HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Urban Meyer On Trevor Lawrence, Tim Tebow

June 25th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year may bring the most closely followed Jaguars training camp ever, with No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence coming to town and quarterback-turned-tight end Tim Tebow vying for a roster spot. Urban Meyer‘s role as a first-time NFL coach will be scrutinized as well.

The new Jacksonville HC addressed these topics recently. Lawrence is expected to be the Jaguars’ Week 1 starter, but the Jags interestingly pumped the brakes on this expected ascension recently. Meyer confirmed his franchise-QB hopeful is not quite there yet.

“He’s not ready yet, but he doesn’t have to be ready yet,” Meyer said during an interview with USA Today’s Mackenzie Salmon (h/t 247sports.com). “We got a long training camp coming up. He’s probably advanced maybe a little quicker than we would’ve thought, which was a positive.

“One thing that we worked on, when we made a decision that Trevor was going to be our No. 1 pick, we went from the evaluation stage to the preparation stage. And that means that I want to see. I can’t remember the exact date, but we started installing the playbook with him well before the draft. So you can see the retention. He’s got a really good work ethic and he’s progressed very well.”

Replacing Kelly Bryant as a true freshman at Clemson, Lawrence rocketed onto the NFL radar by leading the Tigers to the 2018 national championship. Lawrence was viewed as the likely 2021 top pick for years. The Jags securing that selection helped lead Meyer to Jacksonville, so it would certainly be stunning if Gardner Minshew or C.J. Beathard started in Week 1.

Despite Tebow not having played in a regular-season game since 2012, the former Heisman winner and playoff QB starter will go to camp with the Jags. Meyer said earlier this month Tebow has done a “decent job” since joining the Jaguars. Last month, 46% of PFR readers said Tebow would make Jacksonville’s 53-man roster, while another 25% said the ex-Broncos QB1 and Mets farmhand would land on the practice squad.

“The last thing you just said is the tough part – there’s 53. And that’s new to me,” Meyer said, via Salmon (video link). “That’s the reality of the NFL – that you have 90 players. So to me he’s one of 90. What’s the difference between him and the other 40 guys trying to make the team? To me it’s all the same. This is their livelihood. This is a job. This is a way to make a living and the reality is a good percentage of your roster is going to get cut or transitioned out of here which to me, that’s completely new.”

The Jags signed Chris Manhertz, a Panther in 2020, and drafted Ohio State’s Luke Farrell in Round 5. Veteran James O’Shaughnessy remains on the team as well. Tebow, 2020 sixth-round pick Tyler Davis and 2020 UDFA Ben Ellefson round out the Jags’ tight end contingent. The Jags potentially planning wildcat-type looks for Tebow may give him an edge, but teams keeping more than four tight ends on an active roster is fairly rare.

Bears’ Marquise Goodwin In Long Jump Field At U.S. Olympic Trials

June 25th, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marquise Goodwin signed with the Bears in April and is vying for one of Chicago’s receiver spots following a 2020 opt-out. The veteran wide receiver will also attempt to capture a spot on the U.S. Olympic team Friday afternoon.

A 2012 Olympian in the long jump, Goodwin will compete for a spot at the Tokyo Games in the event. The long jump competition at the U.S. trials in Eugene, Ore., begins at 3:30pm CT. Goodwin missed out on the Rio Games in 2016, finishing in seventh at the trials. He placed 10th in London nine years ago.

Despite Goodwin’s NFL standing not being what it was when he last attempted to make an Olympic team, Bears coaches were behind his bid to make this year’s squad, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune notes. Goodwin, 30, last made the U.S. team in the long jump while at Texas but missed out ahead of his final Bills season.

This year, Goodwin jumped the Olympic standard at a meet in March. That mark of 8.12 meters (26 feet, 6 inches) is tied for 25th in the world this year, but it ranks eighth among American long jumpers. The top three finishers today qualify for the U.S. team. Goodwin is part of a 24-jumper field in Eugene. That group includes two jumpers — reigning Olympic champ Jeff Henderson and LSU’s JuVaughn Harrison — who have eclipsed Goodwin’s career-best jump (8.33 meters, set at the 2012 trials) this season.

