Trent Taylor Running Routes

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Trent Taylor (foot) has been sprinting, cutting and catching passes from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo while the team waits for the green light to return to their practice facilities. Taylor missed all of 2019 with a foot injury, but he's been part of a group of receivers running routes for Garoppolo […]

Emmanuel Sanders Looking Forward To Working With Drew Brees

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said on NFL Network's Total Access on Tuesday that playing with quarterback Drew Brees will be similar to his days with Peyton Manning in Denver. "Like I said in '14, that's wide receiver heaven. To be back in the situation with another Hall of Fame quarterback and trying […]

Harold Landry To See Less Playing Time?

Tennessee Titans linebackers coach Shane Bowen said that linebacker Harold Landry played too many snaps last season and that he needs to do a better job of watching Landry's snap count in 2020 in order to get the biggest bang for the buck. A second-round pick by the Titans in 2018, Landry has 13.5 sacks, […]

Za'Darius Smith An Elite Pass-Rusher

Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith provided immediate returns after the Packers signed him to a lucrative free-agent deal before the 2019 season. He pressured the quarterback on 19.4 percent of pass rushes when lined up on the interior, which was the highest rate among all defenders rushing from the interior with a minimum […]

Myles Garrett Listed As 2019's Best Disruptor

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett played in just 10 games last year because of a suspension, but when he was on the field he was the league's most efficient disruptor with a league-high disruption rate of 18.5 percent. The Browns had a 32.9 percent pressure rate with Garrett on the field, but without him, […]

Players Not Expected To Return To Facilities Until Training Camp

NFL players aren't expected to return to their team facilities until training camp, according to sources. Most teams have reopened their facilities on a limited basis for essential employees during the coronavirus pandemic, but healthy players aren't allowed to return yet. Commissioner Roger Goodell informed teams on Tuesday that they must hold training camps at […]

Phillip Lindsay Thinks New Offense Fits His Style Of Play

Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay, who is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons under two different offensive coordinators, thinks new coordinator Pat Shurmur's offense fits him even better. "I just think that it's what fits my style, and I've been able to adapt to every style, but I think that this style right here […]

Timmy Jernigan, Texans Agree To Part Ways

Free-agent defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan had reached an agreement on a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Houston Texans, but the two sides have agreed to part ways and Jernigan is not expected to sign with the team, according to sources informed of the situation. Jernigan didn't take a physical with the Texans and isn't […]

James Conner Not Worried About Health After Cancer Scare

Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner, who is a cancer survivor, isn't worried about COVID-19 when teams eventually return to the field prior to the 2020 season. "I'm 100%," Conner said. "I had a weak immune system four years ago. It's not weak anymore, thank God. I'm OK. I'm young and healthy. I went through […]

Luke Kuechly Officially On Reserve/Retired List

Former Carolina Panthers star linebacker Luke Kuechly officially was placed on the Reserve/Retired list on Tuesday, according to a source. By waiting until after June 1, the Panthers can spread Kuechly's salary cap hit over the next two years and save around $6 million against the cap in 2020. Only 29 years old, Kuechly was […]

Baker Mayfield Can Improve On Deep Throws

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield's deep-ball passer rating was significantly worse in 2019 (72.9) than it was in his rookie season (106). However, he still had a positive completion percentage on his deep attempts last season, despite attempting tight-window passes down the field on 40.6 percent of his attempts. Mayfield also had the luxury of […]

Matt Ryan's Numbers May Be Deceiving On Deep Throws

On the surface, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan's 3:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 69.3 passer rating on deep passes looks very mediocre or even below-average. Atlanta's offense didn't live up to expectations in 2019, and Ryan threw into tight windows on 34.5 percent of his deep attempts. That partly helps explain his five picks. However, he […]

Ryan Fitzpatrick Not Afraid To Take Deep Shots

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick led the team in rushing last season, but he was also surprisingly effective taking shots deep down the field. The grizzled veteran wasn't afraid to throw the ball downfield, even if the coverage was tight, as 56.6 percent of his 53 deep pass attempts were into tight windows. Fitzpatrick had […]

Kirk Cousins Was Very Efficient On Deep Passes

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio on deep passes in 2019 and the highest passer rating (121.5) on such throws among NFL.com's Nick Shook's top-10 best deep passers last season. But his deep shots weren't nearly as risky as other QBs, as Cousins attempted deep shots into tight windows just 20.4 […]

Will Fuller V Critical To Deshaun Watson's Success Downfield

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson enjoyed throwing the ball deep in 2019, attempting a deep pass on 14 percent of his throws last year, the fifth-highest mark among signal-callers. With receiver Will Fuller V on the field, Watson attempted a deep pass on 17 percent of his throws since 2017, as opposed to 11 percent […]

