MLS Week 1: Not Bad for a Retirement League

A lot of people said I was crazy following the MLS, that it was a dumb league and only for European oldies or flops. All I’m going to say back, is many leagues don’t have the pure excitement that was week one. This year’s opening Sunday broke a record for the most goals ever in an opening week with 36 goals in 10 games, and some were pretty good. This weekend we witnessed some awe-inspiring home support, last-second shockers, debuts, and a lot of goals.

The first game of the season was a dull one in New Jersey, unable to find the first MLS 2016 goal despite starting thirty minutes before the next slate of games. In the end, Toronto came out on top on the road thanks to a Sebastian Giovinco penalty, and a 90^th minute goal by Marco Delgado set up by our first Man of the Match, Sebastian Giovinco If you want to find out who scored the first MLS goal of the year, and read more about a seven-goal game in Chicago, as legendary Frenchmen Patrick Vieira made his coaching debut for NYCFC on the road, check out our other article on Beyond The Grandstand.

Our first big game of the week came from the Citrus Bowl, in a game that can only be described with the name of Orlando City’s supporter group, “ruckus” as Orlando welcomed Real Salt Lake. RSL brought new striker Yura Movsisyan in, partnering him alongside 5’3” Ecuadorian Joao Plata. Orlando City was forced to make some last second changes, with no Kaka or Antonio Nocerino, with both suffering training injuries. Orlando struck first, or so they thought. Just 7 minutes in Darwin Ceren fired one into the zone, appearing to touch Brek Shea on its way to Cyle Larin, who finished past Nick Rimando with a stylish backheel. However, the referee indicated the ball hit Shea, though it was not conclusive, ruling Larin offsides. Eleven minutes later, off an Orlando clearance Cyle Larin found the ball, and with one man to beat, left back Demar Phillips got in the Canadian’s way, for his second yellow, trimming RSL down to 10. Chris Wingert soon came on for his RSL debut from NYCFC to help even out the back. This didn’t kill RSL however, as Kyle Beckerman played a wonderful ball over the top to Mosisyan, who was fouled from behind by Seb Hines in the box, awarding RSL the penalty, which Joao Plata cannoned one left, just off keeper Joe Bendik, giving RSL the 1-0 lead. Things got better for the visitors when Javier Morales was hammered by Ceren in an act of retaliation to Beckerman challenging Ribeiro in stoppage time, straight red for Ceren, and the second half would start 10v10. Twenty after the break, Burrito, who nutmegged Luke Boden earlier, split two defenders, played it for Tony Beltran, crossing it to the back post for an open Plata, and just like that Plata had his second, and RSL doubled the lead. Orlando seemed to only get a consolation goal in the 93^rd, when Shea found Larin for a beautiful touch over Rimando, giving the Orlando fans some hope, the reigning Rookie of the Year’s first goal. But out of nowhere, a long ball over the top confused the RSL center backs, and with no pressure on the ball, Larin laid it to substitute Adrian Winter, who blasted it over Rimando, miraculously rescuing a point for Orlando. RSL will be frustrated to lose out on the point, Man of the Match goes to Cyle Larin, yet Plata comes close.

Three more games started while RSL-Orlando and NYC-Fire were at the half. San Jose continued their dominance over Colorado in a 1-0 win at home, with a Chris Wondolowski header the difference maker, Man of the Match, however, goes to Earthquakes goalie David Bingham. FC Dallas looked to start their regular season as well as their last one did, despite a quarter of Toyota Stadium going through renovation. 21 minutes in Fabian Castillo scored off a great through ball from Mauro Diaz. Dallas had many chances to go up two, and finally cashed in when our Man of the Match Mauro Diaz found Maxi Urruti on a pass in front for his debut Dallas goal, Dallas win 2-0, in a game they could just have easily won 6-0. A bit later than that in a Canadian battle, Montreal came out of Vancouver with the three points, Man of the Match goes to Ignacio Piatti for his two goals.

Another high intense game came from across the Lone Star State, as the Dynamo hosted the Revolution. The Revolution brought in Uruguayan winger Diego Fagundez from Colorado, and a good start to his New England career just under three minutes in on a wonder strike from outside the box, giving the Revs the early lead. The Dynamo got their equalizer just before halftime when debut man Andrew Wenger tried to play it to Cristian Maidana, it appeared to be caught by NE keeper Bobby Shuttleworth, but Shuttleworth dropped it, leaving Maidana with the open net and the score at 1-1. Houston got out in front just around five minutes into the second, as Will Bruin played it for Wenger, giving him a debut goal to put the Dynamo in the driver seat. New England then found a goal two minutes later when Charlie Davies was sent through on goal, originally saved by keeper Joe Willis, but the ball fell to Davies on the rebound, and the game was again drawn level. Davies could’ve had a second on the pass out in front, but Willis pulled a great save out to keep the score level. The Dynamo then scored what was likely the best team goal of the weekend when Bruin appeared to pass it to Boneik Garcia, but the Honduran left it for Giles Barnes, who caught everyone off-guard, smashing it past Shuttlesworth, giving Houston the lead with 14 to play. In the dying seconds, Fagundez’s first cross was cleared, but he then found Daigo Kobayashi on the headed, giving the Revs another equalizer to rescue a point, Man of the Match goes to Andrew Wenger.

The matchup everybody was looking forward to was a rematch of the MLS Cup Final, as the Portland Timbers unveiled their cup banner against the Columbus Crew. Before kickoff, the Timbers Army, Portland’s fan group, revealed several large banners behind them, saying “dance”, another saying “kiss”, with the famous photo of Diego Valeri, another saying “love” with the Timbers logo, then a replica of the MLS Cup, with the words “you always remember your first”. Keep it classy, Timbers Army, keep it classy. The fans had more to cheer about when in the 27^th minute on a set piece, Valeri’s free kick passed by everyone, past Crew goalie Steve Clark for the 1-0 lead. Darlington Nagbe had a great chance to put the Timbers up two in the second half but put it just above Clark off the crossbar. Columbus made Nagbe pay when Federico Higuaín played Ethan Finlay in behind, Finlay’s cross took a deflection, which Higuaín touched up, then bicycle kicked it home past Adam Kwarasey for the equalizer, and what a goal it was. Portland refused to let their cup rivals get the better of them, and with just over 12 to play, Lucas Melano found Darion Asprilla, whose shot was saved, and then tapped in by Fanendo Adi to give the Timbers the lead. Columbus had just one more chance, a headed clearance fell to Higuaín, who hit it on his first touch, which had Kwarasey beat, but it deflected off the post. That would be the final chance, Portland would hold out, no revenge for the Crew, Man of the Match goes to Adi.

Two more games remained after that, in Seattle, Jordan Morris made his debut for the Sounders as they hosted Sporting Kansas City. The Sounders had the best chance early, but Clint Dempsey’s free kick was saved by Tim Melia’s fingertips. KC’s best first half chance came when Connor Hallisey was sent through on goal, but Stefan Frei kept it out with a textbook 1-on-1 save. Seattle went a man down however for a bad challenge by Oniel Fisher, and the Sounders would play the second half with 10 men. Seattle’s day was summed up when Andreas Ivanschitz’s shot was saved by Melia, deflected off the crossbar, and the rebound was put over the net. SKC got their game-winner when Nuno Andre Coelho from outside the box buried it past Frei, giving Sporting a huge three points away from home, Man of the Match goes to Tim Melia for a solid shutout.

