A look at what’s happening around the majors Thursday:
CLUTCH CITY
Alex Bregman is red-hot at the plate as the Astros travel to Tampa Bay for a four-game series Jonah Williams Jersey , and he’s been especially good late in games. Bregman has homered in three straight, including a game-ending two-run shot Wednesday to cap Houston’s rally from five runs down against Toronto. That was the second walk-off hit this month for Bregman, who also had a game-ending single in Game 5 of last year’s World Series. Bregman is 9 for 17 with three homers and five doubles since shaving his mustache midway through a game Sunday.
TAKE TWO
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw looks to sharpen his stuff against the Cubs in his second start since ending a DL stint for a lower back strain. Kershaw stumbled through three innings against the Mets last Saturday after surprisingly nixing a scheduled minor league rehab assignment http://www.thebengalsfootballauthentic.com/drew-sample-jersey-authentic , though Los Angeles beat New York 8-3 that day behind stellar relief work from rookie Caleb Ferguson. The 21-year-old left-hander is set to follow Kershaw again against Chicago. Kershaw acknowledged feeling some rust at Citi Field, when he was limited to 55 pitches. He’s hoping to go deeper and pitch more effectively this time at Dodger Stadium.
BOSIO FIRED
The Tigers fired pitching coach Chris Bosio on Wednesday, saying he made insensitive comments to another employee of the team. General manager Al Avila said Bosio made the comments recently and they were brought to Avila’s attention Tuesday. Avila decided Wednesday to terminate Bosio’s contract after the team investigated the situation and spoke to all of the people involved. Detroit promoted bullpen coach Rick Anderson to replace Bosio. Roving pitching instructor A.J. Sager will be the team’s bullpen coach until Triple-A Toledo pitching coach Jeff Pico takes his place next week. The Tigers are set to wrap a four-game series against Oakland.
ANOTHER SHOT AT NOLA
The Nationals try to solve the Phillies’ Aaron Nola five days after the right-hander won a 5-3 decision in Washington. Nola (9-2 Germaine Pratt Jersey , 2.58) allowed two runs, four hits and three walks over six innings while striking out five in that game. Nola is fifth in the NL in ERA, and only Mets ace Jacob deGrom has allowed fewer home runs per nine innings than Nola (0.53) among qualified NL starters.
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The New York Giants’ coaching search was delayed by a winter storm that dumped nearly a 1 1/2 feet of snow on some New Jersey shore towns.
The Giants had scheduled an interview Thursday with Eric Studesville http://www.thebengalsfootballauthentic.com/ryan-finley-jersey-authentic , the recently fired Broncos’ running backs coach who had been in Denver since 2010 and was the interim head coach after Josh McDaniels’ firing that year.
Studesville now will be interviewed next week.
The National Weather Service said roughly six inches of snow fell in the Meadowlands area. Gov. Chris Christie ordered all state government offices closed.
New general manager Dave Gettleman will be in the New England area on Friday to interview McDaniels, the current Patriots’ offensive coordinator, and Matt Patricia Renell Wren Jersey , his defensive counterpart.
Interviews are planned this weekend with Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
The Giants (3-13) also plan to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
The interview process started Wednesday with interim coach Steve Spagnuolo. He posted a 1-3 record after replacing Ben McAdoo on Dec. 4.
Throughout any professional sport in the world http://www.cardinalscheapstore.com/zach-allen-jersey-cheap , there are some talents that just mean more to an organization than others. Because of this, there are distinct categories for such players. On a roster, you have athletes that can be listed as back-ups, role players, starters and team leaders.And more than each and every one if those roles, you have the one that stands out more than others: the franchise’s most untouchable player.Although a team can have a variety of great players Hakeem Butler Jersey , there is something to be said if you are deemed untouchable. With this distinction, it means that no matter what circumstance has come about, that player will still be donning their respective team’s uniform, while also being the poster boy for anything that is describe or shown about the organization.When you think of a lot of teams – most notably the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers http://www.bengalscheapstore.com/jonah-williams-jersey-cheap , amongst others – there could be more than one player that is a part of the team that deserves the distinction of being untouchable. However, for the sake of the list, there was only one talent chosen for each respective franchise.Don’t get me wrong, it’s not to undermine the multiple great players that could be a focal point of each team; however, in the end, there could only be one player that truly embodies what the word is: untouchable.Some teams were tougher than others to narrow it down to just one player. As you can imagine Drew Sample Jersey , in a quarterback driven league, the quarterback position will feature prominently on this list. There are some teams though where their most important player could be at another skill position or even on the defensive side of the ball. With that being said, here is my list of one untouchable player for each NFL team. The Chicago Bears have hired Harry Hiestand for a second stint as their offensive line coach.
With the Bears announcing the move Wednesday, Hiestand becomes the first assistant to join new coach Matt Nagy’s staff.
Hiestand was Chicago’s offensive line coach under Lovie Smith from 2005-09. With six-time Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz leading the line, Hiestand oversaw a group that helped the Bears reach a Super Bowl.
He spent the past six seasons coaching Notre Dame’s offensive line. The Fighting Irish averaged 190 yards rushing during that time.
Hiestand has 36 years of coaching experience.
Nagy spent 10 seasons working under Andy Reid in Philadelphia and Kansas City. He was the Chiefs’ sole offensive coordinator this season.
Kole Calhoun Marquise Brown Jersey , Luis Valbuena and the Los Angeles Angels seem to be hitting their way out of a long funk.
Valbuena homered twice, Calhoun connected for the second consecutive game and the Angels defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 8-5 on Thursday night.
The Angels have won two straight after dropping seven of eight. They handed the Blue Jays their ninth loss in 10 road games.
Calhoun launched a two-run homer off John Axford (1-1) in the fourth inning to put the Angels ahead 4-3. The right fielder went 1 for 3 with a walk, scoring on Martin Maldonado’s double in the sixth, and is 4 for 10 in three games since returning from a stint on the disabled list because of a strained oblique muscle.
”He looks so calm, so comfortable out there. I think he’s seeing the ball much better, more plate coverage. All the things that lead to positive results seem to be in his game,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Calhoun, who was hitting .145 before the injury.
Valbuena made it 6-3 with his two-run shot to center field in the fifth, and added a solo drive to right in the seventh. It was his eighth career multihomer game.
The streaky Valbuena was 5 for 40 over his previous 11 games and hadn’t homered in his last 18. Valbuena went deep twice in that game at Detroit on May 29, and Scioscia had thought that would mark the beginning of a turnaround.
”If you look at Luis’ track record, he gets real hot and at times he gets cold,” Scioscia said. ”There’s no doubt there is more OPS in his game, especially against right-handed pitching. Once he finds it, he usually swings the bat like he did the second half of last year, and that’s something we’re going to need.”
Even the Angels’ erratic bullpen did its part, as Noe Ramirez (3-3) retired all eight batters he faced – striking out four – after relieving John Lamb in the fourth. Justin Anderson got his third save.
Lamb, a late replacement for injured Los Angeles starter Tyler Skaggs, went 3 1/3 innings. Lamb gave up three runs, six hits and one walk in his first career start at home.
For the Blue Jays Miles Boykin Jersey , they couldn’t remedy their road woes despite home runs from Randal Grichuk, Lourdes Gurriel and Kendrys Morales.
”They got a couple big homers off Ax. I mean, he’s been dominating left-handers all year, and two leftys got him today. We hung around, but we just couldn’t get anything going late,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said.
TROUT AT 1,000
Mike Trout went 0 for 2 with three walks in his 1,000th career game, ending his hitting streak at eight games. Trout, who has reached base in 31 of 47 plate appearances over his last nine games http://www.packerscheapshoponline.com/cheap-authentic-darnell-savage-jr.-jersey , was the designated hitter and is not expected to be used in the outfield during the four-game series because of a sprained right index finger.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez was pulled after the first inning due to a bruised right index finger. The Blue Jays said X-rays did not reveal any further injury. ”He’d been pitching pretty good lately, but hopefully this isn’t a big deal,” Gibbons said.
Angels: Skaggs was scratched because of tightness in his right hamstring. Scioscia said there’s a chance Skaggs could start Sunday.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (4-6, 4.66 ERA) tries for his third straight win. Estrada has allowed three runs in 18 2/3 innings over his last three starts.
Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney (3-5, 3.64) has won three of his last four starts at home, including a one-hit shutout against Kansas City on June 5.
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The Dallas Cowboys have released defensive end Benson Mayowa in a move that saves $2.8 million against the salary cap as the team tries to absorb a big raise for 2017 team sacks leader DeMarcus Lawrence.
Mayowa led the team with six sacks in 2016, his first season after signing an offer sheet that Oakland declined to match. But the 26-year-old had just one sack last season with Lawrence emerging as one of the league’s best pass rushers in a breakout season.
The Cowboys also released defensive tackle Joe Vellano on Wednesday. Vellano didn’t play for Dallas after joining the practice squad in November.
The release of Mayowa came two days after Lawrence signed a $17.1 million, one-year contract under the franchise tag. Mayowa has nine sacks in five seasons, including one with Seattle and two with the Raiders.
Week 12 of the 2018 NFL season kicked off on Thursday with wins by the Bears Youth DJ Moore Jersey , Cowboys and Saints and it continues with 11 more games on Sunday, which means that the 22 teams in those games submitted their final injury reports of the week on Friday.Questionable players are uncertain to play, doubtful players are unlikely to play and out should be self-explanatory. Players who are on active rosters and don鈥檛 appear below should be considered healthy enough to play barring any announcements on Saturday. The teams playing on Monday night won鈥檛 release their injury reports until Saturday and are not listed here.With that housekeeping out of the way, here are all the injury reports for Sunday.Seahawks at PanthersSeahawks LB K.J. Wright (knee) is out again. WR Doug Baldwin (groin) is listed as questionable.Two wide receivers make up the entire Panthers injury report. Devin Funchess (back) is considered doubtful while WR Torrey Smith (knee) is expected to play despite being listed as questionable.Jaguars at BillsThe Jaguars ruled out聽WR D.J. Chark (quadricep), DE Lerentee McCray (hamstring), CB Quenton Meeks (knee) and G Josh Walker (foot,聽ankle) on Friday.聽DT Eli Ankou (calf), G A.J. Cann (hamstring) and DT Marcell Dareus (back) are listed as questionable.Bills QB Josh Allen (elbow) is off the injury report and set to start.聽QB Derek Anderson (concussion) is out and TE Charles Clay (hamstring) is listed as doubtful.聽C Russell Bodine (shoulder), CB Taron Johnson (shoulder), DE Shaq Lawson (elbow) and DE Trent Murphy (knee) are listed as questionable.Browns at BengalsBrowns聽TE David Njoku (knee) and C J.C. Tretter (ankle) are listed as questionable for this Battle of Ohio.WR A.J. Green (toe) didn’t practice this week, but the Bengals are leaving the light on by listing him as questionable.聽WR Josh Malone (hamstring) and LB Nick Vigil (knee) are out while T Cordy Glenn (back) and聽CB Dre Kirkpatrick (shoulder) join Green in the questionable category.Patriots at JetsQB Tom Brady (knee DJ Moore Men Jersey , illness) and TE Rob Gronkowski (ankle, back) are both listed as questionable for the Patriots, but both are expected to be in the lineup. TE Dwayne Allen (knee) is the only player ruled out.聽S Nate Ebner (knee), G Shaq Mason (calf) and RB Sony Michel (knee) are also listed as questionable.Jets QB Sam Darnold (foot) is out for the second straight game.聽G James Carpenter (shoulder) and S Marcus Maye (thumb,聽shoulder) are listed as doubtful while聽WR Robby Anderson (ankle) and LB Brandon Copeland (elbow) are deemed questionable.Giants at EaglesDE Kerry Wynn (concussion) is out for the Giants, but everyone else is considered healthy enough to play this weekend.The Eagles are going to be shorthanded in the secondary on Sunday. Cornerbacks Sidney Jones (hamstring), Avonte Maddox (knee,聽ankle) and Jalen Mills (foot) have all been ruled out and CB Rasul Douglas (knee,ankle) is questionable after missing practice all week. RB Darren Sproles (hamstring) and LB Jordan Hicks (calf) have also been ruled out.49ers at Buccaneers聽The 49ers ruled out WR Pierre Gar莽on (knee) and G Joshua Garnett (thumb) for Sunday. LB Reuben Foster (hamstring) is listed as questionable.The Buccaneers ruled out three players —聽LB Lavonte David (knee), S Justin Evans (toe), CB M.J. Stewart (foot) — and listed seven as questionable.聽DE Vinny Curry (ankle) Color Rush DJ Moore Jersey , WR DeSean Jackson (thumb), C Ryan Jensen (hamstring), RB Ronald Jones (hamstring), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (knee,聽shoulder), LS Garrison Sanborn (knee) and S Jordan Whitehead (concussion) make up that group.Raiders at RavensWR Martavis Bryant (knee) is out for the Raiders and they listed WR Jordy Nelson (knee) as questionable. CB Leon Hall (back) is also listed as questionable.Lamar Jackson will start again for the Raiders with聽QB Joe Flacco (hip) ruled out. OL James Hurst (back) is also out again for Baltimore.聽RB Alex Collins (foot), LB Anthony Levine (ankle), G Alex Lewis (shoulder), LB Tim Williams (ankle) and CB Tavon Young (groin) are listed as questionable.Cardinals at ChargersThe Cardinals won’t have聽LB Deone Bucannon (chest), S Rudy Ford (heel), T D.J. Humphries (knee) or WR Chad Williams (ankle) on the field in Los Angeles. It’s less clear about聽S Budda Baker (knee) DJ Moore Jersey Boys , K Phil Dawson (right hip), G Mike Iupati (back), DT Robert Nkemdiche (calf), DT Corey Peters (heel,聽back), TE John Phillips (knee) and DT Olsen Pierre (ankle) after they were all listed as questionable.It’s a slimmer injury report for the Chargers.聽RB Melvin Gordon (hamstring,聽knee), DT Brandon Mebane (not injury related) and WR Tyrell Williams (quadricep) are considered questionable.Steelers at BroncosT Marcus Gilbert (knee) and DE Stephon Tuitt (elbow) remain out for the Steelers. G Matt Feiler (pectoral) got a questionable tag.The Broncos ruled out LB Brandon Marshall (knee) and S Dymonte Thomas (ankle). CB Bradley Roby (concussion) will be a game-time call.Dolphins at ColtsThere’s been no move to injured reserve yet, so Dolphins WR Jakeem Grant (Achilles) is listed as out this weekend.聽WR Danny Amendola (hamstring), TE A.J. Derby (foot,聽knee) Cheap DJ Moore Jersey , DT Davon Godchaux (shin), T Ja'Wuan James (knee), G Ted Larsen (neck), S T.J. McDonald (knee) and WR DeVante Parker (shoulder) give the Dolphins a sizable group of questionable players.TE Ryan Hewitt (ankle), C Ryan Kelly (knee) and TE Erik Swoope (knee) are out for the Colts. TE Mo Alie-Cox (calf) is listed as questionable.Packers at VikingsDE Mike Daniels (foot) and LB Nick Perry (knee) are out for the Packers and S Raven Clarke (ankle) is headed that way after being listed as doubtful. CB Bashaud Breeland (groin), S Kentrell Brice (ankle), RB Tra Carson (rib), WR Randall Cobb (hamstring), TE Jimmy Graham (knee,聽thumb), CB Kevin King (hamstring) and G Lucas Patrick (concussion) are questionable to play in the NFC North clash.The Vikings ruled out聽WR Chad Beebe (hamstring) Custom DJ Moore Jersey , LB Ben Gedeon (concussion), TE David Morgan (knee) and S Andrew Sendejo (groin). Everyone else is set to play for the home side.Panthers create $5.1 million in cap space by converting part of Luke Kuechly’s salary to signing bonus, per report The Carolina Panthers have created around $5.1 million in 2018 cap space by converting a portion of linebacker Luke Kuechly’s salary into a signing bonus, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.This gives the Panthers some flexibility with their 2018 salary cap, and enables them to bring in a free agent or two to strengthen their offensive line if right tackle Daryl Williams needs to start the season on injured reserve. It also allows them some wiggle room if they want to offer wide receiver Devin Funchess a contract extension before he becomes a free agent in 2019.We’ll know more after roster cuts are finalized, but we should expect to see the Panthers make a few additions to their roster when they have options to pick from.What would you like to see the Panthers do with this extra cap space, Panthers fans? Share your thoughts and ideas with us!
