Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. The topics of this edition include:
-- Early returns on Lamar Jackson? Quite positive -- just ask John Harbaugh.
-- Why Dak Prescott's in line for a $100 million contract.
-- The truth about Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots.
But first, a look at how the Giants are putting Eli Manning in position to rise again ...
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The New York Giants will have the most explosive offense in football -- IFEli Manning plays at a Pro Bowl level.
Now, I know we haven't seen the two-time Super Bowl MVP perform like that since 2015, but the 37-year-old field general has all of the weapons in place to help the G-Men return to prominence this season.
"We have some players, we definitely have some players," Manning said, via the New York Post. "Again, on paper is one thing, but you have to be able to do it on the field and you have to have everybody come together. That's why it's a team. It's not four or five guys who make a difference, it's all 11 and more than that sometimes, both sides doing their parts to find ways to come together as a team to win football games."
While I understand Manning's attempt to downplay the Giants' talent on the offensive side of the ball, it is hard to ignore the potential of a unit that will feature Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram on the perimeter and a rebuilt offensive line that's suddenly solid with Nate Solder and Will Hernandez in place. Although questions remain about Ereck Flowers' role on the squad, New York can put him at his natural position (right tackle) and hope he plays up to his first-round draft pedigree at that spot.
That's why I'm bullish on the team's chances of going from worst to first behind an electric offense in a topsy-turvy division. But again, this relies on No. 10 holding up his end of the bargain. The 15th-year pro doesn't have to play like a top-five player at the position. He really just needs to complete a respectable percent of his passes and consistently get the ball into the hands of the team's top playmakers on the perimeter. If Eli can efficiently play pitch-and-catch with the explosive athletes on the outside, the supporting cast is good enough to carry him to the winner's circle. Sure, that's the definition of a "trailer" -- as opposed to a "truck" -- in quarterback parlance, but the majority of veteran passers need help as their skills decline due to age. Don't believe me? Just look at how Drew Brees' game has been enhanced by the arrival of Alvin Kamara and the continued ascension of Michael Thomas as a top-flight pass catcher.
The Giants acquired quite a weapon with the No. 2 overall pick. Barkley's a versatile RB1 in the Le'Veon Bell mold, boasting size, speed, route-running skills and sticky hands. Thus, Manning has a hybrid playmaker in the backfield who can alleviate some of the pressure on him to carry the offense. Eli can target the rookie on six to eight passes a game, which is a huge advantage for any quarterback.
Remember, defensive coordinators will commit double-coverage to OBJ. He can score from anywhere on the field, and that threat will force defensive coordinators to sell out to keep the big-play specialist under wraps. That means one-on-one coverage for everyone else -- a scary proposition for opponents, considering how dangerous Shepard and Engram have proven to be in the slot. (Yes, I know Engram is listed as a tight end, but he is really a jumbo slot receiver with a game that's more like a "Z" than a "Y".)
With that kind of personnel at his disposal, Manning should be able to rack up completions and first downs by simply taking what the defense gives him in each coverage. Sounds simple -- almost too simple -- but it really is as straightforward as that when you're playing with superior talent on the perimeter. Manning just needs to let his guys work and the scoreboard will start to ping like a pinball machine.
That brings me to coaching, and how Pat Shurmur's brilliance as a play designer could enhance Manning's game in the twilight of his career. The longtime offensive assistant has confidence in his star quarterback and he will build the scheme around his QB1's strengths as a rhythm passer.
"I believe in Eli. Again, 'vote of confidence,' that goes into the 'buy in' category for me," Shurmur told The MMQB. "You take whatever you want from that. What I know is that Eli is going to be the very best Eli he can be, and we believe in him.
"The other thing I've learned about quarterbacks that's super important -- as long as they're your quarterback, even if you have stretches where you're angry with them, they need to know you believe in them. Eli needs to feel that we believe in him, because we do."
Such unconditional support means more than the Xs and Os. With that bullish backing enhancing Manning's own self-belief, I would expect No. 10 to maximize whatever he has left in the tank.
