NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Ty Summer working out for Jaguars Wednesday

    Ty Summer working out for Jaguars Wednesday

    Linebacker Ty Summers’s search for a place to play this season is taking him back to one of his former employers.

    Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reports that Summers is working out for the Jaguars on Wednesday. Summers, who tried out for the Broncos at their rookie minicamp, played in three games for the Jags in 2022.

    Summers was claimed off of waivers by the Jaguars and had four tackles in his brief time with the team. The Saints wound up signing him off of Jacksonville’s practice squad in December and Summers remained with the Saints through the 2023 season.

    Summers played three years with the Packers before moving on to the Jaguars and special teams work has been his primary focus in each stop.

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  • Only a sophomore, Florida football WR Eugene Wilson III becoming a face of the program

    Only a sophomore, Florida football WR Eugene Wilson III becoming a face of the program

    Florida football wide receiver Eugene Wilson III received a loud ovation shortly after throwing out the first pitch at a recent UF baseball game at Condron Family Ballpark.

    The sophomore pitched from the mound and, although it short-hopped the plate, the cheers came, nonetheless.

    As the leading returning receiver for the Florida Gators in 2024, the 5-foot-10, 181-pound Wilson had an electric performance in UF’s spring game, finishing with 8 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown.

    “I just feel like that set the standard,” Wilson said. “It’s something I’m just trying to make a habit of, for every game this year.”

    Wilson has quickly become one of the faces of the Florida football program after a breakout 2023 season. His six touchdown catches led all UF receivers, and he earned freshman All-SEC and All-America honors with 61 catches for 533 yards.

    That’s resulted in Name, Image and Likeness opportunities, as Wilson’s appearance at the baseball game was part of a Florida Victorious event. He’s also inked NIL deals with Alsander GNV, a student apartment complex near campus, Crunch Fitness and Through the Storm apparel. As part of the deal with Through the Storm, Wilson is donating $3 of all T-shirt sales back to his local youth football team, the Keystone Bills.

    The Florida football game plan going into the 2024 season will feature ways to get the ball in the hands of Wilson, who coaches and teammates call Tre.

    “We’re going to get our money’s worth out of Tre Wilson,” Florida coach Billy Napier said. “I can promise you that.”

    How Super Bowl-winning father pushed Florida football WR Eugene Wilson III

    Florida WR Eugene Wilson III throws out the first pitch before the start of Game 2 between Florida and Kentucky on Saturday at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville

    The breakout season didn’t come without hard…

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  • Chiefs’ Travis Kelce compares Caleb Williams to Patrick Mahomes: ‘He has that game-changer mentality’

    Chiefs’ Travis Kelce compares Caleb Williams to Patrick Mahomes: ‘He has that game-changer mentality’

    Patrick Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl champion, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, a two-time NFL MVP, already holds multiple records at 28 years old and is among the top quarterbacks to ever play the game. Players like No. 15 do not come around often, but some, including his tight end, are saying a rookie QB has a similar qualities to the future Hall of Famer.

    Travis Kelce is joining the train of people who say No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is a lot like Mahomes. Many said this about the Chicago Bears first-year quarterback, but coming from someone who has played alongside Mahomes for years holds more weight.

    Kelce said Mahomes’ college highlights at Texas Tech and Williams’ college highlights at USC have a lot in common.

    “It was a lot of feel, a lot of just trust throwing that thing downfield and letting his guys go make plays,” Kelce said on his “New Heights” podcast. “He has that game-changer mentality where at any moment he can kill you with his arm, and he can do some things with his legs and run the ball – a lot of QBs can’t, that throw it that well.”

    The tight end then gave a prediction on how the Bears, who went 7-10 and missed the playoffs last year, will fare with Williams leading the offense.

    “I thought he was an absolute stud,” said Kelce. “I think Caleb goes in there and makes them a better football team, I really do.”

    Williams proved himself enough in the short time following the draft that he has already been named QB1 in Chicago, which came as no surprise. 

    Let’s take a look at how Williams and Mahomes stack up in their college career by the numbers:

    STATS

    MAHOMES

    WILLIAMS

    ADVANTAGE

    Completion percentage

    63.5

    66.9

    Williams

    Passing yards

    11,252

    10,082

    Mahomes

    Passing touchdowns

    93

    93

    Tied

    Interceptions

    29

    14

    Williams

    Rushing yards

    845

    966

    Williams

    Rushing touchdowns

    22

    27

    Williams

    Williams has already accomplished something in his career that Mahomes never will, going first overall…

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  • Can Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, No. 1 recruit in 2024, set new standard for freshman receivers?

    Can Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, No. 1 recruit in 2024, set new standard for freshman receivers?

    College football recruiting has vastly changed over the years, but one of the constants that’s remained is the weight of expectations on five-star recruits. The higher a recruit is ranked, the higher the expectations are that they’ll immediately become a difference-maker for their team — and perhaps leave conference championships and College Football Playoff appearances in their wake. 

    In the Class of 2024 there’s nobody that has higher expectations than Ohio State freshman Jeremiah Smith. The 6-foot-3, 200 pound star out of Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Opa Locka, Florida, led his team to a perfect 14-0 record and a third consecutive state title and put up insane numbers while doing so: 88 receptions for 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2023. The Buckeye signee became the first wide receiver to be ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit in the Top247 rankings since 247Sports started them in 2010. He is every bit the generational prospect. 

    “He’s got ready-to-play size to go along with top-flight athleticism and an advanced feel for the position,” says 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins, who compares Smith to Julio Jones. “And he’s got a pro-like mindset.” 

    Prior to 2024, there’d been 12 receivers ranked in the top 10 overall players in the Top247 rankings. Dorial Green-Beckham had been the highest ranked Top247 wideout recruit when he signed with Missouri back in 2012 as the No. 2 ranked recruit in the nation. 

