If we’re being honest, the Raiders’ 2015 campaign played out as expected.

Personally, I had this team at 6 wins on the year, whereas certain other fans had “higher hopes” coming into things — which is fine. With optimism, however, there’s definitely a fine line between hope and simply embarrassing yourself with some lofty (unrealistic) projections. There’s a group of these fans in every fan base. This is all greatly exaggerated when you’re a fan of a franchise that has been struggling for the better part of 10 (or more) seasons. For those Raiders fans, when Weeks 7 and 8 came and went, that hope felt “real” for the first time in a long time (since, like, last season…when we said the same thing I’m sure).

Coupled with “those fans”, you of course have the media. Media attention is weird, especially when you’re the perennial loser. You’re either being reminded just how bad your team is or the positivity catches you off guard, leaving you not knowing how to react. Week 7 saw the Raiders traveling on the road to San Diego. All the bye week narratives were in full effect and optimism was high, but divisional games are never gimme’s. Even with some confidence, I’m not sure anyone thought that we’d see this Raiders team. Derek Carr cooked all day long, managing 24 of 31 for 289 and 3 touchdowns – a cozy box score effort. Amari Cooper had quite the outing as well, adding a cool 5-133-1 line and some highlights of his own:

.@AmariCooper9 takes the entire defense on a field trip to the skate park. #ACDC #OAKvsSD https://t.co/X7bUmo3ahG

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2015

If only Amari was taller, or something, right? Shoutout my guy Nick for this one:

2nd angle of Amari Cooper at the catch point. So dope.https://t.co/db2UMDgdYR

— Nick Hjeltness (@nickhjeltness) October 25, 2015

A win on the road is always big, but finding yourself the winners of two in a row with a few more “winnable games” next on the schedule is even bigger. At this point, it appeared as though Oakland was going to put themselves squarely in the playoff discussion — and that’s right where they found themselves after Week 8.

Del Rio’s team made a statement at home with a 34-20 win over the Jets, who were as hot as anyone at the time. There wasn’t just playoff talk, but legitimate praise for Raiders’ General Manager Reggie McKenzie. With the steady and elevated play from Carr and the real deal that was Amari Cooper – coupled with a few smart, effective offseason transactions that landed Crabtree and others – times were changing in Oakland. Were the Oakland Raiders relevant again? I can show you better than I can tell you…

This was overzealous:

The Los Angeles #Raiders have a very real shot at winning the division next year. Great young nucleus in aging division.

— Brian Billick (@CoachBillick) October 25, 2015

Strong work from Gregg Rosenthal:

QB Index: Derek Carr is having the season we expected Teddy Bridgewater to havehttps://t.co/25UArO0SzC pic.twitter.com/Je8VpFtYGS

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 29, 2015

A look at what could be by SI’s Andy Benoit:

Are the @RAIDERS for real? @Andy_Benoit looks at the chemistry between Carr & Cooper: https://t.co/XQBKrvNk3o pic.twitter.com/Q0wdRmFl8o

— The MMQB (@theMMQB) November 4, 2015

The Washington Post’s Mike Renner, via PFF:

Derek Carr is a top-five NFL QB right now, and the reason Raiders are a playoff contender:https://t.co/EBwCeawcyO

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) November 10, 2015

Finally, this piece came later, but it’s probably my favorite read of the bunch. Bill’s really good at this stuff:

Wrote about Reggie McKenzie’s rebuilding project in Oakland and how/why the Raiders are primed to contend in 2016: https://t.co/YdFcNCTATH

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) December 18, 2015

Needless to say, it was wise to enjoy it while it lasted. In typical Raiders fashion, the wheels came off.

What appears to be a close game if you’re looking at the score alone, in all reality, really wasn’t. This team had no answer for Antonio Brown. Not many teams did 2015. Not many teams were as embarrassed as Del Rio’s crew was, either. Arguably the best wide receiver in the game, AB put on an absolute clinic hauling in 17 grabs for 284 yards on 23 targets. Seventeen catches. Seventeen of them. Sixteen plus one. To say he shredded this defense would be a gross understatement.

