NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • 49ers’ Purdy to train with Bears top pick Williams this offseason

    49ers’ Purdy to train with Bears top pick Williams this offseason

    49ers’ Purdy to train with Bears top pick Williams this offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

    After being selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has an opportunity to learn a thing or two from 2022’s Mr. Irrelevant — Brock Purdy.

    During an interview on 670 The Score’s “Parker and Spiegel” show, Purdy’s personal quarterback coach Will Hewlett revealed that the 49ers signal caller will be among several NFL players Williams will be training with as he prepares for his rookie campaign.

    “He’ll [Williams] be working with Brock Purdy, [Indianapolis Colts QB] Anthony Richardson,” Hewlett revealed. “We’ve got, let’s see, [Tennesee Titans QB] Mason Rudolph, [Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB] John Wolford. There’s a bunch of other guys coming out. I think [Buccaneers QB] Kyle Trask will be out here for a little bit. Yeah, there’s a number of pro guys that’ll be out. (h/t Yardbarker)

    Purdy has had incredible success in two NFL seasons since being drafted No. 262 overall by San Francisco in 2022, leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl berth in his second professional campaign.

    The 24-year-old broke San Francisco’s single-season passing yard record in 2023, and has proven to be among the league’s best quarterbacks when he’s at the top of his game. Purdy boasts an impressive 19-5 record as an NFL starting quarterback, throwing for 5,654 yards, 44 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 25 professional appearances.

    Williams enters the NFL with tremendous expectations placed on his shoulders, but now ironically has an opportunity to gain wisdom from a player who made the transition from college to the pros with minimal fanfare before bursting on the scene during his rookie season.

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  • Georgia tops Ohio State, Michigan for best college football front-seven room entering 2024 season

    Georgia tops Ohio State, Michigan for best college football front-seven room entering 2024 season

    It wasn’t long ago that Joe Burrow (LSU, 2019) and Mac Jones (Alabama, 2020) were torching everyone in their paths with high-flying offensive attacks that were seemingly ushering in a new era in college football. Over the past three seasons, however, defense has made a comeback.

    Georgia won national championships in 2021 and 2022 with a stifling defense, and Michigan followed suit during its unbeaten 2023 campaign. As the 2024 season approaches, it appears Ohio State is trying to remake itself in the mold of those Bulldogs and Wolverines.

    With the retention of several draft-eligible defensive stars, the Buckeyes are gearing up to have their best unit yet under third-year coordinator Jim Knowles, who has already done some fine work since arriving from Oklahoma State in 2022. Getting more physical was a point of emphasis for Ohio State last season, and that quest continues with coach Ryan Day entering a critical seventh season.

    Is Ohio State’s defensive front seven the best in the country? It may be by season’s end. For now, though, the benefit of the doubt goes to the two programs that have proven their dominance in that realm more recently.

    Here’s our look at the nation’s best front sevens entering the 2024 campaign.

    1. Georgia

    It’s business as usual for the Georgia defense under coach Kirby Smart, which means the Bulldogs are going to be an issue for everyone up front. Mykel Williams is a potential first-round draft pick after two productive years on the edge. Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson have taken the journeymen approach at defensive tackle but are also destined for an NFL payday once they conclude their fifth seasons as hulking run-stuffers. 

    The Bulldogs are arguably even more loaded at linebacker with the likes of Chaz…

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  • Vikings’ Sam Darnold to enter training camp as QB1 based on spring practices, experience, Kevin O’Connell says

    Vikings’ Sam Darnold to enter training camp as QB1 based on spring practices, experience, Kevin O’Connell says

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    The Minnesota Vikings have their No. 1 quarterback in place, at least for the start of training camp. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Sam Darnold will occupy the top spot as they head into summer practices. 

    “I would say Sam would be the guy I would look to based on the spring he’s had and, really, where he’s at in his career and his quarterback journey,” O’Connell said.

