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An Open Letter to Eli Manning

1/26/2020

Dear Eli Manning,

   I’m an 18 year old kid and honestly, I didn’t like sports as a small child. By the time I started watching sports and getting emotionally invested in the teams you were out there every game and as the rest of the team retired or left, as Victor Cruz went away, as Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck went away, the one player left on the team from when I started watching was you. Now that’s over. No one from that 2011 team that I can recognize by name is still on the roster. It’s the end of an era.

  The first Super Bowl I watched was LII when the Giants played the Patriots for the first time. I watched because I was a loyal New Yorker and I had been to some Giants games in the past but when David Tyree caught that ball I had no idea about the significance of that play on my life. Over the next few years I started to watch weekly and really root for the Giants. My favorite sports moment of all time was watching Super Bowl XLVI with my best friend, a Patriots fan, and watching you go down the field in another drive at the end of the fourth quarter to put the Giants ahead for good. Everyone remembers the David Tyree catch but my personal favorite has always been University of Michigan alum Mario Manningham’s beautiful toe-tapping sideline catch that would not have ever happened without the perfectly placed pass from you. You gave me my favorite sports moment, thank you.

Mario Manningham's toe-tapping catch on the sideline in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl XLVI

That’s really what this comes down to: thank you for all you have done for my city and this team. I hate the New York Yankees so the only New York championships I’ve ever cared about are the ones hoisted by you with red, white, and blue confetti raining down. Whenever it seems like the Giants will never be good again I turn to the highlights from those great seasons and watch. Needless to say, these past few years have seen me going to those highlights more than a few times.

Eli Manning on December 15th 2019, his last game in the NFL

You’ve stayed playing for New York City for a long time, 16 whole years. You should know by now that New Yorkers are fickle creatures. Some may not think you’re all that great. They’re wrong. People across the sports world are debating about whether or not you’ll make the hall of fame. It’s ridiculous. Recency bias is defined by the oxford dictionary as “a common distorting effect within systems of performance appraisal. It refers to the appraiser assessing employee performance, not on work undertaken across the full performance management cycle, but only on recent events or activities that can be readily recalled.” They remember the years with Pat Shurmer and the greasy haired monster Ben McAdoo (who never should have started Geno Smith over you). They remember that your record in the past three years is 9-26. That’s honestly not great. What they forget is that without those past three years your record in the regular season is 108-91 and you are 8-4 in the playoffs. They forget that you’re 7th all time in passing yards, 7th all time in passing touchdowns, and 7th all time in passes completed. You are great, don’t let Stephen A. Smith tell you otherwise. You’re going to wear that golden jacket and it will belong on your shoulders.

Eli Manning after winning Super Bowl XLII and taking down the 18-0 Patriots

So what happens next? Do you join your brother in a calm and relaxing retirement? Do you become a quarterback coach for the Giants and continue grooming Daniel Jones for success? Do you even join a broadcasting team like Tony Romo? I have no idea and honestly, I couldn’t care less. You deserve a break. You’ve been in the NFL for 256 regular season games and started in 234 of them. You’ve broken Giants record after Giants record, done insane amounts of charity work, won two super bowls and were the MVP in both. Thank you for these past 16 years.

Once a Giant, always a Giant.

Signed,
- Some New Yorker

Photo Credits:
The Star-Ledger
Bleacher Report
Giants Wire

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Post Regular Season NFL Mock Draft 1.0

1/9/2020

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1. Cincinnati Bengals- Joe Burrow QB, LSU
What Joe Burrow did against Oklahoma cemented that he is a special QB prospect. His ability to throw on the run and adjust his footing outside the pocket is outstanding. His poise and ability to make throws at the last possible moment is amazing. I normally don’t put too much stock into one’s completion percentage, but when he’s hovering around 80% in the SEC you have to take notice. The Bengals need to move into a new era and hopefully with their young OLine getting healthy they can provide a good core for the rookie Burrow.

2 Washington Redskins- Chase Young EDGE, OSU
   This should be a no-brainer. This man is a physical freak. People as big as him should not be able to move as quick as him. Along with that his ability to convert speed to power is amazing. Watching Young play you rarely find a play where he has not pushed the tackle back a couple yards. Chase Young will be an immediate stud in the NFL the day he walks on a field following in the Myles Garrett, Clowney and Bosa line of insane pass rusher prospects coming into the league.

3. Detroit Lions- Jeffery Okudah CB, OSU
   The Lions will be hopefully trading out of this pick to a team that needs a QB, but if they stay they will have a choice between Jerry Jeduy and Jeffrey Okudah. Both elite prospects at their position, but only one is a pressing need for the Lions. The Lions have needs practically everywhere but with Golladay still relatively young, it may behove the Lions to trade Slay and let Okudah become the No.1 entering the league or work him up to that role. Either way they are getting an extremely long corner who is fast enough to keep up with opposing receivers. His change of direction and hip movement are superb and he could be the best CB i have scouted since Ramsey, perhaps better. Look at what he did to Clemson & Michigan by shutting down the best receivers in the country. They never got separation and when balls were thrown, they never got caught. He is that special.