In the end, you’re taking 7 wins over the 3 and 4 win seasons that have plagued this franchise from 2012 – 2014, and plenty of years prior. Additionally, 7 wins feels a whole lot better when you look at some key positions on this roster and realize who you have in place.

The Core

For the 2016 season, it appears as though this coaching staff is returning in its entirety. Also weird, right? The Raiders have routinely found themselves in the headlines; whether searching for a new head coach or attempting to find the next coordinator with some answers. I guess we’ll get to see what this “continuity” thing is all about.

You’re afforded continuity with success. While “success” isn’t exactly 7 wins, if you take a step back, you have to be pleased with the direction this team is headed. The Raiders’ seem to have their own “big 3” in place at this point, thanks to Reggie McKenzie. Looking deeper, I’d absolutely throw Gabe Jackson’s hat in the ring. He’s been a standout at LG since he stepped foot into the league. A Pro Bowl snub (who cares) this past year, he has All-Pro potential, and I look forward to him building on a solid 2015 effort. To pair with Jackson, Rodney Hudson has been as good as advertised, checking in as PFF’s 7^th ranked center. Turning only 27 this year, I think we’re in store for more of the same.

Derek Carr – The Teddy vs. Derek debate may never end, but we’re here nonetheless. I won’t speak on his peers (Blake included), but I think Carr took a few steps forward in ’15. He’s not there quite yet, but the “franchise quarterback” questions may be answered sooner rather than later. Getting Latavius Murray going, for the most part, was critical, and adding a talent like Amari Cooper only helped the process along obviously. Continuing to build around the Raiders’ 3^rd year signal-caller will be near the top of a growing priorities list this offseason.

Khalil Mack – Not much to say about this kid that hasn’t already been said (and probably better than I could). Mack keeps building on and justifying the hype that surrounded his name entering the season. The sky’s the limit, and he has a serious opportunity to become the NFL’s premiere defensive player — there’s my optimistic take for you guys, hopefully it’s not too hot. Bringing back Aldon Smith, hoping for the health of Mario Edwards Jr. (neck injury), and/or adding a pass rusher early via the draft (or free agency) will only contribute to the fun. Get familiar, if you haven’t already.

Amari Cooper – While the latter part of his rookie campaign was hobbled due to a nagging foot injury, I’m sure a majority came away impressed, all things considered. You saw the flashes; with some of the crispest routes in the league, and the big plays coming in bunches early on, Coop did it all. The rapport with Carr is clearly there, and on an offense that’s ascending (or so I’m told), I’d bank on those two making some more magic in 2016 and beyond. Cooper will be a critical part of this team’s success, how’s that for analysis?

Free Agency: Players to Address

Below is a list of free agents currently on the roster, and their designation:

I’ve highlighted several names that stand out to me above, with some notes on a few of them below:

Aldon Smith – Smith was slapped with a one year ban, which ended his 2015 immediately and will put a majority of his 2016 on hold. To my knowledge, he’s eligible to return in November and (at the moment) all signs point to him reappearing in the East Bay. Aldon was vocal in his approval for Del Rio, McKenzie, and this team moving forward. Even with Justin Tuck headed for retirement (a close friend and mentor), I think there’s a mutual trust and understanding in place and something long-term gets done.

Donald Penn – This will be the most interesting chip to fall for the Raiders. Penn has made some folks forget about Jared Veldheer, a fan favorite, which may transcend any PFF ranking. Penn’s play tapered off as the season went on, so the holdup in contract talks comes as no surprise. I wouldn’t be opposed to throwing some money at Penn on a 1-2 year deal, but it appears his agent is after top tackle money for the long haul. McKenzie’s right to be hesitant if that’s the case.