Did the Ravens fail to develop WR Breshad Perriman or was it merely a draft miss? The Baltimore Ravens are not well-known around the league for developing wide receivers. This has been one of the positions that they have little to no success with in regards to the draft. The Ravens have drafted 27* receivers since 1996 https://www.theravenslockerroom.com/authentic-mark-andrews-jersey , including Darren Waller who converted to a tight end, and there has been a lack of star power. Baltimore has drafted three receivers in the first-round — Breshad Perriman, Mark Clayton, and Travis Taylor. Out of those three, Breshad Perriman has been the biggest disappointment.They have selected four receivers on Day two (rounds two and three), Patrick Johnson, Torrey Smith, Yamon Figurs, and Devard Darling. Out of all 27 receivers they drafted, Torrey Smith may be the most successful receiver they drafted, and he only spent four seasons with the team. The remaining 20 receivers were drafted in rounds four through seven, and some of these selections include Brandon Stokley, Michael Campanaro, Tommy Streeter, David Reed, Chris Moore, Jermaine Lewis, Tandon Doss, Ron Johnson, Demetrius Williams, and Justin Harper among others. There is no question that drafting wide receivers has been a weakness for general manager Ozzie Newsome, but is it all his fault? Has he merely missed on talent and misidentified traits in prospects, or has he drafted high potential players, but the various coaching staffs have failed to develop these receivers?Ravens WR draft historyPlayer (draft year)Round selectedStats with RavensStats with other teamsPlayer (draft year)Round selectedStats with RavensStats with other teamsStokley excelled after leaving Baltimore, while Torrey Smith has had a worse career since departing. A significant factor in that could have been where Stokley ended up compared to Smith. Unlike Stokley Iman Marshall Baltimore Ravens Jersey , Smith did not have the luxury of joining a team with one of the best quarterbacks of all-time. While there is not much history or data to show a trend in either direction, Perriman could help bring an answer to the original question; do the Ravens need to change their wide receiver evaluation process or is it a development issue?Unlike most of the other receivers on this list, Perriman has rare size and speed. He was considered a raw prospect due to his unrefined route running and inconsistent hands. However, Perriman flashed throughout his time in Baltimore. His rookie season ended early due to a knee injury, but he bounced back the following year with 33 receptions for 499 yards and three touchdowns. It appeared as if Perriman was ready to take the next step. Unfortunately for the Ravens, he regressed in 2017 as drops plagued him, and he was a healthy scratch for four games.It was well-documented that Perriman would be fighting an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, but he made a strong case in the preseason. He finished with 11 receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown. Perriman showcased better tracking ability, route running, and hands. His biggest mistake came in the Hall of Fame Game as his first target resulted in an interception because he was unable to secure the ball.Injuries and drops will be what he will be remembered for during his time in Baltimore, but what happens if Perriman has a successful rest of his career elsewhere? If he can succeed in a different system with a different offensive coordinator and quarterback, what will the narrative be?He has yet to sign to a team, but he has had several workouts scheduled since his release. Some of those teams include the Jets, Giants, and Bills. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expressed excitement for Perriman as he is slated to get a fresh start with a new team.“You get a chance to get a fresh start, a healthy start. He had his best camp, because he was in camp and played well [and was] very productive in the games and in practice. I’m hopeful for him. I want to see him do well. You become friends with these guys, and I want to see them be successful,” Harbaugh said, via the team’s official website. As seen in the chart above, the Ravens have a history of failing to develop receivers combined with poor scouting of proper talent. Over the course of their franchise history, they have passed over several quality receivers, which has hurt them significantly and forced them to sign aging veterans.It would be hard to blame this problem on solely one person, but it is a concerning development, and Perriman’s production with his next team could shine a necessary light on what the bigger issue is.*I have placed an asterisk on 27 receivers as Keenan Reynolds was a quarterback in college Youth Iman Marshall Jersey , who switched to wide receiver in the NFL. I did not include Lamont Brightful, who played wide receiver in college, but was a defensive back and kick returner in Baltimore.Why Robert Griffin III will not make the Ravens’ 53-man roster regardless of preseason performance The Baltimore Ravens are set to play in their first of five preseason games on Thursday night, and the quarterbacks are seemingly the headliners of this game. Despite Joe Flacco likely sitting out, many are clamoring to get their first look at rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson. Aside from Jackson, Robert Griffin III will also play in his first game as a Raven, which leaves many to question his chances at making the roster.Given Baltimore’s depth at seemingly every other position, the Ravens may not be able to afford to keep a third quarterback on the roster, who would likely be inactive almost every week. Griffin III has reportedly helped Jackson in his development, but that alone is not worthy of a roster spot. With a surplus of cornerbacks, safeties, linebackers and defensive linemen, it would behoove Baltimore to keep an extra player at a different position who can make more of an impact than a third quarterback.“It is going to be all things that anybody can imagine. It’s going to be what is best for our team. How well those guys play and it will be a tough decision. Anytime you keep one player at one position extra, it’s one less player at another position you have to decide to lose,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said about Griffin III’s roster chances. Maxx Williams, Kamalei Correa, Bronson Kaufusi, Zach Sieler, Myles Humphrey, Mark Thompson, Breshad Perriman, Tim White and even Kai Nacua among others are on the roster bubble, and keeping Griffin III over any of those players could possibly hurt the Ravens later in the season. Griffin III’s career has been far from perfect. He had a sensational rookie year, but after the 2012 season, it has been one injury after another. Griffin III eventually wound up out of the league despite receiving several workouts in 2017. If he can prove that he can stay healthy Iman Marshall Baltimore Ravens Jersey , he may have some trade value, which is the best case scenario for the Ravens. Rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson has shown during training camp that he can be a capable backup, and as long as he doesn’t regress during the preseason, Griffin III should be released or traded. Below is a 53-man roster projection without Robert Griffin III, and looking who may be cut if he makes the team could be a concerning development for the Ravens. Quarterbacks (2) - Joe Flacco and Lamar JacksonRunning backs (3) - Alex Collins, Javorious Allen and Kenneth DixonFullback (1) - Patrick RicardWide receivers (7) - Michael Crabtree, John Brown, Willie Snead, Chris Moore, Jordan Lasley, Jaleel Scott and Tim WhiteTight ends (3) - Nick Boyle, Mark Andrews, and Hayden HurstOffensive line (8) - Ronnie Stanley, Alex Lewis, Matt Skura, Marshal Yanda, Orlando Brown Jr., Jermaine Eluemunor, James Hurst and Nico SiragusaDefensive line (6) - Brandon Williams, Michael Pierce, Brent Urban, Willie Henry, Carl Davis, and Chris Wormley Linebackers (9) - Terrell Suggs, Matthew Judon 2019 Iman Marshall Jersey , Za’Darius Smith, Tyus Bowser, Tim Williams, C.J. Mosley, Kenny Young, Patrick Onwuasor, and Albert McClellanSafeties (5) - DeShon Elliott, Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson, Anthony Levine Sr. and Chuck ClarkCornerbacks (6) - Jimmy Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr, Tavon Young, Maurice Canady and Anthony AverettSpecial teams (3) - Sam Koch, Justin Tucker and Morgan CoxNotable omissions: Breshad Perriman, Maxx Williams, Andrew Donnal, Bronson Kaufusi, Bradley Bozeman, Kai Nacua, Kamalei Correa, Zach Sieler and Griffin IIILooking at that roster projection, who should get replaced by Griffin III? The Ravens are too deep to replace him with any of those players listed. Not to mention Maxx Williams could earn a roster spot depending on the health of Andrews. It would be a great story for the Griffin III to make the 53-man roster, but it may not be in Baltimore’s best interest.
Fact: Tommy Nobis’ tackles regularly influenced the Earth’s gravitational pull"It’s been nearly fifteen months since the world lost a legend. When Falcons alumnus Tommy “Mr. Falcon” Nobis passed away Stitched Takkarist McKinley Jersey , I was sad. I was sad because he’s one of the greatest football players to ever wear a Falcons jersey. I was sad because I knew they’d find evidence of CTE in his brain given all the concussions he quietly endured during his playing days. (And they did.) But the fact that Nobis would never get to personally experience his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction? Man, that was the hardest thing to swallow. The Falcons chose Nobis (first overall in the 1966 NFL draft), but Nobis also chose the Falcons, too. You see, he was also drafted by the Houston Oilers, then a member of the now-defunct American Football League. Nobis took a couple weeks and ultimately decided to roll the dice with an unproven expansion team. A newspaper article describing the day he signed referenced “a grinning Rankin Smith.” And come on, if you were Rankin, grinning was the natural response? Nobis was the NFL’s rookie of the year in 1966. (His 294 tackles that season would be an NFL record if the statistic wasn’t considered “unofficial.”) He made the Pro Bowl during his first three years as a pro, then again in 1970 and 1972. He earned All Pro honors twice. At the end of the 1960s, the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters named him to their All-Decade team. During Nobis’ 11 years as a professional football player, he racked up 12 interceptions and recovered 13 fumbles. Nobis got injured and missed most of the 1971 season, but he’d only miss 2 other games during his entire career. He started 132 of the 133 NFL games he played in. So why isn’t Nobis in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Six words: Because he played for the Falcons. Nobis played on a lot of bad teams in a fledgling market. I’m sure he had some sense of what he was getting himself into, but that shouldn’t be held against him. Because he’s been out of the league for 25 years, if Nobis were to make it in Youth Takkarist McKinley Jersey , he’d have to first get nominated by what is referred to as the Senior Finalists Selection Committee. Of the 18 finalists named each year, either one or two are nominated by that committee. That means Nobis would have to be the non-modern era player or one of two non-modern era players named each season. That doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence going forward, does it? In short, absent a fundamental change in the process or a miracle, Nobis likely won’t get inducted anytime soon. Maybe we need to start a petition or organize a rally. Or maybe, if I’m being brutally honest, Canton just needs to get their act together. So get your act together, Canton, because this is an injustice you need to address. Watching from the Cincinnati sideline, Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick couldn't stop smiling as he watched Bengals receivers Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green shred the Atlanta Falcons' secondary on the game-winning drive."They went crazy," Kirkpatrick said. "Watching them do what they do puts big smiles on everybody's faces. This is what it's about."Andy Dalton threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Green with 7 seconds remaining, lifting Cincinnati to a 37-36 win over the Falcons on Sunday in a game that extends the first-place Bengals' strong start.Dalton completed four passes to Boyd, including two on fourth downs, as he moved the Bengals 75 yards on 16 plays in about four minutes.Green Stitched Calvin Ridley Jersey , the former University of Georgia star making his first return to the state of Georgia, made a diving catch in the right side of the end zone to cap the drive. He had four catches for 78 yards.Running back Joe Mixon, who missed his second straight game for Cincinnati while recovering from knee surgery, ran down the sideline to celebrate with Green in the end zone."Every time we were in the huddle we were encouraging each other and saying we've got to find a way," said tight end C.J. Uzomah. "We made it happen."Giovani Bernard ran for 69 yards and two touchdowns for Cincinnati (3-1).Kirkpatrick said the Bengals are "fighting for each other, standing up for each other, believing in each other. In previous years, we haven't had that."Matt Ryan continued his resurgence by throwing three scoring passes, including two to rookie Calvin Ridley, for the Falcons.As was the case last week, when he had his first career game with five touchdown passes in a 43-37 overtime loss to New Orleans, Ryan had too little support from a defense missing three injured starters, despite three sacks from Takk McKinley .The Falcons (1-3) topped 30 points for the third straight week. Ryan, the 2016 NFL MVP Youth Calvin Ridley Jersey , has thrown eight touchdown passes in his past two weeks and has 10 through four games after throwing only 20 in 2017.Falcons coach Dan Quinn said his team lacks the instinct needed "to close the door" with a lead. "We're going to develop that instinct," he said. "We do not have it as we need it right now."The Bengals, protecting at least a share of the AFC North lead, have enjoyed a strong start despite playing three of their first four games on the road. They play six of their next eight at home.Atlanta's Matt Bryant, who kicked three field goals, including a 55-yard field goal in the second quarter, was good from 32 yards to give the Falcons a 36-31 lead with 4:15 remaining.That was too much time for Dalton, who completed 29 of 41 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns and one interception.Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert had four catches for 38 yards, including a 15-yard scoring catch in the first quarter, before suffering a gruesome lower right leg injury early in the third quarter.Eifert, the team's third-leading receiver entering the game, caught a 2-yard pass and was tackled by De'Vondre Campbell and Jack Crawford. Eifert brought his hands up to his helmet as he was on his back in obvious pain. His leg stabilized by the medical staff, Eifert received encouragement from teammates before he was carted off the field.INJURY REPORTBengals halfback Mark Walton did not return and was being treated for a possible concussion after a helmet-to-helmet penalty hit by Brian Poole near the end of the third. Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett had an ankle injury late in the fourth and did not return.RISING STARKirkpatrick talked during the week about winning bragging rights with fellow former Alabama star Julio Jones, who had nine catches for 173 yards. Kirkpatrick was impressed with Ridley Stitched Alex Mack Jersey , another former Alabama player who had four catches for 54 yards. Ridley had scoring catches of 11 and 30 yards, giving him five in his past two games and six for the season."That Ridley kid, the boy is about to take the NFL by storm," Kirkpatrick said. "That boy if not this year, if not next year, he's definitely going to be top 10 in the league."PRESIDENTIAL VISITFormer President Jimmy Carter was given a No. 39 Falcons jersey, as the 39th U.S. president. In a pregame ceremony, Carter was presented a birthday cake by team owner Arthur Blank one day before Carter's 94th birthday.Carter also rang the pregame train horn and yelled "Rise Up" to Falcons fans.MENDINGEach team was without its top running back. Devonta Freeman missed his third straight game for Atlanta with a sore right knee. Mixon was held out for the second straight week for the Bengals after having debris removed from his right knee.LONG TIMEThe Bengals lead the series 9-5 following their first win in Atlanta since a 16-10 victory on Nov. 15, 1987, at old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.UP NEXTBengals: host Miami Dolphins next Sunday.Falcons: Visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in first road game since opening season at Philadelphia.