Should the 5-foot-9 wideout make his second Olympic team, he will be late to Bears training camp. The Tokyo Games begin July 23; the long jump competition is scheduled for August 2. The Bears begin camp July 27. Goodwin joins Damiere Byrd as veteran newcomers aiming to make Chicago’s 53-man roster; the Bears also used a sixth-round pick on Dazz Newsome. Goodwin’s one-year deal comes in barely north of the league minimum, but the Bears did guarantee him $350K.

Steelers’ Trai Turner To Earn $3MM

June 25th, 2021 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, the Steelers parted ways with David DeCastro and moved quickly to find his successor. Now, we have the terms of Trai Turner‘s deal – the veteran guard will earn just $3MM on his one-year deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 

That’s a solid value considering that Turner is a five-time Pro Bowler. While the Chargers cut bait with Turner after just one year, he offers the toughness, experience, and upside they lost by cutting DeCastro.

Turner found a tepid market for his services since knee and groin problems limited him to just nine games in 2020. Pro Football Focus slotted Turner as the league’s second-worst guard in 2020, but he could easily return to his old form if he’s healthy.

The 28-year-old comes to Pittsburgh with 89 career starts, making him the most senior member of the offensive line. In the hours betwee DeCastro’s release and Turner’s agreement, left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor held that mantle with just 19 career starts.

Latest On Packers’ Aaron Rodgers

June 25th, 2021 at 9:10am CST by Zachary Links

As it stands, Aaron Rodgers has two choices — collect his full paycheck for 2021, or continue his holdout into the season and forfeit millions of dollars. However, there is an option C for the Packers’ quarterback. Per the terms of this year’s agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, Rodgers could opt out, skip the season, and prevent the Packers from taking $18.3MM out of his pocket (via PFT).

[POLL: Will The Packers Trade Aaron Rodgers To The Broncos?]

Players can opt out for any reason, regardless of whether they’ve been deemed as a high risk for COVID-19 complications. The only hitch is that the decision has to be made by Friday, July 2. After that point, it’s irrevocable.

It’s be a bold and unprecedented move on Rodgers’ part. It would also prevent him from attempting an encore of his 2020 MVP season. The Packers continue to say that they will not trade Rodgers under any circumstances, but plenty of people seem to think that they’ll bend. In a recent poll, 25% of PFR readers said that Rodgers will wind up as the Broncos’ Week 1 starter.

“We obviously still feel the same way,” head coach Matt LaFleur said earlier this year. “We want him back in the worst way. I know he knows that. And we’ll continue to work at it each and every day.”

Former Steelers G David DeCastro To Retire?

June 25th, 2021 at 8:52am CST by Zachary Links

Former Steelers guard David DeCastro is now free to sign with any team in the NFL. However, the multiple-time Pro Bowler says that he might call it a career instead. 

“Gotta see how the surgery goes,” DeCastro said (via Joe Starkey of the Post Gazette). “But I’d have no problem calling it a day and moving on with my life.”

DeCastro is set for a third surgery on his ankle to fix a recurring issue with bone spurs. The Steelers released him earlier this week with a non-football injury designation, a sign that they’re not so sure about his ability to bounce back. By releasing him, they saved ~$8MM, though it remains to be seen how they’ll replace him on the interior.

A starter since his 2012 rookie season, DeCastro has made the past six Pro Bowls and has secured two first-team All-Pro nods. Now, on the verge of what would be his his age-31 season, he’s giving serious thought to life after football.

The Steelers and the former first-round pick agreed to a five-year, $50MM extension back in September 2016. That deal worked out well for Pittsburgh — DeCastro carved out holes for Le’Veon Bell during his All-Pro campaigns, teaming with Maurkice Pouncey and Ramon Foster to form one of the league’s best interior lines.

Melvin Gordon Discusses Broncos’ RB Depth, Role

June 24th, 2021 at 10:26pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos have done some work revamping their running back depth chart this offseason. That means former Pro Bowler Melvin Gordon will find himself competing for carries (and, potentially, a roster spot). However, the veteran isn’t all that worried about his projected role.

“I’m very confident, man,” Gordon said (via ESPN’s Jeff Legwold). “I’m just going to go out there and just do my job and compete. Wherever the cards fall, they fall. I can’t really worry about that too much. I know that’s kind of the talk. The media is making it Javonte versus Melvin. Who’s going to start? This and that. It’s not really about that.”

