Article 1

A Brief Summary of Where It All

Started for The NFL

The NFL has existed for nearly a century The NFL has existed for nearly a century

now. It all began back in 1920 when now. It all began back in 1920 when

football first started, for the USA is was a football first started, for the USA is was a

very very small thing and not even called very very small thing and not even called

the NFL then . It all started in Ohio in the the NFL then . It all started in Ohio in the

first 20 years lots of teams joined the first 20 years lots of teams joined the

“NFL”, the first ever game recorded was “NFL”, the first ever game recorded was

Flyers vs Panhandles where the flyers Flyers vs Panhandles where the flyers

took down the Panhandles with a score of took down the Panhandles with a score of

14-0. At this time only 4 of the 14 teams 14-0. At this time only 4 of the 14 teams

that played that season played another that played that season played another

season. Those teams do exist today. After season.

a couple seasons The Green Bay Packers

had Joined the league, Green Bay

Packers still play today and it is the oldest

team to be playing

The NFL has existed for nearly a century The first ever draft created, in

now. It all began back in 1920 when 1936, the first player chosen never

football first started, for the USA is was played a down in the NFL because he

a very very small thing and not even chose to pursue a career in Medicine.

called the NFL then . It all started in Ohio Later that year the first televised game

in the first 20 years lots of teams joined happened between the Philadelphia

the “NFL”, the first ever game recorded Eagles played a team that doesn't exist

was Flyers vs Panhandles where the now. In 1946, the Cleveland Rams
flyers took down the Panhandles with a moved to the West in Los Angeles

score of 14-0. At this time only 4 of the bringing it their for the first time. Right

14 teams that played that season played after this move the first african players

another season. Those teams do exist came into the NFL, Kenny Washington
today. After a couple seasons The and Woody Strode, since the rule was
Green Bay Packers had Joined the put in “no Blacks”. About ten years after
league, Green Bay Packers still play a game playing the Colts vs Jets was
today and it is the oldest team to be considered the greatest game ever
playing. George Halas a former played. A coach named Vince lombardi
player/coach bought his team renamed took over as the green bay who would
them and the Chicago Bears. June 24, change history for the packers. Lamar
1922 was a huge day because on this Hunt from Houston wanted a team back
day they restructured the league and in texas but not just one two of them one
renamed it the National Football in Houston and one in Dallas and more
League. A few years after a change teams wanted in but were not put in the
happened because of financial NFL they were put in the AFL. That's
problems, they moved all the teams from where the rivalry began between the
small cities from the West to larger AFL and the NFL. With a new League
places in the East because these cities they became rivals. The first team to win
have greater population. With doing this an AFL champion. In that same year,
they only could do it to the teams who Vince Lombardi lead the packers to their
had enough money to move. They went first championship of five of the next
from 22 teams to 12 teams. A new team 1960s.
that was restructured “Washington In 1966 the AFL was struggling
Redskins” head coach George Prenton with financial problems so the NFL and
out in a rule for no black people to be AFL negotiated, their deal was quickly

aloud to play in the NFL until World War made with the two leagues combining

II was over. they became known as the NFL. With

this happening only one day could be

the champion day they choose to have it

in January which the game became

known as the Super- Bowl. Super Bowl

One was born a great day it was for the

Green Bay Packers and Kansas City

Chiefs. In a great game Green Bay

came out on top being named Super

Bowl one winner.

Going into the next season the

Packers had that to defend and that they

did by obliterating the Oakland Raiders

33-14. This day after was a sad day

head coach Vince Lombardi retired as

head coach and with the a great

deal of respect winning 6 championships

in 8 years (including the 2 super bowls)

which in some case people call the

Super Bowl The Lombardi Trophy. 1970

ended the existence of the AFL making

the NFL old teams combined with some

new teams National Football Conference

 and the old AFL teams with more new

teams the American Football

Conference with these to combined it

makes up the NFL.

