Every week, I open up the mailbag for anyone to send me their questions on the current college football season, the NFL, or the 2020 NFL Draft. This week, the NFL Week 15 mailbag covers Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden, Louisiana Tech’s Amik Robertson, Stanford’s Davis Mills, and BYU’s Matt Bushman. It also touches on some big NFL names that could be traded this offseason. But we begin with some discussion on the futures of head coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Dave Gettleman with the New York Giants.
Do you have a question you want to send to me? Send it to asktony@pfn365.com, and we’ll be sure to include it in an upcoming mailbag column.
The Tony Pauline Mailbag
Do you believe that New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur will be fired after the season? What about general manager Dave Gettleman?
It’s usually not the Giants way to part with a head coach so soon, but I can’t see them keeping Shurmur around for 2020. I thought early on he was doing good things with Daniel Jones and it would be detrimental the young quarterback’s development to fire Shurmur, but he’s just a terrible in-game coach and makes some awful decisions.
I do think they keep Gettleman around for another season. He has made a few questionable moves but also selected two potential franchise-type players in Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones, and a few of his other picks have shown a lot of promise.
Tony, are there any bigger named 2020 NFL Draft prospects that have yet to state they are pulling out of their bowl games but are in fact not playing?
I have not heard of any names at the present time, but I’m sure a few more will be announced. While he’s not a bigger named prospect, I’m told Louisiana Tech cornerback Amik Robertson, who I mentioned on Twitter is entering the draft, has not been to practice the past few days – a sign that he’s likely to skip the team’s bowl game.
I will be speaking about this at length during my podcast with Andy Herman, which you can listen to tomorrow on Pro Football Network.
How likely is it that we could see Derek Carr, Matthew Stafford, or Le’Veon Bell dealt this offseason given where those teams are at and where they appear to be headed?
I don’t think Stafford gets dealt. I believe Carr, Bell, and Jamal Adams will be dangled during the offseason. I was told the San Francisco 49ers were interested in Bell at the trade deadline, but their running back by committee seems to be working well for them now.
Lynn Bowden has declared for the NFL Draft. If he gets drafted as a wide receiver, could we hear his name on day two, or maybe even late day one?
I’d be surprised if Bowden goes in the first round – shocked as a matter of fact. There are some issues in Bowden’s past that are going to raise red flags for certain teams.
I have my reservations about this type of quarterback to receiver prospect being selected in the top-90 picks, but his sheer athleticism will definitely be attractive to some team on day two of the draft.
Tony, what are your thoughts on Stanford’s Davis Mills competing for QB1 with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence in 2021?
Mills is definitely coming from the right college program, but I don’t see him really challenging Lawrence next year. That said, it may not come as easy for Lawrence at Clemson in 2020 given the graduation of so many of his offensive linemen and the expected departure of two receivers and his running back to the NFL.
Which under the radar tight ends have great matchups in bowl games which, along with a good pre-draft process, could see their draft stocks increase?
If Matt Bushman of BYU (whom I’m told will enter the 2020 NFL Draft) works out well, his stock will take off.
Despite the fact he never developed as I expected, I could see Nick Eubanks of Michigan getting a lot of love during pro-day.
Tyler Mabry of Maryland, by way of the University of Buffalo, is another whose stock will take off if he runs a decent (4.75s) forty time and tests well.
Time for some Led Zeppelin discussion. As a drummer, how close is Jason Bonham to his father?
Bonzo was much better, though Bonzo also played so much more than Jason in his early years, touring as much as Zeppelin did.
I saw Jason in concert a few times – Zeppelin reunion in 1988, when his band Bonham opened up for ELP around 1992, and most recently Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience.
Jason is good, but I saw his dad play with Zeppelin in 1977 and Bonzo was otherworldly.
Zep I, II or Houses? Best album?
Of the three you listed, I gotta go with Led Zeppelin II (presently enshrined in a Hot Wheels model). Overall, though, Physical Graffiti has always been my personal favorite – in my opinion, the greatest album ever pressed in vinyl.
Where do you rate No Quarter as far as the greatest Zeppelin songs – top 5 or top 10?
I’d say lower end of top 10, if not outside. I like the studio version of No Quarter and love the live version, but there are at least six songs from Physical Graffiti I would grade higher than NQ.
Tony Pauline is Pro Football Network’s NFL Draft Analyst and Insider. Follow him on Twitter @TonyPauline. Follow PFN on Twitter @PFN365.