Mike Johrendt Articles - Page 10

The smell of an unofficial holiday is in the air – the NCAA March Madness tournament is back and this year is going to be crazy. Upsets are what fans root for, many of which are seen within the 12-seed vs 5-seed matchups. Dating back to 2000, there have been only five years (2000, 2007, […]

2022 NFL Free Agency is likely going to see a record amount of money thrown around, and with players looking to cash in, teams are going to have to pick and choose which players they target the hardest this offseason. As teams face crucial salary cap constraints that limit the types of moves they can […]

NFL free agency is quickly approaching and balancing who you want your favorite teams to target versus who they can actually afford to add is an important aspect to consider. With the vast majority of teams facing cap-crunching maneuvers to even get under the salary cap for the new league year, the prices of some […]

There are plenty of areas that the Washington Commanders need to upgrade during the 2022 offseason, and with their recent acquisition of Carson Wentz as their new quarterback, they were able to plug one hole. But during this offseason’s NFL free agency, there are other players that the front office is likely to target. While […]

With the breaking news of Aaron Rodgers returning to the Green Bay Packers for a currently-unknown length of time, the Minnesota Vikings fall back into looking up at the (expected) divisional leader instead of being a favorite to win the division. As Kevin O’Connell heads into his first season as the team’s head coach, it […]

There are a lot of takeaways that can be formulated about the Carolina Panthers, but they all come back to one word – disappointing. If they want to improve, they must treat the 2022 NFL free agency period smartly, which includes vastly improving their offense. Yes, injuries to Christian McCaffrey were quite detrimental to the […]

My oh my, what a beautiful time of year it is – with the NFL Combine getting underway this week, it means that the 2022 NFL Draft is in our sights. With players like Evan Neal, Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Malik Willis, and others likely dominating the early portion of April’s draft, taking a look […]

The interesting tale of the Chicago Bears took an uplifting tone this offseason, as they fired Matt Nagy and grabbed Matt Eberflus from the Indianapolis Colts to be their next head coach. As Justin Fields enters into his second season and his first as the clear-cut starter, things are looking up for the Bears. But […]

Even after producing one of their best seasons in franchise history, the Cincinnati Bengals have to get right back on the horse, as NFL free agency is right around the corner. Safety Jessie Bates III is heading into free agency and looking to become one of the league’s highest-paid safeties, so the Bengals are going […]

Having players like Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson, and Darius Leonard on an NFL team likely makes you, at worst, a Wild Card team heading into the postseason – yet the Indianapolis Colts somehow managed to not get into the playoffs with that core, setting up for a crucial 2022 NFL offseason. Many eyes are on […]

The Cincinnati Bengals were told, time and time again, that they were not supposed to make the Super Bowl, were not supposed to make it past the giants in the AFC, were not supposed to win their division. Yet, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and the rest of the team just would not give in, even […]

After a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders, the Los Angeles Chargers failed to make the playoffs in the 2021 season after putting together a strong year. With Justin Herbert and others looking to run things back, the 2022 NFL offseason is going to be key for any playoff hopes this […]

The Washington Commanders finally have a new name, and regardless of whether you are a fan of it or not, at least that element can finally be crossed off the list of things to take care of for that NFC East franchise. But as the team looks to move into a window of competition, the […]

Regardless of what moves the Houston Texans make during the 2022 NFL offseason, they still will be fighting an uphill battle back into relevancy in the AFC South division. Marred with controversy (Deshaun Watson), leadership changes (new HC in Lovie Smith), and a much-maligned roster (Brandin Cooks is the lone big name), this team has […]

The New Orleans Saints are going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason, as they will be replacing their head coach, their star player is involved in a criminal investigation, and their salary cap outlook is bleak at best. Sean Payton ended up walking away this offseason after 15 seasons […]

By playing in the division that produced the NFC’s entrant into this year’s Super Bowl, the Arizona Cardinals had to traverse through a muddy NFC West division to a playoff berth this season. While ultimately falling short in the first round, their first-round exit spoke to the progress this franchise has made with Kliff Kingsbury […]

After finally moving on from an overstayed Matt Nagy, the Chicago Bears turned over a new leaf this offseason, refreshing their coaching staff. By bringing in former Chiefs front-office member Ryan Poles as GM and former Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and his chosen coaching staff, all signs are pointing up to this team finally […]

A disappointing season is going to be an understated way of describing how the 2021 NFL season went for the Seattle Seahawks, as they struggled to a 7-10 record. With things seemingly at a boiling point involving the futures of both Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson, the future of this team may look a lot […]

Fresh off blowing a late lead in the NFC Championship Game, the San Francisco 49ers are turning to planning mode for the 2022 season. Having exceeded expectations of many by going from a six seed to being one win away from the Super Bowl, head coach Kyle Shanahan and his roster have a lot of […]