Super Winning Losing Score Super Winning Losing Score

Bowls Team Team Bowls Team Team
1 Green Bay Kansas City 35-10 27 Dallas Buffalo 52-17

2 Green Bay Oakland 33-14 28 Dallas Buffalo 30-13

3 NY Jets Baltimore 16-7 29 San Fran San Diego 49-26

4 Kansas City Minnesota 23-7 30 Dallas Pittsburgh 27-17

5 Baltimore Dallas 16-13 31 Green Bay New 35-21

england

6 Dallas Miami 24-3 32 Denver Green Bay 31-24

7 Miami Washington 14-7 33 Denver Atlanta 34-19

8 Miami Minnesota 24-7 34 St louis Tennessee 23-16

9 Pittsburgh Minnesota 16-6 35 Baltimore NY Giants 34-7

10 Pittsburgh Dallas 21-17 36 New St louis 20-17

england

11 Oakland Minnesota 32-14 37 Tampa bay Oakland 48-21

12 Dallas Denver 27-10 38 New Carolina 32-29

england

13 Pittsburgh Dallas 35-31 39 New Philadelphi 24-21

england a

14 Pittsburgh Los angeles 31-19 40 pittsburgh Seattle 21-10

15 Oakland Philadelphia 27-10 41 Indianapolis Chicago 29-17

16 San Fran Cincinnati 26-21 42 NY Giants New 17-14

 england

17 Washington Miami 27-17 43 Pittsburgh Arizona 27-23

18 Los angeles Washington 38-9 44 New Indianapoli 31-17

Orleans s

19 San Fran Miami 38-16 45 Green bay Pittsburgh 31-25

20 Chicago New England 46-10 46 NY Giants New 21-17

england

21 New York Denver 39-20 47 Baltimore San Fran 34-31

22 Washington Denver 42-10 48 Seattle Denver 43-8

23 San Fran Cincinnati 20-16 49 New Seattle 28-24

England

24 San Fran Denver 55-10 50 Denver Carolina 24-10

25 NY Giants Buffalo 20-19 51 New Atlanta 34-28

England

26 Washington Buffalo 37-24 52 Philadelphia New 41-33

England

Article number 2

MOST OVERRATED NFL PLAYER O N EAC\

The hype machine never stops running as it concerns professional
sports, which is why so many overrated NFL players are propped up,
both by the masses and by their teams.

Those are the players we’ll be focusing on here. Every team has at least
one overrated player on the roster. Some of them have already been
crowned as the next big thing, while others are a bit more obscure. But
each of these players has either failed to live up to the hype, has a lot of
work to meet it in the future or is the beneficiary of a star teammate.

The following represent the most overrated NFL player on each team.

Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott, quarterback

Everyone was so quick to anoint Prescott as the next big thing in Dallas
after his unexpected stellar rookie season. The former fourth-rounder
out of Mississippi State came on like a runaway freight train, helping
propel the Cowboys to the top seed in the NFC in 2016. However, his
limitations quickly became evident last season, especially when
protection up front broke down in the absence of Tyron Smith. He’s still
an extremely raw pro quarterback who struggles to throw outside the
hash marks. The upcoming season will tell us a lot about Prescott, and
the future of the Cowboys.

New York Giants: Janoris Jenkins, cornerback

Jenkins isn’t a bad cornerback by any means. In fact, he’s one of the
NFL’s best at creating points off turnovers, having returned seven
interceptions for touchdowns the past six seasons. However, he’s also
not one of the league’s few shutdown corners — he’s a hit-or-miss type
of cover man who tends to get burned. Also, since signing his monster
contract with Big Blue in 2016, it’s safe to wonder if he’s started to
break down physically. He’s nearing the age of 30 and missed the tail
end of last season on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

Philadelphia Eagles: Alshon Jeffery, wide receiver

In six seasons as a professional, Jeffery has eclipsed the 1,000-yard

mark just twice and has registered double-digit touchdown totals just
once. He caught just 47.5 percent of the 120 passes thrown his way last
year, going for 789 yards on 57 receptions and nine touchdowns. Jeffery
is by no means a bad receiver. That said, he’s nowhere near the elites in
the game today. Also, we’re not convinced he’s worth the huge contract
the Eagles just inked him to ahead of the 2018 season, which includes
$26.75 million guaranteed.

