List/Grid Monthly Archives: June 2018

Century Links 7/1: Evaluating 2017 Draft Class
Looking Back At The Seahawks’ 2017 Draft – Full Press Coverage Full Press Coverage’s own David Rogers takes a look back and evaluates the 2017 draft class of the Seattle…

Xavier Rhodes working out with Richard Sherman, Darius Slay, Aqib Talib
In the past, we’ve seen stories about Minnesota Vikings wide receivers going to work out with stars from other teams. Now, it appears that the team’s best cornerback has decided…

Carson Wentz among NFL players with best odds to win MVP
Bovada recently revealed NFL MVP odds for the 2018 season and it probably won’t surprise you that a certain Philadelphia Eagles quarterback is near the top of the list. Carson…

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL?
The Top 100 Players of 2018 list is finally done and now we can move onto other meaningless lists that make us angry. If Detroit Lions fans aren’t upset about…

Calvin Johnson Makes Revealing Statement About A Potential NFL Comeback
Back in 2016, superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions sent shockwaves throughout the NFL. The elite receiver surprised everyone when he decided to call it a career…

Dre Kirkpatrick details why NFL continues to see fewer interceptions
One would think the NFL will continue to see an uptick in interception numbers thanks to the pass-happy ways of offenses. But the numbers don’t back up the idea. SB…

Mark Murphy: Packers Hope to Sign Aaron Rodgers to New Contract Soon
Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy provided a somewhat optimistic update regarding quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ contract situation on Wednesday. According to WTMJ’s Jay Sorgi, Murphy told KTI Country’s Karen Dalessandro,…

Former Tigers are giving back to the local community
On Saturday, former Clemson football stars Jarvis Jenkins, DeShawn Williams and Shaq Lawson all returned home to host the 4th Annual Daniel High School Alumni Football Camp in nearby Central,…

Lions poised to make run at favored Packers, Vikings in NFC North
Fifth in a 13-part series on the opponents the Green Bay Packers will face during the 2018 regular season. GREEN BAY – It’s hard to find proof that Jim Caldwell did…

Will Buccaneers fans continue to support Jameis Winston?
Star athletes who get into off-field trouble rarely lose the support of their teams’ fans, no matter what they do — as long as they keep helping their team win….

Jimmy Garoppolo leapfrogs Tom Brady in top jersey sales, Eagles have two QBs in top 10
The 2018 NFL season is still a ways on the horizon, but the hype surrounding a bunch of rookies and some other potential breakout players has resulted in a surge…

2018 Fantasy Football Rankings and ADP: Sleepers from same model that predicted Alvin Kamara’s breakout
Entering last season, Alvin Kamara was third on the Saints’ depth chart behind Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson. He was also an unproven rookie and wasn’t near the top of…

NFL champs lose Bradham one game, Colts’ Turbin out four
Super Bowl champion linebacker Nigel Bradham of the Philadelphia Eagles has been suspended one game by the NFL for a 2016 incident that violated the league’s personal conduct policy. Bradham…

Pair of defensive backs catch Steelers interest in NFL’s pending supplement draft
Other than 1984, when NFL teams chose eighty-four players in a three-round draft to match team rights with players who had already signed with the USFL or CFL, the Pittsburgh…

NFL faces challenge of breaking in four new referees
With four of 17 referees gone, four new referees are in. And that could make officiating even more challenging this year for the NFL. “I’ve never been involved in a…

Doug Marrone ranked No. 14 in NFL.com’s top coaches list
Upon his hire, most Jacksonville Jaguars fans weren’t too excited about Doug Marrone being named the team’s coach, but man did he prove them wrong. In just one year, he…

Grading John Dorsey’s 2015 NFL Draft class with the Chiefs
Browns GM John Dorsey recently opined on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland that fans shouldn’t rush to judge his initial Browns draft. “You can never measure a draft until after…

Why weren’t Jameis Winston, Ronald Darby punished for not telling the truth?
In past cases involving allegations of player misconduct, the NFL ultimately has issued punishment in part for not telling the truth during the investigation. For example, the league fined Hall…

Not again: NFL ignores own rule in Winston case
For a league that seems to only care about money and optics, it continues to look terrible when it comes to handling domestic violence and sexual assault issues. Powered by…

