NFL Awards 2018 Predictions

With the 2018 NFL regular season completed and the playoffs kicking off this weekend, there is no better time to give picks for the MVP, defensive player of the year and all the other major end-of-season awards.

The Associated Press (AP) will announce the individual NFL awards the night before the Super Bowl in Atlanta in the 8th Annual NFL Honors on Feb. 2. Here are my selections.

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Leading the Kansas City Chiefs to the No. 1 seed in the AFC and throwing 50 passing touchdowns, Mahomes is the runaway favorite for the league's most valuable player award. Forced to make up for his team's less-than-adequate defense—which ranked 24th in points allowed per contest—Mahomes put up historic numbers to secure home-field advantage for the Chiefs throughout the AFC playoffs. He had two 6-touchdown games, racked up 5,097 passing yards and was the most dominant player in football.

Runner-Up: Drew Brees, Saints

The NFC playoffs run through New Orleans and Brees is the biggest reason why. The best player on the best team, Brees led the league in completion percentage (74.4) and passer rating (115.7). He threw 32 touchdowns against just five interceptions, spearheading the New Orleans Saints to 13 wins. Unlike Mahomes, however, Brees had a competent defense to compliment his excellent quarterbacking. Furthermore, Brees threw only three touchdown passes in the Saints’ last five games (he sat out the fifth).

Offensive Player of the Year: Patrick Mahomes

Only two quarterbacks in NFL history have thrown for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a single season: Peyton Manning in 2013 and Mahomes in 2018. That makes Mahomes this season's OPOY.

Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, Rams

Donald is set to win his second consecutive DPOY Award, despite missing training camp over a contract dispute. The defensive tackle had 20.5 sacks—just shy of Michael Strahan's NFL-record of 22.5—and led the league in QB hits (41) and tackles for loss (30).

Aaron Donald is the league's most dominant defensive player. (Getty Images)

Runner-Up: Khalil Mack, Bears

Mack transformed the Chicago Bears into the best defense in football. The Bears' defense finished first in takeaways (36) and interceptions (27) and No. 3 in points off takeaways (107).

The engine of the defensive unit, Mack was tied for second in the league with six forced fumbles. The linebacker accumulated a team-high 12.5 sacks and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month in September.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Baker Mayfield, Browns

Mayfield threw more touchdown passes, 27, than any rookie in NFL history. He reached that total despite not seeing any action until Week 3 and not starting until the following game. More importantly, he turned the Cleveland Browns into a legitimate franchise again, leading them to a 7-8-1 record after the team finished 0-16 a season ago. The Browns were in playoff contention until Week 16, something that seemed unfathomable based off how bad things were for the team at this time last year.

Baker Mayfield threw 27 passing TDs, a rookie-record. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Runner-Up, Saquon Barkley, Giants

In just about any other year, the New York Giants running back would take home the OROY crown. Barkley, a transcendent talent, had seven 100-yard games and 89 receptions—catching nine or more passes in four games—and logged over 2,000 all-purpose yards.

But Mayfield had a far bigger impact on the Browns than Barkley had for the Giants, who only improved their win total (5) by two games from the prior season.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Darius Leonard, Colts

Leonard led the NFL in tackles (163), totaling 19 more than the next closest player. The linebacker had 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Last season, the Indianapolis Colts' defense ranked 30th in points and yards allowed. But with Leonard on board this year, the unit rose to 10th in scoring defense and 11th in yards allowed.

Runner-Up: Derwin James, Chargers

One of the most versatile defenders in the league, James, primarily a safety, played multiple positions for the Los Angeles Chargers this season. He appeared in all 16 games and registered 105 tackles, three interceptions and 3.5 sacks.

Coach of the Year: Matt Nagy, Bears

Nagy led the Bears to 12 wins and a division championship. Chicago had finished in last-place in the NFC North four years in a row before Nagy came to town. The Bears' record in the four seasons prior to his arrival: 5-11, 6-10, 3-13 and 5-11. The Bears rose to the No. 3 seed in the NFC under Nagy and closed with a 5-1 division record.

Runner-Up: Frank Reich, Colts

Despite losing five of their first six games, the Colts made the playoffs with a 10-6 record. Reich, a first-year head coach like Nagy, helped guide the franchise to a huge turnaround season after the team finished 4-12 last year.

Comeback Player of the Year: Andrew Luck, Colts

After missing the entire 2017 season, Luck returned and completed a career-high 67.3 percent of his passes for 4,593 yards, 39 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. Luck went eight straight games with at least three touchdown passes and has the Colts in the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Runner-Up: J.J. Watt, Texans

The AFC South champion Houston Texans returned to a formidable defense with Watt back in the fold. He missed 24 games over the last two seasons with back and leg injuries before his incredible 2018 campaign. The defensive end had 16 sacks and seven forced fumbles to reassert himself as one of the NFL's most dominant defensive players.

