NFL News

[Futureshock]

Daron Payne: I’m capitalizing on my opportunities to get to the quarterback

Posted by Josh Alper on December 1, 2022, 5:17 PM EST

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The Commanders were clinging to a 19-13 lead with the Falcons closing in on the end zone late in last Sunday’s game when defensive tackle Daron Payne came up with a big play.

Payne batted Marcus Mariota‘s pass into the air and cornerback Kendall Fuller intercepted it to help seal the Commanders’ sixth win in their last seven games. The play fit with Payne’s overall impact as a pass rusher this season.

Payne has already set a career-high with 6.5 sacks and he’s one off tying his single-season high in quarterback hits. Payne also has 13 tackles for loss and he sees the numbers as a result of finally finishing the chances that are coming his way.

“I had a bunch of opportunities to have high-sack numbers before, but I missed them,” Payne said, via Ben Standig of TheAthletic.com. “Now I’m capitalizing on my opportunities getting the quarterback.”

Payne is in the final year of his rookie deal and the Commanders didn’t talk about a new deal this offseason, but a team official told Standig that they plan to “work to get something done” with him before free agency. Payne is one of many defensive tackles set for free agency or extensions — Quinnen Williams, Ed Oliver, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence, and Fletcher Cox are some of the others — in what may wind up being a lucrative offseason for players at the position.



I hope we get in on that

[Futureshock]

Amari Cooper working to catch on with his new quarterback, Deshaun Watson

Posted by Charean Williams on December 1, 2022, 4:18 PM EST

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Browns receiver Amari Cooper is on his third team in eight seasons, so he has seen more than his share of quarterbacks. He has played with Derek Carr, EJ Manuel, Matt McGloin, Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Ben DiNucci, Garrett Gilbert, Andy Dalton and Jacoby Brissett.

Deshaun Watson returns from his suspension, so he will become the 10th quarterback with whom Cooper has had to get timing.

“He has great anticipation, but really you attribute that to his hard work,” Cooper said, via Dan Labbe of cleveland.com. “He’s real good at, ‘OK, this is my receiver. I’m going to look at film of him to see how he runs routes,’ so that he can know how to anticipate throwing you certain routes.”

Passing game coordinator Chad O’Shea sent Watson clips of Cooper with the Raiders and Cowboys, so that Watson could get a feel for his new No. 1 receiver.

Cooper, who the Browns acquired in an offseason trade with the Cowboys, ranks 13th with 792 receiving yards. He is on pace for the highest yardage total of his career.

Cooper’s seven touchdowns are one shy of tying his career high.

His numbers could improve with Watson at quarterback.

“Deshaun Watson, he’s just a great quarterback. Does a lot of things well,” Cooper said. “The accuracy we alluded to earlier, throws a great ball. Easy to catch. Obviously, it’s going to be exciting to play with him in an actual game.”

Cooper said Brissett and Watson both throw an easy-to-catch ball.

“The timing is a bit different,” Cooper said, “but you get used to that as a receiver catching from a whole bunch of different quarterbacks. Usually with the quarterbacks, they’re more comfortable doing certain routes than others. So I guess that’s one of the biggest adjustments.”

[Futureshock]

Justin Fields upgraded to full participant in Thursday’s practice

Posted by Myles Simmons on December 1, 2022, 3:55 PM EST

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There’s some good news out of Chicago on the injury front.

Quarterback Justin Fields has been upgraded from limited in Wednesday’s practice to a full participant in Thursday’s session.

Fields is dealing with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder and missed last week’s game. But the fact that he’s a full participant on Thursday is a good sign for his potential availability for this weekend’s game against the Packers.

Backup Trevor Siemain started last week’s game despite suffering an oblique injury during warm-ups. But he was out of practice for the second consecutive day.

Offensive lineman Larry Borom (ankle/knee), defensive back Jaquan Brisker (concussion), defensive back Kyler Gordon (concussion), and receiver Dante Pettis (illness) also did not practice on Thursday.

