Knighted For Next Level
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It seems like it was yesterday when Jaylin Simpson received his first division 1 offer from Ohio State.
The smile he displayed that day was visible when he committed to Gus Malzahn (Auburn) earlier this month.
Simpson visited Auburn for the first time last month. He knew then that Auburn would be his next home after he leaves Frederica Academy. After visiting with the coaches and taking the tour on the first visit, he knew he wanted to get his mother on campus to check everything out before making a decision. That visit was a slam dunk for Simpson’s mother.
We all have seen a lot of the commitment videos from kids over the last month. I have always wondered what the reactions were when recruits tell the coaches at these colleges that they are committing to their school.
I actually got to be present for this one. Simpson actually walked right into Gus Malzahn’s office, hugged him and said, “Coach I am a Tiger. I am committed.” Coach Malzahn’s face lit up and he and his wife yelled with excitement. It was a pretty cool moment to be a part of.
At Auburn, he will look to play either safety or corner. The Auburn staff loves the versatility that Jaylin brings to the table. Simpson has played multiple positions while at Frederica. He has played quarterback, wideout, safety, corner, and has been the Knights punt returner. This versatility makes him very appealing to the Tigers.
What made Simpson choose Auburn? Jaylin has told several people that he loves the relationship that he has formed with the coaches. Kevin Steele (Defensive Coordinator), Kodi Burns (Wide Receiver Coach), and Marcus Woodson (Defensive Back Coach) all have done a great job building relationships with him. He knew that these coaches he could trust.
Simpson has already turned into a recruiter for the Tigers. If you check his twitter you will see that he is going after some of the top targets in the 2019 class.
He has the type of personality that others want to be around, so him helping out the Auburn coaching staff should be helpful.
So, are schools backing off since Jaylin’s commitment? Absolutely not. There have been several schools who have picked up the communication with Jaylin Simpson since last week.
Simpson has said that he is 1000% committed but things might get interesting as this year goes.
Right now, Simpson’s main focus is finishing off this semester strong and getting back on the field with the rest of the Frederica Knights. Brandon Derrick’s Knights will look to win it all this year after suffering a heart breaking lost in the semifinals against Valwood.
Simpson is the first of Frederica’s talented 2019 class to commit to a school. Coach Derrick hopes that a good bit of his players will sign athletic scholarships next year.
Jashawn Sheffield has several power 5 offers. He has no timetable for a decision.
Harry Veal is starting to get a lot of buzz. The talented linebacker will be highly recruited in the near future. Veal scored a 29 on the ACT and several Ivy League schools have noticed.
Patrick Brunson will also have the opportunity to play at the next level. Before missing last season, Brunson received interest from several division 1 schools.
Shifty back, Isaiah Jackson, has shown on several division 2 boards. His vision and quickness will land him a spot on someone’s college roster.
Talented offensive lineman, Michael Tindle will also have a chance to suit up on Saturdays if he chooses. Tindle is one of the best offensive lineman to suit up for the Knights.
Next year has the potential to be a very fun and productive year for the Knights.
Matty Ice Cool Dollars
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Recently I wrote an article about the Falcons draft, suggesting that with their first-round pick of talented wide receiver Calvin Ridley, the rich got richer.
The rich being the offense in this scenario. Flash forward a few days and for one key member of that offense, it became literally true as Matt Ryan inked a five-year contract extension with Atlanta that includes a whopping $100 million guaranteed.
I’ll save you the research and tell you that this is the richest NFL contract in history and that Ryan will be the first quarterback to earn $30 million annually.
Matty Ice won’t be complaining, but neither should anyone else. Ten years into his career, Ryan has shown that he is the right guy to lead this Falcons team and the best chance they have of securing a Super Bowl win anytime soon.
Is he worth all that money?
Yes, it’s a lot of money and there are always going to be some concerns with a contract as huge as this one but here the benefits outweigh the literal costs.
There is, of course, some concern that devoting so much money to one player will handicap a team’s ability to spend on other areas of need in the future.
