How the Super Bowl Champs were built

The Rams defeated the Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

I was listening to the NFL’s Move the Sticks podcast recently & it inspired me to write about how each of the Super Bowl contending teams were constructed for the 2021-2022 season. I’m not about to re-hash everything analysts Daniel Jeremiah & Bucky Brooks said in their latest episodes, but rather summarize what they said & throw in my own flavor to the conversation too. The NFL is a copycat league where the hottest trends are duplicated time & time again. What lessons can be learned from how each of these contenders went about building their franchises? Let’s begin our series by exploring how the 2021-22 Super Bowl Champion team was built.  

Unique roster approach

            The bottom line for the Rams is that their formula for success is impossible to duplicate.  That’s because they didn’t just use one method (the draft, trades, free agency) to build the roster. They used all of these methods to their advantage, & decided to go all in on building their team. Blue chip players (Aaron Donald, Matt Stafford, Odell Beckham Jr.) were made available to them along their journey, and they capitalized by acquiring all of these great players. It’s pretty remarkable that all their hard work paid off & the team was rewarded with a championship.

Emphasis on draft’s later rounds

            Rams teams haven’t featured a first-round draft pick on the roster since Jared Goff in 2016. Their franchise won’t draft in the 1st round again until 2024 due to the Matt Stafford trade. The only 1st round pick they’ve drafted in recent years that’s still on the roster is Aaron Donald. They do a great job in using the earlier rounds of the draft to their advantage though, acquiring key starters such as WR Cooper Kupp, RB Cam Akers, & S Taylor Rapp in the 2nd & 3rd rounds. What also benefits the team is acquiring role players (WR Van Jefferson, RB Darrell Henderson, S Jordan Fuller) in the draft whose complimentary skillsets fit in well with the rest of the roster. This is risky business in terms of team building, but the Rams have done it better than anyone.

Trades, trades, and more trades

            Rams GM Les Snead wore a shirt to the Super Bowl parade that said, “f— them picks.” That sums up how the Rams feel about their 1st round draft picks, using all of them in recent years to trade for veteran stars like QB Matt Stafford, CB Jalen Ramsey, & WR Brandin Cooks. Cooks didn’t really work out, but the other two have paid dividends on both sides of the football. DE Von Miller, OG Austin Corbett, & RB Sony Michel were also acquired via recent trades. Needless to say, there’s clearly been a team emphasis on adding proven players to the roster. It’s rare that blue chip players are available via trade, so the Rams outbid everyone else to get them.

Free agency frenzies

            Finally, there were several key free agent additions that made the Rams title run possible. Acquiring WR Odell Beckham Jr. & S Eric Weddle aided in the team’s success down the stretch. Their signings of OT Andrew Whitworth, WR Robert Woods, & DE Leonard Floyd paid off too. All of these acquisitions made for a slow roster build that transformed a mediocre squad into a championship-winning unit in the span of five seasons. The Rams have this “team of destiny” feel to them, and they probably are since their formula for success is impossible to duplicate. This franchise has done a remarkable job of adding talent at all positions in a half-decade span.

How the AFC Champion Bengals were built

Me & former Bengals receiver Mohamed Sanu

I was listening to the Move the Sticks podcast recently & it inspired me to write about how each of the Super Bowl contending teams were constructed for the 2021-2022 season. I’m not about to re-hash everything analysts Daniel Jeremiah & Bucky Brooks said in their latest episodes, but rather summarize what they said & throw in my own flavor to the conversation too. The NFL is a copycat league where the hottest trends are replicated time & time again. What lessons can be learned from how each of these contenders went about building their franchises? Let’s continue our series by exploring how the 2021-2022 AFC Champion team was assembled.

Homegrown offense

            Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, & Joe Mixon were all drafted by the Bengals organization. These guys are the engine of the Bengals offense, with role players such as Tee Higgins & Tyler Boyd joining them in recent drafts as well. That’s not all, as most of their offensive line was also drafted by the team. Add all of this up, and it’s clear that the Bengals have prioritized drafting & developing their own players on offense while spending money improving their defense. Now, it certainly helps that most of their picks on offense in recent years have been home runs; however, this organizational philosophy will surely be duplicated & utilized by other teams going forward.

