Award season is upon us as the league is set to announce this year's winners at the 14th annual NFL Honors ceremony, set to air Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.

The finalists were announced last month, so we'll offer our views on how we see the results playing out.

MVP

Finalists – Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo; Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia; Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati; Jared Goff, QB, Detroit; Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore

This figures to be a two-horse race between Allen and Jackson as the Ravens QB vies for his second straight and third MVP overall. Jackson's numbers are better, but Allen has done more with less, and he could get the sentimental vote from those looking for a first-time winner.

My pick – Jackson. The production (41 TDs, 4 INTs, 4,172 yards, 915 rushing yards) is just too great to ignore, even though Allen basically dragged a rebuilding Bills team to the AFC title game and took down Jackson in the process.

Defensive Player of the Year

Finalists – Zack Baun, LB, Philadelphia; Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland; Trey Hendrickson, DE, Cincinnati; Patrick Surtain, CB, Denver; T.J. Watt, LB, Pittsburgh

This one is wide open with a legitimate case to be made for all five finalists. Garrett probably has the edge among pass rushers after another disruptive season for the Browns, but Baun and Surtain offered great impact for their teams in different ways.

My pick – Baun. I don't think the Eagles linebacker will win it, but his versatility and impact were unmatched among this group. Whether it be on run support, pass coverage or rushing the passer, Baun did it all in his first season in Philly.

Offensive Player of the Year

Finalists – Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles; Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati; Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati; Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore; Lamar Jackson, QB; Baltimore

It's tough to have a better year than Chase did in winning the receiving triple crown, but Barkley just may have. The Eagles running back topped the 2,000-yard mark and seemed to deliver a lengthy touchdown run every week. And even though the voting is based on the regular season only, it doesn't hurt that his playoff production has been off the charts as well.

My pick – Barkley. Too many big plays in the running game to ignore what was a truly special season for the Eagles free agent addition.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Finalists – Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas; Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington; Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants; Bo Nix, QB, Denver; Brian Thomas, WR, Jacksonville

Tremendous crop of rookies in this year's class with a record-setting tight end and a pair of quarterbacks leading their respective teams to the postseason. That said, Daniels stood out among the rest.

The pick – Daniels. His poise and leadership were striking down the stretch as the Commanders surprised everyone by making a playoff run. His dual-threat abilities impressed throughout the season.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Finalists – Cooper DeJean, CB, Philadelphia; Braden Fiske, DE, Los Angeles Rams; Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Philadelphia; Chop Robinson, LB, Miami; Jared Verse, LB, Los Angeles Rams

Another strong crop of rookies to choose from with two pairs of teammates among the finalists. Mitchell showed consistency throughout the season opposite veteran Darius Slay in Philly, while the Rams pass rushers lifted the defense to new heights.

The pick – Verse. The numbers aren't overly flashy – 66 tackles, 4.5 sacks – but his motor and impact were tough to ignore. The future looks bright for the Rams young defense.

Comeback Player of the Year

Finalists – Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati; Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota; J.K. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers; Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England; Damar Hamlin, S, Buffalo

I've written about my confusion with this award many times so I won't belabor the point. Tough to choose from those coming back from an injury and players simply bouncing back after a subpar season. If it's injury, then I'd go Burrow. If it's bounce back, then Darnold.

The pick – Darnold. The Vikings quarterback enjoyed a storybook season, firing 35 touchdowns while leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record. Burrow was dominant, but the Vikings success gives Darnold the edge.

Coach of the Year

Finalists – Dan Campbell, Detroit; Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota; Sean Payton, Denver; Dan Quinn, Washington; Andy Reid, Kansas City

I like the inclusion of Campbell and Reid among the finalists. Too often coaches who succeed on teams that were expected to do well are overlooked, and both were outstanding in 2024.

The pick – Quinn. That said, it's hard to ignore the job done by Quinn in leading a team with a rookie quarterback and holes throughout the roster to 12 wins plus a pair in the playoffs.