Gordon is referring to rookie Javonte Williams, who the Broncos traded up to select in the second round (No. 35). The organization also brought in free agent Mike Boone, who previously played for new Broncos general manager George Paton during their time in Minnesota, and they’re still rostering former starter Royce Freeman. As a result, Gordon will have to battle for every carry once the regular season rolls around.

It’s not a surprise that the Broncos have been focused on adding depth at the position. Gordon may have led the Broncos with 986 rushing yards in 2020, but he had four lost fumbles and was forced to miss a game after getting arrested for DUI. Plus, Paton doesn’t have any attachment to the 2020 free agent signing, and Gordon didn’t do much to endear himself when he skipped OTAs.

While Gordon will likely see a reduction in carries, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be jettisoned off the roster. While the Broncos would save around $2.5MM by cutting the 28-year-old, they’d be left with $6.5MM in dead cap. Unless the organization desperately needs the cap space, it could make more sense to just keep Gordon as some high-level depth. Perhaps most importantly, it sounds like Gordon is embracing the team’s running backs corps, indicating that himself, Williams, and Boone could form a three-headed monster.

“We’re competing, but it’s early, and we still have a lot of work to do,” Gordon said. “I think both of them have really good feet and good hands. I think they’re going to be — we could all be special. We’re definitely going to come out here and compete. … You can tell Boone been in the league for a while, and you can tell that Javonte has potential. We’re going to grow as a group, and we’re looking to be the best running back group in the league.”

Giants Waive RB Ryquell Armstead

June 24th, 2021 at 8:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Ryquell Armstead‘s stint in New York has ended. The Giants have waived the running back, according to Dan Salomone of the team’s website (and later passed along by the organization on Twitter).

The Temple product entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick by the Jaguars in 2019. During his rookie season, Armstead served as Leonard Fournette‘s primary backup, collecting 252 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. He got a start for Jacksonville in their 2019 season finale, finishing the game with more than 50 receiving yards and a score.

Armstead had several stints on the COVID list in 2020, and he reportedly had a pair of hospital visits while dealing with respiratory issues. As a result, the running back ended up missing the entire season, and he was waived by the Jaguars back in May.

The Giants calimed Armstead shortly thereafter, but he only stuck with his new team for about a month. The 24-year-old was competing with the likes of Devontae Booker, Elijhaa Penny, and Corey Clement for backup reps behind Saquon Barkley.

Miles Boykin On Ravens’ Roster Bubble

June 24th, 2021 at 7:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens spent the offseason trying to upgrade at wide receiver, having made both JuJu Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton their respective best offers in free agency. They ended up with Sammy Watkins and then drafted Rashod Bateman in the first round.

These moves, and Baltimore’s fourth-round selection of Tylan Wallace, crowd a once-thin receiver room. In addition to the Watkins-Bateman-Marquise Brown top trio and Wallace, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes 2020 third-rounder Devin Duvernay‘s roster spot is secure (subscription required). Miles Boykin, however, does not appear to be on as firm footing as training camp nears.

Baltimore drafted Boykin in the 2019 third round, bringing the Notre Dame product into the fold after selecting Brown in that year’s first round. While Lamar Jackson‘s rapport with his wide receivers has been inconsistent since he took the reins, the Ravens have not received too much from Boykin in his two-year run. The 6-foot-4 target has amassed just 32 receptions for 464 receiving yards in 32 games (24 starts).

The Ravens’ No. 2 wideout spot has resided below Brown, Mark Andrews and a multifaceted run game in this offense’s pecking order, but the franchise’s moves this offseason indicate it wants more from the position. It will lead to a Boykin role reduction, if he is to make the team.

Boykin and 2020 sixth-rounder James Proche may be battling for one spot, Zrebiec adds. Boykin saw more special teams time than the SMU product as well last season, with the former playing just 14% of Baltimore’s ST snaps compared to Boykin’s 32%. Unless the NFL’s run-heaviest team plans to keep seven wideouts, the two will vie for the final receiver spot on the 53-man roster.

Steelers To Sign Trai Turner

June 24th, 2021 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

This big day for the Steelers’ guard position continues. They team quickly tabbed a David DeCastro successor, agreeing to terms with Trai Turner on Thursday evening.