Here we go again: NFL ignores its own rule in Jameis Winston case
Why can’t the NFL follow its own rule when it comes to discipling off-field behavior? Powered by WPeMatico

Percy Harvin had “mental stresses that I can’t even put into words” in the NFL
Percy Harvin never lacked the physical talent to be a great NFL player, but his career consisted mostly of a few flashes of greatness surrounded by many times he fell…

Percy Harvin had “mental stresses that I can’t even put into words” in the NFL
Percy Harvin never lacked the physical talent to be a great NFL player, but his career consisted mostly of a few flashes of greatness surrounded by many times he fell…

LeGarrette Blount shares his thoughts on role with Lions
With a new coaching staff in place, there is a lot of speculation surrounding the Detroit Lions schematic intentions and how players roles will be altered. On offense, the retention…

The Cardinals have a good old-fashioned QB battle on their hands
The Arizona Cardinals have a showdown for their starting quarterback position this summer. It will be interesting to see just who the Seattle Seahawks defense will be up against come…

Cowboys fans finally have proof they’re the best in the NFL, study finds
Most supporters of the Dallas Cowboys think the team has the best fans in the NFL. Now, there’s proof. Jerry Jones’ franchise claimed the top spot among all 32 NFL…

Bears’ roster ranked 22nd in the NFL
First the good news. From top to bottom, the Chicago Bears have their most talented roster in years. The Ryan Pace rebuild will finally start to bear some fruit in…

2018 Buffalo Bills scouting report: tackle Ike Boettger
While the offensive line may look quite different for the 2018 Buffalo Bills, the team has no shortage of options in remaking that positional group. The team has nine offensive…

The Los Angeles Rams ran 11 personnel more than any team in the league in 2017
Over at Pro Football Focus, they published an article yesterday regarding the increase in utilization of “11” personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR’s) across the league over the course…

5 players the Bengals could look to trade away in 2018
A lot that can happen between now and the start of the NFL season and even more will happen between now and the NFL trade deadline, which is October 30…

What record could the 2018 Detroit Lions break?
Records Week is coming to an end here at SB Nation. If you missed it, we had two different articles this week discussing the Detroit Lions and NFL records. First,…

Top five moments of the Buffalo Bills playoff drought
Now that the Buffalo Bills’ 17-year playoff drought is finally over and we relish the return to normalcy, we’ll continue with part two of the top 10 moments of the…

Green Bay Packers Will Have Several Spirited Positional Battles In Training Camp
For several years now, when the Green Bay Packers opened training camp, their starters and key reserves were set. Not this summer, though. The Packers have multiple positions that remain…

A Different Marcus Peters’ Comparison and What it Means for the Chiefs
We have all heard what the analysts are saying about how the Chiefs defense will be a weakness this year; we have lost too many key pieces and are in…

Tom Jones: Why Jameis Winston won’t be able to outplay this
Twice in the past week, I’ve called upon the Bucs to get rid of Jameis Winston. His horrible actions in an Uber in March 2016 are just the most recent…

2018 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Picking No. 11 in a non-PPR draft means you should consider a modified zero-RB strategy
Editor’s note: Our latest non-PPR pick-by-pick series was done in June and is a three-man draft with Heath Cummings, Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard, with each one selecting four teams…

Larry Fitzgerald still has best hands in the NFL
Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald has amassed quite a set of career statistics. He is a solid season away from being in second place all-time in career receptions and an…

Where will Dez Bryant be playing 2018?
The “NFL Total Access” crew discusses where wide receiver Dez Bryant will play in 2018. Powered by WPeMatico

NFL notebook: Colts RB Turbin suspended for PEDs
Indianapolis Colts running back Robert Turbin revealed Friday that he will be suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the performance-enhancing drugs policy. The NFL officially announced the…

Ex-NFL player Ernie Barnes’ marvelous paintings featured in North Carolina exhibit
As an NFL player who left the game of football only to become even more successful in a second professional endeavor, Ernie Barnes was way ahead of his time. The…

Ranking the QBs in the NFC West heading into 2018
The “Total Access” crew rank the top quarterbacks in the NFC West heading into the 2018 season. Powered by WPeMatico

NFL reports preseason concussions rose 73 percent in 2017
The National Football League reported that there was a 73 percent increase in preseason concussions last year, with most of them coming during 11-on-11 drills in practices ahead of games….