NFL Week 3 Chicago Bears vs Arizona Cardinals fantasy projections So far if you’ve owned any Arizona Cardinals players in fantasy Kyler Murray Limited Jerseys , your season is....probably not going well.Can their offense get it back on track with Bradford (and possibly Rosen) at the helm?Guess we’ll find out.Start of the Week: Chicago Bears, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 44 return yardsThe Bears bring one of the top performing NFL defenses against the Arizona Cardinals who have been the poorest performing offense.If Sam Bradford plays the entire game, these numbers might be even bigger as Arizona has struggled to score and has only 1 touchdown on the year as well as so few snaps and first downs it’s a pain to mention them.Start the Bears defense and it wouldn’t shock me given Bradford’s arm and the desire to push the ball down the field more if he throws a pick-6.Outside of Josh Rosen coming in with some second half heroics, I’d expect that the Bears have a dominant defensive performance on Sunday.Cardinals Start: Ricky Seals-Jones , 4 catches, 1 TD, 60 yards receivingWhile Arizona has struggled on offense, one player who’s received a lot of targets as a result is one Ricky Seals-Jones.Basically, in doing the math....Khalil Mack = Good at footballKhalil Mack + AZ’s offensive line + Scared Bradford = PressurePressure on Sam Bradford = Ricky Seals-Jones targetsExpect Seals-Jones to get looks in this game, and I even think that if Arizona either sees some success on offense or puts Josh Rosen in the game, he might even grab a score against Chicago’s safeties.Bears Start: Trey Burton, TE, 1 TD, 85 yards receivingThe Cardinals have a linebacker problem.Budda Baker will be covering a wide receiver likely on 3rd down.The Rams hit a few tight ends last week and Alex Smith hit Jordan Reed for a touchdown in Week One.Expect the Bears to come out and Trubisky to hit a scoring play to his favorite receiver so far this year.Cardinals Sit: Larry Fitzgerald, WR KeeSean Johnson Arizona Cardinals Jersey , 3 catches for 33 yardsCall me crazy, but I think there will be two things the Cardinals will come out and do this week.One: They’ll focus on getting the ball to David Johnson in the passing game.Two: They’ll work on running the football more (with David Johnson)Three: They’ll design ways to get the ball out of Bradford’s hand quickly to the tight ends or backs.That won’t be getting it to Larry Fitzgerald who’ll be in the slot down the field, and I do believe the Bears will try to take him out of the game and force AZ’s young outside corners to be the ones to beat them.That means that Fitzgerald might not be much of a factor if Bradford plays the whole time.Now if Josh Rosen takes over at some point (possible) then he will hold onto the ball longer, look deeper and Fitzgerald’s routes will probably mean he gets some throws his way. But until Rosen is in the game, it’s foolish to assume that’ll be the case.Bears Sit: Jordan Howard, RB 16 rushes for 55 yards, 0 TD’sSeems crazy to sit Howard a week after Todd Gurley scored three touchdowns, right?But looking at the rest of the stats, Gurley only gained 42 yards on the ground as Wilks’ defense clamped down on the run game.It was through the air they got burned.I’d guess that this is the week Tarik Cohen gets involved given how badly Chris Thompson abused the Cardinals in Week 1 and guess that AZ will sell out to stop the runSleeper: Jermaine Gresham, TEIf Gresham plays, it’s unknown what his impact could be, but he’s a more reliable pass-catcher than Seals-Jones and might take over the TE1 role.Perhaps it’s him who Bradford starts looking to, and unlike Seals-Jones, Gresham was the 3rd overall in receiving yards for Arizona in 2016 and 2017 (behind David Johnson and Jaron Brown).He’s a solid, if unspectacular receiving threat and if he looks back to form, perhaps Sam Bradford looks his way just like he did back at Oklahoma all those years ago.You can follow @blakemurphy7 or ask fantasy questions on Twitter! You have probably heard of the term "precision routes" before, correct? But, we Cardinals’ fans have never witnessed the kind of precision routes that Kliff Kingsbury teaches his WRs. Every step is..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Podcasts The Revenge of the Birds podcastCardinals’ 2019 WR DiscussionNew Cheap KeeSean Johnson Jersey ,73commentsMSTShareTweetShareShareCardinals’ 2019 WR DiscussionSteven Bisig-USA TODAY SportsYou have probably heard of the term “precision routes” before, correct? But, we Cardinals’ fans have never witnessed the kind of precision routes that Kliff Kingsbury teaches his WRs. Every step is measured, accounted for and practiced to perfection. It’s like teaching dance steps—-it’s an excercise in highly coordinated rhythm and timing—-the kind you get from a metronome.Not only does Kingsbury demand precision routes, he expects his WRs to be in relentless football shape, so that the WRs can stay on the field for lengthy stretches and so that, by the fourth quarter, the WRs have the opposing secondary gasping for air.When Ricky Seals-Jones, who had a taste of Kingsbury’s Air Raid at Texas A&M, heard that Kingsbury would be his new head coach, the first thing he said was something to the effect of “Whoa, I had better start running sprints.”Thus, the WR competition in training camp, is going to be a day by day separation of the men from the boys. The contenders from the pretenders. The in-shape from the out-of-shape.To help coordinate the dance steps the Cardinals’ WRs are going to master, Kingsbury hired former Packers’ WR coach, David Raih. Do yourself a favor and read Bob McManaman’s article on Raih in today’s Arizona Republic. Bobby Mac did a fabulous job relating what is a phenomenal story.The gist is that Raih was making a hefty six figure salary selling knee and hip implants for Zimmer Inc. in LA. But, he had such a burning desire to coach that he basically camped out in Rick Neuheisel’s office at UCLA until Neuheisel agreed to meet him and then agreed to add him to his staff without a salary....during a couple of days where he was supposed to be honored in Las Vegas with a prestigious salesman’s award.A few years later, Raih went to Lubbock Black Robert Alford Jersey , Texas, to camp out in Kliff Kingsbury’s office, until Kingsbury hired him. This year Raih was invited to reunite with Kingsbury in Arizona and he gets to coach the legendary Larry Fitzgerald, whose mom went to the same high school as Larry in Minnesota. If this doesn’t feel like fate—-what does?In looking at the current WRs on the Cardinals’ roster—-here are some quick thoughts:First of all, we should acknowledge that Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and David Johnson make for an immediately formidable triple threat. The offense is going to be catered around their strengths. I added Johnson in here because Kingsbury has vowed to exploit coverage mismatches while moving Johnson around the formations like the queen on a chessboard. What Fitzgerald, Kirk and Johnson all have in common is strong RAC (run after catch) ability—-and that’s what Kingsbury covets in his arsenal of WRs.The next two WRs on the current roster who would appear to have a leg up on the competition are Pharoh Cooper and Trent Sherfield—-first, because both of them factor prominently on STs, Cooper as the punt returner and Sherfield as a gunner.It helps too that Cooper and Sherfield have very good RAC potential. Cooper has been wanting to make his mark as a RAC WR and this is his opportunity to make a splash, provided that he can master the dance steps and catch radius in order to snatch the ball and run. Sherfield can play both wide and in the slot, which is the kind of versatility that a coach wants from a #4 or #5 WR.Without question, this is a make or break year for 2017 3rd round pick Chad Williams. Williams came to camp in better shape last year and this year he will have to be in tip-top shape. It is imperative that Williams play with a giant chip on his shoulder, if he is going to make the roster and be a productive contributor. Chad Williams has the talent. The top sleeper WR on the roster is Jalen Tolliver—-a player who has good size at 6-3, 210 and a nifty ability to use his leverage to create quick separation. His hands are an asset, as is his toughness. And he can catch the ball in a crowd.Another WR with good size and talent is former LSU Tiger Malachai Dupree (6-2, 196), who put up career totals of 98 catches for 1,609 yards (16.4 ave.) and 14 TDs in the SEC. The Cardinals also added CFL standout Bryant Mitchell (6-2 Robert Alford Jersey 2019 , 198) who caught 60 passes for 876 yards (14.5 ave.) and 3 TDs for the Edmonton Eskimos last year. Mitchell is a grinder and strong possession-type WR. It’s possible that the Cardinals will sign a free agent slot WR such as Randall Cobb (Packers) or Jamison Crowder (Redskins). But, the team probably will move on from J.J. Nelson and it likely will focus on adding two WRs in the 2019 NFL Draft.Two college WRs with immediate connections are Antoine Wesley (Texas Tech—-Kingsbury) and Andy Isabella (UMass—-Whipple). They are perfect compliments—-as Wesley brings length and speed on the perimeter, while Isabella brings quickness and elusiveness from the slot.Wesley currently projects and 3rd round pick, while Isabella is probably a late 3rd or early 4th rounder.The big question for Keim and Kingsbury is whether to take a WR at #33, because there are likely going to be some gems on the board, like Marquise Brown (Oklahoma), Deebo Samuel (South Carolina), Riley Ridley (Alabama) and Parris Campbell (Ohio St.). All four of these WRs bring speed and outstanding RAC ability. There has been speculation that the Cardinals might trade for WR Antonio Brown. That would create quite a splash, if they did. However, the aforementioned draft prospects would be significantly more affordable and potentially dynamic for the next four years in their own ways.Some of the taller WR prospects in the draft such as D.K. Metcalf (Mississippi), N’Keal Harry (Arizona St.) and A.J. Brown (Mississippi) could be tempting, but Kingsbury’s Air Raid is not typically a scheme that relies heavily of 50/50 balls. Just the same, Kingsbury likes big WRs who can use size and leverage to their advantage. All three of these WR have big play ability.It’s most likely that the Cardinals will look to add speed and elusiveness to their WR unit. It’s been years for the Cardinals without having a speedy, elusive, tough slot WR. Fitzgerald has made up for that to a significant degree, but it’s time for the Cardinals to add an electric playmaker in the slot.What do you think? Should the Cardinals sign a free agent? Trade for Antonio Brown? Or should they simply draft two WRs and go young?
Todd McShay went through all 32 teams and pointed out their best value pick. His selection for the Titans was first round pick Jeffery Simmons. It was probably a pretty easy pick for McShay with..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Tennessee Titans PodcastTodd McShay calls Jeffery Simmons the Titans best 2019 NFL Draft value pickNew Jack Conklin Jersey ,35commentsCDTShareTweetShareShareTodd McShay calls Jeffery Simmons the Titans best 2019 NFL Draft value pickDouglas DeFelice-USA TODAY SportsTodd McShay went through all 32 teams and pointed out their best value pick. His selection for the Titans was first round pick Jeffery Simmons. It was probably a pretty easy pick for McShay with Simmons having top 5 talent and falling all the way to #19.Of course it isn’t THAT easy. There are a lot of other factors in play with Simmons including the assault while in high school and the torn ACL this winter. On the assault, I thought the introductory press conference the Titans did with Simmons that also included Amy Adams Strunk, Jon Robinson and Mike Vrabel gave pretty good insight into Simmons the person. You can listen to some of my thoughts on that on the latest Locked on Titans here.Here were McShay’s thoughts on the Simmons pick: NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have lost their three-time Pro Bowl tight end at least for a big chunk of the season.Quarterback Marcus Mariota is being evaluated after hurting his throwing arm, and two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan is in the concussion protocol.And that’s just the latest injuries for the Titans.Now Tennessee has to see who’s healthy enough for the home opener Sunday against AFC South rival Houston (0-1) and adapt accordingly.“What we’re going to do every week is try to figure out what gives us the best chance to win, personnel wise, who we have available, maybe who we’re playing obviously,” rookie coach Mike Vrabel said Monday.“We’ll be flexible enough to use any personnel that we think will help us win. I don’t think we can commit to anything right now.”The Titans already are down starting right tackle Jack Conklin, who was inactive against Miami as he recovers from a torn left ACL repaired in January.On defense, starting linebacker Derrick Morgan played only 14 snaps in the Titans’ 27-20 loss in Miami as the Titans work the veteran back in after a preseason injury.Tennessee’s top two draft picks also are linebackers, and Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry both missed the opener with injuries.Add to that the Titans are recovering from the league’s longest game since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970 because of two lightning delays that made the matchup in Miami last 7 hours, 8 minutes from the opening kickoff to the final second ticked off.Morgan said it wasn’t easy warming up, cooling down again and again Delanie Walker Jersey , but thinks the Titans learned some mental toughness from the day that wouldn’t end.“Hopefully it never happens again and we never have to play football for eight hours straight,” Morgan said.Mariota is being evaluated after he lost sensation in his right hand after the game from his injured right elbow. He was intercepted twice — both after taking a hit from Dolphins defensive lineman William Hayes following a handoff. Vrabel said they’re hopeful of getting a good report back on Mariota’s arm needing everybody that’s healthy and available.Blaine Gabbert, signed this offseason, replaced Mariota and threw for 117 yards with an interception. The Titans do have rookie Logan Woodside on the practice squad, but will wait for a report on Mariota before deciding whether to add another quarterback.Vrabel did say he told defensive coordinator Dean Pees to take note of how officials are handling quarterbacks carrying out a fake on a run-pass option.“If that’s legal, then we have to do it the same exact way,” Vrabel said.Lewan was resting Monday. Asked about Dolphins lineman Andre Branch’s hit, Vrabel said it probably wasn’t dirty even if the coach thinks his left tackle “absolutely” was targeted.The Titans put tight end Delanie Walker on injured reserve Monday and the tight end will have surgery on his right ankle in the next few days. Walker came into the season with the most catches in the NFL by a tight end between 2013 and 2017. He also has been Mariota’s favorite target, leading the team in receptions in two of the past three years.Vrabel said the Titans will evaluate Walker’s potential to return this season after surgery. Jonnu Smith, a third-round pick out of Florida International in 2017, has 19 receptions and will be the first expected to fill in for Walker. Smith had talked to Walker and said the veteran was in good spirits.“It is some big shoes to fill,” Smith said.
