Tag Archives: Colin Kaepernick

6 Reasons to Watch Thursday Night’s NFL Preseason Finale

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Thursday night brings two exciting things: pro football in the form of NFL preseason games and a clear sign that the 2016 NFL regular season is upon us.

With a fully loaded 15-game schedule, we have 30 of 32 NFL teams on tonight’s docket, meaning we get to see a ton of young talent compete for a roster spot. A ton of star players will naturally be sitting tonight out to rest up for week one of the regular season, but some are expected to suit up and others could see ample playing time in the final week of preseason play.

Let’s go over which players and situations we should be focusing on the most as we tackle the top six reasons to tune into tonight’s NFL preseason finale:

Betting and DFS

The first thing we think of when preseason football hits center stage is how can we make some money off of it? Tonight we can do that easily two different ways, by either betting on individual NFL preseason games or creating a roster over at DraftKings in their preseason daily fantasy football leagues.

Neither of these are easy, as the spreads and Money Lines are understandably weak with such little information and strategy involved in these games. Take away most of the star players from the majority of these games, and we’re truly left in the dark. There are a few things that could help you out, however. For instance, if you look closer at tonight’s Jets vs. Eagles contest, New York figures to give raw rookie quarterback Christian Hackenberg a good amount of field time. Due to his erratic play, the Eagles could make for a fun DFS defense and Philly in general may have the betting edge, as well.

If you can sniff out small advantages like that, you can possibly help distance some of the betting and DFS opportunities. In that same breath, preseason NFL DFS and betting are both very volatile – even more than regular season. We wish you luck, but we don’t condone heavy betting with such little concrete information to aid you.

All Eyes on Paxton Lynch

The second biggest reason to watch the NFL preseason slate on Thursday night is Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch. The former Memphis product has had his ups and downs all summer, but with Trevor Siemian officially the 2016 starts under center, the team is going into Thursday with the full intention of giving Lynch the entire game.

Lynch will not only be fun to watch, but depending on how he performs, could also be one of the top daily fantasy football options on the night. The fact that he’s a borderline lock to see all four quarters of action makes him more reliable than most of the other quarterback options.

A Whole Lotta Tom Brady

With Jimmy Garoppolo set to start the New England Patriots’ first four games of 2016 thanks to a Tom Brady suspension, it looks like we’ll see a lot of ol’ Tom Terrific tonight. Brady doesn’t need to rest up much considering he’ll be doing a lot of sitting over the next month, so the Pats will want to get some good work in for him. He’s going to end up being rusty come week five, but at least we get to see him for a bit tonight.

Colin Kaepernick’s Next Move

What about Colin Kaepernick isn’t interesting right now? From the start of his game when we can see if he does or doesn’t sit during the National Anthem, to his actual play on the field, everyone will be watching this dude.

If you can find an online betting site that is giving odds for whether or not he sits/stands tonight, that could be an added element to checking his game out, too.

Alex Collins Gets His Chance

One of the better young running backs vying for work in the preseason, Seattle Seahawks rookie rusher Alex Collins figures to see ample work on the field tonight. Collins has thus far been disappointing, but Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll suggested he’d give Collins plenty of chances to prove himself on Thursday night.

Collins has the skill-set and college production to be viewed as a future feature back in Seattle, so Seahawks fans will both want to pay attention to how he does, and also hope he performs well. Given Thomas Rawls ankle injury last year and the erratic play of backup Christine Michael, it might not be crazy to think Collins could see a big role at some point in 2016.

Cuts, Baby, Cuts

The biggest aspect of preseason isn’t really who wins or loses or star players putting up big numbers. Instead, it’s the rookies and lesser known talents that are trying their hardest just to survive in the league. There are guys who flat out don’t belong and are playing probably their last down ever. There are players who probably shouldn’t make it but over achieve like crazy and you find yourself rooting for them. And there are also pedigree guys like Oakland receiver Max McCaffrey (his pops is Ed McCaffrey) that you want to watch to see if they can follow in their father’s footsteps.

Whatever the player, team or situation, it all boils down to week four. The guys that don’t know for sure if they’ll be playing in the NFL a week from now have that final 53 in mind and they’ll be playing their hearts out. Add some preseason NFL betting, preseason daily fantasy football and these other situations we’ve touched on, and Thursday night should be one heck of a ride.

