NFL News

[Futureshock]

Robert Saleh: Jets have had a fight-free training camp because our players respect each other

Posted by Michael David Smith on August 11, 2021, 1:57 PM EDT

Getty Images

Training camp fights are common around the NFL, and coaches’ reactions to them can vary from Dan Campbell getting fired up by a fight at Lions camp to Joe Judge getting furious after a fight at Giants camp. But Jets coach Robert Saleh has a different perspective.

Saleh said today that he’s pleased the Jets haven’t had fights at his first training camp as head coach, and he sees that as a simple matter of players showing respect for each other.

“I think this team really cares about one another,” Saleh said. “I think these guys understand what each person puts in every day and I think they respect the work that they’re trying to put on tape. I think when you see fights is when players are being cheap and doing extra and really trying to hurt another person’s career. Playing your tail off and playing with effort and technique and a little bit of physicality is not cheap. That’s just part of football. And I think these guys respect one another.”

Saleh’s perspective is a good one: Training camp fights may be common around the NFL, but that doesn’t mean they’re acceptable. Saleh is presiding over a more respectful culture with the Jets.

[Futureshock]

Too bad for the young man...


GRANT DELPITS, CLEVELAND BROWNS
Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reports that Brown S Grant Delpit "has suffered such a big setback with his hamstring injury" that he appears unlikely to play in Week 1.


Delpit, the 44th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, didn't play at all last year after tearing his Achilles in training camp. Things were reportedly going well with his recovery until he sustained a hamstring injury sometime this summer. Browns secondary coach Jeff Howard noted that Delpit has only taken nine team reps in camp this year. The second-year safety looks doubtful for the opener.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com
Aug 11, 2021, 5:58 PM

[chemiclord]

Robert Saleh: Jets have had a fight-free training camp because our players respect each other

Posted by Michael David Smith on August 11, 2021, 1:57 PM EDT

Getty Images

Training camp fights are common around the NFL, and coaches’ reactions to them can vary from Dan Campbell getting fired up by a fight at Lions camp to Joe Judge getting furious after a fight at Giants camp. But Jets coach Robert Saleh has a different perspective.

Saleh said today that he’s pleased the Jets haven’t had fights at his first training camp as head coach, and he sees that as a simple matter of players showing respect for each other.

“I think this team really cares about one another,” Saleh said. “I think these guys understand what each person puts in every day and I think they respect the work that they’re trying to put on tape. I think when you see fights is when players are being cheap and doing extra and really trying to hurt another person’s career. Playing your tail off and playing with effort and technique and a little bit of physicality is not cheap. That’s just part of football. And I think these guys respect one another.”

Saleh’s perspective is a good one: Training camp fights may be common around the NFL, but that doesn’t mean they’re acceptable. Saleh is presiding over a more respectful culture with the Jets.

It just depends so much on WHY the fights in training camp happen.

If you've got a bunch of young players all working for a handful of spots on the roster, you don't mind seeing them too much. It tells you that those players are REALLY driven and are willing to run through a wall to get on the team. You just want to make sure they don't get too violent or too frequent and risk someone getting badly hurt.

But if you've got a couple veterans who start throwing hands because of lingering drama in the locker room, that's a problem.

[Futureshock]

It happens every year on the vast majority of teams. They're not full team death matches, but in the dog days of going against the same guy every day guys get testy. It's common and sort of normal. I just don't see that (or ever heard) it is because they don't "care for each other" I think Saleh is trying to build something there. But it doesn't mean the Lions are out there hating each other.

I remember Carrier and R Williams getting in a quick hissy fight () and later we got their autographs while they were leaving practice together. These fights mean next to nothing. Like I said, Saleh is just trying to build his team's comradery.

[Futureshock]

Jets Not Looking To Move On From Denzel Mims?


August 11th, 2021 at 8:06pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Got news for Jets fans, as we finally have a positive update to pass along on young receiver Denzel Mims. First we heard that he was falling behind on the depth chart in training camp, and then there were rumblings late last week that he might not be long for the team.


Apparently, the concerns have been overblown. The Jets “are not looking to trade or cut” Mims, sources tell Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com. New York drafted Mims in the second-round just last year, so it always would’ve been surprising if he had actually been on his way out. His stock apparently hasn’t taken much of a tumble league-wide, as a source told Pauline that “if the Jets want to trade or cut Mims, 31 teams in the league would line up for him.”

Additionally, Pauline has some more details on why Mims fell behind this offseason. Apparently he lost a ton of weight after having a bad reaction to antibiotics he was put on for food poisoning. That unfortunately left him “unable to participate in the offseason program properly.” Sources told Pauline that led him to fall behind on the installation of the new coaching staff’s offense.

Pauline says Mims is still a favorite of GM Joe Douglas, which will go a long way toward keeping him around. The Baylor product was limited to nine games as a rookie by a hamstring injury, but he was reasonably productive in those nine contests, finishing with 23 catches for 357 yards.