With the Texans’ 2018 season now in the rear-view mirror Martinas Rankin Jersey , it’s time to reflect (see what I did there?) and offer up some constructive criticism of the team.Let’s start with a guy who probably receives more criticism than anyone associated with the Texans—head coach Bill O’Brien.I’ve asked the BRB staff to offer up well thought-out, reasoned, and realistic constructive criticism of O’Brien, and I received a variety of answers.Of course, I had to shoot BFD with multiple horse tranquilizers, hog-tie him, and nearly drown him in a puddle of his own kale puree in order to force “constructive” thoughts from his face on O’Brien Jordan Akins Jersey , because that is just not what he does.Let’s see what the staff came up with:Chris:Brett Kollmann:Matt Burnham:Capt. Ron:Rivers McCown:Matt Weston:BFmf’ndD:Mike Bullock:So there you have it - I... think... maybe some of that was constructive?Possibly? Lil’ bit?This was fun.We will do this again for another coach, or player... What are your constructive criticisms of Bill O’Brien? Use the comments section below to let us know! Oh, no."I could groan on and on and on about the Matt Kalil signing. The Panthers paid an enormous sum of $55 million (over five years) to carry him from Minnesota to Carolina. They signed him because they were tired of having to chip and manipulate their tackles.After Cam Newton was punctured and popped in Super Bowl 50, David Gettelman vowed it couldn’t happen again. And guess what? It happened again. The Panthers still had to chip and slide.Newton was still a submarine captain, constantly playing under pressure. Kalil offered nothing at all as a vertical run blocker.He struggled making blocks in space.He couldn’t hold his own against pass rushers. He could get beat by speed rushes.He never had the punch to control blocks or suffocate power moves. The Panthers shed Kalil’s skin this offseason. The Texans chose to put the remnants back on. When the signing was announced, I, like everyone else Keke Coutee Jersey , assumed this move was just for tackle depth and competition. A whatever signing. I, like everyone, else, am probably wrong.In free agency, you have to pay what it takes to bring a player to your town, not what the player is actually worth. Yet there’s a subtext to contract terms. If a team is willing to pay X amount, they’ll only be willing to if it fills a specific need. Kalil was given a one year Deshaun Watson Jersey , $7.5 million by your Houston Texans.From Spotrac:This contract includes a $2.25 million signing bonus, $2.25 million guaranteed, and an annual salary of $7.5 million that is a combination of a base salary of $3.25 million, the signing bonus, and a roster bonus of $2 million. It’s a contract the Texans can get out of as soon as training camp if Kalil is injured or if he’s truly atrocious. However, with their current tackle situation, and the Texans calling and asking if Jordan Mills is still awak Zach Cunningham Jersey , only injury should keep Kalil off the roster for in 2019. Even more troubling is that a team doesn’t give a player a $7.5 million salary for him to back up and compete for a roster spot. Backups don’t earn that much in this wild and crazy market. Houston offered Matt Kalil the salary of a starting offensive tackle. It’s only April 1st. But as of right now, based on this contract, I’m afraid.I’m very afraid the Houston Texans are expecting Matt Kalil to be their starting left tackle in 2019.
This year’s crop of free agents will be joined by veterans deemed too costly by their current teams in the coming days and weeks. Which pass rushers expected to be released could Seattle target?"With free agency opening on March 14 Cheap Ugochukwu Amadi Jersey , the group of pending free agents will begin to inflate in the coming days and weeks. A wave of players will soon flood the market, deemed too expensive by their current teams to stick around. At some positions, it will be a welcome influx of talent. Count EDGE among those positions which will need a boost, with the majority of the top end talent certain to be retained by their current clubs. Luckily for pass rush needy teams such as the Seattle Seahawks, more talent should soon be made available. Here are the EDGEs at risk of getting cut (or already have been) who could be a fit in Seattle. Olivier VernonAmong all players listed here, Vernon is the most talented and would be the most impactful addition; not a coincidence, he’s also the most likely to remain with his current team. The Giants signed Vernon to a massive, five year, $85M deal with $40M fully guaranteed in 2016. Since then, Vernon’s been a solid, if not great player in New York, with 22 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in three seasons.The Giants can save $11.5M towards the cap if they release Vernon, though they would incur a dead money charge of $8M. With approximately $28M in cap space currently available, and just Landon Collins needing to be re-signed among their premier talent, New York could wait until next offseason when the dead money is much more palatable ($4M). However, Vernon’s been floated by Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald and NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal as a potential cut. If Vernon were to hit the open market, the Seahawks would surely be interested. He’s a true three down lineman capable of playing the run and pass, and would make a terrific partner for Frank Clark. Though Vernon had just seven sacks in 2018, his pressure rate of 11.1 reflects the type of disruptive presence he is, and the type of rusher Pete Carroll desires—someone who affects the quarterback. Robert QuinnA footnote in the Rams’ busy 2018 offseason was a trade that sent Quinn to the Dolphins, ridding themselves of the $22M remaining on his contract at the time. Now, Miami themselves are likely to get rid of Quinn Ugochukwu Amadi Seattle Seahawks Jersey , saving just under $13M in the process. The Dolphins pending release of Quinn is a reflection of the realities of the NFL rather than Quinn’s play last season. In just his second season as a stand up rusher, Quinn registered 6.5 sacks, 35 pressures and nine tackles for loss. More impressive was his NFL-leading pass rush win rate of 40 percent, a staggering number and five percent higher than the next closest rusher (Jadeveon Clowney). Quinn will be in his age-29 season in 2019 and can certainly still help a team. Landing in Seattle would allow Quinn to avoid double teams, like he enjoyed when playing with Aaron Donald, as well as giving him a chance to play his former team in L.A. twice a season. Vinny CurryThe Eagles’ depth inevitably had to take a hit following their Super Bowl victory in 2018, and their inability to retain Curry was a part of that. As a free agent, Curry signed a three year, $23M deal with the Buccaneers, only to be cut after one season. On an entirely terrible defense last season, Curry was a disappointment for Tampa Bay: 2.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and a pressure rate of 9.4. Similar to his former teammate Brandon Graham, a deal between the Seahawks and Curry would likely be one of two EDGE additions this spring, as Curry is much more of a depth addition than difference maker like a Vernon or Ezekiel Ansah. Curry has been a starter in just one season of his career (2017); the most productive season of his career came in a year in which he played 32 percent of the defense’s snaps. Depth in a pass rushing group is a must in the modern NFL, and it’s something Seattle currently lacks. The signing of Curry would be unlikely to inject double-digit sacks into the group, but it would absolutely provide depth. Adrian ClaybornIn writing about free agent pass rushers the Seahawks could target, I likened Graham’s production and situation to Clayborn, who signed a two year, $10M deal with the Patriots last spring. Clayborn plummeted back to Earth after a 9.5-sack 2017, producing just 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss in 2018. Now, New England can release Clayborn and save $3.9M, while incurring a cap hit of $2M. The Patriots have $15.7M in cap space currently Shaquem Griffin Jersey , and need to sign Trey Flowers, their best defensive player, to a new deal. Clayborn is a reliable edge defender who can play against the run and pass, but could be released to make the room needed to round out a roster expected to make another Super Bowl charge.Clayborn isn’t a flashy player by any stretch, nor would he particularly move the needle. However, in the name of restoring the depth that left Seattle, he would be a solid addition to the Seahawks rotation. Vic BeasleyThrough four seasons in the NFL, Beasley has remained an entirely puzzling player. Though he wasn’t aided by Dan Quinn and the Falcons repeatedly switching his position, from defensive end to linebacker and back again, Beasley has thoroughly disappointed in three of his four seasons. The one season he didn’t disappoint, however, Beasley led the league in sacks with 15.5 and was named a first-team All-Pro.Now set to play 2019 under his fifth-year option worth $12.8M, it’s expected Atlanta will cut ties with the former first round selection. If Beasley does indeed hit the open market, he could be a highly intriguing option for Seattle. He has familiarity with Carroll’s defense, having played his entire career in Quinn’s system. Additionally, he clears all of the Seahawks’ athletic thresholds at the position—with the lone exception being arm length, where he falls 1/2” short—and is a 99th percentile athlete. Above all else, Seattle prioritizes the three cone drill with their EDGEs. Three times in the Carroll era, the Seahawks have taken the pass rusher who posted the best three cone in their class. Frank Clark was one of those three, but only because Beasley and his three cone of 6.91 seconds was grouped in with the linebackers, as opposed to defensive linemen. The fit is obvious, as is the need for Seattle. Beasley has an element of risk to him Tre Flowers Jersey , but the upside is extremely high. It’s worth noting another big name pass rusher likely to be cut, Justin Houston, would be extremely unlikely to land with the Seahawks. The reason for Houston’s expected release—besides his $21.1M cap hit—is his fit in new Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 defense. If Seattle’s going to give a free agent pass rusher a sizable deal, regardless of length, it isn’t going to be for one who’s a questionable fit within the scheme. Despite the likelihood of the top pass rushers being re-signed by their current teams, the Seahawks and their $51.9M in cap space should have an impressive group of EDGEs to target next month. Retaining Clark is the top priority, and once that’s accomplished, Seattle can begin to bring in some help for him.Amara Darboh will get second chance with Seahawks in 2019 As a rookie, Amara Darboh couldn’t win a significant role on the offense for the Seattle Seahawks. Going into year two, Darboh wasn’t healthy enough to compete in a group that is currently six-deep after promoting Keenany Reynolds, so he barely even had his chance at redemption. By next year, he could get a second opportunity to make a difference on the Seahawks.On Friday, Darboh failed a physical with the New England Patriots and reverted back to Seattle’s injured reserve. He is not eligible to play this season.That should give the Seahawks to keep Darboh in the fold for the next offseason. He’ll cost $400,000 against the cap this season, per a tweet I read by our own John Gilbert.Darboh was a third round pick in 2017 out of Michigan. He played sparingly last year and failed to catch up this offseason as the team became more and more aware of the talent of David Moore, also a member of the 2017 draft class. The Seahawks currently have Tyler Lockett, Doug Baldwin, and Moore all under contract for the next few seasons, with Jaron Brown signed through 2019 and Brandon Marshall potentially retiring next year, as he’s mentioned as a possibility.
Aaron Rodgers weighs in on national anthem Davante Adams Jersey White , NFL rules changes, & more One thing that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has made perfectly clear over the past several years is that he is much more than just a football player. Rodgers is an excellent golfer and has joined the ownership group of the Milwaukee Bucks, cementing his commitment to sports in the state of Wisconsin. He is also a dedicated member of the community in the area, becoming the most prominent public face of the MACC Fund and recently discussing his ongoing support of the Wounded Warrior Project. With these factors in mind, then, it should come as no surprise that Rodgers has strong opinions about the NFL’s treatment of players both on and off the field, the league’s handling of players’ social justice-related demonstrations, and general current events around the United States. Rodgers shared those opinions in interviews with NFL Network’s Michael Silver and The Ringer’s Kevin Clark, which were both published this week, and his comments are worth examination.In Clark’s piece, Rodgers dives more significantly into the NFL and its own specific issues. Clark’s premise revolves around what Rodgers would try to do if he were in Roger Goodell’s shoes as league commissioner, and he had plenty to say. However, one of the most profound statements he made involves the inconsistencies with the league’s owners’ reaction to players who protest about social issues during the national anthem: “If you’re going to take the focus off of what the protest was really about—it was never about the anthem, it was never about the troops, it was about social equality and racial injustice—then make it all about the anthem.” Rodgers points out that other activities continue on in NFL stadiums while the anthem is played, and he also looked back on the period early in his career: “We never came out for the anthem back in the day ... the messaging has been changed. If the owners see it as all about the flag and the anthem, everybody should be held to the same standard.”Rodgers appears to be in favor of everyone in the stadium being treated the same, rather than just the players on the field. He likes the idea of stopping food and merchandise sales during the performance, for example.But in talking to Silver Clay Matthews Jersey White , Rodgers explored the protests themselves in more detail, emphasizing that he and his fellow players “love and support and appreciate the troops” in the US military. Rodgers’ actions with the Wounded Warrior Project in particular illustrate that, even though it is the type of proactive work that often goes unseen or ignored; as he says, “the good stuff doesn’t get the headlines.” Rodgers also says that he refuses to engage with fans — or the current president — when they criticize him or other players for their actions or statements; in his words, doing so would be “giving credence to an opinion and value to an opinion that’s way off base — because they’ve missed the point of what this was all about.”Of course, as a football player, Rodgers has plenty of thoughts on how the league he plays in runs things as well. Furthermore, going through a contract negotiation, as he is now, is giving him a particularly informed opinion on the league’s financial setup under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.Some of the ideas he suggested are borrowed from the NBA, which is hardly a coincidence. He mentioned things like a soft salary cap, eliminating the franchise tag, implementing veteran-friendly contract options, and others. He also would like to see more communication between the league and players on all rules changes — another area where the NBA has taken the lead under current commissioner Adam Silver.Interestingly, though Rodgers is all for improving player safety in football, there are limits to how far he would be willing to go. The college football targeting rule, for one thing, is something he dislikes (saying “the enforcement lacks a little bit of oversight”), and he’s not a fan of the new kickoff rules. He’s also pleased with the progress on head injuries Aaron Ripkowski Jersey , saing “I don’t know much more you can do on that except fining teams who don’t adhere to the protocol.”Oh, and of course the guy with the iconic championship belt celebration is fully supportive of players being able to express themselves after touchdowns. “You’ve got to respect celebrations. You love them, look forward to them,” he said. “Let guys be guys.”Let them, indeed.Check out the articles below for much more of Rodgers’ comments on these issues:We Made Aaron Rodgers NFL Commissioner for a Day | The RingerRodgers supports LeBron, implores players to ignore Trump jabs | NFL.comPackers’ defense dominates Josh Allen, Bills in 22-0 shutout win After a disastrous stretch of defense, blowing a huge lead to the Vikings and allowing Washington to build one in the first half, Josh Allen was exactly who Mike Pettine and Co. needed to see. While Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense couldn’t quite get rolling, a dominating defense shutout the Bills, forcing three turnovers, and notching seven sacksto give Green Bay a much needed 22-0 win in Week 4. The rookie Bills quarterback finished the first half 5/19 for 58 yards en route to a Bills record for incompletions in a first half, to go with a heinous arm punt picked off by Jaire Alexander to wipe points off the board. In six possessions, the Packers forced four three-and-outs and the Alexander pick to shut out a Buffalo team that had jumped all over the Vikings in Week 3. Green Bay jumped out to a 16-0 first-half lead a week after the Bills took a 27-0 margin into halftime in Minnesota. The Packers’ defense had only forced three turnovers in the first three weeks, one of the worst figures in the league. Allen was generous in changing that, throwing two picksand sailing passes over the heads or at the feet of his receivers. Rodgers, looking much healthier but not significantly sharper than a week ago, bought time and made plays in ways we are used to seeing. He also missed some easy throws, threw his first interception of the season and nearly threw a pick-six on fourth down in the second half. Not having Randall Cobb clearly changed the gameplan for the Packers as they rotated running backs Mike Daniels Jersey White , tried to feed Jimmy Graham, and couldn’t quite generate the spark they were looking for. An opening-drive touchdown ended in a doinked extra point by Mason Crosby, a harbinger of things to come for the offense. They were consistently able to move the ball and get in position, only to come up just a little short. Costly drops and some bad throws stymied the Green Bay passing attack, with Rodgers making a number of key plays with his legs and just enough big-time throws to put points on the board. It was enough Sunday against a young Bills squad, but will have to be better for the Packers to achieve their goal of contending for a Super Bowl. Missing a hurt Cobb, the Packers lost Geronimo Allison to a concussion in the second half, forcing a pair of rookies into key roles for Green Bay’s offense. A lack continuity, experience, and rhythm held Rodgers and his group back. So did not playing Aaron Jones more often. He finished with 65 yards on 11 carries, a 5.9 average, and at this point the only person who doesn’t see he’s the best running back in town is McCarthy. Playing Lance Kendricks for any reason remains a head-scratching decision. For all the scheme improvements, some befuddling personnel decisions linger.Two promising third-quarter drives stalled out, resulting in a field goal and a turnover on downs thanks to the same problems that plagued the Packers in Week 3: drops, off-target throws, and some blown protections. In a game that should have been something like 30-0, the Packers held just a 19-0 advantage through three quarters. But the defense came through over and over. Once the lead was double-digits, Mike Pettine began to dial up pressure to confuse and befuddle Allen, ending in seven sacks and 11 quarterback hits for this Packers defense in its first game with Muhammad Wilkerson. Even Kyler Fackrell got into the act with a trio of sacks J'Mon Moore Jersey White , disrupting in the Buffalo backfield and flummoxing Allen into missed throws and turnovers. Relying on the defense to pick up a streaky offense wasn’t a luxury the Packers have recently been afforded. Buffalo hardly represents a telling test, but Week 4’s performance serves as a step in the right direction for this young group. Blasting Josh Allen doesn’t prove their worth, but not doing so would have been solid evidence of their failures. And speaking of Super Bowl quality, the last shutout for the Packers was 2010, the year they last hoisted the Lombardi trophy. Rookies Josh Jackson and Jaire Alexander shined in coverage against a pedestrian group of receivers. In fact, a receiver didn’t post a reception until late in the first half for the Bills. The much-maligned Ha Ha Clinton-Dix snagged a pick early in the second half, his third straight game with an interception. Even without Kevin King, this Green Bay secondary proved it has some playmakers, a welcome change from recent vintages of this defense. Through four weeks, the Packers offense has faced four potential top-10 defenses, but the offense simply isn’t where we expect it to be a month from now. This isn’t a Super Bowl offense right now. But if the defense can build on this performance against a quarterback like Matthew Stafford — not just Josh Allen — those offense struggles are not only mitigated, but provide a boost for when Rodgers and his band of merry men finally emerge from Sherwood Forest to once again pillage and plunder. This defense, for its part, isn’t out of the woods itself, but showed the potential to dominate a matchup, even against a rookie. They needed a get-right game and they got one. Whether or not they can get right on their own could very well decide the fate of the Packers this season.
