How The Teams Stand - AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs
2017 Record: 10-6 (Lost to Titans in AFC Wild Card game)
Free Agents Signed: WR Sammy Watkins, ILB Anthony Hitchens
Cap Space Remaining: Around $7m
Draft Needs: CB, DL, OL

Having sent star cornerback Marcus Peters to the free-spending LA Rams for a fraction of his worth, and put all their eggs in Patrick Mahomes' basket, it could be argued that the Kansas City Chiefs have the most rebuilding to do out of any of the four franchises in this division. Losing Alex Smith to Washington and signing Chad Henne as a backup is all well and good, but Mahomes is yet to win a regular season game and Henne is not good. Add to that the fact that Kansas has limited remaining spending money, and you might think that this is a team destined to struggle. However, the signing of Sammy Watkins gives Mahomes arguably one of the most explosive offenses in the league. And, with Andy Reid still in place as head coach and chief play-caller, you can expect them to barely miss a beat. I would expect that the Chiefs select a cornerback early in the draft, and then set the rest of the team up to be able to beat teams in offensive shootouts throughout the season.


Los Angeles Chargers (yes, I wrote San Diego and had to correct myself)
2017 Record: 9-7 (Missed out on the playoffs by thiiiiiiiis much)
Free Agents Signed: C Mike Pouncey
Cap Space Remaining: Around $12m
Draft Needs: ILB, DT, OL

The LA Chargers just barely missed out on the playoffs by virtue of bottling it the same way they manage to every season, and surely this season they are built to get there. But then we say that every year, too. Philip Rivers has seemingly been given the cast around him that he needs to succeed, with Melvin Gordon turning into a top 15 RB, and Keenan Allen as reliable at WR as he was before all his injuries. The potential loss of Antonio Gates (although still a free agent) could prove costly, although in Hunter Henry, the Chargers have a ready-made replacement for the future Hall of Famer. The defense is where the Chargers will surely continue to shine, as the pass rush duo of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram continue to terrify opposing O-Lines, it would seem sensible to upgrade at DT through the draft, which seems most likely in order to get the Chargers back to the post-season.


Oakland Raiders
2017 Record: 6-10
Free Agents Signed: OLB Tahir Whitehead, WR Jordy Nelson
Cap Space Remaining: Around $3m
Draft Needs: CB, S, ILB

Under the leadership of once-again-Oakland Head Coach Jon Gruden, the Raiders seem to have reverted to a team of the mid-1990s, with Gruden proclaiming such things as not believing in data analysis, and getting rid of anyone who isn't considered a good, pure, football man. This included the cutting of arguably the best (and most entertaining) punter in the league, Marquette King. For the sake of $3m, Gruden has lost his best field position asset to a division rival. However, that is going to be the least of his worries when he realises that not a single player on this team managed to nab more than 2 interceptions last season. To put that into perspective, all six Jags players who registered an interception managed at least 3. The Raiders are straight up garbage on the back end, and should take a cornerback or safety in the first round if they don't want to be humiliated by every team they play next season.


Denver Broncos
2017 Record: 5-11
Free Agents Signed: QB Case Keenum, P Marquette King
Cap Space Remaining: Around $15m
Draft Needs: OL, CB, RB

Despite signing a QB who made it to the NFC Championship Game last season, the Broncos still have question marks over that position, especially when it comes to having a backup. In an ideal world, Case Keenum will be able to steer the Broncos back to mediocrity over the course of his contract, allowing the Broncos to set the table around him for a new rookie to come in in the future and take the reigns. This year, I envisage the Broncos drafting Quenton Nelson with the 5th overall pick, and using a number of later round picks to secure the secondary following the departure of Aqib Talib to the Rams. Under the watchful eye of Keenum, and hopefully with someone behind him who can carry the rock successfully, the Broncos should be able to become competitive within the AFC West once more.

How The Teams Stand: AFC East

After one of the more offense-driven Super Bowls in history (it broke a fair few records), I can finally write my piece on the AFC East, including Super Bowl runners-up the New England Patriots. Imagine being a Patriots fan born in 2017, you still haven't seen your team win a Super Bowl, hahahahahaaaa! Anyway, without further ado...

