2017 NFL Awards; Youth Movement; Super Bowl LIII Prediction

You read that title correctly. 

I'll predict next year's Super Bowl and hand out my awards for the 2017 NFL season this week before getting into Super Bowl LII in next week's post. 

You're going to love my awards section if you're a fan of the L.A. Rams, just saying.

2017 NFL Awards

MVP: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

It seems like a boring pick, but at 40-years old Tom Brady was the best player in the league this season. He led the league in passing yards (4,577), was third in TD (32), third in QB rating (102.8), and guided the Patriots to another division title and home-field advantage in the playoffs. We'll get to see Brady try an win an incredible sixth ring next week and you have to wonder how much longer he can keep playing like this. 

Runners-up: Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles; Alex Smith, QB, Chiefs; Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans

Todd Gurley was the centerpiece to Rams high flying offense this season.
(Harry How/Getty Images)

Offensive Player of the Year: Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

The highest scoring team in the league was led by their third year running back, who like his quarterback, blossomed in Sean McVay's offense. Gurley was second in rushing yards (1,305) and first in rushing TD (13). He also had 64 receptions for 788-yards and 6 TD. Gurley won a lot of people their fantasy football leagues with his stellar play this season and you can bet he'll be the number one fantasy option in 2018. 

Runners-up: Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints; Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers

Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams

Donald may never lead the league in sacks or light up the stat sheet, but he is a nightmare to block. He constantly blows pass the two guys trying to block him and creates havoc in the backfield. Donald is scheduled to make $6.8 million next season and after holding out much of the preseason, expect him and the Rams to talk contract extension this offseason as the best defensive player in the league deserves to get paid. 

Runners-up: Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys; the entire Jaguars & Vikings defenses

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

Kamara gained 1,554-yards of total offense and had 14 total TD in his first NFL season and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl with fellow RB Mark Ingram. Kamara and Ingram will be back in the Saints backfield next season, but will QB Drew Brees be handing them the football? I expect the pending free agent to resign with the Saints, giving New Orleans one of the best offenses in the league heading into 2018. 

Runners-up: Leonard Fournette, RB, Jaguars; Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs; Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Marshon Lattimore, CB, New Orleans Saints

The Saints have had one of the worst defenses in the league the past several seasons and they completely turned it around this year thanks in large part to Marshon Lattimore. Lattimore along with fellow rookie, safety Marcus Williams -- the guy who didn't tackle Stefon Diggs -- made the Saints into a much more respected defensive unit. They finished 10th in the league in points allowed (20.4 points/game) after finishing 31st last year (28.4 points/game). With Lattimore and Williams on defense, plus the guys on offense I just mentioned, the Saints should be really good next season. 

Runner-up: Carl Lawson, DE, Bengals; Tre'Davious White, CB, Bills; Marcus Williams, S, Saints

Coach of the Year: Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

No surprise here. McVay turned not only the Rams into a contender, but he made Jared Goff into a franchise quarterback. This probably won't be the first Coach of the Year award McVay takes home and he might take home some other hardware in the not too distant future. I'll explain later as the youth on the Rams is going to be fun to watch the next season. 

Runners-up: Mike Zimmer, Vikings; Doug Pederson, Eagles; Doug Marrone, Jaguars

Executive of the Year: John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers

A lot of deserving candidates and I'm giving the award to John Lynch in San Francisco for being able to get QB Jimmy Garoppolo from the Patriots for only a second-round pick. Garoppolo was 5-0 as the starter and looks like a franchise quarterback. If Lynch makes a few moves in the offseason the 49ers are going to be good in 2018.  

Runners-up: Tom Coughlin, Jaguars; Howie Roseman, Eagles; Les Snead, Rams

Special Teams Player of the Year: Greg Zuerlein, K, Los Angeles Rams

Zuerlein connected on 38-of-40 field goal attempts (95%) this season and was 18-of-19 on field goals from 40-yards and beyond. Zuerlein was also named first team All-Pro.

