Looks like there's very little chance of the season not kicking off on time now, so I've been making my way through divisional previews. They're bulky as they usually are once I get going, but AFC North, East and South all on site now with odds and the player prop markets related to each team.

Seems like the vast majority of games won't have fans in place, however a few teams seem desperate to get some in there, Dallas unsurprisingly the most vocal about getting fans in there.

For my team, I'm not expecting a massive year, they may well double their win total from last year, but unfortunately with the mess of an off-season and already suffering injuries, as the Bengals always do, it's not looking as rosy as it did just after the draft. We've got one of the best college QBs in history starting, AJ Green hopefully back (already resting a tight hammy...) our top pick from last year on the offensive line, a re-vamped defense, but facing a tough schedule and in a really tough division. Facing some very tough pass rushes in the opening few games as well.

Side note: the Texans have the toughest opening schedule by quite a way with the Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers and Vikings. Requested odds on all of them losing from Skybet, useslss at 11/4.

Managed to get 14s on Alex Smith CBPOTY - He just needs to take the field, even if it's a knee to win it. Down to now, although apparently he was 66 earlier in the season!

I've seen that Tighty had a good season at betting emporium and that they're season long offering is available at the moment too. Fingers crossed we get a whole season.

Talk of games being moved to Saturday evenings without College going ahead which would be interesting, but would detract from Redzone, I guess as long as it's just the one game moving then I'm fine with it, but Redzone is the greatest thing in sports and I love my Sunday evenings!

Packers have had a Mare.

QB-RB-TE

WOW

Brilliant isn't it, I've grown to hate Rodgers and the way he acts on the field, so I found it hilarious that they basically told him they don't care for him at all. Unsurprisingly they've said they want to be more run heavy, in case that wasn't obvious enough already.

Ravens and Broncos had a great draft on the surface.

I'm happy with my Bengals work, would have preferred another OL guy rather than 3 LBs but we were terrible at LB last year so can see why they went that way and apparently the late OL we took is an athletic kid who needs refining so has promise. Unfortunately for us Ravens and Browns had good drafts too.

Did well financially too, especially day one which I pretty much nailed in my preview.

Would have loved to have seen Rodgers reaction to that pick after they refuse once again to give him any more offensive talent - Which is probably not a bad thing as he doesn't look for people he doesn't like anyway, so a bit of a wasted pick anyway.

Raiders with unexpected picks again, copy-cat league strikes by looking for a Tyreek/speed replacement with Ruggs 1st QB (which was touted a couple of weeks back but went away) and Arnette at CB was not the man mocked by many to them.
Falcons taking Terrell again not the expected man, but a position of need.
Raegor to the Eagles with Jefferson on the board, again, speed kills.
Jordyn Brooks, drafted in the 3rd round of the 7 round mocks I took part in, seems a reach but you can't really doubt the Seahawks.

Love the main shock of the evening of course, gives them 5 years to improve his deficiencies.

A lot went as expected early on, the 49ers with a decent draft so far and the Vikings. Dallas pick was inevitable with Lamb still on the board there, both top safeties still around they may well pick up one of them at 51 to fill that need for them.

The Bengal really should take OL (Jones more likley than Cleveland imo) but I'd love to see Mims there.

Have just posted a few thoughts on my site if you wanted to read more instead of me carrying on here

Can get Kmet first round at 6/1 if you believed the Jeremiah mock

Definitely has been tougher this year, I've landed on a few I'm fairly confident in though.

Andrew Thomas top 10 (u10.5) seems like it'll happen, CeeDee Lamb is around evens to be first WR, there's a lot of talk recently about Jeudys knee injury and the Lamb hype has been building. The TE class seems to stink, Cole Kmet o41.5 on PP (45.5 elsewhere) seems good, even Trautman to be the first TE off the board is tempting at bigger odds.

My gut tells me the Jeudy knee thing is nonsense. He had minor surgery on a meniscus trim. Never missed a practice at Alabama. Can't believe he's anything other than fine. Makes me more inclined to think someone is trying to lower his value to get him.

Thomas is the best guy in the class for teams who want to win this year or who want to protect a rookie or young QB this year. Natural left tackle and technically excellent. Mockers seem to think Wirfs and Wills are ahead of him.

Tight end class is poor, but Kmet could be anything from 25 to 50. Trautman at 6/1 plus is ok. Concern with betting over 41.5 is more teams will play 12 personnel sets this year (copycat league).

What I didn't realise was that 's last/final mock had the Patriots drafting Kmet in the first round, also had Blacklock going to the Chiefs at 32 where I've taken him not first round. Obviously doesn't mean a loser, and I doubt the Pats would reach there for a TE with so many needs but it's a bit of a worry as he generally knows his stuff

Definitely has been tougher this year, I've landed on a few I'm fairly confident in though.

