T.J. Watt Has Established Himself As A Top Linebacker

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt was ranked by Pro Football Focus as their best edge defender in 2019 among those with a minimum of 300 snaps. He was able to sack opposing quarterbacks on 3.2 percent of his pass rushes, which ranked fifth among edge defenders with a minimum of 300 pass rushes, per Next […]

Za'Darius Smith's Versatility Makes Him Deadly

Green Bay Packers linebacker/edge rusher Za'Darius Smith had the most quarterback pressures (71) last season, according to Next Gen Stats. He was also able to pressure opposing signal-callers at the second-highest overall rate in the NFL (14.8 percent) among those with a minimum of 250 pass rushes. Smith has the ability to line up on […]

Calais Campbell Can Rush The Passer, Defend The Run

Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Calais Campbell rated as the third-best interior defender in 2019 among those with a minimum of 300 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He also ranked third in yards per rush allowed in space (three feet on either side of a rusher's path) and entered the opposing quarterback's five-foot halo at the […]

Carlos Hyde Battling For Backup Role

Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde understands that he's most likely competing for the No. 2 spot behind Chris Carson this year, saying that "everybody knows" that Carson is the starter in Seattle. With Rashaad Penny (knee) looking more likely to start the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list, the reality is that […]

Jalen Reagor Expected To Take Back Seat To DeSean Jackson

Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Jalen Reagor, who was taken in the first round, has plenty of upside at the NFL level. He should see an immediate role on offense in 2020, but the Eagles are unlikely to go all-in on Reagor from Day 1. Reagor is likely to take a back seat to DeSean […]

Eagles Likely To Be Conservative With Jalen Hurts

While many think that Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts could be used as a package player this year, NJ Advance Media's Mike Kaye is wary of that role, at least early in Hurts' rookie campaign. The Eagles see Hurts as a genuine QB, so they're likely to take a conservative approach with his development. […]

Dalvin Cook To Hold Out Without Reasonable Extension

Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook will not take part in team-related activities until he receives what he thinks is a "reasonable" deal, according to a source. "He's out," A source told ESPN. "Without a reasonable extension, he will not be showing up for camp or beyond." The Vikings gave quarterback Kirk Cousins […]

Jacoby Brissett Handling Backup Role Like A Pro

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich said that quarterback Jacoby Brissett is taking his demotion to the backup role in stride this offseason. "He wants to do what's right for the team. And he knows. He and I have had multiple conversations about that. Jacoby doesn't need me to tell him what to do. He […]

Aaron Donald Is An Elite Pass-Rusher

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald leads the NFL with 267 quarterback pressures since 2016, with 69 of those coming last season, which was second in the NFL per Next Gen Stats. On top of that, Donald was double- or triple-teamed more than in any other year of his career in 2019 and still […]

Ryan Ramczyk Grades Out As Top Right Tackle

New Orleans Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk didn't allow a single sack in the regular season last year and was the highest-graded tackle overall among those with a minimum of 300 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. A first-round pick out of Wisconsin in 2017, Ramczyk was a first-team All-Pro in 2019 and has missed just […]

Brandon Brooks Stands Out On Strong Offensive Line

Philadelphia Eagles right guard Brandon Brooks allowed only one sack on 605 pass-blocking snaps in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus. An already strong Eagles offensive line, he graded out as their highest-graded guard last season among those with a minimum of 300 snaps. Brooks has been a Pro Bowler each of the last three […]

Jason Kelce Durable And Productive

Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce kept opposing defenders at least five feet from the quarterback on 24.1 percent of passing downs in 2018. In 2019, his mark was 23.9 percent, with both marks being the best at his position the last two years. Kelce, who was considering retirement this offseason, has set the standard in […]

Quenton Nelson The Best Left Guard In The League?

Indianapolis Colts left guard Quenton Nelson didn't allow a single sack on 562 pass-blocking snaps last year, according to Pro Football Focus. His production in the run game was also the second-highest in the NFL among all guards, as measured by the number of rushing yards earned when he was in the path of the […]

Jurrell Casey Not Happy With Titans

Denver Broncos defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, who was acquired from the Titans in the offseason, said on Monday that after nine seasons in Tennessee, the Titans threw him away "like a piece of trash." Casey was a five-time Pro Bowler with the Titans and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2013 after recording 10.5 sacks. […]

Training Camps Could Open In Mid-July

The NFL "has floated the idea" that training camps could start as early as mid-July in order to give players a chance to get back into football shape after an offseason of virtual work. The league and player's union is recommending an acclimation period before camp, but it's uncertain how long that might be. The […]