Andre Holmes and Seth Roberts – Speaking of fan favorites, I’m not sure you’ll find a bigger name than Rod Streater. Streater flashed at times, but with an injury history of his own, couldn’t find the field as much as these fans would’ve liked. As a result, both Holmes and Roberts were bumped up the depth chart, as Rod kept warm on the sideline, most of the time as a healthy scratch. I’m not sure either name is a priority (2016 has a decent crop of wide receivers once again), but it’ll be interesting to see how McKenzie approaches both. Holmes is known for the acrobatics and his athletic ability, but bedeviled with inconsistent play. Roberts emerged out of nowhere, and yet many times, it felt as though he was Carr’s go-to.

Marquette King – A punter, and a pretty good punter at that. I mean, I won’t really keep you guys here, but I think he’ll get paid and I’m sure the jokes will ensue because #Raiders. On a related note, this is a good read, and worth your time. Al Davis would be proud.

Free Agency: Players to Target

According to OverTheCap.com, the Raiders have the second most salary cap space to play with entering this offseason, checking in at $71 million and change (only behind the Jaguars’ $74 million). While I’ve been outspoken against McKenzie in the recent past (I’m wrong a lot you guys), he’s done a masterful job with the contracts he’s handed out over the last few seasons. With that said, and to the frustration of many fans (myself included), the marquee names haven’t been there for the Raiders for various reasons.

Going into a notable 2015 offseason, many free agents were perhaps unsure of the product this team was going to put on the field. That’s what I like to tell myself anyway. Reports indicated that McKenzie at least made contact with the big fish like Ndamukong Suh and Randall Cobb, amongst others, but to no avail. Despite that, the Raiders have done well in acquiring some serviceable talent at reasonable prices while focusing on the draft. A couple of those names have already been mentioned above and I look for McKenzie to continue that trend this offseason. With Carr now entrenched and the dominating presence that is Khalil Mack, who wouldn’t want to play for this team? Right?

Moving on…

You can cross Von Miller, Josh Norman, Eric Berry, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Cordy Glenn of any “wish list” you have started. To me, these players (obviously) represent the “cream of the crop” in this class – we can throw Alshon Jeffery in that group as well – and I don’t see their current clubs allowing them to collect a paycheck elsewhere. It’s already been indicated that the Broncos plan to use their franchise tag on Von Miller. The same assumptions can be made for Norman and Berry at the very least, assuming they don’t hammer something out.

If I was forced to pick a player out of this group to potentially walk, I think you’re looking at Cordy Glenn. While I don’t see him in a different jersey, the Bills may be up against the wall. As a Raider fan – or a fan of any team in need of some assistance at the LT spot – you’d welcome Glenn with open arms. This obviously becomes a pressing issue for Oakland depending on how things shake out with Penn.

Buffalo currently sit at roughly $3 million over the cap. While these numbers hardly ever stop front offices from working something out – with the tag or otherwise – it’s simply something to note. Turning 27 in September, Glenn has started 61 of 64 games for the Bills and plays at a consistently high level. Stud LT’s are hard to come by (even rarer to see them test the market as such), and he’ll be paid like one.

With all that said, this next group represents the “second tier” of talent that may be available this March. Keeping with the “realistic” theme we’ve been preaching, I’d like to see Reggie land one, perhaps two, of these names noted below:

Malik Jackson – Only 26, Jackson’s best football is still ahead of him. The Broncos opted to pay teammate Derek Wolfe, and with Von Miller’s anticipated payday along with other financial question marks, it wouldn’t surprise if Malik Jackson was a casualty. He’s worth the coin, showing he can play inside or kick out to the edge. With that said, Broncos GM John Elway has done well when it comes to managing the cash, and keeping talent around.

Tashaun Gipson and Eric Weddle – It’s no secret that the Raiders need help in their secondary. This was the clear weakness and one of the worst groups in the entire league. A complete revamp is necessary and as such, Del Rio and Co. need to bank on a stud free agent as well as some addition(s) in the spring via the draft. It can all start with Tashaun Gipson and/or Eric Weddle.