The final game came from StubHub Arena, where new and improved LA Galaxy debuted Ashley Cole and Nigel de Jong against DC United. The game had a delayed start when Galaxy fans threw too much streamer on to one of the goals. When it did get underway, the mood was darkened by another debut player, Lamar Neagle, only he was making his debut for DC, and he gave DC the shocking lead off a through ball deflected back to him, and given the space, the ex-Sounders man grounded it past Dan Kennedy just over four minutes in. Out of all the men making their new Galaxy debut, the man that brought the most success was Mike Magee. He was brought in as a halftime sub for Gio dos Santos, and he first made his impact on a corner, whipping it to Daniel Steres for the header, tie game. The Galaxy took the lead when Sebastian Lletget found Magee, who chipped the keeper, 2-1 LA. Magee still had more when he was sent through on goal, and when he tried to chip it again, defender Bobby Boswell caught him from behind, conceding a penalty, which Robbie Keane finished off, 3-1. Magee still wasn’t done, off a free kick in the 87^th, Magee found the back of the net with a header, 4-1 Galaxy win, Man of the Match has to go to Mike Magee.

So with that said and done, the Galaxy and Toronto are atop their respected conferences. See, my predictions were correct! I’m not jumping the gun on that, though, it’s still a long season to go. Week 2 action opens on Friday as Orlando City host the Fire under the lights at 7:00 Eastern Time. Saturday has seven games, with the Crew looking to bounce back against the Union, the Red Bulls heading to face the Impact, and a Texas rivalry renews as Houston and Dallas square off at BBVA Compass Stadium. Sunday has two games, NYCFC playing their first home game under Patrick Vieira versus Toronto, and Portland headed to San Jose to face the Earthquakes. Until then, see you next time!

That’s Basically The End

The Devils’ playoffs hopes are all but dead at this point. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games and finished below .500 for the month of February. I had the pleasure of seeing them win in Nashville on March 3^rd. Adam Henrique scored the game-tying goal with 39.7 seconds left in the 3^rd and then netted the overtime winner becoming the 4^th player in franchise history to do so. Newly acquired winger Devante Smith-Pelley scored his first goal as a Devil in his first game in red, white, and black. He could turn out to be another steal for us. He played well during his time in Anaheim but found himself in more of a grinder role when he was traded to the Canadiens and his stats fell. Dealing Stefan Matteau to Montreal feels pretty good too.

In the second game of that away back to back, the Devils fell to the Dallas Stars 4-2. Rico and Smith-Pelley were the goal scorers in this one too. They didn’t have a terrible game but it may just have put a dagger in our season. The Devils’ sole representative at the World Cup of Hockey, Cory Schneider, left early in the third with a lower-body injury. He fell back on his right leg making a save on Jason Spezza and had to be helped off the ice.

Most recently, New Jersey played the Penguins with Keith Kinkaid in net. He is going to have to shoulder the workload for a little while and if this game is any indication of what’s to come than I see a high draft pick in the future. The lack of high-end talent was apparent yet gain. Guys like Malkin and Crosby had 2 point games while skating circles around the Devils. Kinky allowed 6 goals on 30 shots and Kyle Palmieri scored the only Devils goal in the second.

Yes, the bottom of the league seems like our next destination! It’s time to embrace the tank. An update on Cory’s injury on Sunday suggests he only sprained his MCL rather than a full tear. That is very good news for fans. He is going to be out for two weeks; after that, they’ll see how he is progressing. It seems like a wise choice to just let him sit for the month of March or the rest of the season and hopefully, we can fall a bit in the standings to give us any shot at the lottery while the young guys continue to gain experience.

We played above expectations the entire season and beat a lot of good teams while losing to some bad ones. It was definitely a step in the right direction and next season could prove to be much better depending on what the offseason holds. The Devils will have good $30 million to work with this offseason before any re-signings. Hopefully, we can land a bit more offense somewhere and draft well.

And here’s a fun bit of trivia; Mike Cammalleri is still our leader in assists yet he hasn’t played since January 26^th.

MLS 2016 Season Preview

This Sunday begins the new MLS season across America, which has all of North America anxiously waiting. Oh, by “all of North America”, I mean the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Orlando. Jokes aside, the MLS brought big crowds last year, as new expansion teams NYCFC and Orlando City brought big players, such as Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, Ricardo Kaka, and David Villa to the league. But the MLS isn’t all just a retirement league, as young talents like Fabian Castillo, Bill Hamid, Sebastian Giovinco, Darlington Nagbe, and Cyle Larin all emerged as top players in the MLS. New talent is also coming in, with names like Ashley Cole, former Arsenal, Chelsea, and Roma defender, Nigel de Jong, the hard-tackling Dutch international, former Spartak Moscow striker Yuri Movsisyan, and former AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino. With the season of one of the most unpredictable leagues, here are my predictions for the MLS season.

            EASTERN CONFERENCE

10: Chicago Fire

The Fire come in off of a rough season last year, finishing last in the East. The Fire lost out on Didier Drogba last season, traded their draft pick, and failed to bring in any new talent. Some bright spots include David Accam, Kennedy Igbonnanike, and Sean Johnson, but the Fire don’t seem to have the firepower, no pun intended, to improve. Don’t worry, Chicago, there isn’t any relegation you need to worry about

9: New England Revolution.

New England’s season last year was a massive underachievement. USA international Jermain Jones failed to provide much spark, and Lee Nguyen struggled after a strong season the year before. Now Jones is in Colorado, traded for a 2017 first round pick. Like I said before, this is a very unpredictable league and the Revs could wind up practically anywhere in the conference, but I have them near the bottom.

8: Philadelphia Union

The Union spent most of the last season near the bottom of the east and I can’t see that changing. Jim Curtain moved Maurice Edu to center half last year to fill some of Philly’s defensive problems, and you could tell his presence was missed. The Union’s key player this year will be Sebastian Le Toux, with the Union struggling for goals last year, the 32-year old needs to help Philadelphia have less stress defensively.

7: D.C. United

In seventh, just missing out on the playoff bid, I have DC. You may think this is an odd call after such a solid season last year, but the thinness of the team makes them vulnerable. Yes, Bill Hamid is a great keeper, and could be the US keeper by the end of the year, and Fabian Espindola is still a decent finisher, but other than those two and Lamar Neagle, it’s a rough rest of the team for Ben Olson and DC.

6: Orlando City

Just squeaking their way into the playoffs will be one of the new expansion teams, Orlando City. The Lions struggled against the bottom half teams last season, which was strange considering they beat Columbus, Portland away, and LA Galaxy. Ricardo Kaka is the main player, of course, with nine league goals and seven assists. Orlando still has Brek Shea, Christian Higuita, Aurélein Collin, and the 5^th top goal scorer from last year, Cyle Larin. Plus with new holding midfielder Antonio Nocerino coming in from AC Milan, a former teammate of Kaka, Orlando could be treated to their first playoffs, if not more.

5^; NYCFC

The other MLS new expansion team struggled last year, even with the league’s 4^th top scorer, David Villa. We all know about Villa, alongside the other two legends, Frank Lampard, and Andrea Pirlo, but NYC is more than that. Mix Diskerud is one of America’s best prospects, Andoni Iraola and Connor Brandt provide strong defense, and surprise breakouts Tommy McNamara and Kwandwo Poku will give NYC all the support that they will miss with Lampard out to begin the year, which will not be too long. The Manchester City-owned club, led by Patrick Vieira at the helm, could be one of the most dangerous teams to play.

4: NY Red Bulls

Last year’s regular season conference champions are still strong, but after a struggling playoff run, the Red Bulls have fallen down to fourth in the conference. Don’t get me wrong, Dax McCarty is one of the best holding midfielders in the MLS, Luis Robles is great between the pipes, and Kemar Lawrence was one of the best left-backs in the league. Shaun Wright-Phillips and Bradley Wright-Phillips are aging, and without a true other striker now that Tim Cahill has gone, it will be a challenge for the Red Bulls to make another run.

3: Montreal Impact

The Impact had a surprise year last year, and the French-Canadian side making a good run at the cup final last year. Dominic Oduro, full of speed proved a hard task to defend against, Henry Shipp was brought in from Chicago, to partner up with Ignacio Piatti, with big Didier Drogba, who truly formed this team last year. The Impact is strong in the back, Laurent Ciman was last year’s best defenseman leading the way. If the Impact wants to do something, now is the time. Drogba will turn 38 this coming Thursday, Piatti is 31, and Ciman will turn 31 towards the end of the season, so listen up Montreal, it’s now or never if the cup will come to Quebec.