Assistant Coach of the Year

Finalists – Joe Brady, OC, Buffalo; Vic Fangio, DC, Philadelphia; Brian Flores, DC, Minnesota; Aaron Glenn, DC, Detroit; Ben Johnson, DC, Detroit

All worthy candidates for this one for different reasons. Brady oversaw a stripped-down attack and Buffalo excelled while Johnson's creativity amazed every week. Fangio and Flores ran two of the best defenses in football while Glenn's MASH unit in Detroit somehow kept things together.

The pick – Fangio. The Eagles defense was a mess toward the end of 2023, and Fangio's professionalism turned the unity around almost overnight. I expect Johnson to win it, but Fangio's performance should not be overlooked.

Mail Call

Moving forward this is where you can find the answers to your weekly questions in the mailbag. Jeff gets us started this week ...

I read a lot about the Patriots going after Tee Higgins. Why settle for Robin when you can get Batman? Swap first-round picks and trade all other picks and Ja'Lynn Polk or Javon Baker to Cincinnati for Ja'Marr Chase. Use your only pick (1st) for an offensive tackle and then pay Chase to be the highest paid wide receiver. Going by last year's draft, Eliot Wolf can't draft so with this option you get the top receiver in the NFL for Drake Maye and a tackle to protect him. With the rest of the $70 million-$80 million in cap space you can sign additional offensive linemen and a defensive player or two. Thoughts? – Jeff Scott

For starters I don't see why Cincinnati would look to trade Chase, and certainly not for the package of picks you're suggesting. At minimum I would think the Bengals would look for multiple first-round picks, not simply moving up from 17 to 4 plus later-round selections. Polk and Baker do not provide any value at the moment coming off quiet rookie seasons, so they don't add much to the pot either. The Bengals most likely will look to extend Chase with a big-money deal, but if that doesn't happen then by all means I'd be interested in acquiring him. But I'd be willing to offer much more than a bevy of Day 2 and 3 picks to get it done.

I am all for building through the draft, this is why the loss of a tradeable No. 1 picks hurts. What is your take on bringing uber-pricey wide receivers? – Larry G.

My goal would be to bring in uber-talented wide receivers, regardless of the price. As Jeff just mentioned, Chase is Batman to Higgins' Robin. I'd be willing to pay a steep price for either one but understand that Chase would cost much more. Higgins is a very talented player, and he will command a big contract as well. The Patriots have plenty of cap space so the price tag shouldn't be an issue. Obviously, it's not my money but I would never have an issue with spending big on talented players. They are the difference between winning and losing in a league where the margin is often quite small. Invest in talent and the wins will come.

Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels are obvious upgrades and I'm very happy with them. The narrative is the Patriots are talent poor, needing upgrades all over the field. I believe we have enough foundational talent to build on and be competitive in 2025. With another draft/free agent cycle we can compete for championships in 2026-27. Obviously, we need more impactful players. But what do we absolutely need to move the needle in 2025? If Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter were on the 2024 team would our record be significantly better? I don't think so. Would the defense have been better? Yes, but the offense would still not be scoring points and Drake Maye would still be operating under constant pressure. Without legit tackles we can't consistently score enough points to win games. Great tackles that aren't at the end of the line or have medical issues rarely are available in free agency. If Ronnie Stanley can be had I would pay any amount to secure him and still draft either Kelvin Banks or Will Campbell in the first round. Offensive line is the foundation and without fixing it we can't win and that means drafting them early. This draft is not deep with tackles. Some think only three are good enough to be drafted in first round. Defensive line/edge is much deeper. All other positions outside of tackle are much easier to upgrade via free agency so offensive line goes first in this draft. With remaining picks, take the best available. In Round 4-5 I would take the best college kicker in the draft Ryan Fitzgerald out of Florida State. Never will understand why drafting a kicker is not a priority in the NFL, given how much field goals and PATs impact winning and losing. – Tim Fraumann

