The 2019 NFL Honors Ballot: Picks for MVP, Rookie of the 12 months, extra
It is crystal ball time within the NFL — time to sit up for the season that is proper across the nook and predict who’ll win what. Not the Tremendous Bowl on this case; we’ll get to that quickly sufficient. No, this piece is about particular person accomplishments and who’ll win every award.
Our panel appeared forward — during the 2019 season — voted and got here up with the next predictions which can be 100 p.c sure to return true. Take pleasure in.
Our panel: Invoice Barnwell, Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Mina Kimes, Vince Masi, Aaron Schatz, Kevin Seifert, Area Yates
MVP
It is not straightforward to win this award twice in a row. Peyton Manning accomplished the feat — two separate instances — although he needed to break up it with Steve McNair a kind of years. Brett Favre gained three in a row, in case you rely the one he shared with Barry Sanders in 1997. Joe Montana did it as soon as. These should not insignificant gamers in NFL historical past. Mahomes is about as important because it will get proper now, and after the season he simply had, it is powerful to think about anybody else successful the award for the foreseeable future, it doesn’t matter what historical past tells us. Mahomes may have knocked 10 landing passes off of final season’s whole and he nonetheless would have led the league.
2 Associated
The Eagles did not care about Wentz’s damage historical past once they gave him a monster contract extension, and we did not care about it after we solid these votes. Wentz was on an MVP-type observe when he blew out a knee two seasons in the past. If his physique holds up, we all know he’s the sort of participant who can win this award on the sort of staff whose quarterbacks win it.
He nonetheless has by no means gained it! He appeared on observe to do it final season, however he slowed down within the second half and Mahomes by no means stopped rolling. Brees’ Saints look loaded once more, and he ought to have sufficient round him to maintain on chugging at age 40. However was the second half of final season a blip or an indication of issues to return?
Undecided what clarification is even wanted right here. The day Brady is now not a candidate for this award is the day he broadcasts his retirement.
Attention-grabbing voting quirk right here. Rodgers was the one one apart from Mahomes who obtained a couple of first-place vote from our panel. He obtained two (Mahomes earned 5), however Rodgers obtained just one second and was left off seven ballots completely. Feels just like the flawed sort of dude to rely out, however he’s studying a brand new offense and has a brand new head coach, so perhaps there’s some concern about rising pains? Not for 2 of us, a minimum of.
Offensive Participant of the 12 months
I’ve by no means understood how an offensive participant may win MVP and never additionally win this award, but it surely does occur. From right here, nevertheless, it is simple to forecast Mahomes in a still-humming Chiefs offense placing up numbers that nobody else can contact.
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Whoever the quarterback is with New York this season, there is not any doubt by way of whom the offense will run. Barkley is coming off an Offensive Rookie of the 12 months season through which he eclipsed 2,000 scrimmage yards. It would not be a complete shock if he ended up because the Giants’ main receiver for the second yr in a row.
The Eagles look as loaded as any roster within the league. Wentz is nicely protected, has a myriad playmakers round him and will put up big numbers if he can keep on the sphere.
Defensive Participant of the 12 months
Nobody has ever gained this award three years in a row, as Donald is making an attempt to do, however how do you wager towards him? Heck, he even went to coaching camp this yr, so he may very well be much more prepared for the season than he was in both of the 2 earlier campaigns. There isn’t any extra dominant participant on both facet of the ball in all the league proper now.
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Here is one other man who skipped camp final yr and spent a lot of the season wrecking offensive sport plans anyway. Mack is a perpetual menace to guide the league in sacks and the most important game-changer on a stacked Bears protection.
Baker Mayfield will get a lot hype that it is simple to overlook the man the Browns chosen No. 1 general the yr earlier than they took Mayfield. Likewise, the Browns’ offense is getting a lot hype that it is simple to miss the way in which Cleveland beefed up its defensive entrance this offseason. Garrett may very well be poised for a breakout season that catapults him into the dialogue of finest defensive participant within the sport and retains him there for years to return.
Offensive Rookie of the 12 months
Will Murray’s sport, measurement and talent set translate to the NFL? Effectively, our panel does not appear involved. Dude obtained 9 of a attainable 10 first-place votes in our pool. There are a whole lot of questions on how this entire experiment within the desert with work with Murray, first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury and a shaky offensive line. However there’s little doubt that Murray is able to placing up the sort of eye-popping numbers that win this award.
The primary working again taken on this yr’s draft, Jacobs rolls proper out of Alabama and right into a beginning function with the Raiders. They count on to have the ability to use him as a real three-down again, which could give him the most effective likelihood of any rookie on this yr’s class of compiling award-worthy stats.
Montgomery obtained the one first-place vote Murray did not. It is unclear precisely how the backfield roles will shake out in Chicago, even from week to week. However the critiques on Montgomery out of Bears camp had been glowing, and it is completely attainable he develops into coach Matt Nagy’s workhorse again sooner reasonably than later.
Defensive Rookie of the 12 months
This was the closest race we had. Williams beat out the second-place finisher by one level and the third-place finisher by two. Many thought he was the most effective general participant on this yr’s draft. It is exhausting to see how a defensive deal with can compile the sorts of sack or interception stats normally required to win this award, but it surely’s not loopy to count on Williams to outplay the remainder of this yr’s defensive rookies.
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Determined for assistance on protection, the Bucs used their first-round decide on a man they imagine might be an anchor and a pacesetter instantly. White will shoulder a whole lot of duty for a protection that already is banged as much as begin the season, but when Tampa Bay has a very good protection this yr, he’ll get a whole lot of the credit score for it.
Ditto a whole lot of what we simply mentioned about White. Bush is meant to be the Steelers’ Ryan Shazier alternative, which they’ve wanted for some time now. The Steelers are relying on Bush popping out of Michigan as a seasoned participant and ready-made skilled to man the center of the linebacking corps and convey some stability the place they’ve lacked it currently.
Comeback Participant of the 12 months
The final time we noticed Thomas on a soccer discipline, he was flipping off Seahawks coach Pete Carroll whereas being carted off the sphere with a season-ending damage. Baltimore paid large bucks to herald Thomas to anchor a protection that misplaced a whole lot of gamers this yr. They’re used to dominating on protection in Baltimore, and Thomas shall be requested to assist that custom proceed.
He principally is getting back from two years’ price of accidents and is getting MVP hype. Not a shock to search out him on this spot on this checklist.
Newton had shoulder surgical procedure within the offseason and only in the near past sprained a foot in a preseason sport. The Panthers count on him again wholesome, and so they count on him to thrive in coordinator Norv Turner’s offense now that he can throw with out ache.
Coach of the 12 months
Robust to forecast this award, because it normally goes to a man whose staff we weren’t anticipating to be good. And since we do not know which of the groups we aren’t anticipating to be good shall be good, how can we predict? However Reid is a good coach with a loaded staff that ought to make the playoffs and contend for the Tremendous Bowl, so right here he’s.
Yeah, if he turns into the primary coach to guide the Browns to a division title since 1989, Kitchens goes to get some love. He’s below a ton of stress to win, and his staff carries excessive expectations into the season. So if the Browns do win, voters would possibly simply say, “Effectively, anybody may have gained with that roster.” It occurs.
When was the final yr he would not have been a candidate for this award?
Coach1st2nd3rdTotalAndy Reid31112Freddie Kitchens218Invoice Belichick217Sean Payton1116Matt LaFleur124Kyle Shanahan24Mike Tomlin113Pete Carroll13Adam Gase13Sean McVay12Frank Reich12Sean McDermott12Doug Pederson11Anthony Lynn11Matt Patricia11Bruce Arians11