It can be quite taxing to try and keep up with all of the latest news, so we’re going to give you the most important information to get you up to date before the NFL season begins.
The NFL season kicks off in one month, which is either extremely exciting for you, or absolutely terrible. For those of you who hate football, I sincerely apologize – but for everyone else, whether you’re a casual or die-hard football fan, it’s a time to rejoice as our energy no longer has to be solely channeled toward the ridiculously redundant 162-game Major League Baseball season.
It’s a long offseason from Super Bowl Sunday (early February) to the preseason kick-off (mid-August), meaning there’s ample time for trades, retirements, coaching changes and rumors to take place during the six month window. It can be quite taxing to try and keep up with all of the latest news, so we’re going to give you the most important information to get you up to date before the NFL season begins.
After all, every barbecue, family dinner, birthday party or other social gathering that involves at least two minutes of conversation is guaranteed to somehow incorporate football.
Of course, every fan is unique, as some fans like to focus on the one team they unequivocally support, while others are more interested to know the big stories happening around the league. We are going to try and cover all bases here as we recap a tumultuous offseason that should lead to one of the more exciting NFL seasons in recent memory.
The NFL Draft was the same as every other year
Players got drafted, tears of happiness were shed, and every rookie who attended the draft had to pretend to like Commissioner Roger Goodell for 15 seconds during the awkward handshake-hug that takes place after hearing their name called. The notable picks vary based on your team of preference, but the draft was headlined by Heisman Trophy winners Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota being selected first and second by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans.
Chip Kelly continues to spark debate among former players
The overhaul of the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster has continued this offseason, with Chip Kelly sending star running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for middle linebacker Kiko Alonso and a quarterback swap with the St. Louis Rams to acquire Sam Bradford for Nick Foles. This comes on the heels of Kelly cutting Desean Jackson last season, and led McCoy to make comments that the Eagles’ head coach “got rid of all the black players.” Rumors of Chip Kelly being racist continue to swirl among former players, but the Eagles’ headlining offseason acquisitions of DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond – who all happen to be African American – make this appear to be a pretty unsubstantiated claim.
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