Gipson’s the one to target based on age alone — he doesn’t turn 26 until August of this year. A playmaker who may now be flying under the radar after banging up his PCL/MCL in 2014, he’s been outspoken in the recent past about looking to ball elsewhere. Raider fans should temper expectations here, as Ray Horton is now back in the building coaching under Hue Hackson. Gipson enjoyed his killer 2013 season under Horton.

We then turn to Weddle’s beard. Eric and the Chargers’ front office don’t exactly see eye-to-eye, and the two are headed for a split as a result. While we know the headlines here and the level of play that he’s capable of, many are turned off as he now enters his age 31 season. For me, I see a hungry veteran, if that isn’t cliché enough. The Raiders’ need talent and leadership in the secondary, which is exactly what you’re getting in Eric Weddle, even on the wrong side of 30. A Fontana kid himself, I’d like to think he’s at the top of McKenzie’s list.

Another name to watch for is current Bengal George Iloka. With an injury history of his own, I’d simply prioritize the two aforementioned names. Oakland needs help – and bad – so you’d happily take what you can get in the end. He’ll play ball this season at only 26 years old, and you could do a lot (a lot) worse than kicking the tires here.

Trumaine Johnson – Luckily for the Raiders, they stumbled on a pretty solid crop of both free agent DB’s and an incoming draft class with solid depth. As far as free agents are concerned, the Rams’ Trumaine Johnson is easily at the top of my list. Johnson checks in at 6’2” and finished the 2015 season 3^rd in INT’s with 7. I suppose you can’t go wrong with the likes of Prince Amukamara, Sean Smith, or even his teammate Janoris Jenkins (again, you take what you can get at this point), but I just love how Johnson plays. The arrow is pointing all the way up.

With that said, the Rams have some pesos to spend themselves, and Johnson just turned 26. He may not even get the chance to test the waters. Ian Wharton dropped this great piece on why he thinks Johnson’s the “hidden gem” in this year’s free agent class. If he does find himself on the open market, I imagine he’ll have a handful of teams lined up for his services.

Mitchell Schwartz – Set to turn 27 in June, Mitchell Schwartz could be the answer McKenzie and the Raiders have been looking for at RT for season(s) now. Outside of the play in the secondary, the right side of the offensive line proved to be one of the biggest problem spots for Oakland in 2015. Arguably the NFL’s best RT, he picked a great time to have the best season of his career. Run back the game against Von and the Broncos if you don’t believe me. Big Mitch shut Miller down for a single pressure on the day (coming in, he lead the league with 8 pressures/game).

If the Browns prefer to hold on to Schwartz, you’re probably looking at current Bengal Andre Smith next. My guy Mr. Goodberry profiled him here, and sums up his situation heading into free agency. There’s some potential value, but as Joe points out, he’s 29 with injury concerns. Buyer beware — I’m more comfortable turning to the draft at this point. To fill out that right side, Alex Boone would fit at guard. Coming off a MCL tear, and even at age 28, he’s an upgrade at that RG spot for the Raiders. Lastly, Kelechi Osemele is another name to keep an eye on given Baltimore’s current cap situation. I’m not quite sure there’s a fit at RG but he’s shown his versatility last season. He’ll be coveted by many teams and looking for premiere tackle money I assume.

Ladarius Green – The tight end for the Chargers not named Antonio Gates, fantasy football fans have been betting on Green’s emergence for multiple seasons now, much to their frustration. That may all come to end, however, as Green’s a free agent heading into 2016. Gates can’t play forever as La Canfora points out, and tabs Green as the one free agent San Diego can’t let walk. The Chargers have largely ignored Green’s potential in the past, so it’ll be interesting to see how they view him going forward. The soon-to-be 26 year old, 6’6″ 240 mismatch is coming off of ankle surgery, which may complicate the Chargers’ decision.

