Welcome to the third volume of The End Zone Report, where I delve into everything football. In today’s report, let’s discuss Davante Adams’ trade to the Jets, Aiden Hutchinson’s injury and the Eagles’ return to contention.
To kick things off, Davante Adams is now a New York Jet! After months of speculation and planning, Adams finally gets to reunite with his former quarterback and play right into his system again. Let’s break this trade down for both teams.
The Las Vegas Raiders received a conditional third-round pick for ‘Tae. That was it. No further compensation for a consistent 1,000-yard receiver and future hall of famer. The Raiders were definitely in a pickle, as Adams had requested a trade, but it wasn’t urgent. They could have held out for a month or so more before accepting a better offer rather than caving in to put Davante where he wanted to be. This is a B- trade for the Raiders, as they are trying to rebuild and a veteran presence like Adams would have helped them mentor their now thin wide receiver corps.
On the flip side of things, the Jets needed to satisfy their angsty quarterback. Aaron Rodgers wanted to play with Davante Adams. He made that quite clear. With his current receivers running the wrong routes every second play and dropping easy catches, it’s clear Rodgers played a part in this decision. This is clearly an A trade for the Jets. They wanted Adams, and they got him. However, does Davante Adams actually solve the Jets’ problems? The answer to that is maybe. Adams is obviously a skilled wide receiver with a knack for route-running and jump balls, but what about the rest of the team? The defense still needs work, and the organization is shambolic, with their coaching staff in disarray. While Adams certainly bolsters their front five, he isn’t the solution to all of the Jets’ problems.
On the next topic of news, Aiden Hutchinson, the NFL’s sack leader, has suffered a fractured tibia. It was a brutal injury, so bad that ESPN didn’t show a replay of it after it had happened. Hutch’s leg went sideways in a direction legs aren’t supposed to go, presumably ending his season. How does this affect the Lions? For starters, this is bad. Really bad. Hutchinson was not only the sack leader, he was the leader of the defense. With him off of the field, all of the quarterback pressure the Lions were generating goes completely down the drain.
If the Lions want to contend for a bowl, they need their star pass-rusher. The offense is still going to roll, but the defense may be in trouble. It is crucial that the Lions look for an above-average replacement swiftly.
On the final piece of news, the Philadelphia Eagles may just be back. Even in a sloppy win over the Cleveland Browns, the squad displayed promise. With the return of star wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, the team has a chance to leapfrog itself back into contention. However, there are a few things they need to work on before they can get that distinction.
The first thing the Eagles need to do is establish the passing game. Each play is either a run or a deep ball from Jalen Hurts to any of his receivers. The Eagles don’t throw checkdowns and every play is a risk. That needs to change. If the Eagles want to avoid fourth-down situations, the receivers should run more curls and short routes to give Hurts more options. If he has options, then he can make different decisions and take easy passes when necessary.
The final thing the Eagles should work on is similar to the first, just on the other side of the ball. They need to control checkdowns. When they run two safeties deep, they can’t control what happens near the first down line. This results in a low time of possession and a lack of stops for the defense. They certainly have talented players, the defensive coordinator just needs to change up his schemes.
This wraps up the third volume of The End Zone Report. Keep a look out for the next one.