Washington Redskins: Josh Norman, cornerback

Josh Norman’s time as a top NFL cornerback has come and gone. That
ship has sailed, and it left the harbor a couple years ago. Norman was
decent in 2016, his first year with Washington, but last year he was a
shell of his former self, registering nary a single interception while
breaking up just nine passes. Norman is still a reasonably talented
player, but he’s not an elite player and certainly not worthy of being the
highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills: Charles Clay, tight end

It was a bit difficult to pick a player from Buffalo for this list, as the Bills
have one of the most work-in-progress rosters in the NFL. But then we
remembered that the Bills are paying Clay an average of $7.6 million per
year to do things that any average tight end could do with ease. When
the Bills signed Clay to his massive deal back in 2015, it was thought
(by those in Buffalo) that he’d spark the deep passing game. That hasn’t
happened, and Clay has managed to average just three touchdowns per
year as well.

Miami Dolphins: Robert Quinn, outside linebacker

Since inking his huge contract with the then St. Louis Rams back in
2014 following his 19-sack 2013 season, Quinn hasn’t lived up to it. The
past three seasons in particular have been mediocre ones for the former
first-round pick, as Quinn has totaled 17.5 sacks since 2015. The
Dolphins swung a trade with the Rams this offseason to land Quinn and
see if he’s worth keeping around for the long term. That’s debatable,
and Quinn will have to prove he’s still a fearsome pass rusher this year
or likely be cut before 2019, when the guarantees run out on his deal.

New England Patriots: Julian Edelman, wide receiver

This former seventh-round draft pick out of Kent State has become
quite the weapon for New England’s offense the past few years. Since
2013, Edelman has averaged 89 catches, 957 yards and five touchdowns
per year. That’s tremendous production from a slot specialist, and so
it’s hardly surprising that Edelman is seen as one of the NFL’s top slot
guys. But let’s be honest, without Tom Brady throwing him the ball,
Edelman would likely never come

close
to being the player he is today. So, while it’s pretty awesome that the
two players have great chemistry, it is a product of Brady and offensive
coordinator Josh McDaniels more than it is Edelman being so darn
good.

New York Jets: Trumaine Johnson, cornerback

It’s not hard to surmise that the Los Angeles Rams got the better of
Johnson, using the franchise tag two years in a row to keep him. Then
this year, rather than investing in him long term they let him hit free
agency, opting to make deals for Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, instead.
Johnson then signed with Gang Green and is now the second-highest-
paid cornerback in the NFL. But in no way, shape or form is this a top-
two cornerback, let alone a top-five guy. Johnson is a decent cover
corner but he’s undisciplined and quite honestly had a mediocre 2017
campaign. Hopefully the Jets don’t get buyer’s remorse in 2018.

Chicago Bears: Allen Robinson, wide receiver

In four seasons as a professional, Robinson has one incredible

campaign under his belt, two we could consider okay and one that was
lost to injury — the latter being last season, when he tore his ACL in
Week 1. Yet this spring when free agency hit, Robinson was being
talked about like the second coming of Jerry Rice. He ended up signing
a huge contract with the Bears and was being pursued by multiple
teams before that. It’s going to be interesting to see what this contract
looks like in a couple years.

Detroit Lions: Ameer Abdullah, running back

At some point, people are finally going to stop expecting Abdullah to

become a star for the Lions. Every year for the past three seasons, fans
wonder if this will be the year the former Nebraska star breaks out. And
every year, he disappoints. Is Abdullah fast? Heck yeah, he’s fast. Is he
quick? He’s a freaking ninja. But just don’t ask him to consistently read
the offensive line correctly, and don’t expect him to ever reach the
1,000-yard mark. It’s not going to happen.