2: Columbus Crew

The Crew emerged as strong opposition towards the end of last year and were last year’s finalists from the East. This side has gotten no worse, Kei Kamara was one of the breakout players of last year, especially in the playoffs. Federico Higuaín was great in controlling the tempo of the Crew, and Ethan Finlay emerged as a man who could make the US squad for the upcoming Copa America. Amro Tarek and Michael Parkhurst can defend, and the Crew will continue to be one of the biggest threats of the conference.

1: Toronto FC

There will be new conference champions and a team who could be new cup holders, Toronto FC. Toronto’s team last year changed drastically, and it worked. Toronto traded Jermain Defoe to Sunderland for Jozy Altidore, and Sebastian Giovinco was signed from Juventus after Giovinco struggled for play-time. Giovinco proved Juve wrong, leading the MLS in goals and assists, leading Toronto back to the playoffs. Damien Perquis and Michael Bradley are still there, both have the experience to drive this team, and Benoit Cheyrou has been brought in from Marseille. If this team stays like this last year, Toronto could bring the cup to Canada.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

10: San Jose Earthquakes

San Jose were hovering around the bottom, but the lack of talent puts them at last in the west. Chris Wondolowski seemed to never forget his last-gasp miss against Belgium in the World Cup, and Wondo failed to give us the same player from the season before. Quincy Amarikwa will be heavily relied on, along with new forward Innocent Emeghara, one of the best players from the Swiss league, and winger Simon Dawkins from Derby County. But the Quakes, for now, do not have the talent to bring them back up in a difficult Western Conference.

9: Houston Dynamo

The Dynamo transferred over to the west when Orlando and NYC came in, and still have not settled in. The defense is not terrible, Raúl Rodríguez and DaMarcus Beasley are enough to contest some of the better strikers. The problem will be goal scoring, Erick Torres will be the man up front for Owen Coyle’s side, but with nobody else to support the Mexican, it could be a long, long season for Houston.

8: Colorado Rapids

The Rapids made two big moves, to try to contend in the Western Conference. Those two moves are bringing in Jermaine Jones from New England, as mentioned earlier, and Tim Howard, the Everton goalkeeper, and World Cup hero for Americans. Those two transfers both are good, but both are a bit strange. First off, Jermaine Jones struggled last season, is now 34, and will miss the first six games of the Rapids’ season due to a confrontation with a referee last season in New England. Howard is a good call, with him benched in Merseyside in favor of Joel Robles, but Howard can’t make his move to Denver until June, the start of the Summer window after his transfer failed to go through in January. I’m not sure the Rapids can hold out without them.

7: Vancouver Whitecaps

I know I am going to be getting a lot of doubt for this one, but just grazing out of the playoffs, I have Vancouver. Pedro Morales played well last year, along with David Ousted breaking out for the Whitecaps in the net, and Kekuta Manneh also with blistering pace on the wing. I have no doubt the Whitecaps can make the playoffs, and but it will be a struggle for last year’s second placed regular season team.

6: Real Salt Lake

RSL enter this year as confident as ever, with new signings, new goal scorers, and what could be a new contender. Joao Plata, the five-foot-two forward and new signing Yuri Movsisyan have the potential to be a great partnership up front. The midfield behind them has a very mixed center, with Kyle Beckerman the strong, defensive player with Javier Morales delivering good passes through the middle and scoring. Chris Wingert has arrived in Utah to help the back line, with strong keeper Nick Rimando between the pipes. I believe this can be a good team for years to come in Utah.

5: Sporting KC

Kansas City’s team has really turned from the time they came into the original MLS. They have really developed of late, with lots of players coming through. Matt Besler and Ike Opara are both solid American center-backs, and can limit the pressure that Tim Melia has to take. The midfield is controlled by Benny Feilhaber, who really emerged in the twilight of his career at 31, and US international Graham Zusi struggled last year, but can come around.

4: FC Dallas

Dallas won the conference last year, with new talent throughout the lineup, and talent that can carry this team back. Fabian Castillo, the young Columbian broke out as a player similar to Juan Cuadrado, very skillful, quick, and great control of the ball. The midfield trio of Victor Ulloa, Kellyn Acosta, and Mauro Díaz proved strong last year, and with a decent defense, Dallas could be anywhere, and can even make another cup run. 

3: Portland Timbers

The defending MLS champions come into this year with their fan base as joyful as ever. Portland will face a big challenge this season: to become the first back-to-back champions since the LA Galaxy did it in 2011 and 2012. With a new logo as different as the Cleveland Browns’, the Timbers team remains very unchanged, Diego Valeri still runs the middle of the field with Darlington Nagbe, Fanendo Adi still remains in attack with Lucas Melano on the wing. The team is strong, but it hasn’t improved enough to match some of the others.

2: Seattle Sounders

Seattle comes into this year after a hard fought 2015, exiting the playoffs after being knocked out by Dallas in the Western semis. Seattle has lost striker Obafemi Martins to Shanghai Greenland Shenhua in the Chinese Super League, but may have his replacement down. The replacement for Martins can be one of two people, either Nelson Valdez or Jordan Morris. Valdez is more experienced, as well as stronger. Valdez scored just one goal in the 2014-15 season at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, whilst Jordan Morris is a rookie out of Stanford. Morris nearly went to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga but chose Seattle out of love. Anyways, the possible American hero will partner up with the last American hero, Clint Dempsey. Lamar Neagle is now at DC, so expect to see Austrian Andreas Ivanschitz alternate to both wings. Seattle may once again find their way towards the top of the MLS with their fan base and strong attack.

1: Los Angeles Galaxy

So at the top of the West, I have the LA Galaxy. As mentioned before, LA are the only team to win back to back MLS Cups, led by an English legend, David Beckham. Nowadays, Beckham is trying to get back into the MLS as an owner, funny how times change. The Galaxy is now being led by another English legend, Steven Gerrard, who is trying to win his first domestic league ever, after he came so close to at Liverpool, and was a slip and a 3-0 lead at Palace away from doing that. Now, Gerrard is surrounded by some of the best the MLS has to offer. Omar Gonzalez and Juninho departed to the Mexican League, but LA have responded with signings of their own. Gerrard now partners up with Sebastian Lleget, Nigel de Jong, and Robbie Rogers in the heart of the LA midfield, with Robbie Keane and Gio dos Santos in front. New signings Jelle Van Damme and Ashley Cole instantly step into the Galaxy 11, alongside AJ DeLaGarza and Leonardo at the back. Gyasi Zardes and Bradford Jamieson IV will also provide youth for what is a huge season for LA.

So those are my predictions for this year’s MLS regular season. The action starts Sunday, kicking the first game off from Red Bull arena as NYRB host Toronto, other big games are Seattle home to Sporting KC, Vancouver and Montreal at BC Place, LA and DC United as the nightcap out west, and a rematch of the MLS Cup final as the Timbers host the Crew. Hope you enjoy your weekend for your MLS team, and I will see you next time!

NFL Free Agency Buyer’s Guide: Tight Ends

With the start of the new NFL league year and the beginning of free agency only a few weeks away, the so-called NFL experts will begin to immediately declare which teams are “winners” and “losers” only a few days after the ink has dried on newly signed contracts.

Adding our proverbial two cents to the conversation, today BGS continues our Free Agency Buyer’s Guide segment which ranks the top 5 players at each position and posits where each player will land.  This column assumes that no one will re-sign with their current team and also projects which players are likely cap casualties.

Read our quarterback, running back and wide receiver rankings

With these caveats established, let’s continue with tight ends.

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1. Coby Fleener

Coby Fleener comes in at No. 1 on the tight end list due to his age, upside and durability.  Fleener hasn’t missed a game since 2012 and posted solid numbers catching passes from Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck and Josh Freeman last season.

