Peter King, 2/15

Peter King

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/02/14/von-miller-denver-broncos-super-bowl-mvp–nfl

Ten Things I Think I Think

1. I think LeSean McCoy could be in a world of trouble with the law over a bar fight with off-duty police officers that he is alleged to have participated in while in Philadelphia earlier this month. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talkpoints out, the difficult thing for the Buffalo Bills, McCoy’s current team, could be the league’s new paid-leave policy. If McCoy chooses to fight any charges or lawsuit, the Bills might have to place him on paid leave, meaning they’d potentially be paying him while he fights the case but won’t have his services.

And if he’s found guilty of any charges, the league could choose to impose discipline on McCoy taking him away from the team for more games. A tough call for the Bills, but the smart thing for McCoy might be to take a plea deal and the resulting suspension from the league if his case looks bleak. It also raises the specter of whether the Bills could simply cut McCoy now, take the cap hit, and look for a running back in free agency or the draft. Or both.

2. I think the football world should be pleased that the Raiders will play in Oakland in 2016, now that it’s been confirmed. The only better news would be if the Raiders got a new stadium, a new deep-pocketed partner for owner Mark Davis, and a long-term commitment to northern California.

3. I think neutral arbitrator Derrick Brooks did the right thing in upholding the three-game Vontaze Burfict suspension. Burfict’s aggressive, playmaking brand of football is something the Bengals need to keep winning. But his crossover brand of vigilante football is something the Bengals and Burfict must eliminate if he’s going to have a long career in the league.

4. I think the dark horse for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2017 will be wide receiver Hines Ward. Many will decry his candidacy, saying he was never one of the top two or three receivers in the league. But think of this: Ward’s one of the best blocking wide receivers in NFL history, and he caught 1,000 passes, and he was the MVP of the Super Bowl 10 years ago. Maybe he won’t make it. I don’t know that he’ll have the momentum to do so especially in year one of eligibility. But to say he’s a weak candidate is specious and foolish.

5. I think Charles Woodson has a chance to be very good on TV. (The Big Lead reported he’ll be a new face on ESPN this fall.) He’s grown in his insightful ways over the year, and his willingness to be open and a good storyteller. If he’s really good at those aspects, he’ll have a long TV life. To be great, though, and he knows this, he’s going to have to be willing to be critical when the time calls for it—critical of those he’s known and played with and against over the years.

6. I think the interesting thing about running-back desirability these days is that the more productive you are, the more you get dinged in the eyes of some NFL teams because they think you’ve got less tread left on the tires. Take Matt Forte. Since 2008—Forte’s rookie year and Adrian Peterson’s second—Forte has more rushing/receiving yards than any back in football (715 more than Peterson, who is second), yet when he hits free agency next month he’s going to be a relative afterthought.

The Patriots might pay him something decent for a back of his stature ($5 million per on a short deal?) but the eight-year, $62-million deal signed by Shaun Alexander 10 years ago signaled the beginning of the end of gaudy running back contracts. You’ll still see some backs get big deals who don’t perform (DeMarco Murray, 2015), but mostly veteran backs with good résumés will be disappointed in the next few years.

7. I think Jared Goff does not lack for confidence. That’s what I found out when Gatorade made him available to a few media people recently, and I got a chance to talk to him about his pro prospects for 15 minutes. His plus-66 touchdown-to-interception differential in three years at Cal is obviously a credit to him, as is the fact his completion percentage increased each of his three seasons—from 60.4 percent to 62.1 percent to 64.5 percent last fall.

“I think my accuracy is as good as it gets at this level,” Goff said. “I think my pocket presence and my ability to extend plays speak for themselves. I’m confident I’ll be the best quarterback in the draft.” Now for the “C” question: How about the specter of getting selected by Cleveland, which has the second overall pick? Cleveland’s the place quarterbacks go to die. “I’m not worried about it,” he said. “I’m excited about it. Whatever team I go to, I’ll be excited to go. I want to be the future of a franchise. I think I can be a guy who can make an impact right away.”

Goff is being trained for the combine by former NFL passer Ryan Lindley. Goff will be in the battle to be the first quarterback picked, with North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz and Paxton Lynch of Memphis.

8. I think for Cam Newton’s own good, I hope he’s got someone inside the Panthers who, once the pain of the Super Bowl wears off, can tell him the truth about some of his Super Bowl gaffes and he’ll listen. “I win my way,” he said on Instagram the other day. Well, OK. There aren’t categories of your way and other ways in the win-loss columns of the NFL, though. There a win, and there’s a loss.

9. I think this was really good insight on the NFL’s move to Los Angeles by Don Van Natta and Seth Wickersham of ESPN. Bottom line in the NFL’s move to L.A.: The owners wanted glam and money in Los Angeles, and regardless how much they wanted to help Dean Spanos out of his San Diego morass, glam and money was the winning bet.