampa Bay injuries continue to pop up so Phillips will replace during his season-opening IR stint.
TAMPA BAY
QB: Nathan Peterman (Nate Sudfeld)
Normally the backup QB wouldn't be a deal unless you still don't know what you have in Drew Lock. Peterman at least showed enough life in the preseason to keep the Sharks' QB room from falling to #16.
WR: Elijah Moore (Marvin Jones)
Moore will have quite the jump to make to replace Jones' production, as the vet nearly doubled the rook.
TE: Ricky Seals-Jones (Dalton Schultz)
Schultz' surprise jump to the NFL only meant the Sharks were only too happy to get Seals-Jones off a breakout season in Carolina, catching 38 passes for 432 yards and a pair of scores.
OT: Joe Haeg (David Sharpe)
A right tackle with a handful of snaps throughout his career on the left side, Haeg will once again get to try out the blind side.
OG: Joshua Ezeudu (Tyrone Crowder)
While Ezeudu has played every position other than center, and was briefly considered to switch with Terrone Prescod on the right side, the Sharks feel the rookie from UNC's best spot is at right guard now and can switch to left guard next year assuming they don't bring Jamil Douglas back.
C: Ted Karras (Kyle Fuller)
Karras has alternated between center and left guard in his career but it will be at center where he anchors the line in Tampa.
DL: Da'Shawn Hand (Dean Lowry)
Hand was thought to be headed to Birmingham (oddly enough along with Lowry) but switched it up at the 11th hour and joined the Sharks.
CB: Andrew Booth (Tre Flowers)
Booth should be a very good player in the system no doubt, that didn't stop some from deriding the pick as merely replacing Flowers with a younger model, that and Kyler Gordon was the next corner off the board.
WASHINGTON
QB: Bailey Zappe (Easton Stick)
The rookie gunslinger switches spots with Stick, who will always have that six-game run as starter in 2021 to fall back on.
DE: Sam Williams (Everson Griffen)
Williams can bring some heat and, with Grady Jarrett and Christian Barmore alongside him, won't be expected to be the primary pass rusher.
LB: DeMarquis Gates (Brandon Bell)
It was tough to let Bell go but Gates played so well in all three facets that he might have left to go fight for a starting job elsewhere had the Glory not.
CB: Anthony Averett (Michael Ford)
Averett can prove that he's still a reputable corner who was just stuck in a bad spot in Dallas last year. Certainly playing next to Trevon Diggs and a pair of emerging safeties in Jayron Kearse and Amani Hooker will help.
ORLANDO
WR: Antonio Callaway (Ray Ray McCloud)
To silence (somewhat) the critics who believed all this move was doing was taking snaps from young WRs Tre Nixon, Marlon Williams, and second round pick Jalen Tolbert Callaway needed to have a huge preseason, and he did just that, to not only lock up WR3 but possibly his own roster spot as well. Now the Rage can go slowly with their young trio while having plenty of experience atop the depth chart.
OG: Kevin Dotson (Ted Karras)
OG: Yasir Durant (Jamarco Jones)
Karras moved over to Tampa, with Dotson taking his spot at left guard. The Rage brought back Jones from the Xtreme (he spent his first two seasons in Orlando) to play right guard, but Jones will start the season on IR so Durant, who's seen most of his snaps at right tackle but did play some at right guard with Dotson out, comes in.
DE: Jonathon Cooper (Da'Shawn Hand)
Karras wasn't the only one to move down the 4, as Hand joined in the TSP. Cooper, who saw minimal defensive snaps as a rookie, will make the huge jump, a tremendous opportunity given how high Richard was on Hand when he drafted him in 2018.
CB: Michael Ford (J.C. Jackson)
It's almost universally accepted that Jackson's long-term megadeal with the Stampede was a case of 'love the player/hate the contract', so replacing him with Ford, like Jackson a former undrafted free agent who rose to a starter, is more than acceptable.