Colin Kaepernick and 7 Star NFL Players Likely to Get Traded in 2016

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The 2016 NFL regular season is almost upon us, but it won’t arrive without some severe roster casualties. Every year some big name players feel like locks to win a key role or at least hold onto their roster spot, and every single time someone ends up being traded or cut as teams make those tough, last minute decisions.

The writing is already on the wall for numerous players, while we’ve even seen some get cut. Paul Kruger just got let go by the Cleveland Browns and more big names are sure to follow soon, whether their departures be by flat out release or some type of trade.

With NFL trade rumors being such a big draw, we’re naturally focusing on the star NFL players that could actually get dealt before week one, and maybe even after. Let’s take a look at the top pro football players that could be on the move very soon:

Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers

The man of the hour (in a sense) is absolutely in the NFL trade rumor mill due to his odd stance against the National Anthem, as well as his poor play on the field. Kaepernick is not on the good side of America at the moment, but he still provides upside as a passer, potentially.

Numerous teams could show interest, with the Vikings and Cowboys specifically being in the worst spots at the moment due to injury. San Francisco is inching closer to unloading him and those teams needing extra quarterback help could lead to them pulling the trigger on a deal.

Mark Sanchez, QB, Denver Broncos

Sanchez is almost certainly on the way out of Denver, as the Broncos traded for him to win their starting quarterback job and he ended up losing out to former 7th rounder, Trevor Siemian. With Paxton Lynch likely to take over as the top backup, Sanchez no longer has a place on the roster. Add in a hefty salary due come week one, and it makes little sense for the Broncos to hold onto their failed experiment.

That doesn’t mean Sanchez doesn’t have value, of course. The Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings, among other teams, could very well give Denver a call about his availability and their asking price. Both of those teams could look to add some quarterback depth due to injuries at the position, while other teams could also express interest in Sanchez as a backup.

Josh McCown, QB, Cleveland Browns

If Sanchez has trade value, you better believe Josh McCown does. McCown has flashed brilliance as a starter over the last four years, but the journeyman has struggled with consistency or the ability to stay healthy. After losing the starting job to Robert Griffin III in Cleveland, there is a decent chance the Browns are ready to move on from the aging passer.

McCown simply isn’t needed in Cleveland, while several teams could stand to improve their backup situation under center. The Cowboys and Vikings remain the two most likely trade partners.

Mike Glennon, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s the same story here, as the Bucs have a new franchise passer in Jameis Winston and don’t have much need for Glennon’s services. He’s a quality backup with starter upside, but Tampa Bay probably doesn’t need to carry three quarterbacks and they’re reportedly high on third stringer, Ryan Griffin.

The Bucs have been shopping Glennon for a while now, and it may only be a matter of time before someone is willing to trade a solid pick to make a deal happen.

Darren McFadden, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Numerous teams could use quality talent at the running back position and whispers suggest McFadden could be on his way out of Big D.

McFadden was regarded as a cheap depth add in 2015, and ended up being just fine as part of the Cowboys’ rotation in the offensive backfield. However, he’s always struggled mightily to stay healthy and with Ezekiel Elliott, Alfred Morris and Lance Dunbar looking like the team’s top three rushers, he could be on the move.

Dallas is in need of quarterback depth, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see them try to dangle McFadden as they try to bring in some passing help. In addition to teams that could try to trade a quarterback to Dallas, teams like the Dolphins, Chargers and Rams could express interest due to less than stellar running back depth.

Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos

Hillman will be a much hotter name than McFadden on the trading block, as he really wouldn’t be exiting Denver based on performance or ability. He simply could finally be the odd man out on a team that is loaded at running back after drafting the talented Devontae Booker this off-season.

Hillman may not be a true feature back talent, but he’s extremely versatile and explosive and absolutely could fill a big role in the right situation. Denver would be wise to trade Hillman out of the AFC if they do look to unload him.

Aaron Dobson, WR, New England Patriots

New England is suddenly shoving Dobson onto the trade market, per reports, as it just doesn’t look like the former first round pick is long for the final roster. Dobson flashed big play ability during his rookie season, but he’s never been able to put it all together while battling drops, injuries and inconsistent route-running.

Dobson still has heaping talent and could thrive in a new environment, but the Pats seem ready to get rid of him for the right offer. New England also added Chris Hogan in free agency and drafted Malcolm Mitchell, so they seem to have already moved on.