Baker Mayfield Effective On Deep Play-Action Passes

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield didn't light it up on deep passes last season, but he was very effective when going deep on play-action passes. Mayfield recorded 426 deep passing yards on play-action passes in 2020, tying for second-most in the league. His 12 deep completions off play-action plays were the third-most in the league. […]

Kirk Cousins Is Steady When Looking Downfield

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins improved his completion percentage over expectation (+9.1 percent) last year after posting a completion percentage over expectation of +6.4 percent in 2019. His passer rating on deep balls dropped slightly from 121.5 to 114.6 and his touchdown-to interception ratio went from 9:1 to 8:2, but Cousins has remained very steady […]

Russell Wilson Continues To Excel On Deep Passes

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson led the league in deep passing touchdowns with 13 last year. Four of those touchdowns came on the run, too, which was also an NFL-best. The veteran signal-caller has been the best downfield passer in the league since the inception of the Next Gen Stats era in 2016, leading the […]

Brandon Marshall Works Out For 49ers

Former Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall worked out for the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, according to a source. Marshall was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round in 2012 out of Nevada, but he made his mark in the NFL in his six seasons with the Denver Broncos from 2013 to 2018. […]

Kavon Frazier Signs With Bengals

Former Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins safety Kavon Frazier signed an undisclosed deal with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday. Frazier was initially a sixth-round selection by the Cowboys out of Central Michigan in 2016, and he spent the first four seasons of his career in Dallas before joining the Dolphins for 15 games (no starts) […]

Justin Herbert Didn't Crumble Under Pressure On Deep Passes

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020, also tied Baker Mayfield's rookie record for deep touchdown passes with 11. Herbert also had 415 passing yards and five touchdowns on deep passes when under pressure, both most in the NFL. He had five touchdowns on deep passes from […]

Josh Allen Improved On Deep Passes Last Year

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen improved his deep passing numbers last year with the help of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, finishing with the second-most deep completions to wide open receivers (10). Allen went from a -10.1 percent completion percentage over expectation in 2019 to +7.1 percent in 2020, the second-largest jump in the league behind […]

Robert Tonyan Was Incredibly Efficient In 2020

Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan caught 52 passes on 59 targets last season, posting the highest catch-rate difference among all pass-catchers by a wide margin. Tonyan's 16.7 percent difference was the best in 2020 and the second-best in the history of the Next Gen Stats era, dating back to the start of 2016. […]

Stefon Diggs Was Unstoppable Last Season

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs led the league in receiving yards (1,535) last year in his first season with the team. Diggs' 166 targets produced a league-high 127 receptions, and he was the only receiver to catch passes at a rate that was 11.7 percent higher than expectation. He had the most receiving yards […]

Chris Godwin Saw Less Attention From Defenders Last Year

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin saw press coverage on just 10.5 percent of routes run in 2020, the fifth-lowest rate among receivers running at least 300 routes in the NFL. That was thanks to the presence of Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski and eventually Antonio Brown last year. Once known for being primarily a […]

Todd Gurley II Visiting With Lions

Free-agent running back Todd Gurley II is visiting with the Detroit Lions on Thursday, according to a source. If he were to sign with Detroit, Gurley would be reunited with quarterback Jared Goff and join the backfield with another former Georgia standout in D'Andre Swift. Gurley, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro with […]

Davante Adams Is Extremely Versatile

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams averaged 3.1 receiving yards per route run last year, the most in the NFL with a minimum of 150 routes. Adams set a single-season high for percentage of routes run out of the slot at 29.9 percent. When in the slot, he caught 83.6 percent of his targets […]

Out Routes Helped Corey Davis Break Out In 2020

New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis broke out in the final year of his rookie contract with the Tennessee Titans in 2020, racking up single-season highs in touchdowns (five) and receiving yards (984). Davis had a catch-rate difference of +9.7 percent last year, the fourth-highest rate among receivers. He had 218 yards on out […]

Falcons Have Offer Of First-Rounder For Julio Jones

The Atlanta Falcons have discussed an offer of a future first-round draft pick in exchange for All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones, according to sources. The Falcons are asking teams that are inquiring about Jones for a first-round pick. Atlanta has had talks with the Tennessee Titans, but a source described the Titans chances of landing […]

Tua Tagovailoa Healthy, More Comfortable Heading Into Year 2

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa admitted that he "didn't know the playbook really, really good" during his rookie season. "Last year, for me, I wasn't as comfortable just in general," Tagovailoa said. "I wasn't comfortable calling plays." He also said his strength and conditioning process has changed significantly this year because of the improvements he's […]

