Topics this week include a rundown of what a team of undrafted free agents would look like,?the bitter rivalry between the?New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, the value of running backs in the NFL draft and more.
Cheap Ravens Jerseys For Sale .The 2016 undrafted free-agent teamSeattle is a model for others and an inspiration for players. The Seahawks have an NFL-high 25 undrafted free agents on their roster, in large part because the players are worthy, but also because they offset the cost of the high-priced superstars Seattle also has signed.This is a season in which undrafted free agents have made a bigger mark than usual. It is enough to send a strong message to each college player that even if you go undrafted, the dream is not over. For many, it is just beginning.This years all undrafted free-agent team isnt just good -- it would be good enough to make its own run deep in the playoffs:-- Adam SchefterBad blood in the AFCIt isnt Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning, but its not a terrible stretch to say the rivalry between the Patriots and the Ravens has been just as compelling and certainly nastier. Theres more than one reason to buckle up for the Monday matchup between the two teams at Gillette Stadium.The last time the Patriots and Ravens met was in Foxborough during an AFC divisional-round playoff game in January 2015. New England fans celebrated the 35-31 victory after the Patriots twice overcame two-touchdown deficits.The Ravens? They were bitter in defeat, in part because Patriots coach Bill Belichick successfully maneuvered the substitution rule that governs eligible and ineligible receivers during one scoring drive. It raised the ire of Baltimore coach John Harbaugh, who protested loudly to the game officials and again when asked during the postgame news conference whether he had ever seen the play.No, Harbaugh said. Nobody has ever seen it.Brady himself had a snarky response: Maybe those guys gotta study the rule book and figure it out.Three months later, the competition committee altered the mechanics of the rule.The nastiness has been evident between Brady and Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs, as the two stars have often exchanged words during and after games.I dont like him, Suggs said in 2013. He dont like me. I dont like his hair. I dont like his smug attitude.Even Wednesday, Suggs conspicuously did not mention Brady by name when he was asked about Brady breaking the record for most wins ever by an NFL quarterback.You almost expected Suggs to remind media members that the Ravens have handed Brady two of his only three home losses in the postseason. The Ravens believe they should have won at least three of those four playoff games that have been played in Foxborough.The Patriots won the 2011 AFC Championship Game, 23-20, when Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal after belatedly racing onto the field because the scoreboard he was looking at showed it was third down instead of fourth down. Two plays earlier, Lee Evans failed to secure a go-ahead touchdown pass from Joe Flacco.That was the same game Brady had some testy responses when he was hit hard twice by Ray Lewis, including once when Brady scored what proved to be the winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak. Brady angrily spiked the football when he cleared the pile.The teams regular-season meetings since 2009 have proved memorable, too. Who can forget Sept. 23, 2012, when Justin Tucker kicked a 27-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 31-30 victory as time expired? Belichick chased an official, physically grabbing one to get his attention amid the bedlam, because the coach was convinced Tuckers kick had missed, just outside the upright.The history between the two franchises is understated and rich with drama and irony, in part because Belichick was the Cleveland Browns coach whom the late Art Modell fired in mid-February of 1996 after the team split for Baltimore. The two franchises have combined for six Super Bowl titles since that time and Belichicks fingerprints are everywhere.This season, the Patriots are 10-2 and the Ravens are 7-5. The Patriots are playoff bound, but every win counts for home-field advantage in the AFC. The Ravens would love to foil that goal but, truth be told, they also would gladly head to New England again in January. Theyre scrapping for a playoff berth, and scrapping seems to come quite naturally between the two teams.-- Chris MortensenRunning back draft valueWhen LSU running back Leonard Fournette announced his intentions this week to turn pro, it solidified a draft class that NFL executives have been discussing for months.Last summer, one NFL general manager said that the expected 2017 running back draft class would be one of the best in years. He believed that there was no other position that had as much depth in the 2017 draft as at running back. Others have shared similar sentiments. Any team that needs running back help is going to be in business.Fournette is expected to be at the head of the class. Put him in the top 10 right now, said former Buccaneers general manager and current ESPN analyst Mark Dominik.And over the course of one year, with Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott running his way into contention for Offensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player, the conversation about selecting running backs too high in the draft has shifted dramatically. When Fournettes name is mentioned as a potential top-10 pick, no one should question whether it is too high. If the player is worthy, its simply not.However, the history of running backs drafted in the top five still will be raised. The list is, to say the least, not pretty. Heres a look at the running backs selected among the top five over the past 15 drafts:Once Fournette is off the board, any number of running backs will hear their names called shortly after. Florida States Dalvin Cook, Stanfords Christian McCaffrey, Texas DOnta Foreman, Tennessees Alvin Kamara, Ohio States Curtis Samuel and Georgias Nick Chubb are expected to be some of the drafts top running back prospects. But one year after Elliott made his mark in Dallas, other running backs are expected to have a chance to make theirs in one of the deeper running back classes in years.-- Adam SchefterA well-timed return to glory for the CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are Americas Team and a
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