Latest news with #BillBarnwell
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2015 Panthers ranked as one of NFL's top 25 teams from the past 25 years
The 2015 Carolina Panthers may have fallen one step short of reaching the pinnacle of their sport, but they still made their mark. ESPN's Bill Barnwell has named and ranked the best 25 teams from the past 25 years of the NFL. And even despite failing to ultimately hoist the Lombardi Trophy a decade ago, those Panthers came in on the list at No. 19. Barnwell wrote the following about Carolina's surprisingly dominant offense that season: The main star on offense won MVP: Cam Newton threw for 3,837 yards with 35 touchdowns and added 636 rushing yards and 10 more scores on the ground. An offense whose leading wide receivers were Ted Ginn Jr. and Jerricho Cotchery shouldn't have scared anyone, but buoyed by Greg Olsen and a creative run game, the Panthers were remarkably consistent: They scored 27 points in 15 of their 19 games, a mark that tied them with the 2007 Patriots and a handful of other teams in second place over the past 25 years. Only the 2018 Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes and a handful of other future Hall of Famers on offense, got to 27 more often. The Panthers were 15-0 when they did so. 2015 was, obviously, a career year for Newton—whose Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards from that campaign remain the only such honors in team history. That squad also produced a whopping 11 Pro Bowlers—including running back Jonathan Stewart, tight end Greg Olsen, center Ryan Kalil, linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis and cornerback Josh Norman. Carolina went a franchise-best 15-1 in the regular season and ran through the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs en route to their second-ever NFC title. The magical ride, however, ended in Super Bowl 50—where a suffocating Denver Broncos stopped Newton and the Panthers to claim a 24-10 article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2015 Panthers ranked as one of NFL's top 25 teams since 2000
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What would Commanders QB Jayden Daniels be worth in a trade?
The Washington Commanders have a franchise quarterback. For fans, that has been a long time coming. There's not one fan who would be interested in trading Jayden Daniels. But what would he be worth if Washington did trade him? Bill Barnwell of ESPN conducted a hypothetical exercise where he examines the rosters of all 32 NFL teams to determine which players are worth a first-round pick — or more. Well, obviously, Daniels is worth a first-round pick — a lot more. Daniels is the type of talent who could have multiple MVPs in his future. Barnwell's value on Daniels: Four first-round picks plus more. I can see both sides of the argument. While nobody doubts what Daniels did last season, he has done it only once, as opposed to Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, who have been MVP candidates for most of their careers. There are still teams that would hesitate to invest in him because of his slight frame, and there's always a concern that a quarterback who had so much success scrambling and creating on fourth down might not be able to keep that up. Maybe that side thinks Daniels is worth two first-round picks. Then there's the other side, which would (correctly) point out that Daniels reinvigorated an entire fan base last season. He had one of the best rookie seasons in league history, throwing for 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns while adding 891 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground. He did that with wideout Terry McLaurin, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and a bunch of guys who weren't moving the needle around the league. There probably won't be another Hail Mary to beat the Bears or another 86-yard touchdown to nearly tie the game in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys, but Daniels doesn't need those plays to be an elite quarterback. If he cuts unnecessary sacks out of his game, what else would he need to be on the same level as those guys I mentioned? Crucially, while Mahomes, Allen and Jackson are all on significant contracts, Daniels is in the second season of his four-year, $37.7 million rookie deal. With the Commanders already having paid his signing bonus, they'll pay him $2.5 million in 2025 and $4.3 million in 2026 before he is even eligible for an extension. He might be one of the league's two or three biggest bargains while playing the most important position in sports. Is that worth five first-round picks? Six? Seven? The answer is "too many," so I tried to strike a middle ground. Barnwell is correct. "Too many" would be the answer. It's incredibly fair to point out that Daniels has only done it for one season, whereas the other four quarterbacks who were "worth" four first-round picks or more have multiple MVP-type seasons on their resume. But if you were starting a new franchise tomorrow and had your pick, Daniels would be in the conversation, along with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. There is no higher praise than that. Daniels didn't just excel on the field, but he also gave the franchise its best season in 33 years, brought back old fans, helped create new fans and became a top-selling jersey. Imagine when Washington's "throwback" jerseys go on sale. Daniels is a franchise quarterback, but he's also a symbol of hope and change for a starving fan base. The only other player on Washington's roster that Barnwell said was worth a first-round pick more was cornerback Mike Sainristil. If you've been following training camp, you'd know that Sainristil has been having a phenomenal start to the summer. Daniels was the only player in the NFC East worth more than two first-round picks, per Barnwell. There were only five players worth at least four first-round picks and they were Mahomes, Jackson, Burrow, Allen and Daniels. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: What would Commanders QB Jayden Daniels be worth in a trade?