4. NY Giants- Jerry Jeudy WR, Alabama
   I think the Giants are going to be the most incompetantly run organization that will fall into the best draft positions by default and have no choice but to draft the superstar that fell to them (otherwise known as the Jets/Jags effect). Seriously, how do you trade Odell and wind up with the only player that could justify moving on from him? Jeudy is the best route runner I have ever seen out of college. He is fluid and blazing fast. Once Jeudy gets the ball (normally 5 yards open) he is a threat to take it to the house. His footwork and fluidity make him almost a perfect prospect. Not even the Giants could fuck this up.

5. Miami Dolphins- Tua Tagovailoa QB, Alabama
   Normally when I do mocks I try to err on the what would I do POV. If it were me I would I would take Herbert, but I think the Dolphins would honestly rather take Tua. I think he fits into what Flores would look for in a QB, being an Alabama kid who can lead the team through the voice of the coach. I think a tank happy team like the Dolphins would rather let their assets develop for a year while Tua recovers. I don’t know what it is but Tua feels like a Miami Dolphin. Looking forward to his number change.

6. LA Chargers- Justin Herbert QB, Oregon
   Another QB that just feels like he belongs in an organization. Herbert is the physical specimen of the Tua/Herbert discussion. His size and ability to throw on the run are what are truly fun to look at. His ability to scramble and throw off balance on a dime is Rodgers-esque. His mobility and rocket for an arm are what the Chargers might need to move on in the post-Rivers world.

7. Carolina Panthers- Derrick Brown DL, Auburn
   The Panthers were the worst interior team in the league this year and it wasn’t particularly close. Dontari Poe has seen his best years pass him and they have no interior force outside Luke Kuechley. That is where Derrick Brown comes in. This massive man will be a playmaker in the league in ways that will not always show up on the stat sheet. He constantly blows up plays and is almost always in the backfield. The big with remarkable first step quickness can use his ungodly power to be a real wrecker in the NFL.

8. Arizona Cardinals- Tristan Wirfs OT, Iowa
   I think the Cardinals are going to follow the Baltimore model of success. They have such a blank canvas to where they can decide what kind of team they want to be moving forward. I think that what would suit them best is to get the power blocker from Iowa. Although he may be a RT in the league, he shows the best natural power in the whole class, and if you are the Cardinals who need to set a foundation, Wirfs is definitely the man.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars- AJ Epenesa EDGE, Iowa
   The Jags are a hard team to gauge exactly what their No.1 need is. So I thought a team with an aging Calais Campbell could use his replacement. AJ Epenesa fits that mold. Think about the roster without Campbell: Allen, Jack, Smith (hopefully), Ngakoue. It is a little bit too reliant on speed for my liking. Epenesa is a mauler. He pushes tackles away and disrupts the LOS almost like a DT. Yet he can also be a great edge setter as well. Watching his bowl tape, you noticed that almost every run play was either a counter away from him or a power the other way. Yet, he consistently found his way into the backfield making TFLs and sacking the QB multiple times. There was not a play on defense that didn’t have AJ Epenesa;s handwriting all over it.

10. Cleveland Browns- Andrew Thomas OT, Georgia
   The Browns need a tackle. It’s that simple. With all the problems the Browns had this season, one thing other than the ineptitude of the coaching was obvious: The Oline stank. Austin Corbett already looks like a bust and Greg Robinson is not a guy you want on your roster let alone starting at LT. A year ago the Browns sported one of the League’s best Olines with Bitonio, Tretter, and Zeitler. They now are a shell of themselves. They have missed Joe Thomas and Andrew could be a nice piece on the OLine to help get them back in shape. But to think there is a world that could have the Browns having Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, Alex Mack, Kevin Zeitler and Mitchell Schwartz on one offensive line.

11. NY Jets- CeeDee Lamb WR, Oklahoma
   The Jets need a playmaker. Relying on Robby Anderson as your primary receiver isn’t the best way to help your young QB. You need to get him a blazing fast receiver who can catch anything and in Ceedee Lamb you get just that. He is explosive and has some of the surest hands in the draft. For a guy his size, he has great success locating jump balls and coming down with them. Not to mention his ability to run with the ball after the catch. He is truly something special and someone the Jets should not pass on.

12. Oakland Raiders- Henry Ruggs III WR, Alabama
   The Raiders have tons of needs, but they need a dynamic playmaker to make life easier on Josh Jacobs. Henry Ruggs is the perfect guy because he is simply in a word: fast, in another, lightning. I think he could challenge John Ross legitimately at the combine. He can take the top off of anyone and unlike Ross he is not a one trick pony. You can get him on drags and screens and still have a home run threat, and he is also a good enough route runner to be something special in the NFL.