These next couple players won’t be added to the roster, but they’re personal favorite’s in interesting spots so I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention them:

Arian Foster – Early reports indicate that Foster’s time is up in Houston. Many fans called for Marshawn’s return home to Oakland before he announced his retirement during the Super Bowl. I’m fully aware that the Raiders currently roster Latavius Murray, coming off a “Pro Bowl” season at that. I’m also aware of Foster’s injury history, which doesn’t exactly work in his favor. I’m not suggesting that McKenzie breaks the bank to secure Foster’s spot in Oakland, however, I do see a potentially low risk/very high reward-type scenario here. When and if he’s healthy, for my money, I think you’re (still) getting a top 5 running back — obviously that’s a big “if”.

Honestly, none of this free agent running back talk matters if this front office believes a certain someone is hanging around at 14. More on that at a later date, though.

Kam Chancellor – Mr. Brian Nemhauser over at HawkBlogger does not anticipate Chancellor returning in 2016. Many will argue that Kam’s on the decline, as Brian himself touches on. While the tackles are down (he did miss 5 games in 2015), at the end of the day, his All-Pro level of play simply wasn’t there. Is it gone for good? Perhaps. Am I passing on Kam if he’s dangled out there by the Seahawks? Absolutely not.

He’s still a force, and would provide a huge boost in the secondary (we’ll miss you Charles). If Kam can be had for a 3rd round selection, I’m all over it. While the connection with defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. is there (check out number 8 on Brian’s list), Raiders’ General Manager Reggie McKenzie covets each and every one of his draft picks, making this scenario even more unlikely.

Oh, and this:

A fresh start..

— Flash Gordon (@JOSH_GORDONXII) February 14, 2016

The Draft

I won’t spend too much time detailing why you should like these players listed below. Not here and not now, at least. I hope to have some reports done on at least a few of my personal favorites before draft week.

Regarding the 14^th overall pick: this is somewhat uncharted territory for the Raiders. Going back 10 years, Oakland’s found themselves inside the top 10 (and for the most part, making some poor decisions along the way):

2006 – Michael Huff (01.07)

2007 – JaMarcus Russell (01.01, and shut up in advance)

2008 – Darren McFadden (01.04)

2009 – Darrius Heyward-Bey (01.07)

2010 – Rolando McClain (01.08)

2011 – No Selection (thanks for the memories, Richard Seymour)

2012 – No Selection (appreciate your time, Carson Palmer)

2013 – D.J. Hayden (traded down from 01.03 to 01.12, like that makes this any better)

2014 – Khalil Mack (01.05)

2015 – Amari Cooper (01.04)

Anyway, now that I’ve relived some of the most depressing times in my recent football life (2014 and 2015 have made things a bit better), let’s see what 2016 has to offer (ranked accordingly).

Myles Jack – OLB, California, Los Angeles – Top 5 player in this class for me. Jack is super-athletic (insert whatever “high energy” jargon you prefer here) even coming off the knee injury. You can let him work from the middle, or put him outside and allow him to create. He can do it all. I’d be shocked if Myles fell outside of the top 10. If he’s there at 14, I can guarantee you that I will not have my pants on.

@JoeGoodberry @TrevorSikkema @OchoFisho he could conceivably play MLB, WLB, SLB, SS, Big nickel all at a high level. depends what u want.

— beaux j. simpson (@BeauxJaxson) February 9, 2016

Ezekiel Elliott – RB, Ohio State – Most casual fans see Elliott, take a look at the Raiders roster, see Murray, and proceed to roll their eyes. I’m here to tell you Elliott’s special (and Latavius Murray, despite the Pro Bowl season, may not be the answer). I fell in love with Todd Gurley, and Ezekiel Elliott is approaching that kind of evaluation for me. Another top 5 player in this 2016 class, Elliott has a chance to be the best player available when McKenzie’s on the clock. Rolling out Carr, Cooper, and Elliott in 2016? Hold me.

