1. 5 most important players for future of Dolphins
Kenny Stills, WR
Why not Jay Ajayi? The Dolphins have Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams behind him, giving them a versatile and deep crop of runners. Williams is one of the more underrated backup RBs in the league.
Why not Jarvis Landry? Miami, as easy of a decision as it should be, still needs to determine if it will retain Landry as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Why not an offensive lineman? Laremy Tunsil will be a focal piece along the line, but Miami’s interior offensive line play has been a problem for years. Center Mike Pouncey is currently sitting out mini-camp activities and was on crutches as recently as two months ago. It’s a troubling trend.
The Dolphins do know what they’re getting with Kenny Stills. The team re-signed him to a four-year deal worth $32 million this March. The Oklahoma product did not have a great deal of yardage output, but he was Miami’s chunk-play target, averaging over 17 yards per reception and scoring nine touchdowns for the season.
As the guaranteed returning player in the receiver corps, Stills is locked in for the next four seasons and brings an element to Miami’s passing game no one else on the roster can provide.
2. Steelers Position Battles to Watch
Backup Quarterback
Contenders: Landry Jones & Joshua Dobbs
It’s not very often that you see a backup position battle receive as much attention as this one will receive this summer. This is not because Joshua Dobbs is expected to be the savior of the franchise at this point in his career, but more so because fans are openly disgusted with having Landry Jones backing up Ben Roethlisberger. This battle will put two completely different players against each other. Jones has experience in the Steelers system but has likely reached his ceiling and doesn’t offer much long-term promise as a potential future starter. Dobbs is obviously a rookie that is intelligent, mobile, and has more experience than most rookies in reading defenses, but is young and needs plenty of refinement to his game, specifically with his accuracy. This will be a competition that gets serious examination as it is more of a question of “when” and not “if” Roethlisberger will go down with an injury. And the Steelers need a player that will not cause the offense to stall out when that happens. The Steelers know what they have with Jones. What they need to figure out is what they have with Dobbs. If Dobbs proves to be a quick learner, he will get the nod.
Prediction: Josh Dobbs
3. Are we wrong, or are the stats just lying?
Oft-maligned backup quarterback Landry Jones has a better career completion percentage (albeit with an admittedly small sample size at 85 completions on 141 attempts) than every single other Steelers quarterback, ever, with at least 100 attempts, besides Ben Roethlisberger. His touchdown percentage is just 0.1 percent behind Roethlisberger, and his career passer rating of 82.8 would be good for 42nd all-time in the entire league if he had enough attempts.
If you are anything like me, the sound you hear right now is a single cricket, chirping.
4. Q: Now that quarterback Josh Dobbs has been drafted on the fourth round, the Steelers current backup quarterback Landry Jones has some competition. I hope that Josh will win the job because what I've seen from Landry so far has been extremely inconsistent. What is your take on the backup quarterbacks and the battle for the No. 2 spot?
ANSWER: There is no battle. Landry Jones will be the backup quarterback, and Josh Dobbs will be No. 3. Maybe that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.
5. 10 NFL players set to shine on new teams in 2017
Tony Jefferson, Ravens
When Tony Jefferson signed with the Ravens, it was a reminder of the career trajectory of another safety, Ryan Clark.
Like Clark, Jefferson started his career in the NFC and came to the AFC North at a young age. Like Clark, Jefferson has a chance to define his career by what he does in the AFC North.The 25-year-old Jefferson broke up five passes, forced two fumbles and had two sacks last season in his first year as a starter for the Cardinals. More of a box safety, he brings his physical style of play from a division of haves and have-nots to a division of fierce rivalries with one have-not and three teams perpetually fighting for supremacy.
Clark won a championship and made a Pro Bowl in eight years with the Steelers. That’s a lot for Jefferson to live up to, but according to ESPN.com, he led all defensive backs in 2016 with 13 tackles for loss.
Jefferson could have made a little more money by signing with the Browns, but he didn’t want to wait two or three years to dive into the AFC North fray.
6. After the trade that sent middle linebacker Demario Davis to the New York Jets for strong safety Calvin Pryor, the Browns are looking for a new starter at "Mike." Per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns are going to give the first crack at the job to sixth-year veteran Tank Carder.
"Carder, primarily a special teams ace and reserve linebacker, will get a look there during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, as will second-year pro Joe Schobert and Dominique Alexander," Cabot said. "[Defensive coordinator Gregg] Williams will tinker with the lineup until he likes what he sees."