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Analyst questions impact DK Metcalf will have with Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the moves of the offseason back in March when they traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh immediately gave Metcalf a four-year, $132 million extension, keeping him in a Steelers uniform through the 2029 season. And while it's a consensus thought that Metcalf is an upgrade over George Pickens, Bill Barnwell of ESPN questions how much better they will be because of No. 4. 'Are the Steelers different? Yes,' Barnwell writes. 'Are they better? Maybe a tiny bit. DK Metcalf is certainly a more reliable option than the now-departed George Pickens as the lead receiver, but after Metcalf's 1,303-yard season in 2020, he has averaged 1,030 yards per campaign and right above 2.0 yards per route run, producing at about the same rate as Michael Pittman Jr. and Amari Cooper. Those are good wideouts, but there's a perception that Metcalf's upside from 2020 looks more like a career outlier than a realistic expectation of what he's likely to do going forward.' It was clear that Metcalf took a step back in 2024 under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who left Seattle after one year to become the new offensive coordinator at Alabama. His 992 yards were the second-fewest of his career, and his five touchdowns were the lowest of his career. Hopefully a new start with Arthur Smith and Aaron Rodgers reignites the once-hot fuse that Metcalf had back in 2023 when he averaged over 16 yards per catch. More from Pittsburgh Steelers 2019 Schedule: Rumors, leaks and updates (UPDATED) Midweek Mock Draft Roundup 13.0: A look at the Steelers latest mock draft projections Black and Gold Links: Steven Nelson's rise to high priced free agent is remarkable During offseason workouts, Ben Roethlisberger says plenty while saying nothing I had a dream I was an entitled football player in search of a lucrative contract 2019 NFL Draft: A case for the Steelers not drafting a WR in the first or second round Pittsburgh Steelers 2019 NFL Draft Scenario 1.0: With key defenders gone, Steelers go WR in Round 1
USA Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Buccaneers earn high marks from analyst ranking skill position groups
The skill position players in the NFL are among the best athletes in the world. As a result, every team treats the assembly of their team as an arms race to see who can get bigger and better each offseason on their way to hoisting the ultimate prize of the Lombardi trophy. ESPN's Bill Barnwell is the latest analyst to look at the skill position groups around the NFL. The Bucs offense has been so good in recent years that it has helped their playcallers get promoted to head coaching roles in back-to-back hiring cycles. So it makes sense that Barnwell ranked the Bucs' skill players unit as the seventh-best group after being ranked 18th in 2024. Barnwell writes, "Everybody on offense who caught a pass or took a handoff from the 2024 Buccaneers is back, and they're joined by first-round pick Emeka Egbuka. Irving was a superstar as the primary back in the second half of his rookie season. Godwin was off to a white-hot start before suffering a dislocated ankle. And while his cumulative totals were depressed by missing the better part of four games because of a hamstring issue, Evans averaged a career-high 2.6 yards per route run while adding an 11th straight 1,000-yard campaign to his Hall of Fame résumé." The addition of Egbuka is really going to be the wild card of this whole thing for the Bucs offense. Will the first-round picks' arrival be one mouth too many to feed? Or perhaps it will allow for this offense to be the perfect blend of youth and veteran leadership, setting them up for success over the next decade once again. Either way, Baker Mayfield has to be smiling ear to ear once again.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN's Bill Barnwell Gets Skill Assessment for Titans Incorrect
ESPN's Bill Barnwell Gets Skill Assessment for Titans Incorrect originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tennessee Titans are a team trying to build themselves back up to being the team they once were, competing for division championships and the playoffs. Each offseason, though, there is optimism with each team, including the Titans. And each year, there is someone who tries to kill any optimism. In this instance, it is ESPN's Bill Barnwell when it comes to ranking the skill position players for the Titans. Advertisement Barnwell ranked every skill position group in the NFL, and he had the Titans' skill position players as dead last in the NFL. "No.1 pick Cam Ward's group of receivers are … well-seasoned," Barnwell wrote. "Tyler Lockett, 32, was a cap casualty in Seattle whose numbers were way down during his final year with the Seahawks. He joins to link up with 30-year-old Calvin Ridley, who was better moving around the formation in Tennessee after being trapped on the outside in Jacksonville, but he dropped seven passes and wasn't always the reliable target a struggling group of quarterbacks needed." Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images Rough criticism from Barnwell, but it is criticism that some have already expressed about the Titans. But to list them dead last in the NFL was interesting, especially when teams like New England and Cleveland are ahead of them. Advertisement The Patriots signed veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs, coming off an ACL midseason. They are depending on Diggs to be their guy as the best wide receiver on the roster. That seems shaky, putting a team that does not have a wide receiver who has ever posted 1,000 yards receiving in their career outside of Diggs ahead of the Titans. The Titans have two of those guys in Lockett and Ridley, although it is well-known that Lockett's numbers dropped off in the 2024 season. And when you look at the comparison at the running back position, Pollard, the leading running back for the Titans, had 1,079 yards rushing last season. For New England, their leading rusher was Rhamondre Stevenson, and he had only 801 yards. While there may be optimism in New England, it's not clear that their talent and skill position players are better than Tennessee's. Meanwhile, in Cleveland, they have a talented wide receiver in Jerry Jeudy, who put up 1,229 yards receiving last season and showed the talent people saw when he was a first-round pick for the Denver Broncos. However, one notable aspect of his numbers is that he accumulated 485 of his 1,229 yards in just three games, averaging 53 yards per game in the remaining 14. So the big season he had doesn't seem as big, and it does make you wonder about his abilities as a number-one wide receiver. At the tight end position, David Njoku is better than any tight end the Titans have. However, with questions at running back for Cleveland without Nick Chubb, can you say their skill position players are better? Advertisement The Titans may not be the most talented offense with their skill positions, but Barnwell listing them last is something that does not make sense. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
