Around Week 8, the MVP race starts to follow a predictable script: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson (if the Ravens are rolling) will almost certainly feature. Between 2015 and 2019, the NFL had four first-time MVP winners Cam Newton, Matt Ryan, Mahomes and Jackson. But in the last five years, only Allen has been a first-time winner (Aaron Rodgers, Mahomes and Jackson were the other victors).
Clemson has the advantage of continuity, and that matters early in the season. Quarterback Cade Klubnik is coming off a breakout year with 43 total touchdowns, has four returning starting offensive linemen and his top three receivers ( Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and T.J. Moore) are also back. That chemistry cannot be overstated, especially when facing an LSU defense that ranked 75th against the pass last year and struggled to limit explosive plays.
This was far more than a trim. NFL teams had to shear an enormous number of players from rosters Tuesday, dropping from as many as 90 players to 53 by 1 p.m. PDT. The league's tallest player and heaviest player both were cut. A former Rams star running back is out of a job. So is a star receiver. And so is one of Deion Sanders' sons, but not the one so many folks seem to love to despise.
With a strong nucleus of veterans and ascending young players, and the addition of several key free-agents, the Rams went into training camp with a deep and talented roster. So deep that veteran running back Ronnie Rivers and several recent draft picks were among 23 players waived on Tuesday as the Rams trimmed the roster to the NFL-mandated 53 players.
C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young have a unique friendship, stemming from their history as rivals in California, enduring through their careers up to the 2023 NFL Draft.