Lamar Jackson Says He'd Love To Be In Baltimore Forever

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is in line for one of the next big contracts in the NFL, said on Wednesday that he "would love to be here forever." "I love Baltimore, I love the whole organization, I love everybody in the building. Hopefully we'll be making something happen pretty soon." Jackson is under […]

NFL Approves Rule On Low Blocks

The NFL approved a new rule on Wednesday that expands prohibition against blocking below the waist. The approved proposal illegalizes blocking below the waist by offensive and defensive players on scrimmage downs when contact occurs beyond five yards on either side of the line of scrimmage and more than two yards outside of either offensive […]

NFL Agrees To $208.2 Million Salary Cap In 2022

The NFL and the Players Association have agreed to a salary cap ceiling of $208.2 million for the 2022 season, according to a source. There is no cap floor, as of now. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the salary cap dropped to $182.5 million this year. It points to an expected spike in future revenue […]

Mickey Callaway Banned Through 2022 Season

Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and mistreatment, has been banned by Major League Baseball through the end of the 2022 season. Commissioner Rob Manfred said that the league's investigation found that "Callaway violated MLB's policies." Callaway was officially placed on the ineligible list. He […]

Adam Vinatieri Announces Retirement

Former New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri announced his plans to retire from the NFL on Wednesday. Vinatieri dealt with injuries and struggled in 2019 and didn't play at all in 2020. The living legend is considered the greatest kicker of all time, and he retires as the only kicker to have […]

Jacob deGrom Strikes Out Nine In Return Tuesday

New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (side) struck out nine in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday in his return from the injured list. The two-time Cy Young winner gave up just a solo home run in his five innings of work while allowing three total hits. deGrom hit 100 mph […]

Deshaun Watson Won't Be Deposed Until 2022

In the ongoing legal case against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, he can't be deposed before Feb. 22, 2022. Watson's case could play out well into the 2021 regular season, with depositions to begin in September. The 22 women suing Watson for alleged sexual assault will be deposed before Watson. According to his attorney, Rusty […]

Michael Pittman Jr. Says Carson Wentz Is On A Mission

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said that new quarterback Carson Wentz "is on a mission" to prove that his disastrous final season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 was an aberration. Pittman was also impressed by Wentz's arm strength during one of their throwing sessions. "But I can just tell that he's so […]

Jimmy Garoppolo's Ankle Feels Great

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) said that his ankle feels great after landing on Injured Reserve last season. He also stated that he's in "attack" mode after the team used the No. 3 overall pick on quarterback Trey Lance in last month's draft. "Really hasn't been a bother since I can't remember when," […]

Davante Adams, Other Receivers Missing At OTAs

Green Bay Packers wide receivers Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Devin Funchess and Equanimeous St. Brown were all missing during organized team activities on Tuesday. Second-year quarterback Jordan Love, who wasn't active for a single game during his rookie season, had to work with a makeshift wide receiver crew as a result. It's definitely […]

Jeff Wilson Jr. To Miss Start Of The Season

San Francisco 49ers running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (knee) recently had surgery to fix a torn meniscus, according to sources. Wilson is expected to be out for four to six months, which means that he will not be available for the start of the 2021 regular season. It's obviously bad news for Wilson, but the […]

Optimism Surrounding Corey Kluber's Injury

There is optimism about New York Yankees starting pitcher Corey Kluber's (shoulder) situation, as he only reported tightness in his shoulder after leaving his start early on Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. The MRI exam that he will have on Wednesday is viewed as precautionary. Of course, the big fear hear is that […]

Diamondbacks Recall Jon Duplantier

The Arizona Diamondbacks recalled right-handed pitcher Jon Duplantier from Triple-A Reno on Tuesday after they placed starting pitcher Taylor Widener (groin) back on the injured list with a groin strain. Duplantier didn't come out of the bullpen in relief on Tuesday night, but he was available. He's returning to the big leagues after a two-year […]

Ricky Seals-Jones Signs With Washington

Veteran tight end Ricky Seals-Jones signed an undisclosed deal with the Washington Football Team on Tuesday, according to a source. Seals-Jones will join a tight end group in D.C. that includes Logan Thomas, Temarrick Hemingway, John Bates, Deon Yelder, Tyrone Swoopes and Sammis Reyes. The 26-year-old played in just two games with the Kansas City […]

Adam Thielen Is Extremely Efficient

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen was slightly more efficient than impressive rookie teammate Justin Jefferson last year, even though Thielen had fewer targets and catches. Thielen had the sixth-best catch rate over expectation at +9.2 percent and also caught 14 touchdown passes. He has a catch rate over expectation of +15.2 percent on outbreaking […]