
Articles

Deshaun Watson Will Continue Working With Receivers
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has already been working out with wide receivers Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb and Keke Coutee and tight end Kahale Warring, will continue to work out and throw to his receivers after the team's virtual offseason program ends on Thursday. Watson lost his No. 1 receiver in DeAndre Hopkins when […]
Keith Hernandez
Robert Griffin III Wants To Be A Starter
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III, the backup to reigning 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson, still hopes to be a starting QB in the NFL again. Griffin appeared in seven games last year, the most he's played in a single season since 2014, but most of the action he saw was late in games in which […]
Keith Hernandez
Players Counter With 89-Game Proposal
The Major League Baseball Players Association is making a new proposal to the league for a season of 89 games with a full prorated share of salary and expanded playoffs, according to sources familiar with the situation. It could bring the two sides closer to an agreement, with the 89-game schedule proposal just 25 games […]
Keith Hernandez
Anthony Lynn Back At Team Facilities
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn has returned to the team's facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic. The NFL allowed coaches to return to their team facilities last Friday, but not all of them have reported yet. Players are still prohibited from returning to the facilities unless they are rehabbing under the direction of the […]
Keith Hernandez
Bears Ending Offseason Program Early
The Chicago Bears have decided to end their virtual offseason program early, as head coach Matt Nagy said that nine weeks are enough and that he wants the players to focus on training camp without having to worry about video conferences four days a week. Chicago's final virtual meeting will take place on Thursday, a […]
Keith Hernandez
Seth DeValve Out 10-12 Weeks After Surgery
Free-agent tight end Seth DeValve (toe) is expected to be out 10 to 12 weeks after Dr. Robert Anderson surgically repaired a tendon and removed a cyst in one of DeValve's toes on Tuesday, according to a source. DeValve was released by the Panthers last week with a non-football injury designation, but he should be […]
Keith Hernandez
Sam Darnold Holding Workouts With Teammates
New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold will gather with around two dozen teammates for an informal three-day passing camp this weekend in the Miami area. Running backs Le'Veon Bell and Frank Gore, wide receivers Breshad Perriman, Jamison Crowder and rookie Denzel Mims and tight end Chris Herndon are all expected to attend. It will be […]
Keith Hernandez
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson To Spend Time Covering The Slot
New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn said that safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will spend a good amount of time covering the slot this year. Gardner-Johnson was taken in the fourth round by the Saints last year, and he compiled 49 tackles (38 solo), six tackles for loss, one interception, eight passes defensed and a […]
Keith Hernandez
Dalvin Cook Would Be Fine With $13 Million Per Year
Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, who is scheduled to make $1.33 million in 2020 in the final year of his rookie contract, is headed for a holdout in training camp unless he receives around $13 million per season on a new deal. Since 2017, the Vikings are 12-3 when Cook has at least 100 […]
Keith Hernandez
Cam Akers Should Have Immediate Opportunity
Los Angeles Rams rookie running back Cam Akers, drafted 52nd overall in the second round with the team's first pick, forced 74 missed tackles on rushes last year at Florida State, which tied him for ninth-most in college football, per Pro Football Focus. He should have immediate opportunity in a Rams backfield that is now […]
Keith Hernandez
J.K. Dobbins A Good Fit In Baltimore
Baltimore Ravens rookie running back J.K. Dobbins, the 55th overall pick in the second round, had the third-most yards after contact (2,652) in college since 2017 and the third-most last season alone (1,208), according to Pro Football Focus. He had 31 carries of 15-plus yards last season, which was the most in college football, and […]
Keith Hernandez
Ke'Shawn Vaughn Could Be Surprise Of RB Class
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn, the 76th overall pick in the third round out of Vanderbilt, led the SEC over the last two years with an average of 4.4 yards per rush after contact among those with a minimum of 100 rushes, per Pro Football Focus. His receiving skills could definitely come […]