Brandon Scherff remains in line for a huge deal
With Jaguars guard Andrew Norwell and, more recently, Cowboys guard Zack Martin cashing in, another established interior offensive lineman remains in line for a new deal of his own: Washington…

Mark Rypien just wants a Redskins quarterback ‘to beat Dallas’
Mark Rypien is excited for Alex Smith to be the new quarterback for the Redskins. But ultimately he just wants a guy that can beat the Dallas Cowboys. Powered by…

Reviewing the 2018 schedule, what are the four toughest matchups for Eagles?
The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off of a strong 2017-2018 campaign in which they took home the Lombardi trophy by defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52. After…

Dan Bailey says kickoff changes could lead to more returns
Cowboys special teams coach Keith O’Quinn said the new kickoff rules could have an unintended consequence. His kicker, Dan Bailey, agrees. Bailey said he “totally gets” the reason for the…

NFL saw 73 percent rise in preseason concussions last year
When training camps open around the league next month, the NFL wants teams to be mindful of the spike in preseason concussions last year. The NFL found that preseason concussions…

These NFL players went on a 3 a.m. shopping spree to buy toys for migrant children
Most NFL players are laser-focused on training and conditioning for the upcoming season right now, but Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman and New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis are finding…

NFL player upstaged by Olympic track star in workout competition
Chase Edmonds may be famous for being a rising NFL star for the Arizona Cardinals, but now he’s going viral for his insane work out. The 22-year-old athlete shared a…

5 Packers rookies capable of providing instant impact
Several members of the Green Bay Packers’ 11-man draft class in 2018 could see plenty of the field during their rookie seasons. Opportunities should be abundant as training camp nears….

NFL still needs to show more transparency under the Personal Conduct Policy
Nearly four years ago, the NFL responded to its disastrous handling of the Ray Rice domestic violence case by beefing up the Personal Conduct Policy, and by huffing and puffing…

PFW Super 50: NFL’s elite, regardless of position, 10-1
Every offseason, aided by the input of evaluators and coaches, as well as the feedback of his staff, Pro Football Weekly general manager Hub Arkush compiles the Super 50, a…

Saquon Barkley wants to go Beast Mode with NFL paycheck
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley hasn’t even signed his rookie contract, but he knows what he’s going to do with his first paycheck. The No. 2 pick in…

Jameis Winston faces possible ban from NFL
The league gave the Bucs QB a three-game suspension for violating its personal conduct policy, but if he slips up again, Winston could face the ultimate punishment. Powered by WPeMatico

Texans QB Deshaun Watson had the most passes under pressure in 2017
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson only played seven games last season, but nearly half his passes were under duress. According to stats-maven Scott Kacsmar in a recent piece at Football…

Steve Smith: ‘Innovative’ Matt Nagy, Mitchell Trubisky set to turn Bears’ fortune around
NFL Network’s Peter Schrager explains how Bears head coach Matt Nagy will help the team improve in 2018. Powered by WPeMatico

Vikings LB Anthony Barr thinks Russell Wilson should have won MVP over Tom Brady
Russell Wilson was a monster in 2017, which is what we’ve come to expect from the young quarterback. It’s just that last season wasn’t like the rest of his productive…

Can Joe Mixon be Cincinnati’s Ezekiel Elliott?
Huge expectations chase Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon into his second season. Based on his play down the stretch and what should be an improved offensive line in front…

Business is Booming: Jimmy Garoppolo in Top 2 of NFL Jersey Sales
Signing his whopping five-year, $137.5 million extension in February could have played a role in his spike in sales. Garoppolo made the jump from 25th to second since January. The…

DeAndre Hopkins: Trump is ‘closed-minded’ on anthem issue
Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins took issue with the president on the protest matter. Powered by WPeMatico

Packers attend workout for supplemental draft prospect Bright Ugwoegbu
The Green Bay Packers were one of six teams in attendance for the pro day workout of Oregon State linebacker Bright Ugwoegbu, who is available in next month’s supplemental draft….

For third straight year, Ravens don’t fare well in ‘NFL Top 100’ voting
For the third straight year, the Ravens were one of the AFC North’s big losers in what is the sport’s most scrutinized popularity contest. Only linebacker C.J. Mosley, at No….