7. All Day, Baby
As you may have heard, the New Orleans Saints have a new tailback in 2017. Two of them, in fact.
But while most casual fans may not be familiar with rookie Alvin Kamara, just about everyone has heard of Adrian Peterson.
Amazing what a 2,000-yard season and an MVP award can do for the old resume.
However, since that amazing 2012 campaign, things have gone steadily downhill for "All Day." Peterson topped 1,200 yards the following season and gained nearly 1,500 in 2015, but there were also two lost seasons—one due to a suspension amid child abuse allegations and another in 2016 as the result of a torn meniscus.
Peterson gained less than two yards a carry last year before tearing up his knee. After that terrible year and with Peterson well past the age where backs usually begin to decline, it was fair to wonder if time had caught up to the 32-year-old.
The Vikings apparently thought so, cutting Peterson loose in the offseason.
As Josh Katzenstein reported for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan has some news for the naysayers.
They're dead wrong.
"He looks phenomenal. He looks great," Jordan said. He probably looks faster (than the last time I played against him in 2011). If you can reverse Father Time, maybe he knows him. I don't know, but either way, I'm going to be getting real familiar with A.P. to understand how can I move as he does as the age that he is."
Now, there's a big difference between a few padless practices and hitting the hole in a game. But this wouldn't be the first time critics thought Peterson was finished.
Or the first time he made them look foolish for saying so.
8. Joe Mixon reportedly being mentored by Bengals’ Pacman Jones
by Chip Rouse 1 day ago
Say it ain’t so, Joe (as in Mixon).
The former Sooner running back, selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, is acclimating to the ways of the NFL as a rookie with the Cincinnati Bengals after a stellar two seasons as a running back, receiver and return specialist at Oklahoma.
As with any first-year player, there is much to learn, on and off the field, in making the transition from the college game to the NFL.
Several press and social media reports have surfaced in the last week indicating that Mixon is being mentored by none other than Adam “Pacman” Jones, who reportedly has taken the young star under his wing and supposedly is showing him the ropes and ins and outs of life in the NFL.
At first, I took this as some kind of sick joke. There could not be one individual in professional sports, or anywhere in society, for that matter, any worse for Mixon to associate himself with or confide in that Pacman Jones. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire.
Please say it ain’t so, Joe. Get smart and find someone else to mentor you and support you in your transition to professional football.
If there is such a thing as an outlaw in the National Football League, Pacman Jones might just be the poster child.
A defensive back who has been in the NFL for 11 seasons, Jones has a laundry list of run-ins with the law, including arrests for assault, felony vandalism, marijuana, public intoxication and throwing a punch at a police officer. In 2007, the NFL suspended him for the entire season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Bottom line: Not someone Joe Mixon should be looking up to or be influenced by. Not now, not ever.
The Bengals took a risk when they drafted Mixon this spring. There were only two, maybe three, NFL teams out of 32 that openly said they were considering drafting Mixon because of the personal baggage he carried with him from Oklahoma. A number of NFL draft analysts predicted that he would go undrafted,
A five-star recruit out of Northern California, Mixon’s career at Oklahoma was shrouded in controversy almost from the moment he first stepped foot on campus in Norman.
He was suspended for his entire freshman season after punching a female student in the face in August 2014 and breaking several bones in the woman’s face.
Mixon later agreed to a plea deal, allowing him to maintain his innocence. He was given a one-year deferred sentence and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and undergo counseling.
The talented young running back was a major contributor to the Sooners winning back-to-back Big 12 championships, but he was never able to shake the criticism that followed his off-the-field incident before he had even played one down of football for Oklahoma.
After video surveillance footage showing images of Mixon hitting the woman was made public late last year, it reignited the public criticism aimed at the Sooner football star and at Bob Stoops and the OU administration over the way the situation was handled.
Many still believe today, because of the heightened awareness and public outrage over violence toward women, that Mixon should have been immediately dismissed from the Oklahoma team.
One reason Mixon ended up with Cincinnati is because of the Bengals’ reputation as an organization that has shown a tolerance historically for accepting players with questionable backgrounds.
A writer for Fox Sports described the situation in Cincinnati this way: “American might be the land of the second chance, but Cincinnati (the Bengals) is the home of the third, fourth and fifth.