New England Patriots
2017 Record: 13-3 (Lost in Super Bowl LII)
Key Free Agents: CB Malcolm Butler, LT Nate Solder, ST Matthew Slater, WR Danny Amendola
Cap Space: Around $14m
Draft Needs: CB, QB, Edge

New England traded away backup QB (and now future Hall of Famer) Jimmy Garoppolo midseason last year, and will have to look to the future at some point. A 2nd or 3rd round pick on a QB would not only be shrewd, but the other 31 teams around the league would sit up and take notice: quarterbacks in New England command a premium price. Malcolm Butler almost certainly won't re-sign this offseason following his benching in the Super Bowl, where Bill Belichick essentially cut off his nose to spite his face. There may well be a low-rent cornerback on the free agent market that the Pats pick up off the street and turn into an All-Pro, but the more likely scenario remains the draft, where New England are renowned for moving around within the first round.

Buffalo Bills
2017 Record: 9-7 (2nd in AFC East, gained the 6th seed)
Key Free Agents: DT Kyle Williams, WR Jordan Matthews, CB Shareece Wright
Cap Space: Around $30m
Draft Needs: QB, LB, DT

Despite snapping their playoff drought, it was more by luck than judgement (see; Peterman, Nathan and Dalton, Andy) and the Bills front office will have a fair amount of rebuilding to do if they are to become consistent postseason contenders. Trading Marcell Dareus was the strangest decision of the season, followed closely by benching and subsequently unbenching Tyrod Taylor, who only turned

the ball over 6 times all year, compared to 5 times in one half by his understudy Peterman. The need to rebuild on the defensive line is strong, but if the Bills brass aren't convinced by the skills of Taylor, then QB need to be the letters written largest on April's draft board. That said, the state of the run defense last year was no laughing matter, and as a result, any run-stopping interior D-Linemen or linebackers would be happily welcomed by coordinator and teammates alike.

Miami Dolphins
2017 Record: 6-10 (Third in AFC East)
Key Free Agents: QB Jay Cutler(!), DE William Hayes, WR Jarvis Landry, OG Jermon Bushrod
Cap Space: Around $7.5m
Draft Needs: OG, ILB, RB

The Dolphins will definitely need a new QB this offseason in addition to the above positions, but don't expect them to spend big with such a tight cap situation. More likely is the scenario where they add a signal caller late in the second day of the draft, leaving free agency open for shrewd spending, which the Dolphins haven't exactly excelled at recently. That said, some contract restructuring and a

few low-end signings could push this team from 6-10 to 9-7 and in the hunt for a wildcard spot, not to  mention the fact that their starting QB should be fully healthy by the start of training camp. Fins fans should be wary of the fact that their defense wasn't as good as it may have appeared in spots last year, so the need for a commanding presence in the middle, or an effective edge rusher alongside Cameron Wake (when William Hayes inevitably gets overpaid in free agency), becomes greater than the need for a good interior O-Lineman.

New York Jets
2017 Record: 5-11 (Last in AFC East)
Key Free Agents: QB Josh McCown, DE Kony Ealy, TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Cap Space: Around $73m
Draft Needs: QB, RB, WR, TE, OL

Josh McCown isn't getting any younger, and coincidentally almost certainly won't be getting any better, Robby Anderson needs a running mate, Their TE1 isn't good enough to command TE1 money so might get re-signed, and I can't remember the last RB the Jets had that didn't make a name for himself before moving to the Big Apple (Tomlinson and Forte spring to mind immediately). That said, as much as the Jets need help on offense, the defense could also use some new pieces. Last year's first round pick Jamal Adams can't do it on his own, even if tackling machine Darron Lee is roaming the field in front of him. However, their cap situation leaves them with the ability to sign at least one marquee player, and I have heard lots of people projecting New York as a landing spot for Kirk Cousins after they traded for Alex Smith, and they could do worse. Come draft day, the Jets will most likely have their pick of the crop at no. 6, so don't be surprised to see them pull the trigger on a huge name capable of making blockbuster plays in the big city.

How the Teams Stand - AFC North

After a typically gruelling season for each team in the NFL, and a particularly historic one (and not in a good way) for the Cleveland Browns, we now know the fate of every team heading into next season. This is the first in a series where I will be looking at how well prepared each team is for 2018, even before 2017 has really ended, and where else to start but with the AFC North?

Pittsburgh Steelers
2017 Record: 13-3 (Lost to JAX in Divisional Round)
Key Free Agents: RB Le'Veon Bell, OLB Arthur Moats, ILB Sean Spence
Cap Space: Between $-3m and $3m
Draft Needs: QB/TE/LB

F this shit, I'm out.