13. Indianapolis Colts- CJ Henderson CB, Florida
   Watching Indianapolis Colts you notice that they are a well rounded team, but really have no star corner. They run a lot of zone because they have to to make up for their lack of shutdown corners. CJ Henderson is a guy you plug in at your CB1 with the potential to be a lockdown corner in the future. His size and length as well as his speed give him all the tools to be a special CB. He also has an incredible ability to be a sticky corner especially when he wins the battle at the line of scrimmage in press. His one problem ise his hip movement and I would like to see him get better at that if he is truly going to be elite in the NFL.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Kristian Fulton CB, LSU
   The man who was able to comfortably guard CeeDee Lamb is the perfect guy to help with the Buccaneers secondary. It feels like for years the Bucs have tried to find their shutdown corner, and the guy from the real DB U might be the correct guy. A true man-to-man corner, he fits what Todd Bowles tries to do on his defense. He should test well and based on his tape, getting him at 14 would be just about right on value.

15. Denver Broncos Isaiah Simmons LB, Clemson
   How Elway would pass on Simmons if he falls this far is beyond me. This guy could be elite at Safety or at LB. He has great natural instincts and his speed pops off the screen. He diagnoses running plays swiftly and hits the gap real quick. He is also not too shabby in coverage, consistently keeping opposing TEs at bay and often keeping with opposing slot receivers. He truly is the whole package and if he falls this far, the Broncos could have gotten the steal of the draft.
16. Atlanta Falcons- K’Lavon Chaisson EDGE, LSU
   The Falcons have a whole bunch of needs on defense but they truly need an EDGE rusher. Vic Beasley will finally be gone and they need someone to rush the QB. K’Lavon fits the mold of how the Falcons play real well. They like to beat you with speed especially from their linebackers and EDGE rushers. When the Falcons were at their best, Vic Beasley was blowing by guys. Chaisson reminds me a lot of peak Beasley. Explosively fast with an amazing use of his hands as well as a natural bend. Tak McKinnley hasn’t worked out, perhaps Chaisson will.

17. Dallas Cowboys- Grant Delpit S, LSU
   Yay, the Cowboys get a major faller in the draft at their only position of need. Whoo Hoo. The Cowboys have an amazing defense but is missing that true center fielder (maybe if there was a lifelong cowboy fan last FA that wanted to play for them this wouldn’t be an issue). Grant Delpit had by all accounts a disappointing year, but what you saw on tape this year and the last two years was a special athlete with a great nose for the ball. Whether it be in the air or on the ground Delpit wants to find the ball and get to it.

18. Miami Dolphins (via PIT)- Travis Etienne RB, Clemson
   The Dolphins need to find centerpieces to build off of and Etienne could be just that. There are a bunch of possible franchise backs but Etienne separates himself for his elite second gear. A guy who is slippery when tackled and is crazy fast once he gets in the open field. He constantly splits secondaries and can be something of a bell cow. He reminds me a lot of Jamaal Charles in that respect.

19. Oakland Raiders (via CHI)- Paulsen Adebo CB, Stanford
   The Raiders are still stacking up pieces for the future. Trying to find foundations at every level, and with their second pick, they need to get a solid corner on the outside. They whiffed on Gareon Conley and it was apparent to any opposing team that you could easily throw on the Raiders. Paulsen Adebo is the kind of solid Corner with the sticky-ness on receivers and nice ball skills to be a great corner in the league.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (via LAR)- Jedrick Wills Jr. OT, Alabama
   Watching Jaguars film, they could stand to improve their offensive line. Jedrick Wills Jr. is a guy who can anchor a whole side of the field. The man has amazing power and his strength stands out when he is playing. He is able to use his good technique and power to halt defenders in their tracks. The one thing I would like to see is better footwork. Too often when he is beat, he lacks the footwork to recover.

21. Philadelphia Eagles- Laviska Shenault WR, Colorado
   The Eagles have major issues at corner, but there is no one left on the board I can justify taking with this pick so it makes sense to go with the Eagles second biggest issue, WR. Alshon and the TEs can’t do it themselves. They are great pass catchers and deep threats, but what the Eagles really miss is a playmaker who can do a lot with the ball in his hands, in walks Laviska Shenault. The multi tool of the Colorado offense, his ability to make things happen with the ball in his hands is outstanding. He can line up and do damage anywhere and would fit in perfectly with the rest of the Eagle’s offense.

22. Tennessee Titans- Kenneth Murray LB, Oklahoma
   The Titans need a tackler. They are so close to a real complete roster. With few holes on defense, they need a guy who can compliment what Rashaan Evans does. Kenneth Murray is a quick LB whose nose for diagnosing runs plays pops off the screen. There is rarely a play that he is not involved in, and in the Big 12 that means something. His injury may need some looking at but I believe in Murray as a possible stud in the NFL.