Let’s dig at that a little. Cap space is a much more complicated situation that simply looking at what the players on your team are being paid in any given year.
Teams move money around all the time, paying big bucks up front or deferring payments until later and cuts are being made constantly. Plus, that cap never remains the same – it rises. One big contract for a player like Ryan is not going to debilitate the Falcons’ spending ability. The process is too fluid to allow for that.
Besides, paying Ryan his market value is better than any alternative. Picture the Falcons resetting at QB with a draft pick; while maintaining the talented receiving core that they already have in place.
How many wins have they sacrificed because they didn’t want to pay up for established QB?
Building off of that, how would the Falcons even begin pitching an extension to the likes of Julio Jones if he’s faced with catching passes from an unproven rookie instead of recent MVP Matt Ryan? How much more difficult would it be to sign free agents?
Let’s also not overlook what Ryan has done for this franchise. He was drafted 10 years ago when the Falcons needed a PR win after Michael Vick’s legal woes.
In fact, you might argue that drafting this admittedly talented but pretty bland character out of Boston College was little more than just that; a PR move. But he took the reins of a team in turmoil and led the charge into relevancy.
The Falcons made the playoffs with him as a rookie QB and while they didn’t make the postseason the following year, Ryan led them to a 9-7 record which was the first time in franchise history that the Falcons posted back-to-back winning seasons. Then he led them to three more.
Think about that. Consider how important this guy has been to a Falcons team that in 43 years had never strung together two winning seasons before Matt Ryan showed up and put up five in a row.
The Falcons are as legit a team as there is in the NFL and it is thanks in large part to the league’s new $30 million man.
We’re ten years into the Matt Ryan era in Atlanta, with at least six more on the horizon. Is he worth the money?
Without a doubt.
Making The Grade
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The AFC South Champions are now a Super Bowl contender. Let’s take a look at the Jags 2018 Draft.
Round 1: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida: With Calvin Ridley going to the Falcons, which nobody saw, the Jaguars selected Bryan out of Florida.
Bryan has Pro Bowl talent, but is raw. He will come in and get some reps in 2018 and will be a future starter at the position.
Try this on for size, Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Dante Fowler, Malik Jackson, Marcell Dareus, Abry Jones, Dawaune Smoot, Eli Ankou, and now Taven Bryan opposing teams better get a back-up QB some reps during Jags week. This is a sick unit. The best defensive line position group in all of football. Grade: A as the rich get richer.
Round 2: DJ Chark, WR, LSU: Chark is a burner and will be a vertical threat in this offense.
With the addition of Chark the Jags have two receivers with 4.3 speed. Chark could win a starting job, he is that talented. LSU did not have a QB who could get him the ball consistently.
Chark joins Marquise Lee, Donte Moncrief, Keelan Cole, and Dede Westbrook in a solid receiving unit, even after losing the Allen’s to free agency. Grade: B+. Can Bortles get him the ball?
Round 3: Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama: I think Harrison is the steal of the Jags draft. He will come in and contribute in 2018 and will be a full time starter in 2019.
He can play either safety spot. I love this pick. He joins a deep unit that includes Tashaun Gipson, Barry Church, and Cody Davis. Harrison will be a Pro Bowl safety one day. Grade A+. Great pick in the third round.
Round 4: Will Richardson, T, NC State: with this selection A. J. Cann is officially put on notice. Pick up your play or Richardson will take your spot at right guard.
If Richardson can come in and compete the OL unit becomes one of the better ones in the NFL. Grade: B+. You can never have enough offensive lineman. Two words here: Leonard Fournette.
Round 6: Tanner Lee, QB, Nebraska: I’m not sure about this pick, but Missouri QB Drew Lock would look great in a Jag uniform in 2019 if QB play struggles. Grade: C. Lee could push Cody Kessler, but who knows.
Round 7: The Jaguars selected outside linebacker Leon Jacobs out of Wisconsin and punter Logan Cooke out of Mississippi State. Jacobs will come in and push Blair Brown and will provide some depth. I like the pick. Grade: B.