The Titans and Texans updated their injury reports following their respective practices on Thursday. There was good news and bad news on the Titans side of things. Let’s start with the bad news.Bad NewsMarcus Mariota was downgraded from a full participant on Wednesday to a limited participant on Thursday. Mike Vrabel downplayed the significance of this distinction Womens Taylor Lewan Jersey , saying that Mariota was “about the same” as he was on Wednesday, but that they wanted to get Blaine Gabbert some more reps “just in case”. He said that he still expects Mariota to be able to play on Sunday.The other big item on the negative side was a second straight limited practice for Corey Davis. Again, Davis himself downplayed the injury, saying “my hamstring is good and I just want to leave it at that.” I would expect that we will see Davis out there on Sunday and getting his full complement of snaps and targets. Taylor Lewan remains in the concussion protocol as Vrabel said they sent Taylor home for a second straight day. This generally means that he’s still in Step 1 of the return to play protocol for concussions. You can read more about that protocol here. It’s not great news that Lewan is still not moving on to other steps, but there is still time for him to proceed through and be cleared to play on Sunday. Concussions are tricky things though and some take longer than others for symptoms to pass. Minor bad news for some other players. Dennis Kelly missed practice today with an “illness”. I wouldn’t be too alarmed right now, but if Kelly remains out on Friday things could get pretty bleak at the Titans tackle spots. Jack Conklin, still working his way back from ACL surgery over the offseason did not practice today after being limited on Wednesday. No news of a setback so this could just be part of the “plan” for him, but I wouldn’t expect a surprise activation for him this weekend.Backup corner Kenneth Durden was also added to the injury report with a hamstring as he just had limited participation on Thursday. Kendrick Lewis remains out with a foot injury that has held him back for several weeks now.Good NewsThe good news comes entirely on defense where first round pick Rashaan Evans and second round pick Harold Landry both were full participants in practice. Vrabel seemed optimistic about the prospects of both guys. Adding these rookies to the mix on defense could make a big impact right away for that unit.Derrick Morgan was upgraded from limited participation to full participation as he continues to work his way back from surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Reserve defensive lineman Matt Dickerson was also upgraded from limited participation to full after being a surprise addition yesterday. Texans NewsThe Texans injury report remained static today as the following players were all listed as limited participants both Wednesday and today.CB Johnson Bademosi (knee)DE Jadeveon Clowney (back/elbow)WR Sammie Coates Jr. (hamstring)WR Keke Coutee (hamstring)DE Christian Covington (thigh/knee)OLB Duke Ejiofor (hamstring)WR Will Fuller (hamstring)WR DeAndre Hopkins (foot)CB Kayvon Webster (Achilles)That’s a lot of hamstrings (maybe we’re not the only ones). The Texans also put former first round pick Kevin Johnson on IR earlier this week as he deals with a concussion. The cornerback wasn’t great in their opener against the Patriots, but this leaves them short on depth at that spot behind Johnathan Joseph and Aaron Colvin, especially with Webster and Bademosi also carrying injury designations. The Senior Bowl is my favorite pre-draft event. While the combine gets more hype, I think there is more to learn about football players from five days of televised practices and a game than there is from the “Underwear Olympics”. This year’s Senior Bowl — the first under new director Jim Nagy — featured somewhere between 8 to 10 of the top 50 players available in the 2019 draft depending on whose big board you prefer. Most of the players that participated will likely be drafted before the end of the weekend in Nashville. The Titans have taken at least one Senior Bowl participant every season since Jon Robinson took over as GM. In 2016, it was defensive tackle Austin Johnson, safety Kevin Byard, wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, and guard Sebastian Tretola. In 2017, they added tight end Jonnu Smith and receiver Taywan Taylor. Last season, they grabbed quarterback Luke Falk. History would suggest that at least one future Titan played in Mobile on Saturday.Here are five guys that I see as excellent fits for the Titans who helped their draft stock this week. Deebo Samuel, WR, South CarolinaDeebo’s domination in Mobile started at the weigh-in. Checking in at a shade over 5’-11” and 216 pounds with giant 10 1/8” hands, Samuel is thickly built without sacrificing explosiveness.The explosive movement skills were on display throughout the week in one-on-one and team drills.There is a lot to like about Deebo’s game overall. He’s an advanced route runner who regularly wins with a variety of releases against press coverage and can make you pay after the catch with both speed and physicality. Samuel shows the ability to attack the ball in the air and make contested catches on tape Kamalei Correa Jersey White , one of the traits that I think translates best to the NFL level. Additionally, he served as a punt and kick returner at South Carolina and could potentially take that load off Adoree’ Jackson’s shoulders in Tennessee. The drawbacks with him are his height/arm length are both below average which makes his catch radius smaller than most elite wide receivers. He’s also struggled with injuries at times during his college career. A hamstring issue cost him multiple games during his freshman year and a broken leg — combined with a subsequent foot sprain during the rehab process — ended his junior year after just 3 games. Deebo Samuel’s game reminds me a lot of Jarvis Landry’s, except with more top end speed. Currently projected to be drafted somewhere between the end of the first round and the end of the second round, he should be on the board for at least one of the Titans first two picks and I think he’s a guy they should seriously consider. Garrett Bradbury, C, NC StateBradbury is a guy that is starting to make some waves as possibly the top interior offensive lineman in the draft and his performance during Senior Bowl week did nothing to slow that down (he’s playing center with the red helmet in the clip below). Bradbury is a former tight end who moved to center after adding weight early in his college career, but he still moves like a tight end. That mobility makes him an absolutely perfect fit for a zone blocking team like the Titans. Bradbury spent his college career operating an offense that’s heavy on outside zone so he’d likely fit in pretty seamlessly in Tennessee early on. The one question in his game is a lack of anchor at times. He’s far more of a technician than a road grader and he can struggle with powerful bull rushers on the interior. The comp that best fits him, in my opinion, is Jason Kelce. The hyper athletic Eagles center also converted from a skill position to offensive line during college and has used his quickness to make him a back-to-back First-Team All-Pro selection in 2017 and 2018. Bradbury’s draft stock is similar to Deebo’s, currently ranging from the end of the first round to late in the second. I would expect him to post some great movement numbers at the combine which could push his stock higher. It’s hard to imagine a better scheme fit for the Titans on the offensive line.Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi StateSweat was generally considered the highest rated player at the Senior Bowl on most draft boards coming in and he lived up to the hype throughout the week, showing off his length, power, and athleticism. The first thing you notice with Sweat is his length. At 6’-6” and 252 pounds with 35 5/8” arms, he’s able to use those dimensions to keep offensive linemen away from his body while he works a multitude of pass rush moves. After transferring from Michigan State, Sweat saw his career take off after arriving in Starkville, putting up 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in 2017 and then 12.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in 2018. That kind of production, combined with the size and movement skills at a premium position make it hard for me to see Sweat sticking on the board until 19, but I was also sure that Harold Landry was going to be a top 15 pick at this time last year so you never know. From a fit perspective Logan Ryan Jersey , I love the idea of Sweat in a Titans uniform. Tennessee’s current crop of pass rushers — basically just Jurrell Casey and Harold Landry — are shorter players who win with speed/quickness. Getting a guy with some length and power added to the mix that can give offenses a different element to account for makes a ton of sense to me. It’s not a perfect comparison, but Sweat reminds me a little bit of Danielle Hunter of the Vikings with his blend of length, power, and athleticism. If he makes it to 19, I would expect him to be in the mix for the Titans. Chris Lindstrom, G, Boston CollegeThe three guys above are all players that I expected to like coming into the week and only further cemented their status as draft crushes of mine with their work in Mobile. Lindstrom was probably the guy that changed my outlook the most. He’s widely considered one of the top interior offensive linemen in the draft, but he did some really impressive work at the Senior Bowl. He’s nowhere near Bradbury’s level athletically, but he moves well enough. The strength of his game is technique. He’s great with his hands and understands how to create leverage despite less-than-elite power. Lindstrom has the look of a day one starter at guard in the NFL, something the Titans could be looking for in April. It’s also worth noting that Mike Vrabel’s son was a freshman offensive lineman at Boston College this year and the Titans just hired BC’s strength and conditioning coach for the same position so Tennessee might have more insight into Lindstrom’s game and personality than most.Khalen Saunders, DL, Western IllinoisSaunders made headlines for a few reasons throughout the week. First, he chose to miss the birth of his first child to participate in the Senior Bowl festivities. Whether or not you agree with his choice, it certainly shows a level of commitment to football that could bode well for his professional prospects. Then he pulled off a back flip after practice at 6’-1”, 320 pounds. While that is certainly impressive, back flips from defensive linemen don’t win many football games. However, pass rush moves like the one he put on this left guard certainly do. Saunders moves exceptionally well for his size (obviously) and packs a lot of power into his compact frame. He’s really got a little bit of Jurrell Casey to his game. Some already view him as a top 50 prospect, so he may not fall much further than the Titans 2nd round pick.