The Steelers capped off another relatively successful season with yet another AFC North title, avoiding major injuries to key players for the most part (Ryan Shazier notwithstanding), and keeping Ben Roethlisberger in the team for all sixteen games, which in itself is a rare feat. The biggest challenge for the Steelers this offseason will be the same as last year: re-sign Le'Veon Bell. The star RB has threatened to retire if he is once again franchise tagged, and expects to be paid healthily as both an RB1 and effectively a WR2/3, however the tight cap situation indicates that the Steelers will have to do a fair amount of trading and renegotiating with other players to ensure that the Killer B's are all back at Heinz Field next year. In the draft, although Roethlisberger has already ruled out retirement, the firing of his offensive coordinator Todd Haley (announced today) could force his hand, and the Steelers will certainly need to take a look at the inside linebacker position with Ryan Shazier out indefinitely, and Sean Spence coming up on free agency. It promises to be a busy offseason for Pittsburgh, and major upheaval could well spell the end of their dominance in the AFC North.

Baltimore Ravens
2017 Record: 9-7 (Lost to their own defensive mistakes in Week 17)
Key Free Agents: WR Mike Wallace, C Ryan Jensen, TE Benjamin Watson
Cap Space: Around $11m
Draft Needs: WR/TE/OLB

Ginger Jesus.

A return to the playoffs for the first time in 3 years looked promising for the Ravens until a late Week 17 brain fart by the entire defense meant that the Bills broke their drought ahead of them. A stifling defense, coupled with an eventually potent rushing attack is usually a good postseason formula, you just have to get there first, and the big wigs at Ravens HQ will spend the next 8 months figuring out how to get the franchise back playing January football once more. Of the Key Free Agents, the one most pressing for the Ravens to sign would be Ryan Jensen. His physical style of play made him a favourite with the fans towards the end of the season (see: fighting the entire Dolphins defense after a late hit on Joe Flacco), and signing him to a new contract would stabilise an offensive line that has seen too much change in recent years to be consistent. Tying veteran wide receiver Mike Wallace down to a short-term, low-risk contract would also be a shrewd move from Ozzie Newsome, who should look to use Wallace as a mentor for the WR he picks in the first round of the draft. (NB: this is what Newsome should do, but he'll inevitably end up taking Alabama CB/S Minkah Fitzpatrick cos Newsome stays loyal to his brand.) Joe Flacco is the starting QB of this team through 2019 at least, so taking an early shot at a QB doesn't make much sense, so the Ravens should complement the ever-productive Terrell Suggs with a new friend on the other side of the D-Line to disrupt opposition passers, and take some pressure off the improved, yet injury prone secondary.

Cincinnati Bengals
2017 Record: 7-9 (Lost to teams when it mattered, beat teams when it did)
Key Free Agents: TE Tyler Eifert, RT Eric Winston, RB Jeremy Hill
Cap Space: Around $38m
Draft Needs: OT/WR/CB

Fast, but not good.

Cincinnati, just like in most other years, flattered to deceive. They didn't even make it to the postseason and go one-and-done this time, so changes are needed across the board for this team to get back to where everyone predicted they were a couple of years ago. Although I have listed Eifert and Hill as Key Free Agents, Cincinnati seem to have found worthy replacements in Tyler Kroft and Joe Mixon. I fear that Jeremy Hill will be let go, and head somewhere like Detroit to make Matthew Stafford very happy, but the 1-2 punch of Mixon and Giovani Bernard should be enough for the Bengals to not skip too much of a beat. Eifert, meanwhile, could be re-signed, just a season removed from his breakout year to complement Kroft and AJ Green in the passing game, and potentially revitalise an offense that has looked shaky since losing Marvin Jones Jr to Detroit and Mohamed Sanu to Atlanta. Upgrading the offensive line looks to be priority number one in Cincy as Andrew Whitworth proved to be one of the steals of the season for the LA Rams, and Eric Winston at age 34 could well be considering retirement. If it's not the O-Line, then the Bengals should really consider going back to WR in the first round after John Ross was pretty much confirmed as a bust by the front office when they announced they were considering moving him to CB, and as mentioned, the losses of Sanu and Jones have really hurt Andy Dalton and his team. It doesn't take much, but with a few correct decisions, the Bengals could once again become offseason champions, and have experts raving about how they're going to go to the Super Bowl once again (but they're almost always wrong as long as Marvin Lewis is in charge).

Cleveland Browns
2017 Record: 0-16 (Lost to everybody)
Key Free Agents: RB Isaiah Crowell
Cap Space: Around $110m
Draft Needs: CB/WR/QB(?)

This man could literally make me a Pro Bowl QB.