Fleener’s 54 receptions for 491 yards and 3 touchdowns don’t jump off paper, but he’s one year removed from 774 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2014.  Luck’s return next season should bode well for Fleener should the Colts decide to re-sign him.

Since the Colts haven’t made much progress re-signing Fleener, he would make an immediate impact for the Pittsburgh Steelers after Heath Miller retired earlier this month.  A pass catching specialist, Fleener would provide another receiving option for the vaunted Steelers’ offense and be an upgrade over the retired Miller.

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2. Benjamin Watson

Benjamin Watson comes in at No. 2 behind Fleener, yet ahead of the rest because of his career high production in 2015.  With no clear No. 2 wide receiver in New Orleans, Watson picked up where departed super star Jimmy Graham left off, racking up 74 catches for 825 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Said Watson of his 2015 campaign, “Coming into this year, I didn’t know what to expect… I am proud of the fact that I was able to be present at all the games, I was pretty much healthy and I was able to play a part in the offense.  It’s always fun to be involved in that way… I’ve enjoyed playing with all these guys and especially that guy No. 9.”

The Saints remain in salary cap purgatory and may opt to let Watson walk.  Enter the Arizona Cardinals who could use an instant upgrade at tight end and a veteran presence in the position group.  Like most 35-year olds, Watson would love to go out on top and signing with the Cardinals gives him that option while also giving Carson Palmer another target downfield.

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3. Ladarius Green

Ladarius Green lands at the No. 3 spot on this list above Dwayne Allen because he may finally be emerging out of the shadows of Chargers’ teammate Antonio Gates.  Despite missing three games to injury, Green caught 37 passes for 429 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2015.

At 6’6’’ and 240 pounds, Green has all the requisite skills to replace Gates in San Diego.  But with the Chargers in talks with Gates to return for another season, Green may decide to depart for a starting job elsewhere.

The Green Bay Packers may be an ideal fit for Green.  Aaron Rodgers would surely love another enormous target to pair with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb.  Nearly half of Green’s total career receptions have gone for over 20 yards, and adding a big play tight end may propel the Packers’ offense back into top 5 consideration.

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4. Dwayne Allen

There’s a big debate about whether or not Allen is ranked too low.  The Colts seem to believe he’s the better option over Fleener at this point, but that could be because Allen fits better into newly promoted offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski’s offense.  But one can’t argue with Allen’s production.

He’s only one season removed from a 395 yard, 8 touchdown effort in 2014.  Like Fleener, who saw a production dip through questionable quarterbacking in 2015, Allen should bounce back for a 600 yard, 6 touchdown type season in the right offense.

The New York Jets would be a good fit for Allen’s skill set.  A capable pass-catcher and blocker, Allen would serve as the traditional tight end in the Jets’ offense and as another big target for Ryan Fitzpatrick to pair with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.  At just 26-years old, Allen could become a fixture in the Jets’ offense for years to come.

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5. Zach Miller

Yes, we’re talking about Zach Miller of the Bears, not the Seahawks.  You know, the one who filled in so well for injured Martellus Bennett.  Out of the NFL the last four years, Miller caught 34 passes for 439 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2015; all career highs.

These are solid numbers for a 31-year old tight end and should allow Miller to find a starting job elsewhere should the Bears decide to get younger at the position.

The quarterback to be named of the Houston Texans could benefit from a reliable, veteran pass catcher at tight end.  Miller is the kind of player who could provide a security blanket for a rookie passer and has the presence of mind to put himself in position to accumulate first downs.  He may not stretch the field like younger players, but can still be productive in an offense that runs through receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

 

BPL Matchday 27: Old Trafford’s New Hero

This weekend’s set of games were the first of very weird schedules for the BPL. From now until the end of the season, some teams may not play due to their opposition competing that same day in their FA Cup ties. So thank you Capital One Cup Final for making sure that the Merseyside Derby, one of the tightest derbies, would be postponed, as well as the Newcastle fans, who had to anxiously wait to see if Norwich, Sunderland, and Bournemouth, would put them into an even bigger hole at the bottom of the table. Meanwhile, there was some good action for the 16 teams that did participate in the BPL this weekend, including some last second stunners, unexpected heroes, and a very animated Louis van Gaal.

The action began at Upton Park, where Sam Allardyce returned to West Ham with his new club, Sunderland. Allardyce had spent 61 games as manager of the Irons, including spending his first year getting West Ham promoted in the 2011/12 season. Allardyce started the same unit that beat Manchester United two weeks back, whilst Slaven Bilic dropped Enner Valencia, Pedro Obiang, and Alex Song for Emmanuel Emenike, Cheikhou Kouyaté, and Manuel Lanzini. The game was slow in terms of shots in the first 15, but soon after, Lanzini found captain Mark Noble, who hit a thunderbolt off the crossbar, and Emenike put the rebound just over the crossbar. It would have been a huge goal for Noble, who is still fighting for a spot on the England team for Euro 2016. At the other end four minutes after, Wahbi Khazri, who scored on a free kick against United, looped one up and just off the bar. West Ham got their go-ahead when Michail Antonio beat two defenders, and wonderfully swerved it across the box, past Vito Mannone to give the Irons the lead just before the half-hour mark. Antonio then followed up with a celebration that was oddly familiar to television character Homer Simpson, running around in a circle on the ground. The game settled down for a while, West Ham nearly got a second when Sam Byram got it to substitute Andy Carroll, but the Irons hit the iron yet again, no pun intended. The day for Sunderland was summed up when Khazri failed a rabona, it looked ambitious, but, in the end, it really was just awful. 1-0 to West Ham would end up as the final, with Sunderland holding 19th, and West Ham up to fifth for the time being, Man of the Match goes to Antonio.

The four other games at 10:00 Eastern Time may not have been the highest scoring, but… yeah, they weren’t high scoring at all. Watford hosted Bournemouth in a battle of newly promoted teams. Max Gradel returned to the Bournemouth team for the first time since August after being signed from Saint-Étienne in the summer. Gradel had plenty of chances, but Man of the Match keeper Heurelho Gomes kept the score at 0-0. Stoke City went up against Villa on a penalty when Phil Bardsley was challenged in the air by Ashley Westwood, and Marko Arnautovic put the penalty home. Arnautovic wasn’t done, putting another one home four minutes after when he headed Shaqiri’s cross up, but goalie Mark Bunn fell back into his own net, and before he could react, Arnautovic tapped in his own cross. Villa did pull one back through Leandro Bacuna, but it wasn’t enough, 2-1 was the final Man of the Match goes to Arnautovic. Leicester City needed a win to increase their lead at the top, but couldn’t seem to do it against a struggling Norwich City side at home, but Claudio Ranieri’s super sub-Leandro Ulloa put home Marc Albrighton’s cross in the 90th minute to win 1-0, Man of the Match goes to Albrighton.

The best game of the bunch came from St. Mary’s, as Southampton, competing again for a top six finish faced Chelsea, who still could turn their season into a top six finish. The game didn’t start on the fortunate end for Chelsea, as Pedro, who had just found his form again, pulled up five minutes in, causing him to be replaced by Oscar. Chelsea nearly went down by one when a cross back in for Virgil van Dijk caused Thibaut Courtois to abandon his goal, and van Dijk found Shane Long with a wide open net, but he couldn’t keep his header down. Chelsea had a difficult first half attacking, unlike the Newcastle game, Diego Costa seemed out of sync with the team. 34 minutes in Saints goalie Frazer Forster broke a Southampton record, going the longest amount of time without conceding a goal, a span that stretched over a month. Long soon made amends for his miss, when Baba Rahman’s failed header was intercepted, and the Irishman made him pay, going into double digits for goals, and Southampton led 1-0 at the break. So I mentioned Southampton didn’t know what it was like to concede a goal for over a month’s time, that ended when Cesc Fabregas seemed to cross it, but the cross turned on goal, freezing Forster, and leveling up Chelsea. Chelsea then found their winner when Willian found Branislav Ivanovic on a corner in the 89th, giving Guus Hiddink’s men yet another win, Man of the Match goes to Gary Cahill, who stopped the Saints attack on multiple occasions.

