Swish Tribune

Around this time tomorrow, the Ravens and the Chiefs will kickoff the 2024 NFL season in Kansas City. The Chiefs will look to start their journey to a three-peat with the Ravens on the other side looking to avenge their AFC Championship loss. This NFL season has so many big headlines. Kansas City has the chance to make history once again by becoming the first franchise to win three Super Bowls in a row. The Chiefs will have a much steeper hill to climb this year with the rest of the AFC mightily improving around them.  Will the Ravens finally be able to get over the hump this year? Since Lamar Jackson took over the quarterback position, the Ravens haven't been able to piece it all together and get back to the big game.  Getting past AFC teams such as Kansas City or Buffalo has hurt the Ravens in the past. With Buffalo's decline, Baltimore has really taken over as that second best team in the AFC behind Kansas City.  Baltimore will also have a steeper climb to the top this...

After the NFC North was mostly controlled by the Lions last season, it will look a lot different in 2024 as every team is ready to compete for its crown. So the question looms, is the NFC North the best division in the NFL?  As of now, I'm going to say yes. Even though the Lions cruised to their first division title in over 30 years, this year will be an uphill climb. The Packers shocked some critics in the playoffs last year, the Bears might have had one of the best offseason's in football, and the Vikings are not far removed from working their way back to their last division title in 2022.  First let's talk about the defending division champions, the Lions. Dan Campbell and the front office looked at this team and said let's evaluate our weaknesses and patch them up. So, they did. They ranked 27th in total passing defense last season and decided to revamp most of their secondary. They did this in the draft and free agency and are primed for a much needed boost this ye...

It has been 30 days since Haason Reddick was supposed to show up to Jets training camp, yet he has still not shown face in Florham Park. It has developed into a very interesting and is the biggest holdout ongoing in the NFL.  Everyday that Reddick does not show up to camp, he is fined $50,000. With this being day 30 of his absence, he has forfeited $1.5 million in fines so far. He has made it clear that he will go to extreme lengths to get his way.  Reddick will enter the final year of his three-year contract in the 2024 season. Approaching 30 years old next month, Reddick wants and will only play under a new contract, that way he will be insured for the future despite his increasing age.  The Jets traded a conditional third-round pick for Reddick this offseason. They made the trade after they let Bryce Huff walk in free agency. Needing to replace his 10 sack impact from 2023, Gang Green viewed Reddick as a replacement and a potential better and more experienced player at...

 By Lucas Grodner  Top 10 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings 2024 1. Tyreek Hill   2023 stats:  119 receptions, 1,799 yards, 13 touchdowns - Tyreek Hill has been putting up crazy numbers the last few years and someone would be crazy to say he won't do it again. In a great Dolphins offense, and as Mike McDaniel as the head coach, Tyreek will have another terrific fantasy season and will finish as the wide receiver 1 on the year. Many people think Tyreek will slow down this year, but  slowing down is very unrealistic, especially for the fastest player in the league. 2. CeeDee Lamb 2023 stats:  135 receptions, 1,749 yards, 12 touchdowns - Lamb had his best year yet last year and finished as the WR1. However, due to lack of offensive horsepower from his team, and some contract  disputes, he will take a step behind Tyreek. Not to get confused, Lamb will still have an amazing year, just not as amazing as a year Hill will have.  3.  Justin Jef...

It has been a miserable past 13 years to say the least for the Jets. They have consisted of utter disappointment and missed playoffs year after year. The 2024 Jets will look to flip the script and end the streak.  There is usually one or two big stories about every NFL team, but this team has a lot of major stories. The first one is Aaron Rodgers. Yes, he will play. But how good will he be? He's 40 years old coming off an achilles tear, but he's still one of the greatest to ever do it. Keeping him healthy is the recipe for success for Gang Green.  He has the supporting cast to make this offense elite. The main duo is Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. Wilson, entering his 3rd year in the NFL, has had back to back 1000 yard seasons with five different starting quarterbacks throwing him the football. This does not include Aaron Rodgers. With a healthy Rodgers, the sky is the limit for Garrett Wilson.  Breece Hall will also enter his third year in the NFL. He has already assert...