If Mixon wants to fulfill his dream of having a successful and sustainable career in the NFL, he needs to gravitate to people of high moral character and integrity and truly help him become a better player and person.
This is not something that is in Pacman Jones’ resume or performance reviews.
9. [Jags] Cornerback Aaron Colvin, running backs Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon, safeties Tashaun Gipson and Barry Church and wide receiver Dede Westbrook all worked on the sidelines [during OTAs].
Colvin, Yeldon, Gipson and Church have been sidelined for every workout during this phase of the program.
10. Jaguars rookie wide receiver Dede Westbrook caught passes in individual drills on Wednesday after missing most of organized team activities and the first day of mandatory minicamp with an undisclosed injury.
11. Rookie wide receiver Dede Westbrook was unable to participate in full-scaled work during Tuesday’s minicamp because of an injury the Jaguars have declined to disclose. In all, Westbrook has missed nine practices, including the final eight OTAs.
“I’ve got to say two I’m big on: coachability and availability,” Marrone said. “If you’re not coachable, you’re not going to be able to play. If you’re not available, you’re not going to be able to play. Biggest mistake I can make as a head coach is put somebody out there that isn’t ready or hasn’t practiced. I’m letting the fans down, I’m letting the team down, I’m letting you down, I’m letting everybody down. For me, you’ve got to earn that right so he’s not out there. He’s injured and we’ll see what happens. We’ve got to get him back.”
12. Barring any setbacks through training camp, Westbrook has a real possibility to come in as a rookie and make an impact. Unfortunately, Injuries have limited his participation though OTAs and minicamp. However, Westbrook’s speed and ability is documented as college’s best receiver, winning the Biletnikoff Award in 2016. This season Westbrook has an opportunity to showcase his talent and gives him the chance to replace Walters in the slot and third down.
13. [Titans RB Demarco] Murray (finger) was held out of practice Tuesday, The Tennessean reports.
Murray, who recently underwent a procedure to correct a finger issue that had bothered him since early last season, has now ditched the cast on his hand and is sporting a splint on his right ring finger. He's expected to be ready for training camp, per Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site.
14. [Broncos OT] Donald Stephenson, who started off OTAs rotating with Sambrailo at left tackle on the first team, has been seeing work on the right side with Menelik Watson.
Kenny Stills, WR
Why not Jay Ajayi? The Dolphins have Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams behind him, giving them a versatile and deep crop of runners. Williams is one of the more underrated backup RBs in the league.
Why not Jarvis Landry? Miami, as easy of a decision as it should be, still needs to determine if it will retain Landry as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Why not an offensive lineman? Laremy Tunsil will be a focal piece along the line, but Miami’s interior offensive line play has been a problem for years. Center Mike Pouncey is currently sitting out mini-camp activities and was on crutches as recently as two months ago. It’s a troubling trend.
The Dolphins do know what they’re getting with Kenny Stills. The team re-signed him to a four-year deal worth $32 million this March. The Oklahoma product did not have a great deal of yardage output, but he was Miami’s chunk-play target, averaging over 17 yards per reception and scoring nine touchdowns for the season.
As the guaranteed returning player in the receiver corps, Stills is locked in for the next four seasons and brings an element to Miami’s passing game no one else on the roster can provide.
2. Steelers Position Battles to Watch
Backup Quarterback
Contenders: Landry Jones & Joshua Dobbs
It’s not very often that you see a backup position battle receive as much attention as this one will receive this summer. This is not because Joshua Dobbs is expected to be the savior of the franchise at this point in his career, but more so because fans are openly disgusted with having Landry Jones backing up Ben Roethlisberger. This battle will put two completely different players against each other. Jones has experience in the Steelers system but has likely reached his ceiling and doesn’t offer much long-term promise as a potential future starter. Dobbs is obviously a rookie that is intelligent, mobile, and has more experience than most rookies in reading defenses, but is young and needs plenty of refinement to his game, specifically with his accuracy. This will be a competition that gets serious examination as it is more of a question of “when” and not “if” Roethlisberger will go down with an injury. And the Steelers need a player that will not cause the offense to stall out when that happens. The Steelers know what they have with Jones. What they need to figure out is what they have with Dobbs. If Dobbs proves to be a quick learner, he will get the nod.
