NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Michigan State QB Payton Thorne, leading WR Keon Coleman enter portal as Spartans lose key returning pieces

    Michigan State QB Payton Thorne, leading WR Keon Coleman enter portal as Spartans lose key returning pieces

    Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne has entered the NCAA transfer portal, 247Sports confirmed on Sunday, bringing some clarity to the Spartans’ quarterback competition and making valuable name with Power Five starting experience available for programs seeking a new signal-caller. Thorne enters the portal as a graduate transfer. 

    Thorne’s struggles in 2022 opened the door for him to be challenged this spring for the starting spot. Fourth-year junior Noah Kim was the primary challenger with redshirt freshman Katin Houser also in the mix. While Thorne did have a decrease in touchdowns and a slight increase in interceptions from 2021 to 2022, he also admitted he played much of last fall’s campaign while dealing with injuries.  

    “Since last year, walking off the field at Penn State, I feel like I’m a lot better than I was, I feel like I’m more myself, healthy again, able to move around,” Thorne explained earlier in spring practice, via the Lansing State Journal. 

    Thorne threw for 6,493 yards and 49 touchdowns in his career with the Spartans. He led Michigan State to an 11-2 record in 2021 that culminated with a Peach Bowl win over Pitt, but that was followed up with the disappointing 5-7 season that followed in 2022. 

    With Thorne gone, the race narrows, for now, to a battle between Kim and Houser. Kim has drawn positive reviews for his performance this spring. Unless the Spartans add another quarterback from the portal before fall camp, Kim will head into 2023 as the presumed leader ahead of Houser, a former four-star prospect who has blue-chip projections but may be another year of development away from meeting those expectations. 

    And whomever ends up getting the job will take over a Michigan State offense that could be losing…

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  • 2023 NFL Draft: Every team’s best, worst and most interesting pick in division-by-division takeaways

    2023 NFL Draft: Every team’s best, worst and most interesting pick in division-by-division takeaways

    The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and there is plenty to break down. The Philadelphia Eagles selected every University of Georgia defender available, the New England Patriots became the first team in 23 years to draft both a kicker and a punter and a record-breaking amount of quarterbacks were selected in the first 150 picks. It was truly a wild weekend. 

    There are 259 total picks to break down, but let’s try to identify the best, worst and most interesting picks for all 32 NFL teams. The best and worst picks will be decided by the best and worst grades assigned to those selections by our CBS Sports NFL Draft experts: Pete Prisco, Chris Trapasso and Josh Edwards. (For the CBS Sports draft tracker, click here.) 

    Here are the rules of the game: 

    The “best” player in a class may not be the “best” pick, because of the value at the selection number. Not every team made a “bad” pick per se, and some of the picks that are declared the “worst” for a class have grades as high as a “B.” If there are multiple picks with the same grade, Jordan Dajani stepped in and determined the verdict. Dajani also decided which pick was the most interesting for each team. Ready? Let’s go.  

    AFC East

    Best pick (A): OG O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida (Round 2, Pick 59)

    Enormous human being who actually plays with more foot quickness than his size would indicate. Masher in one-on-one scenarios. Must utilize his length better at next level but already very good anchoring skill. More help for Josh Allen is smart for Buffalo. (Chris Trapasso)

    Worst pick (C): CB Alex Austin, Oregon State (Round 7, Pick 252)

    Good size at CB but not lengthy. Tackling issues appear often on film. Not a burner down the field or high-caliber athlete overall. Found the football often on the perimeter. Natural in that regard. (Chris Trapasso)

    Most interesting pick (C): TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah (Round 1, Pick 25)

    Trading up for this…

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  • Texas’ Roschon Johnson drafted by Chicago Bears in Round 4 of 2023 NFL Draft

    Texas’ Roschon Johnson drafted by Chicago Bears in Round 4 of 2023 NFL Draft

    Texas Longhorns running back Roschon Johnson (2) runs the ball forward during the Texas Longhorns football game against Kansas State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.

    On Saturday, Texas senior Roschon Johnson was selected by Chicago Bears in the 4th round of the NFL draft. He was the 115th overall pick.

    Now, if you had told someone a few years ago that Johnson was going to be drafted by Chicago, they may have assumed he’d be the answer the Bears had long been searching for at quarterback. Johnson, after all, was a four-star prospect at that position when the Port Neches-Groves product signed with UT’s 2019 recruiting class.

    But the NFL draft was just the next chapter in Johnson’s story as a running back. The 6-foot, 219-pound Johnson switched positions shortly after arriving on campus and became a valuable contributor at the position. He is the eighth running back selected in this year’s draft.