Keith Hernandez
D'Andre Swift Has A Path To Rookie Success
Detroit Lions rookie running back D'Andre Swift, the 35th overall pick in the second round, had the second-most yards after contact (1,334) in the SEC since 2018, according to Pro Football Focus. He's had 77 missed tackles on rushes since 2018. Swift was aligned in the slot or out wide as a receiver on nine […]
Keith Hernandez
Denard Span Officially Retired
Denard Span, who played 11 seasons in the big leagues (1,359 games, 5,956 plate appearances) for the Twins, Nationals, Giants, Rays and Mariners, confirmed that he's officially retired from baseball. The 36-year-old found a cold free-agent market last offseason. “I’m a man of principles, and when those principles aren’t met, I can’t go along with […]
Keith Hernandez
Jonathan Taylor A Yards-After-Contact Beast
Indianapolis Colts rookie running back Jonathan Taylor, drafted No. 41 overall in the second round, is projected to be the second-most productive rookie running back in 2020. His 3,921 yards after contact are the most in college football -- by 941 yards -- since 2017, according to Pro Football Focus. Taylor's nastiness as a runner […]
Keith Hernandez
Clyde Edwards-Helaire Projected To Be Best Rookie RB
NFL Network's Cynthia Frelund projects Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the 32nd overall pick in the draft, to be the most productive rookie running back in 2020. He had an SEC-best 782 yards after contact last year, per Pro Football Focus. The former LSU star was able to break tackles in the running […]
Keith Hernandez
Tyrann Mathieu Underrated As A Run-Defender
Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu played 98 percent of the defensive snaps (1,205 of 1,230) last year, including the playoffs, according to Next Gen Stats. Known for his work mostly as a pass-defender, Mathieu's run-stopping ability ranked seventh-best among safeties in 2019. The Honey Badger was even better against the run in previous seasons […]
Keith Hernandez
Jamal Adams A Pass-Rushing Safety Threat
New York Jets strong safety Jamal Adams' positional versatility -- he can play all three safety spots, cornerback and pass-rusher -- makes him an extremely valuable safety for Gang Green. His 90 pass-rushing snaps were second-most at the safety position, and he recorded 23 pressures, which were the most among safeties per Pro Football Focus. […]
Keith Hernandez
Minkah Fitzpatrick Provides Excellent Deep Help
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick allowed only a 27.3 passer rating in coverage after his Week 3 trade from the Dolphins in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus. His passer rating in coverage was lower than if a quarterback threw the ball away on purpose (39.6). Fitzpatrick was lined up at deep safety on 90 […]
Keith Hernandez
Eric Kendricks Excels In Coverage
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks was Pro Football Focus' highest-ranked linebacker last season among those with a minimum of 300 snaps. The linebacker excelled mostly in coverage, with just an 83.9 passer rating allowed when in coverage, which is around 20 points lower than the league average for linebackers. Kendricks, a former second-round selection in […]
Keith Hernandez
Demario Davis Has A Nose For Shutting Down Drives
New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was ranked by Pro Football Focus as 2019's second-best linebacker. He had 13 trips inside an opposing quarterback's five-foot halo (four sacks) and the fifth-fewest yards per rush allowed among linebackers when in a runner's path. Davis was also accredited with the most stopped overall drives and touchdowns among […]
Keith Hernandez
Players Union To Reject MLB's Latest Proposal
The MLB Players Union, according to sources, plans to reject the league's latest offer of a 76-game schedule in which the players would receive 75 percent of their prorated salaries for the regular season if the playoffs are completed and 50 percent if the postseason is canceled. However, the likelihood that baseball is played in […]
Keith Hernandez
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 […]
Keith Hernandez
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 […]
Keith Hernandez
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 […]
Keith Hernandez
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 […]
Keith Hernandez
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 […]
Keith Hernandez
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. […]
Keith Hernandez
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 […]
Keith Hernandez
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 […]
Keith Hernandez