NFL

Five bold NFL predictions for the rest of the offseason, plus Jaguars could temporarily wind up in Daytona

by
SaC Bot
June 12, 2023

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

I’ll be honest guys, I spent my entire weekend trying to figure out what it means that someone named Baby Gronk got rizzed up by Lizzy and I’m not sure I got anywhere. I think this means that I have officially gotten too old for the internet and that I must now retire, but not before I become the next drip king.

If none of that made sense to you, don’t worry, I promise we will have plenty of stuff that does make sense today. For one, we have five bold predictions about how the rest of the NFL offseason will play out, plus, we’ll also be taking a look at why the Jaguars could end up playing games at Daytona International Speedway at some point in the near future.

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. Let’s get to the rundown.

1. Five bold predictions for the rest of the NFL offseason

When it comes to NFL news, the middle of June is usually when things start to slow down, but that might not happen this year, because there are still quite a few big things that could happen between now and the start of NFL training camps in July.

For instance, we could soon see Dalvin Cook sign with someone. And let’s not forget about DeAndre Hopkins, who is going on a free agent tour this week with visits to Tennessee and possibly New England (Bill Belichick said Monday that he’s not sure if Hopkins is going to visit, but that’s probably just Belichick playing mind games).

To help us all figure out how the rest of the offseason is going to break down, we brought in Tyler Sullivan to make some bold predictions. Sully took a look into his crystal ball last night and here are five predictions he has for the rest of the offseason:

1. Dalvin Cook signs with Dolphins.
2. Patriots land DeAndre Hopkins.
3. 49ers DON’T deal away Trey Lance.
4. Lions make trade for Chase Young.
5. Kareem Hunt ends up with the Broncos.

If you want the full explanation for each prediction, then be sure to check out Sully’s full story by clicking here.

2. Jaguars exploring Daytona International Speedway as a temporary home

Last week, the Jaguars unveiled a $1.4 billion plan to completely renovate their home stadium (TIAA Bank Field). The only problem with the plan is that the Jaguars might have to leave Jacksonville while the renovations are happening. The facelift is expected to be so extensive that that the Jags will likely have to leave TIAA Bank Field for up to two years once the renovations start.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but the Jags are currently mulling over their options and it appears that one of those options could include playing at DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY. Here’s a look at everything the team is considering.

Could Jags play in Daytona? Jaguars team president Mark Lamping didn’t shoot down this idea when he was asked about it on Friday. “It would be an interesting solution, but would also require significant investment in terms of infrastructure,” Lamping said, per VenuesNow.com. “It can accommodate a big crowd. It would be a little wonky, but it’s worth considering. After the renovations (in 2016), it’s nice.”
The speedway likes the idea. Daytona International Speedway president Frank Kelleher said his group would be more than happy to host the Jags. “As good neighbors in the Florida sports community, DIS will be speaking with the Jacksonville Jaguars to see if we can assist them with their potential upcoming facility needs around our scheduled events.” The Jaguars will be meeting with Kelleher this week to officially discuss the possibility.
Daytona has hosted football games before. The speedway actually hosted multiple college football games in 1974 and 1975. The speedway also recently underwent a $400 million renovation that was completed in 2016.
Other options for the Jags. If Daytona doesn’t work out, the Jaguars have two other options in Florida, besides Jacksonville. “The closest stadiums are in Gainesville and Orlando,” Lamping said. “There could also be a temporary solution in Jacksonville, adding seats to the (city’s minor league) baseball stadium or the track stadium at the University of North Florida… Both options come with a big (retrofit) of $125 million.”

The Jags likely wouldn’t want to spend $125 million on a stadium that they’re only going to use for one or two years, so the two options in Jacksonville seem unlikely, leaving Orlando, Gainesville and Daytona on the table.

One other thing that could be considered is having the Jags play a few more games in London while their stadium is being renovated. The Jags are playing two consecutive games there this year, and last month, Roger Goodell admitted that the NFL has tossed around the idea of sending the Jags to London for three straight games. If the Jags aren’t going to have a stadium for two years, then sending them over to London for a few extra games during those two seasons would seem to make some sense.

If you’re wondering what the timeline is here, the Jags have a few years to figure things out. The team first needs to figure out how the renovations will be financed. If that happens relatively soon, then the work would start following the 2025 season, per VenuesNow.com, which means the Jags could be homeless as soon as the 2026 season.

3. Second-year players primed for a breakout season

The second year of an NFL player’s career is usually a pivotal one. If they showed promise during their rookie year, then teams want to see that carry over into Year 2. On the other hand, if they struggled during their rookie year, then teams want to see some improvement in Year 2.

For most players, there’s a lot riding on Year 2, which is why Chris Trapasso decided to take a a look at several players going into the second year of their career who could have a breakout season.