Green Bay Packers: Clay Matthews, outside linebacker

There was a time when Matthews was rightfully universally feared for
his ability to get to the quarterback. He was a phenomenal rookie and
racked up 61 sacks in his first six seasons, along with six interceptions
and three touchdowns. But since then, due to injuries and due to Green
Bay’s need for Matthews to play inside too often, he’s no longer that
fearsome edge defender. Matthews turns 32 before the season begins,
and it’s worth wondering if he’ll ever be the same again.

Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins, quarterback

From a stats perspective, Cousins has been one of the better NFL
quarterbacks the past three seasons. But ask anyone who studies
quarterbacks for a living and they’ll tell you that those numbers hide
some glaring flaws. Now, I get why the Vikings paid Cousins $84 million
guaranteed over three years — he’s an upgrade compared to the
situation they had last year, and this is a team with Super Bowl
aspirations. That said, it will be surprising to me if the Vikings win a
Super Bowl with Cousins under center.

Baltimore Ravens: Michael Crabtree, wide receiver

Crabtree has never lived up to being selected with the 10th pick of the
2009 NFL Draft. In nine seasons as a pro, he’s eclipsed 1,000 yards just
twice and has never caught more than nine touchdowns. Furthermore,
Crabtree is purely a possession receiver. His career average is 11.9
yards per catch, which isn’t awful but it’s not amazing, either. This isn’t
a guy who’s going to suddenly propel the Baltimore passing attack to
greatness. He’s a solid veteran addition, but in no way is Crabtree a
player to build your offense around.

Cleveland Browns: Jarvis Landry, wide receiver

Okay, so we all know Cleveland had money to burn heading into the
offseason. And boy, did they burn some of it up when they signed
Landry to a five-year deal worth up to $75.5 million, including $47
million guaranteed. That’s the kind of money you expect to pay a No. 1
receiver. But Landry isn’t a No. 1 receiver. He’s a possession specialist
who is all about volume, rather than big plays, averaging just 10.1 yards
per catch with 22 touchdowns in four years.

Cincinnati Bengals: Vontaze Burfict, linebacker

Burfict is a solid linebacker. Nobody will dispute that. He’s solid against
both the run and the pass, and he’s been the best linebacker on
Cincinnati’s roster for a few years. But he’s known more for his dirty
play and attitude problem than he is for being a solid linebacker, and he
has the receipts to prove it. Yet the Bengals continue to overrate him in
a huge way, having recently inked him to a huge contract extension.
This organization seemingly will never get it, and we honestly feel sorry
for its fans.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Joe Haden, cornerback

Perhaps nobody overrates Haden like Haden himself. The Steelers are a
close second, however, having inked Haden to a pretty lucrative deal
last year after the Browns released him. The former No. 7 overall pick at
one time was a very good cornerback, but these days he’s just average.
Since his injury-marred 2015 campaign, Haden has just four
interceptions and has struggled to remain healthy. Pittsburgh better
hope he has a resurgent campaign in 2018, or things could get messy
on the defensive side of the ball.

Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley, defensive end

Beasley has a ton of potential, and it wasn’t surprising that the Falcons
picked up his fifth-year option recently. That said, the 2016 NFL sack
leader had a pretty miserable 2017 campaign, and even his 2016 season
was overhyped due to the big sack total. Last year the Falcons asked
Beasley to be more versatile. Not only did he struggle to play in space,
but he also struggled rushing the passer, notching just five sacks. He’s
going back to being a defensive end this upcoming season, and
hopefully that change will help him. But this young man clearly still has
a lot to learn about playing in the NFL.
Carolina Panthers: Torrey Smith, wide receiver

Panthers fans are excited to land Smith, who is a deep threat on every
single snap to be sure. But anyone expecting Smith to be this incredible
addition to Carolina’s offense needs to take a step back and breathe.
For his career, Smith has hauled in less than half the passes thrown his
way. What’s even worse is that last year in Philly he only averaged 11.9
yards per catch, hauling in a total of 36 receptions for 430 yards and two
touchdowns. And since his 11-touchdown 2014 season, Smith has just
nine touchdown catches to his credit.

