Burning NFL Questions for 2017

This is a big year of change for me. I am questioning whether or not I'm going to continue to play fantasy football this season. I used to love it, and would have 4-5 teams per season. I could count on making the playoffs in 50% of my leagues, and if I didn't play for free it's because I was making money. But it took the excitement out of football for me. Instead of enjoying the games,the analysis, the chess matches, I became anxious over points and would always check my computer or phone for scores, even while I was at football games. It's not a foregone conclusion, but I wouldn't mind a year away from the anxiety. Just to enjoy football again.

With that said, I've been wondering about some things. Let's get to work.

#9. Can anybody beat New England?
My early guess would be no. I haven't looked at each team thoroughly, but right now the Super bowl champions made the right off-season moves to continue the dominance that they've been accustomed to achieving. Stephon Gilmore may have been the best CB available in the open market. Dwayne Allen should step right in for Martellus Bennett. Rex Burkhead is underrated and perfect for this offense. Kony Ealy is one of my favorite pass rushers in the league. And we haven't even mentioned Brandin Cooks yet. The schedule is the trickiest part of their expectation of back-to-back, but when has it ever stopped them before?

#8. Was Lawrence Timmons the missing piece for the Miami Dolphins?
In a way, I think he was. While the only way the Dolphins get past both the Patriots and the wild card round of the playoffs depends on the dominance (or lack there of) from Ryan Tannehill, the defense was missing that quality veteran leadership that Ndamukong Suh couldn't provide. Enter Timmons. They can now attack offenses, and should relieve some of the pressure that the front 4 had to win every game. This team really should be back in the playoffs at the end of the season.

#7. Do the Atlanta Falcons have the weapons to bounce back and repeat out of the NFC?
This is interesting. The only player that they lost of any significance is G Chris Chester who helped pave the way for Tevin Coleman and Devonte Freeman to make big plays, but Andre Roberts and Brian Hill were added to make the offense even more dynamic. There are so many weapons for Matt Ryan to use and I think that Taylor Gabriel and Austin Hooper are just going to get even better. I know that repeating is hard to do, especially with hard charging rivals within the division, but I think a healthy Falcons team could certainly do it.

#6. Dak Prescott for an encore?
I imagine not, but crazier things have happened. They were primed for a run that could have concluded in a Super Bowl appearance (I won't be so bold to say they would've beaten New England), but he still had one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback that I've ever seen. But how many times have we seen it before? Robert Griffin. Michael Vick (sort of). Andy Dalton. Mark Sanchez. With the exception of Mike Vick, all these quarterbacks made the NFL playoffs in their rookie season, and in the case of RG3, it was definitely his best season. It's very hard to do a Ben Roethlisberger or a Dan Marino, especially this day and age. The schedule gets harder no matter what, because you see no less than 4 1st placed teams. Defensive coordinators love a year's worth of film on you (Colin Kaepernick). So which category do I think Dak falls into? I love his awareness of the game, and he can already make some throws that Griffin could never do, and Vick had a hard time doing. He has the back shoulder throw, which I think is the toughest to establish in the repertoire of NFL passes. He has the first or second best offensive line in football (Raiders might have it, I think.) He has Zeke, who pretty much requires 8 defenders in the box, or at least a spy at all times. Dez can't be any worse than last year for him (He really relied on Jason Witten and Cole Beasley, more than he did on Dez). I think we get another 3,000 yards and possibly 25 TD passes, but I think they will be lucky to win 10 games this year. But it won't be his fault.