Carson Palmer Talks About Jameis Getting A Technical CleanupFormer No. 1 overall pick quarterback Carson Palmer was a 33-year-old living an NFL hell of three consecutive four-win seasons when Bruce Arians brought him to Arizona to lead his team in 2013.Bryon Leftwich Compared To Jason GarrettTwo things about Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett are often overlooked.The stars just kind of aligned: Bruce Arians on coming out of retirement to coach the BucsBruce Arians realized he missed coaching as early as the production meeting before the Browns-Steelers season opener Shaquil Barrett Jersey , his first as an analyst for CBS Sports.To be playoff contenders, the Buccaneers need more than Bruce Arians. Here’s the proof.“What a fool believes, he sees.” — Michael McDonaldBucs’ best plays from 2018 seasonThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers had plenty of valleys throughout their 5-11 campaign in 2018, but the season wasn’t without its peaks.Buccaneers at Bears: TV schedule, notes, and more Broadcast InfoTV: FOX (1:00 PM ET): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman, Shannon Spake (Field reporter) SIRIUS: 127 (TB), 108 (Chi) | XM: 386 (TB), 228 (Chi)Buccaneers Notes 鈥B RYAN FITZPATRICK passed for 411 yards with 3 TDs & 3 INTs last week. Became 1st QB in NFL history with 400+ pass yards in 3 consecutive games. Leads NFL with 1,230 pass yards & ranks 2nd with 11 TD passes. QB JAMEIS WINSTON has 811 pass yards (270.3 per game) Mike Alstott Jersey White , 5 TDs & 2 INTs for 98.6 rating in 3 career meetings.鈥?RB PEYTON BARBER has 206 scrimmage yards (103 per game) in his past 2 vs. NFC North. RB JACQUIZZ RODGERS rushed for 67 yards & TD in last meeting. 鈥?WR MIKE EVANS had 6 catches for 137 yards & TD in Week 3. Had 7 receptions for 93 yards & TD in last meeting. In his past 3, has 23 catches for 367 yards (122.3 per game) & 3 TDs. Aims for 4th in row with TD catch. His 367 rec. yards rank 2nd in NFL in 2018. WR CHRIS GODWIN had 74 rec. yards & TD last week. Aims for 5th in row with rec. TD. TE CAMERON BRATE had TD catch in Week 3. Since 2016, ranks 3rd among NFL TEs with 15 rec. TDs. 鈥?DT GERALD MC COY had sack & FF in only meeting at Chi. (11/23/14). Has 2.5 sacks & FF in 4 career meetings. Has 41 sacks since 2013, tied for most by NFL DT (GENO ATKINS). DE JASON PIERRE-PAUL had 2 sacks & FF in Week 3. Had 2.5 sacks, FF & PD in his last game vs. Chi. (11/20/16 with NYG). LB LAVONTE DAVID had 9 tackles & 3 TFL last week. Aims for 4th in row with 9+ tackles. Had 9 tackles & FR in last meeting. S JUSTIN EVANS had INT in Week 3. Aims for 3rd in row with 6+ tackles & PD. Bears Notes鈥?QB MITCHELL TRUBISKY has 93.5 rating in his past 6 at home. Aims for 3rd in row with 200+ pass yards. 鈥?RB JORDAN HOWARD had rush TD in Week 3. Rushed for 100 yards in 11/13/16 meeting. Has 3 rush TDs in his past 4 at home. Since 2016, ranks 2nd in NFL with 2,613 rush yards. RB TARIK COHEN has rush TD & rec. TD in 4 career games vs. NFC South. 鈥?WR ALLEN ROBINSON had 7 receptions for 72 yards & 2 TDs in his only career meeting (10/11/15 with Jax.). In his past 3 vs. NFC South, has 16 catches for 280 yards (93.3 per game) & 4 TDs. Aims for 4th in row vs. NFC South with TD catch. TE TREY BURTON has 4 rec. TDs in his past 6. WR TAYLOR GABRIEL had 5 catches for 87 yards & TD in 11/2/14 meeting (with Cle.). 鈥?LB KHALIL MACK had 5 tackles, 2 sacks & FF last week. In 3 games with Chi., has 4 sacks, 3 FFs Lavonte David Jersey , FR & 27-yard INT-TD. Aims for 4th in row with sack & FF. In only career meeting (10/30/16 with Oak.), had 7 tackles, 2 sacks & FF. Since 2015, is only NFL player with 40+ sacks (40.5) & 200+ tackles (241). LB DANNY TREVATHAN has 13 tackles, 2 sacks, FF & FR in past 2. Led team with 13 tackles in 11/13/16 meeting. DT AKIEM HICKS has sack & FF in 2 of his past 3. LB LEONARD FLOYD had 5 tackles & 1.5 sacks in 11/13/16 meeting. DT EDDIE GOLDMAN had sack in last meeting. CB SHERRICK MC MANIS had INT & 1st-career sack in Week 3.Series HistoryLEADER:Bears lead all-time series, 38-20 STREAKS: Buccaneers have won past 2LAST GAME:9/17/17: Bears 7 at Buccaneers 29LAST GAME AT SITE: 11/23/14: Bears 21, Buccaneers 13
FRISCO Womens Tre Flowers Jersey , Texas (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott won his second NFL rushing title in three seasons for a Dallas offense that has been defined by the ground game for several years now.Seattle takes the league’s No. 1 rushing offense into a wild-card playoff against the Cowboys on Saturday night, led by Chris Carson, but with more help from others than your average pro backfield .While receiver Amari Cooper’s impact on the Dallas passing game was dramatic following a midseason trade, and Seattle’s Russell Wilson again finished among the NFL leaders in touchdowns passing, both teams figure to try to control the second postseason meeting between these franchises with their running backs.“We have a formula here,” said Dallas right guard Zack Martin, who has made the Pro Bowl in all five of his seasons. “Usually if we win a game, we kind of stick to that formula. It’s always a tough game against those guys. It’s kind of a bone-on-bone game. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”Elliott finished with 1,434 yards while setting a club record for catches by a running back with 77, one more than Herschel Walker 32 years ago. His 2,001 yards from scrimmage were second to New York Giants rookie Saquon Barkley.The 23-year-old former Ohio State star had the first 40-touch game of his career, a 29-23 overtime win against defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia that all but wrapped up the NFC East for the Cowboys (10-6).With the fourth seed in the playoffs locked up, the Cowboys sat Elliott in the regular-season finale against the New York Giants. Dak Prescott showcased his passing game with a rally for a 36-35 win, but that’s unlikely to be the way Dallas advances in the postseason.“Knowing going into these playoffs I’m going to have probably the heaviest workload I’ve had all season,” Elliott said, “so great getting fresh and ready going into this last stretch of the season and ready for what they throw at me.”The Seahawks (10-6) will throw multiple backs at the Cowboys, starting with Carson. With 1,151 yards rushing, Carson became the club’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Marshawn Lynch on Seattle’s most recent Super Bowl qualifier in 2014.Throw in Mike Davis (514 yards), Rashaad Penny (419) and Wilson (376), and the Seahawks have the first backfield with a 1,000-yard rusher and three with at least 300 yards since the 2001 Pittsburgh Steelers.Seattle is averaging 160 yards rushing per game, while Dallas finished the regular season ranked 10th at 123.“The offensive line has just really come into their own — No. 1 rush team in the NFL for us Womens Alex McGough Jersey , which is something that we really wanted to do is to run the ball this year and also play-action and do our thing,” Wilson said. “Those guys have been a big, big thing for us.”Carson, a second-year back drafted in the seventh round, had his first 100-yard game with 102 yards on a career-high 32 carries in the first meeting with Dallas this season, a 24-13 Seattle victory in Week 3 after the Seahawks had started 0-2.While the Cowboys let Seattle control the game with its rushing attack, they still held Carson to 3.2 yards per carry, his lowest average of the season. Defense kept Dallas in the game despite one of the worst offensive showings of the season.“So much of this is about us and what we need to do to play good run defense,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “It’s about us being fundamentally sound and being physical and being in our gaps and setting edges and running to the ball and being a great tackling team regardless of who they hand it to or what kind of runs they use.”There isn’t much mystery in who will get the handoffs for the Cowboys. Elliott carried 304 times, 18 fewer than when he led the league in rushing as a rookie in 2016. Backup Rod Smith had just 44 rushes, 12 of those when Elliott sat against the Giants.Really, the No. 2 running option for Dallas is quarterback Dak Prescott, who has six rushing TDs in each of his three regular seasons. While the Cowboys have been at their best when Prescott shows the running threat, they will spend plenty of time trying to establish Elliott early.“The ball is in his hands most of the time,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “I don’t know him at all, but I am sure he’s a great competitor, he just plays like it. It all matters to him and there’s an intensity about his play that has made him already a significant player in the league.” In the wake of Super Bowl LIII there has been no shortage of praise thrown at the New England Patriots and their offensive line coach, Dante Scarnecchia, for both the job the offensive line did in protecting Tom Brady and the diversity of the team’s rushing attack in the Super Bowl. However, the success of the Patriots in these two areas is not random, and stems from a word that is talked about quite a bit regarding offensive lines: Continuity. Fans are likely tired of hearing this word over and over from pundits, coaches and other observers, but large parts of the Patriots success over the past two decades can be traced back to this concept. Here is the type of run game diversity that New England is able to runas a result of their continuity, and as a result of not having to teach new guys new concepts season after season.Specifically http://www.seahawkslockerroom.com/authentic-ethan-pocic-jersey , the Patriots successfully manage the offensive line by maintaining continuity over the years by limiting the number of rookies starting in any given season. To that point, here is the number of games rookie offensive linemen for the Pats have started since the spring of 1999 when Pete Carroll moved Dante Scarnecchia from special teams coach to offensive line coach for the team. Games started by rookie offensive linemen for the New England Patriots since 1999SeasonGames Started by RookieSeasonGames Started by Rookie What immediately jumps out from that table are two seasons - 2005 and 2015 - as they are obviously far above the norm for the number of games rookie linemen started for the team. It’s no coincidence that 2015 is the season for in which the Pats fell to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game in which Brady took four sacks and 17 hits. That was the game that led the Patriots to decide not to renew Dave DeGuglielmo’s contract as offensive line coach, and to bring Scarnecchia back from his two year retirement. However, that 2015 season laid the foundation for the Patriots line for the foreseeable future. Those 30 games started by rookies came from: Guard Shaq Mason, 10 startsCenter David Andrews, 11 startsGuard Tre’ Jackson, 9 startsNow, Jackson saw his career derailed by a knee injury, and missing the 2016 season on PUP and being out of football in 2017 and 2018, he’s still trying to make things work in the Alliance of American Football. He just turned 26, which makes him five months younger than George Fant, so he still may have a future in the NFL if his knee heals, however, his story is a different tangent that is not the focus of this piece. The focus of this piece is the simple fact that since the 2015 took their lumps by starting three rookie offensive linemen two of those linemen have continued to develop into high caliber players. Specifically, since that season Mason and Andrews have combined to start 91 of 96 possible games for New England, and neither of them is anywhere near old. Mason will turn 26 just days before the 2019 season and Andrews will turn 27 just prior to the start of training camp. That’s forty percent of the offensive line about which the Patriots don’t have to worry, and then there’s Joe Thuney. Thuney has played basically every single snap possible during his three years in New England since being drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft, and it would be quite a shock if Bill Belichick doesn’t sign Thuney to an extension sometime over the next year. That would lock up the core of the Patriots line for the foreseeable future, as Andrews is under contract through 2020 and Mason is signed through 2023. In short, the Patriots have established a young core for the offensive line to provide holes for the run game and protect Tom Brady, and a huge piece of the establishment of that foundation was the fact that the team bit the bullet and used three rookie starters in 2015. Perhaps they should send a Super Bowl ring to Dave DeGuglielmo for helping establish that young core.
Finally Tarvarius Moore Jersey White , we know when it’ll happen"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections 49ers Salary CapLevi’s Stadium Events49ers Transactions49ers Injury News49ers Press Conferences & Conference CallsPro Football Hall of FameSan Francisco 49ers News49ers All-Time TeamTerrell Owens announces when he’s being inducted into 49ers Hall of FameNew,6commentsFinally, we know when it’ll happenPDTShareTweetShareShareTerrell Owens announces when he’s being inducted into 49ers Hall of FameKirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsA couple weeks ago the San Francisco 49ers announced that they were inducting former wide receiver great Terrell Owens into the teams Hall of Fame. Owens will become the 28th inductee into the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame. The initial announcement was just a tease, as the team didn’t announce a date.From the horses mouth himself:There you go. So outside of the usual divisional opponents, the other teams are the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Green Bay Packers. In case Twitter wasn’t enough, Owens took to Instagram to give us a preview of what the jackets look like:Not bad. You have to imagine the energy will be better than ever for the opener.Here’s Owens on being inducted:Owens may have been the most physically dominating WR ever. Sherm has never been one to hold his tongue"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections 49ers Salary CapLevi’s Stadium Events49ers Transactions49ers Injury News49ers Press Conferences & Conference CallsToday's NFL NewsSan Francisco 49ers NewsNFL Labor Issues49ers’ Richard Sherman calls out report saying players and agents are at odds for a new CBANew,39commentsSherm has never been one to hold his tonguePDTShareTweetShareShare49ers’ Richard Sherman calls out report saying players and agents are at odds for a new CBAKirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsRichard Sherman is a fascinating human being. Not a football player, but a human being. Sherman has never been one to hold his tongue on his thoughts. No matter what they relate to. It’s refreshing. You may not have always agreed with what he had to say http://www.49erslockerroom.com/authentic-robbie-gould-jersey , but it’s always made you think. There’s nothing wrong with different point of views. That’s what makes him fascinating. Sunday in the Twitter world, Sherman called out PFT’s report that agents and players are at a “squabbling” to agree on a new CBA:On one side of the coin, everyone knows the headline is to reel the reader in. On the other side of the coin, especially for Sherman being present, it’s easy to understand how this headline could get under your skin. The conversation continued, as did the Jabs.If you thought this was the last exchange, it was Sunday morning. Sherm had time on his hands, as did PFT.The argument continued in the comments. PFT has a vested interest in the agents. Sherman obviously wants what is best for the players. If you check out the replies, Sherman has solid points as always. This leads into the CBA and the issues it presents. Of course everything isn’t sunshine and rainbows in these meetings. That’s what stemmed Sherman’s initial reaction.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Nobody’s overlooking 5-foot-8 Phillip Lindsay anymore Womens Alex Redmond Jersey , not with the way he’s run the Broncos right back into playoff contention.The rookie rushed for a career-high 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns Sunday as Denver adapted to a windy afternoon and got its third straight victory, 24-10 over the Cincinnati Bengals.The Broncos (6-6) have emerged from their bye week and knocked off the Chargers, Steelers and Bengals to stay in contention in December.“Four games left, and they’ve got to be our best four,” linebacker Von Miller said. “We took a long way to get there, and there’s still a long way to go.”Denver handled an unseasonably warm day: 66 degrees at kickoff with wind gusts up to 40 mph that redirected kicks and throws. The plan was to give it to their 190-pound running back and let him live up to his new nickname.They’ve started calling him “Pit Bull.”“I like it,” said Lindsay, who really didn’t have a choice in the matter. “The defensive line gave me the name. When the defensive line gives you a name, you take it.”He took it and ran with it, just like he has since he joined the Broncos as an undrafted rookie from Colorado.“Oh man, I’m so happy he’s on our team,” defensive lineman Domata Peko said. “In training camp and OTAs he was wearing No. 2 and all the guys were like, ‘Who the hell is No. 2? He’s making all these plays on us, man.’“And now the whole word knows it’s Phillip Lindsay, man.”Lindsay ran for TDs of 6 yards and 65 yards — the longest of his career — as Denver got up 21-3 in the third quarter and closed it out against the unraveling Bengals (5-7), who lost for the sixth time in seven games. Lindsay’s two touchdowns matched his career high.Lindsay also became the first undrafted rookie in Broncos history to top 1,000 combined yards rushing and receiving in a season.“I don’t know what else to say about him except the league knows about him, opponents know about him and key on stopping him, but he continues to do so,” said Case Keenum, who completed 12 of 21 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. “He’s having a heck of a year.”The Bengals’ season continues to implode under 16th-year coach Marvin Lewis, who has also coordinated the defense in the last three losses. The crowd of 44,392 was the smallest at Paul Brown Stadium since 2011.The Bengals lost Andy Dalton to a torn ligament in his passing thumb last week. Jeff Driskel made his first NFL start Sunday and went 25 of 38 for 236 yards with a touchdown, an interception, a fumble and four sacks.Standout receiver A.J. Green returned after missing three games with an injured toe on his right foot, hoping to give the Bengals’ offense a lift http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-andy-dalton-jersey , but he lasted only one quarter. Green reinjured the foot while running a route and came off the field for perhaps the last time this season, slamming his helmet on the ground before leaving on a cart.