The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote . . . Ha! I’m just kidding. Unlike my last article, I won’t be funneling my analysis through Ancient Philosophy. Hence the Caddyshack reference. No, no, instead I’d like to take some time and share a few storylines in Week One that should have a significant impact on the…
“Evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science – in all of biology” – Bill Nye And especially in the game of football. Yet unlike nature, where changes can be gradual and take life cycles, evolution in football must be swift, must be effective, and preferably must be trailblazing lest ye be left…
There is currently a war being waged in the NFL between the running back position and the analytics crowd. Many claim the position is devalued now that the pass has become the most efficient way to move the ball and score points. Offering a RB a luxurious contract extension or using a high selection on…
In 2016, the Dallas Cowboys finished the season with a record of 13-3 but lost in the Divisional Round to the Green Bay Packers. It was a surprising season for the Dallas Cowboys for many reasons. After the loss of quarterback Tony Romo in the preseason due to injury, the Cowboys had no choice but…
The Florida Gators have experienced better days, as they finished their less than stellar 2017 season at 4-7, which led to the firing of Jim McELwain and subsequently led to the beginning of the Dan Mullen era in Gainesville. Like so many coaches before him, Mullen will look to improve the culture, while instilling smart…
Over the past few years for NFL teams that are rebuilding, the blueprint for potential success has been to draft a quarterback while also having a proven veteran signal-caller ahead of them. It is a method that has had both positive and negative results for many teams. Some of the most successful examples have been…
When we think of injuries in today’s NFL, the one that will probably spring to mind immediately is the ACL tear. The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is found in both knees and a tear of this ligament more often than not requires surgery followed by rehabilitation and physical therapy. Some big names unfortunately suffered…
For every year that Aaron Rodgers inches closer to the end of his career, the need for each rookie class to have some substantive and immediate impact grows. And for a team that has seen a general manager transition (out with Ted Thompson, in with Brian Gutekunst), an exodus of talented front-office executives migrating elsewhere…
Be sure to purchase the Inside the Pylon Draft Guide (including team specific guides) for full reports on all drafted players, available now! A tumultuous Pittsburgh Steelers season that included the Ryan Shazier injury and the “no catch” by Jesse James came to a disappointing end, with the team giving up 45 points at home to…
Each year the NFL scouting community engages in a shuffle, as both personnel and scouts move between organizations. Sometimes these are individual movements and promotions from team to team, but other times these moves indicate a new front office that is looking to make a shift in the team’s philosophy. This tracker I have put together…
Time. We’d all like more of it. I often find myself thinking ‘there aren’t enough hours in the day,’ and for most of us, this is true. We all want to do so much more with the time we have each day, week or month. When you have children, as I do, you want even…
As the offseason continues, the ebbs and flows of headlines continue to rock the football world. Between the group of free agent quarterback available this year and the very deep 2018 draft class, there is certainly a lot of chatter to go around. Recently, AJ McCarron became a unrestricted free agent in the wake of…
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has ranked near the top of the MVP race all season, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is too excited about his candidacy. First, Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz was the front-runner, but his season was cut short by a knee injury. Pundits next turned to Seattle Seahawks signal-caller…
I tend to have a contrarian streak, as the other Pyloneers in our Slack chat can tell you. But I’m not the only one who sometimes sees things a little differently. ITP contributor and Scouting Academy director Dan Hatman recently commented on Twitter about the Cleveland Browns recently firing de facto general manager Sashi Brown…
“Death is certain. The time is not.” The words of Jaqen H’ghar (courtesy of HBO’s Game of Thrones) could not more perfectly describe a situation than that of Alex Smith’s. When the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to the 10th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and drafted Texas Tech quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, Smith knew…
If the NFL season ended today, the AFC and NFC playoff picture would look like this: Steelers 1. Eagles Patriots 2. Vikings Chiefs 3. Rams Titans 4. Saints Bills …