Congratulations Cleveland, you finally did it! After all these years of trying, you finally joined the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams to ever go all-defeated. Well done, you. Now, back to focusing on being a team that are actually good at what they do. I am always sceptical about writing about the Browns offseason, because you know that they pretty much rinse and repeat in this situation. Draft QB, QB sucks, tank, repeat. But I'm going to write this with a hint of optimism, which comes in the form of the one hundred and ten million dollars that they have available in cap space. For that money, the Browns could feasibly sign 4 or 5 top free agents in positions of need, and still have some left over to pad out their roster. Not to mention that they have two of the top 4 picks in the draft this year. Only having one key free agent (and he's not even that good) means that the Browns can sign more or less who they want, when they want, and then go into the draft safe in the knowledge that hitting big on two or three draft picks can catapult them from winless season to playoff challengers. The secondary is a huge concern, after trading star CB Joe Haden to Pittsburgh last year, Cleveland never really replaced him, and so a cornerback could well be used in one of the first two round of the draft. I'm of the school of thought that DeShone Kizer could succeed in the NFL with a better supporting cast around him (see Bradford, Sam, and Goff, Jared for examples). Anyone can be a good QB in the NFL with Joe Thomas and Joel Bitonio on the O-Line, and Josh Gordon and another premier pass catcher at WR. I think the Browns should go for a WR in one of the first two round, but I know they will plump for a QB (probably Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, or Sam Darnold at number 1 overall), so best of luck to the Browns, and best of luck to whichever unlucky chap they choose to lead them into the 2018 season.

NFL Draft 2017: Round 1 Roundup

Just before I get started here, I want to apologise to my mum for the inevitable lack of revision that I'll do tomorrow.

Pick No 1 - Cleveland Browns - Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
The consensus number 1 pick goes to the team most in need of a talented roster, as they look to turn around the Factory of Sadness that has loomed over their city for years on end. 9 straight losing seasons will need to be turned around pretty swiftly if Huw Jackson wants to keep his job. With another pick supposedly coming up at 12 (trade pending), Cleveland will be hoping to really bolster their roster from day one.

Pick No 2 - Chicago Bears (Trade from no.3) - Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
Nobody saw this coming. Everyone assumed this pick would be Solomon Thomas or Jamal Adams. Trubisky only started 13 times in college (the least of any QB drafted in R1 since the turn of the century). This pick is a surprise as well because of the fact that the Bears just signed QB Mike Glennon to a 3-year deal. Let's hope this plays out well for the Bears, because they have made a really risky decision here.

Pick No. 3 - San Francisco 49ers (Trade from no.3) - Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
Thomas is a large D-Lineman who was a captain as a junior at Stanford, and can rush the passer and stuff the run from the interior of the D-Line. The plan for him will be to play all over the line in San Francisco, and he's an athletic freak. He can dunk a basketball, and he weighs 260-odd lbs. He could work out really well at the NFL level.

Pick No. 4 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
Fournette has drawn comparisons to Adrian Peterson for his physical build and running style. Mike Mayock described him as 'thirsty for contact'. This man will not head out of bounds. This pick takes some real pressure off the struggling Blake Bortles at the QB position, and automatically boosts the chances of the Jacksonville Jaguars thanks to the decisions of the new front office.

Pick No. 5 - Tennessee Titans - Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
Corey Davis is one of the top 3 receivers in this class, no question. He's had ankle injuries and not worked out for any of the teams who wanted him, but his hands and route-running are a notch above the other receivers in this class. He gives Marcus Mariota a very real target from day one, and gives the Titans an opportunity to cause havoc in the AFC South.

Pick No. 6 - New York Jets - Jamal Adams, S, LSU
Jamal Adams is the hard-hitting safety that New York needs. He can play all over the field, with his nose in the line of scrimmage, ranging from sideline-to-sideline, and he's not afraid to hit a guy in the mouth, hard. Bear in mind that this is a team that has to play Tom Brady twice a season, you're going to need all the help you can get in the secondary.

Pick No. 7 - Los Angeles Chargers - Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
The Chargers were projected to take a safety or cornerback with their pick, but instead they selected First Team All-ACC player Williams from Clemson. He creates separation where there is none, and has an unbelievable catch radius. Throw it up and let him go get it. He and Keenan Allen could be a real mismatch for secondaries in the AFC West.

Pick No. 8 - Carolina Panthers - Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
McCaffrey is the son of a 3-time Super Bowl Winner, and is a 'Swiss Army Knife' type of player. He can run the ball, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he can return kicks. He's sneakily quick, and very, very dangerous in open space. Watch for him to take the ball to the house at any given moment, which means that Cam Newton could be just as dangerous as in 2015 with Christian McCaffrey at his disposal.

Pick No. 9 - Cincinnati Bengals - John Ross, WR, Washington
The fastest man to ever run at the combine (4.22 second 40-yard time) will complement AJ Green perfectly. He will bring the Cincinnati Bengals offense to a new level, although he has had shoulder and knee issues, bringing question marks about his health. Andy Dalton should be able to reach a new level in the tough AFC North with his newest weapon. Not to mention that Ross can return punts and kicks like few others in this draft.