  After an 11-6 record in 2023 but nothing to show for in the playoffs, the Dolphins come into the 2024 season hungry for more success. Miami has not won a playoff game for the last 24 seasons since 2000.  In what looked to be a promising season a year ago, turned out to be just disappointment for Dolphin fans. Miami was sitting at 11-4, controlling their own destiny in the AFC East, heading into Week 17 and 18. They dropped those two critical games to AFC foes and not only lost the division, but also dropped to the #6 seed. This meant they had to travel to Kansas City where Patrick Mahomes has lost one career playoff game ever.  You can infer what happened next as the Dolphins season fell short to the eventual Super Bowl champions. Miami is hope to change the tide this upcoming season. Most recently, Tua Tagovailoa was extended through the 2028 season to remain the Dolphins quarterback.  There was lots of speculation whether Miami would make Tua play for this contra...

  Once again, another season for the Bills falls at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Buffalo has been to the playoffs six times in the last seven years, yet they have still not been able to advance to the big game.  The Bills won the AFC East for the fourth time in a row last season, lead by Josh Allen. Allen put up great numbers in 2023 but that was with a lot of weapons that he will be without in 2024. Buffalo took a hit this offseason with many notable departures on both sides of the football.  Obviously the biggest news this offseason for the Bills was the loss of Stefon Diggs. Josh Allen's favorite target was traded to Houston this offseason for a couple of late round picks. Diggs had always seemed to have lots of verbal confrontations and clear frustration with other Bills, so it wasn't surprising that the Bills felt it was time to move on.  Along with Diggs, Gabe Davis also walked in free agency as he signed with the Jags. Just like that, Josh Alle...

  After 24 years, the Bill Belichick era is over in New England. For the first time this century, the Patriots will have a new coach in Jerod Mayo to oversee the team.  An abysmal 4-13 record was the final straw for Robert Kraft to send Bill Belichick out the door. There were mixed emotions up in Foxborough whether Belichick should stay put or if a new era of Patriots football was needed. Kraft chose the second option and here we are.  There were many rumors with who Kraft would choose to become the new head coach, but he decided to stay in house and promote linebackers coach Jerod Mayo to the spot. Mayo, a defensive minded head coach, will look to continue the Patriots defensive dominance that we have been so accustomed to witnessing year after year.  With the mediocre record the Pats had in 2023, they landed the third overall pick and took Drake Maye. They are hoping that the quarterback out of North Carolina is the long term answer in New England as they have stru...

  After a 10-1 start followed by a 1-5 finish and a first round playoff loss last season, the Eagles will look for a more well-rounded and consistent season lead by Jalen Hurts in 2024.  Following one season of DeAndre Swift at running back, the Eagles moved on up and acquired Saquon Barkley after signing him to a three-year deal this offseason. Barkley signed a three-year deal worth $37 million amid the ongoing running back financial crisis in the NFL.  Pairing Barkley along with Jalen Hurts and the dynamic duo of Devonta Smith and AJ Brown is going to be scary for Eagles opponents this season. The 8th ranked Eagles offense from a season ago will look to improve once again this upcoming season.  The offense did take a blow this offseason after longtime center, Jason Kelce decided to hang his cleats up and retire after 13 years. Cam Jurgens will take over the center position this season with the rest of the offensive line looking pretty reminiscent to 2023.  Ano...

  It seems like year after year people in Dallas are repeatedly saying, "it's our year", yet for the past 28 years, it has not been their year. After an embarrassing first round loss and a disappointing offseason, the Cowboys will once again try to prove why this season is theirs for the taking.  The Cowboys were one of the best teams in the NFL last season, ranking top five in both total offense and defense, earning them the #2 seed in the NFC. That is until they met the Green Bay Packers in the first round and got absolutely demolished by Jordan Love and company. Dallas has consistently made their mark known during the regular season, but the playoffs is what they have failed to really grasp.  Fans across the league imagined that this loss would infuriate the Cowboys front office and they would be inclined to revamp and reload this offseason. However, that was not the case. Dallas has had one of the worst offseasons out of every team in the National Football League....