    Over his four years at Texas, Johnson rushed 392 times for 2,190 yards. That ranks 18th in school history. Used as both a Wildcat quarterback and a traditional runner, Johnson produced five 100-yard games in his UT career. He also caught 56 passes and scored 26 offensive touchdowns at Texas.

    In Chicago, Johnson won’t be the only Longhorn on the depth chart for running backs. D’Onta Foreman, who was a third-round pick by Houston in the 2017 draft, signed with the Bears this offseason.

    Key play: Johnson wasn’t just a versatile weapon for the Texas offense. Additionally, the Longhorns used him on multiple special teams units.

    In a game against Iowa State during the 2022 season, Johnson sprinted down the field on a kickoff and recorded a thunderous tackle of the Cyclones returner. “I’ve been telling defensive coaches I can play on that side of the ball too,” said Johnson, who figured that he…

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  • The Athletic gives Anthony Richardson’s first-round draft grade

    The Athletic gives Anthony Richardson’s first-round draft grade

    Florida football was represented in the first round of the NFL draft by quarterback Anthony Richardson when the Indianapolis Colts used the fourth overall pick to select the former Gator. The Gainesville native gives the Orange and Blue a first-day pick for the third-straight year and also continues a streak of having an alumnus taken in every draft of the common era.

    On Friday following the first round, The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman put together his grades for the 31 players selected on Thursday, including Richardson. Here is what he had to off on the pick along with his grade.

    The Colts finally got off the veteran Merry-Go-Round after opening the season with a different quarterback for five consecutive years. This fall marks the sixth, and nobody has more physical potential than Florida’s Anthony Richardson, whose combine numbers were off the charts. Not only does he have great size (6-4 ¼, 244) with big hands (10 ½ inches), but he ran the 40 in 4.43 seconds and posted a 40 1/2-inch vertical. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry on 654 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. His former teammates rave about him and his character.

    But for every “wow” play there was a “whoa” moment. GMs and coaches get fired when potential doesn’t produce, and Richardson is the riskiest first-round quarterback in draft history. Richardson is a one-year starter at Florida who completed 53.8 percent with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions for 2,549 yards. He was the only Power 5 quarterback in the last three seasons with at least 300 attempts who completed less than 54 percent of his passes.

    Richardson is the ultimate catnip. With his generational talent, he could lead the Colts to the Super Bowl multiple times. If he busts, everybody is getting fired.

    Grade: C

    The NFL draft continues on Friday night starting at 7 p.m. EDT and can be followed on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.

    More Football!

    This former Gator among best remaining in 2023 NFL draft

    Dooley’s Dozen: 12 best players…

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  • Colorado players in transfer portal: Wave of Buffaloes exit program as Deion Sanders aims to reshape roster

    Colorado players in transfer portal: Wave of Buffaloes exit program as Deion Sanders aims to reshape roster

    Getty Images

    Colorado enjoyed what was considered a wildly successful spring game this past weekend under first-year coach Deion Sanders, but despite that, the Buffaloes roster is poised to look massively different by the time fall rolls around. On Monday, a slew of players hit the transfer portal with the exodus including everyone from star players in 2022 to once-promising prospects who are now looking for new homes away from the Coach Prime era in Boulder. More players followed the Monday departures on Tuesday.

    Wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig is one of the highest-profile players to make the decision to leave Boulder. The junior made waves on Saturday by catching three passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns during the first spring game for coach Deion Sanders. One of those passes was a 98-yard score from transfer quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder from Inglewood, California, was the Buffaloes second-leading receiver last season with 23 catches for 359 yards and three touchdowns.

    Fellow wide receiver Jordyn Tyson also announced Monday that he is hitting the portal after a successful first season in Boulder. Tyson finished last season as the top receiver on the roster with 470 yards on 22 receptions after joining the program from Allen (Texas) High School. 

    Deion Smith, last season’s top running back, also entered the portal on Monday. The 6-foot, 190-pound senior led the team with 393 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns last season. He had 653 yards rushing and four rushing…

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  • 2023 NFL Draft: Texas’ Bijan Robinson not concerned with being drafted high, calls process a ‘blessing’

    2023 NFL Draft: Texas’ Bijan Robinson not concerned with being drafted high, calls process a ‘blessing’

    Texas running back Bijan Robinson is one of the most intriguing players in what promises to be an unpredictable draft. CBS Sports’ No. 5 prospect rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022, and is considered to be a first-round pick on Thursday despite the fact that he plays a position NFL teams don’t seem to value as highly as they once did. 

    CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Chris Trapasso has Robinson being selected No. 5 overall by the Atlanta Falcons, while CBS Sports NFL Insider Pete Prisco has the 21-year-old going with the second-to-last pick in the first round, No. 30 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles. While pundits may disagree on how long Robinson will have to wait to hear his name called on Thursday night, he’s called the draft process a “blessing,” pointing out to CBS Sports this week that God doesn’t gift everyone this kind of opportunity. 

