In case you missed it, here’s a look at some of our faves from the past week:
- In recent years, several teams have come to regret high-priced extensions for their star running backs. After watching things backfire on the Cardinals (David Johnson), Rams (Todd Gurley), and Falcons (Devonta Freeman), Rory Parks asked readers to weigh in on the Vikings’ approach with Dalvin Cook. So far, PFR readers are roughly split on the matter.
- Mike Maccagnan has been widely criticized for his tenure as the Jets’ GM, so it’s important to acknowledge his successful moves. One of the best decisions he made for Gang Green was the trade of first-round bust Calvin Pryor to the Browns in exchange for Demario Davis, who left the Jets as a free agent just one year earlier. Davis delivered a strong 2017 in New York/New Jersey only for the Jets to watch him leave once again, this time to the Saints.
- We also took a look back at the Chiefs’ release of Jeremy Maclin, which went down on that same week in 2017. At the time, the move came as a shock – many figured that if the Chiefs were going to drop Maclin, they would have done it earlier in the offseason. Instead, they dropped the veteran in the summer, making him a free agent after most of the league’s available dollars had dried up. The Chiefs’ timing wasn’t necessarily fair to Maclin, but it’s hard to find fault with their decision. The Chiefs’ young group of receivers would go on to help them capture a Super Bowl ring. Maclin, meanwhile, looked nothing like his former self in Baltimore.
- The Browns thought they had a solid veteran linebacker at a value when they signed Mychal Kendricks. Instead, his one-year deal turned into a two-month cup of coffee thanks to an insider trading scandal. This week, we reflected on Kendricks’ brief and bizarre tenure in Cleveland.
- Football fans will always remember Issac Bruce as one of the Rams’ greatest players of all-time. Fewer will remember the tail end of his career with the 49ers, or the trade that went down ten years ago today to send him back, allowing him to retire in blue and gold.
- In the last three years, John Ross has played in just 24 games for the Bengals. Now, he’s got one year left on his contract, a make-or-break year that will dictate his football future.