  The Giants have been one of the most talked about teams across the NFL, but not for good reason. After lots of shakeup and their fair share of critics, New York is looking to put all of the negativity behind them in 2024.  Let's start with the elephant in the room to the Giants offseason, Saquon Barkley. Barkley departed this offseason for their division rival, Philadelphia Eagles, after expressing mixed feelings about wanting to stay with the G-Men for the foreseeable future.  Barkley going to the Eagles surprised many Giants fans and they feel like he stabbed their team in the back with his decision. I believe it is safe to say there will not be many cheers when Saquon comes back to MetLife Stadium in October.  Regardless of the love or hate for Saquon Barkley, the Giants have a major hole to fill at the running back position.  Saquon was responsible for 40 percent of the touchdowns scored for New York last season. During his tenure in New York, he missed 25...

  Coming off brutal 4-13 season in 2023, which landed them the second overall pick, the Commanders are looking to climb their way up in the NFC East this season. With both a new coaching staff and starting quarterback, Washington is poised for improvement in 2024.  After four years served as the Commanders head coach, Ron Rivera was fired. Washington didn't have to look too far to find their next head coach. They decided to hire a coach from within the NFC East. That coach ended up being former Cowboys defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn.  Quinn lead the Cowboys defense to the #5 ranking in total defense a season ago and will look to bring that to Washington during his tenure. For comparison, the Commanders ranked dead last in total defense. A change was needed in our nation's capital and it was made.  With Dan Quinn's arrival in Washington came a haul of new signings on defense. The linebacker room was fully revamped with the additions of Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, an...

  The back to back defending champions come into the 2024 season looking to become the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a row. Kansas City comes into the season with the best odds to take home the Lombardi Trophy once again. It's hard to imagine that a team who has won back to back Super Bowls actually improved this offseason. But the Chiefs did that. They realize that the rest of the NFL is always getting better and just because they have won two years in a row, doesn't mean the third is any easier.  The big question that has surrounded the Chiefs since the departure of Tyreek Hill, a couple of years ago, has been the strength at the wide receiver position. When you have arguably the best tight end of all time on your side, it is not as much of a concern to address the struggles of your receiver room.  But the Chiefs did address these issues this offseason. After seeing their draft pick from 2023, Rashee Rice, blossom into a WR1, they decided to give...

  After a rollercoaster season in 2023 for Las Vegas, the Raiders look to come into this season with a little more stability. Fresh off of a new deal, Antonio Pierce will lead the way for the silver and black in 2024.  Whether it was quarterback changes or coaching changes, you name it, the Raiders had a lot of drama last season. After just seven games at quarterback, the Jimmy Garoppolo experiment quickly fizzled out. On top of that, Josh McDaniels was fired just eight weeks into the season after a 3-5 start.  The Raiders moved onto new heights and placed the interim coaching tag on Antonio Pierce for the remainder of the season. In addition, they named rookie quarterback, Aidan O'Connell, the starting quarterback for the remainder of 2023.  O'Connell will now most likely have that title in 2024, but there has been some competition in training camp with Gardner Minshew. After last year's debacle at the quarterback position, Vegas should not be so quick to name their...

  After finishing dead last in the AFC West last season at 5-12, the Chargers are looking a lot different in 2024. Along with the shakeup of players on both sides of the ball, Los Angeles also has a new coaching staff in town.  The Chargers decided to fire Brandon Staley after a couple of subpar years in Los Angeles and hired Jim Harbaugh, fresh off of a National Championship at Michigan. After a 5-12 season last year, and blowing a 27-0 lead in the playoffs the year before, Los Angeles felt it was right to move on from Staley.  LA moved on from a lot of notable faces within the organization this offseason. Along with cutting Mike Williams, Keenan Allen was also traded to Chicago. Justin Herbert's top two targets both gone, and to add to that, Austin Ekeler departed for Washington as well. The top three weapons on the Chargers offense in recent history are now all gone.  They were able to get some running back help in free agency after signing two former Ravens: Gus ...