The late game came from The Hawthorns, as two struggling sides looked to turn their form around, as West Brom hosted Crystal Palace. Tony Pulis was taking on his former team, and the manager had some tricks up his sleeve, or should I say cap. Inside 10 minutes Brom got their goal when Craig Gardner found Salomon Rondon, who had his shot saved, but Gardner followed it up with his second of the year, 1-0. Brom doubled their lead when a free kick cross found the head of Craig Dawson, Pulis’ four center back formation paying dividends, 2-0 inside 20. Brom got one more off a wonderful ball from Stephane Sessegnon to Sadio Berahino right at the half hour mark, 3-0, and Palace seemed demoralized. Palace did get one back when Jonas Olsson failed to hold back Connor Wickham, who flicked it up to himself, and 3 minutes after the break, Palace had one back. Wickham soon after pulled out the Eagles’ best of the year, when Jordan Mutch headed it down, and Wickham on the volley finished it to the opposite post. It was a case of too little too late for Alan Pardew, as Brom jumped Palace into 13, while Palace now stands just 8 points outside the drop, Man of the Match goes to Sessegnon.

Sunday originally had four BPL games scheduled, but with Willy Caballero and Man City defeating Liverpool in penalties at Wembley, only two more games remained. With Leicester’s late win, Spurs and Arsenal both needed points, and Spurs had a must win at White Hart versus Swansea City. It was a game of great saves, and three minutes in, Alberto Paloschi found Gylfi Sigurdsson right in front, but Lloris kept Swansea scoreless for the time being. Swansea got their goal 14 minutes later when Angel Rangel’s cross was deflected, and with nobody on Tottenham claiming it, Paloschi stepped up for his first in England and beat Lloris to give Swansea the surprise lead. Going back to saves, Lukas Fabianski pulled out a worldly when Erik Lamela found Eric Dier, but Fabianski denied the Englishman, then fellow Englishman Harry Kane couldn’t put the follow-up on target. Spurs got the equalizer in the 70th when Fabianski punched a corner as far as Kyle Walker, who’s shot was redirected off of Nacer Chadli for the goal, 1-1 with 20 to play. Spurs then got the game winner when a cross was headed to Man of the Match Danny Rose, who put it past Fabianski to give Spurs the win, pulling them to within 2 again.

So with Spurs pulling a win, Arsenal needed a win, and the Gunners were playing at the same time as their rivals, at Old Trafford to face Man United. United came in with a starting XI that averaged around 25 years old, due to 15 injuries to first team players, forcing Louis van Gaal to play some very young players. One of those young players was named Marcus Rashford, making his BPL debut after Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial went down with injuries, Rashford’s heroics helped United survive their Europa League game against FC Midtjylland with 2 goals off the bench. Arsenal should’ve gone one up when Mesut Ozil played Nacho Monreal in, but the Spaniard was denied by fellow countryman David de Gea. Old Trafford this season has seen the fewest amount of goals out of any stadium in England in the top four divisions, but today was an exception. United, out of nowhere, struck when Guiellrmo Varela’s cross was failed to be cleared by Gabriel, and Marcus Rashford, who nobody had ever heard of, made his name known on his first BPL shot, beating the BPL’s best keeper of all time, Petr Cech, and giving United the lead. United followed up two minutes after when Varela found Jesse Lingard, who crossed it to Rashford, who placed his header home perfectly, and United doubled the lead, what a story! Arsenal got one back, and it wasn’t just one English United youth team striker to score, Danny Welbeck, who returned to Old Trafford last year with a goal in the FA Cup, put home Mesut Ozil’s cross, 2-1, just before the break. Unfortunately, Rashford couldn’t get a hat-trick in his first game, but he did get his first assist, finding Ander Herrera, who cannoned one off Laurent Koscielny, for a big goal for a struggling Herrera, 3-1 United, Herrera’s first goal since October against Everton. Arsenal wasn’t put down that easy, five minutes after Alexis Sanchez found Welbeck, who was denied by a world-class save by de Gea, but Ozil followed it up to make it 3-2. United soon suffered another injury to a first team player, when Marcos Rojo went down, right after coming back, it is unconfirmed how long he is out. I mentioned an animated van Gaal, and after Alexis went to the ground almost too easily, van Gaal stormed into the technical area, arguing with fourth official Mike Dean, and after he didn’t get the call, van Gaal took a dive. That’s right, Louis van Gaal flopped to the floor, causing Manchester United fans to cheer him, which is just as unlikely as an 18-year-old striker scoring two goals and an assist on his debut. In a press conference later on, van Gaal apologized for his dive, claiming he needed to “control his emotions.” Another press member said after that the fans liked it, and van Gaal jokingly said, “the fans are not always right.” Another thing the fans liked was United holding on to win 3-2, Man of the Match must go to Old Trafford’s new man, Marcus Rashford, who has scored four goals on five shots in his United career, not a good day for Jose Mourinho however, as Louis van Gaal’s dive may have put the fans behind him once again.

So at the end of the weekend, Leicester remain top with Spurs right behind, but with Arsenal’s loss, the Gunners will need to turn it around quickly. Manchester City remain 9 points of the top with one game in hand of everybody else, and with that win, United stand just three points outside the top four, and West Ham 4 points out. Matchday 28 is Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Bournemouth and Southampton meet for the South Coast derby, West Ham host Spurs in a London derby, United host Watford, and a rematch of the Capital One Cup final at Anfield, as Liverpool host City.

Miami Marlins 2016 Season Preview: Pitching

This is the final part of a three-part series of articles that have been released weekly, previewing the upcoming 2016 season for the Miami Marlins. 

For Part One, click here.

For Part Two, click here.

When a team finishes 71-91, logic says that they should acquire new talent to improve the team. That was not the case with the Miami Marlins.  In fact, besides switching up the coaching staff, the only major move that the Marlins made was signing Wei-Yin Chen to a five-year deal.

As crazy as it may sound, it may be for the best that the Marlins did not make any major moves. The current lineup is still quite young and growing together, some players among this group are the best at their position.

Let’s take a look at the projected rotation and bullpen for the 2016 Miami Marlins.

2016 Starting Rotation

The Marlins boasted what was thought to be a decent starting rotation entering last season. Henderson Alvarez, Mat Latos, Jarred Cosart, Tom Koehler, and Dan Haren were to hold down the fort while ace Jose Fernandez was recovering from Tommy John surgery and coming back by mid-season. As was the narrative for the 2015 Marlins, injury and lack of production led to the demise of nearly the entire rotation.

Latos and Haren were traded away at the deadline. Alvarez battled a nagging shoulder all season, and he was non-tendered by the Marlins in the offseason. Cosart also had a fight with injuries, dealing with vertigo and being sent to the minors at one point due to lack of production.  He now is fighting for a spot in the rotation. Only Tom Koehler finished the season unscathed. He did have a brief demotion to the bullpen, but he made only one relief appearance and was back in the rotation within five days. Because of his durability, he has been assured a spot in the 2016 rotation, along with Fernandez and newly acquired Wei-Yin Chen.

There will be two rotation spots up for grabs entering spring training, and while there are a host of candidates, not many of them can be considered viable. Among them are Cosart, Adam Conley, Justin Nicolino, Brad Hand, David Phelps, and Edwin Jackson, who was signed this offseason. Barring a terrible spring training, Cosart should get the fourth spot in the rotation. Hand and Phelps will most likely end up in the bullpen, and one or both of Conley and Nicolino will go to the minors. Jackson was thought to be brought in for long relief help, but he could very well end up with a spot in the rotation. Assuming Cosart wins a spot, let’s look at my top three candidates for the fifth and final spot.