Logan Cooke averaged 41.7 yards per kick at Mississippi State. Jags cut Brian Nortman so we will see if Cooke is the answer. Grade B. Anytime you use a draft pick on a kicker they better deliver.
Below are the Jaguars undrafted free agent signings:
Tony Adams, OL, NC State
Dee Delany, DB, Miami (FL)
Tre Herndon, DB, Vanderbilt
Michael Hughes, DT, UNLV
Reggie Hunter, LB, North Carolina
Darius Jackson, LB, Jacksonville State
Lyndon Johnson, DE, Cincinnati
Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State
KC McDermott, OL, Miami (FL)
Quenton Meeks, CB, Stanford
Dorren Miller, WR, Carson-Newman
Andrew Motuapuaka, LB, Virginia Tech
C.J. Reavis, S, Marshall
Malik Zaire, QB, Florida
Two from this list have a great shot of playing next year. Lazard should crack the Jags receiving rotation as he has a big frame and could be a great red zone target.
Quenton Meeks will provide depth at corner for the best corner combo in the NFL.
Both Lazard and Meeks were listed in NFL Network Draft Analyst Mike Mayock’s Top 100 so getting these two UDFA’s is a real bargain.
Overall Grade: B+. This was a solid draft for Jacksonville. This team is ready to go to the Super Bowl.
NFL Draft Winners and Losers
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2018 NFL Draft is in the books and we have an idea of what teams addressed their biggest needs. I’m going to take a look around the NFL at a couple of the biggest winners and losers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs ranked dead last in total defense in 2017, giving up 378 yards per game. They selected Washington DT Vita Vea (No. 12) to strengthen the interior defensive line.
UNC DB M.J. Stewart was the second-round selection and Auburn CB Carlton Davis was picked in the third round. They will probably compete for the nickel corner since Tampa Bay already has Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves.
Doug Martin has moved on to Oakland so they also had a void to fill at running back. USC RB Ronald Jones (No. 38) should be able to step in and contribute from day one.
Humboldt State OG Alex Cappa (No. 94) has the potential to help open holes for Jones. Grade: A
Cleveland Browns: This team needs a complete overhaul after going winless last season. The year before that they were a miserable 1-15. With the first pick they got Heisman Trophy winning QB Baker Mayfield from Oklahoma. He has some off the field red flags you probably already heard of. He also doesn’t have the ‘prototypical’ height for a quarterback but this is a high risk/high reward pick.
Then they selected Ohio State CB Denzel Ward with the fourth pick. Even though they passed stud defensive end Bradley Chubb, I like this pick. I have the most faith in Ward to pan out and be a perennial Pro Bowler. The second-round picks were Nevada OG Austin Corbett (No. 33) and Georgia RB Nick Chubb (No. 35).
I think pairing Chubb with Carlos Hyde could be a potent 1-2 punch. The lone third rounder was Miami DE Chad Thomas. The Browns are trying to get some help for last year’s No. 1 pick Myles Garrett. Grade: B+
Dallas Cowboys: One of the biggest needs was wide receiver, even before Dez Bryant was released. They addressed the need by drafting Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (No. 19). It’s odd because he does not fill any immediate need.
Texas OG Connor Williams was picked in the second round. The Cowboys have perhaps the best offensive line in the NFL so they just added to that strength. They finally selected Colorado State WR Michael Gallup in the third round. Dallas is so thin at receiver that Gallup could start instantly. Grade: C-
Seattle Seahawks: Many of the players that led Seattle to the 2013 Super Bowl are gone. The formula that made them elite was a power running game and great defense led by the secondary.
They selected San Diego St RB Rashaad Penny (No.27) and that was a reach. He might become a decent player but he’s not a game changer.
Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham left in free agency and they picked his replacement in the fourth round (Will Dissly). USC DE Rasheem Green (No. 79) is a pretty good pick and he will help rush the passer. UCF LB Shaquem Griffin (No. 141) is a great feel good story and he will likely contribute on special teams.
In one of the more head scratching moves of the draft the Seahawks drafted Texas punter Michael Dickson three picks later. Yes, you read that right, they drafted a punter.