After two seasons in Denver, the Russell Wilson experiment, otherwise known as a disaster, is finally over.  The Broncos will look to climb their way out of the bottom of the AFC West in 2024 with three different potential starting quarterbacks.  With the departure of Russell Wilson, the Broncos went on a QB hunt this offseason. They ended up with three. They ended up keeping Wilson's backup, Jarrett Stidham, drafted Bo Nix, and traded for Zach Wilson. Unfortunately exchanging one Wilson for another Wilson will not solve any problems for Denver.  The coaching staff still hasn't determined who will be QB1 on September 8th, but if it were my choice, I would go with Jarrett Stidham. I like Nix's potential the most in the quarterback room, but Stidham has been in the NFL for a number of years now so his experience is what Denver should lean on early in the season.  I do think Nix should start at some point, yet it doesn't have to be Week 1. At the end of the day, Denver ...

  Year after year, the Ravens have been unable to get over the hump of making themselves the best team in the AFC. After a 13-4 season in 2023 that ended in an AFC Championship loss to the Chiefs, do the 2024 Ravens have what it takes to finally make it out of the AFC? Baltimore took a step forward last season after making it to their first AFC title game since 2012. Lead by Lamar Jackson, the Ravens had been to the playoffs 4 of the 5 previous seasons, yet never made it past the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.  The Ravens will have a bit of a new look this year after acquiring All-Pro running back, Derrick Henry. Since Lamar Jackson took over the starting quarterback role for the Ravens in 2019, he has always been the leading rusher. With Henry now in the backfield, things might look a little different in that category and could give this Ravens offense a lot more flexibility.  Even before the Derrick Henry addition, the Ravens had the #1 rushing offense in the ent...

  The Browns are back after an 11-6 season in 2023 despite having one of the most depleted teams in the NFL. Cleveland will look to finally get a full season out of their $230 million quarterback, Deshaun Watson.  Watson played in a total of six games last season for the Browns, and in his two seasons with Cleveland, he has played a combined twelve games. The Browns were lead by the fairy tale story of Joe Flacco last season, who eventually lead them to a playoff berth and an 11 win season. With Flacco's departure to Indianapolis this offseason, Watson's health will be crucial towards this team's success.  One of the premier running backs in the league, Nick Chubb, also suffered a major injury that limited him to play in only two games last season. Before last season, Chubb rushed for at least 1000 yards in four consecutive seasons and was also named to four Pro Bowls. We have yet to really see how lethal the duo of Chubb and Watson can be because of their inability to st...

  It seems like almost every year the Steelers end up with an over .500 record, labelling them one of the most consistent teams in the NFL. At the same time, year after year the boys in black and yellow fail to win the big games and make deep runs in the playoffs.  The Steelers will look a little bit different in 2024. For starters, they completely revamped their quarterback room from a season ago. From what was once Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph, is now Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.  Acquiring both of these quarterbacks this offseason turned a lot of heads in confusion around the NFL. Wilson has been slowly getting older and declining in productivity at the same time, while there have been many open critics about Fields being unable to perform during his time in Chicago. It will be interesting to see who Mike Tomlin names QB1 come September 8th.  The rest of the Pittsburgh offense will look a bit different as well. The Steelers moved on from A...

Although going 9-8 in 2023, the Bengals finished last in the AFC North. Cincinnati will need their franchise quarterback to complete a full season in 2024 after only playing ten games a season ago.  The Cincinnati offense will look a little different this season after some notable changes. After seven seasons with the Bengals, Joe Mixon was traded to Houston this offseason. In addition, after eight seasons with the team, Tyler Boyd departed to Tennessee in free agency this offseason. Some well-known Bengals from around the locker room and city will now be playing for other AFC foes in 2024.  The Bengals were able to replace Tyler Boyd through the draft with Alabama receiver Jermaine Burton. Burton comes into the offense as the new WR3 in Boyd's place and will play beside both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.  Despite there being some drama surrounding Tee Higgins this offseason, he will remain a Bengal for at least the 2024 season. Along with drafting Burton, the Bengals si...