Athlon Sports Preseason Sports Magazine's provide in-depth analysis of the upcoming seasons and events. Each preview includes great feature stories, team previews, depth charts, predictions, schedules and more.
EDITORIAL Rob Doster MANAGING EDITOR Mark Ross SENIOR EDITOR Steven Lassan SENIOR EDITOR Daly Cantrell SENIOR DESIGNER Nathan Rush DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Ben Weinrib EDITOR Martin Brady* ASSISTANT EDITOR Simon Gibbs* ASSOCIATE EDITOR Connor Knowlton* ASSOCIATE EDITOR Juan Jose Rodriguez* ASSOCIATE EDITOR CORPORATE Chuck Allen PRESIDENT, CEO Mary Lee Vanderkooi CFO/TREASURER Nick Seifert SVP/GENERAL MANAGER PRODUCTION Mark Malone CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Sam Payne PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jim Call PRODUCTION MANAGER Mike Gregory PRE-MEDIA MANAGER ATHLON SPORTS RADIO Braden Gall* Nick Kayal* *Consultants…
In April 2019, the mammoth and ever-growing spectacle that is the NFLDraft descended on my hometown of Nashville, consuming the downtown neighborhood known as Lower Broadway with hundreds of thousands of fans of all 32 teams (along with some local curiosity seekers, no doubt) and famously crowding out the bachelorette parties and pedal taverns that normally populate the area. It was a memorable scene, and Nashville was up to the challenge, putting on a once-in-a-lifetime show for the attendees, draftees, team executives, broadcasters and the millions of viewers at home. What would Las Vegas do for an encore? There was little doubt entering 2020 that Sin City would try to one-up Music City in the spectacle department, and when plans leaked that the draft picks would journey to the draft…
1 REUNITED It took only 32 days for Rob Gronkowski to decide that a year away from football was long enough. Tom Brady signed with the Buccaneers in March. Gronkowski followed in April. Gronkowski forced the cash-strapped Patriots’ hand by telling them he was coming out of retirement. They quickly sent Tampa Bay a fourth-round selection (No. 139 overall) in exchange for Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick. Gronkowski, who turned 31 in May, said his desire to play returned not long after the 2019 season, when he worked out with Brady. Wherever Gronkowski was going, it was going to be with his former QB. Gronkowski and Brady spent nine seasons together in New England, combining for 78 touchdowns. Th at mark ranks second all-time among quarterback-tight end connections and is…
Deciding the best players in the NFLat every position is a multi-faceted process by definition. “Best” is a subjective concept in the first place, and in the second place, one must combine multiple statistical viewpoints with comprehensive tape study to ascertain the most valuable and efficient players across the NFL. Today, the NFL alternates between older-school pocket quarterbacks and athletic wonders with explosive potential on scrambles and designed runs who can also throw the ball with great accuracy to all parts of the field. Linebackers are asked to play like safeties in the modern league. Slot defenders and receivers are basically starters now; most of them were afterthoughts at best only a decade ago. So, in our lists of best NFL players for the 2020 season, it’s just as important…
Carolina Panthers Old: Ron Rivera NEW: MATT RHULE Previous Job: Head Coach, Baylor University Carolina Panthers Old: Ron Rivera NEW: MATT RHULE Previous Job: Head Coach, Baylor University Cons: Rhule’s NFL experience consists of a single season as the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach. Hiring a successful college coach with no pro experience has proven to be a feast (Jimmy Johnson) or famine (Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban) proposition historically. Rhule has been handed the keys to the Panthers kingdom, but is he up to the task? No one knows. Final Analysis: A proven turnaround artist on the college level, Rhule is a master of saying the right things while not really saying much at all. As Charlotte Observer writer Scott Fowler put it, “Rhule isn’t going to lose a game for several…
When Tom Brady first runs onto the field as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, dressed in red and pewter and serenaded by cannon blasts from the Raymond James Stadium pirate ship, it will be one of the most memorable sports moments of the new decade. Brady’s decision to bail on title-bejeweled New England for the sunny shores of Florida, where he’ll replace talented but turnover-prone Jameis Winston, was his sport’s version of LeBron James’ Decision — except without the melodramatic TV show. Not even Brady’s new Tampa landlord, Derek Jeter, left the Yankees after winning a string of rings. Brady’s move isn’t just seismic for the Patriots and Bucs; it reflects an emerging chaos for his position. Cam Newton, a Carolina icon, has been jettisoned. Philip Rivers, the most famous Charger…