23. Buffalo Bills- Tee Higgins WR, Clemson
   The Bills will be taking the best receiver available and everyone knows it. They need it. BAD. Tee Higgins can also be the perfect receiver for Josh Allen. A true “go get it” receiver, Higgins is probably the best jump ball grabber outside Lamb in this class. His 6’4” size and surprisingly great speed could make him a problem in the league. He is also a deceptively good route runner and that shows when he isn’t going against Jeffery Okudah. The Bills would be lucky to get him this late.

24.Minnesota Vikings- Tyler Biadasz IOL, Wisconsin
   The Vikes need to get more powerful on the Offensive Line. Biadasz was the star of the famed Wisconsin line of the last 3 years. There is not much more to be said. In all seriousness, he is a special mauler in the run came with the quick feet that could make him special in the pass game.

25. Miami Dolphins (via HOU)- Raekwon Davis DL, Alabama
   Finally a pick for Flores. This is a guy that Flores will fall in love with. A space eater. A true 3 tech, Davis can be a true power rusher that Flores will want on his D Line. The DLine is lacking in size and identity. Bringing in Davis allows for the Dolphins to get both. The Dolphins should be looking for foundation pieces and getting their high floor run stopper is always a good bet in the draft.

26. Seattle Seahawks- Dylan Moses LB, Alabama
   I am going to err on the side that Moses will go to the NFL because of his insurance thing. This absolute freak seemed like a top 5 lock going into the season. This situation reminds me a lot of the Myles Jack, Jaylon Smith situations and both are looking pretty good right now. The Sehawks have a roster where they can afford to take the best player on the board like this.

27. New England Patriots- Terrell Lewis EDGE, Alabama
   A Saban prospect at a position of need for the Pats. Seems perfect. The Patriots for as special a defense as they had last year, they lacked a true pass rusher instead going for a bunch of versatility in Hightower and Collins. There only true pass rusher on the roster is Winovich and as good as that is, they could use a guy like Lewis to possibly be an edge setter. Much like his Alabama counterpart, injury history may be a question, but the Pats have bet on that before and for a guy who has rare physical traits, it may be worth the gamble.

28. Green Bay Packers- Donovan Peoples-Jones WR, Michigan
   The Packers need to get Aaron Rodgers another playmaker opposite Devante Adams. Their team is almost complete, but they need someone who can make things happen with the ball in their hands and take pressure away from Adams. Peoples-Jones allows for that in spades. While his Michigan career may not have been spectacular his athleticism leaps of the screen. His kinesthetic movements are special, and if he were paired with a more competent quarterback I believe he would be up there with the Ceedee Lambs, Henry Ruggs of the world. Until then Rodgers will get a great second playmaker who could be just what the Packers offense needs.

29. Kansas City Chiefs- D’Andre Swift RB, Georgia
   The Chiefs need to figure out their RB situation. The Williams and Shady aren’t cutting it. D’Andre Smith is a guy who walks in with minimal tread on his tires with special traits at the position. Much like Etienne, he bounces off defenders, but is much more adept at his change of direction. His ability to hit a whole, bounce off a defender and burst into the second level off another juke is what I saw time and time again watching Georgia play. The Chiefs offense with their new version of Kareem Hunt should be what it was pre Hunt suspension.

30. New Orleans Saints- Trevon Diggs CB, Alabama
   The Saints have a near perfect roster. No holes anywhere outside No.2 corner, and really that position is fine. Why not take a shot in the dark with the fastest player at that position. Trevon Diggs is blazing fast. There is not a receiver that he can’t keep up with. He is such a gifted athlete. His ball skills could be improved considering opposing teams targeted him over Surtan. Still the upside is incredible with him and drafting him and hoping for the best is a luxury the Saints can afford.

31. San Francisco 49ers- Xavier McKinney S, Alabama
   Another roster that is near perfect, yet could use some help at a spot in the secondary. The pass rush is so good that the 49ers secondary is rarely tested, but has issues when teams have time to throw deep on them. Since the 49ers are not drafting again until the 5th round they need to get their position of need out of the way and getting a center fielder like McKinney is a move that could put them over the top.

32. Baltimore Ravens- Yetur Gross-Matos EDGE, Penn St.
   At the end of the draft, the Ravens get the perfect player for them. A massive power rusher that can set the edge by true force of will. Sounds like a Raven to me. Not to mention the Ravens lack pass rush as it is and rely on their secondary a little too much. Yetur would step in right away and bring a great second rusher opposite Judon.

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An Open Letter to Eli Manning

In Memoriam: Kobe Bryant

By Joshua Tenzer

Post Regular Season NFL Mock Draft 1.0

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