Andrew Thomas top 10 (u10.5) seems like it'll happen, CeeDee Lamb is around evens to be first WR, there's a lot of talk recently about Jeudys knee injury and the Lamb hype has been building. The TE class seems to stink, Cole Kmet o41.5 on PP (45.5 elsewhere) seems good, even Trautman to be the first TE off the board is tempting at bigger odds.

Had a first proper look at the WR draft markets today

http://touchdowntips.com/2020/04/12/nfl-wr-draft-props-first-look/

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1233502019110961159?s=20

That's the link for him, should have put it in the previous post, wingspan too big to get around, speed and weight combination too much to stop if he pulls out and blocks downfield. He had a 1.80 10 yard split which is apparently rather quick as well! Then Tristan Wirfs (another lineman) had a remarkable combine too.

Just crazy to believe someone that large can move like that.

Anyways, I've put up a win total piece the other day, and have done a bit of nerding on excel to get a strength of schedule compiled...

Click to see full-size image.

so, Falcons and Jets have the toughest, Colts and Steelers the easiest according to 888Sport win totals for the coming season

Did we all see the 26 stone Offensive lineman run a 5.11 at the combine?

6'7" - 364lb, 17% body fat... Mekhi Becton.

It's hard to fathom how large these guys are without seeing them in the flesh

Montana is most definitely a 49ers QB.

Regards to the Gatorade, I'm not saying it makes sense, I'm not saying it'll happen, but that's the rumour which was going around twitter and caused the price cash.

You might have heard it's the Superbowl tomorrow... I've got my previews online now, Game preview, Novelty bets and a Props post as well!

Should be a cracking game

Link?

Looking forward to an end to end game tonight. Hopefully enough of a pointfest to compensate for the halftime show (Hope I’m proved wrong about the show, though)

I’ll be supporting 49ers in tribute to Joe Montana, who is a true GOAT of the game.

The former Chiefs quarterback?

It should be a brilliant game and one I'm very much looking forward to, can't see anything over than points and I'll hate the 49ers forever if they keep the Chiefs quiet and make it a shit game 

Big debate on what colour Gatorade will be tipped all over the winning coach. Purple has been bet in from the outsider to the favourite. Any thoughts?!?

The rumour is that there's been an agreement for a Kobe tribute hence the Purple getting smashed in, but it means the others are at a decent price now... Andy Reid usually goes for Yellow/Green/Lime which is now 7/1 - He had it with the Eagles, he's had it the couple of times it's been done with the Chiefs - My money is there.

Purple was 14/1 earlier in the week but I missed all the rumours etc.

You might have heard it's the Superbowl tomorrow... I've got my previews online now, Game preview, Novelty bets and a Props post as well!

Should be a cracking game

Link?

Looking forward to an end to end game tonight. Hopefully enough of a pointfest to compensate for the halftime show (Hope I’m proved wrong about the show, though)

I’ll be supporting 49ers in tribute to Joe Montana, who is a true GOAT of the game.

I assume it's his blonde "signature" which is;


www.touchdowntips.com

Cheers Tikay, I got moaned at a while ago for promoting my site, so thought this was the less obvious way of doing it

You might have heard it's the Superbowl tomorrow... I've got my previews online now, Game preview, Novelty bets and a Props post as well!

Should be a cracking game

A couple of notable retirements announced yesterday:

Antonio Gates is an unsurprising one, unless you are someone who thought he'd already retired a few seasons ago.  He'll be a future Hall of Famer and, for those who've played Fantasy NFL, he was the 'must-own' ball-catching Tight End prior to Gronk's arrival on the scene.

The surprising one is Luke Kuechly, a player arguably still in the prime of his career.  He's been an outstanding linebacker for the Panthers, and someone I've frequently wished was on the Eagles roster when I've seen him play.  He's only 28, and has just come off a full season, so it looks to be a personal decision, rather than anything injury related.  Part of me suspects he may 'un-retire' at some point down the line, like Marshawn Lynch, but for now this is going to be a big loss for the Panthers, and for the wider NFL too.

He's suffered from some pretty bad concussions, I think there's been 5 confirmed (might have been three, can't remember) but the last one kept him out quite a while, he's made $63m. Why risk your health further by continuing to play? I'd be surprised if he's back, from the video he looks like his mind is made up.

I think this could be a trend for players going forward to be honest, play through the rookie contract, get a big pay day, play another 3 or 4 years depending on health and then retire with your families life sorted for generations, Luke Kuechly retired at age 28, Megatron retired at age 30, Andrew Luck retired at age 29, Patrick Willis retired at age 30, Gronk retired at age 29.

It's a shame though as you say, one of the best in his position during his career. For me it's him in the NFC and was Shazier in the AFC, both played similarly and both are out of the league early in their careers but my god both were brilliant to watch on a weekly basis