With only 16 games left before “real” football starts, the players on the verge of an NFL roster need to shine in the last game for their respective teams. Cuts are looming and with that in the mind of players, some showed out in week three.
Another week of preseason games has gone by which means we are one week closer to the regular season starting, as well as roster cuts. Here is another batch of players that have improved their chances of making an NFL roster come week one.
2018 was a forgetful year for the Cardinals. The team only won three games with two coming against the 49ers who were the second-worst team in the league, while the Cardinals were the worst. Their other win came against the Green Bay Packers which forced the Packers to fire Mike McCarthy. The team was plagued by terrible offensive play and an abysmal offensive line. The team is under a full rebuild and will look completely different this year with Steve Wilks fired and replaced by Kliff Kingsbury bringing in a whole new dimension the NFL has never seen.
Football is back after a five and a half month hiatus! All 32 teams have played a preseason game. Preseason is a time for all fans to take a look at some of the unknown talents on their favorite team’s roster, whether they make the roster or not. Last week I highlighted six players that improved their stocks heading into roster cuts in a few weeks from the Hall of Fame game. Today I will highlight ten players who made the most out of their opportunities this past week and will look for sustained success in the weeks to come.
To the average viewer, the preseason seems pointless. To the organizations and diehard fans though, the preseason is paramount. The four games serve as a chance for young and old players to prove that they belong on a team, whether it be the one they play on during the preseason or another team that noticed their talent. Many players’ hopes of playing in the NFL can come crashing down after the fourth game when cuts are made while some players take advantage of the playing time that they are given and make an NFL roster. Every week I will be highlighting some players that have taken the time given to prove that they belong. This week’s article details some players that impressed during the Hall of Fame game on Thursday.
The Buccaneers 2018 season was a roller coaster, to say the least. Jameis Winston started the season suspended so Ryan Fitzpatrick opened the season as the starter. Then, “fitzmagic” happened. They opened the season 2-0 after wins against New Orleans and the then Super Bowl champion Eagles. Once Winston returned, he and Fitzpatrick each traded off the starting role multiple times. After the impressive start, the team stumbled its way to a 5-11 finish, missing the playoffs for the tenth straight year, resulting in the firing of coach Dirk Koetter. Koetter’s replacement is former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, who has the difficult task of taking this team from the NFC cellar to super bowl contenders.
The 2018 Dolphins started the season great with a 3-0 record. They then went on to have an up and down season the rest of the season with their biggest highlight coming on the final play against the New England Patriots on December 9th, now known as the “Miracle in Miami”. Ryan Tannehill got injured yet again and the team had to rely on Brock Osweiler for a majority of the season. The Dolphins finished the season 7-9, enough to place second in the AFC East, but not without a price. Adam Gase was fired and replaced by former Patriots de facto defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
The Lions 2018 season left much to be desired. After a great first play from scrimmage resulting in an interception returned for a touchdown, the Lions season turned completely upside down. Matthew Stafford had one of his worst seasons as a pro and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter would be replaced during the offseason by Darrell Bevell. After an up and down start resulting in a 3-3 record midway through October, they would go on to lose seven of the next ten games ending the season with a 6-10 record, their worst since 2012.
In today’s position battle, we will be discussing two young receivers in Marquez Valdes-Scantling of the Green Bay Packers, and N’Keal Harry of the New England Patriots. In 12-team PPR leagues, both players are going in the ninth round per Fantasy Football Calculator with Valdes-Scantling as the WR40 and Harry as the WR43. In his rookie year, Valdes-Scantling finished the year as the WR65. If Harry’s junior season at Arizona State had been his rookie season in the NFL, he would’ve finished as the WR15 for the 2018 season.
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