It sounds like Mims isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but he’ll still have his work cut out for him to get on the field. The Jets currently have at least free agent signees Corey Davis and Keelan Cole, veteran Jamison Crowder, and rookie Elijah Moore ahead of him in the pecking order.

[Futureshock]

Meanwhile...


Latest On Dolphins’ WRs


August 11th, 2021 at 4:59pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

For years the Dolphins have lacked quality receivers, but now they actually have an abundance of depth at the position. It’s a good problem to have, but it also means that some solid players could be on the outside looking in when we get to roster cut-downs.


There’s a lot of uncertainty at the position and a lot to sort through, and fortunately Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald just broke it all down. Albert Wilson flashed a ton of potential during his first season with the Dolphins in 2018, but injuries hampered him then and in 2019. He then opted out of the 2020 season, leading many to believe he’d be on the roster bubble this time around. However, it appears that he’s safe. Wilson is “going to be on the team,” Jackson writes, noting he’s been the most consistent receiver in camp.

The same can’t be said for 2020 third-round pick Lynn Bowden. The Kentucky product has “gone from slight front-runner to make the team to very much on the bubble with an underwhelming camp,” despite being the 80th overall pick just last year. In 10 games and four starts last year, Bowden had 28 catches for 211 yards.

Meanwhile, there’s some bad news on Preston Williams. The 2019 UDFA has looked like a diamond in the rough find the past couple years, but he apparently isn’t over the Lisfranc foot injury that cut his 2020 short. Although the team “originally was optimistic that Williams would be fine to start the season,” the Colorado State product now “appears iffy at best” for Week 1.

Jackson writes that Williams is a candidate to start the year on the PUP list, which would sideline him for the first six games. He also says the “odds are against” veteran Allen Hurns making the 53, even though Hurns has $1.2MM in guaranteed money coming his way.

Jackson also expects the Dolphins to be open to a potential trade of Jakeem Grant if a team in need of a returner is willing to part with a late-round pick. In addition to all these guys, Miami still has Will Fuller, DeVante Parker, and rookie first-rounder Jaylen Waddle at the top of the depth chart.

[Futureshock]

Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson considers pursuing NFL career

Posted by Michael David Smith on August 13, 2021, 6:35 AM EDT

Getty Images

Gable Steveson, the heavyweight wrestler who just won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, is considering the NFL.

In response to a gambling site that is laying odds on what Steveson will do next, Steveson tweeted that the smart money is on signing with an NFL team.

“I would hope one day I can get a tryout with the NFL,” Steveson said on Pardon My Take, via the Pioneer Press. “There are some teams that have came and have mentioned me to some agents, and stuff that have sparked interest in me. It would be cool to go out there and play football and be in the NFL for a little bit.”

Steveson wrestled at Minnesota, and the school’s football coach, P.J. Fleck, said that if the 6-foot, 260-pound Steveson wants to get some college football experience before trying out for an NFL team, he’d have a spot on the Gophers’ roster as a defensive lineman.

Making it in the NFL would be a long shot for Steveson, but other college wrestlers have done it. Stephen Neal, for instance, spent 10 years as an offensive lineman for the Patriots after not playing college football at all but winning the NCAA wrestling championship. Steveson is smaller than Neal but an even better athlete and may be able to have an NFL career if he’s willing to put in the work.

[Futureshock]

New Bills stadium reportedly will cost $1.4 billion

Posted by Mike Florio on August 12, 2021, 8:35 PM EDT

Getty Images

Regardless of the manner in which the bill is divided among private and public interests, an initial price tag has been applied to a new Bills stadium.

Via John Wawrow of the Associated Press, the stadium will cost $1.4 billion.

However, as we’ve learned time and again over the years, whatever the initial number, the final cost will be higher. Often, much higher.

The question of whether and to what extent the venue will be funded by taxpayer money has prompted reports and snarky counters, none of which even begin to shed precise light on the question of the percentages that the two sides want, and the bottom line for which either side will settle.

That’s no surprise. It’s a negotiation. Both sides have an initial position. When the circles of the Venn diagram begin to move toward each other, all that matters is whether they kiss. If they do, done deal. If they don’t, the Bills could be done in Buffalo.

[Futureshock]

Usain Bolt is interested in a 70-meter race against Tyreek Hill, with fairly high stakes

Posted by Mike Florio on August 12, 2021, 12:32 PM EDT

Getty Images

Usain Bolt and Tyreek Hill have spent plenty of time talking about racing each other, far more time than the race would actually take.

While a head-to-head sprint remains highly unlikely, Dan Patrick tried to broker a deal on Thursday morning. Hill knows he’d lose to Bolt in a 100-meter dash; Hill thinks he would win a 40-yard race. Dan suggested a compromise of 70 yards.