#5. Are the 49ers going to win the 2018 NFL Draft sweepstakes, and if so, which QB are they going to select?
Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston and Aaron Rodgers are what I guess you could consider to be my "Big 3". What I mean is, I've been on their sacs since the days they were tossing the ball around in college. I thought Luck was the complete player (Still do, but man, these injuries!), I thought Rodgers could make every throw (yup), and I thought Jameis was unflappable (jury is still out, but I think he jumps this year). Sam Darnold might make it 4. And he might be my favorite yet. I only got to see him once, (sickest Rose Bowl ever,) so this belief may be a little unfounded, but for me, he is everything I want in a quarterback. (YouTube him if you care, this is about the 49ers). So do they take Darnold #1 with Kyle Shanahan calling plays? If this all works itself out, I think we have the new Dan Marino. Problem is, Lamar Jackson, Josh Rosen and Josh Allen might have something to say about it. What I will say is this, in the last 2 seasons, I haven't gotten truly excited about any NFL quarterback prospect (semi-warm on Mitchell Trubisky, but Dave Ragone - yuck!) This coming up draft, I think I like 4, will probably end up liking 3, but could potentially end up liking 6! (Mason Rudolph, Luke Falk). So the 49ers could be potentially scouting 6 guys. Whatever happens, I'm all for it, I think Shanahan is one of the great offensive minds of the last 10 years. I hope it's Darnold.

#4. Why isn't anyone talking about the Seattle Seahawks?
Sure is quiet, isn't it? I've heard plenty about the New England Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys, the Atlanta Falcons, the Homeless Raiders, even the Baltimore Ravens (lots of off-season noise there). But after the Sherman rumors went away, all became quiet on the western front. Strange. They have a pro-bowl quality QB, They have every style of NFL running back you can dream of (but nothing elite, I will concede), Tyler Lockett back, Jimmy Graham looking for one final pay day, a defense that probably has 16 elite games left in them (Looking at you Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Ahtyba Rubin, KJ Wright, and the Legion of Boom). They have one of the best coaching staffs in football, and an owner that lets the GM do what he does best, without interference. (Watch out for Tedric Thompson) Yet, no one has mentioned the Seattle Seahawks as a super bowl contender this year. Oh right. Blair Walsh.

#3. Does the Cleveland Browns rebuild officially start now?
Part of this is unfair, because since the turn of the century, either the Baltimore Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers have been good enough to challenge for the Super Bowl trophy. With that said, I struggle to remember any draft in which the Cleveland Browns didn't have a top 10 pick. Might that recollection end this year? Gregg Williams is the best DC this team has had since they started over again. Myles Garrett looks like he has all the intangibles to be great, although I loved Courtney Brown too, so we'll see. Every free agency pickup served a purpose and they didn't overpay for anyone this time. They still have the man who I believe is the greatest LT in the history of the modern NFL, (passing football), and right there with Jackie Slater and Anthony Munoz in line to be the greatest ever. Joe Thomas just in case you've slept under a tree the last 10 years. The line looks good, the running back situation looks tidy, Kenny Britt is decent, and David Njoku is Kellen Winslow on steroids (I don't mean that, I think?). The draft on paper looks sharp, and the defensive line looks like it can win battles. It will start and end with the back 8, but I think the rebuild is almost over. All the Browns need now is a little something we NFL Fans like to call, a franchise quarterback!

#2. Can any team win the AFC South?
This could be distinguished in two ways. First, are any of them good enough to win it? Second, are things that close, that it could be any of the four? I would say yes to both. What I see are four 9-7 type football teams, but whoever goes that extra mile, keeps their team the healthiest, and maybe goes 5-1, 4-2 in the division, should get the 10 wins required to get a home playoff game. Houston went all in on a franchise type quarterback, but will hopefully get a full 16 games from their two most important players on defense. Indianapolis is hoping for a healthy Andrew Luck and spent boat loads of dollars on defense through free agency and the draft. The Jags turned to Tom Coughlin to help turn this young team into something similar that he had the last time he was in Florida (Leonard Fournette should break some Fred Taylor records if he avoids the injury table). Tennessee went from the NFL's most boring franchise to one of its most exciting in no less than 24 months. All 4 teams have players that can separate them from the pack, but also have glaring weaknesses that could take them out of playoff consideration. Should be the most exciting race to watch this season.

