Matthew Schmidt Articles - Page 11

The San Francisco 49ers have signed rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, according to the team. Aiyuk will receive a four-year, $12.5 million deal with a fifth-year option. The contract contains a $6.7 million signing bonus. Aiyuk, who played his collegiate football at Arizona State, was selected by the 49ers in the first round (25th overall […]

The Las Vegas Raiders actually pushed for a playoff spot during their final season in Oakland in 2019. But ultimately, they went just 7-9 due to a second-half slide. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine the Raiders being much better in 2020, because most of the same issues that existed this past season remain going into […]

The San Francisco 49ers have signed rookie defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport notes that Kinlaw was one of only a few rookies to sign a four-year deal with a fifth-year option this offseason. The 49ers took Kinlaw, who played his collegiate football at the University of South Carolina, […]

“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: ‘It might have been.’” This is a quote from 19th century poet John Greenleaf Whittier, and it rings very true in just about every aspect of life. That includes the NBA. There have been many players throughout NBA history who were simply […]

The Atlanta Falcons had a lot of offensive talent on paper in 2019, but it didn’t translate into a whole lot of success as the Falcons went 7-9 and missed the playoffs. But Matt Ryan still has high hopes for the offense heading into 2020: “You’re talking about Julio (Jones) in his prime, Calvin Ridley […]

The New York Giants have actually done a fine job addressing their issues this offseason. They signed the best cornerback on the market in James Bradberry. They added some linebacking talent. They focused on the offensive line in the NFL Draft. However, there is one area in which the Giants still severely lack: the pass […]

The Arizona Cardinals went just 5-10-1 this past season, but they still managed to generate a lot of excitement thanks to Kyler Murray under center. Now, going into 2020, the Cardinals are even more intriguing. Arizona brought in a big-time weapon for Murray this offseason, swinging a blockbuster trade to acquire star wide receiver DeAndre […]

The 2019 NFL campaign was, uh, not kind to the Cincinnati Bengals. They finished with the worst record in the NFL at 2-14, their quarterback situation was horrendous, A.J. Green was out, and their defense was an unmitigated disaster. But luckily, when you are the worst team in the league, you end up with the […]

Throughout NBA history, there have been plenty of teams who probably should have won championships, but for whatever reason, they just couldn’t close the deal. Whether it was due to injuries or just bad luck, some clubs had titles ripped out of their hands. Here are the top five teams that were robbed of NBA […]

Things have not exactly gone well for Mitchell Trubisky in his first three seasons under center for the Chicago Bears, and that is putting it lightly. As a matter of fact, Trubisky was so underwhelming in 2019 that the Bears went out and traded for veteran quarterback Nick Foles to provide some competition at the […]

From 1994 through 2007, a dominant force patrolled the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive line: Bryant Young. During his 14 seasons with the club, Young amassed 89.5 sacks, making four Pro Bowl appearances and earning a First-Team All-Pro selection. No other player in 49ers history has gotten to the quarterback as much as Young. However, the […]

The Buffalo Bills were one of the more pleasant surprises in the NFL this past season, winning 10 games and earning a Wild Card berth in the playoffs. They didn’t win in the postseason, extending their drought to 24 years, but hey — making the playoffs is a start. With Tom Brady no longer in […]

The Denver Broncos went just 7-9 this past season and have not made the playoffs since last winning the Super Bowl during the 2015-16 campaign, but there is reason for optimism heading into 2020. Thanks to an improving young offense and a defense that has a pair of dominant pass rushers in Von Miller and […]

For the first time in his NFL career, Philip Rivers will not be entering a season with the Chargers. Los Angeles parted ways with the veteran quarterback earlier this offseason, leading to Rivers inking a deal with the Indianapolis Colts to begin a new chapter. While Rivers struggled in 2019, one thing remained the same: […]

On Tuesday, Mike Silver of the NFL Network reported that the Baltimore Ravens were one of the two teams interested in potentially signing embattled wide receiver Antonio Brown. The Ravens already have Brown’s cousin, Marquise Brown, on their roster so Antonio would likely feel right at home in Baltimore fairly quickly. But that doesn’t mean […]

The Indianapolis Colts were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders going into 2019, but Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement weeks ahead of the season started threw a wrench into those plans Under Jacoby Brissett’s direction, the Colts went 7-9 and missed the playoffs. In Brissett’s defense, Indianapolis’ offense was ravaged by injuries, but apparently, the Colts […]

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have not made the playoffs since the 2007-08 campaign, but thanks to an offseason in which they landed Tom Brady, their fortunes may be about to change. The Buccaneers have become one of the trendy picks to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl next season thanks to Brady and a […]

Could Antonio Brown be making his way back in to the NFL? According to Mike Silver of NFL Network, the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens are a pair of teams that may have interest in signing the embattled wide receiver. Silver notes that Brown has been engaging in offseason workouts with Seahawks backup quarterback Geno […]

Many felt that the Cleveland Browns would contend for a Super Bowl in 2019. Instead, the Browns won just six games and missed the playoffs entirely. Cleveland’s miserable campaign resulted in the firings of both general manager John Dorsey and head coach Freddie Kitchens, who were replaced by Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski, respectively. With […]

