It's April 1st, which is the time of jokes and false statements. Here in New York, where I just walked my dog in 30 degree temperatures, it's that Spring is here. NFL teams have been making their own unbelievable or at least unlikely proclamations in recent weeks. A quick roundup:
Kyle Shanahan thinks having four running backs active on gamedays might make sense. San Francisco signed Tevin Coleman, who joins a running back room currently slated to include Jerick McKinnon, Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert. Maybe Jeff Wilson, too. Mostert is very good on special teams, so under this scenario he could be that fourth back.
But since Mostert also played very well out of the backfield last year, I think it's a lot more likely that he's that No. 3 running back, and McKinnon is off the roster one way or another. He simply makes too much money to be out there as the No. 3 back, given that Coleman and Breida are better. Injuries will probably factor into things. Whatever, Shanahan's March proclamation isn't believable.
Giants "aren't kidding" about having Eli Manning as their quarterback in 2020. Apparently not content to merely convince everyone that Manning is the starter in 2019, the Giants now say Manning could start in 2020 as well. To an extent that's true; he could even start there in 2021 or 2022 if the Giants don't have another option at quarterback. But the truth is that they have ample reason to make everyone think they have no desire to select a quarterback early in this draft -- so that they will be able to select a quarterback early in this draft.
I think Daniel Jones, developed by the same coach (Daniel Cutcliffe) who developed Manning at Ole Miss, could be that guy, but why would they want to telegraph that in any way? I can see them going defense at 6th overall and then trading up, if necessary, from 17 to take Jones. Whatever, this idea that Manning is going to be their starter for years to come isn't realistic.
Adam Gase talks about keeping an eye on LeVeon Bell's touches. The Jets don't want to overwork Bell, that part is plausible. But the tw0-back time share he used last year with elderly Frank Gore and Kenyan Drake, who Gase didn't like for some reason, isn't going to happen. The Jets have Bell, Elijah McGuire and Trenton Cannon. Those other backs aren't better than Bell as runners, near the goal line, or in the passing game.
So when are they going to be forcing him off the field? They're not. It's Bell's backfield. McGuire will be a lightly used change of pace unless Bell gets hurt.
Jason Witten returning for 25 snaps per game. Witten is 37 and spent last year in the broadcast booth, so sensible to think the Cowboys will limit his snaps somewhat. But that's about 40 percent of what he averaged in his last season, 2017, when he was on the field for almost all of the team's offensive plays (98 percent, according to NBCSports). He'll certainly be used in red zone situations. He has better hands than the team's other options at the position and is probably still a better blocker, even at his age.
So I really can't see him standing on the sidelines for more than half of the team's plays. Not saying I'd be eager to select him as a fantasy tight end, but I strongly suspect he'll wind up playing a majority of the snaps in this offense. They didn't bring him back as a cheerleader.
Dolphins competing in 2019. OK, I haven't actually seen any evidence that they've said they're going to do this. But if they have, they're lying. They've dumped their best/only three pass rushers, Cameron Wake, Robert Quinn and Andre Branch. They're apparently planning to trade safety Reshad Jones, their best remaining defender. They cut Danny Amendola, one of their better wideouts last season, and said goodbye to their lead running back, Frank Gore, and right tackle, JaWuan James. Indeed, they'll have the cheapest offensive line in the league -- by far, currently slating to pay them half what was the next-cheapest line is being paid.
Good thing they're not protecting a quarterback they care about, just well-traveled journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick, who they only signed after trading away Ryan Tannehill; for a few days they virtually didn't have a quarterback on the roster, just a couple late-round picks who weren't even their own late-round picks. This team is tanking hard in 2019, and they're going to save a ton of money while doing so.
And that's the truth.