Category: NFL News

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t make much of a splash in free agency, but the team did add a few players ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Now the team has revealed what numbers those recently signed veterans will wear when they put on teal jerseys for the first time. Earlier in April, the Jaguars announced wide receiver Calvin Ridley — who was acquired during the 2022 season, but was ineligible to play due to a suspension — will wear the newly allowed No. 0 jersey.

Nathan Rourke, a former Canadian Football League quarterback who signed with the Jaguars in January, will be the first quarterback in team history to wear the No. 18 jersey. Only wide receivers previously donned the number, including Matt Jones, Chris Conley, and Ace Sanders.

Running back D’Ernest Johnson will inherit the No. 25 jersey that was left available after its previous owner, James Robinson, was traded to the New York Jets.

Offensive tackle Josh Wells wore No. 72 during his first stint with the Jaguars, but that number now belongs to presumed starting right tackle Walker Little.

More Jaguars news!

Myles Jack inducted into Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame

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Jaguars clear $5.1 million in space with Rayshawn Jenkins restructure

Story originally appeared on Jaguars Wire

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The USFL will have a new president as it enters Year 2 of its rebrand. Daryl Johnston, a three-time Super Bowl champion during his playing days with the Dallas Cowboys, has been promoted from vice president to president. 

Johnston, also a longtime analyst for the Fox NFL broadcast booth, takes over for Brian Woods, who stepped down as USFL president in order to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. As vice president, Johnston played an integral role in the USFL becoming the first spring league in nearly 40 years to complete its season in 2022. 

“I think that Year 1 was very successful,” Johnston recently said in an interview with CBS Sports. “I think more of what you’re trying to do is establish a stand-alone league that provides a non-traditional route back to the NFL. … We’re about football, we’re about the why, what motivates the guys, what you are trying to accomplish here and trying to do everything we can from a coaching and from an exposure standpoint to give them an opportunity to continue to chase that dream.”

The league certainly achieved its goal last year of providing its players with NFL opportunities. Over 180 USFL players worked out for NFL teams last season, with over 50 players taking part in training camps. A number of them ended up on NFL rosters, with KaVontae Turpin, the USFL MVP last year, earning All-Pro honors with the Cowboys last season. 

“The success of your model causes you to reload your workforce 25, 30, 35% every year,” Johnston said. 

Fortunately for the USFL, both quarterbacks who played in last year’s league championship game — J’Mar Smith of the Birmingham Stallions and Case Cookus of the Philadelphia Stars — will be back for their respective teams. Mike Abernathy, a veteran safety who spent time last fall with the Packers and Falcons, is back patrolling the secondary for the Houston Gamblers. 

After playing each of their regular-season games in…

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Auburn Tigers defensive end Colby Wooden is reportedly set to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, according to Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy.

Each NFL team is allowed to bring in 30 players for a visit before the draft and the Jaguars have used several of those spots on defensive linemen and edge rushers. In addition to Wooden, prospects who have reportedly visited Jacksonville include pass rushers Nolan Smith, Byron Young, and YaYa Diaby of Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisville, respectively.

Wooden measures in at 6’4, 273 pounds after adding more than 40 pounds during his career at Auburn. While that’s a similar size as Travon Walker, Wooden likely projects as a defensive end in the Jaguars’ 3-4 and did most of his damage in college as an interior rusher.

In his final season with the Tigers, Wooden had six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. In a recent seven-round mock draft, ESPN’s Jordan Reid had Wooden projected as a fifth-round pick.

More 2023 NFL Draft!

3 players who could entice Jaguars to trade up in 2023 NFL Draft

Report: Louisville pass rusher YaYa Diaby to visit Jaguars

Jaguars mock draft database: Brian Branch favored to be 24th pick

Story originally appeared on Jaguars Wire

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Mac Jones, the New England Patriots’ 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, isn’t a lock to be the Patriots’ starting quarterback in 2023, according to head coach Bill Belichick. 

Not only could Jones lose his spot as New England’s starter, but he could be wearing a different jersey in 2023, entering his third NFL season. Even though there have been reports that the Patriots see Jones as their future at quarterback, Belichick is angry with Jones, specifically his use of coaching outside of the team amid a dysfunctional season in which longtime defensive coach Matt Patricia was the offensive play-caller in 2022, per NBC Sports. Belichick has reportedly even been the initiator of internal discussions to trade Jones during the offseason, according to ProFootballTalk.