The last pick also seemed like a waste, FIU QB Alex McGough. Grade: D
The New Dirty Birds
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This is that special time of year when college football and the NFL collide to create the NFL Draft. Fans of both levels of the sport pay close attention; the college fans for validation of their favorite players and pro fans to see how their teams can improve by addition.
Coming off a 10-6 season with a playoff win, the Falcons looked for pieces to help them get over that hump they have struggled with for the past few years and secure that elusive Super Bowl victory. Did they succeed?
With the 26th pick, Atlanta took wide receiver Calvin Ridley from Alabama. Ridley certainly improves the already potent Falcons offense and could even be considered a secret weapon of sorts. Defenses across the NFL will focus on sorting out what to do about Julio Jones, Ridley could be deployed to great effect. If he can figure out the game at the pro level, he and Mohamed Sanu will complement each other to make a big-time receiving threat for the Dirty Birds after Jones.
Matt Ryan can do some real magic with those three if Ridley can step up. He’s athletic enough to do so and to his benefit he won’t need to be the Falcons number one option.
In round two Atlanta picked up cornerback Isaiah Oliver from Colorado. A curious choice because while Atlanta’s defense needs improvement, those improvements aren’t needed at cornerback. With Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford and Brian Poole, the Falcons are more than covered there.
He must have caught Thomas Dimitroff’s and Dan Quinn’s eyes, which isn’t a bad thing.
The real need was at defensive tackle, which the Falcons took care of with their third pick in South Florida’s Deandrin Senat.
He fills a dire need in Atlanta and will be relied on right out of the gate. Quinn has already suggested he’ll be slotted into a rotation at nose tackle. He’s big enough to take care of business against the running game and should be quick enough to stifle the pass. The DT pick came two rounds after I think most people expected, but they ended up with what they wanted nonetheless.
Russell Cage from LSU was taken next and he’s ostensibly a wide receiver but with Ridley going in the first round that is likely to change.
Cage transitioned to WR in 2016 after being recruited as a defensive back but is being looked at to serve as gunner, where he also has experience. A player with a lot of weapons and a solid pick four number four.
So, while the Falcons had a clear need at DT going into the draft, in a way they got to have their cake and eat it too. They waited until their third pick to satisfy that need but still managed to get a serviceable piece.
Instead, they went a different direction for pick number one and the rich offense got richer in Atlanta. It was a gauntlet throw down in a way, as the offense took a step back in 2017 after leading the planet with a potent scoring game the previous year.
Steve Sarkisian has an even bigger embarrassment of riches and he’ll need to utilize them to the best of their abilities. To me, this says that the team expects to be back at the top of the offensive heap in 2018 and anything less might be Sark’s head.
Overall, there weren’t any truly huge gets for Atlanta (thought that’s only because Ridley wasn’t as necessary as a DT was), but it’s a solid draft class for what was already a winning team.
Breaking The Circle
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Watching the NBA Playoffs recently has reminded me a lot of the “Twilight” movies; you sit through an awful lot of predictable scenarios and boredom, just praying that the end will justify the means.
The last three years haven’t felt much like the playoffs as much as a long, drawn out coronation to the inevitable; a Cleveland/Golden State finals. This year, for a variety reasons, has been different.
For one, a Cavs/Warriors finals matchup for the fourth year in a row seems about as likely as Bella ever choosing Jacob over Edward.
Golden State has looked great so far but with Houston waiting in the wings, the Warriors are anything but a sure thing to make it to the finals.
Meanwhile, Eastern Conference is completely wide open and out of the four remaining teams, Cleveland is probably the least likely team to win the conference.
Not only has the open field added a little more excitement to the playoffs, but there are a plethora of storylines that are just as intriguing as the next.
You have a young Philadelphia team, that may have the most talent remaining in the East, and they are enjoyable to watch, both on and off the court. For the love of God, I think they’ve even made JJ Redick….likeable.