    While the training camp depth chart is far from set in stone, it gives a good indication of how the team’s quarterback competition is shaking up. 

    The Vikings traded up to take J.J. McCarthy at No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and are taking things slow with the rookie, not wanting to give him too much responsibility too fast. They are looking to build his confidence and learn from his mistakes as he moves from college to the NFL. The team has been clear it does not want to rush the process of making him the starter.

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  • 3 reasons why the Oklahoma Sooners will win big in 2024

    3 reasons why the Oklahoma Sooners will win big in 2024

    The Oklahoma Sooners have a better idea of what the 2024 season will look like with the SEC release of game times yesterday. But how they and the Texas Longhorns will fare in their first year in the SEC is anyone’s guess.

    Texas made the playoffs last season, and the Sooners are one of the winningest programs over the last 25 years. Brent Venables was brought in to prepare Oklahoma for its move.

    His experience with the Clemson Tigers certainly informs Venables about what it takes to be successful in their new conference home. Each of his first three offseasons has been about getting Oklahoma “SEC Ready.”

    At the same time, the Sooners provide a new challenge for Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and LSU. OU is considered a blue-blood for a reason. With seven national titles and 50 conference championships, the Sooners will be a contender in the SEC. Can they do it in year one? That’s the question everyone’s asking. But here are three reasons why OU will win big in 2024 and make the College Football Playoff.

    More: College Football Playoff Projections for 2024

    Up Next: 3 Reasons why OU wins big in 2024

    1. Defense Wins Championships

    We’ll see if the Sooners will have a chance to hang a banner in 2024, but the defense will be a big reason they’ll contend in the SEC and for a playoff spot.

    Oklahoma has a lot of experience and a number of blue-chip talents who have been developing the program since Venables’ arrival and are primed for a breakout.

    Up the middle of the defense should be the strength for the Sooners, and it’s been a minute since we’ve said that. Damonic Williams and Da’Jon Terry lead a defensive tackle group that will be really good this season.

    Danny Stutsman is arguably the most important player on the team, but certainly the defense. His leadership and playmaking has been critical for the defense…

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  • Derrick Henry: It’s a breath of fresh air not being the center of attention

    Derrick Henry: It’s a breath of fresh air not being the center of attention

    One of the talking points of the Ravens offseason is how the acquisition of running back Derrick Henry will benefit Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson during the 2024 season.

    Jackson’s never played alongside a back as accomplished as Henry, but Henry offered a different view of what the partnership might bring to the field for the Ravens when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday. Henry noted that he’s never played with anyone who captures the focus of the defense like Jackson and he’s looking forward to what that might mean for him come the fall.

    “It definitely brings a different aspect, because he is a dual-threat quarterback, and he’s dangerous with his legs just as he is with his arm,” Henry said, via Jeff Zrebiec of TheAthletic.com. “It’s going to be fun and a breath of fresh air not being the center of attention, knowing that eyes are going to be on him, as well. But I’m just excited to get to work and put the work in out here and let it all come together.”

    Henry may not get the same volume of work he was accustomed to with the Titans, but that wouldn’t be the worst thing for a veteran back who knows that his job “is being explosive, making explosive runs, being a threat in the run game and anywhere else they ask me to help out this offense.”

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  • Mike Tomlin explains why Steelers decided to bring back Cameron Sutton after domestic assault allegations

    Mike Tomlin explains why Steelers decided to bring back Cameron Sutton after domestic assault allegations

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    The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to give Cameron Sutton a second chance with the team, bringing him back to the organization months after Sutton was arrested on a domestic violence warrant that led to his release from the Detroit Lions. 

    Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin went back to his personal relationship with Sutton and the process of due diligence led the veteran cornerback back to Pittsburgh. This was enough for the Steelers to feel comfortable in bringing Sutton back. 

    “There are not any conversations that we had recently, it’s the totality of our relationship,” Tomlin said, via a Steelers transcript provided by the team. “I met this guy in Knoxville, man, six, seven years ago, whatever it was, when he came out of school. He’s a great guy. He loves football. 

