NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • ACC football transfers: Florida State, Miami plug roster holes with instant-impact players for 2023 season

    ACC football transfers: Florida State, Miami plug roster holes with instant-impact players for 2023 season

    The transfer portal has been generous and cruel across the Power Five landscape, providing both a way to improve rosters while also creating position needs due to player exits. The ACC has been no different, with each member finding at least one addition ready to make an impact for the 2023 season. 

    In terms of quality, the ACC has three teams in the top 10 of the 247Sports Transfer Team Rankings for the 2023 cycle. Florida State (No. 6) and Miami (No. 7) have plugged holes in the depth chart with portal additions, while Louisville (No. 10) has seen a more dramatic roster overhaul in the wake of the coaching change that brought Jeff Brohm back to the Cardinals. 

    Not every team in the ACC has gone heavy in the portal this offseason, with Clemson and Wake Forest among the schools to see far less action than programs like Louisville or Georgia Tech. Still, we’ve identified at least one notable transfer for each team heading into the 2023 season, starting with some of the biggest names we expect to have an instant impact.  

    Florida State CB Fentrell Cypress II 

    Mike Norvell has built Florida State back into an ACC title contender with key transfer portal additions that have bolstered the roster and powered last year’s 10-win campaign. This year’s top-10 transfer class is headlined by former Virginia cornerback Fentrell Cypress II, who was rated as the No. 5 overall prospect in the portal. Cypress led the ACC in pass breakups last season in just nine games of action — his 1.6 pass breakups per game average led the nation — on the way to All-ACC honors and plenty of portal interest when he made his transfer intentions official. He is one of four players in the top 20 of the transfer portal rankings on the Florida State roster, joining tight end…

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  • Ranking top 10 backup RBs for 2023: 49ers, Packers make cut; Mattison off list with Vikings releasing Cook

    Ranking top 10 backup RBs for 2023: 49ers, Packers make cut; Mattison off list with Vikings releasing Cook

    Running backs are top of mind in the NFL, with the Vikings set to cut ties with Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook ahead of the 2023 season. Money is a big reason for Cook’s departure, but Minnesota is also primed to transition thanks to belief in backup Alexander Mattison, who this offseason signed a two-year deal in anticipation of an expanded role.

    It raises the question: Which other No. 2 backs boast starting-caliber stuff? In a day and age where RB rotations are the norm, most teams depend on a whole stable of ball-carriers as opposed to a single featured back. And these 10 backups stand out as some of the best going into 2023:

    At 33, on his fourth team in as many years, Murray is a wholehearted journeyman. But there’s a reason clubs keep picking him up. While offering little as a pass-catcher these days, he’s such a steady runner whose confident, upright style has translated across systems. It wouldn’t be stunning to see him steal carries behind James Cook and Damien Harris in Buffalo.

    Jeff Wilson Jr.
    USATSI

    Fellow 49ers product Raheem Mostert is technically Miami’s starter (until a potential Dalvin Cook arrival), but Wilson is now owed slightly more money on his new deal. He’s never played a full season, but when healthy, he pairs burst with aggression as a change-of-pace option. On top of that, he benefits from Mike McDaniel’s speedy setup.

    Through two NFL seasons, the former sixth-rounder has missed a combined 18 games due to injury, making him a somewhat fragile complement to Christian McCaffrey. Still, when upright, he’s been incredibly smooth as a focal point for Kyle Shanahan’s offense, showcasing solid vision in relief and as a starter.

    Like Mitchell, he’s been severely hampered by injuries, playing more than 10 games just once in five seasons. But the…

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  • Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker shares thoughts on Payton Thorne’s transfer to Auburn

    Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker shares thoughts on Payton Thorne’s transfer to Auburn

    Auburn football landed its most notable transfer in May when former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne signed with Auburn.

    Thorne’s presence completes an offensive overhaul built by Hugh Freeze, as the Tigers are expected to have a new receiver rotation, offensive line, and quarterback in 2023.

    Thorne has plenty of experience as he arrives at Auburn with two full seasons of experience. After losing an experienced quarterback to the transfer portal, how will Michigan State rebound?

    Spartans head coach Mel Tucker recently spoke to the media during a recruiting camp at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. During his availability, the topic of Thorne’s transfer was discussed. Tucker says that he feels that his team will rebound following the loss of Thorne, but has nothing but great things to say about him.

    “I just wish Payton the very best of luck,” Tucker said. “He’s a really good player, a better person, got a great family. We wish him well.”

