Are You Ready for Some FOOTBALL!
Hello and welcome to Hoff's Hot Takes. Summer is summering, fall is around the corner, and Hoff's Hot Takes is waking up from a nap and getting a nice buzz. We are ready for football, and had a good draft. Thanks for those who came out. Great job drafting via ESPN, and hope it runs this smoothly in the future. Todays Takes are brought to you by Led Zeppelin II, Ruffles and french onion dip, and laying down on Labor Day after a nice trip to Gurnee Pool with Josephine. Lets start with Football Reference Stuff:
Football Reference: We are looking at most total yards (rushing + recieving) by a running back in a three-year stretch. Should give us a good idea on how good a player's peak was. We are gonna start with Walter Payton - anybody before him does not count per the rules of JPH. I may forget a few people here and there but this is not what the Takes are about. I never said I was the most accurate...
1) Marshall Faulk 1998-2000 - 6,845 yards (!!!!!!)
2) Priest Holmes 2001-2003 - 6,566 yards
3) Ladanian Tomlinson 2002-2004 - 6,318 yards
4) Walter Payton 1983-1985 - 6,114 yards
5) Terrell Davis 1996-1998 - 6,110 yards
6) Ladanian Tomlinson 2005-2007 - 6,104 yards
7) Barry Sanders 1995-1997 - 5,956 yards
8) Thurman Thomas 1990-1992 - 5,980 yards
9) Walter Payton 1977-1979 - 5,919 yards
10) Emitt Smith 1993-1995 - 5,873 yards
11) Jamall Lewis 2000-2003 (missed 01 with a knee) - 5,700 yards
12) Ricky Williams 2001-2003 - 5,695 yards
13) Chris Johnson 2008-2010 - 5,600 yards
14) Shaun Alexander 2003-2005 - 5,554 yards
15) Christian McCaffrey 2017-2019 - 5,443 yards
16) MJD 2009-2011 - 5,386 yards
17) Eddie George 1998-2000 - 5,228 yards
18) Clinton Portis 2002- 2004 - 5,327 yards
19) Adrian Peterson 2007-2009 - 5,313 yards
20) Edge James 1999-2001- 5,297 yards
Others over 5,000 yards not in the top 20 -> Todd Gurley, Matt Forte, Curtis Martin, Frank Gore, Levon Bell, Marshawn Lynch, Steven Jackson, Larry Johnson, Jamall Charles, Fred Taylor, Edge James 04-06, and Ricky Watters, Derrick Henry, and Zeke Elliott.
Random Thoughts on each team, as well as each teams wildcard - Brian has a trio of pass catchers that will keep him in the hunt all season -> Garret Wilson, Devonta Smith, and Travis Kelce. He also has a deep stable of running backs : Jones, Akers, Conner, Rhomandre. If one of his backup WR (Dionte is his wildcard) is good I could see Beej in the final 4... George went for a rookie draft, and oh boy did he go for it. He took Bryce Young, Zach Charbanet, Tank Bigsby, and Devon Achane. So unless some top guys go down, we are looking at some spotty stuff. Javonte is his wildcard... I like George taking Kamara. Should be able to trade him for picks next year. Joe has another trio of pass catchers like Beej that would make anyone jealous -> Mark Andrews, Ceedee Lamb, Tee Higgins and ARSB. Those guys are not coming out unless they are injured. Dak is his wildcard. If he is a top 7-10 guy, Joe is gonna be real good. He has a deep stable of runningbacks as well to trot out. Etienne and Miles Sanders with his pass catchers give me Final 4 vibes...John has Josh Allen who should be a top 3/4 QB as long as healthy, and Pitts who is his wildcard. Ekeler falling gives him probably the best 1-2 RB duo in the league. His WRs are shaky. Needs Flowers to step up. Flowers is his wildcard this season, as well as Mike Thomas...Jordan is looking at a world where Bijan for 16, Olave for 7, and Waddle for 6 puts him in a real good spot for 3-4 years or so. He picked up a top 4 TE, and a top 3 WB to go along with a few other good players. Calvin Ridley will be Jordans wildcard. (Editors Note - I kind of hated my draft)... Kyle has the best running back trio in the league with Henry, Pollard, and Breece Hall. Henry is getting older, and Pollard wont be kept, so Hall is gonna have to carry long term Soul Honkey. Good deep WR depth on his team, and the double New York QB situation he has is fun and should work. Daniel Jones is his wildcard. Needs to fix the TE situation to get contending... Micah has the Brown brothers at WR, and I would say Hollywood is Micah's wildcard. Micah has a ton of good players, but only really Mahomes and AJ stick out as studs. He also does not have any young guys he took. If Kenneth Walker keeps it up, and he catches something with one of his other RB he will be a tough out.. Mike has a team that is relying on Mike Evans to keep up his historic start to his career with Baker, and DeAndre to settle in nick with Ryan Tannehill. Mike Williams is good for a good game, but gets hurt a ton. Dobbins in his wildcard. Lawerence