PROFILES » NFL players can feel the sting of declining age and production

Life can come at you fast in the NFL. It seems like only yesterday that Peyton Manning came into the NFL guns blazing Chris Lindstrom Jersey , rifling passes to Marvin Harrison left and right. This season we are seeing Father Time affecting another Hall of Fame talent from our youth. These days, Manning’s arm strength is about what your grandfather’s is like after a few beers. It’s not pretty.While age is often the #1 enemy of any NFL star, production is the other question going into each season. Declining effectiveness can happen to any player for a number of reasons. Maybe you used to be a dominant defensive tackle on a Detroit Lions team but then signed a ridiculous contract in a sunny city with an organization that has absolutely no idea how to use you and is riddled with incompetence from top to bottom.This isn’t just for the big-money guys. Players often have issues when they relocate to other cities even when its to teams that are seemingly tailor-made to compliment the players’ skill set. Other times, it can just be a matter of coaching, scheme changes or different personnel around you. Teams have turn over season to season on a personnel level on and off the field, and this can often create turmoil for a player that results in underperformance.So while it’s still very early in the season, we’ll take a look at 15 2014 Pro Bowlers that will not make it there this year. There’s a very good chance some of these players still have time to get hot and turn things around but it’s not looking great right now.
On the morning of June 18 two years ago http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jahlani-tavai-jersey , the Atlanta Braves were 21-46. Now they’re atop the NL East.

Atlanta has turned its stocked farm system into a major league contender faster than expected, and after Sunday’s 4-1 win over San Diego, the Braves lead second-place Washington by 3 1/2 games. At 42-29, they’re even with Milwaukee for the National League’s best record and look poised to be a factor in what should be an entertaining race for that league’s five postseason spots.

After three straight seasons with at least 90 losses, Atlanta is making a jump similar to what Minnesota did a season ago, when the Twins improved from 59 wins to 85 and earned a wild card.

If you’re worried Atlanta is a fluke, there aren’t many obvious red flags. The Braves have a run differential of plus-67 Kyler Murray Jersey , the second-best mark in the NL. They’ve been fortunate at times (11-4 in one-run games) and unfortunate at times (1-6 in extra innings).

The Braves are second in the NL in OPS after finishing 11th a year ago. Their ERA has improved from 12th to fifth. They have an MVP candidate in slugger Freddie Freeman, and 21-year-old second baseman Ozzie Albies has 16 home runs. Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is on the disabled list after a knee injury, but he’s been considered one of the game’s top prospects. Shortstop Dansby Swanson, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, has improved his OPS from .636 a season ago to .737.

That formula – Freeman surrounded by young standouts – could serve the Braves well for a while, and Atlanta has also received a lift from some older contributors. Nick Markakis is hitting .327, and Anibal Sanchez is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA for the Braves after signing a minor league contract before the season.

In November http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/byron-murphy-jersey , Atlanta was hit with major penalties for circumventing international signing rules. That might hurt the Braves in the future, but it doesn’t seem to have had much of an effect on their ability to compete in 2018.

Other developments from around the majors:

MIDSEASON RUN

The Dodgers are 11-3 in June and have recovered from their poor start. They now trail Arizona by just 1 1/2 games atop the NL West.

Los Angeles can hope this season is following a similar trajectory to 2017, when the Dodgers went 21-7 in June on their way to 104 wins.

HIGHLIGHT

If you’re concerned about pace of play in baseball, you probably weren’t crazy about Joe Maddon’s maneuvering Wednesday. Maddon began the bottom of the eighth by bringing Steve Cishek in to pitch for the Cubs. After a single, Brian Duensing came on to pitch, but Cishek stayed in the game in left field. That enabled Cishek to go back to the mound one out later, with Duensing taking over in left. Duensing eventually went back to pitch and finished out the inning.

It was a clever way for Maddon to keep both pitchers available throughout the inning Andy Isabella Jersey , but Chicago still lost 1-0 to Milwaukee.

LINE OF THE WEEK

San Diego’s Freddy Galvis went 5 for 5, including a three-run homer, in a 9-3 win over Atlanta on Friday night. Galvis drove in four runs in the game.

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