Adam Conley

Conley has to be considered the favorite after the way he was dealing when he was called up to the majors near the end of the season. A second round pick by the Marlins in the 2011 draft (the same year where they picked Fernandez 14th overall), Conley made his MLB debut on June 10th. He showed promise, pitching a perfect inning of relief against the Toronto Blue Jays. He was sent back down to Triple-A New Orleans two days later. He made his first start in the last game before the All-Star break. He tossed five innings, giving up five hits and two runs in the process. He would be sent down to Triple-A yet again, and wouldn’t return to the majors until August 1st. It was after this call-up that Conley would prove his potential.

After the call-up, Conley made 3 relief appearances before being given another chance at starting. He had a couple of rough starts his first two outings, failing to reach 5 full innings. Although, Conley did have seven strikeouts in his second outing against the Milwaukee Brewers. He would turn in better starts thereafter, showing great signs of progress. What was most impressive was the way he finished the season, throwing 4 quality starts in a row.

The Marlins are in need of a power arm from the left side, something that they have been lacking the past few years. Conley can be that guy as he tossed 59 strikeouts in his short time in the majors. He has competition, but after finishing the 2015 season on an impressive note, it is most likely his job to lose.

Justin Nicolino

Like Conley, Justin Nicolino made his debut in the 2015 season. Nicolino looked like the real deal in his first start against the Cincinnati Reds, throwing six innings of four-hit ball with no runs given up. While he did turn in eight quality starts in 2015, his other four starts he gave up 4 or more runs in less than six innings per start.  Because of this, his earned runs average for the year was above four.

Nicolino is another lefty option for Miami, and it has been quite some time since they had so many left-handed starting pitching options. (Chen, Hand, Conley, Nicolino). He has shown that he can durable, but if he is having an off night, he won’t be close to the pitcher he can be. In my book, Nicolino has the second best chances to crack into the rotation after Adam Conley, but he can easily become the winner of the job should he impress and Conley falter.

Edwin Jackson

The Marlins signed Edwin Jackson to a one-year deal over the offseason. When this move was made, the initial thought was that he was going to be working out of the bullpen. Now that there are two spots up for grabs in the rotation, Jackson has been given a shot at attaining one of them.

Jackson has not started a game since the 2014 season, which was quite a horrendous one for him. He had a 6.33 earned run average, including 14 starts in which he gave up 4 runs or more. Jackson has not posted an ERA under 4.00 as a starter since the 2011 season and spent the entire 2015 season as a reliever for the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. He was not bad as a reliever for Chicago and Atlanta last year, putting up a 3.07 ERA in 47 games and 55.2 innings pitched.

It would be a long shot for Jackson to grab the final spot in the rotation, especially considering the stiff competition he has from lefty young guns Conley and Nicolino. It also hurts his case that he hasn’t had a decent season since 2011. Maybe a change of scenery will be in his favor, but if I were a betting man, I would bet against Edwin Jackson being in the rotation to start the season.

Bullpen

The Marlins may not have one of the better bullpens in the league, but they do have two guys of All-Star caliber to be their set-up man and closer.

Carter Capps filled into the set-up man role very nicely in 2015. Capps boasts the second fastest perceived fastball in all of baseball, only behind New York Yankees flamethrower Aroldis Chapman. His fastball is 97-98 mph on average, but due to his hop-step delivery, he gains about an extra seven or eight feet towards the plate, making the already ferocious pitch look as if it were coming at the batter at 101+ mph. Jung-Ho Kang stated that the pitcher he fears most is Capps because of his unorthodox delivery.

With the type of numbers Capps put up last season, it is quite baffling that he wasn’t an All-Star. He had a 1.16 ERA, a career low and one of the lower ERAs in all of baseball by a reliever. He also had a .168 batting average against with 58 strikeouts in 31.0 innings of relief.  Capps is most likely going to be the set-up man for the Marlins again this season, but his potential as a closer is there. He may start seeing save opportunities as soon as this season.

A.J. Ramos inherited the closer role last year after Steve Cishek proved to be ineffective, and the job was officially his after Cishek was dealt in a mid-season trade to the St. Louis Cardinals. Like Capps, it is odd that Ramos did not earn an All-Star bid. Ramos had a 1.11 ERA with 14 saves in 17 opportunities at the All-Star break. He also had an absurd .139 batting average against.

Ramos hit a rough patch after the All-Star break. He would have ERAs of 5.23 and 5.06 in the months of July and August, respectively. He was able to pick the pace back up in September though, posting a 0.77 ERA for the month, and a 0.00 ERA in two games pitched in October.

The closer spot is Ramos’ to lose, but with the rising potential of Carter Capps, they could split the role similarly to the way Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller shared the closer job for the New York Yankees. For at least this season, Ramos should be given the majority of the save opportunities.

The rest of the bullpen will look similar to the way it did towards the end of the season last year. Mike Dunn and Bryan Morris will be back as lefty and right specialists, respectively, and Brad Hand and David Phelps will be long relief guys. Kyle Barraclough, Brian Ellington, Raudel Lazo and Scott McGough each made their MLB debuts last season when rosters expanded in September, and each had their moments of showing potential. They, along with Nick Wittgren and Jose Urena, will all fight for the final one or two rotation spots left, which depends on whether Edwin Jackson is a starter or reliever when the season starts.

Overview

The pitching staff is the part of the team that  underwent the most changes in the offseason, and that is an overstatement. Yes, they added Wei-Yin Chen and Edwin Jackson, but that is not as drastic of a makeover as last year. But that just means yet another year for the same guys to gel and build more chemistry. Just as there is with the rest of the team, the pitching staff for the Marlins has quite the potential to become something special.

Photo Courtesy of the Miami Herald

Taking The Good With The Bad: Western Conference

The Good:

Patrick Kane

Before the season, everyone in the sports world became aware of a sexual assault scandal involving Kane, one of the NHL’s brightest young stars. Many have judged him harshly for his ‘alleged’ actions off the ice. He has been kind and courteous to the media and taken it upon himself to show them what he can do ON the ice. He is running away with the Art Ross trophy this season, unless he gets injured, with 84 points in 63 games so far. If he stays on this pace he’ll finish with 111 points on the season. The Blackhawks are playoff bound again and will be a force to be reckoned with. Rookie Artemi Panarin has been lighting it up and Chicago just traded for Andrew Ladd and Dale Weise to further sure up their offense going into the post-season.

Anaheim Ducks

After losing 9 of their first 12 and suffering from a serious lack of scoring, the Ducks are back in full force. They climbed to 5^th in the West and the reliable play of guys like captain Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry has returned. Frederik Andersen and John Gibson have been good enough to keep Anaheim competitive in most of the games this year. The addition of Ryan Kesler proved to be crucial. He is third on the team in points right now.

John Scott

It was a story that seemed right out of a movie and now its going to actually be one. Scott is a 4^th line bruiser who spent about as much time in the AHL as the NHL during his career. He was voted an all-star captain by hockey fans on the internet as a way to troll the NHL. He received far and away the most votes but the NHL tried with all its might to shoot this down. He was asked by the Arizona Coyotes to step down and not play. After Scott refused, he was traded from the Coyotes to the Canadiens where he was immediately sent down to the St. Johns Ice Caps. This meant he wasn’t able to compete since he wasn’t in the top league and now in the Eastern Conference. Not to mention his pregnant wife who now had to up and move. Eventually, the NHL officially named him Pacific Division captain. He scored 2 goals in the 3 on 3 tournament helping the Pacific win the grand prize of 1,000,000 dollars and All-Star MVP honors. Scott walked away with $90,666 from the weekend but he also won the respect and love of every hockey fan in North America.

The Bad:

Minnesota Wild

A lack of scoring depth and inconsistent play from young players and veterans alike has put the Wild in a bad spot. They have been rising and slumping all season losing 13 of 14 games at one point last month. The streakiness cost coach Mike Yeo his job. John Torchetti has been named interim head coach and seems to be getting the most out his players. Now they are 4 points out of the wild card in the West. Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter have both played well, leading the team in points. Captain Zach Parise has been streaky like his team and has a -9 plus/minus.

Canadian Teams (In General)

In my last article about the Eastern Conference, both my bad items were Canadian teams. I thought I’d lump a few things together here rather than do that again. No Canadian teams are in the playoff picture right now. I’ll repeat that; not one team playing in Canada has a really good shot at making the playoffs this year. It would be the first time since 1969-70 and only the second time EVER for this to happen. Not sure what the connection is, but fate has not been favorable to the country that invented the sport as of late.

Edmonton Oilers Management

Now yes, that last one covered the Canadian teams on the ice, but it doesn’t account for the group of people who have basically taken the 1^st overall draft spot hostage. They have had 4 of the last 6 1^st overall picks. This seems to be a little puzzling. When other teams were the worst, they landed a superstar in the draft and rocketed to the playoffs soon after. The Blackhawks drafted Kane, for the Lightning it was Stamkos, and for the Penguins it was Crosby. But the Oilers now have enough top players to make up more than a full line and they haven’t made the playoffs since reaching the cup in 2006. GM Craig MacTavish was fired this past offseason so hopefully things will begin to turn around. After another top draft pick of course this year of course.

Taking the Good with the Bad: Eastern Conference

The Good:

Philadelphia Flyers

More specifically Shayne “Ghost Bear” Gostisbehere. The Flyers have played mediocre through the first 3 quarters of the season yet find themselves only 5 points out of the wild card with two games in hand on the Hurricanes and the Devils in front of them. Ghost Bear has a 15 game point streak going; the longest by a defenseman in 20 years. With his help and the likes of Voracek, Simmonds, and Giroux, Philly has found its scoring touch averaging 3.45 goals per game this month. They still need a few pieces to fall into place but the playoffs are not out of reach. Everybody knows that all you have to do is get in. Then all bets are off.

Jaromir Jagr/ Florida Panthers

Though at this point, no one should be surprised. Recently named First Star of theWeek, the 44-year-old phenom that is Jagr just continues to keep chugging along. He now sits 3^rd all-time in goals (742) and leads Florida in points (43). Not to mention the rising young talent for the Panthers that are playing superb. Jonathan Huberdeau (22 years old) has 40 points. Reilly Smith (24), Vincent Trocheck (22), and Aleksander Barkov (20) all have at least 35 points. Not to mention the goaltending team of steadfast Roberto Luongo and brick wall Al Montoya. Montoya has .930 and 1.91 in 15 starts. Florida is 1^st in the Atlantic with 75 points and shows no signs of slumping headed into the playoffs. They will be a dangerous team for anyone over a 7 game series.

Braden Holtby

Playing between the pipes for the Washington Capitals is a sweet gig. The Caps are already up to 92 points and 9-1 in their last 10 games. Holtby has .924 and 2.17 respectively. With 38 wins, he is well on pace to beat Martin Brodeur’s single-season win record of 48. Stars like Oshie, Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Backstrom help make up arguably the most explosive offense in the league; averaging 3.3 goals per game. Having that kind of offensive support must take a lot of pressure off of Holtby.

The Bad:

Montreal Canadiens

The Habs have seriously fallen off this year. It can be traced back to one thing; the injury of Carey Price. He has only played in 12 games this year after some lower body injuries. The backup netminders Mike Condon and Ben Scrivens have not been picking up the slack. Neither of them are in the top 20 for goals against or save percentage. Even with some high power offense and scoring defenders like P.K. Subban, they can’t succeed without Price. Proving once again that goalie is the most important position in hockey. Some have called for coach Michel Therrien’s job over this mess. They may get what they want at the end of the season. If, when Price comes back, they go on a streak they still won’t make the playoffs but his job will probably be safe.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs continue to be in a state of disarray. They signed new head coach Mike Babcock during the offseason and got a new GM in Lou Lamoriello. The organization saw fit to trade away Phil Kessel to the Penguins. They’ve dwelled at the bottom of the standings most of the way this year and to future doesn’t look promising for one of hockey’s proudest franchises. Lou has already gone into wholesale mode; dropping Dion Phaneuf’s heavy contract in a trade with the Ottawa Senators and shipping Roman Polak to San Jose for two picks and Raffi Torres. It’s very likely they will make some more moves before the upcoming deadline; citing a player like P.A. Parenteau being likely to go.

NFL Free Agency Buyer’s Guide: Wide Receivers

With the start of the new NFL league year and the beginning of free agency only a few weeks away, the so-called NFL experts will begin to immediately declare which teams are “winners” and “losers” only a few days after the ink has dried on newly signed contracts.

Adding our proverbial two cents to the conversation, today BGS continues our Free Agency Buyer’s Guide segment which ranks the top 5 players at each position and predicts where each player will land.  This column assumes that no one will re-sign with their current team and also projects which players are likely cap casualties.

Read our quarterback and running back rankings

With these caveats established, let’s continue with wide receivers.

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1. Alshon Jeffrey

Alshon Jeffrey is heads above every other receiver set to hit free agency.  Through four years in the NFL, Jeffrey has racked up 3,728 yards and 24 touchdowns.  At 6’ 3’’ and 216 pounds, Jeffrey is the prototype NFL wide receiver who catches just about everything thrown his way.  At age 26, he’s entering the prime of his career.

Jeffrey has the height and speed to stretch any NFL defense and can easily burn a secondary deep.  Sidelined for seven games in 2015, Jeffrey will surely bounce back next year and return to 1,000-yard, double-digit touchdown production.

While the Bears are trying to sign Jeffrey to a long-term deal, the Cincinnati Bengals make a logical landing spot assuming Jeffrey looks for more money elsewhere.  Paired with perennial Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green and breakout tight end Tyler Eifert, Jeffrey would propel the Bengals into Super Bowl contention for years to come.  Signing Jeffrey also makes sense of Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu depart in free agency next month.

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2. Jermaine Kearse

Jermaine Kearse comes in at No. 2 on this list after emerging as a legitimate starting wide receiver for the Seahawks in 2015.  While 49 receptions for 685 yards and 5 touchdowns aren’t numbers that jump off the charts, Kearse’s ceiling remains unknown and this makes him an attractive free agent target.

Kearse’s greatest strength may be his ability to read and react to mobile quarterback Russell Wilson.  When a play breaks down and Wilson takes off scrambling, Kearse is able to find an opening in the secondary and come up with a clutch first down.  He’s also a deep threat having snagged 13 passes for over 20 yards in 2015 which has surely put him high on the radar of receiver-needy teams.

While it’s also unlikely that Kearse will leave Seattle, joining the Buffalo Bills would be an ideal fit.  Kearse could remain a No. 2 receiver playing opposite of Sammy Watkins, and reach 1,000-yard and 8 touchdowns a season.  Watkins, in turn, would also benefit from Kearse’s presence since the latter’s big play ability would surely draw double teams away from Watkins.  Mobile quarterback Tyrod Taylor could also develop a chemistry similar to Kearse’s with Russell Wilson, making plays on the fly.  Coupled with tight end Charles Clay and running back LeSean McCoy, the Bills could become a wildcard contender in the always competitive AFC East.

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3. Reuben Randle

Reuben Randle may be the most underappreciated player on the New York Giants.  Now the pending free agent could capitalize big on the open market.  At 6’ 2’’ and 208 pounds, Randle has all the measurable of a dominant NFL wide receiver.

Randle got his chance to start opposite of star wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. when Victor Cruz missed all of 2015 and he responded, posting a career-high 57 receptions for 797 yards and 8 touchdowns.  Poised for a breakout season in 2016, Randle may be the best bargain receiver available during free agency if the Giants allow the 24-year old receiver to walk.

While Randle would be a great addition to several teams, he could benefit the most from playing with a veteran quarterback like Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers.  Wide receiver Keenan Allen needs help and Randle could replace the retiring Malcolm Floyd as the Chargers’ No. 2 receiver.  With Stevie Johnson in the slot and Antonio Gates set to return in 2016, San Diego should rebound offensively assuming they can improve their offensive line and help second-year halfback Melvin Gordon become a relative offensive threat.