#1. If every NFL team suffered no major injuries, who are my early picks for the Super Bowl next February?
Going through the AFC, I think it's pretty easy. While I do believe that the 3 most complete teams come from the AFC, one stands out far above the rest. New England should realistically be everyone's choice to be heading to Minneapolis. Without injuries means Tom Brady throwing 15 touchdowns to Rob Gronkowski, and a boat load of new talent that will make them extremely difficult to beat. (Gilmore was my favorite off-season acquisition). My pick for the NFC is a little more complicated. I think 3 out of 4 NFC East teams could represent the NFC, all 4 of 4 NFC South teams could do it, 2 out of 4 NFC North teams have a shout and 2 NFC West teams could potentially be flying east. That's 11 of the 16 teams with a credible shot at making the Super Bowl this year (Apologies to the Eagles, Bears, Lions, 49ers and Rams). While I wouldn't say that the Saints, Panthers, Bucs, Vikings, Redskins and Cardinals are anyone's favorite, they all have strengths that could help them win enough games just to get to the post-season. Then anything can happen. Right now, I love the Buccaneers. The offensive depth on this team is ridiculous. Doug Martin, Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers gives them a little bit of everything, although Martin is probably getting his last chance this season. Cameron Brate has surprised everyone, and has extremely soft hands for a TE. The job probably won't be his anyway, because the new Vernon Davis fell to them at #19 in the NFL Draft. O.J. Howard is the real deal, and I think he might be Winston's favorite redzone target. Oh, did I forget to mention Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson? My guy Donovan Smith has done a great job protecting Winston, and should finally get recognized this season for his contributions. I also think Gerald McCoy is the best DT in the game, and will make the guys around him better. Keith Tandy and Chris Conte are maybe the most underrated safety duo in the league. The schedule is tricky, and they could really use a 4-0 start, but if important players stay on the field, this pick could usurp my Carolina Panthers pick back in 2015.

Please Buy Rooney: The Epilogue

13 years ago I wrote a blog asking, no, begging Manchester United to buy Wayne Rooney. And on August 31st without about 15 minutes left in the transfer window, they finally did. It was a road that I had travelled a little longer than most; from the first time Wayne Rooney scored a goal in the EPL, I was hooked.

Our story starts in the fall of 2002 when I was really starting to fall in love with this new sport of soccer. Growing up, I hated it. My friends and I never played it, and my parents certainly wouldn't think to sign me up for it. First, because I didn't care for it, and second, they didn't either. I would play it casually at sports camps that I went to while wasting away the summers, but I never embraced it as my sport, and it was just a way to stay active, while I waited for my more favorable classes like basketball and tennis.

I had told a soccer player from high school, that I thought soccer was "a waste of perfectly good time" when he asked if I was interested in coming out to watch the team play. We were going up against the number one team in the state, and the players were trying to ask other students if they would come out and show support. Eventually he talked me into it, and while it was fun, and we ended up winning the game, it was my last interaction with a soccer match until my exchange program in Germany after high school.

Germany succeeded. I was a soccer fan. Manchester United became my favorite team as I thought it was fair that they won the first European match I had ever watched (5-0 against Newcastle). I'm glad they won, because I can only imagine what life would be like as a Newcastle supporter. I still hadn't found my favorite player, but I knew who my favorite team would be, and I did the best I could to watch as many games as possible. From a distance, I also enjoyed the football of Everton and Galatasaray (Everton because they weren't Liverpool, and Gala because all my Turkish friends in Germany supported them.) Dortmund was also interesting to me; they were my host town and the fans were unlike anything I had ever seen before in my life. They were also heading towards bankruptcy and had a lot of problems that stemmed off the pitch. (This was before Europe embraced the naming rights of stadiums for boat loads of money). 1 team I obsessed over, 3 teams that I liked, but no favorite player. Cue music.

2002:  A 16 year old is coming into a game against Arsenal in which they are tied with about 15 minutes remaining? An Arsenal team that had been unbeaten for months? Is David Moyes smoking some serious drugs? United needs some help at the top of the table, I can't imagine that this kid is going to be able to help. He got a little involved and I remember my early shock was starting to wear off. Well, he isn't bad. And wait, he's got the ball outside the box against Sol Campbell. And takes a shot…