Pick No. 10 - Kansas City (Trade from no. 27) - Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
Everybody thought that DeShaun Watson would be the second or even first QB off the board, but Patrick Mahomes has the opportunity to learn under Alex Smith for a year or two. Mahomes can throw on the run, in the pocket, to any part of the field. He has an absolute rocket of an arm, and will be given time to learn in Kansas City with Andy Reid as his head coach.

Pick No. 11 - New Orleans Saints - Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
New Orleans NEEDS help on defense badly. They scored 29 points per game and still lost 9 games. That is a ridiculous stat. If their QB Drew Brees can throw for over 5,000 yards and still lost more games than he won. Lattimore is a physical press-man corner with great ballhawking ability, who should be able to shut down half the field from early on in his career in the NFC South.

Pick No. 12 - Houston Texans (Trade from no.25) - DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Widely considered the most pro-ready QB in the draft, Watson is a born leader who will provide some leadership on that side of the ball, which is much needed at NRG Stadium with so much of the game falling on the shoulders on JJ Watt.

Pick No. 13 - Arizona Cardinals - Haason Reddick, LB, Temple
This guy has climbed up draft boards like no other in the past week. He walked on as a freshman at Temple, and has been drafted in the same town where his home is located. His technique jumps out at you, and he's versatile like all good linebackers should be. He can cover running backs very easily, and has very good instincts in coverage, despite the fact that he's not particularly comfortable with it.

Pick No. 14 - Philadelphia Eagles - Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
Taking Barnett off the board, when Jonathan Allen and Malik Hooker are still on the board may come as a surprise, but the Eagles love this guy. They're bolstering their D-Line early in the draft, as well as in free agency. He's fast and physical, and should be able to get to the other passers in the NFC East.

Pick No. 15 - Indianapolis Colts - Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
Rangier than Jamal Adams, Hooker is the best ball playing safety in this draft by far. He can read the eyes of every QB in the league and had 7INT in his last year at Ohio State. he can make plays like few other safeties if any in this draft, and whenever he has the ball in his hands, he's a danger to take it back for a TD.

Pick No. 16 - Baltimore Ravens - Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
Ozzie Newsome loves his Alabama players. Humphrey joins Jimmy Smith, Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson, and Brandon Carr in the Baltimore secondary, which will really take the defense to the next level, although it was already ranked 7th in the league from last season. With two potential shutdown corners, the Ravens will hope to build pressure on QBs and make games easier for Joe Flacco to win.

Pick No. 17 - Washington Redskins - Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
Allen was Mike Mayock's number 2 rated player in this entire draft. He will bring quickness to the Redskins pass rush opposite Ryan Kerrigan, which is much needed with the rushers and passers in the NFC East all being very very good. At 286lbs, and with his size and length, he will be a nightmare for offensive linemen all along the line, all across the league.

Pick No. 18 - Tennessee Titans - Adoree' Jackson, CB, USC
A smaller cornerback, Jackson is a player who is still very raw, but has all the physical attributes in terms of speed to cover just about anyone in the AFC South, especially the likes of smaller recievers like TY Hilton of the Colts. He also has 9 career return touchdowns, and will be a real danger with the ball in his hands, either after an interception, or on a punt or kickoff return.

Pick No. 19 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - OJ Howard, TE, Alabama
Another player who fell further than expected, just like his teammate Jonathan Allen, Howard joins Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and Jameis Winston in what is becoming a frightening offence in Tampa. He's an athletic freak who can outrun safeties, as well as being able to block defensive backs and linebackers.

Pick No. 20 - Denver Broncos - Garrett Bolles, OT, Utah
At 6'5" and 297lbs, Bolles might not be the biggest of offensive tackles, but his arms are long, and he has the athletic ability to stop some of the best pass rushers in both college football and the pros. There are some questions over his maturity and his ability to avoid penalties, but he should be able to shore up a struggling offensive line in Denver straight away.

Pick No. 21 - Detroit Lions - Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida
Davis' selection tells us more about the problems Reuben Foster is having than about Davis himself. Detroit have a massive need for an inside linebacker and choosing Davis over Foster tells us that Foster's shoulder issue is real. However, Davis still brings prototypical size and physicality that is required in the NFL at the linebacker position.

Pick No. 22 - Miami Dolphins - Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
Harris has 18 career sacks at Missouri, and at 6'3", he's tall enough and quick enough to work in a good arc around the pocket, but his main issue is against big tackles who can stuff him easily. That said, he fills the biggest need on the Miami Dolphins roster, and there's a playmate for Cameron Wake to wreak havoc with.