    “It’s probably the totality of our relationship and I probably represent the sentiment of the organization and saying that it’s less about specific conversations, particularly of late, and it’s about the relationship established over a longer period of time.”

    Sutton spent his first six seasons with the Steelers before departing for the Lions in free agency last offseason. He was released by the Lions in March after turning himself into law enforcement following a weeks-long search as he had a warrant out for his arrest on domestic violence charges. 

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  • Threat from gambler spurred police protection for 2023 College World Series team

    Threat from gambler spurred police protection for 2023 College World Series team

    Police were sent to protect one of the eight teams that competed in the 2023 College World Series after a threat from a gambler, CBS Sports has learned. The team wasn’t identified by NCAA president Charlie Baker, but the situation highlights his ongoing concerns about gambling in the new legal sports betting landscape.

    Baker made several references to gambling during his address Monday at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention in Las Vegas.

    “There was a bettor who threatened a team,” Baker told CBS Sports after the address. “The threat was serious enough [that] we showed it to authorities. They said, ‘You know what, we think we should probably hang out with you guys for the rest of the tournament.’”

    Though Baker did not specifically mention the nature of the threat — nor that it occurred at the CWS — multiple sources confirmed to CBS Sports that the incident took place at last year’s event in Omaha, Nebraska. LSU won the 2023 national championship with Florida, Virginia, Wake Forest, Stanford, Tennessee, Oral Roberts and TCU also participating a year ago.

    Gambling has become a key concern for college administrators since state-sponsored sports betting became legal in 2019. Authorities are currently investigating the Temple and Loyola (Md.) basketball programs for possible gambling violations.

    Approximately five games a week on any given football Saturday (about 8%) are flagged by gambling monitor U.S. Integrity for possible improprieties.

    “I think it’s the NCAA’s No. 1 concern,” said Clinton Speegle, a Birmingham, Alabama-based attorney who deals in sports law. “Talking to student-athletes, I’ve never had one admit to me that their colleagues or fellow students were putting pressure on them, but I…

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  • Officially a holdout situation with Haason Reddick and Jets

    Officially a holdout situation with Haason Reddick and Jets

    Officially a holdout situation with Haason Reddick and Jets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

    After skipping the voluntary portion of the Jets’ offseason program, Haason Reddick did not show up to mandatory minicamp on Tuesday morning.

    This is officially a holdout now.

    Sources: Haason Reddick, whom the #Jets acquired via trade with the #Eagles to fortify their pass rush, is not at minicamp.

    Reddick officially a holdout. Robert Saleh indicated he felt he would show up.

    — Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) June 11, 2024

    The Eagles traded Reddick to the Jets in late March and it has been clear that Reddick wants a new contract after outplaying the three-year, $45 million deal he signed before the 2022 season.

    Right now, he’s on the final year of that deal and wants a new one. Reddick’s base salary in 2024 is $14.25 million. That APY of $15 million from Reddick’s current contract ranks him tied for 19th in the NFL among edge rushers, according to OverTheCap. Over the last four seasons, Reddick has 50 1/2 sacks, which ranks fourth in the league behind just T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson.

    The weird thing is that the Jets had to know that when they traded for Reddick but they didn’t have a new contract in place. Now that Reddick is skipping mandatory days, the Jets can fine him for his absence. If he misses all three days, the Jets can fine him a total of just over $100,000 in total.

    Jets head coach Robert Saleh said on Tuesday he’s not concerned about whether or not Reddick will show up for training camp.

    Robert Saleh on Haason Reddick: “The guy is a great dude. He’s played in a high level at multiple places. He’s a pro and seasoned vet. He’s the last guy I’m worried about will be ready to play football.”

    — Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) June 11, 2024

    Why does any of this matter for the Eagles? Well, the trade they made with the Jets had conditions attached to it. The pick the Eagles got for Reddick is a 2026 third-rounder that will turn…

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