Executive of the Year: Chris Ballard, Colts

In his first season as Colts GM, Ballard emphasized the offensive line in the draft. He selected guard Quenton Nelson in round one and tackle Braden Smith in the second round. Both players helped transform the Colts into one of the best O-lines in football, as the unit surrendered just 18 sacks all season.

Ballard nabbed the aforementioned Leonard in round three and made the prudent choice to hire Reich to be the head coach.

Runner-Up: Ryan Pace, Bears

Pace traded for Mack days before the start of the season and the results of the acquisition speak for itself. He hired Nagy, the likely winner of Coach of the Year, and has the Bears back in the postseason for the first time since 2010.

Richardson's Career was Doomed Following Trade from Browns

                Trent Richardson’s career has hit rock-bottom. Richardson, selected No. 3 overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2012 NFL Draft, was released by the Oakland Raiders on Monday. He played just one preseason game for Oakland, totaling 19 yards on five carries. The 25-year-old missed the beginning of training camp while suffering from pneumonia.

                A highly touted running back out of Alabama, Richardson had a (relatively) strong rookie campaign. He rushed for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns, while adding 367 yards and a score on 51 receptions. He managed these numbers despite playing nine games with broken ribs. It should be noted, though, that Richardson only averaged 3.6 yards per carry—which stands now as his career-high.

                Two games into the 2013 season, the Browns traded Richardson in exchange for a first-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts—a move Cleveland was highly scrutinized for making at the time, but are now universally praised for pulling off. Despite high hopes, Richardson never materialized into a formidable running back with Indianapolis. Richardson averaged just 2.9 yards per carry after being acquired by the Colts in 2013 and followed up with 3.3 yards per attempt last season. Even though they paid a high price to acquire the running back, the Colts parted ways with Richardson following a disappointing 2014 season.

                A major draft bust, Richardson was unable to make the Raiders roster. He signed a two-year $3.9 million deal with Oakland in the offseason—with a whopping $600,000 guaranteed (what were the Raiders thinking?). One of the league’s all-time disappointments, Richardson arrived to camp overweight, leading to his release.

               The struggles of Richardson since his departure from Cleveland underscore how talented the Browns' offensive line has been in recent years. The Browns’ O-line made Richardson look like a capable NFL running back, something the bust has proven to be otherwise since being shipped to Indianapolis. Major props should be handed to Joe Thomas, one of the greatest left tackles in league history, two-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack and veteran guard John Greco.

               The highly-respected Browns’ offensive linemen were able to mask the weaknesses of Richardson. They helped Richardson compile 11 rushing touchdowns in his first year as a pro, breaking Jim Brown's franchise record for most rushing TDs by a rookie. Richardson, who simply cannot break out for big runs, was destined to fail once he departed Cleveland and their formidable offensive line.

               Fast forward to present-day and Richardson’s NFL career may be finished. As for the state of the Browns offensive line? The unit has actually strengthened in the past few seasons with guard Joel Bitonio shining as a rookie last season and with the team adding Florida State standout Cameron Erving with their second 1^st-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. 

Report: Reggie Wayne Took Physical with Patriots

             The New York England Patriots are contemplating signing wide receiver Reggie Wayne. The six-time Pro Bowler flew to New England on Saturday night and took a physical with the Patriots on Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 
               Wayne has spent his entire 14-year NFL career as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. He leads all active receivers in career receptions (1,070) and receiving yards (14,345). Wayne, set to turn 37 in mid-November, played like a shell of his former self in 2014, catching 64 passes for 779 yards with two touchdowns in 15 games. 

Reggie Wayne could be teaming up with Tom Brady in New England this season. (Thomas J. Russo/USA Today Sports)

            The move makes sense for New England, which has been decimated by injuries this preseason. Julian Edelman has been out since Aug. 2 with a leg injury and Brandon LaFell has spent the entire camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Brian Tyms' season is in doubt after injuring his foot on Wednesday, and Brandon Gibson's status is unknown after sustaining a knee injury in the Patriots' 26-24 win over the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night.
            Devoid of a deep passing threat, Wayne might be just what the doctor ordered, despite his decreasing speed and production. He has stated his desire to play one final season in the NFL and the defending champion Patriots could offer him a storybook ending. Wayne, who won the Super Bowl with the Colts following the 2006 season, would give quarterback Tom Brady a veteran reinforcement at wideout. 
             Before New England and Indianapolis played last November, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick called Wayne “one of the best route runners maybe ever in the game.”

“He’s obviously just a tremendous wide receiver,” Belichick said. “A guy that’s extremely smart, very savvy wide receiver. Understands leverage, understands coverage, can read post-snap coverage disguises, has great hands. He’s really a very dependable and reliable guy. Obviously the bigger the situation, the more you would depend on him to be able to make the play.”

             If nothing else, adding Wayne would spice up New England's boiling rivalry with the Colts, who prompted the ceaseless Deflategate saga that began in January's AFC Championship.  The Patriots play the Colts on Oct. 18 in what would be Brady's first game of the season if his suspension holds.