Prediction: Josh Dobbs
3. Are we wrong, or are the stats just lying?
Oft-maligned backup quarterback Landry Jones has a better career completion percentage (albeit with an admittedly small sample size at 85 completions on 141 attempts) than every single other Steelers quarterback, ever, with at least 100 attempts, besides Ben Roethlisberger. His touchdown percentage is just 0.1 percent behind Roethlisberger, and his career passer rating of 82.8 would be good for 42nd all-time in the entire league if he had enough attempts.
If you are anything like me, the sound you hear right now is a single cricket, chirping.
4. Q: Now that quarterback Josh Dobbs has been drafted on the fourth round, the Steelers current backup quarterback Landry Jones has some competition. I hope that Josh will win the job because what I've seen from Landry so far has been extremely inconsistent. What is your take on the backup quarterbacks and the battle for the No. 2 spot?
ANSWER: There is no battle. Landry Jones will be the backup quarterback, and Josh Dobbs will be No. 3. Maybe that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.
5. 10 NFL players set to shine on new teams in 2017
Tony Jefferson, Ravens
When Tony Jefferson signed with the Ravens, it was a reminder of the career trajectory of another safety, Ryan Clark.
Like Clark, Jefferson started his career in the NFC and came to the AFC North at a young age. Like Clark, Jefferson has a chance to define his career by what he does in the AFC North.The 25-year-old Jefferson broke up five passes, forced two fumbles and had two sacks last season in his first year as a starter for the Cardinals. More of a box safety, he brings his physical style of play from a division of haves and have-nots to a division of fierce rivalries with one have-not and three teams perpetually fighting for supremacy.
Clark won a championship and made a Pro Bowl in eight years with the Steelers. That’s a lot for Jefferson to live up to, but according to ESPN.com, he led all defensive backs in 2016 with 13 tackles for loss.
Jefferson could have made a little more money by signing with the Browns, but he didn’t want to wait two or three years to dive into the AFC North fray.
6. After the trade that sent middle linebacker Demario Davis to the New York Jets for strong safety Calvin Pryor, the Browns are looking for a new starter at "Mike." Per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns are going to give the first crack at the job to sixth-year veteran Tank Carder.
"Carder, primarily a special teams ace and reserve linebacker, will get a look there during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, as will second-year pro Joe Schobert and Dominique Alexander," Cabot said. "[Defensive coordinator Gregg] Williams will tinker with the lineup until he likes what he sees."
7. All Day, Baby
As you may have heard, the New Orleans Saints have a new tailback in 2017. Two of them, in fact.
But while most casual fans may not be familiar with rookie Alvin Kamara, just about everyone has heard of Adrian Peterson.
Amazing what a 2,000-yard season and an MVP award can do for the old resume.
However, since that amazing 2012 campaign, things have gone steadily downhill for "All Day." Peterson topped 1,200 yards the following season and gained nearly 1,500 in 2015, but there were also two lost seasons—one due to a suspension amid child abuse allegations and another in 2016 as the result of a torn meniscus.
Peterson gained less than two yards a carry last year before tearing up his knee. After that terrible year and with Peterson well past the age where backs usually begin to decline, it was fair to wonder if time had caught up to the 32-year-old.
The Vikings apparently thought so, cutting Peterson loose in the offseason.
As Josh Katzenstein reported for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan has some news for the naysayers.
They're dead wrong.
"He looks phenomenal. He looks great," Jordan said. He probably looks faster (than the last time I played against him in 2011). If you can reverse Father Time, maybe he knows him. I don't know, but either way, I'm going to be getting real familiar with A.P. to understand how can I move as he does as the age that he is."
Now, there's a big difference between a few padless practices and hitting the hole in a game. But this wouldn't be the first time critics thought Peterson was finished.
Or the first time he made them look foolish for saying so.
8. Joe Mixon reportedly being mentored by Bengals’ Pacman Jones
by Chip Rouse 1 day ago
Say it ain’t so, Joe (as in Mixon).
The former Sooner running back, selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, is acclimating to the ways of the NFL as a rookie with the Cincinnati Bengals after a stellar two seasons as a running back, receiver and return specialist at Oklahoma.
As with any first-year player, there is much to learn, on and off the field, in making the transition from the college game to the NFL.
Several press and social media reports have surfaced in the last week indicating that Mixon is being mentored by none other than Adam “Pacman” Jones, who reportedly has taken the young star under his wing and supposedly is showing him the ropes and ins and outs of life in the NFL.