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4. Marvin Jones

Marvin Jones is the third No. 2 receiver to make this list.  Playing opposite of A.J. Green, Jones caught 65 passes for 816 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2015 for the Bengals (all career bests).  The forgotten part of Hue Jackson’s offense, Jones could flourish in an offensive system that features him more prominently as a traditional No. 2 receiver (tight end Tyler Eifert largely assumed this role in 2015 for Cincinnati).

While Jones’ speed and athleticism are apparent, it’s his toughness that makes him stand apart from similar pending free agent receivers.  Jones’ willingness to block downfield, run block and get extra yards after the catch make him a valuable commodity to a number of receiver-needy teams.  He’s improved his route-running each season since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 draft and would be a serviceable No. 2 receiver on most teams.

Jones would be an ideal No. 2 receiver opposite of DeSean Jackson for the Washington Redskins.  Pierre Garcon’s production has declined in the last few seasons, and Jones could pick up the slack as another target for emerging quarterback Kirk Cousins.  Paired with tight end Jordan Reed and second-year halfback Matt Jones, Marvin Jones would help the Redskins return to the playoffs on their way to double-digit wins in 2016 provided that the offensive line continues to improve too.

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5. Rishard Matthews

Rishard Matthews rounds out this list at No. 5 is an unknown receiver with big upside.  Another fifth-year player, Matthews worked his way into the starting lineup for the Dolphins in 2015 catching 43 passes for 662 yards and 4 touchdowns through 11 games.

Matthews has the size and speed to be a No. 2 wide receiver for most NFL teams.  He also has a ton of upside since he’s still improving as a player and could be a huge bargain signing for the lucky team that lands his services.  The Dolphins have plenty of depth at receiver and little cap space, so expect Matthews to hit the open market.

Matthews would greatly benefit from playing with a veteran NFL quarterback like Joe Flacco and being mentored by a veteran wide receiver like Steve Smith, Sr. of the Baltimore Ravens.  Second-year receiver Breshad Perriman never saw the field in 2015, and could take time to develop in the slot.  Enter Matthews who would give Flacco another receiver to stretch the secondary giving Steve Smith more room to work all over the field, and opening running lanes for halfback Justin Forsett.

NFL Free Agency Buyer’s Guide: Running Backs

With the start of the new NFL league year and the beginning of free agency only a few weeks away, the so-called NFL experts will begin to immediately declare which teams are “winners” and “losers” only a few days after the ink has dried on newly signed contracts.

Adding our proverbial two cents to the conversation, today BGS has begun our Free Agency Buyer’s Guide segment which will rank the top 5 players at each position and posit where each player will land.  This column assumes that no one will re-sign with their current team and also projects which players are likely cap casualties.

Read our quarterback rankings here

With these caveats established, let’s continue with running backs.

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1. Lamar Miller

Lamar Miller ranks first on this list because he’s young, talented and arguably has the least amount of wear and tear out of the top five running backs on this list.  At just 24-years old, Miller is primed for a huge payday from any number of franchises and will surely follow the money given the relatively short shelf life of most running backs around the league.

Miller’s 194 carries for 872 yards and 8 touchdowns were good for 4.5 yards per carry (ypc) in 2015.  Whereas most running backs traditionally tote the ball 250 plus times a season, Miller’s lower carries effectively give him fresh legs for future seasons where he should easily topple 1,200 yards and 10 plus touchdowns a season.  Miller himself recently said he wants to be “the man” and he’ll surely find this opportunity somewhere.

While several teams could utilize a player of Miller’s caliber, the Indianapolis Colts make a lot of sense.  Miller could be an every-down back for Indy while aging veteran Frank Gore takes a few carries each game.  Miller would also provide welcome relief to quarterback Andrew Luck assuming that the offensive line improves both its run and pass blocking.

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2. Matt Forte

Matt Forte is the veteran back every contender wants to sign.  At 30-years old, the nine-year veteran has 8,602 rushing yards and 45 rushing touchdowns over his career including 898 yards and 4 touchdowns rushing in 2015 despite missing three games due to injury.

More prominently, Forte’s 4,116 career receiving yards and 19 receiving touchdowns make him a duel threat out of the backfield.  It doesn’t seem that Forte’s ready to hit the 30-year old running back wall either, having taken a pass 89-yards for a touchdown in 2015 turning on the afterburners on his way down the sideline through the secondary to the end zone.

While many NFL pundits predict that Forte will sign with the New England Patriots, a more realistic landing spot is with the Green Bay Packers.  Eddie Lacy’s running mate James Starks could depart in free agency, creating the perfect complimentary role to Lacy’s bruising running style.  Forte would continue to be a legitimate pass catching threat in an offense that needs better receivers and he could also bail out Aaron Rodgers should Lacy disappoint again ensuring that the offense doesn’t become one-dimensional.

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3. Doug Martin

Doug Martin or Alfred Morris could claim the No. 3 spot but Martin takes it thanks to his bounce back 2015 season that saw him rush for 1,402 yards and 6 touchdowns.  The 27-year old back still has a lot of gas left in the tank and would be an instant upgrade for a dozen teams at the halfback position.

Martin’s patience and vision truly make him a valuable back.  He sees a hole before it develops and has the patience to wait for it to open before turning on the jets and running through a secondary.  Martin is also a decent receiver, having caught 33 balls for 271 yards and 1 touchdown in 2015.

The Dallas Cowboys are a natural fit for Martin’s running style.  Tony Romo needs an impact halfback on his team if he’s ever going to reach the Super Bowl, and Martin’s pass catching and ability to pick up the blitz only increases his value in Big-D.  Coupled with a veteran back like Darren McFadden or Lance Dunbar taking a few handoffs a game, Martin could easily lead the league in rushing behind Dallas’ dominant offensive line and rack up double digit scores.

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4. Alfred Morris

Alfred Morris may be the most underrated halfback in the NFL since he entered the league in 2012.  In fact, Morris topped the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first three years before losing carries to rookie running mate Matt Jones last season.  Morris is a grinder who’s breakaway speed makes him deceptively quick for a back of his size.

The one knock against Morris’ value in free agency is the downturn in his production last season. 751 yards rushing and only 1 touchdown are hardly motivating stats for teams looking for an every-down back.  Yet at only 27-years old, Morris may just be the steal of free agency if he rebounds from 2015 and turns in another 1,000-yard season and a few a young quarterback in need of offensive balance.

Enter the Houston Texans and their ever-rotating starting quarterback situation.  Injury-prone halfback Arian Foster will most likely not return in 2016 and Morris offers fresh legs, youth, and a veteran presence to make the newest Texans’ quarterback’s job a lot easier.  Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would welcome the additional offensive firepower and appreciate more single coverage should a safety need to creep down into the box to worry about an effective rushing attack.

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5. Chris Ivory

It’s hard putting Ivory so low on this list given the career year he had in 2015.  Ivory’s 1,070 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns clearly outdo Morris’ 2015 stats.  Yet Ivory remains a relatively unknown player.  Can he repeat in 2016 without the offensive balance that receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker provided for the Jets?

While that jury is out, Ivory’s upside surely isn’t.  As the bruising back of the bunch, Ivory slides to the No. 5 spot because he may not play a full season in 2016.  But bruising backs are also a highly sought after commodity in the NFL since he’s usually split carries with another runner and offers a change-of-pace running style similar to an Eddie Lacy or Todd Gurley.

Having released Joique Bell last week, the Detroit Lions are the ideal landing place for Ivory who would pair well with Ameer Abdullah in the Lions’ backfield.  Matt Stafford would surely welcome additional offensive help with Calvin Johnson’s future up in the air.  The Lions will surely have to adopt a more balanced offensive approach, and Ivory fits the bill perfectly.