Jaylon Smith – MLB, Notre Dame – Another talented LB with injury questions? Neat. Jaylon Smith would easily find himself in the top 5 if that knee blowout didn’t look as gruesome as it did in his bowl game. Turns out, it might not be? A few reports have backed down off of initial observations and concerns, and the outlook appears “brighter” for Smith going forward — take that for whatever it’s worth. I know a few people smarter than I that had him in the number one overall discussion when he was healthy. He’s that good, folks.

Vernon Hargreaves III – CB, Florida – Questions about Vernon’s size will follow him leading up to the draft. More importantly, many will wonder if he passes McKenzie’s threshold for CB’s (Reg has a type they say). While I respect the parameters he’s put in place – referencing the selections in Oakland and during his time in Green Bay – I’d like to think you make exceptions for talent. While it’s close between him and Mackensie Alexander, VH3 is your CB1.

Noah Spence – EDGE, Eastern Kentucky – Spence found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Ever since being removed from Urban’s squad, all reports suggest he’s done an excellent job rebuilding and maintaining a clean image. If his showing at the Senior Bowl is any indication, he’ll be gone somewhere inside the top 10. With Justin Tuck retiring, and Aldon Smith’s future up in the air, it’d be wise to address the pass rush early.

Mackensie Alexander– CB, Clemson – Similar size/threshold questions can be applied here. As noted above, it’s very close between Alexander and Hargreaves for CB1 honors. The secondary desperately needs to be address, fans should be excited if either Hargreaves or Alexander are available when 14 rolls around.

Other names to consider: Robert Nkemdiche (I know, red flags all over the place), Darian Thompson, DeForest Buckner, and some of the talented DL this class will provide (Andrew Billings and Sheldon Rankins come to mind immediately). If Ronnie Stanley is coolin’ at 14, I think he’s in the discussion as well (again, depending where things end up with Donald Penn).

Outlook

Super Bowl.

Just Ryan. Like Jeezy when he dropped the “Young”, or Prince. Ronaldinho. You get where I’m going with this.

As this is my first piece (yikes), I thought it’d only be polite to give my Internet friends a quick background on myself, in order to give you an idea of what kind of #content you’ll be getting from me.

Before I get into all that, and if you’re lucky, a football take or two, a quick disclaimer:

I’m not a writer.

Twitter really made a lot of sense for someone like me because of the 140 character limit. Within those 140 characters, you were able to share your thoughts, but were forced to work in certain boundaries. I really respect that formatting; make your point and keep it moving. The thought of writing for one site about a single subject made me anxious, honestly. There was nothing fun about that. The time or two I was asked in the past to pen some thoughts, I balked. I didn’t want to back myself into a corner. I wanted to talk about music, different sports, culture, and how it all connects. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most here at PM: it’s the perfect outlet to get all those thoughts, opinions, and emotions down, while also bridging that gap.

Buckle up, friends.

I’m 26. I work a full-time office or “desk” job (whatever sounds cooler) and essentially live the dream for 50+ hours a week. Truth be told, I really enjoy what I do. Coworkers are great, the company is solid, and at the end of the day, I’m just happy to be employed, and doing something that I don’t hate.

Now, while I don’t have aspirations of working in some NFL front office or for some other league somewhere, I, like many other 20-somethings, am consumed by all-things sports. Tennis, golf, rugby – you name it, I’ll watch it. No matter the sport, however, my takes remain fairly poor across the board. This is science at this point.

Most of my tweets come early in the morning as I’m getting ready to go into the office, when I’m in the bathroom (my two or three good tweets a year definitely come from the bathroom), if I’m in between meetings, or at the gym. My girl doesn’t understand my obsession for simply “talking about sports”, but the dopest part about Twitter is being able to link up and discuss with like-minded individuals. Nothing is more painful than listening to your ignorant and uninformed family members talk about why they hate Cam’s dancing, why he’s being a jerk, why he needs to “show more class”, etc.

When I’m talking sports, chances are, it’s football. I’m a big fan of the Master’s, and the coverage that gets, as well as March Madness and college hoops in general. My first passion was soccer, and I’m stoked to see it discussed more frequently State-side, but nothing comes close to college football or anything NFL-related in my humble opinion.