"A Star is Born". So said the cover of FourFourTwo when I went to buy one at the Barnes and Noble the following month. It was a whirlwind of a storm. After his goal to beat Arsenal, end their unbeaten run, and help Manchester United get back in the title race, England had fallen in love with Wayne Rooney. And so had I! I pursued as many Everton games as possible just so I could see him again. That couldn't have been a one-off right? I think he's going to be really good. I bought a Wayne Rooney Everton jersey, which was significant because it was the first non-Manchester United jersey I ever purchased. I started to think about the future from a Manchester United perspective. Dwight Yorke is old. Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham were leaving. Ole Gunnar started to get injured more. There might be a place for Wayne in our lineup. Ruud Van Nistelrooy had arrived the year before, but he needed some support. Sir Alex had started playing a 4-5-1, which I thought unfathomable with all the attacking talent on the roster. Could it happen? Should it?

2004 Euros. I was starting to get frustrated. Louis Saha was now a member of Manchester United, but Wayne Rooney wasn't. There were rumors that Sir Alex was going to buy Alan Smith, but not Rooney who had really become the focal point of the Everton attack, and was appearing for England as well. What isn't he seeing? Here is a kid that can score from 30 yards out, but is willing to defend all the way back at his own team's goal. I remember thinking what 17 year old can track back like that!? Then the rumors started to form. He had a pretty good tournament and talks were that either Chelsea, Newcastle or Manchester United might be interested. I didn't think Chelsea had room for him and I certainly didn't think Newcastle was big enough for his talents. Why wasn't this happening!

The cute little kid with the sign "Please Buy Rooney" took the nation by storm. I remember the pressure of that entire window and even after Manchester United came to Chicago for a friendly against Bayern, that Wayne was still with Everton. Every day was different. He would stay. He would go to Chelsea. He would sign with United. Maybe he would consider Liverpool. I just wanted it done, I needed it done, I've never had this experience in the NFL (my favorite player was Keyshawn Johnson at the time, and prior to that, my favorite player had never been a Green Bay Packer). I sat in my mother's office on the 31st of August and when there was 30 minutes left in the transfer window, I asked her to refresh her browser.

4 strikers! In 1999 when United won Europe, they did it on the backs of Cole, Yorke, Sheringham and Solskjaer. I thought this foursome was better! Ruud, Saha, Alan Smith and now Wayne Rooney! We can play any formation at any time. Need a goal? Sub on Saha to play with Ruud and Wayne. I thought Europe was going to be conquered.

The debut: And what a debut it was! 3 goals against a formidable opponent in a Champions League match. All of them beauties! I knew it, I just knew it and he transformed the way the team played. While we went 3 seasons without winning a Premier League title, I knew that Sir Alex was building something new from the Roy Keane/David Beckham Manchester United, and it would just be a matter of time before the new team would do special things.

Fucking this and fucking that! Wayne Rooney looked like he was going to cost us a crucial game against Arsenal, and I don't know why he keeps badgering the ref. My Arsenal friends thought he should've been sent off, the TV analysts were saying the same, and I thought for a minute that they were probably right. My favorite player needs to go. He needs to control those emotions, because every game from now on is important. Well, those same emotions turned the game around, and after John O'Shea's greatest goal a 4-2 win was sending us on our way. That passion was vital.

I knew I married a good person when I was allowed to watch the Manchester United-Chelsea match on my honeymoon in Mexico. She didn't put up a stink, and I told her I loved her so much for letting me watch the game that would decide our season (a win would make it interesting, a draw or loss would end it). It was bad. We got absolutely destroyed, the final score was 3-0, and Chelsea's final goal was still one of the best sequences of play that I've ever seen. I felt the bridge between our two clubs was widening, and it was probably going to get worse when Michael Ballack and Andrei Shevchenko came to town. Then, on top of it all, (Carvalho? Terry?) breaks Rooney's foot, and he's likely to miss the 2006 World Cup. And this is the story of how I cried on my Honeymoon.