    “Not at all man,” Robinson replied when asked if it matters to him whether he’s drafted high or not. “I know that I’m gonna be blessed to be at the right team and the best team that God has for me. Wherever I go, I’m gonna embrace the city, embrace the teammates, embrace everybody anywhere I’m at. For me, it’s just an exciting opportunity to be able to get to play on a team and bring your skillset and your personality to the coaches, to the teammates and to the city as well. I’m excited to go wherever. Whoever picks me up, I’m ready to go and I’m ready to be there.”

    AUSTIN, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 03: Bijan Robinson #5 of the Texas Longhorns reacts after a rushing touchdown in the third quarter against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 03, 2022 in Austin, Texas.
    Tim Warner / Getty Images

    Just nine running backs have been selected in the top 20 picks of an NFL Draft…

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  • Florida State or Clemson? ACC power rankings and key question for each team after spring practice

    Florida State or Clemson? ACC power rankings and key question for each team after spring practice

    The seismic shifts rippling through college football haven’t yet reached the Atlantic Coast Conference so far as its membership lineup is concerned. But there are changes afoot in the ACC nonetheless as the 2023 season approaches.

    For one thing, the Atlantic and Coastal divisions are no more. But beyond that structural alteration, a changing of the guard on the field might be in the offing as well.

    In the end, it might indeed be Clemson raising the championship trophy once again, but the Tigers’ grip has loosened a bit in recent years. But if the door is indeed ajar, is anyone else positioned to barge through it?

    With spring practice wrapped up, here’s a look at how we think the conference stacks up with the biggest question for each team.

    1. Florida State

    Will the offensive line hold up?

    The biggest reason for the program’s decline in prior to last season was a leaky front that couldn’t open holes or prevent quarterbacks from getting pounded. That unit appears to be a lot deeper now, and with incumbent quarterback Jordan Travis and receiver Kentron Poitier ready to shine next to star Johnny Wilson. The Seminoles will look to hit the ground running and avoid the early skid that effectively eliminated them from the championship picture in 2022.

    Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis (13) run with the ball against Florida during the second quarter of their 2021 game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

    2. Clemson

    Where will the big passing plays come from?

    Cade Klubnik is now firmly entrenched as the starting quarterback, but the dynamic plays from the wide-outs that have largely been missing over the last couple of seasons were again absent in the spring. The defense should be fine as usual, and the running back room has plenty of options as well, but the Tigers might need to hit the portal for some long pass catchers to…

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  • Three-year cash flow for quarterbacks reveals how badly Patrick Mahomes needs a new deal

    Three-year cash flow for quarterbacks reveals how badly Patrick Mahomes needs a new deal

    Chiefs G.M. Brett Veach recently said that, after Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert do new deals, the Chiefs will take another look at the contract signed three NFL seasons.

    They frankly shouldn’t have to wait that long.

    The Mahomes deal was grossly team-friendly from the get go. Someone apparently wanted to be able to claim that Mahomes had signed the first half-billion-dollar deal in league history. To get there, other things were sacrificed.

    Specifically, early-year cash flow was sacrificed.

    With the Jalen Hurts contract signed and finalized, and with the numbers now available to be scrutinized, the major quarterback contracts can be compared as to one of the key factors for evaluating contracts — the amount of money actually paid to the player in the first three years of the contract.

    Per a source with knowledge of the numbers, here’s the three-year cash flow for the current high-end quarterback deals:

    1. Aaron Rodgers: $150.8 million.

    2. Deshaun Watson: $138 million.

    3. Dak Prescott: $126 million.

    4. Matthew Stafford: $120 million.

    5. Russell Wilson: $119 million.

    6. Daniel Jones: $112.5 million.

    7. Kyler Murray: $107.8 million.

    8. Jalen Hurts: $106.3 million.

    9. Josh Allen: $92.3 million.

    10. Patrick Mahomes: $63 million.

    Take a look at those numbers. Look at the names. With all due respect to the others, Mahomes should be at the very top of the list.

    Whatever Burrow or Herbert will get doesn’t change that. It’ll only make it more conspicuous, because it likely will drop Mahomes to No. 12. If/when Lamar Jackson gets a deal with the Ravens, Mahomes will fall to No. 13.

    Yes, Mahomes has every right to take whatever contract he wants. And, yes, he continues to have a great team around him, given the money he’s not taking. But to be tenth out of 10 and likely on his way to No. 12 or No. 13 of 12 or 13 on the list of quarterback cash flow, the Chiefs probably should fix this, regardless of whether Mahomes is banging on anyone’s…

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