Texans: CB Derek Stingley Jr. “I expect Stingley to make more plays on the football — he only had five pass breakups in 2022 — because of his elite awareness and body control. Plus, he has mirroring talent well beyond his years, and Houston’s pass rush should be improved in 2023 given the addition of No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson. Huge leap forward ahead for Stingley. He’s too sticky in coverage.”
Chiefs: WR Skyy Moore. “I am not quitting Skyy Moore after a disappointing rookie season… Moore should be settled into Patrick Mahomes‘ attack, and with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman gone, Moore is in line for a huge uptick in opportunities in his second season.”
Chargers: RB Isaiah Spiller. “Austin Ekeler didn’t get traded this offseason. But the second-best development for Spiller happened — the Chargers didn’t use a draft pick on the running back position. Spiller will become a reliable, between-the-tackles complement to Ekeler in Los Angeles’ new, Kellen Moore-led offense.”

If you want to see Trapasso’s full list, be sure to click here.

4. Twenty players who could become Pro Bowlers for the first time in 2023

The Pro Bowl isn’t exactly the most exciting week in football, but getting voted to the Pro Bowl is still an honor for most players. With that in mind, Cody Benjamin decided to break down every roster in the NFL over the weekend so he could determine which players have the best chance of making the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2023.

Here are five of the players on his list (Note: We did not include rookies on this list):

QB Justin Fields (Bears). “He’s got a long way to go as a decision-maker throwing the ball, but he proved in 2022 he’s already got MVP-level rushing ability. Pair that with a competent supporting cast featuring a true No. 1 in D.J. Moore, and he could be one of the NFL’s top playmakers.”
QB Brock Purdy (49ers). “His recovery from an elbow injury could complicate his availability, but provided he retains the support of 49ers brass once healthy, he’s set up to succeed in a Kyle Shanahan offense littered with playoff-ready weapons.”
WR Calvin Ridley (Jaguars). “Ridley never earned a Pro Bowl nod in his five seasons with the Falcons, though he did go All-Pro for a 1,300-yard breakout in 2020. Now situated as Trevor Lawrence’s top target on Doug Pederson’s offense, he’s poised to go off yet again.”
WR DeVonta Smith (Eagles). “It’ll always be a little difficult for him to post gaudy numbers opposite A.J. Brown on an Eagles team that also loves to run it. But Smith has all of Jalen Hurts‘ trust as a gutsy crunch-time target, and now he’s got a 1,000-yard campaign off of which to build.”
RB Dameon Pierce (Texans). “Pierce was a punishing tackle-shedder as a rookie, and new coach DeMeco Ryans figures to lean on him while introducing rookie QB C.J. Stroud to the NFL.”

If you want to see Cody’s full list of 20 players, be sure to click here.

5. Ranking possible Chase Young landing spots

Over the past two weeks there’s been some serious speculation that the Commanders might be open to trading Chase Young. They’ve already declined his fifth-year option, which means he’ll be a free agent after the 2023 season. Instead of letting him walk away in free agency, the Commanders could trade him now so that they get something in return for the pass-rusher, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

So where might Young end up? Cody Benjamin took a look at few potential landing spots.

1. Bears
2. Lions
3. Seahawks
4. Steelers
5. 49ers.

If you want to know why each of these teams would make sense, you’ll want to check out Cody’s full story here.

6. Extra points: Giants and Raiders dealing with running back drama

It was a busy weekend in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.

Saquon Barkley won’t be attending mandatory minicamp. The Giants running back isn’t happy about being hit with the franchise tag and he’s expressing his discontent in two ways. First, he won’t he at minicamp this week and since Barkley isn’t technically under contract, the Giants can’t punish him for skipping. Second, Barkley is also giving some consideration to sitting out the season, “That comes up in the conversation,” Barkley said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about respect. That is really what it is.” You can get the full details on the Barkley drama by going here.
Josh Jacobs also unhappy. Saquon wasn’t the only running back to be hit with the franchise tag, so was Josh Jacobs, and like Barkley, he’s also unhappy with the situation. The Raiders running back hinted over the weekend that he might take a stand this year in order to help all future running backs, “Sometimes it’s not about you,” Jacobs said. “We gotta do it for the ones after us.” Jacobs has been subtly showing his discontent all offseason and you can read about how he’s done that by clicking here.
Danielle Hunter to skip mandatory minicamp. The three-time Pro Bowler won’t be at Minnesota’s minicamp this week, according to NFL.com. Hunter is going into the final year of his contract and wants a new one, but the Vikings haven’t been willing to give it to him. There’s been some trade speculation involving Hunter, so it will be interesting to see how this situation plays out.
J.J. Watt to be inducted into Texans Ring of Honor. The Texans don’t have many legendary players, but J.J. Watt is definitely one of them, and as such, the team has decided to induct him into its Ring of Honor. In a very classy move, the Texans will hold the induction during their Week 4 game against the Steelers, which means Watt’s brother, T.J., will be on hand for the induction. J.J. is the third person to be inducted into Houston’s Ring of Honor, joining Andre Johnson and founding owner Robert C. McNair.
Buccaneers bringing back their Creamsicle jerseys. One of the most iconic uniforms in NFL history will finally be making a return. The Buccaneers announced today that they’ll be busting out their Creamsicle uniforms for a Week 6 game against the Lions. The Buccaneers originally wore their Creamsicle uniforms from 1976 to 1996. The game against the Lions will mark the first time they’ve worn the bright orange uniforms since Week 7 of 2012.