With that in mind, here are 10 potential successors to Jones in New England in the event the Patriots follow through and trade him:

Free agency options

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We are in another NFL offseason weekend it is time to go around the NFC West to see what is happening with the Arizona Cardinals’ division rivals.

What is going on with the Seattle Seahawks?

Below are some stories from the last week for Cardinals fans to know.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Jamal Adams pushing hard to be ready for season

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Adams continues his recovery from a torn quadriceps. Pete Carroll is optimistic for his return before the season, although he says nothing is guaranteed.

Seahawks low on effective cap space

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Cap space is necessary in the offseason. The Seahawks are lacking.

They have the least “effective cap space” in the league.

Seahawks still seeking D-line help

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks added Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed to improve the defensive line this offseason. However, they still want to add to that group.

Seahawks take selfie with Antony Richardson

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Richardson had a fantastic pro day and the Seahawks could be interested in him. They took a selfie with him.

Seahawks withdraw tender to Ryan Neal

(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Neal was given a right of first refusal tender as a restricted free agent.

The Seahawks withdrew the tender and Neal is now free to sign with any team.

Story originally appeared on Cards Wire

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USATSI

After spending his rookie season wearing No. 28, Bills running back James Cook has decided to change numbers ahead of the 2023 season. The Bills announced on Friday that Cook will wear No. 4 going forward. Cook will wear the same number as his older brother, Vikings Pro Bowl back Dalvin Cook, who changed numbers before the start of last season. 

Cook wore No. 4 during his time at Georgia from 2018-21. As a senior, Cook ran for 728 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He also caught 27 passes for 284 yards and four touchdowns while helping the Bulldogs capture their first national title in over 40 years. 

The 63rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Cook ran for 507 yards and two touchdowns last season while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He caught 21 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown while playing an integral role in Buffalo winning its third consecutive AFC East division crown. 

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The Denver Broncos entered 2022 with high expectations due to the partnership of new quarterback Russell Wilson and new head coach Nathaniel Hackett. With Hackett’s background with Aaron Rodgers and Wilson’s success in Seattle, the Broncos’ six-year playoff drought appeared to have an end in sight.

Until it wasn’t.

The Broncos will enter the 2023 NFL season with the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL, as last season marked their seventh consecutive season without a playoff birth. Their last playoff appearance? Their 2015 NFL season which culminated in the franchise’s third Super Bowl win. Denver is proceeded by the New York Jets, who have a 12-year drought. New York’s last playoff appearance was in 2010. 

The Jets have it even worse, though. After the Sacramento Kings finally snapped their 17-year playoff drought, the Jets officially have the longest playoff drought among teams in the “Big Four” sports in the United States — the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL (the Broncos are tied for fifth on that list). 

Fans in Denver can only hope the arrival of Sean Payton will help the Broncos end their playoff drought this fall. 

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
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Denver Broncos’ top-10 all-time leaders in passing yards

Story originally appeared on Broncos Wire

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Getty Images

A new turf field has been installed at MetLife Stadium, a change that comes after several injuries took place on the old turf at the stadium. According to ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan, the new playing surface is an improved synthetic turf that is expected to reduce the number of injuries at the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.

The teams will play on a new form of FieldTurf called FieldTurf Core system, which is made with dual-polymer monofilament fiber. The turf was tested over 200,000 cycles via a fiber wear test by Penn State’s Center for Sports Surface Research, ESPN reported.

Giants owner John Mara confirmed to the media that the new FieldTurf had been installed at MetLife Stadium, as well as at the team’s practice facility. Mara also stated that he hopes that MetLife Stadium eventually installs a grass or hybrid field.

“Installation of the new FieldTurf CORE system reinforces the commitment we have to providing the best playing surface for our teams,” president and CEO of MetLife Stadium Ron VanDeVeen said in a statement on Thursday. “The research that FieldTurf has put into the heavyweight infill design for this new field system will equip MetLife Stadium with one of the premier surfaces in the league.”

The previous turf field at MetLife Stadium had received a large amount of criticism over the past few seasons. During the 2020 season, five members of the San Francisco 49ers suffered lower-body injuries in one game against the Jets. Defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas both suffered season-ending knee injuries in that contest.

During the 2022 season, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Kyle Fuller tore his ACL during a Week 1…

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