"It helps," Manning said, via the team website. "Obviously, when you feel that the coaches and the GM and everybody is excited about working with you, has your back and looking forward to good things. Obviously, I have to prove that and do that every day and get on the field and make sure I'm making the right decisions, protecting the ball, making good throws and learning this offense quickly. I think we're off to a good start, but we have a lot of football left."
The Giants haven't been touted as playoff contenders due to the lack of belief in their quarterback, but the team's upgraded supporting cast could help the two-time Super Bowl champion lead his team on another improbable run at a ring.
LAMAR JACKSON'S FIRST IMPRESSION: Rookie creating buzz in B'more
When the Baltimore Ravens sent out smoke signals indicating their interest in Lamar Jackson prior to the 2018 NFL Draft, I thought the potential marriage between the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner and the team was a match made in heaven. The Ravens not only had a front office in place that would recognize and appreciate his spectacular talents as a dual-threat playmaker, but they had a crew of coaches capable of putting together a plan that would elevate his game as a pro.
Now that Jackson is indeed a Raven, it appears that initial intuition was correct. And Joe Flacco better be on his game this fall.
Based on reports floating out of Baltimore during last weekend's rookie minicamp, the Ravens are already "in the laboratory" cooking up schemes that will help their quarterback of the future make an impact whenever he steps onto the field.
"We're going to always try to get our players making plays for us," head coach John Harbaugh said to the assembled press. "And Lamar is a guy who can help us win games."
While there's no disputing Jackson's talents as a mobile playmaker -- he amassed 3,500-plus passing yards and 1,500-plus rushing yards in each of his final two seasons at Louisville -- there were plenty of questions about his ability to make accurate throws and play the game from the pocket after he failed to complete 60 percent of his passes in any of his three collegiate campaigns. Skeptics questioned his pocket-passing skills and some even suggested that he would need to make a position switch to have a legitimate shot of carving out a career as a pro.
"The thing I was really impressed with is I thought he was accurate," Harbaugh said last week. "You read the reports ... but he's a naturally talented thrower. He has natural arm talent. That's something that I think people were questioning. To see him out here throwing the ball naturally and very accurately, I thought it was a big plus."
Looking at Harbaugh's assessment of Jackson's passing prowess, I believe it matches up with his performance on tape. At Louisville, No. 8 was a pinpoint passer on short and intermediate throws between the numbers, particularly on in-breaking routes (skinny posts, seams and digs). He flashed outstanding touch, timing and anticipation on those throws, while also displaying A-plus arm strength firing the ball into tight windows. Jackson also showed outstanding range and touch on vertical throws. He was one of the best deep-ball throwers in the 2018 class. His ability to throw the ball over the top of the defense makes him a challenge to defend in the backfield.
From a critical standpoint, Jackson struggled as an outside-the-numbers thrower at Louisville. He frequently missed receivers on out-breaking routes along the boundary and his inconsistencies on those throws routinely showed up on tape.
Speaking to Ravens officials following rookie minicamp, Jackson's strengths and weaknesses as a passer showed up throughout the weekend, as he dazzled as a deep-ball thrower down the seams but had some struggles connecting with receivers on out-breaking routes. Despite those hiccups, he earned positive reviews for his overall performance as a passer, which is good news for a team looking to fully capitalize on his explosiveness as a mobile playmaker.
As a student and leader, Jackson also earned strong reviews for his work over the weekend. He received glowing marks from his head coach and made a strong impression on the staff.
"As good as any rookie we've had that way," Harbaugh said, via the team website. "He's very smart; he studies, very sharp, has a nice presence on the field. I think we all feel that he handled himself very well that way.
"All of that is A, A-plus. He has great demeanor. He has a great face, attitude is really good, smart, studies real hard, locker room stuff. I think it's all good."
With Jackson starting to check off the boxes as a potential QB1 during rookie minicamp, I think it is important to remember offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and assistant head coach Greg Roman have extensive experience nurturing athletic quarterbacks, having collectively worked with the likes of Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Steve Young, Colin Kaepernick and Tyrod Taylor over the years. The
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