Austin Proehl trying to prove himself the same way his father did
The last two picks of this year’s NFL Draft were both wide receivers with Trey Quinn getting to take part in “Mr. Irrelevant” festivities after Washington took him with the…

Bailed Denied for Former NFL Player Accused of Assaulting Several Women
A judge Thursday once again denied bail for ex-NFL tight end Kellen Winslow II accused of assaulting several women in Encinitas, California. Powered by WPeMatico

New Helmet Rule Could Make NFL Unrecognizable
It’s the 2018 season, December in Carolina, and the Panthers are in the postseason hunt. They are playing the division-leading Saints, and quarterback Cam Newton is scrambling. He rushes for…

Jameis Winston’s Suspension Is Not Enough, Even By The NFL’s Own Policy
Once again, the league isn’t taking sexual assault allegations seriously. Powered by WPeMatico

NFL shows once again that its six-game suspension policy is meaningless
As NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell faced a torrent of criticism for his decision to suspend Ray Rice just two games for domestic violence, he released a statement acknowledging he got…

Trump too ‘close-minded’ to understand NFL anthem kneelers, Texans player says
Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins says he thinks President Donald Trump doesn’t understand why some NFL players knelt during the playing of the national anthem last season. In an…

Tony Romo gives his current ‘team to beat’ in the NFL heading into the 2018 season
If we all learned one thing about Tony Romo last year, it’s that he has an uncanny ability to predict the future on the football field. It you want to…

What Does Fining Jerry Richardson Amount to?
The NFL announced Thursday that it will impose a $2.75 million fine on former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson. A league investigation substantiated workplace misconduct allegations made in a December Sports…

Suspended Jameis Winston doesn’t admit guilt in Uber case and here’s reportedly why
After Jameis Winston’s three-game suspension became official on Thursday, the Buccaneers quarterback released a statement that included an apology to the Uber driver whom he allegedly groped back in March…

Percy Harvin reveals struggle with anxiety, discusses walking away from NFL
The playmaking receiver and return man is back in Gainesville, Fla., where he was a college star. Powered by WPeMatico

NFL Fines Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson $2.75 Million for Workplace Misconduct
The NFL’s investigation into Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson substantiated the claims against him that led to his sale of the team, the league said Thursday. In December, Sports Illustrated…

Bucs should make Winston earn his job back
Jameis Winston will be suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season. He shouldn’t start the fourth game, either, if Tampa Bay wants to send him the right…

Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett not satisfied with good, wants to be great NFL player
CLEVELAND — When the Cleveland Browns selected former Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, they expected him to be…

Pro Football Focus: Bears roster ranks 22nd in NFL
The Chicago Bears have been praised all offseason for their aggressive approach to rebuilding the offense through a new coaching staff and wide receiver corps. In fact, the Bears have…

Fantasy Football Rankings, Busts 2018: Model that beat experts warns about Larry Fitzgerald, Carlos Hyde
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was one of the biggest fantasy football busts last season. The fourth-year pro had thrown 60 touchdowns the previous two seasons combined and gone over 3,900…

President continues to target the NFL
If the NFL thought that changing the anthem policy would get the President off its back, the NFL thought wrong. In addition to the Commander-in-Chief’s carping about the new policy’s…

Josh Norman apologizes for Amari Cooper rant having been duped by Jonathan Allen
It seems Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper has every reason to be confused about Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman blasting him following a game between the two teams last…

The Kirk Cousins Effect
How the four remaining franchise-tagged players can find their contractual roadmap from the Vikings’ QB. Plus, your mailbag questions on picking a darkhorse contender, outlooks for Dallas and San Francisco,…

Ranking the NFC East LBs: How do Giants’ Alec Ogletree, Eagles’ Nigel Bradham, Cowboys’ Sean Lee stack up?
New Jersey Real-Time Sports 1jpg-9f51283a196a3ee3.jpg Rose Bowl Game – Oklahoma v Georgia Powered by WPeMatico

Do the Giants already have the best WR/RB combo in the NFL?
With Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham lining up for New York in 2018, are the Giants on track to have the best one-two punch in the NFL? Powered by WPeMatico

