NFL News

[Cody_Russell]

Wentz out for 5-12 weeks. Oof.

Every GM has a weak spot. Ravens - QB and WRs. Pitt - WRs. NE - WRs ETC...

Nobody is perfect. It makes things more difficult if QB is the weak spot on your team.

The specifics there.
You really are down on Lamar?
Think Pittsburgh has been pretty good at drafting WRs… at least in the last decade. AB, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, JuJu, D Johnson, and Claypool.

[Futureshock]

Wentz out for 5-12 weeks. Oof.




Nobody is perfect. It makes things more difficult if QB is the weak spot on your team.

The specifics there.
You really are down on Lamar?
Think Pittsburgh has been pretty good at drafting WRs… at least in the last decade. AB, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, JuJu, D Johnson, and Claypool.

IDK about Lamar. Love that he can keep the chains moving with his legs but for them to get past the better teams he has to be on point. They (BAL) also have an issue with getting (draft or FA) good WRs so that just exasperates everything. Good thing they have the best run game in the league.

Claypool is still young and may be good. AB was dynamic and made a lot of those other guys better. The rest are over-hyped IMHO. Especially JuJu.

[The King]

Now Quenton Nelson is out with a foot injury. They are dropping like flies in Indy.

[Cody_Russell]

It’s basically like if the Lions lost Goff and Ragnow for 2 months. Very ouch for the Colts.

and considering JuJu’s contract, he might be very overhyped indeed.

[Futureshock]

It’s basically like if the Lions lost Goff and Ragnow for 2 months. Very ouch for the Colts.

and considering JuJu’s contract, he might be very overhyped indeed.

Well, it didn't go so well when they tried to make him a #1WR. He's ok and a good #2 as long as he's playing with a good #1 to take the pressure off him. That's okay, there's a ton of guys like that in the league. Everything in Pittsburgh is overhyped IMHO. Their O-Line is absolutely terrible but you don't hear much about that. They blamed their woes on Conner, but Najee is in for a rude awakening.

[Futureshock]

Dwayne Haskins has been “surprisingly good” in Steelers camp

Posted by Mike Florio on August 3, 2021, 8:05 PM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

When it’s time to replace Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers may not have to look far for his replacement. His replacement may already be on the roster.

Mark Kaboly of TheAthletic.com writes that Dwayne Haskins has been “surprisingly good” in practice. Kaboly adds that Haskins has been the team’s “best play-action passer,” and that his accuracy and decision-making have been good.

Haskins, the fifteenth overall pick in the 2019 draft, washed out of Washington during his second season. But he wasn’t a reach in the middle of round one. If not Washington, someone else would have taken him on the first night of the draft.

So the Steelers got him at a bargain-basement rate, and they may end up grooming him into a competent option to Roethlisberger.

In two nights, Haskins will replace Mason Rudolph in the Hall of Fame game. It will be the former Buckeye’s chance to try to wrest the No. 2 job from Rudolph, a career backup who seemingly has plateaued.

“He’s grown by leaps and bounds,” coach Mike Tomlin said regarding Haskins. “He does a good job of communicating with coaches, with players, gaining an understanding of what we’re trying to do schematically and his role in it, gaining a rapport with the receivers specifically, trying to do the things that we want him to do in the drill work that we do. We’ve made an emphasis that drill work is football-like, but not necessarily football, and so we have certain things that we emphasize under those circumstances. I think he’s done a nice job of that. I think a lot of guys have.”

Haskins had only one season as a starter in college before landing with the inherently dysfunctional Washington Football Team. His skills mirrored in many respects those of Roethlisberger. While not a threat to tuck the ball and run, Haskins has the mobility and the agility to extend the play behind the line of scrimmage.

So maybe the Steelers have found their next starter on the scrap heap. And maybe that will partially atone for the time when they had Johnny Unitas under contract, and decided he wasn’t good enough.

[Futureshock]

Getting the itch...