Mercenary defense

            The Bengals essentially fixed their defense, going from a mediocre unit to an average one, in one offseason by signing twelve defensive free agents before the start of the 2021 season. Some of these guys (Larry Ogunjobi, Eli Apple, Ricardo Allen) signed 1-year “prove it” deals, while players like Trey Hendrickson, Mike Hilton, & Chidobe Owuzie got paid the big bucks. All of the signings worked out well for the team, with Hendrickson & Hilton having great years. Is it possible that it’s more difficult for this team to draft defensive players who fit their scheme? Or could it be that defensive rookies from the draft take longer to develop into starting players? Whatever the reason, this franchise has emphasized signing defensive players over drafting them.

Special teams emphasis

            Special teams is an important yet often overlooked aspect in terms of a team’s identity. The Bengals were ranked 7th in the latest special teams rankings over the course of the season. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson scored 48 of the 92 total points in the Bengals postseason run. Do you realize the value in having a strong special teams unit after giving you this information?  It’s no coincidence that the Bengals just enjoyed their most successful season in decades after making investments in their special teams unit this offseason by drafting McPherson in the fifth round & re-signing punter Kevin Huber & long snapper Clark Harris to new one-year contracts.

The bottom line

            This is a model of success that most teams can get behind, as the Bengals haven’t needed to go out & make splashy free agent acquisitions or trade for the best available players just yet. I’m sure teams are going to try & copy their approach, but I question if many teams will succeed. That’s because I believe this team’s superior draft strategy will be difficult for teams to replicate. After all, almost their entire offense is home grown & their last 3 drafts have been outstanding. Most importantly, they haven’t had to pay their quarterback yet while some teams already have. There are certainly lessons to be learned here, but this Bengals team seems like it’s truly unique.

Options for 1st pick in 2022 fantasy drafts

Never too early to start talking fantasy. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

Team managers with the No. 1 pick in 2022 fantasy drafts are going to face a decision. Their decision is choosing between Cooper Kupp, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, and others. All of these guys are absolute studs, but they all have their flaws & injuries are always a factor. That said, are there some of these players who should be considered better options than others? Let’s dive in & take a look at all the options on the table with the 1st overall pick in the draft.

Cooper Kupp

            The 2021 Fantasy MVP (according to PFF) is coming off the best year of his career. Kupp had the NFL’s receiving Triple Crown with 145 catches for 1,947 yards & 16 touchdowns. Him & Matt Stafford developed quite the rapport, but can he put up MVP-type numbers again? That’s the concern with Kupp, as he’s been a solid WR in recent years but never an elite WR1. I’m likely to take him in a PPR league, but regression will certainly be a factor to monitor here.

Jonathan Taylor

            Workhorse running backs with well-rounded skillsets like Taylor are hard to come by. Taylor’s candidacy as a No. 1 overall pick comes down to his large amount of projected touches. This makes him an injury risk, but also gives him a high floor & high ceiling in most leagues. His role as a pass catcher has remained steady, with nearly 40 receptions in back-to-back years. What really stands out about him though is that his rushing attempts increased by 100 this year. The only two concerns with Taylor involve quarterback play and injury risk factors associated with all fantasy football players. Lots of people are likely to draft him with the 1st overall pick.

Derrick Henry

            Henry joins Taylor as one of the few elite workhorse running backs in the modern era. Unfortunately, he missed 9 games due to injury last year partially due to his strenuous workload. Here’s some context for you, he was already up to 237 total touches just 8 games into the season! Assuming a return to full health for Henry, he’ll certainly be in the No. 1 overall pick discussion. You can probably do better in PPR leagues though, as Henry simply doesn’t get enough targets.

Davante Adams

            There’s plenty of mystery surrounding Adams, mostly related to Aaron Rodgers status. Adams would certainly be in play at 1.01 if him & Rodgers return to the Packers next season. He’s a PPR machine as evidenced by his 123 catches for 1,553 yards & 11 touchdowns last year. Touchdown volume is also there for Adams, making him a safe bet in non-PPR leagues as well. His candidacy comes down to who’s throwing him the ball & where he’ll be playing next year.