Kyler Murray's Dual-Threat Ability Makes Him The Real Deal

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray benefitted from open receivers deep down the field in his rookie season and also had a very low pressure rate (13.1 percent) on his deep attempts, but it was his own dual-threat ability to use his legs as a rusher that afforded him the chance to excel deep down the […]

Tom Brady Was Fourth-Best Deep Passer In 2019

Despite having a down year in 2019 overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was actually the fourth-best deep passer, per Next Gen Stats. He had seven touchdowns and only two interceptions on deep balls with Julian Edelman as his top target. Brady was pressured often (40.7 percent) and was throwing to receivers that were […]

Trent Williams Praises Jimmy Garoppolo

San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams blocked for nine different quarterbacks in the last decade with the Redskins, but he thinks quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is among the best he's played with heading into the 2020 season. "I think Jimmy G is awesome," Williams said. "I think he has proven that he's a […]

Raheem Mostert Could Land Extension Soon

San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert could land a contract extension before tight end George Kittle does, in the opinion of The Athletic's Matt Barrows. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is another player that could be looking at an extension in the near future. Mostert stepped up down the stretch and in the postseason for […]

Boston Scott Expected To Compete For Offensive Role

Philadelphia Eagles running back Boston Scott is expected to compete for an offensive role in training camp instead of just competing for a roster spot. Miles Sanders will be the team's lead back in 2020, but even if the team adds a veteran backup, Scott is expected to compete for a role in Philly. The […]

Patrick Mahomes Has The Weapons To Beat Defenses Deep

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' expected completion rate on deep passes is higher than most QBs in the league because of his speedy weapons, namely receiver Tyreek Hill, whose 18 touchdowns on deep targets since 2016 is second-most in the NFL behind Antonio Brown. Mahomes had a 30.3 percent rate of targets considered to […]

Russell Wilson Continues To Shine Down The Field

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been one of the best deep passers in the NFL since 2016. He threw 32 TD passes on deep throws from 2016 to 2018 and had 1.5 yards of target separation on deep passes last season, which was the lowest in the NFL. Wilson makes a habit of extended […]

Dak Prescott Listed As Top Deep Passer Of 2019

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott tops NFL.com's Nick Shook's list of the top-10 deep passers from the 2019 season. Prescott relied mostly on wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was efficient on deep targets by catching 12 passes for 386 yards and two touchdowns on passes 20-plus yards downfield. Prescott had a completion percentage of 44.4 […]

A.J. Brown Wins With Size And Strength

Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown had an excellent rookie season and beat defenders with his combination of size and strength. Quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota had a combined passer rating of 127.6 when targeting Brown in 2019. Brown faced pressure at the line of scrimmage 38.3 percent of the time but still had […]

Emmanuel Sanders Was Impressive In 2019

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders posted a plus-7.2 percent catch-rate difference last year with the Broncos and 49ers and broke 850 receiving yards while fighting through press coverage on almost 30 percent of all routes run. He was also targeted in a tight window 20.6 percent of the time while covering an average […]

George Kittle A Master Of Yards After The Catch

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle had just 5.7 air yards per target in 2019, as the 49ers looked to get him the ball early and often to utilize his yards-after-the-catch skills. He racked up 641 (60.9 percent) of his 1,053 receiving yards after the catch. Kittle's average yards-per-catch mark of 12.4 was better […]

Hunter Henry Excels In The End Zone

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry caught 72.4 percent of the passes intended for him last year in his first season after tearing his ACL in 2018. He had a positive catch-rate difference of over eight percent and caught 60 percent of his targets in the end zone for three of his five total […]

Amari Cooper Makes Dak Prescott Better

While opposing defenses often pressed Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper at the line of scrimmage last year, he had an average of 2.6 yards of separation by the time the ball arrived. He also had a tight-window percentage of 25.2, but for the most part, Cooper was able to successful beat press coverage. Quarterback […]

Luiz Gohara Among Angels Cuts

The Los Angeles Angels released 39 minor leaguers last week, according to the official minor league transaction pages. They released 29 minor leaguers from March to May of 2019 and 19 from the same time frame in 2018. Pitchers Luiz Gohara, Luis Pena and Jeremy Rhoades were among those cut in the process. Gohara, a […]

Calvin Ridley Shined Through Double Coverages

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley had a catch-rate difference of plus-8.7 percent last year and did it while seeing double teams 5.4 percent of the time. Ridley also had a nice cushion on his routes, with an average of 6.6 yards at the time of the snap. Because of his 4.43-second speed, opponents rarely […]