Runners-up: Johnny Hekker, P, Rams; Justin Tucker, K, Ravens

Most Improved Player: Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams

Jared Goff without McVay: 54.6 completion percentage, 5 TD, 7 INT, 63.6 QB rating, and just looked lost at times as the Rams finished dead last with 14 points/game in Goff's first season. 

Jared Goff with McVay: 62.1 completion percentage, 28 TD, 7 INT, 100.5 QB rating, and led the highest scoring offense in the league at 29.9 points/game. 

McVay deserves a ton of credit for turning Goff around in his sophomore season, but Goff deserves some credit too. He worked his tail off and turned himself into a franchise quarterback. 

Runners-up: Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles; Case Keenum, QB, Vikings

Super Bowl LIII Prediction

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Los Angeles Rams

A little early to be looking ahead to next year's Super Bowl, but humor me. 

Sports Illustrated's Peter King had a great factoid in his Monday Morning Quarterback column this past week about the youth of the Rams. Their head coach is just 32 and the nine offensive players who touched the ball in the Wild Card loss to the Falcons are all 25 or younger. QB Jared Goff, 23. RB Todd Gurley, 23. WR Cooper Kupp, 24. WR Robert Woods, 25. RB Malcolm Brown, 24. WR Sammy Watkins, 24. KR/PR Pharoh Cooper (who is going to the Pro Bowl), 22. TE Tyler Higbee, 25. TE Gerald Everett, 23. 

With all that youth, plus arguably the best defensive player in football in Aaron Donald, the best kicker and punter, Greg Zuerlein and Johnny Hekker, respectively, and best young head coach in Sean McVay, the Rams are absolutely loaded. Hard to believe they didn't even win a playoff game this year. Two Pharoh Cooper fumbles didn't help matters. 

We'll see a Rams/Jaguars matchup again in next year's Super Bowl.
(Photo Courtesy of Jaguars.com)

Who will they face in Super Bowl LIII? None other than the Jacksonville Jaguars, who the Rams played in Week 6 earlier this season. How the Jaguars botched that game in New England last weekend is beyond me. They won the turnover battle, controlled the clock, held the Patriots to 10 points through three quarters, and QB Blake Bortles threw for more yards than Tom Brady. And yet, they'll be watching the Super Bowl from Sacksonville. 

We'll see what happens with Bortles and the quarterback situation, but with that running game led by Leonard Fournette, and a defense that sent six players to the Pro Bowl, I can see the Jaguars right back in the AFC Championship game next season. They'll find a way to win it this time around. 

Both the Rams and Jaguars are young, fun teams to watch, and I think that would not only be a likely Super Bowl next season, but a great game nonetheless. 

Seeing how the Rams and Jaguars are made up of such good, young talent, I think shows that the NFL is in good shape for the next decade. Yes, ratings are down and there are many other issues facing the league, but the amount of young talent in this league has never been better. 

Two of the teams I just mentioned are led by a bunch of guys 25 and younger. Two of the Saints best players, who won awards earlier, Kamara and Lattimore, are 22 and 21, respectively. Their teammate, Michael Thomas, was one of the best receivers in football this season, he's 24. Carson Wentz, who was the MVP before getting hurt, is 25. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas are both under 25. Kareem Hunt is 22. Deshaun Watson -- yeah remember him -- who threw 19 TD in seven games, is 22. Watson's favorite target, DeAndre Hopkins, is 25.

So many of the great players in this league are just starting their careers and have many more seasons ahead of them. Most of them aren't even in their "prime" yet and they're already Pro Bowl caliber players. The youth movement has taken over the NFL and it's not only going to make the game better, but more enjoyable no matter what the ratings say. 

My predictions for this year's Super Bowl, as a not so young Tom Brady makes a run at a sixth ring, will be on the way next week. 

As for this week, enjoy the Pro Bowl while you still can. It may not be around much longer.