    To try and set a reasonable expectation for what Smith’s numbers could look like in 2024, we studied past freshmen performances of receivers who ranked as top-10 prospects. Some put up monster numbers as soon as they got on campus and others failed to have an instant impact.

    The average season for the 12 receivers ranked in…

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  • Report: 49ers sign former Titans DL Brown after minicamp tryout

    Report: 49ers sign former Titans DL Brown after minicamp tryout

    Report: 49ers sign former Titans DL Brown after minicamp tryout originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

    The 49ers reportedly are adding depth to their defensive line.

    San Francisco signed former Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Shakel Brown after minicamp tryouts, KPRC’s Aaron Wilson reported Monday, citing a league source.

    Shakel, who was waived by Tennessee on Tuesday, spent his rookie 2023 NFL season with the Titans, signing with them as an undrafted free agent last May. He spent the entire season on the Titans’ injured reserve list after sustaining an injury in a preseason game against the Bears.

    San Francisco had been “interested” in the 25-year-old for a year, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

    As noted on the most recent “49ers +/-” podcast, 49ers have been interested in Brown for more than a year. He had had an official visit with them before the ‘23 draft. He also looked huge/ripped during Friday’s minicamp (6-3, 295). https://t.co/5qXCJ8nibe

    — Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) May 14, 2024

    In three seasons at Troy, Shakel made 29 appearances (five starts), tallying 58 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

    The 49ers’ addition of Shakel, who is expected to compete for a final roster spot, comes less than a week removed from the team’s decision to waive defensive lineman Spencer Waege.

    Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

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  • USC offers 2026 five-star cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick

    USC offers 2026 five-star cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick

    St. Thomas Aquinas High School cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) has received an offer from USC this week. The Trojans continue to make strong recruiting forays into the Deep South with an eye toward their future. Justice is the younger brother of former Alabama All-American and Pittsburgh Steelers starting safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

    He is projected to be cornerback but can also play elite level at the free safety position as well. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound defensive back is rated the No. 4 cornerback in the 2026 class, the No. 5 player in the state of Florida, and the No. 39 overall player regardless of position.

    Fitzpatrick had an impressive sophomore season with 13 tackles, 2 interceptions and 3 deflections in 6 games.

    So far Fitzpatrick has offers from USC, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Syracuse, Temple, Texas A&M, UCF, and West Virginia. Doug Belk would love to be able to develop him in a future USC secondary.

    Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

    Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.

    Story originally appeared on Trojans Wire

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  • NFL’s new kickoff rule: Broncos’ Sean Payton breaks down unexpected changes that could come with new rule

    NFL’s new kickoff rule: Broncos’ Sean Payton breaks down unexpected changes that could come with new rule

    Getty Images

    The NFL kickoff is going to have a wildly different look this year after owners approved one of the most drastic rule changes in league history back in March. 

    The new kickoff isn’t going to look like anything you’ve ever seen before in the NFL. 

    The biggest change with the kickoff is that of the 22 players on the field for the play, 21 of them will be in the receiving team’s territory. The kicker will be in his normal kickoff spot, but the other 10 players on the kicking team will line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line. As for the receiving team, there will be one or two returners back to field the kickoff and then the other nine (or 10) players have to line up in the setup zone, which is a 5-yard space that runs from the receiving team’s 30 to its 35-yard line. 

    Right now, every NFL team is trying to figure out how to take advantage of the new rule. 

    Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked about the rule over the weekend and he had some interesting things to say, so let’s break down Payton’s take on the new rule: 

    Teams might need a new breed of kickoff returner. Under the old rule, a returner almost always ended up fielding a kickoff on the fly, but with the new rule, that almost certainly won’t be the case. Kickers will likely try to get the football to hit the ground, which means you might need a returner who can field a grounder. “The two deep backs are going to have to have good ball skills, a little bit of a shortstop, third baseman, if you will, because we’re not just going to get these easy-to-catch high kicks anymore,” Payton said, via PFT. “We’re going to get these shots in the gaps, if you will. … So I think it creates a unique skill set for the returners.”Payton says we’ll see bigger…..

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  • Colorado football recruiting: Transfer portal news, 2024 roster, recruits, best Deion Sanders targets

    Colorado football recruiting: Transfer portal news, 2024 roster, recruits, best Deion Sanders targets

    There may not have been a college football program with a bigger spotlight on it to start the 2023 season than the Colorado Buffaloes. The arrival of head coach Deion Sanders sent expectations for the Buffs through the roof, especially since they won just one game in 2022. Colorado went just 4-8 in 2023, but all eyes are still on Coach Prime as the Colorado football roster gets an overhaul. Sanders will still have his son, Shedeur, under center next season, but other pieces of the Colorado football depth chart have entered the spring transfer portal and are on the move. Now, it’s up to Sanders to find the players that will help get Colorado playing above .500 football. If you love Coach Prime and the Buffs, or just want the latest roster updates and college football transfer portal news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at BuffStampede.com, the 247Sports affiliate that covers the Colorado Buffaloes.

    The team of insiders at BuffStampede.com are providing up-to-the-minute scoop on the latest intel surrounding Coach Prime and the Colorado football roster changes. The coverage at BuffStampede.com is led by publisher Adam Munsterteiger, who has decades of experience covering the team. In addition, BuffStampede.com features a message board community visited by thousands of Colorado fanatics and program insiders. 

    BuffStampede.com is powered by the 247Sports network, which has been ranked as the most accurate scouting site for six consecutive years. BuffStampede.com is offering 30% off the first year of an annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up.

    The team at BuffStampede.com has full coverage of who is coming and who is going on the Colorado football roster. Head to BuffStampede.com right now to see all the…

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