New Orleans Saints: Demario Davis, linebacker

Davis parlayed a career year in New York into a lucrative deal with the
Saints this offseason in free agency. But this a linebacker who is 29
years old and who was basically a good, but not great, player before
breaking out in a contract year. Can Davis be a solid player for New
Orleans inside this year? Sure. But he’s not going to necessarily be a
guy who elevates the entire defense and will need help up front to
maximize his own value. Even worse, Davis isn’t a very good coverage
linebacker, which could limit his role.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kwon Alexander, linebacker

After a promising rookie campaign and a tremendous sophomore

season in 2016, Alexander came crashing back down to earth in 2017.
He continues to be strong in coverage at times — his six interceptions
in three years stands out as darn impressive — but misses tackles and
blows assignments far too often. Entering a contract year in 2018,
Alexander has a lot of work to do to prove he’s more than just an
athletically gifted undersized linebacker who makes splash plays.

Houston Texans: Lamar Miller, running back

Don’t be surprised if second-year back D’Onta Foreman ends up taking

over as the full-time starting running back in Houston this season. Since
Miller joined the Texans in 2016 as a free agent with a huge chip on his
shoulder, he’s regressed significantly. He showed sparks of being an
impact player that first season, finishing with 1,073 yards and five
touchdowns on the ground. But he only had four 100-plus yard games,
and then in 2017 he had none, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry.

Indianapolis Colts: Eric Ebron, tight end

The Detroit Lions gave Ebron plenty of time to prove he was worth
being selected 10th overall in 2014. Ultimately, the only thing he was
able to prove is that he’s a below-average run blocker and an
inconsistent receiving threat. So, it was pretty surprising when the Colts
made Ebron their marquee signing in free agency on a two-year deal
worth up to $15 million. The Colts have been trying to find a consistent
tight end threat for Andrew Luck for years, so maybe they’re hoping
against hope their search is over. We’re not convinced it is.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Fournette, running back

The Jaguars surprised many when they selected Fournette No. 4 overall
last year out of LSU. He had a pretty good rookie season, and he helped
the Jags get to the AFC Championship Game. Or so that’s the narrative
that’s been spun. We’ll concede that having a bruising back definitely
helped Blake Bortles and the passing game out. And Fournette can do
some pretty wild things, too (like this). But this is a back who averaged
just 3.9 yards per carry as a rookie, and he continues to deal with ankle
issues that have plagued him since college. Don’t be surprised if
Fournette doesn’t last long, especially if Jacksonville continues to use
him like a battering ram.

Tennessee Titans: Malcolm Butler, cornerback

Butler is widely recognized as the guy who jumped Russell Wilson’s

end-zone pass in Super Bowl XLIX, sealing the victory for the New
England Patriots. He also had a very strong 2016 season for the Pats
before suffering through a mediocre 2017 campaign. But that didn’t
seem to knock off the luster surrounding how folks view Butler, as he
signed a five-year, $61 million deal with Tennessee. More scrappy and
tenacious than being an elite cover guy, Butler really has a lot to live up
to with his new team.

Arizona Cardinals: Sam Bradford, quarterback

Bradford finds his way onto this list not because he’s overrated by fans
— far from it. He’s annually overrated by NFL teams, which continue to
dump mad money into his pockets for reasons that defy all logic and
sanity. Bradford has a chronic knee problem and has missed significant
time due to injury in four out of his last five seasons. Additionally, we’re
talking about a quarterback who has a career record of 34-45-1, though
we do have to cut him some slack due to the Jeff Fisher factor.
Regardless, Bradford continues to amaze for his ability to keep cashing
in, despite never living up to the hype.