There’s Brad Stevens and the job he’s doing with Boston. He has the Celtics winning with Al Horford and bunch of talented players that aren’t old enough to rent a car. Stevens is showing not only is he one of the best young coaches in the league, but he’s one of the best, period. (On a side note, I’m not sure I’ve ever been more excited about a second round matchup than I am about this Boston/Philadelphia one.)
The Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell is putting up numbers for a rookie that literally have not been seen in 30 years. This is a guy who just last year was told by his college coach, Rick Pitino, that he wasn’t ready for the NBA. I guess Pitino didn’t like that Mitchell was more of a Nike guy? I don’t know.
Oklahoma City, Utah’s first round opponent, was even fun to watch, but for a completely different reason.
Then, of course, you have LeBron playing some of the best basketball of his career. People joke around about how far LeBron could make it in the playoffs if it was just him and four guys from the local YMCA. I had no idea Cleveland would take it to heart and actually see what would happen.
And don’t forget whether or not Toronto can overcome the mental hurdle of getting past Cleveland, or if Houston’s style of play can sustain itself throughout the course of the playoffs.
Like I said, it’s one great storyline after another.
Then again, all the great headlines and Finals possibilities don’t mean a thing if the games aren’t good. Up to this point, most of the games have been extremely compelling. Even the ones that haven’t necessarily been great have at least had something else happen that added a little extra excitement to the night.
If you haven’t watched the NBA playoffs for the past few years, I don’t blame you. However, if you haven’t been watching them this year, you need to. They’ve been everything the NBA could possibly have hoped they would be.
Basically, they’ve been the equivalent of “Twilight”, you know, if they took out everything but the Anna Kendrick scenes.
Spring Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech finished 2017 with a 5-6 record. It makes the second time in three years that the Yellow Jackets missed a bowl game and had a losing record. So, the logical thing for athletic director Todd Stansbury to do was give head coach Paul Johnson a two-year contract extension through the 2022 season.
This was the eleventh spring game in the CPJ era. One major change was made in an effort to get Tech back on track. Defensive coordinator Ted Roof was fired after the season and replaced by Nate Woody. The defense now runs a 3-4 scheme.
Only 8,500 fans showed up to watch. This could be because there are many things to do in Atlanta on a Friday night or the fan base is tired of coach Johnson. The Blue team beat the White team 21-14.
Several players sat out with injuries. Quarterback TaQuon Marshall did not play after showing up to the training room Friday morning with strep throat. Center Kenny Cooper suffered a lower-leg injury in last Saturday’s scrimmage that required surgery. Guard Parker Braun and offensive tackles Andrew Marshall and Jake Stickler also were out, Marshall for the entirety of the spring.
Defensive end Desmond Branch missed the scrimmage to attend his brother’s wedding in New Mexico. Likely starting safeties A.J. Gray and Jalen Johnson were out all of the spring with injuries.
Freshman quarterback Tobias Oliver led the white team and redshirt sophomore Lucas Johnson led the blue team.
After a slow start, Johnson drove the Blue-team offense on touchdown drives of 70, 74 and 55 yards, along with a field-goal drive of 54 yards. He was 5-for-17 with one touchdown and one interception. He had completions of 53, 33 and 35 yards and finished with 143 yards.
I think the low completion percentage (29%) is a problem. I know Johnson is competing for the backup position but this has been an issue under Johnson. For instance, last season’s starter TaQuon Marshall completed 37.1% of his passes. Johnson has failed to develop and intermediate passing game since coming to Atlanta. It seems like every pass play is a long down field pass.
Senior A-back Clinton Lynch looked like he returned to his old form. He had 28 yards on three carries and 33-yard touchdown reception. Lynch failed to reach the end zone as a junior after scoring 16 touchdowns as a freshman and sophomore.
The defense played fairly well, led by linebacker Brant Mitchell with five tackles for loss, contributing to eight total for the Blue-team (first-string) defense.
“We blitzed like crazy (Friday),” Mitchell said with a smile.