P: Ryan Wright (Tommy Townsend)
The Rage tired of Townsend's inconsistency so he went off to Columbus in the expansion draft and they snapped up Wright, a big-legged punter as well who averaged 46 yards per punt in the preseason, as an undrafted free agent.
ST. LOUIS
QB: Jarrett Stidham (Brian Hoyer)
For better or worse, it's #STIDHAMSZN. His first start of 2023 will be the second of his career, after starting the 2020 regular season finale in San Antonio.
OT: David Bakhtiari (Jackson Barton)
OT: Abraham Lucas (Joe Haeg)
You can basically substitute anyone on the team's depth chart at OT for the players in parentheses, Barton and Haeg were the combo for the season finale against Kansas City. Bakhtiari's return almost feels like a new player, given his first season in the Lou was almost a wash as he was still coming back from a 2021 ACL tear, and Lucas will put an end to the right tackle OT-go-round as the Stallions started five different players there.
OG: Luke Goedeke (Colby Gossett)
The Stallions going OL their first two picks showed their seriousness of addressing the 2022 horrorshow, although the interior arguably saved it from becoming the biggest disaster in Missouri since the Chiefs before Andy Reid showed up.
LB: Curtis Bolton (Micah Kiser)
Just the league-leading tackler the last two seasons to replace as he starts the season on IR, no pressure there. Also was sort of a surprise pick over productive holdover Te'Von Coney.
S: Dane Cruikshank (Kyzir White)
Same for the former Enforcer starter, who will try to get off to better start with the Stallions than he did when he struggled through a so-so rookie year and lost his job to Godwin Igwebuike.
K: Matthew Wright (Greg Zuerlein)
Even though "Legatron" was only in the Gateway City for two seasons he became somewhat of a popular figure, so it would behoove Wright to get off to a strong start, say making his first 10 or 15 kicks, to at least make headway to winning them over
P: Justin Vogel (Johnny Hekker)
Then there's Hekker, who was with the team all the way back to the Vegas days when they were a legitimate threat to ending the Monarchs' dominance before it began. So Vogel's work will be at least twice as cut out for him.
SAN ANTONIO
WR: Collin Johnson (Josh Gordon)
The big play threat, coming off a season in which he actually outperformed Gordon, now replaces him as a starter.
OG: Solomon Kindley (Nick Easton)
OG: Jake Curhan (Kindley)
Kindley will join the list of interior offensive linemen making the switch from the right to the left side, while the second-year Curhan, an undrafted in 2021 who made it as a tackle, will move over to right guard.
OLB: Nik Bonitto (Ogbonnia Okoronkwo)
OLB: Joseph Ossai (Cameron Wake/Genard Avery)
We'll find out if the Stampede took a beating in free agency, or merely made the decision to make mass changes after falling to 8-8 after a 7-4 start. Their top three edge rushers either left as free agents or retired, so they used their first pick on Bonitto and 2021 second round pick Ossai gets his shot
ILB: Tegray Scales (Jake Ryan/Ramik Wilson)
With the Stampede employing more of a nickel-based alignment in 2023 only one off-ball LB will get the majority of snaps. Scales made his plays count in 2023, including a game-changing blocked FG/TD return against the Monarchs.
CB: J.C. Jackson (Justin Coleman)
Jackson didn't have any interceptions but he did force a pair of fumbles and had the most passes defensed in the league (23), plus his performance in helping slow down the Monarchs in the playoffs landed him this deal. Now it's up to him to start justifying it
SAN FRANCISCO
RB: Tyrion Davis-Price and co (Brian Hill)
The Demons in all likelihood will go RBBC to replace Hill, as only second rounder Tyrion Davis-Price resembles anything close to Hill style-wise. Not only will Corey Clement feature in here, but don't sleep on either Javian Hawkins or even Bo Scarbrough, an afterthought in Dallas last year but a Sherman tank in the preseason.