At first, I took this as some kind of sick joke. There could not be one individual in professional sports, or anywhere in society, for that matter, any worse for Mixon to associate himself with or confide in that Pacman Jones. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire.
Please say it ain’t so, Joe. Get smart and find someone else to mentor you and support you in your transition to professional football.
If there is such a thing as an outlaw in the National Football League, Pacman Jones might just be the poster child.
A defensive back who has been in the NFL for 11 seasons, Jones has a laundry list of run-ins with the law, including arrests for assault, felony vandalism, marijuana, public intoxication and throwing a punch at a police officer. In 2007, the NFL suspended him for the entire season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Bottom line: Not someone Joe Mixon should be looking up to or be influenced by. Not now, not ever.
The Bengals took a risk when they drafted Mixon this spring. There were only two, maybe three, NFL teams out of 32 that openly said they were considering drafting Mixon because of the personal baggage he carried with him from Oklahoma. A number of NFL draft analysts predicted that he would go undrafted,
A five-star recruit out of Northern California, Mixon’s career at Oklahoma was shrouded in controversy almost from the moment he first stepped foot on campus in Norman.
He was suspended for his entire freshman season after punching a female student in the face in August 2014 and breaking several bones in the woman’s face.
Mixon later agreed to a plea deal, allowing him to maintain his innocence. He was given a one-year deferred sentence and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and undergo counseling.
The talented young running back was a major contributor to the Sooners winning back-to-back Big 12 championships, but he was never able to shake the criticism that followed his off-the-field incident before he had even played one down of football for Oklahoma.
After video surveillance footage showing images of Mixon hitting the woman was made public late last year, it reignited the public criticism aimed at the Sooner football star and at Bob Stoops and the OU administration over the way the situation was handled.
Many still believe today, because of the heightened awareness and public outrage over violence toward women, that Mixon should have been immediately dismissed from the Oklahoma team.
One reason Mixon ended up with Cincinnati is because of the Bengals’ reputation as an organization that has shown a tolerance historically for accepting players with questionable backgrounds.
A writer for Fox Sports described the situation in Cincinnati this way: “American might be the land of the second chance, but Cincinnati (the Bengals) is the home of the third, fourth and fifth.
If Mixon wants to fulfill his dream of having a successful and sustainable career in the NFL, he needs to gravitate to people of high moral character and integrity and truly help him become a better player and person.
This is not something that is in Pacman Jones’ resume or performance reviews.
9. [Jags] Cornerback Aaron Colvin, running backs Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon, safeties Tashaun Gipson and Barry Church and wide receiver Dede Westbrook all worked on the sidelines [during OTAs].
Colvin, Yeldon, Gipson and Church have been sidelined for every workout during this phase of the program.
10. Jaguars rookie wide receiver Dede Westbrook caught passes in individual drills on Wednesday after missing most of organized team activities and the first day of mandatory minicamp with an undisclosed injury.
11. Rookie wide receiver Dede Westbrook was unable to participate in full-scaled work during Tuesday’s minicamp because of an injury the Jaguars have declined to disclose. In all, Westbrook has missed nine practices, including the final eight OTAs.
“I’ve got to say two I’m big on: coachability and availability,” Marrone said. “If you’re not coachable, you’re not going to be able to play. If you’re not available, you’re not going to be able to play. Biggest mistake I can make as a head coach is put somebody out there that isn’t ready or hasn’t practiced. I’m letting the fans down, I’m letting the team down, I’m letting you down, I’m letting everybody down. For me, you’ve got to earn that right so he’s not out there. He’s injured and we’ll see what happens. We’ve got to get him back.”
12. Barring any setbacks through training camp, Westbrook has a real possibility to come in as a rookie and make an impact. Unfortunately, Injuries have limited his participation though OTAs and minicamp. However, Westbrook’s speed and ability is documented as college’s best receiver, winning the Biletnikoff Award in 2016. This season Westbrook has an opportunity to showcase his talent and gives him the chance to replace Walters in the slot and third down.
13. [Titans RB Demarco] Murray (finger) was held out of practice Tuesday, The Tennessean reports.
Murray, who recently underwent a procedure to correct a finger issue that had bothered him since early last season, has now ditched the cast on his hand and is sporting a splint on his right ring finger. He's expected to be ready for training camp, per Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site.
14. [Broncos OT] Donald Stephenson, who started off OTAs rotating with Sambrailo at left tackle on the first team, has been seeing work on the right side with Menelik Watson.
