NFL News

[Futureshock]

He'd be the best WR on our team...


JOHN BROWNWR, UNSIGNED FREE AGENT
Raiders released WR John Brown.


Brown supposedly "requested" his release, but this move had been telegraphed for several days now. It did not seem implausible that Brown would emerge as the Raiders' de facto No. 1 receiver upon his signing in March, but instead coach Jon Gruden seemed to think Brown didn't have any legs left. He will undoubtedly get another opportunity elsewhere as a field stretcher. The Raiders are moving forward with young guns Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards alongside veterans Willie Snead and Hunter Renfrow. It's not a great situation for Derek Carr, who figures to lock on ever tighter to Darren Waller.

RELATED:

• Las Vegas Raiders

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter
Aug 31, 2021, 4:43 PM

[Futureshock]

Art Schlichter released from prison

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 2, 2021, 5:25 AM EDT

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Former Colts quarterback Art Schlichter, a bust as the fourth overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft and a man who has been convicted of several crimes, has been released from his latest stint in prison.

Schlichter was paroled over the objection of Ohio prosecutors.

“My advice to anyone coming upon Mr. Schlichter is that they not engage in any business transactions or any purchases or any other transactions that would involve giving him any money,” Franklin County prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, according to the Indianapolis Star. “[He] is a career criminal engaged in fraud as a career. He just cannot help himself. He will do this the rest of his life.”

After a successful college career at Ohio State, Schlichter was selected by the Colts in 1982 with the idea that he would be their franchise quarterback for years to come. But he spent more time gambling on football than playing it as a rookie, and in 1983 he went to law enforcement saying he feared for his safety because of the money he owed to bookies.

The NFL suspended him for the entire 1983 season, he returned and played poorly in 1984, and he was cut after one game in 1985. He never played in the NFL again but did find some success in other leagues, including being the Arena Football MVP in 1990.

After quitting football his life spiraled. He went to prison in 1995 for passing bad checks and was in and out of prison for years after that. He made some public appearances and briefly appeared to have his life turned around in the late 2000s, but in 2011 he was caught engaging in a scheme that fraudulently charged people for tickets to sporting events, and he was sentenced to the 10-year prison sentence that just ended.

[Futureshock]

Malik McDowell grateful for second chance at NFL career with Browns

Posted by Curtis Crabtree on September 2, 2021, 1:52 AM EDT

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Malik McDowell‘s first chance in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks quite literally crashed and burned.

An ATV accident over the summer prior to his first training camp in the NFL left him with facial and head injuries that kept him from ever participating in a single in-season practice with the Seahawks. A slew of legal incidents would follow as well as McDowell was out of the league following his eventual release by Seattle having never played a single snap in a preseason or regular season game.

Now back in the league with the Cleveland Browns, McDowell is grateful to have found a second chance and intent on not letting it slip away.

“Everybody don’t get a second chance,” McDowell said, via Marla Ridnour of the Akron Beacon-Journal. “That was just meaningful that the NFL and anybody is willing to give me of all people another chance. That’s just a blessing right there.”

McDowell had multiple run-ins with police during his time after the accident. Those incidents included driving while intoxicated, disorderly conduct, concealing stolen property, assault and resisting arrest. He was sentenced to 11 months in jail as a part of a guilty plea in Michigan.

McDowell’s agent at the time in 2019, Drew Rosenhaus, had said that McDowell had been cleared to play by doctors that had evaluated his injuries. However, the doctors with the Seahawks differed on that assessment with head coach Pete Carroll saying at the time “The doctors wouldn’t let him play. … He had an accident that he was injured and they couldn’t clear him. So …”

McDowell credited the support of his mother and a personal reckoning for helping him get things turned around. He also said he spoke with therapists to help him out as well.

McDowell said he was appreciative of Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski for giving him the second, and perhaps last, chance he’d been hoping for.

“I told them how much I wanted it and how much I wouldn’t let them down giving me this opportunity even though I had chance after chance: ‘This being my last chance and everything, you all giving me this opportunity, I won’t make you look bad.'” McDowell said.

“AB in particular … bringing me in here, sticking his neck out for me and everything. So definitely don’t want to let nobody down.”

McDowell, a second-round pick in 2017, had seven tackles and 1.5 sacks in his first preseason of football in Cleveland.

[Futureshock]

Nick Mullens lands on Browns practice squad

Posted by Mike Florio on September 1, 2021, 9:11 PM EDT

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After starting his career with the 49ers and spending the 2021 offseason with the Eagles, quarterback Nick Mullens once again became a free agent. For now, he’s got a spot on the Cleveland practice squad.

He’s one of 11 members of the practice squad announced Wednesday by the team.

In addition to Mullens, the Browns added to the practice squad receiver Ja’Marcus Bradley, defensive tackle Sheldon Day, tight end Jordan Franks, defensive end Porter Gustin, running back John Kelly, linebacker Elijah Lee(ex-Lion), safety Jovante Moffatt, receiver JoJo Natson, fullback Johnny Stanton, and defensive end Curtis Weaver. They have five more spots.