Austin Ekeler

            Ekeler is undoubtedly the best pass catching running back in all of football right now. His 2021 receiving numbers, 70 receptions for 647 yards & 8 touchdowns, really jump off the page. Those are fantastic numbers for a wide receiver, much less a 5’10”, 200 pound running back. When you add in his efficiency & nose for the endzone as a rusher, you make his case at 1.01. My only concern with Ekeler is his size, which makes him more of an injury risk than most.

Christian McCaffrey

            Last year’s consensus No. 1 pick has seen his career derailed by injuries in recent years. There’s certainly still potential here, particularly if the Panthers make an upgrade at quarterback. That said, we might talk ourselves into drafting him early given his amazing dual threat abilities. Buyer beware here, but who knows how everything will shake out leading up to your 2022 draft.

NFL’s Changing of the Guard

The year is 2035. Tom Brady is still playing QB at age 57. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Eli Manning, & Peyton Manning have all retired over the past several years. These guys have been fixtures of the league for decades, and all of them are likely to be Hall of Famers (with Peyton Manning already in). Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, & Ryan Fitzpatrick are amongst the oldest active quarterbacks now. Rodgers is great, but the other two pale in comparison to anybody in the aforementioned list. Who are the names to watch for in terms of the next generation of quarterbacks? Will these dudes be as exciting to watch as the previous generation was? Let’s analyze this young group.

Patrick Mahomes

            Mahomes already has a Super Bowl win, Super Bowl MVP Trophy, & NFL MVP trophy on his resume, and he’s just 26 years old! Safe to say, this guy is the face of the league right now & likely will be for the foreseeable future. He’s been to the AFC Championship Game every year since becoming the Chiefs starting quarterback in 2018. His 2-2 record in those games is kind of misleading, as both losses were heartbreakers in overtime against the Patriots & Bengals. This list is loaded with AFC quarterbacks, but until further notice Mahomes is the man to beat.

Josh Allen

            Allen went toe to toe with Mahomes in the AFC Divisional Round this year, which was an instant classic that ended in overtime despite the fact that the Bills offense never got the ball.  I think the game would’ve continued throughout the night if Allen had a chance to tie things up. He doesn’t have the accolades that Mahomes does yet, but he was a late bloomer who was also Mahomes’ main source of competition in the AFC for many of these team & individual awards. His time is coming, and one of these days he will finally best Patrick Mahomes & the Chiefs. What would really help him out is if the Bills could get him a solid running game to lean on.

Justin Herbert

            Herbert set the record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie (31) in the 2020 season. He’s been simply incredible since taking over for an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2 of last year. I’ll never forget watching him drive the Chargers down the field time & time again in a Week 18 thriller against the Raiders this year. Let’s set the scene here, this was the last regular season game of the year & it was a de-facto playoff game as both teams faced win or go home scenarios. His team trailed 29-14 with 8:23 remaining, and that’s when Herbert began his comeback bid. The 23-year-old QB tied the game with 0:00 left, and lost in heartbreaking fashion in overtime. AFC West divisional games late in the season certainly look like must-see TV going forward.

Joe Burrow

            Why not talk about the guy who’s got his team on the verge of winning the Super Bowl? What’s crazy is that this guy is just 25 years old & he’s only been in the league for 2 years. Crazier is the fact that he led his team from a 21-3 deficit in the AFC Championship Game to an OT win over the Chiefs that gave the Bengals their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988! An underrated aspect of Burrow’s game is his accuracy, with a career 68.2% completion percentage. He really lives up to his “Joe Cool” nickname as nothing about football really seems to faze him.

Lamar Jackson

Jackson had a down year in 2021 as he battled an ankle injury that cost him 5 games. Despite that, he still had nearly 800 yards rushing & 16 total touchdowns in a career worst year. His accomplishments so far include a 2019 NFL MVP Award and the most wins (41) by a quarterback before turning age 25 (he turned 25 in January). He also set the NFL’s single season rushing record for a quarterback (1,206 yards) in 2019, which broke Michael Vick’s old record. Let’s hope for a better season from Lamar Jackson in 2022 as he enters a crucial contract year.