is also a wildcard, where as there is a world where he is like QB 4 and leads Mike to some big weeks. Like I can close my eyes and Lawerence Chubb and Dobbins have like 70 points with just themselves... Nick has like every good WR -> Diggs, Allen, DK, Drake London, Jordan Addison, and Jaxson Smith Njigba. If Taylor is out he is in trouble, cause his RB 2 and RB 3 situation aint looking hot. If that gets figured out, and you pair those WR with a top 5 TE and QB, you may have a Final 4 team here. Wildcard for him is if Addison or London step up and are good, as well as Taylor playing. Lotta wildcards here. Team of wildcards like getting all the 2s and 4s in hockey... Nolan has a team that I am kinda jealous of. I like Dotson to break out a bit. I like Pierce. Jefferson is amazing. Herbert has MVP potential. His bench has upside. His wildcard is Christian Watson. It is not even a Watson thing as much as it is a Jordan Love thing. Jacobs is a wildcard. Kincaid as his only TE is concerning. Nolan is the wildcard team! I could see him finishing 3rd, and I could see him finishing 9th. I am confused on this one...Peter had a draft spearheaded by Paul Baillargeon. He went to replenish Peter's keepers with Gibbs in the first. Good pick. Dude is electric. He also took Lamar who should have one of the best seasons or two of his career. Swift when healthy is a dog, and he has Jamaal Williams for the first 3 games without Kamara. I like the Tajae Spears pick as well, who wrecked in college, and with Henry getting up there, may be valuable moving forward. Pickens is his wildcard, as well as Dalvin Cook. Steve has the best rushing attack in the league. Not only does he have Barkley, Harris, and Mixon, but he also has Justin Fields. He has Adams and Kittle, who are top guys at their spots, so that is good. He needs to find that WR2 to be a top flight team. I still kind of like him as a playoff team. Could be the last year for Harris, so working the wire for some keepers during the season should be important. Cris Godwin is his wildcard...
The Lloyd Christmas " I LIKE IT ALOOOT" Draft Picks. 1 from each team - Austin Ekeler in the first by JB... James Conner in the 4th by BJ... Jordan backing up Bijan with Tyler Algier in the 9th was probably his "best" pick... Nick taking JSN (I decided I am not going to write his name all year) to be DK insurance, not only this year, but beyond was good. Also, Lockett is getting older too... Daniel Jones in the 13th round was a good pick by Kyle. Also dont mind Adam Theilen in the 8th... Joe taking Rashod Bateman in the 16th was tremendous... George taking Alvin Kamara, as well as the rookie RB from Miami... Micah taking Cortland Sutton in the 8th was good... Zeke in the 8th, and Jerome Ford to backup Chubb are my favorite Mike picks... Nolan picking Brandon Ayuik in the 5th, and Dameon Pierce in the 4th... Peter/Paul picking Tajae Spears in the 11th, and Tyler Lockett in the 8th.
Rookie Report -We are gonna break this down into categories here -> Big Time Possibilities- Jordan took Bijan Robinson 1st overall... John took Zay Flowers in the 5th. Mike Thomas replacement? Steepish price...Nick takes Jordan Addison in the 5th, and Jaxon Smith Njigba in the 4th, which is in the steepish territory, but the last couple drafts have proven that a few of these guys are worth keeping around this point every year. I like the strategy by Nick. Quinten Johnson by Joe in the 8th is the perfect spot for him, and may be worth it...Zach Charbanet in the 8th may be good if Walker III aint good, as well as Devon Achane in the 10th. Like that pick alot...Peter picking Tajae Spears in the 11th round. Peter picked Jahmyr Gibbs in the first to protect him dynasty style. Probably not important - Jordan took Duece Vaughn in the 15th... BJ with Roshon Johnson and Marvin Mims in the 8th and 10th... Tank Bigsby in the 10th by George. Bryce Young in the 13th by George... Peter has Sam Laporta for 14th forever. Nolan has Dalton Kincaid in the 11th.
Week 1 Preview - Joe vs. BJ, and Tidwell vs. Jordan lead the way for week 1. Give me Joe, Jordan, Kyle, Nick, Micah, and JB for winners in week 1. As for that 3rd point, lets give it to Joe to star the season with a bang. Maybe Jordan. Maybe JB.... Hammer the Chiefs at -6.5 in this opener... Steelers vs. 49ers should be a good game. I am excited for Bears vs. Packers at 3PM. Get a nice redzone session in and then settle in for the new look Bears... ESPN projects the 3rd point to be scored by BJ.
Hoff's Hot Takes Post Draft Power Rankings - Joe, Nick, BJ, Jordan, Tidwell, Kyle, John, Nolan, Peter, Mike, Micah, George