For those who have been following me for a bit (thank you, and sorry), y’all know I fancy myself a Raiders fan. I try and avoid this fact in conversation. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t help myself. Something about love, I guess…

I’ve been following this franchise for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my pops would reminisce about the “Madden teams”. While he aligns himself with the Giants, I was always told that everyone’s a Raider fan, even if they’re not. Madden, Old Man Willie, Tatum, Howie, Biletnikoff, Stabler, the list goes on and on. I didn’t know anything else, which was weird, because I grew up in Connecticut.

Nevertheless, as I grew up, I fell in love with guys like Charles Woodson, Touchdown Timmy, and the MVP, Rich Gannon. Al Davis was a God to me. I spent more time reading about his greatness than the players themselves. I was fascinated by the history, the fan base, everything that was the “Silver and Black”. The seasons leading up to the 2002 Super Bowl, man, nobody could tell me shit. Little did I know, I peaked way too early, and the next 10+ years of my football life would be a joke.

So, that more or less leads to me where I am now. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve always been interested in other sports (thankfully, for my own sanity), but the genuine sadness that was the Oakland Raiders drove me to put more time into other areas of the sport I loved. Whether that was fantasy football, the draft, or even recruiting from the high school level, I looked to greener pastures.

When it comes to watching film and digging deep into prospects, I do what I can. There are dozens and dozens of folk’s #onhere with ridiculous drive and putting in equally ridiculous hours — breaking down tape, examining, evaluating, reevaluating. I look up to those people (I’m sure you know who I’m talking about). For me, I simply don’t have the time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a favorite player or two, or the hottest takes.

I’ve always gravitated toward watching DB or WR tape. My favorite player of all-time is Ed Reed, followed by some familiar names in Sean Taylor, Rod Woodson, and Deion Sanders. I love the way current players like Marcus Peters, Eric Berry, and Kam Chancellor play the game. Florida State has a couple of DB’s that I just can’t get enough of (more on that some other time).

As far as wide receivers are concerned, whether it’s Randy Moss or Calvin Johnson, or watching guys like Josh Gordon and Odell Beckham Jr. absolutely dominant the league right out of the gate. The driveway interviews with Terrell Owens and the quiet greatness of Marvin Harrison, it’s hard not to enjoy watching a truly great wideout operate.

Outside of those positions, I find myself drawn toward quarterback play. While I’ll leave a majority of that discussion to DK (@QBKlass) and others who are more qualified, I certainly have a type. Like any young football fan growing up in the 2000’s, I loved Michael Vick. I have nothing against the “pocket passers”, but I really want my quarterback flying around and making as many plays as possible. I want that greatness. We’re blessed with players like Cam Newton and Russy Wilson. Tyrod Taylor sat since 2011 but finds himself having fun in Buffalo nowadays. There are a couple young, dynamic kids in the college ranks who I have my eye on. That’s not to say they’ll be as good or better than those aforementioned names, but I think they’re playmakers, and that’s a good start for me.

Currently, there’s not a player I like in the country more than Deshaun Watson. I had a similar fascination with Marcus Mariota during his time at Oregon, but what I feel for Wat may be stronger (let me get into my feelings a bit here). I’ve followed him as he smashed various state records in Georgia, won top recruit honors, all of that. I knew he’d be good, but I didn’t think he’d be doing what he’s doing at Clemson (post-injury, at that). Despite the loss in the National Championship to Alabama, I think he really backed up and emphasized what a lot of us already thought about of him, and opened some eyes otherwise. This kid is the real deal. We’re watching the future with this young man and for me, he embodies the word “fun”.

I find myself going back to that game vs. Alabama. A lot. Perhaps I’m a little bit biased, and maybe just a bit too enamored – or maybe it’s the fact that it came in a losing effort – but I don’t think Watson’s getting enough credit for his performance. That Saban defense was really, really good. Historically good. How did the true sophomore do? Just over 400 yards in the air, accounting for 478 yards of total offense. Light work.