Philip Rivers not closing door on possible return

Posted by Charean Williams on August 3, 2021, 7:43 PM EDT

Getty Images

The Colts needed a quarterback this year after their quarterback from last year, Philip Rivers, retired. They now might need a quarterback to start this year after their current starting quarterback, Carson Wentz, underwent foot surgery Monday.

Rivers, 39, called it quits after 17 seasons, the last one played with the Colts after 16 years with the Chargers.

He has not totally closed the door on his career, though, telling Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times that he would consider a late-season stint.

“I’m not predicting I will play in December or January, for that matter,” Rivers said. “One, you’ve got to have somebody who wants you, and two, it’s got to be right. But I have not completely ruled that out.”

The Colts’ need for a veteran quarterback would come sooner than later with Wentz facing a 5-12 week timetable for his return. Jacob Eason, a fourth-round choice in 2020, is the leading candidate to start while Wentz is recovering.

Indianapolis recently signed Brett Hundley as another option at quarterback and also has Sam Ehlinger and Jalen Morton at the position.

The Colts started Scott Tolzien in the season opener in 2017 with Andrew Luck out with a shoulder injury. Tolzien started only one game before Jacoby Brissett took over the starting job.

Luck started all 16 games in 2018; Brissett started 15 games in 2019 and Brian Hoyer one; and Rivers started all 16 games in 2020.

Rivers started 240 consecutive games, and 252 counting the playoffs. That was the longest active streak in the NFL, and the second-longest streak in NFL history.

Rivers, who now is coaching football at St. Michael Catholic High School, conceded to Farmer he would have some work to do in order to return.

“I’m not quite there,” Rivers said. “I’m getting back there. I wouldn’t have made weight if I had to report last week, that’s for sure. But I am getting back into the lifting and running, and shoot, I occasionally throw a ball around out here in this heat. It’s not too hard to get a good lather going.”

[Futureshock]

Kyle Shanahan: Trey Lance got a first-team rep on a designed run only for him

Posted by Myles Simmons on August 3, 2021, 5:03 PM EDT

Getty Images

On Monday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said, “I haven’t planned that at all,” when asked if No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance would receive reps with the first-team offense.

On Tuesday, Lance took his first snap with the first-team offensive line.

This doesn’t, however, appear to be a reason to freak out over whether Lance is suddenly climbing up the depth chart. While multiple reporters stationed at San Francisco’s Tuesday practice noted how sharp the rookie quarterback looked with his throws, there was only the sole snap with the starters.

And that one play? It was a run designed specifically for Lance.

“We have a seven-day install,” Shanahan said during his post-practice press conference. “A certain play that went in today that we wanted all O-lines to get reps with. And we were only going to do that play with Trey.”

Shanahan also didn’t heap praise on Lance for his Tuesday passing performance.

“I think since OTAs he’s put a lot of work into it and I think he’s getting better each day,” Shanahan said. “I think that will continue to happen, just the more he plays the more he works at it.”

Lance will take over as the 49ers QB1 — that’s not a matter of if, but when. As San Francisco continues to go through training camp, it will be interesting to see if Shanahan’s “plans” change and Lance gets more time playing alongside the starters.

[jaadam4]

Rivers? Please stay retired bro

[Futureshock]

He could go to CHI, GB or MIN

[jaadam4]

Just stay down bro

[Futureshock]

That is way too funny

[Futureshock]

Urban Meyer is using a one-on-one drills to help determine roster spots

Posted by Mike Florio on August 5, 2021, 7:27 AM EDT

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College football rosters are huge. Pro football rosters are finite. First-time NFL coach Urban Meyer, who soon will trim his roster from 90 to 53, has devised a technique for giving out roster spots.

Via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, Meyer has employed one-on-one drills with an eye toward using the results for giving out jobs.

They’re calling it Winners and Losers day, and Wednesday was the first one.