It’s a one-year deal for the Pro Bowl guard, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). This will provide a Steelers offensive line incredibly light on experience with a seven-year veteran who has ventured to five Pro Bowls. The Steelers brought Turner in for a visit late last week. While that summit seemed a bit odd, DeCastro’s release vacated yet another position on a Pittsburgh front that will look radically different compared to 2020.

Despite trading Russell Okung for Turner straight up last year, the Chargers cut bait after one season. The Bolts shed Turner’s Panthers-constructed contract after he played in just nine games in 2020. A groin injury sidelined Turner for six games last season, after a knee injury caused him to miss Week 1. When Turner returned, he could not recapture his Panthers form. Pro Football Focus slotted Turner as the league’s second-worst guard in 2020. Of course, his health was probably an issue during his lone L.A. season.

Turner’s health has been an issue for a while, his run of Hawaii trips notwithstanding. He missed three games in each of the 2017, ’18 and ’19 seasons. But the accomplished blocker said he is back to 100%, and Thursday’s Steelers agreement signals they concur with his assessment. Turner, 28, resided as one of the top free agents left. His experience (89 career starts) could be vital for a Steelers O-line without anyone close to that total.

The Steelers lost 17 combined Pro Bowls from their offensive line this offseason, with DeCastro now a free agent, Maurkice Pouncey having retired and Alejandro Villanueva having signed with the Ravens. DeCastro appears to be considering retirement as well. His departure leaves a major void on a Steelers line whose most veteran member — left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor — has made 19 career starts. Turner and 2020 fourth-round pick Kevin Dotson, who started four games as a rookie, appear set to work as Pittsburgh’s guards this season.

This Date In Transactions History: Jets Sign Vinny Testaverde

June 24th, 2021 at 6:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets have searched for quarterback stability for a rather lengthy period now, as the team using three first-round picks and two second-rounders on QBs since 2009 illustrates. For a stretch in the late 1990s through the late 2000s, though, the Jets connected on a couple of QB moves. One of them took place 23 years ago today.

On June 24, 1998, the Jets reached an agreement with Vinny Testaverde. The former No. 1 overall pick ventured to New York on an incentive-laden deal that ended up being a two-year, $8.7MM pact. The deal featured just $1.2MM guaranteed but worked out quite well for the Jets, who rode their new quarterback to the Super Bowl precipice.

The Ravens made Testaverde a post-June 1 cut that year, jettisoning their starter on June 2, 1998. Testaverde was a Browns 1.0 holdover who initially took over for Bernie Kosar in 1993. He remained the franchise’s starter in its first two Baltimore seasons, making the Pro Bowl in 1996. Following a 1997 season in which Testaverde missed time with a knee injury, the Ravens went in another direction. They acquired Jim Harbaugh from the Colts that February.

Searching for a long-term starter since Ken O’Brien‘s QB1 tenure ended in 1992, the Jets tried the veteran route twice between then and signing Testaverde. New York acquired Boomer Esiason from Cincinnati in 1993 and signed ex-Pittsburgh starter Neil O’Donnell in ’96. Neither veteran’s stay lasted longer than two years. The Bill Parcells-led franchise released O’Donnell the same day it signed Testaverde, after the former Super Bowl starter declined a pay cut.

At 35, Testaverde ended the ’98 season with his second Pro Bowl and set a Jets single-season touchdown pass record with 29, which Ryan Fitzpatrick surpassed in 2015. The Jets won the AFC East title and advanced to their first AFC championship game since 1982. Although the Jets’ 10-0 lead over the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos did not last, Testaverde completed a bounce-back season that led to a three-year, $19.47MM extension the following March.

Parcells’ tenure ended after that ’99 season, one marred by a Week 1 Testaverde Achilles rupture, but the quarterback lasted four more seasons with Gang Green. He recovered to play a full season in 2000, and although that Jets team did not make the playoffs, one of Testaverde’s 16 starts that year came in the “Monday Night Miracle” game. A year after that 23-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Dolphins, Testaverde steered the Jets to the 2001 postseason. Second-round pick Chad Pennington replaced Testaverde during the 2002 season, but after a 2004 stop in Dallas, Testaverde returned to the Jets in 2005 and started four games for an injured Pennington at age 42.

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