Finally under a new brain trust, the New York Giants have put the pieces in place to finally start fresh. Heading into the 2022 NFL offseason, their plan of tackling their team needs through free agency will define this team for many seasons to come. Joe Schoen has taken over personnel moves for the franchise, […]

Consistency and relevancy are not two words typically used to describe the New York Jets – unless their consistency relates to being consistently below average and relevancy for when they are on TV making picks towards the top of each round. But through the upcoming free agency period, this team certainly can get closer to […]

The Detroit Lions are exactly who we think they are – a team undergoing a full-on rebuild that has young players in a few key spots, but with plenty of holes still left to fill. But heading into the 2022 NFL offseason, any options on the Detroit Lions free agent list should fit into their […]

Consistency is a word NFL front offices love to throw around when discussing what their ideal candidates are for their head coach. But for the Jacksonville Jaguars, they would not get more consistent with their next head coaching hire than grabbing Doug Pederson. The former Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach is set to rejoin the coaching […]

All in all, it is fair to say that the Philadelphia Eagles had a successful 2021 season – having seemingly found their next starting QB in Jalen Hurts, they were able to learn a lot about the strengths and shortcomings of their squad, while also making the postseason in the new format. Coming up short […]

Whether you agree with the decision to fire Brian Flores or not, the Miami Dolphins are in the market for another head coach, and one that will need to justify moving on from Flores. The Dolphins are certainly fighting for their postseason lives in the tough AFC East, and bringing in a solid coaching candidate […]

The Miami Dolphins continue to do things that keep them stuck in their ways, and the surprising firing of Brian Flores as their now-former head coach is just another item on their list of remaining in mediocrity. Having joined the Miami organization as their head coach back in 2019, Flores compiled a 24-25 record, including […]

The Minnesota Vikings became the second team in the NFC North to clean house, as they fired head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman. Both had led this team for quite a while, but the lack of sustained success and playoff exposure ultimately led to both being let go. For Zimmer, the defensive-minded […]

The Dallas Cowboys took care of inter-divisional business on Saturday, kicking off Week 18 with a commanding 51-26 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, in a matchup between two postseason-bound teams. Coming into the game there may have been some concerns about this game not being the ideal matchup for a Saturday game, seeing as how […]

While this year was always going to be a lost season, the Detroit Lions have certainly made the most of it at certain moments, and their high-scoring loss at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks certainly fits that bill. Facing a 31-7 hole heading into halftime, the Lions fought to make the final result semi-respectable […]

Nothing good usually can be taken from finally earning your 6th win in the 17th week of the season, but the Chicago Bears and their utter embarrassment of the New York Giants certainly paints a temporarily-rosy picture at Soldier Field. Two underachieving teams playing late in the season typically fail to have any sort of […]

It’s safe to say that the Minnesota Vikings did not wish for their Week 17 outcome to be a 27-point loss to the Green Bay Packers, but their performance on Sunday night made that result far too easy. Missing QB Kirk Cousins due to a positive COVID diagnosis, the Vikings were forced to turn to […]

Is there a more polarizing (or topical) football player at the moment? Having built up a very successful career in the NFL coming into the league as a small-school prospect, wide receiver Antonio Brown had it made. From being drafted in the sixth round to, at one point, leading the NFL in annual salary for […]

This is the week you have worked towards your entire season – championship weekend for your fantasy football seasons. All of the tireless work you have put in from the offseason draft to the in-season moves all comes down to Week 17 – and your waiver wire pickups for this week are crucial for that […]

Without Teddy Bridgewater, the Denver Broncos went to Las Vegas and held their own against the Raiders, falling 17-13. With Drew Lock leading the team at QB, the offense struggled to establish any sort of rhythm, while the defense held its own but was put in tough situations. Even with wins against the Chargers and […]

With Week 16 carrying heavy implications for the NFL playoffs and your fantasy football playoffs, a big chunk of people were unfortunately subjected to having the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears on their TVs for the mid-afternoon game. With these two teams not fighting for anything this year, it was a tough game to watch, […]

Ever since their Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Arizona Cardinals have failed to replicate their early-season winning ways – and their 22-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Christmas exposed more of the same issues they have been plagued with this year. While a six-point loss usually lends itself to being […]

If you are reading this article, it is fair to say that you have made the playoffs in your fantasy football league(s) – so congratulations! But the work is far from over, and making sure that you continue to stay on the top of your game is built upon how well you tackle your waiver […]

Whether you look at it from the perspective of the player or the team, the fact that Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ wide receiver Chris Godwin suffered a season-ending ACL tear Sunday night against the New Orleans Saints is a terrible injury to have to overcome. Godwin was enjoying yet another fruitful season in the NFL, as […]

These things are not supposed to happen in the NFL – but don’t tell the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions that. As the heavily-favored Cardinals came into Ford Field on Sunday, it was the Lions that gave them a taste of their own medicine, controlling the entire game for a 30-12 win. The supposedly-listless Lions […]