Category: NFL News

Last season’s Green Bay Packers had one of the most unusual wide receiver rooms in recent NFL history. Every receiver in their regular rotation entered the league in either 2022 or 2023, meaning they were all first- or second-year players. 

Christian Watson, the team’s second-round pick in 2022, was the old man of the group at a mere 24 years old. He came into the season expected to operate as the team’s likely top target, but injuries caused him to miss games and limited him in a number of others, and the Packers evolved their offense into a much more egalitarian one. They didn’t really have a go-to wideout. 

Romeo Doubs (96) had the most targets, while Jayden Reed led the group in catches (64) and yards (793). Those figures ranked 38th (targets), 35th (catches) and 35th (yards) among receivers leaguewide. Doubs’ 17.1% team target share, via Tru Media, ranked 40th, while Reed’s 24.4% targets per route rate ranked 23rd. 

Still not getting the picture? Consider that there were 204 instances last season of a wide receiver being targeted on at least 30% of his team’s pass attempts, and just two of those games belonged to a Packers receiver. To put that in perspective, a Packers opponent targeted one specific wide receiver on at least 30% of their throws in Weeks 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, and 18. That’s six times in eight weeks! That’s how different the Packers’ ball-distribution philosophy was from that of the rest of the league. 

Green Bay is now entering the 2024 season with largely the same group on hand. Watson is back, as are Doubs and Reed, along with Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, Malik Heath and Samori Toure. Again, there is not necessarily a “No. 1” type of receiver among that group. But the Packers don’t care.  

“I personally don’t think it matters,” head coach Matt LaFleur said, via The Athletic. “I think if you just look at throughout the course of a season ago — and every…

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What does early success look like for Maye? Ex-NFL QB shares expectations originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

As the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Drake Maye will be counted on to be the next franchise quarterback of the New England Patriots. It’s a challenging situation for the North Carolina product, but head coach Jerod Mayo and Co. have made it clear they won’t rush their young signal-caller into action.

In the meantime, Maye is functioning as the No. 2 QB in OTAs behind veteran QB Jacoby Brissett. Although he’s shown flashes of his potential in practice, he still has plenty of learning to do before establishing himself as the clearcut No. 1 on New England’s depth chart.

What better place to learn than The Quarterback School? Former NFL QB J.T. O’Sullivan, now the founder of TheQBSchool.com, joined Phil Perry on a new Next Pats Podcast to share his assessment of Maye and what he’s looking to see from the rookie.

🔊 Next Pats: Drake Maye already seeing results attending new Patriots QUARTERBACK SCHOOL | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

“From the outside looking in, I would say the expectations are pretty low as far as wins, performance, those types of things,” O’Sullivan said. “So for me, if you go out there and look the part, meaning that you can protect the ball, that you can do plays that help us win, that you’re not hurting the team consistently, that it looks like the game isn’t too fast for you, that you can go out there and execute what the coaches are asking you to do consistently, I think that’s an early indicator of, ‘OK, we might have something going.’ “

There’s a good chance Maye sits behind Brissett for most if not all of the 2024 season. O’Sullivan shared what he believes Maye needs to do to find early success once he is finally named the starter.

“I think it’s going to be unfair to everybody in this (2024 draft) class … to (compare) what (Houston Texans QB) C.J. Stroud did last year, where people are going to come in and…

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Every year in the NFL, we see breakout stars. And they come in all shapes and sizes with different backstories. Here, we’re going to begin a breakout mini-series with young “rebound” selections who fell into the shadows of the football-watching world either due to injury or simple disappointment. 

To qualify for this article, a player had to be entering either his second or third year in the NFL. 

Let’s get to it.

Injury rebounds

Christian Gonzalez hurt his labrum in early October and was subsequently placed in season-ending injured reserve. Then a multitude of enormous franchise-altering developments took place with the Patriots, so it’s relatively easy to forgot how good the first-round pick from Oregon was in his first four NFL games. 

The man-coverage specialist had three pass breakups, an interception, didn’t allow a touchdown in his coverage area, and missed just one tackle on 209 total snaps. A freak athletically with super-smooth hips and brilliant route-recognition skill, Gonzalez was born to play in New England’s defense (yes, even after the Bill Belichick era).

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Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins is heading into the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, and he’d like to work something out to remain in Chicago for the long term. But that would require both parties engaging in a negotiation.

So far, Jenkins says, he and his agent have expressed interest in the Bears, but the team hasn’t made an offer.

“We reached out, but nothing is on the table,” Jenkins said.

Asked if there’s mutual interest with the Bears in a contract extension, Jenkins said, “Up in the air.”

The Bears drafted Jenkins with the 39th overall pick in 2021. He has struggled to stay health and played in just 31 games through three years, with 24 starts. When healthy last year he played his best football, and he said his No. 1 priority this year is staying healthy for 17 games. If he does that, he’ll be due for a significant second contract next year, whether with the Bears or some other team.

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Throughout any given offseason, the headlines are largely dominated by additions that franchises are making to their teams in hopes of improving the following year. But there’s another side to that coin. Departures can be just as impactful to a team if not more in some cases. 

