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Welcome to Week 18 of the 2022 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. Topics are now split into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Offseason Points of Interest (see below)
- Reminders for 2023
- Bold Predictions for 2023
- Offseason Team Assessments
REMINDERS FOR 2023
Matt Waldman: Answer one of the following:
- Discuss a rookie you're most excited about and where he'll get drafted.
- Discuss a free agent you're most excited about seeing signed.
- Discuss a player you hope doesn't get re-signed by his current team.
Who is on your mind?
Jordan McNamara: Saquon Barkley is fascinating. He is a free agent and coming off a major rebound after three injury-impacted and disappointing seasons. His contract and landing spot will have major consequences for the running back free-agent marketplace. Running back contracts have been a source of debate in recent seasons, so watching how NFL teams treat top-end running back free agents will be fascinating to watch.
Sam Wagman: Anthony Richardson could be the best quarterback in this draft class and could also be the worst, given how far away he seems in his development as a decision-maker and thrower of the football. He flashes all the traits that you want to see in a franchise quarterback but doesn't always follow through on showing them, which makes him feel like a multi-year project. He should be drafted in the first round, but we also thought similar things about Malik Willis last season. It will be fascinating to see where Richardson goes and if he is afforded the patience that he definitely needs to reach his massive NFL ceiling, but he is one of the most gifted athletes at the position we've seen and has a huge arm to go along with it. He should be fun to watch once he gets his footing.
Matt Waldman: Sam, I'll share this with you. I ranked Willis ninth overall with an unstartable grade as an early-career option. Anthony Richardson and Malik Willis are not remotely on the same plain of comparison If anything, what's fascinating to watch is how off-base major media draft narratives are about quarterbacks. Richardson is the latest.
Drew Davenport: I can't wait for Quentin Johnston to come into the league. I'm excited to see what team drafts him and where his talents can be put to use. I was looking forward to watching him against Michigan this past weekend, and he didn't disappoint as we watched him break a tackle and score a long touchdown. When I watch him, he has that easy long stride that makes it look like he's not that fast, but his legs eat up ground at a prodigious rate. I'm crossing my fingers that he goes somewhere with a team that knows how to use him and has a big-armed quarterback.
Sean Settle: It is not a re-signing, but rather a player that should be cut by his current team. Dalvin Cook has not lived up to his contract to this point. He is slated to become a free agent in 2026 and has $28 million of his $63 million guaranteed. This would come with a dead-money hit of $17,703,816, and that would be difficult to stomach.
However, Cook has topped 100 yards just twice this season and is averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Cook has three games with fewer than 30 rushing yards and five with fewer than 50. He is not helping this team win right now and is making entirely too much money. Justin Jefferson is going to need a contract extension, and the money will have to come from somewhere. Alexander Mattison is due a second contract and would be a much cheaper option with a similar skill set. Cook has an extended injury history and could easily be moved on from without much outcry.
Chad Parsons: Tom Brady is the sliding door player in the offseason. If he crashes another depth chart, the dominoes will fall with more moves. Imagine if he heads to San Francisco. Does Trey Lance simmer for another season? Is Lance traded? Is Jimmy Garoppolo for sure gone? What about if Brady lands with the Raiders, the Seahawks, the Saints, or the Panthers? A sneaky bet is Atlanta with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and whoever else Brady would attract. As someone heavily invested in Mike Evans in dynasty, Brady staying in Tampa Bay would be a plus. However, Brady changing teams would be a grab-your-popcorn situation for quarterback musical chairs in the offseason.
Christian Williams: While potential fantasy superstars like Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs headline the 2023 running back class, there isn't a larger wildcard than Mississippi's Zach Evans. From a physical traits standpoint, Zach Evans has an elite upside and could be put in the same discussion as Robinson as a pure runner. The pass-catching never fully developed, and he lost reps to true freshman Quinshon Judkins in 2022.
Rumors of his benching have surfaced, but Evans landing on a run-heavy team looking to utilize his unique talent could make the jump to fantasy superstardom swift. Schematically, Evans excels in space, so a team like the Dolphins would be fun. Stylistically, Evans is reminiscent of Alvin Kamara, so pairing him with an aging Kamara would make for an incredibly dynamic one-two punch. If Evans mentally locks in upon his arrival in the NFL, he will be considered one of the best running backs in the NFL by 2025.
Waldman: Evans is a terrific talent. Is he a mature young man? That's my biggest question based on his long recruiting story and stories about run-ins with high school coaches. If he is mature enough or matures fast, I'll go one step further than Alvin Kamara for the older readers...Clinton Portis in his prime.
If you'd like to see the rest of the topics, once again, you can find them here:
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