    Tucker also shared his thoughts on the transfer portal as a whole. Of course, there are plenty of reasons for a college athlete to transfer to another school, could one reason be the idea of “greener pastures?” Tucker says yes.

    “We’ve seen it right? We’ve gotten guys out of the portal, and it’s really common. So, I don’t think it’s anything that anyone should be surprised about,” Tucker said.

    Thorne is on campus and is set to compete with incumbent Robby Ashford for the starting quarterback job this summer. Thorne has passed for 6,493 yards and 49 touchdowns in three seasons at Michigan State and brings two full seasons of starting experience to Auburn. His best season came in 2021 when he threw for 27 touchdowns and 3,232 yards while leading Michigan State to an 11-2 record and a Peach Bowl victory.

    Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on…

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  • Peter Schrager makes bold choice for Chiefs’ breakout wide receiver

    Peter Schrager makes bold choice for Chiefs’ breakout wide receiver

    Kansas City Chiefs WR Justyn Ross has an unstoppable train of hype surrounding him this offseason. It’s so prevalent within Chiefs Kingdom, that his name is now picking up steam at the national media level.

    Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager recently revealed his top-5 breakout wide receiver candidates for the 2023 NFL season. Ross came in at No. 5 on his list.

    “Number five is Justyn Ross,” Schrager said. “I’ve got practice footage of No. 8 Justyn Ross making a play. Ross was an undrafted free agent out of the University of Clemson a couple of years ago. He had the injury and yet everyone has spoken about Justyn Ross for two years in Kansas City circles. Like, ‘Just wait until we get Ross on the field.’ This was the one play you saw last week and it was from the Chiefs’ (Twitter) account and you were like, ‘Ah! He’s coming! It’s Justyn Ross time.’”

    The aforementioned practice footage shows Ross beating second-year CB Nazeeh Johnson on a deep route in team drills. There seems to be a good blend of internal excitement from the team and hype for the fans with Ross — who spent last season on injured reserve following surgery to repair a foot injury after signing with K.C. as an undrafted free agent.

    There’s some legitimate concern about his ability to stay healthy and on the field long-term. However, should he stay on the field, opportunity is an area that Schrager thinks could benefit Ross.

    “When you look at this roster at the wide receiver position, they lost JuJu (Smith-Schuster), they lost (Mecole) Hardman. In years past they lost other players,” Schrager said. “Who is going to step up? (Marquez) Valdes-Scantling was the guy against the Bengals. (Kadarius) Toney was awesome in the Super Bowl. (Justin) Watson, we know his name. You’ve got the second-round pick (Rashee) Rice. You got (Skyy) Moore last year. Richie James from the Giants. Justyn Ross just might be a guy to watch.”

    At the same time, he recognized just how bold…

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  • Big Ten football transfers: Iowa, Wisconsin QBs among key players ready to make instant impact in 2023 season

    Big Ten football transfers: Iowa, Wisconsin QBs among key players ready to make instant impact in 2023 season

    The NCAA transfer portal is more important than ever in college football, which doesn’t mean a whole lot considering it hasn’t been around very long. Still, you know how prevalent it is since coaches are complaining about it louder than before, and there is a strong correlation between the volume of complaints and how often the portal is being utilized by said complainers. 

    The more they use something, the more they hate it. So they’ll be complaining about other schools tampering with their players while one of their assistants is, at that very moment, likely sliding into the DMs of a player on another team.

    They do it out of necessity. In this day and age of ridiculous salaries, expectations are even more unrealistic and patience is at an all-time low. The transfer portal may not contain players with higher ceilings than the 17-year-old high schooler you’ve been texting relentlessly, but the floor is high and you know the player can step in and fill the hole on your roster much quicker.

    We will hear more complaints about the portal as the years go on, yet every year we’ll see more coaches diving into the portal for key pieces that can yield immediate dividends. The Big Ten is no different, and these transfers should have the most significant impacts in 2023 for their new teams.

    There isn’t a team in the Big Ten serving as a better example of how the transfer portal is changing the sport than Iowa. Last year, the Hawkeyes had one incoming transfer — a blocking tight end. This year, the Hawkeyes are overhauling their entire offense through the portal. While players like tight end Erick All and receiver Kaleb Brown will shine, it’s All’s former teammate at Michigan that will have the biggest impact.

    Cade McNamara helped lead Michigan to…

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  • Lions OC Ben Johnson expects another ‘huge step forward’ in 2023 from a rising offense

    Lions OC Ben Johnson expects another ‘huge step forward’ in 2023 from a rising offense

    Last season, the Detroit Lions were one of the NFL’s most unexpected success stories. The Lions didn’t make the playoffs, but they were in contention until the final week of the season, largely on the strength of their explosive and efficient offense. 