And here are the proposed stakes: Bolt would put one of his gold medals on the line, and Hill would wager his Super Bowl ring. (Since Bolt has eight gold medals, Hill may not like that idea.)

Target date? A week after the Super Bowl (if the Chiefs are in the game) or Super Bowl weekend (if they aren’t).

“I don’t think he’s gonna go for it,” Bolt said. “He’s been talking so, we’ll see.”

Bolt said he’s in. Let’s see what Hills says.

[Futureshock]

Ryan Fitzpatrick was “floored” by last year’s benching for Tua Tagovailoa

Posted by Mike Florio on August 13, 2021, 8:26 AM EDT

Getty Images

Ryan Fitzpatrick had a solid start to the 2020 season. Not solid enough, however.

At the bye, the Dolphins decided to bench Fitzpatrick for rookie Tua Tagovailoa. Fitzpatrick’s comments from the time suggested that he didn’t agree with the move. More recently, he elaborated.

“I have a ton of respect for [Dolphins coach Brian Flores], and we have a very good relationship,” Fitzpatrick told Robert Mays of TheAthletic.com. “But I thought it was a joke at first. We’re putting Tua in? I was floored. . . .

“That was my team . . . I fought through the shit with those guys. I get the way that the NFL works. I get it. But to have it happen the way it did. . . .”

Fitzpatrick isn’t the only one who was surprised by the move. It also caught offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, who exited the job after the season, off guard.

“I was in total shock,” Gailey told Mays. “We didn’t even have a preseason. It was a totally new offense [for Tua]. We were just starting to hit our stride. We’d won two in a row and scored a bunch of points and moved the ball well. It came as a shock to me.”

It shouldn’t have been a complete shock, given that the Dolphins — who had made their desire to find a young franchise quarterback clear — had wanted to trade up for Joe Burrow and then used the fifth overall pick on Tua, leaving Justin Herbert on the board. With the guy they coveted and the guy on whom they passed both playing incredibly well early in the season, the Dolphins surely felt an even greater urgency to get a return on Tua.

The good news for both guys is that, this year, they’re on their own. In Washington, there’s no one for whom Fitzpatrick will be benched, unless he deserves to be. In Miami, there’s no real competition for Tua, in large part because the Dolphins are determined to figure out what they have in Tua.

[Futureshock]

Teams Calling Broncos On Cornerbacks


August 12th, 2021 at 9:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos exited last season with no proven cornerbacks available, with Bryce Callahan injured and A.J. Bouye suspended. Teams have now observed Denver may have a surplus at this position.

Teams have called the Broncos about their depth, with Mike Klis of 9News noting some are eyeing Denver’s corner group. The Broncos cut Bouye but retained Callahan. They then added Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller in free agency and drafted Patrick Surtain II ninth overall, passing on Justin Fields and Mac Jones to do so.

“We’re fortunate we have a player in Surtain that can play multiple positions at a young age,” first-year GM George Paton said, via Klis. “Not many rookies can play three positions. It’s a really good problem to have. It’s Vic [Fangio‘s] problem, but you can’t have enough of those guys. Corners, a lot of them go down so we’re really happy with our depth. We have a lot of teams calling us on our depth. But we like our corners, that’s for sure.”

Denver has an interesting mix of midlevel contracts — Callahan, Darby and Fuller are each signed to deals averaging between $7-$10MM per year — at corner, along with Surtain’s rookie-deal salary. The Broncos also used a third-round pick on Michael Ojemudia last year. Nickel sets generally call for three cornerbacks, potentially leaving teams wondering if the Broncos are open to moving one of their vets, though dime sets and others in which the team’s top four corners play together are likely in Fangio’s plans.

The Broncos are using Surtain at multiple spots, and Callahan and Darby bring injury pasts creating a need for depth. Callahan ended the 2018 and 2020 seasons on IR and missed all of the 2019 season. Darby was sidelined for 20 games from 2017-19. Denver’s depth may be limited to just 2021, with Callahan and Fuller on one-year deals, but it will nonetheless be interesting to see how the Broncos proceed at this spot.

[froot loops]

Gable Stevenson will go to the WWE and get a rocket strapped to his ass.

[jaadam4]

I hope Fields isn’t good but he’s playing well tonight

[Cody_Russell]

Strong preseason debut for Fields.

Appears to be a strong consensus on social media calling Fields the next Mahomes already. A little over enthusiastic there for preseason.
It’s fine to be excited. Not like I’m saying Cade Cunningham is the next Durant based on his summer league game yesterday.
Long ways to go to deserve bragging rights…

[froot loops]

Remember when the Jet faithful let out a big sigh of relief after Sam Darnold beat Patricia in game 1 of the 2018. They were relieved because it was now obvious they had their franchise QB for the next 12 years.