MLB Makes Another Proposal To Players Union

Major League Baseball made another proposal to the players on Monday: 75 percent prorated salary for a 76-game season in 2020. There would be playoff-pool money with no draft-pick compensation for signing players and the regular season would end on Sept. 27. The playoffs would wrap up at the end of October. It's a significant […]

Derrick Henry Could See Fewer Touches

TennesseeTitans.com's Jim Wyatt thinks that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will look to spread the ball around more to a number of players in 2020, which is why he thinks it's unrealistic to think that running back Derrick Henry has a chance for 2,000 rushing yards. The team will try to take some of the load […]

Rashaan Evans Expected To See More Opportunities

Tennessee Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans had 139 tackles in his second season in the league during the regular season, and TennesseeTitans.com's Jim Wyatt expects Evans to take another step up in 2020. Evans also recorded 2.5 sacks and is expected to see more opportunities to rush the passer this season. The 24-year-old former first-round pick […]

Titans Coaches Like Corey Davis

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Corey Davis' future with the team beyond 2020 depends on how he performs in this season, but the coaches really like him. A former first-round pick (fifth overall) has disappointed in the NFL so far, but he does a lot of things well and is a willing blocker in the running […]

Titans Excited About Darrynton Evans

The Tennessee Titans are excited about rookie running back Darrynton Evans, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said during a conference call this week that how much of a role Evans will have will depend on how much he can handle. The Titans will use Evans to give workhorse Derrick Henry a break, and Evans is […]

Tremaine Edmunds Emerging As A Leader

Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is emerging as one of the defensive leaders to help replace Lorenzo Alexander and Kyle Williams, who have moved on in recent seasons. "Well the first guy that comes to mind is just seeing Tremaine's development in this offseason," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. "This virtual offseason. Just the way […]

Damiere Byrd A Regular At Throwing Sessions

New England Patriots wide receiver Damiere Byrd has been a regular at the throwing sessions with quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer. Byrd was a free-agent pickup this offseason and has the speed to make some noise in 2020. The Patriots wide receiver corps finished last season as one of the slower groups in the […]

Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer In Fierce Competition

New England Patriots quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer are in a fierce competition with each other for the starting gig in the post-Tom Brady era, but the two have been working out together and have an important dynamic between each other while sacrificing to help each other. One of the reasons the Pats went […]

Kurt Warner Compares Stephon Gilmore To Deion Sanders

Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner said that New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore is a rare talent in today's NFL. "He reminds me of Deion Sanders the way he studies his craft and is a student of the game," Warner said. Like Sanders, Gilmore gets up in opposing wideouts' faces often and presses them […]

Increased Hopes That Colin Kaepernick Will Land With NFL Team

The National Football League isn't likely to put on a spectacle like they did last year in order to try and get free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick signed, according to a source, but there are increased hopes by some around the NFL that circumstances are more favorable for a team to sign him. Kaepernick famously created […]

Drew Lock Throwing To Jerry Jeudy

Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock has been throwing to first-round rookie wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, among others, at a Denver-area field, according to a source. With teams not able to meet yet for offseason workouts due to COVID-19, many quarterbacks have set up workouts with their teammates. It's a way for the new teammates to […]

Laremy Tunsil The Best Left Tackle In The Game?

Pro Football Focus rates Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil as the third-highest tackle in pass blocking among those with a minimum of 300 snaps, having only allowed 29 pressures in 656 pass-protection snaps, including the playoffs. His individual impact in both pass and run snaps combined for the highest win-contribution metric among left tackles […]

George Kittle An Elite Receiver And Blocker

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle led the league in receiving yards per route run in 2019 with 3.3, among those that ran a minimum of 100 routes, per Next Gen Stats. He recorded 75.2 receiving yards per game over 14 games, which was the second-highest rate among qualified tight ends, and the fourth-best […]

DeAndre Hopkins Ranked Third In Receiving First Downs

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was NFL Network's Cynthia Frelund's highest-rated on- and off-ball receiver in 2019. He ranked third in receiving first downs with 68 (behind just Michael Thomas and Julio Jones). Half of those first downs came on second down (30), and 19 of them were earned on second-and-seven-plus yards, which was […]

Michael Thomas Can Do It At Every Level

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas set an NFL record with 149 catches in 2019, 91 of which netted the team a first down (most in the NFL), including nine touchdowns. Next Gen Stats shows that 97 of his catches came on short passes, which was 35 more than any other receiver. Thomas also […]