    The Lions finished the season fourth in yards, fifth in points, fifth in Football Outsiders’ offensive DVOA, and third in Tru Media’s version of EPA per play. With one of the league’s top offensive lines protecting him, Jared Goff had his best season in years, and players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jamaal Williams, D’Andre Swift, D.J. Chark, and more played significant roles in elevating the team’s performance. 

    Also key to the evolution was offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who became a hot name on the coaching circuit this offseason but decided to pull his name from consideration for several jobs and return to Detroit for at least another year. And Johnson sees big things coming for his offense this season. 

    “I personally expect a huge step forward in terms of the growth and knowledge base of our players the experience they have under their belt,” Johnson said this week, per the team’s official website. “That’s why the emphasis has been on the basics. Let’s get really good at the fundamentals because that’s what helped us win games at the end of last year.”

    As for where the team can get better, Johnson doesn’t think the Lions need to do anything new. They just need to do what they need to do what they already did, better. 

    “When we look back at what we did in self scout all of our plays from last year I came away from it personally that even if we didn’t run one new play this year, if we ran all the same plays that we ran last year, that we would be a better offense because we have to execute better than we did,” Johnson said. “We did a lot of nice things a year ago, but it really means nothing going forward to this year. We have to…

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  • 247Sports forecasts brutal SEC slate for Auburn in 2024

    247Sports forecasts brutal SEC slate for Auburn in 2024

    The long-awaited decision regarding conference scheduling within the SEC was officially made on June 1 when the conference announced that it will keep its traditional eight-game model, but will eliminate divisions beginning in 2024.

    There is not a set structure regarding permanent opponents and rotations, however, as the eight-game model will be evaluated after the 2024 season. After facing the likes of Alabama and LSU in the western division every season since 1992, will Auburn catch a break with the SEC’s new division-less system? Brad Crawford of 247Sports does not see that happening.

    Following the announcement from the SEC, Crawford took time to predict Auburn’s 2024 SEC slate, and it is anything but easy. Crawford projects the Tigers to get its usual dose of Alabama, Georgia, and LSU, followed by four teams that reached bowl games during the 2022 season.

    Here’s how Crawford predicts Auburn’s “nightmare” conference slate to appear:

    This prediction, if true, will be “business as usual” for Auburn, as the Tigers have grown accustomed to facing Alabama, Georgia, and LSU every season. Mixing in teams that have built a reputation for consistent bowl play in Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Kentucky, and Hugh Freeze will have quite the challenge as he works to rebuild the program. Welcoming SEC newcomer, Texas, to Jordan-Hare Stadium will be a nice touch, as the Longhorns have not visited the Plains since 1987.

    Auburn, as well as the rest of the SEC, will learn about its 2024 opponents on Wednesday, June 14.

    Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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  • Could Giants be an ideal landing spot for this veteran edge rusher?

    Could Giants be an ideal landing spot for this veteran edge rusher?

    New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen addressed many of the team’s personnel deficiencies this offseason but a few remain. Among them is depth along the edge, where Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari serve as the 1-2 punch.

    Behind Thibodeaux and Ojulari there is very little. The Giants re-signed Oshane Ximines this offseason and he has flashed a time or two but hasn’t fully realized his potential. They also have Elerson Smith, who has been plagued by injury during his young career, and Tomon Fox, who was an undrafted free agent a year ago.

    They also re-signed veteran Jihad Ward, but he’s more of a run-stopper than a pass rusher.

    With that edge depth lacking, ESPN has listed the Giants as an ideal landing spot for free agent linebacker Justin Houston.

    Houston could fit with multiple teams in search of a veteran pass-rusher, but let’s get him back under former Baltimore defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who joined New York in 2022. Houston, who has 14 sacks over the past two seasons, played for Martindale in 2021, posting 4.5 sacks and 35 pressures. And we know the fit works for a Giants defense that can use him as a situational pass-rusher in pressure fronts.

    Martindale’s defense led the NFL last season with a blitz rate of 42%, which will create more one-on-ones for Houston with schemes that manipulate protection counts.

    The 34-year-old Houston may be on the downside of this career but could fill a role as an experience edge rush option. At the very least, he could join the team’s rotation, allowing Thibodeaux and Ojulari to cut back on their snap counts a bit.

    The Giants are tight on cap, so if they were to sign Houston, it would have to come on a deal near the veteran minimum.

    Related

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