Hall of Fame Game: Four things to monitor for the Jaguars vs. Raiders
By Hunter Haas
It is NFL tradition to open each season with a Hall of Fame Game, played in Canton, Ohio. The 2022 edition features the Jaguars vs. Raiders. Tune in at 8 PM ET on Thursday for the first NFL action of the season!
It has been nearly half a year since we last saw NFL football on our screens, when the juggernaut, Los Angeles Rams, beat the Cinderella-story, Cincinnati Bengals, by a score of 23-20. Since then, the league has been flipped on it’s head numerous times due to an onslaught of trades, free agent acquisitions, and draft picks. The coaching carousel was active this off-season as well, with 10 franchises welcoming in a new head coach (including the two featured in this article).
Superstar wide receivers Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, and AJ Brown all found new homes, and lucrative new contracts. Even a number of “tier 2” receivers went elsewhere, those include: Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Allen Robinson, Julio Jones and Amari Cooper. As far as the 2022 NFL Draft goes, there were 13 wide receivers that heard their name called within the first two rounds. It would not be a stretch to say that the position is one of the most highly-coveted in the sport.
Speaking of premium positions, the quarterback and pass rushing market was fast-paced and hard to keep up with this off-season. The Seattle Seahawks got things started by trading their franchise icon, Russell Wilson, to the Denver Broncos. Another guy who has taken a team to the Super Bowl, Matt Ryan, moved on to the Indianapolis Colts after spending 14 seasons in Atlanta. Deshaun Watson (Browns), Carson Wentz (Commanders), Baker Mayfield (Panthers), and Mitchell Trubisky (Steelers) have all proven they can be a quarterback on a playoff team.
Jumping over to the edge rusher group, there were three major moves that featured a trio of the best pass rushers in the entire NFL. Khalil Mack was acquired via trade by the Los Angeles Chargers, while Chandler Jones (Raiders) and Von Miller (Bills) each inked deals with monster money per season. One of the more under-the-radar moves came when the Colts traded for Yannick Ngakoue, reuniting him with new defensive coordinator — Gus Bradley. You can never have enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Terron Armstead traded out his Saints’ attire for some teal and orange Dolphins’ colors. After years of attempting to find a franchise player at left tackle through the draft, Miami finally decided to throw money at the position instead. Armstead was not the only loss that the Saints suffered, as they are now without their starting safety, Marcus Williams, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens. Tyrann Mathieu and Jarvis Landry ended up back home in Louisiana, though, so it’s not all bad in New Orleans.
Continuing the trend of secondary members changing teams this off-season, former Defensive Player of the Year — Stephon Gilmore — also found a new home with Indianapolis. James Bradberry, following a release from the New York Giants, signed with division-rival Philadelphia Eagles to man the No. 2 cornerback role opposite Darius Slay. DJ Reed and Jordan Whitehead (Jets), Logan Ryan (Buccaneers), Casey Hayward Jr. (Falcons), and Justin Reid (Chiefs) are a few more examples from the secondary.
Now that we are caught up on most of the moves made since the 2021 season came to a conclusion, we can start looking toward 2022. The first organized football game in months is set to take place Aug. 4th in Canton, Ohio. This years’ rendition of the Hall of Fame game features the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders. Before the game kicks off, let’s take a deeper look at the biggest storylines entering the event.