Los Angeles Rams: Mark Barron, linebacker

A converted safety who now plays inside linebacker for the Rams,
Barron has held his own the past few years. He’s not a bad player by
any means. He’s just not that great, either. The best part of his game is
that Barron is fast enough to make plays in coverage, which hearkens
back to his days as a defensive back. That said, the biggest weakness
facing Los Angeles heading into the draft was inside linebacker. So, it
wasn’t surprising that the team selected Micah Kiser in Round 5, and it
won’t be surprising to see him take over for Barron eventually.

San Francisco 49ers: Jerick McKinnon, running back

McKinnon might end up becoming an absolute stud in Kyle Shanahan’s
offense. He certainly has the traits to do it, which is why there are so
many hot takes out there about how he’s going to become the next big
thing in the NFL. But let’s all take a deep breath and realize for a
moment that this is all based purely on projection. Sure, McKinnon has
done some good things as a backup in Minnesota. But he’s never been
tasked with carrying the load, and we have no idea if he can do it long
term.

Seattle Seahawks: Rashaad Penny, running back

It might be a bit unfair to put a rookie on this list. After all, Penny has yet
to prove himself in any way at the NFL level. But thanks to Seattle using
a first-round pick on a running back most had pegged in as a Day 2
pick, and based on the rhetoric coming out of Seattle about just how
amazing he is since the draft, the hype train has gone off the rails.
Penny isn’t a tremendous receiver, and he is patently awful at pass
protection. Yet the Seahawks have made it clear they view him as a stud
three-down back. Something’s got to give.

Denver Broncos: Shane Ray, outside linebacker

Denver should be looking to trade Ray these days, and it would hardly
surprising if that happened. In addition to the fact that the Broncos now
have Bradley Chubb, the simple truth is that Ray isn’t that good unless
he’s pinning his ears back rushing the passer. And even then, he’s not
exactly consistent. Since being selected No. 23 overall in 2015, Ray has
just 13 sacks to his credit and missed much of last season due to injury.
It’s too early to say he’s a bust, but it’s not too early to wonder if that
label will stick long term.

Kansas City Chiefs: Sammy Watkins, wide receiver

Nobody can dispute that Watkins has incredible natural talent. He

possesses a great combination of size, speed and athleticism. And
there are certainly times when it all comes together for him, such as
during the 2015 season when he caught 60 passes for 1,047 yards and
nine touchdowns. That said, Watkins has struggled to stay healthy
throughout his NFL career, and he has averaged just 44 receiving yards
per game since his breakout 2015 campaign. Needless to say, my jaw hit
the floor when the Chiefs backed up the Brink’s truck for Watkins in free
agency.

Los Angeles Chargers: Melvin Gordon, running back

For a guy who put up 2,587 yards at Wisconsin in 2014 and averaged 7.8
yards per carry over the course of his four years with the Badgers,
Gordon’s impact at the NFL level can only be described as muted. We’ll
give him a ton of credit for running tough, especially the past two years,
and for scoring 18 touchdowns on the ground since 2016. But Gordon
has averaged just 3.8 yards per carry as a pro, rarely showing off the
signature speed and vision that made him a star in college.

Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr, quarterback

Hopefully Jon Gruden can get the best out of Carr, who took about five
steps in the wrong direction last season after a very productive 2016
campaign. Immediately after signing a massive contract extension, Carr
had his worst season as a pro, throwing 22 touchdowns and 13
interceptions. As some who study tape have long pointed out, Carr has
actually been lucky over the course of his career, too, in that many of
his interceptable passes don’t end up as turnovers. Needless to say,
Carr has some serious work in front of him to live up to his contract and
get the Raiders back into contention.
References
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.espn.com/nfl/superbowl/history/winners

NFL History by Decade. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1981-

1990

Reed, J. (2018, May 10). Most overrated NFL player on each team. Retrieved from

https://sportsnaut.com/2018/05/most-overrated-nfl-player-each-team/