Christian D'Andrea

Madison

@ForTheWin NFL writer. PFWA. formers @draftkings @SBNation @uproxx @rushthecourt. Rhode Island cuisine expert. i use antlers in all of my decorating. Vandy

Articles

11 best post-June 1 NFL free agents, from Asante Samuel Jr. to Keenan Allen

6 days ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Christian D'Andrea

June 2 is an important date on the NFL calendar. It's the day players released in the offseason can have their dead salary cap hits spread over the current season and the next. It's also the day players can be signed in free agency without affecting a team's compensatory draft pick formula. The NFL's compensatory pick formula is designed to bolster teams who lose more than they gain in free agency.
Explaining The Rehearsal's season 2, a show that defies explanation

1 week ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Christian D'Andrea

Nathan Fielder opened season two of The Rehearsal with a premise. After studying aviation accidents (relatable to anyone who Wikipedia wormholes their way through a bunch of crashes a few times per year because my brain is broken in that one specific way), he came to the conclusion several are the result of ineffective cockpit communication. The pilot makes an error. The co-pilot doesn't correct. Disaster ensues.
Jalen Ramsey is seemingly counting down the days until the Dolphins can trade him

1 week ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Christian D'Andrea

Jalen Ramsey and the Miami Dolphins are headed toward a mutual breakup. One side seems more excited about it than the other. The Dolphins announced they'd seek a trade for the three-time All-Pro cornerback back in April before the 2025 NFL Draft. While Ramsey didn't formally request to be dealt, both sides agreed it was the best path moving forward following a reported clash between the defensive back and head coach Mike McDaniel.
Death Wish coffee is a threat to your taste buds (complimentary)

1 week ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Christian D'Andrea

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey. I have a friend who swears by Death Wish coffee. But he's also a vaguely intense dude who wakes up before his kids rise to sneak in hour-long workouts.
1 glaring weakness for every NFL team in summer 2025

1 week ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Christian D'Andrea

The 2025 NFL offseason has died down from a roar to a whisper. With free agency and the draft come and gone, most teams have settled into cutting talent rather than adding it. That doesn't mean every team can be happy with where it's landed, however. All 32 franchises still have weaknesses to address, whether they're the minimal concerns of a reigning champion or the dire straits of the Cleveland Browns.
The Wienie 500 was perfect Friday at-work viewing and social media erupted

2 weeks ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Christian D'Andrea

The Wienie 500 was the highest drama you could possibly imagine. For a two-lap race between six enormous hot dog-shaped vehicles. Oscar Meyer's public relations team pulled a minor coup Friday, staging the first-ever race between Weinermobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race, held at 2 p.m. E.T. on what's technically a workday, took over social media and drew upwards of 20,000 live viewers on Fox Sports' YouTube stream alone. The race itself had everything.
Breckenridge's Spring Forward IPA is a throwback. It's a toss up whether that's good

2 weeks ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Christian D'Andrea

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey. Breckenridge feels like it's always been there. Maybe not with the cache of a Sam Adams or a Sierra Nevada, but lurking on the shelves of your local bottle shop since you hit drinking age. The brewer has, in fact, only been around since 1990. Which, sources tell me is 35 years ago and... good god.
Rick and Morty season 8 is familiar high concept, stupid execution hijinks

2 weeks ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Christian D'Andrea

Season eight of Rick and Morty is brand new. But you've seen it before. More than a decade into the Adult Swim staple's run, the cartoon is content to play the hits. The newest season doesn't cover new ground — at least not in the four episodes screened for reviewers this spring. Most are minor tweaks on familiar themes, winking acknowledgement to pop culture references and, as always, lots of high concept sci-fi themes applied to tremendously stupid situations. And, you know what? It works.
How the 2024 College Football Playoff would have looked with 2025's seeding

2 weeks ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Christian D'Andrea

The 12-team College Football Playoff only made it one season before its first major change. In 2024, you needed to win your conference to be considered for a top four seed and one of the coveted byes to the national quarterfinals. In 2025, taking home the Big 12 or Mountain West crown may no longer skip you past the on-campus round of preliminary games.
How the 2024 College Football Playoff would have looked with 2025's seeding

2 weeks ago | swtimes.com | Christian D'Andrea

The 12-team College Football Playoff only made it one season before its first major change. In 2024, you needed to win your conference to be considered for a top four seed and one of the coveted byes to the national quarterfinals. In 2025, taking home the Big 12 or Mountain West crown may no longer skip you past the on-campus round of preliminary games.