It was only a scrimmage so we have to take the defensive performance with a grain of salt. The first-string defense had nine tackles for loss in last year’s spring game and went on to record 4.3 per game last season, lowest in the ACC. The first-string offensive line was also missing two starters.
“You’ve got a good nucleus back,” Johnson said. “I mean, we’ve got nine starters coming back on offense. Defensively, if we can create some negative plays and get some sacks, get off the field, who knows?”
There is not a lot to be optimistic about as a Georgia Tech fan but hopefully they are on the right path to get back to a bowl game in 2018.
Budenholzer Bailing?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Sometimes the signs are so subtle that you don’t know what’s happening until it’s too late; when you look back afterwards then you see the signs were there all along.
Other times the signs are more blatant and, in your face, much like your Italian mother’s slap across the face after you tell her your friend’s Ragu spaghetti sauce is better than her homemade one.
When I saw that Mike Budenholzer was a candidate for the Phoenix Suns head coaching vacancy some of those signs that I had maybe overlooked over the past couple of years started to come to the forefront.
For one, Budenholzer is from that part of the country, so it makes sense that if a coaching vacancy opened up that would take him back to that area, he would be interested.
Secondly, there has been quite a bit of turnover and change within the Hawks organization over the last couple of years and I could see how that would wear on a head coach.
Throw in the fact that Atlanta is obviously in rebuilding mode and you understand why Budenholzer had interest. (I know Phoenix is in rebuilding mode also, but the lure of going back to his home area has the potential to be a more attractive offer than Atlanta).
That said, now that Budenholzer has withdrawn his name from the Phoenix job and is interviewing for the New York Knicks head-coaching position there’s nothing subtle about it; he wants out of Atlanta. Or is at least doing everything under his power to make it seem that way.
Looking at this from Budenholzer’s point of view, unless the Knicks are going to throw an insane amount of money at him, I’m not sure he’s going to be better off in New York. I mean it’s not like the Knicks are an up-and-coming team, loaded with young talent.
You could almost argue that Atlanta is in better shape, when it comes to their roster. Plus, as much turmoil as the Hawks organization has been in over the last couple of years the Knicks are even worse. It’s almost as if the entire Knicks organization is being run by Nets’ fans.
If I’m Atlanta, however, I’m probably hoping he gets the next job. When you are looking at rebuilding you not only need a coach that can relate to the younger players, but you also need someone who’s going to be there for the long-haul. I imagine Hawks fans have to feel like their team is being viewed like a mid-major/steppingstone, as a means to a better job.
Plus, as a head coach one of your objectives is to have everyone on your team buy into your philosophy and vision, as well as look at you as a leader. When you have shown an interest in two separate jobs within a 10-day period- neither of which are a step up from your present position- it’s kind of difficult to inspire that confidence and loyalty with players who are currently on the team, or a free agent that may be interested in joining.
Budenholzer is a good coach, who really has done a terrific job in Atlanta. But, Hawks players and fans deserve a coach who wants to be there, to see this rebuilding process to through to the end; not someone who just gave them a proverbial “slap to the face” that any Italian mother would be proud of.
Dawgs’ New Tricks
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Gone are Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and Roquan Smith, Georgia’s best three players. All three will find themselves in the NFL very soon.
Despite losing those key pieces from last year’s run at a National Title, there are some familiar faces returning to the Georgia Bulldogs that were put on display during the annual Spring Game in Athens, G-Day.
Georgia fans will get to watch Jake Fromm return at QB, D’Andre Swift come back as the featured tail back in the 2018 season. UGA faithful will also get to see newcomers like Justin Fields, the number one QB in the country at the high school ranks last season.
Coach Kirby Smart took his team through the dog walk leading into Sanford Stadium to begin one of the most anticipated seasons in Georgia Football history and it all starts with G-Day.
A crowd of over 80,000 showed up to watch the Bulldogs spring scrimmage. In the game the Black team defeated Red team 21-13.
The Black team opened the scoring with a Deandre Baker pick-6 of Jake Fromm. A good sign from UGA’s secondary as most are predicting it will be the weak link for the Bulldogs in 2018.