Pick No. 23 - New York Giants - Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss
At nearly 6'4", Engram heads to one of the most explosive offenses in the league to play alongside Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall. He's faster than Mike Evans in Tampa, and a great blocker on the inside as well. He'll be a matchup nightmare for linebackers at the pro level.

Pick No. 24 - Oakland Raiders - Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
A surprising selection with a rape case hanging over him, Conley is an accomplished player with 6 INTs in his collegiate career, where he started 27 games. He has the right size, weight, and speed for a player in his position to succeed in this league. All we need now is for the case against him to be dropped, although if he's found to be guilty, he obviously deserves not to be lauded as a first round draft pick and should not be allowed to play in the league.

Pick No. 25 - Cleveland Browns (Trade from no. 12) - Jabrill Peppers, ?, Michigan
One of the most enigmatic players in this draft, Peppers has been projected to play at safety, but could play cornerback, linebacker, running back, quarterback and defensive end in college. As a safety, his production in turning the ball over isn't great, but his job of hitting the man with the ball is pretty second-to-none. Not only that, but he can play just about any position and could find himself getting the ball on offense as well for the Cleveland Browns.

Pick No. 26 - Atlanta Falcons (Trade from no. 31) - Takkarist McKinley, LB, UCLA
McKinley had excellent production at UCLA, and joins a number of players already on the Falcons roster in his mould. At UCLA, the players are coached properly, and that means that he won't take too much coaching at the NFL level. He should be able to wreak havoc for a franchise that struggled to get to the QB last season. Not sure if you remember that Super Bowl, but if they'd hit Tom Brady once or twice more... Maybe they'd have been picking at 32.

Pick No. 27 - Buffalo Bills (Trade from no. 10) - Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
White brings a sensible, solid style of play to the cornerback position, and can play just about every variation of the position. He's a leader on the college defense, and comes into the NFL to play for a team that needs leadership and skills. He can also return the football on kickoffs and punts, which adds value to him as a first round pick.

Pick No. 28 - Dallas Cowboys - Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
Charlton had 18.5 career sacks at Michigan, and adds some jazz to a pass rush that left a little bit to be desired in a team that didn't have a great deal of holes having gone 13-3 last season. One thing to note about Charlton is that he is just a one-year starter, so he could well be a little raw still, so you have to wonder if he would be an immediate starter at the next level. It should also be noted that I can't take any man seriously whose parents name him after a Mexican food, no matter how big and strong they may be. I'll never meet him anyway, so he can't have a go at me for saying that.

Pick No. 29 - Cleveland Browns (Trade from no.33) - David Njoku, TE, Miami
Jesus, Cleveland, leave some picks for the rest of us. They already have 2 first and 3 second round picks next year. Anyway, the Browns selection of Njoku shows intent to become more of a threat on both sides of the ball. As a 20 year old, Njoku, at 6'4" and nearly 250, he still has a lot of growing to do in terms of maturity, but will be a real threat at the next level, with it being difficult for anyone to cover him deep down the field.

Pick No. 30 - Pittsburgh Steelers - TJ Watt, LB, Wisconsin
This kid comes from a real footballing background. His brother Derek plays for the Chargers, and eldest brother JJ is a 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Some draft experts are saying that TJ is better than JJ coming out of college, and if that is the case, then teams in the AFC North had better be very, very worried indeed. He has a relentless motor, and an even more relentless work rate off the field.

Pick No. 31 - San Francisco 49ers (Trade from no. 34) - Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
Foster's slide stops with the penultimate pick of the first round. He's perfectly built for an inside linebacker, although the concerns about his shoulder injury could still linger even through his first few years as a pro. That said, he comes from a pro ready university program, and should be able to start on day one on a defense that is had a tough year last year. Look like John Lynch, the new 49ers GM, is trying to build a defense like the ones he played in for Tampa Bay.

Pick No. 32 - New Orleans Saints - Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
Ramczyk was widely considered the best tackle of this draft class. He has quality technique against very good defenses at Wisconsin, so should be able to transfer that with relative ease in the NFC South. Drew Brees will be a very happy man following this pick, as Ramczyk will join Terron Armstead as his bookend tackles to protect him for the last couple of years of his career.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Payet?

10th May 2016, East London.
Tears of joy tinged with sadness, an overwhelming sense of the end of an era, and two Payet assists was just the way the Boleyn Ground deserved to go out. A win against the most successful football club of the last 25 years, and Bobby Moore turning the lights out for the final time.

How times change.