Kyler Murray

            You might have noticed while looking over this list that most of the hot-shot quarterbacks are from the AFC. That’s certainly true, but guys like Murray from the NFC deserve recognition. He’s like the NFC’s version of Lamar Jackson, with a dynamic ability to tuck & run as needed. The 24-year-old has averaged 5.7 yards per carry with 20 rushing touchdown in 3 NFL seasons. His infamous “Hail Murray” play where he threw a walk off touchdown pass to All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins while being driven to the ground against the Bills was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, his Achilles heel has been an inability to sustain this style of play for a full year.

Dak Prescott

            I hesitated to put Dak Prescott on this list, mainly because he’s a little bit older (28) & a little less dynamic than most of the other young guns on this list. Dak’s been a solid starter for the Cowboys since taking over for Tony Romo in 2016 though, and he still has room for growth. His 2021 season was his best yet in completing 68.8% of his passes for 4,448 yards & 37 TDs. The Cowboys QB is poised to continue putting up solid numbers with a stellar supporting cast.

The bottom line

            Let’s face it, the AFC is absolutely loaded with young quarterbacks entering their primes. This is not the case for the NFC, which is mostly being carried by Kyler Murray & Dak Prescott. The fate of NFC quarterbacks rests on the progress of Justin Fields, Trey Lance, & Jordan Love. We haven’t seen much from these guys yet, but if they’re any good the NFC will be competitive.

A new era in Pittsburgh

The Steelers need more of these in 2022. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

Ben Roethlisberger has been the starting QB for the Steelers since being taken with the 11th overall pick by the team in the 2004 NFL Draft. Kevin Colbert became the Steelers director of football operations in 2000, and has been the team’s general manager since the 2010 season. Keith Butler, the Steelers defensive coordinator since 2015, has been with the team for 19 years. All three men announced their respective retirements from football over the course of this week. The Steelers have been the NFL’s model of consistency over the past decade & a half, which is when Mike Tomlin took over as head coach of the franchise. His teams have never finished below .500, and they’ve won 1 Super Bowl, 1 Conference Championship, & 8 playoff games. What comes next for the Steelers after nearly two decades of success? Let’s dive in & find out.

Transition year lies ahead

            Look, the road ahead for this team seems like it will indeed be filled with challenges. Let’s consider their division, in which the AFC North claims the Bengals, Ravens, & Browns. The Bengals are playing in the AFC Championship Game, while the Ravens & Browns were borderline playoff teams in 2021. This is one of the toughest divisions in all of football, which is why it’s hard to see the Steelers remaining competitive with a new starting quarterback in 2022.  Mike Tomlin’s streak of his teams finishing .500 or better each year will surely be put to the test.

Tough act to follow

            This mainly concerns whoever becomes the Steelers next starting QB after Roethlisberger. Big Ben’s going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer for a reason, as his legacy in leading the Steelers for 18 years is remarkable. Just take a look at what happened in New Orleans last year, as the Saints played several quarterbacks who all struggled in the post-Drew Brees era. This team is built to win now, so I envision them looking for a veteran QB rather than a rookie. The bottom line is that it will take a special type of QB for this franchise to succeed right away.

Defensive scheme changes incoming?

            The organization hasn’t really needed to make any defensive scheme changes since 1995. That was the year that legendary defensive stalwart Dick LeBeau took over as the team’s defensive coordinator, and he was later succeeded in 2015 by his linebackers coach Keith Butler. This is why I’m shocked to read about the club interviewing candidates outside the organization. Maybe some defensive adjustments, including fixing the run defense, are needed after all though. Even if they do decide to stick with an internal candidate, the defense will look different in 2022.

Changes in draft philosophy

            Similar to the club’s defensive coordinator dilemma, the organization needs to decide if they want to stay in-house or look elsewhere in replacing their general manager Kevin Colbert. Owner Art Rooney II recently said in a statement that, “(we) interviewed (two) in-house candidates. (We’re) certainly not afraid to bring in someone from the outside.”  His statement to me makes it seem like they would like to fill Colbert’s position externally rather than internally. That doesn’t really make much sense though, considering the team’s two decade run of success. Either way, the next general manager for the Steelers will certainly bring with him a different flavor in terms of draft evaluations, free agency processes, and player acquisition techniques.