Mullens has 19 regular-season appearances and 16 starts in three NFL seasons. He can sign with the active roster of any other team at any other time.

[Futureshock]

FF players make note. Ertz has a low ADP and could be a sneaky late pick. As long as Hurts is the QB he will be viable. As will Miles Sanders

Zach Ertz: Happiest I’ve been in a long time

Posted by Josh Alper on September 1, 2021, 2:19 PM EDT

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Tight end Zach Ertz went into the offseason unsure about his future with the Eagles and he stayed away from much of the offseason program, but he remains on the roster and said on Wednesday that any issues with the team are in the past.

Ertz said that he and the team “mended” fences over the last few months and that he’s excited about the upcoming season. He called himself the “happiest” he’s been in a long time after working with the new coaching staff this offseason and said that he’s not interested in being anywhere else in the future.

“This is the place I want to be, this is the place I want to retire. I’m moving on from everything that happened this offseason,” Ertz said in his first media session of the year.

Ertz dealt with injuries while catching 36 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown in 11 games last season. He’ll try for a better outcome in his ninth season with the team.

[Futureshock]

Panthers release David Moore

Posted by Josh Alper on September 1, 2021, 1:53 PM EDT

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The Panthers’ initial 53-man roster included wide receiver David Moore, but his time on that roster didn’t last long.

The Panthers announced that Moore has been released. The team claimed guard Michael Jordan off of waivers, so they needed a roster spot.

Moore signed a two-year deal with the Panthers as a free agent this offseason that included a $1.25 million signing bonus. He was a seventh-round pick by the Seahawks in 2017 and caught 78 passes for 1,163 yards and 13 touchdowns during his time in Seattle.

Robby Anderson, DJ Moore, Terrace Marshall, Shi Smith, and Brandon Zylstra remain on hand at wide receiver for the Panthers.

[Futureshock]

Report: Broncos to waive Royce Freeman

Posted by Myles Simmons on September 1, 2021, 1:31 PM EDT

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There’s going to be another running back hitting the open market.

According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the Broncos are waiving running back Royce Freeman. The team needs a couple of roster spots after claiming defensive back Mike Ford and running back Nate McCrary off waivers on Wednesday.

Freeman and Phillip Lindsay combined to make a strong RB duo in the pair’s first two seasons with Denver. But that changed in 2020 when the Broncos signed former Charger Melvin Gordon. In 2020, Freeman had just 170 yards on 35 carries — good for a 4.9-yard average. He took an average of 131 carries in each of his first two seasons.

The Broncos also drafted Javonte Williams in the second round out of North Carolina this year, making Freeman’s roster spot that much more tenuous.

Overall, Freeman has 1,187 yards and eight touchdowns in 46 games. He’s also caught 69 passes for 409 yards with one TD in his career.

[Futureshock]

FF players take note...



ANTHONY MCFARLANDRB, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Steelers placed RB Anthony McFarland (unknown) on injured reserve.


McFarland has been struggling with ... something ... in training camp, having missed the final game of the preseason with an undisclosed injury. He'll now be out for the first three games of the season at a minimum. The move leaves Benny Snell and Kalen Ballage as the on-roster backups to rookie runner Najee Harris, who is in line for a massive role in his rookie season. McFarland was the only backup to see a meaningful amount of reps with the starter in the preseason and could have earned some work on third downs. Neither Snell nor Ballage has the pass-catching chops that McFarland does. His absence gives Harris a small boost in receiving production and keeps him locked in as a low-end RB1.

RELATED:

• Benny Snell
• Kalen Ballage

Sep 1, 2021, 4:49 PM

[Forsh]

FF players make note. Ertz has a low ADP and could be a sneaky late pick. As long as Hurts is the QB he will be viable. As will Miles Sanders

Do they not have Goedert anymore?

[Cody_Russell]

Goedert is there indeed. The entire Eagles situation seems cloudy to me. A lot of uncertainty with how they are going to look in 2021 with all of the staff changes, youth, and player injury history.
More people tend to have doubts about the Eagles.

[Iron Lion]

"Hurts to Ertz for the first."

[Futureshock]

K.J. WRIGHTLB, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Raiders signed LB K.J. Wright, formerly of the Seahawks, to a one-year contract.


It was easy for the two sides to reach an agreement since the veteran linebacker is already familiar with DC Gus Bradley's scheme stemming from their time together with the Seahawks. The 32-year-old recorded 86 tackles in 16 starts for Seattle last year and will step into Las Vegas' starting lineup by default after that unit finished as one of just seven teams to permit 6.0 yards per play in 2020.

SOURCE: NFL on Twitter
Sep 2, 2021, 3:11 PM

[Futureshock]

He looks like a old az porn star

GIOVANI BERNARDRB, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports Buccaneers RB Giovani Bernard is dealing with a "mild" high-ankle sprain ahead of Week 1.


