What To Look For Next NFL Season/Offseason

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Heath Riggs, Writer/Editor

The 2022-2023 NFL season concluded with the Chiefs victory over the Eagles in Super Bowl 57. Since then, we’ve already seen several coaching changes. Both the Eagles offensive and defensive coordinators have been hired away to be the head coaches of other teams, with Shane Steichen accepting the Coach Job and the Cardinals nabbing Jonathan Gannon. Sean Payton ended his theatrical post-retirement speculations when he was hired to man the Denver Broncos. Frank Heich was hired by the Panthers, and Demeco Ryans spurred the 49ers for the Texans.

 

Aside from the annual coaching carousel that has yet not concluded, the free agency market is projected to accumulate several splashes and much drama. Arguably most notable is where Baltimore Ravens Quarterback, Lamar Jackson, will end up. Currently, he is in a standoff with the Ravens over contract negotiations that will see him sign a contract north of $40 million dollars annually, or a trade to elsewhere. He in particular is in a peculiar situation with the organization, seeing as how the team hired a new offensive coordinator, and is presumptively planning to rebuild the entire receiving core. 

 

And then there is the precarious quarterback situation with the Seahawks, whether or not the team re-signs Geno Smith to a big contract, or rather opts for a younger choice in the Draft. Currently, Smith is widely projected to back to the Hawks, yet General Manager and Head Coach Pete Carroll seemed to be interested in this year’s quarterbacks class. Additionally, Daniel Jones of the New York Giants is primed to sign a sizable contract extension with the team, which many see as underserved when analyzing the signal-caller’s production. In the current state of the NFL, it appears that large sums of money seem to be more accessible than ever to players who typically wouldn’t have those sorts of contracts offered to them. “Daniel Jones doesn’t deserve that much money,” says football coach Coronel Smith.

 

While in the upcoming NFL draft, it’s entirely a toss-up at this point who will be both picking at the number one spot, and which player will be coming off of the board first. As it stands, the Chicago Bears hold the number one overall pick, yet they are projected by many outlets to trade out of that number one spot in favor of a team who is in need of a quarterback. That may or not be Bryce Young, whom many are concerned over his lack of height and size, standing in at a mere 5 ’10 with a rather slim build. That may also include CJ Stroud from Ohio, who has seen his stock increased since his playoff performance this past NCAA season. Or, also a distinct possibility, is defensive linemen Jalen Carter or Will Anderson being taken first overall, depending on who is picking. ” The Bears are gonna take Anderson,”, says Tyler Armitage, football player. However, Anthony Richardson, the raw project out of Florida, has had a sky-rocketed draft stock in the recent weeks, with those raving over his arm talent and his overall athleticism, combined with his strong pocket presence. Many now consider him the best quarterback in the draft, and may find his name being called at #1 overall.