12th January 2017, a different part of East London.
Outrage, discontent, and a clear divide in the dressing room. Not the way the London Stadium deserved to be ushered in. Losses against Watford and West Brom, and complete capitulations against Man City and Man Utd in the cups, and Arsenal in the league. And now, to top it all off, Slaven Bilic reveals Dimitri Payet is refusing to play for the club and is demanding a transfer.

But where does the blame lie? Is it at the feet of Payet and his teammates for not reproducing last season's form? Is it Bilic for failing to adapt when necessary as the going got tough this season? Or is it the board for repeated promises to players and fans alike for a marquee signing which failed to materialise?

West Ham team photo 2015-17

First let's look at Payet. This season in the Premier League, he has created 16 more chances than any other player. That includes Ozil, Sanchez, De Bruyne and Pogba; players who cost a total of nearly 22 times what West Ham paid for Payet in the summer of 2015. Fans have been on his back because
he looks 'disinterested' and 'fat', but the stats prove that Payet is still doing just as well as he did last year, but because he's not scoring free kicks week in, week out, and getting all those Twitter users their precious Vine loops, he's being lambasted for not doing absolutely everything for the team. The man can't cross the ball AND score the goal. Other players must make themselves accountable and step up to the plate. Payet's level may have dropped from last season, but not by as much as everybody else's. So far this season, only Randolph, Reid, Obiang and Antonio can hold their heads up high and say they've played out of their skins. Dimitri Payet may well have gone about this transfer saga in the wrong way, but I absolutely cannot blame him for having done it. He's been carrying this team on his own for far too long, and it's about time the rest of the squad did something about it.

WANTED for impersonating a professional footballer

Next up, Slaven Bilic. A remarkable first season at the helm of this famous club, and what a fall from grace. Over the summer he became everyone's favourite pundit on ITV during the Euros, and then he came back to West Ham, promised a marquee signing by the board. Here's the names of the players brought in: Feghouli, Lanzini (kinda), Martinez, Nordtveit, Quina, Fletcher, Ayew, Masuaku, Fernandes, Arbeloa, Töre, Calleri, Zaza. Not great. Not a marquee signing in sight when you consider that Zaza was brought in on loan, and to date his only goal at the London Stadium was FOR Juventus in a pre-season friendly before he joined. Bilic started the season playing a 4-2-3-1 system which obviously failed to work, before switching to a 5-4-1 wingback situation which started to yield results after a run of 5 games without a win. Since then it's been very up and down, with Slaven even calling out his squad for not trying hard enough in training. That kick up the backside started a run of three wins on the bounce, but didn't have enough momentum to carry through to games against Man City in the cup, or indeed Leicester or Manchester United in the league. Bilic seems to be at his wits' end with the situation, he looks increasingly tired, and sounds increasingly fed up in his press conferences. He's a poor man stuck in the middle of a shit sandwich, with players not performing on one side of him, and the board not doing what they promised him on the other side. Of everyone in this situation, Bilic is least to blame, and I for one am proud to call him the manager of my football club.

What the fuck is this?

David Sullivan, David Gold, Lady Brady. The last three to go under the microscope. There can be no doubting that since they came in, they have taken the club from strength to strength. Promotion from the Championship at the first time of asking, solidifying a mid-table position under Sam Allardyce, firing him maybe a season too late for some people's liking (i.e. mine), bringing in Slav, and moving us from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium. They have done everything in their power to grow the club, but has it gone too far? Yes, the new stadium is nice, but it's patently not built for football, and the whole seating arrangement could do with a severe overhaul. There are popcorn stands on the concourses. POPCORN. AT FOOTBALL. There seems to be a desire to commercialise and sanitise West Ham United to make it more appealing to the masses, which has included a change in the badge which a large percentage of fans were vocally against. Most importantly, though, there has been zero investment in the squad, the likes of which fans were promised at the back end of last season. 'We're moving into a world class facility, and we want a world class squad to go along with it' was the jist of the promise. World class facility we can tick off the checklist, but world class squad is about as far as you can get for a description of the players on the pitch at the moment. We've already discussed the marquee signing in the summer, and the way in which the club goes about its dealings is absurd, tweeting news as and when it happens regarding players like Lacazette, Batshuayi, and Bacca, and then being surprised when they turn us down because they know how much we're offering other players is frankly amateurish. I have no issues with keeping fans in touch with the club, but a line has to be drawn, and West Ham haven't found it yet.

There are plenty of other qualms that I currently have with the football club I have loved since I can remember, but so much of it is on a downward slope at the moment, and something needs to be done about it before we get relegated to the Championship with a squad of overpaid underachievers. What's going on at the moment is not pretty, but it sure as hell is spectacularly West Ham.