“He was obviously battling just to play,” Bengals receiver Alex Erickson said. “I’m sure it’s devastating to him and to the team.”INJURIESBroncos: LB Brandon Marshall was inactive for the fourth straight game with a knee injury. He practiced last week and was listed as questionable. CB Chris Harris Jr. broke his lower right leg in the first quarter. DE Derek Wolfe suffered a rib injury in the second quarter.Bengals: LB Vontaze Burfict suffered a concussion in the second half.FLAGSCincinnati was penalized eight times in the first half, its most in an opening half since 2009. The Bengals finished with 12 penalties for 100 yards.LINE DANCELT Cordy Glenn was inactive for a second straight game with a bad back, prompting the Bengals to juggle their line. Guard Clint Boling started at left tackle, and Trey Hopkins started at guard. The line got three penalties for holding, two for false starts and one for an illegal block.FEELING THE LOVEPeko was one of the Bengals’ most popular players during his 11 seasons in Cincinnati, when he’d urge the crowd to get loud during games. Fans cheered him throughout his first game back at Paul Brown Stadium.“It felt really good to get the love from the fans,” Peko said. “Being here for 11 seasons, I was always getting the crowd loud.”NOTHING TO SAYFans in the upper deck tape a large banner to the front of a seating section before each game. On Sunday, they taped up a blank banner — nothing left to say about this season.UP NEXTBroncos: play at the 49ers next Sunday.Bengals: play at the Chargers next Sunday. When healthy, Tyler Eifert is a Pro Bowl player. But, have the Bengals run out of patience with the talented tight end?One of the last images Bengals fans conjure up of Tyler Eifert is in the picture attached to this article. The Pro Bowl tight end was finally healthy to start the 2018 season and had made an early impact on the offense. In fact, in the first half against the Atlanta Falcons, Eifert had scored a touchdown to aid an eventual Bengals victory in a shootout. Unfortunately, it all came crashing down once again with a broken ankle suffered by No. 85 in the early part of the third quarter. Eifert didn’t suit up for the rest of the season and Cincinnati’s offense wasn’t the same without him. Last offseason, the Bengals made a wise decision to give Eifert a one-year “prove it deal”, laden with incentives. It was exactly the kind of contract needed for both parties: if Eifert succeeded, it would have led to another big deal, as well as it probably pointing to good things for the Bengals offense. Had he gotten injured again (and did), the team wasn’t strapped with a lot of wasted money. But, even with a new coaching regime in place, the Bengals and Eifert are at a similar crossroads again in 2019. The former first round pick has enough talent to tempt any team to offer him a deal, but 2015 and the last half of 2016 (AKA the last times he was regularly productive) seem like an eternity ago. So, should Eifert be in the team’s free agency plans once again this spring?Pros for retaining EifertAndy Dalton is a much better quarterback with Eifert in the lineup: One of the main criticisms against Dalton as a potential franchise quarterback is in his needing of a lot of surrounding talent. While there is evidence to support both sides of that argument, there is no denying that No. 14 plays at a much higher level when Eifert is on the field. There are a couple of reasons for this http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-tyler-kroft-jersey , including the fact that some of Dalton’s biggest strengths is his accuracy on the short and intermediate passes. Another is Eifert’s crazy catch radius, making difficult grabs seem routine. The fact is that the Pro Bowl tight end, through all of his injuries, is basically averaging a touchdown catch in every other game he has played in the NFL (49%; 66% of his starts). Eifert has also accounted for 11% of Dalton’s total NFL touchdown passes, which is really saying something because of both the accrued injuries and his joining with the Bengals two years after his quarterback. It should be relatively cheap to keep him: If last year’s one-year, $5.5 million deal with just $3 million of it guaranteed was palatable, 2019 should provide an even more affordable option. There is risk because of past injuries and his current rehab process, but the deal Eifert signs this offseason could be his last shot to prove himself to a team. In terms of length and money, there might be comparable numbers, but it really isn’t relative. That would be because the salary cap has inflated by $11 million from last year to this one. If they feel good about where he is at in his rehabilitation and he will accept a similar deal, it’s probably worth one more shot. Eifert provides the skill set needed in today’s NFL: In a pass-happy league, slot and red zone weapons are at a premium for offenses. When a team can employ a 6’6” guy with a skill set of a wide receiver (4.68 speed and great hands), you utilize said weapon at every opportunity. With the respect to the quality skill sets of A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd, neither bring the size and types of mismatches that Eifert does when healthy. And, when he’s not catching passes, he often opens things up for the two aforementioned wideouts. Zac Taylor’s offense should feature a lot of play-action, as that was a staple in L.A. If so, that could be a lethal usage of Eifert going forward. It sounds like he’s willing to come back to Cincinnati: When he was asked about his future with the team back in January after it was known that Lewis wasn’t coming back to the Bengals, Eifert seemed open to the idea, but didn’t quite know how the Bengals feel. “I’d be up to staying here. Yeah. It would have to depend a little bit (on the new offensive coordinator),” Eifert said two months ago. “You have to weigh all the factors.”It’s been an up-and-down ride to start the Zac Taylor era. Throw in the fact that the Bengals are a team adverse to free agent spending and that outside player just may not have Cincinnati high on their list and you’re almost at a spot where you take what you can get. If he’s willing to come back on a deal where he gambles on himself again and it doesn’t hamper the Bengals, it might be wise to give him one final shot at contributing. Give him a shot in Taylor’s offense: The Rams’ offense wasn’t one that heavily featured tight ends (more on that in a minute), but Taylor and Sean McVay didn’t have a talent like Eifert in Los Angeles. Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett were nice ancillary pieces, but don’t strike fear into an opposing defense like No. 85. Like a couple of other players holding over from the Marvin Lewis era (Dalton, John Ross), Eifert deserves a shot in a new system designed to score points. Injury will always be a risk with him Boomer Esiason Jersey , but Taylor could come up with some lethal plays for a weapon he just hasn’t had at the pro level. It just might net one of Eifert’s most productive seasons in the NFL. Cons for re-signing EifertDoes he fit in Zac Taylor’s new system? As mentioned above, tight ends weren’t the feature players in the Rams’ offense. Taylor plans to being a similar iteration of that system to Cincinnati, which is one where Higbee and Everett combined for just 57 total catches in 2018. We can talk about and hope for a plan by Taylor to implement a talent like Eifert, but the fact of the matter is that maybe his system just prefers to use the talents of speedy wideouts. There will be differences, to be sure, but so much so that the tight end becomes the No. 2 passing option, as has largely been the case when he was healthy?Is he worth another shot? We can talk about how Eifert could be had for a reasonable deal, given his injuries, but the money isn’t the only caveat to consider when re-signing him. The main factor could be in how heavily you rely on the guy if you re-sign him. Obviously, when you sign a player, you have a vision for the on your team. With Eifert, there are packages and route trees that would most definitely be designed for him, but what if he suffers yet another injury and those plans fall apart? Just because Taylor is in the fold, does that mean the offense would be much more stable than under Lewis sans Eifert? And, if that is the case, what does that say about his overall value?How healthy is he and will he be at the start of the season? Recently, Eifert took to his Instagram account to show some workouts and the progress of his healing ankle. It looked pretty good and he seems to have decent mobility, as we sit here in early March. Still, we’ve seen Eifert go through the offseason while rehabbing injuries and suffer setbacks. He claims that he has learned how to properly rehab an ankle after the Pro Bowl debacle in January of 2016, but we see better than we hear. For now, the eyes are telling us that he’s feeling good. We’ll see if that’s still the case when training camp rolls around. Would he need to be on a “pitch count” if he’s re-signed? One idea that could work with Eifert is that of limiting his snaps every game. It’s a a double-edged sword because it obviously reduces the risk of injury, but it also reduces the overall effectiveness of his impact on the offense. So, do you bring him back maybe knowing that he’ll need to be leashed, or do you give him the full arsenal of plays and hope that both ankles and back injuries were flukes? If you do feel like you need to limit his snaps, the question again must be asked about the worthiness of signing a player like that.What do you think?
Recapping the WR performances at the NFL Combine."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions NotesDetroit Lions AnalysisDetroit Lions TransactionsDetroit Lions Game RecapsBreaking NewsIntroducing the 2019 Detroit Lions Draft Class! 脳NFL Draft2019 NFL Combine results: Wide receivers winners Womens Trey Flowers Jersey , losersNew,17commentsRecapping the WR performances at the NFL Combine. ESTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Combine results: Wide receivers winners, losersTrevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY SportsWith Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and an ascending Kenny Golladay, Lions fans were certain the Detroit Lions had one of the best receiving corps in the NFL entering the 2018 season. By the end, Golladay had his breakout, but Golden Tate was traded away and Marvin Jones finished the year injured. Worse, TJ Jones never recaptured his previous success and everyone they tried to fill in Tate’s vacated spot flubbed mightily. Now we’re staring right in the face of a possible eighth overall selection at receiver, or a Day 2 pick, so you can bet I paid close attention to the receivers at the NFL Combine.The BestMiles Boykin, Notre Dame Boykin was barely talked about coming into the day, but his name would have been on everyone’s lips as the best performance of the day if not for our robot overlords taking over (see the next guy). I thought it was unfair to let him be overshadowed again, so he’s kicking off the best performances. The former Notre Dame receiver posted excellent numbers across the boards and reportedly cruised through interviews. If teams were unsure about his draft status before, he helped himself immensely.D.K. Metcalf, Mississippi D.K. Metcalf looks like he was created in a lab. Maybe it’s just because I watched Terminator the other day Womens Eli Harold Jersey , but I worry about our world’s safety if our robot overlords take over without question, and guys like Metcalf make me wonder if they’ve already started. One of the biggest receivers at the Combine, Metcalf posted an insane 4.33 40-yard dash and awesome explosion drills before finding his kryptonite in the agility drills.N’Keal Harry, Arizona State There were a lot of questions about N’Keal Harry’s athleticism coming into the Combine, so walking away with an elite RAS should calm some of those concerns. I was curious to see his speed, but his elite explosion drills shouldn’t really be surprising since he hit over 40” on the vertical in training and on video, but notching a 4.53 at his size should keep some of the detractors from claiming he has speed issues. The WorstRiley Ridley, Georgia Like his brother, Riley Ridley came into the NFL without any athleticism concerns but leaves with them. Calvin Ridley had similar issues, but was a much higher touted prospect, so it will be interesting to see how Ridley’s draft stock is perceived from here on out. With so many strong slot guys in the draft, where do you rank one who doesn’t run as well?Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Texas A late-round sleeper for some, Lil’Jordan Humphrey had the high point of his day when he hit only average numbers in the explosion drills. Running a 4.75 40-yard dash likely puts a nail into his draftability coffin, which is unfortunate since he shows decent enough hands to take a peek on tape. Most likely, he’s looking at finding a camp as a priority free agent rather than hearing his name on Day 3 of the draft.Kelvin Harmon http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-taylor-decker-jersey , North Carolina StateKelvin Harmon came into the Combine with some saying he deserved to be in the conversation to be the top receiver in the draft. He didn’t leave the Combine that way, as he only managed to hit above average in a single drill, the least important one. The list of bigger receivers who found success despite a lack of athleticism is short, mostly just consisting of Deandre Hopkins, and Harmon isn’t on that level in terms of tape. Harmon did passably in drills and I didn’t hear anything negative about interviews, but if you’re not expected to be fast, be explosive or agile, not neither. You won’t make a living at receiver by just being big. Even Broadway Joe thinks the New York Jets might finally have their next franchise quarterback.Joe Namath met Sam Darnold on the field at MetLife Stadium before the team's third preseason game and it provided quite the snapshot.Past meets future — and, maybe, the present."I've seen Sam perform tonight," Namath said during the TV broadcast, "better than I've seen any rookies I can remember."That's high praise from the only man to quarterback the Jets to a Super Bowl victory.And that came 50 seasons ago.The stunning win over the Colts will be celebrated by the team and its fans this year. It's also a brutal reminder of how long it has been since the Jets were on top of the football world.Darnold, they hope, can someday end that drought."That's the goal for everyone," Darnold said a few weeks after being drafted No. 3 overall. "Anything short of that is a failure and we're aware of that. Everyone is aware of that. Whatever my role is, I'm going to star in that role to work us toward that Super Bowl."The former USC star had a solid summer and impressed the coaching staff with his ability to quickly digest the playbook along with his veteran-like presence and approach.Darnold was given every chance to win the competition that included Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater Womens Jarrad Davis Jersey , and he didn't disappoint. Bridgewater was traded to New Orleans on Wednesday."He's able to take the classroom knowledge and all the stuff he's studied in the classroom and take it right to the field and execute it," offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates said. "We're throwing a lot of football at him and he's been able to handle it."Darnold could become the 31st quarterback to start a game for the Jets since Namath's last appearance for the franchise in 1976. That's a lot of searching and a long time waiting.There's big-time hope that Darnold is the answer, and that has the Jets and their fans optimistic about this season — and the future."He did everything we've asked him to do," coach Todd Bowles said.Here are some other things to know as the Jets enter the regular season:WHOSE LINE IS IT?While all eyes have been on the quarterbacks, the offensive line will be a major focus — no matter who's calling the plays in the huddle.The Jets signed center Spencer Long, who's an upgrade over Wesley Johnson, but the rest of the line is back. And, it remains to be seen if that's a good thing.Inconsistency and injuries made for a shaky season, and depth this year could be an issue. Left tackle Kelvin Beachum dealt with an ankle injury most of the summer, and right guard Brian Winters was in and out of the lineup with soreness."They've got to work together," Bowles said of the line. "They have to be healthy, obviously, but I feel good about them when they are healthy."SEARCH CONTINUESOne of the priorities for the Jets during the offseason was to find a pass-rushing presence, particularly at outside linebacker.No one emerged during training camp, and that could be something general manager Mike Maccagnan tries to address as the season goes along.Leonard Williams is perhaps New York's best overall player, but even he had only two sacks last season — although he racked up 28 quarterback hits. He needs help Matthew Stafford Jersey White , though, and that means the likes of Jordan Jenkins, Josh Martin and Henry Anderson must provide consistent pressure.CATCHING ONAn under-the-radar strength might be the Jets' receiving group, which might lack what some consider a true No. 1 talent but has good playmaking potential.Robby Anderson had a breakout year in his second season, catching 63 catches for 941 yards and seven TDs while establishing himself as a deep threat. Jermaine Kearse led the Jets with 65 receptions after coming to New York from Seattle. Quincy Enunwa looked solid late in camp as he returned from a neck injury that sidelined him all last season. Terrelle Pryor, still working his way back from two ankle surgeries in the past year, showed flashes this summer of the player who was so promising in Cleveland in 2016.SOLID SECONDARYThe Jets' biggest offseason free-agent addition was cornerback Trumaine Johnson , who signed a five-year, $72.5 million deal. They're hoping he and Morris Claiborne combine to form one of the NFL's top cornerback combinations.Add in the safety tandem of Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye, both coming off solid rookie seasons, and New York's secondary could be a strength after struggling quite a bit the past few years."It's all (on) what we do with it," Claiborne said. "We have all the pieces. We just have to find a way to put it together and go get some wins."PLAYOFFS OR BUST?The Jets haven't been to the postseason since the 2010 season — back when Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez were all the buzz.Yeah, it's been a while.But despite the drought, owner Christopher Johnson hasn't set a playoff mandate for Bowles and Maccagnan. Johnson wants to see continued progression. The feeling is that the franchise is building toward next season, when the team has more than $100 million in cap space and could really make a playoff push.