As the NFL gears up for its break in the coming weeks before they open up training camp later this summer, now is as good of a time as any to look back at the offseason that was and gauge the most notable departures that each team has endured. It’s important to highlight the word notable. Sure, some of these figures that were subtracted had major impacts on their teams in 2023, but it could also simply represent the end of a specific era for that club as well. Given the seismic nature of some situations, we’ll also include coaches. 

Hollywood Brown’s two-year stint with the Cardinals didn’t reach the heights that it probably should’ve due to injuries. In 2022, a foot injury proved to be a speed bump in what was set to be another thousand-yard season for the former first-round pick. The following year,…

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The NFL has been testing the public relations waters in floating an 18-game schedule.

Ryan Kelly is here for the counterpoint. The Pro Bowl center and NFLPA representative for the Indianapolis Colts spoke candidly against an expanded schedule on Wednesday. He’s “absolutely not” interested in an 18-game slate or commissioner Roger Goodell’s effort’s to push one.

Colts NFLPA rep Ryan Kelly fielding a ton of 18-game related questions today.

On if Kelly would want that: “Absolutely not.” pic.twitter.com/a3OfSQVjhH

— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) June 5, 2024

“Yeah, 18 games sounds great when Roger is saying it on the Pat McAfee podcast,” Kelly said in a post-practice media scrum from Colts minicamp. “But until you’re the one going out there and putting a helmet on for 18 of those games, yeah, then come talk to me.”

Roger, in this instance, is Roger Goodell. Kelly, who’s also a vice president on the NFLPA’s executive committee, was referring to Goodell’s appearance on the “The Pat McAfee Show” in April at the NFL draft in Detroit.

Speaking to McAfee in front a crowd of fans, Goodell took on the role of cheerleader in promoting an 18-game schedule.

“I think we’re good at 17 (games) now, but… I’m not a fan of the preseason… I’d rather replace a preseason game with a regular-season any day… If we got to 18 (regular season) and 2 (preseason), that’s not an unreasonable thing.” – Roger Goodell pic.twitter.com/4QxyVGppMq

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 26, 2024

“I think we’re good at 17 now,” Goodell said. “But, listen, we’re looking at how we continue. I’m not a fan of the preseason. I don’t think we need three preseason games anymore. I don’t buy it.”

Goodell then turned and pointed to the crowd.

“I don’t think these guys like it either,” he continued. … “The reality is, I think I’d rather replace a preseason game with a regular-season game any day. That’s picking quality, right? If we got to 18-2, that’s not an unreasonable thing.”

Goodell got no pushback…

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FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb missed the start of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, continuing the trend of him holding out of the team’s offseason program in search of a new deal as he is set to enter 2024 in the last season of his rookie contract.

After Minnesota Vikings All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, reset the positional market with a four-year, $140 million deal that includes $110 million in guaranteed money, Lamb’s payday is near, at least in the mind of teammate Micah Parsons, a three-time All-Pro edge rusher. 

“CeeDee is about to hit the Brink’s truck,” Parsons said at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. “He is about to get his. I can’t think of someone more deserving. I think CeeDee is the best receiver in the league if you ever want to argue the top three. In my eyes, seeing his mindset and how he comes in every day. I think he deserves every penny. So I’m going to be super excited for him for whatever his contract lays out, but it’s going to be a nice contract for sure.”

Lamb, a 2023 First-Team…

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49ers QBs compare, contrast NFL journeys at Dwight Clark Legacy Series originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Four Pro Bowl quarterbacks, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young, recently gathered on stage to share stories, life lessons and raise money for former 49ers in times of need.

Young, Jeff Garcia, Alex Smith and Brock Purdy took part in a panel discussion as part of the Dwight Clark Legacy Event, which will air Tuesday night on NBC Sports Bay Area immediately following “Giants Postgame Live.”

The event raised more than $200,000 for the Golden Heart Fund, which supplies a wide variety of benefits and services for former 49ers players and their families.

Young, Garcia and Smith earned multiple Pro Bowl honors throughout their careers, while Purdy was named the NFC Pro Bowl starter last season after leading the NFL in passer rating (113.0) and yards per pass attempt (9.6).

“We’re up here — us three — because we were able to create longevity in something that very few are able to create and experience and have the success that we’ve had,” Garcia said. “And now Brock is scratching the surface. And he’s so much further ahead than probably we were at this same time frame.”

Each individual spoke about the challenges of navigating life as the starting quarterback for the 49ers. Garcia had the almost impossible assignment of following Young and four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Montana.

Then, along came Alex Smith as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

“There had never been a franchise that had a Joe and Steve,” Smith said. “That had never happened. And then you throw in Jeff. He set the franchise record for yards, so he carried it on. All of a sudden to be the No. 1 overall pick as a 20-year-old. Those are things I never dealt with. I had one college scholarship offer.

“I felt like I had to be Joe Montana, Steve Young and Peyton Manning as the No. 1 overall pick for the San Francisco 49ers. And it was a lot. I…

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