Fortunately, Bernard is "expected back" for next Thursday's regular-season opener against Dallas. It's still something to note ahead of Week 1 since the 29-year-old played every 3rd-down snap with Tom Brady under center this preseason and remains the only runner among Tampa Bay's backfield with a defined role. Leonard Fournette would likely revert back into that pass-catching role given his postseason success if Bernard has any setbacks throughout the year.

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter
Sep 2, 2021, 11:41 AM

[Futureshock]

#speaktruth


Tom Brady: Defensive players get penalized for offensive mistakes

Posted by Mike Florio on September 3, 2021, 12:32 AM EDT

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Most offensive players welcome the expanded protections of the past decade. One prominent offensive player believes that those protections have actually been bad for the game.

Via USA Today, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady recently explained in a discussion posted on the team’s website that he believes many penalties called on defensive players are the result of mistakes made by offensive players.

“A quarterback should only throw the ball to certain places, because your receiver is in danger of getting hit,” Brady said. “For example, when I used to play against Ray Lewis, I wouldn’t throw the ball to the middle of the field because he would . . . hit them and knock them out of the game. And now, every hard hit is a penalty on the defense. So I feel like they penalize defensive players for offensive mistakes.”

Brady mentioned (without naming names) the recent hit by Bills linebacker Andre Smith on Bears quarterback Justin Fields.

“The quarterback messes up, doesn’t see the blitzer, or the line screws up,” Brady said. “I don’t know what happened, the quarterback or the lineman on offense. The defensive player comes in and hits him hard and they throw a flag on the defense.”

Brady said that quarterbacks need to protect themselves and their players. “It shouldn’t be the responsibility of your opponent to protect you,” Brady said.

“It creates really bad habits for platers, because you feel like I can basically do anything,” Brady said. “I can run and not slide. I can throw my receiver into any coverage and not have any repercussion for it. The only thing they’re gonna do, they’re actually gonna blame the defensive player for making a good, solid hit.”

Brady called it a “disservice to the sport,” reasoning that the sport isn’t being played at a high level. “It actually deteriorates because you’re not teaching the players the reasons and the fundamentals of what the sport should be,” Brady said.

He’s right about this, to an extent. Quarterbacks are now more willing to throw what once were called “hospital balls,” because defensive players can’t hit the receivers like they once did. And if they do, it’s a free 15 yards of field position. But there’s no illegal hit if the ball isn’t thrown into a spot that will allow an illegal hit to happen.

That said, defensive players must learn techniques that comply with the rules. Smith hit Fields illegally. There was a way to make the Bears pay for the mistake that someone had made. Smith could have capitalized on the blunder without applying a helmet-to-helmet hit to Fields.

So it’s really a shared responsibility. That said, Brady is right when it comes to quarterbacks and other offensive players believing that the rules give them a coat of armor in the form of a possible 15-yard penalty.

As it relates to Brady’s suggestion that quarterbacks believe they can “run and not slide,” that’s simply not a correct interpretation of the rules. Quarterbacks who take the ball past the line of scrimmage are no longer quarterbacks. However, Brady’s words underscore the fact that defensive players are so wired to be conscious of the safety-driven rules that they sometimes tread too lightly, almost becoming paralyzed by fear of committing a foul while the quarterback runs rings around them.

In some situations, a big hit is legal. In others, it’s not. Brady’s point is that the responsibility ultimately resides with the offensive players to use techniques that protect them from big hits that could injure them.

[Futureshock]

Getting the excuses ready for when Sewell dominates...


Kyle Shanahan expects to see a lot of Nick Bosa in season opener at Lions

Posted by Curtis Crabtree on September 3, 2021, 12:05 AM EDT

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When the San Francisco 49ers open their regular season on the road against the Detroit Lions next week, 2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa will be back in action.

In fact, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan expects that Bosa will be heavily involved after missing most of last season to a torn ACL.

“I’m expecting to see a lot of [Bosa],” Shanahan said on the Murph & Mac show, via David Bonilla of 49ersWebZone.com. “I mean, he’s been on a plan this whole way, coming back from his big injury and being ahead of schedule since the beginning. And he’s gotten two weeks of practice in where he’s been out here pretty hard.

“We didn’t let him go in the preseason game, which wasn’t too tough of a decision. His first year here, he didn’t play in any preseason games either, and I thought he did pretty good as a rookie.”

Bosa injured his knee in Week Two of last season against the New York Jets. He played just 11 snaps in the game before his left knee buckled while engaged with a tight end in a block on a running play. Bosa missed the rest of the season. The injury happening so early last season has given him that little bit extra time to get back in form before the 2021 season gets underway. Bosa has been making steady progress throughout his rehab process and the team has expected that he would be ready for the start of the season.

“So, the main thing was getting him healthy,” Shanahan said. “Nick is as prepared as any player I’ve been around on and off the field, so hopefully, he’ll stay on course here, and he’ll be Nick Bosa come Week One.”

Bosa had 47 tackles and nine sacks in 16 games played for the 49ers as a rookie en route to the rookie of the year award.