Those are just nutty numbers – fun numbers – in my opinion. Let’s put things into perspective, allowing us to measure this greatness more accurately. When Vince Young levitated in the 2006 Rose Bowl, a game many consider the single greatest performance by a college football player in one the best college football games ever played, Young walked away with “only” 467 yards of total offense. I can keep rattling off stats, various box scores, and my favorite plays, but we must pace ourselves, my pals. We have an entire junior year still to come.

Now that y’all are fully aware of the crush I have on Deshaun, I’m a little embarrassed, and I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Instead, let’s talk about another athletic quarterback. If Watson’s at the top, the next name I’m looking at is Louisville’s young dual-threat Lamar Jackson.

In the same class as the Gatorade Football Player of the Year Kyler Murray and stud Jarrett Stidham, Jackson found himself outside of the top ten in the country as far as dual-threat quarterbacks were concerned. You couldn’t tell by the show he put on against Texas A&M in the Music City Bowl. While this is my “hello world”, that was definitely his.

I think D summed it up best:

@StillRyanFive @smileymoth watson gonna be better, but jackson just out there doing reckless shit and its awesome

— darick (@QBKlass) January 28, 2016

For those unfamiliar, Lamar Jackson is a true freshman with some wheels listed at 6’3”, 195, and he had a pretty decent day in Nashville:

Leaving the box score alone, a few clips may help us paint a better picture. In fact, studying just two series will allow us to illustrate both the “awesome” and “reckless shit” alluded to above.

About 3 minutes into the contest, Jackson finds himself in 2nd and Goal. He then goes on to make one defender miss, and some nifty footwork does the rest:

May I present Exhibit A:

Here we have QB #8 hitting the dab, as kids like to say, to the joy of his teammates. In the middle of the screen, we have the defender with his hands on his hips. This is the universal sign for “I just got flexed on”, I believe.

We might have to get used to this. While Jackson’s not quite as built as Cam Newton, he’s no small task around the goal line either. Imagine if he comes into his sophomore year with another 10 pounds of muscle? Goodness.

The “recklessness” can be found in the clip below. Jackson takes off – you see the speed – and he’s got one thing on his mind. Give the defender some credit here, that’s a heck of a pop (upends Lamar), and it leads to a fumble:

I bring this up because he fumbled again (at least one other time) in this game. Jackson found himself a bit luckier on the second lost ball, as it was hit out of bounds. But this is what you get with Jackson, at least at this stage of his game. You take the good with the bad (I imagine the good will far outweigh the bad). Despite throwing for 2 scores, it always felt as though Jackson wanted to run first. If he can reel that in, and build on that arm, we’re really in for a treat.

One more clip on the ground. This was his 2nd touchdown run, this time a 61-yarder…

…and if you guessed that he was going to run by two more defenders on his way to 6, you were right:

With Jackson’s 226 yards on the ground, he became the third quarterback to run and throw for at least 200 yards in a bowl game (Vince Young, 2006 and Johnny Manziel, 2012). Pretty decent company, I think.

We have a pretty good idea of what Jackson is capable of as far as his feet are concerned. Actually, he had A&M so concerned, that even the slightest step or two outside of the pocket caused a reaction, which lead to some delicate dimes:

I really look forward to watching Lamar Jackson more in 2016, as I think there’s a lot to work with here. The arm definitely intrigues me. He’s a cool customer; just rocks back, and the flick of the wrist seems effortless. Check the pretty touch over the middle:

Now, again, Jackson’s only a freshman, so the story’s just begun. I’m over here still pretty enamored by his efforts in this bowl game, honestly. I know it’s way too early to crown anyone anything, but he’s definitely a name to watch for in 2016 (and beyond hopefully). I think you all will enjoy the ride as much as me – even outside of a vacuum – there’s a lot to like with Lamar Jackson.

Keep tabs on these two kids as the highlights keep coming.