Oliver Connolly

Senior Editor, Guardian US at The Guardian

Newsletter-er @ReadOptional | Writer @GuardianUS | Previously: NFL/CFB Scout; recruiting analyst

Articles

Booze bans, homework and the end of the world clause: the NFL’s oddest contracts

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Oliver Connolly

As contract clauses go, this one is pretty painful: Packers guard Sean Rhyan missed out on $2m after falling two snaps shy of picking up a bonus. The NFL has a built-in bonus pool designed to reward late draftees who see the field early in their careers. One of those performance benchmarks is a player’s volume of snaps. If they cross the 35% mark, they receive a chunky bonus. But Rhyan fell two snaps shy of that mark last season, missing the chance to see his base salary more than double.
Don't do it, Johnny G!

3 weeks ago | readoptional.com | Oliver Connolly

No team attacked a roster weakness as aggressively as the Cardinals this offseason. Arizona poured cash and draft picks into upgrading its defensive line, spending big on Josh Sweat in free agency, adding veterans Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson along the interior, drafting Walter Nolan in the first round and scooping up Jordan Burch in the third. It’s a tasty haul. Sweat brings one-on-one pass-rush know-how. Campbell and Tomlinson add a veteran presence to a youthful locker room.
The Read Optional Pod: Ranking NFL Organizations - Tiers 4 & 5

3 weeks ago | jonledyard.substack.com | Jon Ledyard |Oliver Connolly

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The Read Optional Pod: Ranking NFL Organizations - Tier 2

4 weeks ago | jonledyard.substack.com | Jon Ledyard |Oliver Connolly

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Ranking NFL Organizations: Tier 1

4 weeks ago | jonledyard.substack.com | Jon Ledyard |Oliver Connolly

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The Read Optional Pod: What Teams Jumped To Playoff Expectations This Offseason?

1 month ago | jonledyard.substack.com | Jon Ledyard |Oliver Connolly

Jon & Ollie discuss the teams that made enough offseason improvements to vault into the 'playoff expectations' tier, while also tackling a few with more mixed evaluations on their improvement. Jaguars - Should Liam Coen’s squad have playoff run expectations this offseason? What are the main reasons for skepticism?
The Read Optional Pod: Analyzing All 16 AFC Draft Classes

1 month ago | jonledyard.substack.com | Jon Ledyard |Oliver Connolly

Jon & Ollie offer their evaluations and insights on all 16 AFC draft classes, including the fall of Shedeur Sanders, which classes aligned most closely with their boards and much moreListen to this episode with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to Audibles & Analytics to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
Evaluating every AFC draft class

1 month ago | open.substack.com | Oliver Connolly

Jon and I run through every pick, from every AFC team, evaluating how they worked the board, the talent haul they landed, and the scheme fits for their prospects. How did the Titans do in putting talent around Cam Ward? What are the Bengals thinking? Which teams have clear alignment between the GMs and coaching staffs? Which rebuilder grabbed the most talent? Which contender added the most immediate value?
Shedeur Sanders’s fall exposed the cruel heart of the NFL draft industry | Oliver Connolly

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Oliver Connolly

The NFL draft can be cruel. Shedeur Sanders, a polarizing prospect in a weak class whose profile was magnified by the fact that he is the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, had to sit and wait for his name to be called in Thursday night’s first round. He waited. And waited. By night’s end, Sanders had fallen out of the first round entirely. Only two quarterbacks were selected on Thursday.
The Read Optional Pod: 2025 NFL Draft Round 1 Pick-By-Pick Analysis

1 month ago | jonledyard.substack.com | Jon Ledyard |Oliver Connolly

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