Justin Fields was put in display for the fan base to see and he did not disappoint. Fields went 18-33 for 207 yards and a TD. He also did throw an interception.
Jake Fromm also put up decent numbers, going 19-38 for 200 yards and a TD. Fromm did end up throwing two interceptions.
Former Pierce County QB Stetson Bennett also out together an eight-play drive that covered 64 yards and ended with 3 points.
Georgia LB, Monty Smith had a great day. Smith ended up with 14 tackles and a sack. Smith will have big shoes to fill as most expect him to replace Roquan Smith at LB.
Overall, the Georgia defense had 4 interceptions. Baker, Richard LeCounte, William Poole and KJ Smith each intercepted a pass. The secondary will need to continue to be that opportunistic when the season starts on September 1.
The Bulldogs will open against Austin Peay at Sanford Stadium. Georgia will have to go to South Carolina on September 8th, host Tennessee on November 29th, go to LSU on October 13th, travel to Jacksonville to take on the Gators on October 27th, host Auburn on November 10th and then close the regular season out with in state rival, Georgia Tech coming to Athens.
The Bulldogs will also be looking for some help at WR. Coach Smart noted the wide receiver corps had a ton of drops in the Spring Game. Terry Godwin and Calvin Ridley look to step up for Georgia in those roles.
Georgia will still be tough to beat in the SEC East and I look for this team to at least make a return trip the SEC Title Game.
Braving Joey Bats
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Even two years ago, the signing of Jose Bautista would have come with tremendous fanfare along with a hefty price and immediate placement in the Major League lineup of any team; but in 2018, none of those things happened.
The Braves have quietly signed Bautista to a minor league contract that cost $1 million with no incentives.
What a difference two years make. The signing of Bautista, who is 37 years old, weirdly only seems noteworthy because he is Jose Bautista and he’s famous. This shouldn’t be.
In the last seven years, the guy was in the top 10 in MVP votes four times, including 2015 when he slugged 40 home runs and drove in 114 along with a league leading 110 walks. He hit 22 and 23 bombs in 2016 and 2017. He’s Jose Bautista. So, why isn’t this a bigger deal?
I wonder if people have always been waiting for the other foot to drop on Bautista. He was a late bloomer and with the exception of hitting .302 in 2011 his game was always power. That was bound to fade past the prime years of a ballplayer’s career, which he already had in his rearview.
Still, there’s a lot to be excited about with this signing. Especially, given that he costs pennies on the dollar to what he would cost any other year. The Braves have certainly taken advantage of a bizarre offseason with this acquisition.
Another bonus is that Bautista signed a minor league deal, which means there’s no actual pressure to put him on the 25-man roster if it looks like he won’t contribute.
Think back to the signing of Ryan Howard just one year ago. The similarities are plenty, including their age at the time. Howard signed for low money and when he didn’t hit in Gwinnett, he was released and there was no skin off the Braves’ nose.
The same will apply to Joey Bats. Once he finishes up his extended spring training run he’ll head to the Stripers and try to earn his way onto the big-league club.
If he does, then the Braves have a power-hitting righty to man third base in 2018; if he doesn’t, then no harm no foul. It’s the epitome of a no-risk move for Atlanta.
The appetizing part of this whole deal of course is the potential for fireworks if this plays out incredibly well. Bautista isn’t going to knock out 50 four-baggers this season even if he finds the fountain of youth. However, if he can turn back the clock and end the year with 20-25 dingers and can hit for at least a reasonable average (looking for around .250) the difference he’d make in the Braves’ lineup is massive.
Think about what Matt Kemp did in late 2016 when he slotted into the cleanup role and lengthened the batting order. The offense took off. There’s a chance Bautista could have that same effect. Plus, his presence as that right-handed power bat would take the pressure off Ronald Acuna, Jr. when he inevitably makes his debut this year.
So, at the end of the day, Bautista is all upside. He could show off and smash the ball, and that would improve the club. Or he could prove his doubters right and continue his decline, and in that case the Braves would be no worse off than they are now.
That’s what we call a win-win.