Was Dimitri Payet wrong to handle his unhappiness with the club in this way? Yes. Can I blame him? Absolutely not. Who can/should we be pointing fingers at? The board. Get on board with the players on the pitch and the results will come. Hammer the board off the pitch, and eventually they'll have to do something about it.

COYI

P.S. Thanks to my Auntie Helen for making me a West Ham fan. You taught me early not to expect too much, which has helped put this season in perspective.

West Ham: The Season So Far

There can be no doubting that the vast majority of changes made in E13 in the summer transfer window have been complete successes thus far. Slaven Bilic looks composed and in control, unafraid to make attacking changes if the side is losing, as exhibited against Southampton on December 28^th. Dimitri Payet has been worth every last penny of his reported £10.4m transfer fee paid in the summer. Other purchases have made big impacts, too. Darren Randolph showed his class to keep 3 straight clean sheets after Adrian was sent off against Leicester in August. Victor Moses scored the opener in the win at the Etihad and has injected pace down the wings, and Michail Antonio has ensured that that productivity has not dropped off, even though Moses has now gone down with an injury. His impressive performances have rewarded him for his patience with 2 goals and an assist in his last two games against Southampton and Liverpool.

Looking back at the 2014/15 season under Big Sam (who did great things, but took the club as far as he could), who honestly would feel confident in him if we still had him at the helm? Sure, we sit 6^th in the Premier League, but our injury crisis has already hit, yet we’re still unbeaten in 8 games. Drawing 5 games in a row with Payet, Lanzini, and Sakho out is no mean feat, not to mention the absences of Reid and Moses during that spell as well. Since Carl Jenkinson was sent off against Bournemouth, James Tomkins has been by far the better of the two options at RB, giving James Collins an opportunity alongside Angelo Ogbonna in the middle, and he’s been rewarded with a new 2-year contract following MOTM performances against Swansea, Aston Villa, and now Liverpool. Even first-team players have been turning out impressive performances; Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyaté have kept Alex Song out of the side, and Aaron Cresswell looks to have stepped up and is playing more like the Hammer of the Year he is, after a shaky start to the season.

Upcoming games give the team a chance for revenge against a Bournemouth side who look surprisingly comfortable in this league, as well as the opportunity to do the double over Manchester City, with the home game coming on February 2^nd. The way Bilic has the squad playing is far more indicative of what all fans want to see. By all fans, I include neutrals, because the team are playing with a verve and electricity that I can’t remember seeing from a team in claret and blue for a long, long time. Hitting teams on the counter attack with pace from Antonio or Moses, creativity in abundance from Lanzini and Payet, and lethal finishing in the air from Andy Carroll if a cross is put in the right area. 

Even goals worked from open play seem more fluid and less Allardyce-y. For example, Payet’s first goal against Newcastle saw Mark Noble, Aaron Cresswell and Manuel Lanzini combining intricately on the left side of the Newcastle penalty area. When, in the last 4 years, would you have seen Noble turn on the corner of the box and play the ball square to someone who caressed the ball into the top corner? Rarely. The ball would either have been sent to the back post for a hopeful 50/50 header between Diafra Sakho or a half-fit Andy Carroll and a centre-back, or it would have been played across the box to a player like Gary O’Neil or Matty Taylor, who would have clattered it high into the Trevor Brooking Upper. 

Something about this team just gives me more confidence in the club. The squad oozes confidence, and the team spirit seems to be incredibly high. The game against Liverpool at the weekend showed this in a number of ways. At one point, the cameras cut to a shot of Dimitri Payet and Darren Randolph on the bench, sharing a joke and laughing with one another. One is a French international worth his weight in gold, and the other is our backup goalkeeper who has spent the vast majority of his career in the Championship, yet they are both clearly having a great time playing in the same team as one another. The spirit Bilic, and of course the results, has fostered is refreshing to see, and for once it would seem that the spirit isn’t one that comes about from there being cliques in the squad, as has felt like the case in previous years. Mark Noble was the first to celebrate with Payet when he scored against Newcastle, Adrian and Kouyaté always share a massive hug at the end of a game, and Tomkins and Jenkinson have appeared in numerous videos together despite vying for the starting right-back position.

Going deeper into 2016, it would be ridiculous of me to think that West Ham can keep up their form over the first half of the season, I’ve learnt too much from the last 4 years. However, if the board can make a couple of intelligent signings in January, and the team can finish 8^th or 9^th in the last season at Upton Park with an FA Cup semi-final under their belts, then the 2015/16 season could be considered a great success.