Bryan Knowles's blog

Our annual look at two-back rushing attempts features Chip Kelly's legacy in Philadelphia (but not San Francisco), Green Bay's fading memories of John Kuhn, and a Super Bowl matchup between two teams with very different philosophies.

Defenses have taken a wide variety of responses to the rise of 11 personnel. Is any one system better than another? And how has the rise of the "moneybacker" changed defensive philosophy?

It's a three-receiver league, but for the first time since 2010, the frequency of 11 personnel actually went down last year. Was it a blip, or sign of things to come?

While the Rams added gobs of talent to their interior line and secondary, do they have enough pass-rushing to win a Super Bowl? The 49ers also need pass-rushers, while the Cardinals need a corner and the Seahawks -- as always -- need offensive linemen.

Is Kirk Cousins the best free-agent quarterback in recent memory? Should Trumaine Johnson or Malcolm Butler have gotten the larger contract? And what makes a free-agent contract good or bad, anyway?

The Joe Thomas All-Stars flips to the defensive side of the ball. It isn't just the 2004 Buffalo Bills, we promise! There are some Buccaneers here, too!

Introducing the Joe Thomas All-Stars: the greatest players in NFL history who never played in a playoff game. From the 'Aints to the Factory of Sadness and everywhere in between, these are the players who shone brightest in terrible conditions.

Penn State's Saquon Barkley puts up the fourth-highest Speed Score of all time, and starts scouts a-drooling.

For the umpteenth year in a row, the Seahawks need offensive linemen. The 49ers and Rams also need help in the trenches, while Arizona needs to figure out what to do after Carson Palmer's retirement.