The Atlanta Falcons were one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams in 2019. Some had them pegged as darkhorse Super Bowl contenders (or maybe that was just me), but the Falcons went just 7-9 and missed the playoffs. It marked Atlanta’s second straight 7-9 season, and in an NFC South that includes the New Orleans […]

The 2019 campaign was an interesting one for the Jacksonville Jaguars, to say the least. The Jaguars entered the season with new hope under center, as Nick Foles took over after years of Blake Bortles. However, Foles ended up going down with a clavicle injury in Week 1, giving way to sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew. […]

There were some who actually had the Philadelphia Eagles pegged as Super Bowl contenders heading into 2019. Obviously, they did not live up to expectations. Yes, they won nine games and won the NFC East, but they were eliminated in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. To be fair, the Eagles were ravaged by […]

Almost exactly a year ago, the Los Angeles Lakers swung a blockbuster trade to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. Davis got exactly what he wanted: the chance to compete for a championship in a large market conducive to great business opportunities off the court. Not only that, but Davis joined his friend […]

The Sacramento Kings have been invited to Disney World for the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA campaign, but the general expectation is that they will be sent home rather early. Sacramento was considered a Western Conference sleeper by many (including myself), but due to injuries and disappointing performance across the board, the Kings have struggled. […]

The San Antonio Spurs have been invited to participate in the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA campaign at Disney World, but their stay will almost certainly be brief. The Spurs were dealt some some pretty grim news earlier this month, as it was announced that LaMarcus Aldridge would miss the remainder of the season after […]

“What ifs” are very common in professional sports. What if Player X didn’t get injured? What if Team X didn’t make that trade? What if X scenario happened the year before? What if Rajon Rondo developed a consistent jump shot? Okay, that last one is awfully specific, but it is a question that many have […]

Could the New York Knicks swing a trade for Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo this offseason? It seems like something the Knicks could explore. According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, there is reason to believe that the Pacers could trade Oladipo after the 2019-20 campaign concludes, and a Western Conference coach names New York as […]

The 2019-20 NBA campaign is set to resume in late July (or at least that’s what it looks like), meaning that the offseason will be quite a bit later than usual this year. Actually, it will probably be around the time the NBA regular season usually starts. Weird. Anyway, there are a few big names […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to stink this season. They were expected to compete for a top-five pick. Instead, they are 40-24 as the NBA prepares to reopen in Disney World. Yes, the Thunder, who traded Russell Westbrook and Paul George last summer, are smack dab in the middle of the Western Conference playoff […]

With the 2019-20 NBA campaign getting set to restart (at least right now) at Disney World, the Los Angeles Clippers will resume their position as one of the league’s championship favorites. Some feel that there are really only three teams that can legitimately win a title this year, an the Clippers are one of them […]

As of right now, the 2019-20 NBA campaign is slated to resume in late July. Of course, there has been some pushback from some of the players, but for now, let’s operate under the assumption that the season will resume. Only 22 teams will be invited to Disney World for the resumption of the season, […]

The San Francisco 49ers had a terrific—and surprising—season this past year. Not only did they win 13 games and win the NFC West, but they made it all the way to the Super Bowl. Heck, they even had a 10-point lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half before blowing it. As a […]

The Baltimore Ravens were the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl entering the playoffs this past year, and based how they played during the regular season, it was easy to see why. They won 14 games and entered the postseason on a 12-game winning streak. They captured the AFC North division title. Quarterback Lamar […]

The 2020 NFL campaign is currently on track to begin at its scheduled time, but whether or not stadiums will be full of fans is another question entirely. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is a possibility that NFL teams will have to play without crowds next season, and that is something that Baltimore Ravens […]

The New York Jets were actually somewhat of a disappointment in 2019, going 7-9 and never truly competing for a playoff spot. But going into 2020, things are looking up for Gang Green. Why? Because Tom Brady is no longer in the AFC East, the door has been opened to the Jets and every other […]

The New York Giants are coming off of a 2019 campaign in which they won just four games, but there actually is some excitement surrounding the team heading into 2020. Daniel Jones has established himself as the Giants’ quarterback of the future, we already know Saquon Barkley is a stud and Dave Gettleman has done […]

The Chicago Bears have gone from Super Bowl contenders to fringe playoff contender in less than a year. It’s funny how that works sometimes, especially in the NFL. Going into 2019, I had the Bears pegged as my Super Bowl representative from the NFC. I loved their defense, and I thought (key word: thought) their […]

While the San Francisco 49ers made it all the way to the Super Bowl this past season, their offense wasn’t exactly a strong point. That’s why staying healthy is absolutely imperative to the 49ers’ offensive unit showing improvement in 2020. The good news is that things seem to be on the right track. Matt Barrows […]

Count Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tyrell Williams among the NFL players who will probably be kneeling during the national anthem in 2020. During a conversation with Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Williams said he wasn’t sure what to make of Colin Kaepernick deciding to kneel back in 2016, but now that he is older […]