NFL notebook: Vikings DE Hunter gets five-year extension
Defensive end Danielle Hunter has agreed to a five-year extension with the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced on Wednesday. According to multiple reports, Hunter’s deal is worth nearly $72 million…

Recently retired McAulay joins NBC’s coverage team
Former NFL referee Terry McAulay, who retired six days ago, is jumping into broadcasting as part of NBC’s NFL coverage. McAulay was the third NFL referee to retire this offseason,…

Analysis: Can Neiko Thorpe break through in 2018?
The Seattle Seahawks will have a very, very different looking secondary next season. Richard Sherman, DeShawn Shead and Jeremy Lane are already gone. Earl Thomas might not be in a…

The Post-Smashmouth Era
Jesse Pantuosco examines the post-Exotic Smashmouth Titans in another mailbag edition of Bump and Run. Powered by WPeMatico

Expect familiar tune from Jameis Winston when it’s time to take aim at $100M deal
With a suspension of Winston in the works, the next two years will be a bug-fixing software update. Something along the lines of: Jameis Winston is a good guy who…

Part II: Like Lions QB Stafford, Luke Willson entering his NFL prime
WINDSOR, Ont. — Most NFL tight ends and wide receivers never play with a top quarterback. Luke Willson is among the more fortunate. In his first five NFL seasons, he…

Recently retired NFL referee McAulay joins NBC’s coverage team
Former NFL referee Terry McAulay, who retired six days ago, is jumping into broadcasting as part of NBC’s NFL coverage. McAulay is the fourth NFL referee to retire this offseason,…

PFW Super 50: NFL’s elite regardless of position, 30-21
Every offseason, aided by the input of evaluators and coaches, as well as the feedback of his staff, Pro Football Weekly general manager Hub Arkush compiles the Super 50, a…

Ex-Cowboy Tony Hill: Here’s the simple reason NFL teams are shying away from Dez Bryant
TH: “Not in this particular case. You’ve got a lot of guys on the defensive end and in the secondary who’ve had extensive playing time. They’ve been together, they understand…

3) Biggest offseason defection? LeGere: Ex-Panthers LG Andrew Norwell The Panthers couldn’t afford to keep both their Pro Bowl guards, so Norwell took the Jaguars’ money in free agency. Norwell and Trai Turner helped the Panthers finish No. 4 in rushing yards. The hope is that 2017 second-round pick…
3) Biggest offseason defection? LeGere: Ex-Panthers LG Andrew Norwell The Panthers couldn’t afford to keep both their Pro Bowl guards, so Norwell took the Jaguars’ money in free agency. Norwell…

Poll shows NFL not as popular in Texas as football in general
They still love football in Texas, perhaps as much as any place on the planet. But they may not love it in quite the same way as they used to….

Darius Slay, Xavier Rhodes, Aqib Talib join Richard Sherman for workouts
Aqib Talib turned down a chance to join the 49ers in a trade this offseason, but he’s working out with a couple of the team’s cornerbacks this week. Richard Sherman…

Only seven players got the perfect 99 rating in ‘Madden’ this year … who were they?
It’s a badge of honor to get a perfect 99 rating in the annual “Madden” video game, and seven players made the list this year. Powered by WPeMatico

Study shows Patriots fans are among the NFL’s best
It’s no secret the Patriots and their fans are used to coming in first, but a new study says they’ll have to settle for second. Powered by WPeMatico

The case for Trubisky making a Wentz-like leap
Nobody is predicting Mitch Trubisky will be as good as Carson Wentz or be an MVP candidate. But, nobody thought Wentz could have the season he did in 2017. Powered…

NFL notebook: Packers’ Cobb could miss training camp with ankle injury
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb could miss part of training camp with a right ankle injury. NFL Network reported Monday the eight-year veteran is expected to be ready…

Three Bears who had strongest case for NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2018
NFL Network’s complete list of Top 100 Players of 2018 was revealed Monday and not a single Chicago Bear made the cut. Powered by WPeMatico

‘Top 100 Players of 2018’: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers | No. 10
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is voted the No. 10 player in the NFL by his peers on “Top 100 Players of 2018.” Powered by WPeMatico

Jordan Howard ranked as a top-10 player from 2016 NFL Draft
Chicago Bears RB Jordan Howard recently ranked as a top-10 player to come from the 2016 NFL Draft. Powered by WPeMatico