But offensive lineman Riley Reiff (back) got on the field in a limited capacity after he didn’t practice on Wednesday.

Defensive back Kindle Vildor (ankle) remained limited.

And finally, receiver Chase Claypool (knee) was also upgraded from limited to full.

[jaadam4]

Win Chicago and Cleveland!

[ghandi]

It would be nice if that Rams pick is better than the Bears pick.....I dont think any of us want to see Will Anderson on the Bears defense.

[CGVT]

Per NBC, Jimmy G with a broken foot. Out for the season

[edindetroit]

Sucks

[Cody_Russell]

Now I want to see the 49ers claim Baker Mayfield. Shanahan make Mayfield work in his system. 🍿

[Nick Pappageorgio]

Is he better or worse than Nate Sudfeld?

[froot loops]

He couldn't last a season in Carolina. No good.

[Nick Pappageorgio]

I’d like to see what he has with an actual chance next season….being traded to Matt Ruhle’s dumpster-fire of an offense on the eve of training camp is a bad spot.

It’s not like he stepped into a good situation and fucked it up….he stepped into a terrible situation right before camp started (the browns did that part deliberately).

Assuming we keep Goff (and I think it’s trending that way), taking a low-cost shot at a Mayfield/Darnold might be a good idea. I’d also consider trading one of those late 2nds for Zach Wilson.

Backups with some potential……not saviors

[froot loops]

I've never been a fan of Mayfield, I never understood why he climbed up the draft board. I would have a hard pass.

[kreton]

I’d like to see what he has with an actual chance next season….being traded to Matt Ruhle’s dumpster-fire of an offense on the eve of training camp is a bad spot.

It’s not like he stepped into a good situation and fucked it up….he stepped into a terrible situation right before camp started (the browns did that part deliberately).

Assuming we keep Goff (and I think it’s trending that way), taking a low-cost shot at a Mayfield/Darnold might be a good idea. I’d also consider trading one of those late 2nds for Zach Wilson.

Backups with some potential……not saviors

I wouldn't want to see a 2nd for Wilson and keeping Goff. If we keep Goff then he is our guy. Wilson will want to go somewhere with a chance. No sense in bringing him here without a chance. He'd be unhappy.

Mayfield and Darnold are probably looking for starting roles (they probably won't find one) and from there probably go high bid and doubt we'd be that team.

Would be cool to have depth at that level but doesn't seem likely to me.

My thought is we either draft high (not Stroud) and let Goff walk after next year or draft mid to late round QB to groom as a backup and extend Goff and address QB in 3 years.

[Futureshock]

Panthers officially waive Baker Mayfield

Posted by Josh Alper on December 5, 2022, 11:59 AM EST

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The Baker Mayfield era in Carolina is officially over.

Mayfield was waived on Monday morning in a move that ends his stay with the Panthers at 12 games. Mayfield started the first five of those games before an ankle injury knocked him out of the lineup and he made one more ineffective start in Week 11 to wrap up his on-field time with the team.

With Mayfield out, the Panthers will send a 2024 fifth-round pick to Cleveland to complete the trade for the quarterback. It could have been upgraded to a fourth-round pick, but Mayfield needed to play 70 percent of the team’s offensive snaps for that to happen.

Per multiple reports, Mayfield asked for his release from the Panthers. Presumably that’s because he hopes to land somewhere he can play over the final weeks of the regular season. Many have pointed to the 49ers as a possibility given Jimmy Garoppolo‘s season-ending injury, but there was reportedly some interest from the Seahawks this offseason and teams like the Rams and Texans could see Mayfield as a better option than the ones currently available to their offenses.

[Futureshock]

I've never been a fan of Mayfield, I never understood why he climbed up the draft board. I would have a hard pass.

Me either. I HAVE taken pot shots at him. Amazingly, they're all true.