Following a 22-0 victory over Buffalo last week White Elgton Jenkins Jersey , Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers called the offense "terrible" and was critical of the plan spearheaded by coach Mike McCarthy.On Wednesday, Rodgers downplayed any rift with the man who has been his coach for his entire 13-year career."Mike and I talk all the time," Rodgers said. "We have a great relationship. There's always been great communication between us. Even if there (are) things that we need to talk about that are tough subjects, we've never had a problem finding time and talking," Rodgers said."For any relationship, it starts with good communication and being able to be honest with each other and then hug it out afterward," Rodgers added.Against the Bills, the Packers gained 423 yards and had their best day in terms of third-down efficiency since Week 1 of 2017. Rodgers, however, was in a sour mood after the team scored only two touchdowns.Rodgers again talked about his frustration with the state of the offense, though there was no criticism directed at McCarthy."Mike always says 'conflict is good,'" Rodgers said. "You've got to keep the conversation going. We've got to find ways to be more efficient on offense. The execution wasn't where it needs to be. I'm always going to hold myself and this offense to a higher standard. I've got to play better and we've got to play better, because last week was unacceptable."McCarthy Tramon Williams Jersey , who spoke at length about Rodgers' comments on Monday, was eager to move on, as well."He's super competitive," McCarthy said Wednesday. "I think we all feel the same way when you go out there and you see opportunities and sometimes emotion pushes forward. I didn't feel great about our offensive performance when I walked off the field Sunday myself, too."After five dropped passes and two turnovers against Buffalo, the offense's performance is going to have to improve headed into Sunday at Detroit. The Lions might be 1-3, but their lone win was 26-10 over New England at Ford Field in Week 3.Detroit also has one of the NFL's best cornerbacks in Darius Slay and the pass rush has 13 sacks.Green Bay's offense could be short-handed if two of its starting receivers are unavailable. Randall Cobb missed last week's game against Buffalo with a hamstring injury and didn't practice on Wednesday, while Geronimo Allison remains in the concussion protocol.That could leave only leading receiver Davante Adams and rookies Marquez Valdes-Scantling, J'Mon Moore and Equanimeous St. Brown. Of those three, Valdes-Scantling has the only production with two catches for 41 yards."They're getting better," Rodgers said. "But I told those guys before Week 1, 'You're all going to get an opportunity at some point. When you step in, there's an expectation you're going to make the plays.' So Muhammad Wilkerson Jersey , we've got to keep improving in practice."Rodgers didn't practice again on Wednesday as he recovers from the knee injury sustained in the season opener against Chicago. He intends to practice Thursday, like he did last week.To Rodgers, the path to improvement starts with getting the ball to Adams and the continued success of the running back trio of Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams and Ty Montgomery. Accomplishing those things should improve an offense that has been so-so on third down and awful in the red zone."We've got to run the ball consistently and then be able to move the ball down the field in the play-action game," Rodgers said. "We haven't been able to hit a ton of that stuff, and I think it starts with moving the sticks and giving us more run opportunities."Packers LB Oren Burks appears to have avoided serious injury Green Bay Packers fans flew into panic mode just before kickoff of Friday's preseason game against the Oakland Raiders, and with good reason. With the team already down one starting inside linebacker, Jake Ryan, their promising third round rookie suffered an injury in warm-ups that ended up making him a scratch for the game.After two impressive early performances from Oren Burks, who had the starting job essentially thrust upon him, seeing him hurt seriously would be one of the last things the team could afford. The team even traded for a linebacker on Sunday, acquiring Antonio Morrison from the Colts, which seemed to indicate that Burks could miss significant time.Luckily however Antonio Morrison Jersey , it appears that Burks' shoulder injury is not very serious. Head coach Mike McCarthy said as much in his Sunday press conference, and although he did not give a timeline for Burks' return, he said the injury should not be "a long term deal." Still, any time off for Burks - whether he misses only the preseason finale or if his absence extends into the regular season - will mean more responsibilities for the team's other linebackers. That group includes top backups Ahmad Thomas and Greer Martini in particular, but also the newly-arrived Morrison. Martini started next to Blake Martinez in Burks' place on Friday night, with Thomas taking the field on passing downs.Morrison's immediate role is unclear, but the former Colt was acquired on Sunday in exchange for cornerback Lenzy Pipkins. He was drafted a few picks ahead of Martinez in 2016 and is coming off a season that saw him start 15 games, but a new front office in Indy and several new linebackers had him on the outside of the roster bubble looking in. Now he'll have just under a week to demonstrate that he is worthy of a spot on the Packers' 53.When Burks does return, expect him to rejoin the starting lineup rght away. Through two preseason games he has looked like every bit the athletic, instinctive player that he was made out to be , chasing ball carriers sideline to sideline and being a pest for opposing running backs in the passing game as well. If his return does indeed come sooner rather than later, that will bode well for the defense as a whole.
Houston Texans News: August 24 Kendall Lamm Jersey , 2018 Houston Texans NewsTexans’ DeAndre Hopkins a valuable mentor to teammate Will Fuller - Houston ChronicleCould this be the most underrated 1-2 punch in the league?Optimism aplenty with Romeo Crennel back running Texans’ defense - Houston ChronicleWill the team return to its #1 defense status?Texans’ Chris Thompson improving after concussion - Houston ChronicleWill Chris Thompson return as the team’s return specialist this offseason?NFL NewsTrade! Niners ship linebacker Eli Harold to Lions - NFL.comThe former first round pick now resides in Detroit.Boswell, Williams ink long-term deals with Steelers - NFL.comThe Steelers have locked in two of their key contributors.Frederick diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome - NFL.comWe are wishing the Cowboys center a speedy recovery.Houston & Collegiate SportsMarwin among AL West’s most indispensable - Astros.comMarwin Gonzalez enters free agency this winter.What the Crew’s potential move means for MLS fans - Dynamo TheoryThe Crew could become the new geographical rival for the Dynamo. After last week’s total dismantling of the Miami Dolphins, everything seems like it’s looking up for the Houston Texans these days. Well, other than the ever-increasing number of key players put on injured reserve, including Will Fuller V. But let’s bask in the joy of Deshaun Watson throwing more touchdowns than incompletions, the offensive line actually looking like a professional unit, and a defense that got after the other team like there was a fire under their feet. Am I the only that noticed the extra bit of attack the defensive front seven brought when Brock Osweiler was on the field? Thankfully Joel Heath Jersey , we could once again count on him to throw a fumble, even if the borderline amateur-hour officiating crew sided with the Dolphins on that one. Don’t get me started on the DeAndre Hopkins Catch-Of-The-Year the refs wrongly called an incompletion. With today’s trade deadline looming, let’s pull our collective head out of the clouds and look to the future. By position group, here’s a summary of where we stand:Quarterback: We’re good. REAL good. Possibly the best ever in franchise history. Running Back: Ummm鈥?pass. Literally, throw the ball. Lamar Miller is finally being used properly, but are we sure we can count on O’Brien to avoid his old ways of ramming Miller into the A-Gap over and over again? Plus, recovering from an injury like the one D’Onta Foreman suffered comes with no guarantees he’ll ever be more than below average once he gets back on the field.Wide Receiver: It could be argued that DeAndre Hopkins D.J. Reader Jersey , Keke Coutee, Vyncint Smith and Sammy Coates might do in a pinch if the tight end corps is finally becoming a part of the B’OB offense. But having Fuller to take the top off the defense certainly made D-Hop’s days easier. Maybe they quickly elevate newly inked practice squader Steven Mitchell? Tight End: This is arguably the strongest TE corps since the Gary Kubiak heyday and has the potential to be the best ever. More on that in a bit. Offensive Line: It is what it is. Defensive Line: Talk about strength upon strength.Any unit with J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney is just that. Linebackers: Somewhere Brian Cushing is wishing he could still get after Alfred Blue in practice. Meanwhile, the current corps of linebackers is coming along nicely. Cornerbacks: This is where the rubber currently leaves the road defensively. With Aaron Colvin out, Kevin Johnson out, Johnathan Joseph hurt, and Kareem Jackson moved back in (yet definitely playing well), the Texans really need some cornerback help. Safety: Like the tight end group Christian Covington Jersey , this isn’t normally a place of roster strength for Houston, but with players like Tyrann Mathieu, Justin Reid and the now healthy Andre Hal holding down the fort, this is shaping up to the be the best safety group the Texans have ever had. Where does that leave the Houston Texans?Looking over this roster, it might be easy to get caught up in the trade hype of today’s deadline. Rumors are swirling that other teams are trying to pry Jadeveon Clowney away.Other rumors are floating that H-Town is trying to secure the services of Demaryius Thomas from the Broncos and/or DeSean Jackson from the Buccaneers. Fans are speculating about the hope that Ryan Griffin and Alfred Blue find their way to new locales as part of a package in exchange for one of those wideouts or a cornerback. Some people are tossing out the notion that Houston is in “win-now” mode and should leverage future draft picks to land needed players. Where the truck stops is that last sentence. Giving up future draft picks is what you do to land a guy like Deshaun Watson, not a guy like DeSean Jackson. Trading away the future for the present is what teams that are one or two pieces away from NFL domination do to get them over the hump. While this Texans squad is currently overachieving, which we all love Andre Hal Jersey , the idea that one or two players will guarantee the Lombardi Trophy comes home to Houston in February is flawed thinking. Now, giving up a third rounder for the likes of Patrick Peterson, or a second for Le’Veon Bell might make sense, but there’s limited upside for the other teams in those trade scenarios. At the end of the day, Houston is one year away from being in a position to trade the future for the present. That doesn’t mean dreaming about what might happen if Houston did land Bell or Peterson in a trade that included Ryan Griffin or a late round draft pick isn’t fun. Give us your thoughts on whether Houston should trade (and who/what for who/what) or if they should stand their ground and prepare to stockpile some great young talent in the 2019 NFL Draft. New GM Brian Gaine did really well last year with what he inherited from the guy who brought us Brock Osweiler; just imagine what he can do with three picks in the top 50.
TAMPA Markus Granlund Jersey , Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward J.T. Miller to a five-year contract worth $26.25 million.Miller will count $5.5 million against the salary cap through 2022-23. General manager Steve Yzerman announced the deal with the pending restricted free agent on Tuesday.Acquired from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, Miller put up 18 points in 19 regular-season games with Tampa Bay and then eight more in 17 playoff games. The 25-year-old Miller has 82 goals and 108 assist in 360 NHL games.Miller’s contract puts cap-strapped Tampa Bay closer to the $79.5 million ceiling, with new contracts still needed for restricted free agent defenseman Slater Koekkoek and forward Cedric Paquette.The Lightning are one of a handful of teams set to meet with New York Islanders star John Tavares in Los Angeles to try to persuade the pending free agent to join them.— SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Only 25 seconds after nearly ending the game Michael Del Zotto Jersey , Mike Hoffman made sure it was over.Hoffman hit the post at 1:03 of overtime and then scored at 1:28 to give the Florida Panthers a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night.The initial shot by Hoffman was originally ruled a goal before it was quickly overturned after a replay review. Hoffman came back just seconds later with a drive from the right circle that beat Keith Kinkaid, giving him 23 points in his last 20 games.“I didn’t see (the first shot) at all if it went in or not. I shot it kind of through the goalie and heard it hit the post and then that’s all I saw,” Hoffman said. “All I really had to do (on the second shot) was hit the net. It was a good comeback win for us, good character win. This group has been searching for that for a little bit now and it’s nice to see.”With their goalie pulled for an extra skater Sam Gagner Jersey , the Panthers tied it 3-all on Jonathan Huberdeau’s 100th career goal with 1:29 left in the third period. Huberdeau also had two assists.Aleksander Barkov added a goal and an assist, and Jared McCann also scored to help Florida halt a three-game losing streak. James Reimer stopped 29 shots.“We’re a team that battles every night. I don’t think we have the record that we want right now, but we battle most nights,” Huberdeau said. “Right now we needed the two points.”Jesper Bratt Womens Devante Smith-Pelly Jersey , Blake Coleman and Miles Wood scored for the Devils. Kinkaid made 30 saves, and Sami Vatanen had two assists.New Jersey lost its third straight game and is 0-4 in overtime this season.“We’ve got to keep working at it. It’s been different situations, different guys, different things http://www.officialcanucks.com/authentic-adidas-sven-baertschi-jersey ,” coach John Hynes said. “When you look at it, there’s not one particular trend. We’ll continue to work at it. You’ve got to be able to find a way to get two points out of it.”Bratt gave the Devils a 3-2 lead when he tipped in a shot by Vatanen with 8:33 remaining in the third. The goal was Bratt’s second in two games.With the Panthers’ net empty, Huberdeau grabbed a loose puck in front and pushed it past Kinkaid for his 100th NHL goal.Florida closed to 2-1 on a 5-on-3 power-play goal by Barkov, who one-timed the puck past Kinkaid at 7:31 of the second.The Panthers tied it at 2 on McCann’s goal. McCann’s shot from the slot got past Kinkaid and went high into the net with 8:17 left in the second.The Devils took a 1-0 lead on Wood’s goal at 1:23 of the second. Vatanen took a shot from the point and Wood tipped it past Reimer.New Jersey stretched its lead to 2-0 on a short-handed goal by Coleman. Barkov lost control of the puck in the neutral zone and Coleman scored on a breakaway when he put the puck into the corner of the net at 6:01.NOTES: Panthers D Mark Pysyk played in his 300th NHL game. … Florida G Roberto Luongo Alex Tuch Jersey Kids , who injured his knee in a loss to Carolina last Friday, skated before practice and remains day to day.UP NEXTDevils: At Washington on Friday.Panthers: Host Anaheim on Wednesday.
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12.06.2019 09:10
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