WR: Christian Watson/Trevon Grimes (Allen Lazard/A.J. Green)
On paper the losses of both, Lazard to Chicago in free agency and Green to retirement, should have no effect of Marcell Ateman, who's caught 66, 63, and 61 balls the last three years, however there is slight concern given Watson's level of competition and Grimes near-non-involvement in the offense last year. But Doug Pederson will figure it out as good as anybody.
TE: Cade Otton (Levine Toilolo)
It might be a stretch to think Otton could be Zach Ertz in this offense, but with the questions at wide receiver without Lazard and Green look for Otton to be heavily involved from the go.
OG: Colton McKivitz (Cole Toner)
McKivitz has played both spots on the left side and now will get the nod at his natural position.
OT: Jermaine Eluemunor (Jerald Hawkins)
The versatile, steady, yet oft-injured lineman makes his way out west to join his fourth team, third since being traded in 2021.
OLB: Devon Kennard (Leon Jacobs)
OLB: Davin Bellamy (Shaquem Griffin)
Kennard seems to have disappeared off everyone's radar, but is still very much the same playmaker he was in Las Vegas and Orlando, the Demons are counting on it as well. Bellamy had three sacks in a reserve role last year and takes over full-time.
ILB: Jacob Phillips (Marquel Lee)
Lee was a bargain for the Demons last year, even showing off some pass rush skills in subpackages, but as was the case in his last two years in Tampa Bay injuries continue to pop up so Phillips will replace during his season-opening IR stint.
TAMPA BAY
QB: Nathan Peterman (Nate Sudfeld)
Normally the backup QB wouldn't be a deal unless you still don't know what you have in Drew Lock. Peterman at least showed enough life in the preseason to keep the Sharks' QB room from falling to #16.
WR: Elijah Moore (Marvin Jones)
Moore will have quite the jump to make to replace Jones' production, as the vet nearly doubled the rook.
TE: Ricky Seals-Jones (Dalton Schultz)
Schultz' surprise jump to the NFL only meant the Sharks were only too happy to get Seals-Jones off a breakout season in Carolina, catching 38 passes for 432 yards and a pair of scores.
OT: Joe Haeg (David Sharpe)
A right tackle with a handful of snaps throughout his career on the left side, Haeg will once again get to try out the blind side.
OG: Joshua Ezeudu (Tyrone Crowder)
While Ezeudu has played every position other than center, and was briefly considered to switch with Terrone Prescod on the right side, the Sharks feel the rookie from UNC's best spot is at right guard now and can switch to left guard next year assuming they don't bring Jamil Douglas back.
C: Ted Karras (Kyle Fuller)
Karras has alternated between center and left guard in his career but it will be at center where he anchors the line in Tampa.
DL: Da'Shawn Hand (Dean Lowry)
Hand was thought to be headed to Birmingham (oddly enough along with Lowry) but switched it up at the 11th hour and joined the Sharks.
CB: Andrew Booth (Tre Flowers)
Booth should be a very good player in the system no doubt, that didn't stop some from deriding the pick as merely replacing Flowers with a younger model, that and Kyler Gordon was the next corner off the board.
WASHINGTON
QB: Bailey Zappe (Easton Stick)
The rookie gunslinger switches spots with Stick, who will always have that six-game run as starter in 2021 to fall back on.
DE: Sam Williams (Everson Griffen)
Williams can bring some heat and, with Grady Jarrett and Christian Barmore alongside him, won't be expected to be the primary pass rusher.
LB: DeMarquis Gates (Brandon Bell)
It was tough to let Bell go but Gates played so well in all three facets that he might have left to go fight for a starting job elsewhere had the Glory not.
CB: Anthony Averett (Michael Ford)
Averett can prove that he's still a reputable corner who was just stuck in a bad spot in Dallas last year. Certainly playing next to Trevon Diggs and a pair of emerging safeties in Jayron Kearse and Amani Hooker will help.