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Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

Someone once said that “All publicity is good publicity,” and let me just say that the Washington Commanders are really putting that theory to the test this week. The team has been making negative headlines all week, thanks to owner Daniel Snyder, and somehow, things have now gone from bad to worse. 

The Commanders were given the worst grades of any team in the NFL in a player survey about working conditions. We’ll be covering the details of that survey today, plus we’ll also be looking at the several burning questions about the NFL combine as we head into the meat of that annual event. 

As always, here’s your weekly reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the Pick Six newsletter. To get your friends to sign up, all you have to do is click here and then share this link with them. All right, let’s get to the rundown. 

1. NFLPA survey: Players love playing for Vikings and Raiders, hate playing for Commanders

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The Commanders don’t just have arguably the worst owner in the NFL, they also have the worst working conditions for players. 

The reason we know that is because the NFLPA released a surprising survey on Wednesday where players were asked to grade the working conditions of their current team. The NFLPA had 1,300 players rate how their current team handles eight specific categories, including: treatment of families, nutrition, weight room, strength staff, training room, training staff, locker room and travel.

The players were asked to assign their team a letter grade from “A+” to “F-” in each category. We’re going to take a look at the three teams that scored the best and the three teams that scored the worst. 

Top grades: 

1. Vikings. Of the 32 teams in the NFL, the…

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The AFC West boasts quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson. The Las Vegas Raiders, who are in the same division, currently have Chase Garbers as their only quarterback under contract for 2023. Raiders coach Josh McDaniels declared Tuesday the team is in the process of upgrading their quarterback room.

“I think there’s always urgency at that position. You know, look, the goal for us eventually is to have somebody that’s going to be here for a long time. I think that, you know, you see the teams that are having success right now in our league, I would say in our conference, and specifically in our division, you know, they’re young players that were drafted by their clubs and they’re being developed there under the same continuity,” McDaniels said at the NFL combine. “We’re going to do everything we can do to evaluate every player at that position, both in the draft and free agency and try to do what we can do to improve the room. I mean, there’s certainly going to be a number of players added at that position.”

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, shown during a Jan. 1, 2023 game.

The Raiders released veteran quarterback Derek Carr in February after nine seasons with the Silver and Black, which created a glaring hole at QB. Las Vegas is exploring a variety of options to fill the position.

The Raiders were rumored to be interested in Tom Brady before the seven-time Super Bowl champion retired. Las Vegas is also currently linked to Aaron Rodgers if the four-time MVP leaves the Green Bay Packers. Then there’s always the conventional route by way of the NFL draft.

NFL MOCK DRAFT: Who’s on the rise ahead of pre-combine workouts

2023 DRAFT CLASS: The 10 most intriguing prospects for April

FALCONS: Cut Marcus Mariota; ‘door open’ to take QB with No. 8 pick

Las Vegas owns the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 draft; a prime spot to select one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class. Although, there are multiple teams…

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Quarterbacks get all the attention in the NFL, so it’s fitting the league made history in 2022 by trotting out a record number of signal-callers. Not a single non-strike season, in fact, featured more starting QBs, with more than 20 different teams using multiple starting QBs throughout the year. But how did each and every of them fare?

We’re so glad you asked. To put a bow on the 2022 campaign, we ranked every single QB to throw at least one pass during the season, including playoffs. Those 82 QBs are separated into seven different tiers below: 

‘Franchise’ elite

Patrick Mahomes
USATSI
Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)Jalen Hurts (Eagles)Joe Burrow (Bengals)Josh Allen (Bills)Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)Justin Herbert (Chargers)

These guys are the real deal, through and through, and they all proved it in 2022. It’s not a coincidence that two of them are among the highest-paid in the game, and three more are eligible for lucrative deals this offseason. Mahomes sets the near-unachievable standard for contemporary quarterbacking, and his seamless crunch-time production as the MVP and Super Bowl MVP confirmed he reigns supreme. Hurts truly looks fit to rival the other young stars for the foreseeable future, however, after his breakout as a confident dual threat. Burrow matches Hurts’ poise as a prototypical pocket artist, and both Lawrence and Herbert teased the same power in their first playoff appearances. Allen is the biggest wild card, possessing Mahomes-like athleticism but failing to secure a top-three spot — or deep playoff run — thanks in part to a reckless style.

Overachievers

Geno Smith
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7. Geno Smith (Seahawks)
8. Jared Goff (Lions)
9….

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NFL free agency starts in just over two weeks and the NFL draft is just a month after that. We’ve already talked about some potential free agents to replace the top Pittsburgh Steelers free agents but now let’s look at a draft prospect to replace each of the team’s top free agents while avoiding the guys in the first round.

CB Cameron Sutton

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State

If the Steelers cannot re-sign Cameron Sutton, landing Forbes in the second round would give them a new versatile corner who can work inside and outside with excellent ball skills.

DT Larry Ogunjobi

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin

DeOgunjobi was a great surprise last season but if his asking price is too high, he could be gone. Benton is a huge run-stuffer who is everything the Steelers need as an inside/outside defensive lineman.

LB Devin Bush

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

LB Jack Campbell, Iowa

Campbell is the anthesis of what Devin Bush is as a linebacker. Campbell is a smart player, rarely out of position and plays with violence and strong fundamentals.

 

S Terrell Edmunds

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

S Jammie Robinson, Florida State

The Steelers have Terrell Edmunds and Damontae Kazee both hitting free agency. If either of them leaves, Robinson is a great replacement. Robinson is a high-energy guy who can work in any of the three safety roles Pittsburgh likes to employ.

FB Derek Watt

FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State

The Steelers overpaid for Derek Watt once but they might not again. Luepke is a more athletic, versatile and productive fullback with legitimate running back and receiver skills.

Story originally appeared on Steelers Wire

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LeSean McCoy might soon be dubbed “shade” instead of “Shady” after his latest criticism, this time targeting his former offensive coordinator in Kansas City. The ex-Kansas City Chiefs running back commented on Eric Bieniemy and did not hold back. McCoy was asked about Bieniemy becoming the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator and was critical of what he brings to the table, saying Bieniemy’s success was thanks to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

“What’s his value? What makes him a good offensive coordinator?” McCoy asked (via FS1). “The problem is, a lot of these people that go on social media, ‘He should be the guy for the job,’ they haven’t played there. I’ve been in the rooms where he’s coaching and he has nothing to do with the pass game at all. When the plays are designed, that’s Andy Reid.”

He doubled down, saying there is nothing that makes Bieniemy special. 

“When you talk about offensive coordinators, I can tell you what makes Brian Daboll with the Giants a very good coordinator,” McCoy continued. “I can tell you about Andy Reid or Doug Pederson. But Eric Bieniemy, what makes him good? When we watch the film of practices and we correct the wide receivers, the running backs, the quarterbacks, he doesn’t talk in there. Andy Reid talks in there.”

Bieniemy didn’t seem to be bothered by what McCoy said after his introductory press conference with the Commanders on Thursday.

“LeSean McCoy is a future Hall of Fame runner. Everybody is entitled to their own position,” Bieniemy said, via ESPN. “When it’s all said and done with, I think that’s all I have to say. He’s entitled to his own opinion. That’s life.

“It does not impact me in any way. Everything outside these walls has no impact on Eric Bieniemy moving forward.” 

Current and former Chiefs players have come out defending Bieniemy, including Patrick Mahomes and K.C.’s all-time leading rusher Jamaal Charles. 

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