The NFL season is upon us, and after another whirlwind offseason of coaching changes and player movements, I’m pleased to present the 2nd edition of my NFL Roster Valuation model. For those not familiar with the previous iteration, the goal of my roster assessment isn’t to fall in line with others that put together individual…
With mandatory minicamps just finishing it’s officially holdout season: The time of year when players publicly announce their displeasure with their current contract and choose not to attend training camp to create leverage for an extension or a new deal. You’ll see this with players on their rookie deals and disgruntled veterans who believe their…
Offensive linemen are often the most overlooked and yet important position group on the football field. The general public typically notices offensive line play only when there is a glaring mistake or a big-time block. But offenses don’t succeed in spite of offensive lines, they succeed because of them. With that in mind and the…
All production is good and all sacks are good. I’m not here to debate that. From a team or fan perspective, an 8-second hustle sack is just as valuable as DeMarcus Ware bending the edge in a ridiculous show of athleticism. But while the box score stat has consistent value on the field, it can…
There are all kinds of ways to play fantasy football, but in DFS, Sharona E is trying to wade through the strategies as she learns the ways of this game. Welcome back to my weekly Daily Fantasy Sports diary where I chronicle playing DFS for the first time. The first two weeks did not go very well so how did I do in Week 3?…
For well over a decade, the NFL has placed more and more emphasis on the passing game. With this emphasis has come an increased importance on protecting quarterbacks, especially their blindsides. Dave Archibald discusses the offensive line value that can be found when teams veer from the accepted practice of investing disproportionately at left tackle. Michael Oher…
One of the most important factors to winning games is pressuring the opposing quarterback and totaling up sacks. Ethan Young has developed a formula, drawing on data from 2009 to 2015, for accurately predicting future sacks totals, to see which players are expected to increase their sack totals, and which players we can expect to see a decrease…
Every season there are good players who get overlooked or are undervalued across the NFL. As we approach the regular season, Brandon Thorn will look at players who are not getting the appropriate level of attention from big media – or even smaller entities – and put them under the microscope to evaluate their skills and…
The 2017 NFL Draft will feature many edge rushing prospects that have the potential to be elite players in the NFL. However, one name often mentioned might have trouble reaching that elite level. Jon Ledyard breaks down University of Tennessee prospect Derek Barnett and how his cornering ability leaves something to be desired. Dan Hatman recently…
Front offices have been trying to perfect draft and player evaluation for years in order to figure out how to get an upper hand on draft selections and draft trades. But the methods used for evaluation are outdated at best. Ethan Young has come up with a new model called Modified Approximate Value Evaluation Model…
The AFC South is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing divisions in the NFL. Matt Danely begins a four-part series breaking down each team to explain how that team has been developing and their expected impact on the division. First up is the 2016 Houston Texans. The current state of the AFC…
Football is littered with specialized terminology. From punt gunner to climbing the pocket, commentators rarely get to explain everything you need to know before the next play.Inside The Pylon’s glossary was developed to give fans a deeper understanding of the game through clear explanations, as well as image and video examples. Pleasecontact us with any terms…
Saturday playoff games are a treat, mostly because we at Inside The Pylon are not publishing the next day, and can just watch the games. When we do watch, we chat. And here, for your reading pleasure, our Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans Wild Card chat. Craig Craker: Marshawn Lynch was just ruled as OUT…
Few tasks are harder in the NFL than diffusing Watt of the Houston Texans. The two-time defensive player of the year forces opposing offenses to devise game plans around him in an effort to contain his disruptive ways. Brian Filipiak says that teams know they need to use almost every tactic to have a chance at slowing…
Brandon Thorn, from The Football Educator, and Duke Manyweather guest write on Inside the Pylon to release their 2015 All-Underrated Offensive Line Team and to hand out awards for excellent blocks executed this season. Offensive linemen are the most overlooked and important position group on the football field. The general public typically notices offensive line play…
Defenses rely on eleven players doing their jobs. Brian Filipiak breaks down how the New England Patriots team sack of Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill shows it takes a village. The Dolphins offense uses a heavy dose of misdirection in an attempt to deceive opposing defenses, both in the running and passing game. But the Patriots defense rarely fell victim…