That goal against Portsmouth is still my favorite Rooney goal. The Newcastle goal was great and he caught it perfectly. The Manchester City goal is insane, it shows the precision of his timing and the power of his shot. The West Ham goal was audacious, and showed that he was more aware than most forwards of his time. But that chip against Pompey holds a lot of meaning for me. At the time, there were rumblings that he was falling off as a striker for United and Tevez and Ronaldo were more important. Those things may have been true, but United still couldn't afford to lose him in my opinion. He can't play with Tevez. That pissed me off the most, because besides Robin Van Persie, I thought that Carlos was his best partner. Federico Macheda might take his spot. That really fired me up. Kid scored a great goal, but he doesn't work nearly as hard as Wayne. Wayne does more than just score goals, get off his back. 5 minutes later, he scores one of the most beautiful chips I'd ever seen.

Rooney wants to leave Manchester United, he can no longer work with Sir Alex Ferguson. These rumors were killing me, because part of me thought that they might be true. Abramovich has oil money, now Manchester City has oil money. A whole group of clubs can now offer Wayne Rooney above market value to take him from our squad. I sweated bullets for a couple of months, and breathed a huge sigh of relief when he finally signed the deal that made him United's most expensive ever player. I thought it was worth every penny.

Most of the time, I'm quite the introvert. When I go to the pub to watch matches, I prefer to watch in peace. But I could hear the rumblings again. Wayne has peaked. He'll never score 30 goals again. Ronaldo has passed him as the best scorer on United (That was probably true). But when Rooney scored his 100th goal for the club, I took off my United top and ran around the pub revealing an undershirt that only said, "100. Shhhhhhhh." And the haters went away again.

Moyes is going to sell Rooney. RVP is here, and he is the #9. Kagawa is the #10, so Rooney will be the 2nd striker or come off the bench. And here they came again. Haters in full force saying that his time with Manchester United was up. This time I didn't say anything. I just watched. Watched as Kagawa got sold back to Borussia Dortmund. Watched as RVP got shipped off to Turkey (I love him and miss him immensely). I watched as Wayne Rooney, my favorite player, was named captain of Manchester United, my favorite club. And he persevered.

Chicago on the Summer Tour. Wayne Rooney is warming up nearby taking long shots on goal. I was about 6 rows away, admiring the power behind them. A kid, probably no older than 17 or 18 is snapping photos of these blasts. And one hits his camera, I shit you not, square on the lens. Surprised the hell out of the kid. I glance over at Wayne, and he's just smirking until the next ball came. I would never say that he knew exactly where to put it and hit that shot on purpose, but I left the moment smiling. And knowing that I liked him even more.

Every year since 2001 I have created a team consisting of my 25 favorite players in the world of football. Starting in 2003, Wayne Rooney made the roster every single season including and up to the year 2017. Of the 15 years that I had him in my "Favorite team", he was in the starting eleven 14 times. Even more rewarding may be the "11 of 15" team that I also had him a part of. I made a formation of my favorite players of all time starting when I first saw a soccer game on the TV (1997-2012). The first name I put into that team was Wayne Rooney, and besides Roy Keane the only two players  I had no doubt about. I imagine when I do the "11 of 30" team in the year 2027, the spot will continue to be his.

I love the trophies that Wayne Rooney won at the great Manchester United.  They used to be the most important thing in my eyes as to what I want the players to achieve at a club. Individual accolades weren't anything, if the team wasn't the best at the end of the year. I've been rather blessed. Since 2005, my two favorite players in my two favorite sports in the entire world, have been paid by my two favorite franchises. (Aaron Rodgers). I told myself that if it was going to happen with Wayne, that I would appreciate every game as if it would be the last, and I feel like I did a great job of doing that. I remember a lot of the goals (Stoke for 250, Burnley at the end, Liverpool for a derby win, are also 3 more of my favorites). But what I've learned in these last 13 years as a fan of Wayne goes way beyond the trophies that he won, the goals that he scored, the players that he led out. I've learned that the same sport that I used to believe was a waste of perfectly good time, has now become the sport that is a time I consider to be perfectly good.

Thanks 10.

"11 of 15"

GK Peter Schmeichel

LB Roberto Carlos

CB Rio Ferdinand

CB Marcel Desailly

RB Lilian Thuram

LM Ryan Giggs

RM Zidane

CM Roy Keane

CM Patrick Vieira

ST Wayne Rooney

ST Fat Ronaldo