We all love a good storyline and Week 14 is chock full of them, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter explains. This week, the Rams take on Washington and the Browns face the Colts, bringing back memories of two of the biggest trades to take place in the last few years. In 2012, the Rams traded the rights to draft Robert Griffin III to Washington and in 2013, Cleveland sent former first-round choice Trent Richardson to Indianapolis. Those deals involved four teams initially, but as Schefter explains in detail, they affected at least nine teams in a significant fashion. More from Schefter’s latest columns..
- Some around the league believe that Giants coach Tom Coughlin could be coaching his final four games, though he will have plenty of say on whether this is the end for him. It won’t be necessarily easy for Big Blue to finish strong given their massive rash of injuries, but they’ve got a good chance. Over the next four games, they’re playing a quartet of quarterbacks who were backups at some point in 2014. The Giants get Jake Locker or an injured Zach Mettenberger on Sunday, Washington’s Colt McCoy the following week, then Shaun Hill‘s Rams, followed by a home tilt against Mark Sanchez and the Eagles.
- Chances are that Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer will move on and out of Johnny Manziel’s shadow this offseason, writes Schefter in a different column. If that happens, the Texans would make some sense for Hoyer. There’s a huge mutual respect between Hoyer and Texans coach Bill O’Brien, as the pair worked together in New England. If they have a chance to work together, they would welcome it, according to Schefter.
- Even if the Saints miss the playoffs, Sean Payton won’t be on the hot seat in New Orleans. Besides, Schefter rightly notes that the team’s remaining schedule is rather favorable and should result in an NFC South title.
- The Rams’ entire offseason will be devoted to getting a quarterback, whether it’s through a trade, the draft or free agency. They will add at least one QB, and maybe even two, depending on whether Hill returns.
- Torrey Smith played college ball in Maryland and might not want to leave the area, but there’s a chance that the Ravens let him walk in free agency. At the same time, there could be a lot of desirable free agent wide receivers this offseason, so he might not have a great market waiting for him.