In our first four parts, we have previewed the entire league all the way up to the conference championships. Let’s take a break from on the field play and hand out some awards. As noted in the previous posts, this is a best guess by T.J. Bryce, our Ticket King prognosticator.
Coach of the Year
1. Freddie Kitchens/Browns- This award is hard to do in the preseason but I will do my best. Kitchens had the interim tag taken off of him this off season and is now the long-term head coach in Cleveland. Whether or not this actually happens rests on the shoulders of him and his staff.
2. Frank Reich/Colts- Reich will lead the Colts through an early storm and deep into the NFL Playoffs.
3. Doug Pederson/Eagles- The Eagles will now settle down under Carson Wentz, and Pederson will be the reason why.
4. Matt Nagy/Bears- The Bears aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this season, but they will be just as good, if not better than they were a year ago.
5. Anthony Lynn/Chargers- Lynn will lead the Chargers through lots of noise early on in the season, specifically due to the contract status of star running back Melvin Gordon.
Rookie of the Year
1. Nick Bosa/DE/49ers- Much like his older brother and fellow monster pass rusher Joey Bosa of the Chargers, Nick Bosa will take the league by storm.
2. Brian Burns/DE/Panthers- Another top pass rusher, Burns will start for the Panthers right from the start, giving them the best pass rusher they have had since Julius Peppers was in his prime.
3. Darnell Savage/S/Packers- It is the Packers defense that will carry them to eight wins in 2019 while the offense struggles all season. Savage is the fast, instinctive playmaker the Packers have been looking for in the back of the secondary since Nick Collins broke his neck in week two of the 2011 NFL season, which ended his career.
4. Garrett Bradbury/C/Vikings- An offensive lineman? Yes. The Vikings biggest hole is the middle of their offensive line, and Bradbury will plug it.
5. Josh Jacobs/RB/Raiders- The Raiders are looking for balance offensively, and Jacobs will give it to them.
Defensive player of the Year
1. Joey Bosa/DE/OLB/Chargers- The older Bosa is about to become the best pass rusher in the league. He will lead the league in sacks.
2. Khalil Mack/OLB/Bears- This will be Mack’s first full season with Chicago, and he will return to the monstrous All-Pro form he had with the Raiders.
3. Aaron Donald/DL/Rams- There is not a better or more versatile defensive lineman in the league right now than Aaron Donald. He destroys the opponent’s running game by himself and is also an elite pass rusher.
4. Luke Kuechly/ILB/Panthers- Old reliable will once again lead the league in tackles.
5. Danielle Hunter/DE/Vikings- He will finish second in sacks behind Bosa.
Most Valuable Player
1. Pat Mahomes/QB/Chiefs- This was supposed to be Andrew Luck, but an ankle sprain has moved Mahomes up to number one.
2. Andrew Luck/QB/Colts- I think the sprain will only bother him the first couple of weeks.
3. Ezekiel Elliot/RB/Cowboys- The best running back in the league, and he is about to get paid. He will set the league record for yards from scrimmage at some point, maybe this season, or next, or the next after that.
4. Phillip Rivers/QB/Chargers- We often forget about Rivers when talking about the league’s best quarterbacks over the last 20 years or so. But he doesn’t care.