For example, tight ends Tim Tebow and Chris Manhertz squared off in a special-teams blocking drill on Wednesday. The winner of each round had his name blared over a loudspeaker. Ultimately they went 2-2. (Without a tiebreaker, there’s no Winner or Loser, is there?)

“A big roster’s going to go to a smaller roster, and I think to be fair to players — we all have so much respect [and] this is a way guys make a living — I don’t believe in subjectivity,” Meyer said, via DiRocco. “I believe in, what’s your record? Every man’s got a record. What is it? You are what your record [is]. If you lose a lot but you have a lot of potential, that’s not real good. . . . Just over the course of my career, I can give you example after example [of players who] maybe they’re a little slow, but they just never lose.”

Although roster spots won’t be driven by these exercises, it will be a factor in close questions.

“Well, I haven’t done that before [used it to determine cuts],” Meyer said. “This is going to be the first [time]. But I’ve had to make decisions on who starts, and it’s not fair to players to say, Well, I’m starting [you] because I like you, or because you’re from Ohio. It’s just: Here’s the stats. They say statistics are for losers, and my comment is usually losers say statistics are for losers.

“So you’ve got a record. What’s your record? How’s it going? I just think that’s a complete mentality. That Tom Brady guy, his record’s really good. You move him to the Buccaneers, it’s really good. New England Patriots, really good.”

Whether it helps Meyer get the best possible group of 53 players remains to be seen. Whether it helps a guy like Tim Tebow a job remains to be seen.

It also remains to be seen whether any of these one-on-one drills potentially cross the line created in 2019, when the NFL banned Oklahoma drills and similar tactics as a safety measure. Given that the Jaguars already have been whacked this year for impermissibly intense offseason workouts, it’s fair to at least flag the question — especially if players are being pitted against each other in one-on-one settings in order to hand out jerseys.

[Futureshock]

Sterling Shepard backs Joe Judge discipline efforts after practice brawl

Posted by Curtis Crabtree on August 5, 2021, 1:39 AM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

After a massive brawl broke out at New York Giants practice on Tuesday, head coach Joe Judge had his players run and do push ups as punishment for the incident.

While some players probably didn’t enjoy their daily practice turning into a marathon of gassers, Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard says he had no issue with the way Judge handled the incident. And for any players that did have an issue with it, he had a simple suggestion.

“That’s kind of the standard that we’ve set here in this building and as a team, and I think guys have bought in and know what to expect whenever you step on the field and when you’re playing under a guy like coach Judge,” Shepard said, via quotes from the team. “If you don’t like it, then you’re welcome to leave. But that’s the way that we do things around here and everybody is standing by that, and I’m all for it. I mean, it’s a little different for us because we’re receivers, we’ve got to be able to run all day, but I don’t mind it.”

The fight began after cornerback Logan Ryan hit tight end Evan Engram after a play had ended. Ryan said his relationship with Engram is great on Wednesday and it’s just one of those things that can happen in training camp.

Shepard agreed with that sentiment.

“This is training camp, man, emotions are going to run high, guys are fighting for jobs, we’re going to be competing, so with that level of competition, things are going to get heated,” Shepard said. “It boiled over a little yesterday, but you learn from it and you keep on pushing and keep on moving on, and that’s what we’re focused on doing today.”

[Futureshock]

Gerald McCoy signs with the Raiders

Posted by Mike Florio on August 4, 2021, 9:02 PM EDT

Getty Images

The third overall pick in the 2010 officially has his fourth team.

Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has signed with the Raiders. The team announced the move on Wednesday.

McCoy, a six-time Pro Bowler, spent nine seasons with the Buccaneers. Cut by Tampa two years ago, he signed with the Panthers. He joined the Cowboys in 2020, but he suffered ruptured a quad tendon during training camp.

In 2019, he started all 16 games for the Panthers.

The Raiders have made no secret about the need to improve their defense, as they try to get to the playoffs for the first time in what will be coach Jon Gruden’s fourth season back with the team.