The Patriots do indeed have many holes to fill … that's not just a narrative it's a fact. No one is suggesting adding one great player would have greatly impacted the team's record in 2024, but it's a start. I agree that Carter or Hunter would not have made the record significantly better, but having a great left tackle would not have significantly improved the record either. Obviously, the offensive line is a huge need and addressing left tackle is important. It will improve the line and make Maye's job much easier. But that alone won't be enough to significantly improve the record. The idea is to add talent at a number of spots, not just one. I like your idea about trading down while both signing and drafting tackles. Regardless of which positions the Patriots select, though, the more important factor will be finding talent. The only way to improve is by adding quality players not just on the offensive line but at receiver, linebacker, on the edge and in the secondary. Pretty much everywhere. As for kicker, many of the best ones went undrafted and to be honest most of them perform at a very similar level. Some of the quality kickers that were drafted wind up leaving their teams before finding their stride, like Las Vegas' Daniel Carlson. The Patriots have too many needs to be using picks on specialists in my view. Day 3 picks can provide some depth at spots where the team is clearly lacking.

There are rumors abound about Joe Milton being a trade target for other teams after his good showing in our last game of the season. I am completely against Milton leaving the Patriots as he is similar to Drake Maye and is an excellent No. 2 QB on our roster going forward. That being said, Maye is still only 22 and is still learning the game, he is able to use his physical traits to make scrambles that can, yes gain yardage but it leaves him vulnerable as a runner in the open field which can lead to injury, and he may miss games. If we have Milton as a backup, the same plays and schemes installed into the offense can be retained and the team could continue as normal. What are your thoughts on this. – Mo Ijaz

I would agree with you about keeping Milton as a potential backup to Maye, and you make good points about Maye's style possibly leading to the need for a backup at some point. Now, if a team is truly interested in offering something of substance – maybe a Day 2 pick? – then I'd be interested in moving him to add another asset. I don't see that as being a real possibility, but I do think there's a chance that Milton could progress enough during the offseason to become a legitimate No. 2 option behind Maye, which would eliminate the need to find a veteran backup in free agency. Overall, I agree with you and I'd hold onto Milton at this point.

I really don't like these coaching selections. It just seems like Mike Vrabel is picking a bunch of former Tennessee Titans coaches, not really looking anywhere else for some variety. I mean, he sprinkles in a couple of outside individuals, but most of these individuals just have ties to the Titans. I guess the New England Titans are going to be our future when Robert Kraft sells the team, or the New England Olympians? – Donnie B.

To be completely honest I don't know enough about all of these guys to know how the coaching staff will cometogether. The fact that many of them have ties to Vrabel I view as a plus. Vrabel has some familiarity with them and therefore there is a level of understanding of what is expected on both sides. How things will come together remains to be seen but I like the fact that many of these coaches have a relationship with Vrabel and know how he wants to operate as a head coach. We'll see how it works out soon enough.

Do you think Drake Maye is going to have to relearn his footwork under Josh McDaniels' offense? That was a big concern last year and he obviously improved a lot under Alex Van Pelt. But AVP was particular about him lining up with (I think it was) the left foot forward. Just wondering how much you think the footwork will be another adjustment this offseason. – Joel Lindgren

When I look back at the improvements Maye made last season in terms of his footwork, I think more about his throwing mechanics and mobility more so than his pre-snap alignment. You are 100 percent correct about Van Pelt's preference for having the left foot forward, so I'm not suggesting that is not a factor. But I worried much more about his positioning when throwing the football and moving around the pocket. Those skills will translate to any offense, but it is something worth monitoring during the offseason once we get to watch some OTAs.

As ever, many thanks for all the gems we're able to glean from your thoughtful answers to our various questions regarding the future of our beloved Patriots. My question is about our first-round selection at the No. 4 position in the upcoming NFL draft. Should the Pats decide to select a defensive player at this position, which of the following players do you think would benefit our team most, both immediately and longer term:1. Abdul Carter 2. Mason Graham. The write-ups for both of these players seem to indicate that they both have star potential, with Carter being more impactful right out of the gate, and Graham perhaps needing some additional experience in order to reach his ultimate potential. – Nader Vaez

I haven't even begun to scratch the surface on evaluating these players as of yet but at this stage I'd go with Carter. He plays a more impactful position and would fill a huge need as an edge rusher for the Patriots. Graham is terrific as well, and some people believe he has the ability to disrupt the passing game as an interior lineman, so he'd be worth considering for sure. But I'd go with the more athletic edge option in Carter, who showed some incredible toughness playing through injury during the college football playoffs.

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer