- The Chiefs’ secondary was impressive in 2014 despite the loss of star safety Eric Berry. However they struggled to produce turnovers, compiling only six interceptions, tied for last in the NFL. Despite the absence of rookie corners Marcus Peters and Steven Nelson, the Chiefs secondary has looked great during these OTAs. Sean Smith and Jamell Fleming looked excellent breaking up passes, in addition to both players recording interceptions. Second year corner Philip Gaines, also looked impressive on a number of plays and significantly improved since last season. Overall, the secondary looks tough and ready to compete.
- Trent Williams and DeSean Jackson honored in NFL's top 100 list
FOX Sports
JUN 12, 2015 1:10p ET
The 2014 season certainly didn't go as planned for the Washington Redskins, but two players stood out for their individual performances. Trent Williams and DeSean Jackson had outstanding seasons, and their performances did not go unrecognized. Both players were voted to the NFL Network's Top 100 players list, determined by their peers. Williams and Jackson were voted on as the 47th and 50th best players, respectively.
Williams graded out as one of the best left tackles in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Per PFF, Williams finished as their 13th-best left tackle and 18th-best offensive tackle overall in 2014. He allowed just four sacks and 25 total quarterback pressures in 15 games. Williams finished as PFF's top overall offensive tackle in 2013, and he hasn't finished outside of their top 30 overall since the 2010 season. Williams has cracked the NFL's Top 100 list in two additional seasons prior to this one.
- [Trent] Williams, meanwhile, fought through an injury-plagued 2014 season to still play and start in 15 games, earning his third Pro Bowl selection in the process.
Each year, the sixth-year Oklahoma product has gained more and more respect among his peers. He also had a 13-spot jump from the previous season (60th in 2014).
“I don’t think there is anything Trent can’t do,” Gruden said. “Trent’s a special player. He’s one of the guys that when you watch practice film, he is the first guy I usually watch. He’s fun to watch. He’s got great feet. He’s athletic. He’s strong. He’s taken over the offensive line. He is a leader. People all look up to him.”
- Camp star of the week: Tress Way, punter. In his NFL debut last season, Way averaged 47.5 yards per punt, a figure exceeded in Redskins history only by charter Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh back in 1940, 1941 and 1942. Way also tied for the NFL lead with Jacksonville’s Bryan Anger last season.
- Punter Way continues to impress Redskins' Gruden
June 12, 2015, 1:00 pm
It’s not often that you go to a team practice and the single most impressive play is made by the punter. But that is what happened earlier this week when the Redskins held their OTA session in the practice bubble.
Second-year punter Tress Way blasted a punt from one sideline. It hit a hanging light that is about 50 feet in the air just past the far sideline. A football field is 53 yards wide. If someone wants to calculate the hypotenuse of that right triangle feel free but I’ll say it was quite a sight to see and leave it at that.
The Redskins brought Way in a few weeks before the start of the season last year and he proved to be one of the best late additions to the team in a long time. The rookie boomed the ball consistently, posting the best gross punting average in the league with an average of 47.5 yards.
“He boots the crap out of it, that’s all I know,” said Jay Gruden when asked about the punt that hit the light. “He’s going to break this bubble down before too long. He has really been impressive to me since we got him, not only as a punter but as a kid. His legs get stronger every day.”
But Way still has some work to do before he can claim a spot among the league’s best punters. He had seven touchbacks; only four other punters had more. Way wound up with a net average of 40.0 yards, 10th in the NFL. As he develops he will have to learn how to pooch punt, aim his kicks to pin the returner on the sideline, and not outkick his coverage.
“We do need to work on directional,” said Gruden. “He’s got great hang time on his punts since I’ve seen him. He’s consistent. There are things he needs to work on, but I feel very, very good about that position.”
Gruden could feel much, much better about it if Way can refine his game.
- Tyrus Thompson getting first-team reps in Vikings camp at right guard
Posted: Friday, June 12, 2015 3:31 pm | Updated: 1:19 am, Sun Jun 14, 2015.
From Staff Reports
Andrew Krammer of 1500ESPN.com spoke to former Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson, who was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
Thompson reportedly got to show the Vikings what he could do at right guard in the team's final OTA practice on Thursday.
"Today was the first time at right guard with the first team," Thompson said, according to Krammer. "It's been great, just learning. That's what it's all about."
If he makes the team at that spot, he could play next to another former OU player, right tackle Phil Loadholt. Thompson said he has been getting advice from Loadholt and other linemen.
"Phil and Sully [center John Sullivan], mostly," Thompson said. "Sometimes Matt [Kalil] helps me out, too, if I'm doing left tackle stuff. Who better to ask? They've been doing it for a while now."
- Vikings could get Anthony Barr, Phil Loadholt, Brian Robison back for minicamp
Ben Goessling, ESPN Staff Writer
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- So far in their offseason program, the Minnesota Vikings have been without a number of starters as they've dealt with lingering injuries. It sounds as though the Vikings could have something closer to a full roster for their mandatory minicamp next week, however.
Coach Mike Zimmer said on Thursday that the Vikings will have linebacker Anthony Barr, tackle Phil Loadholt and defensive end Brian Robison back with them for part of their minicamp, though it's unlikely the Vikings will bring any of the three players back to full participation as they seek to avoid a setback before training camp. Zimmer has not disclosed Barr's injury, other than to say he did not re-injure the knee he had surgically repaired at the end of last season. Robison has been limited to individual drills after sustaining a pectoral injury during a workout last month, and Loadholt is returning from a torn pectoral muscle he sustained at the end of last season.
"We're going to be careful with him," Zimmer said of Robison. "We may give him some of the individual work and some of the situation stuff, but we're going to be careful with him. Same with Loadholt."
- Adrian Peterson anticipates more work as a receiver
by Andrew Krammer
ESPN.com
Matt Asiata, Chris Ogbonnaya, Ronnie Brown and Mike Tolbert are running backs with more catches in a single season than Adrian Peterson during his eight years building a Hall of Fame career. All four were lead targets out of the backfield for Norv Turner offenses since 2011 and provide a glimpse at what we might expect from Peterson in a full season with Turner.
Speaking during Adrian Peterson Day at his hometown in Palestine, Texas on Saturday, Peterson said he's looking forward to finally playing a game with Teddy Bridgewater and expects to be 'more involved' in the passing game.
"With [coordinator Norv] Turner's offense, there's so much that he throws out there," Peterson said, via ESPN. "So I'll be more involved in the pass game, being out wide, presenting myself for Teddy to check down. But I think the biggest thing will be just the run threat and making the defense play more balanced."
As Peterson said, the Vikings offense will be able to breathe again after the rushing attack was suffocated without an explosive threat. Turner got just four runs, all from rookie Jerick McKinnon, of at least 20 yards in his first season at the controls. Peterson averages 13.5 of such runs per season.
He should also provide a boost to Bridgewater's checkdowns after the rookie quarterback relied on a fellow rookie (McKinnon) and an undrafted running back in his third season (Asiata). Asiata had just six career receptions before he made nine spot starts for Peterson last fall. He finished second on the team in receptions, grabbing 44 catches for 312 yards and a touchdown. The increased load gave way to mistakes at times, as Asiata dropped seven of his 58 targets and tipped three passes into interceptions, per Pro Football Focus.
Just having Peterson in the backfield should open up throwing lanes, but he could see career-type work as a receiver during his age 30 season. Turner's spread looks will move Peterson around the formations and keep defenses seeking No. 28. That might take some time to adjust. Peterson has just 208 career catches; Vikings running backs amassed 82 receptions in the first year with Turner's playbook.
"He's very comfortable with what we're doing," Turner said last week. "He retained a lot. We have new stuff in and he was eager to get involved in that."
A key component to Peterson's workload will be the involvement of McKinnon, who the Vikings were impressed with during his six starts as a rookie third-round pick. McKinnon caught two of every three passes thrown his way and improved in pass protection. He could push for a third-down role, as running backs coach Kirby Wilson alluded to in a discussion with NFL Media this week. Wilson said Peterson's 'more balanced' workload could put a governor on snaps, not carries, which opens up space for McKinnon.
Should Peterson become more involved as a receiver, it'll be an interesting case study for a transcendent talent already in uncharted waters coming off nearly a full season away while healthy. Peterson's drop rate [7 catches per drop] is the worst among the league's current top backs since 2007, comparing to LeSean McCoy [13 catches per drop], DeMarco Murray [13], Frank Gore [12], Marshawn Lynch [10], Arian Foster [9] and Jamaal Charles [8]. (Drop stats via PFF)
"My body felt great. I don't care what you do in the offseason; it's hard to duplicate playing football," Peterson said, via ESPN. "Actually getting out there and making cuts and things like that...I think I had maybe like a day of soreness. I'd been working so hard, so the soreness didn't last too long. Just kind of getting back into the groove of making sudden cuts and stops and running routes and things like that. After about a day or two, I felt pretty good."
- Carolina Panthers Should Sign OT Jake Long
By Jason Fletcher on June 12, 2015
The Carolina Panthers have not possessed the financial flexibility to address their porous offensive tackles over the past two seasons. This year, general manager Dave Gettleman finally had a little bit of cap room to work with, and he went out and signed Michael Oher after the Tennessee Titans released him, in addition to claiming Jonathan Martin off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers. The Panthers then selected Daryl Williams, an offensive tackle from Oklahoma, in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The team also still has 2012 undrafted free agent Mike Remmers on the roster, who was the starting right tackle in the second half of 2015 for the Panthers.
Looking at that group, other than the potential of Williams, there’s no player there to make Cam Newton, the franchise quarterback for the Panthers, feel safe when he drops back in the pocket. After a promising beginning to his career, Oher went to the Titans and was absolutely terrible. Martin has underachieved his entire career and is best known for being bullied by Richie Incognito. Remmers did a nice job for the Panthers last season, but can he sustain it? Williams looks like a beast, but he is only a rookie and may not be ready to contribute in 2015.
With so many questions surrounding the current state of the Panthers’ offensive tackles, I believe it would be wise for Gettleman to sign Jake Long. While Long has battled injuries recently, he’s still only 30 and he has produced extremely well when he’s on the field. Because of the injuries, Long would likely only receive a one-year deal, which could be all the Panthers would need from him until Williams is ready. Long can also play either tackle spot, and I’m sure Newton would feel much better with a mauler like Long protecting his blindside compared to any of the other players currently on the roster.
- [Panthers] OTA MVPs
Frank Alexander: Alexander, suspended for the first 14 games last season, approached practices like he had something to prove. Coaches have seen this from Alexander before: Rivera called him the MVP at training camp last year in Spartanburg.
You might have heard the Panthers are looking for another pass rusher after opting not to address the position in the draft or free agency following Greg Hardy’s departure. Alexander, who pulled his groin late last week, could be the answer.
- Trent Williams and DeSean Jackson honored in NFL's top 100 list
FOX Sports
JUN 12, 2015 1:10p ET
The 2014 season certainly didn't go as planned for the Washington Redskins, but two players stood out for their individual performances. Trent Williams and DeSean Jackson had outstanding seasons, and their performances did not go unrecognized. Both players were voted to the NFL Network's Top 100 players list, determined by their peers. Williams and Jackson were voted on as the 47th and 50th best players, respectively.
Williams graded out as one of the best left tackles in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Per PFF, Williams finished as their 13th-best left tackle and 18th-best offensive tackle overall in 2014. He allowed just four sacks and 25 total quarterback pressures in 15 games. Williams finished as PFF's top overall offensive tackle in 2013, and he hasn't finished outside of their top 30 overall since the 2010 season. Williams has cracked the NFL's Top 100 list in two additional seasons prior to this one.
- [Trent] Williams, meanwhile, fought through an injury-plagued 2014 season to still play and start in 15 games, earning his third Pro Bowl selection in the process.
Each year, the sixth-year Oklahoma product has gained more and more respect among his peers. He also had a 13-spot jump from the previous season (60th in 2014).
“I don’t think there is anything Trent can’t do,” Gruden said. “Trent’s a special player. He’s one of the guys that when you watch practice film, he is the first guy I usually watch. He’s fun to watch. He’s got great feet. He’s athletic. He’s strong. He’s taken over the offensive line. He is a leader. People all look up to him.”
- Camp star of the week: Tress Way, punter. In his NFL debut last season, Way averaged 47.5 yards per punt, a figure exceeded in Redskins history only by charter Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh back in 1940, 1941 and 1942. Way also tied for the NFL lead with Jacksonville’s Bryan Anger last season.
- Punter Way continues to impress Redskins' Gruden
June 12, 2015, 1:00 pm
It’s not often that you go to a team practice and the single most impressive play is made by the punter. But that is what happened earlier this week when the Redskins held their OTA session in the practice bubble.
Second-year punter Tress Way blasted a punt from one sideline. It hit a hanging light that is about 50 feet in the air just past the far sideline. A football field is 53 yards wide. If someone wants to calculate the hypotenuse of that right triangle feel free but I’ll say it was quite a sight to see and leave it at that.
The Redskins brought Way in a few weeks before the start of the season last year and he proved to be one of the best late additions to the team in a long time. The rookie boomed the ball consistently, posting the best gross punting average in the league with an average of 47.5 yards.
“He boots the crap out of it, that’s all I know,” said Jay Gruden when asked about the punt that hit the light. “He’s going to break this bubble down before too long. He has really been impressive to me since we got him, not only as a punter but as a kid. His legs get stronger every day.”
But Way still has some work to do before he can claim a spot among the league’s best punters. He had seven touchbacks; only four other punters had more. Way wound up with a net average of 40.0 yards, 10th in the NFL. As he develops he will have to learn how to pooch punt, aim his kicks to pin the returner on the sideline, and not outkick his coverage.
“We do need to work on directional,” said Gruden. “He’s got great hang time on his punts since I’ve seen him. He’s consistent. There are things he needs to work on, but I feel very, very good about that position.”
Gruden could feel much, much better about it if Way can refine his game.
- Tyrus Thompson getting first-team reps in Vikings camp at right guard
Posted: Friday, June 12, 2015 3:31 pm | Updated: 1:19 am, Sun Jun 14, 2015.
From Staff Reports
Andrew Krammer of 1500ESPN.com spoke to former Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson, who was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
Thompson reportedly got to show the Vikings what he could do at right guard in the team's final OTA practice on Thursday.
"Today was the first time at right guard with the first team," Thompson said, according to Krammer. "It's been great, just learning. That's what it's all about."
If he makes the team at that spot, he could play next to another former OU player, right tackle Phil Loadholt. Thompson said he has been getting advice from Loadholt and other linemen.
"Phil and Sully [center John Sullivan], mostly," Thompson said. "Sometimes Matt [Kalil] helps me out, too, if I'm doing left tackle stuff. Who better to ask? They've been doing it for a while now."
- Vikings could get Anthony Barr, Phil Loadholt, Brian Robison back for minicamp
Ben Goessling, ESPN Staff Writer
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- So far in their offseason program, the Minnesota Vikings have been without a number of starters as they've dealt with lingering injuries. It sounds as though the Vikings could have something closer to a full roster for their mandatory minicamp next week, however.
Coach Mike Zimmer said on Thursday that the Vikings will have linebacker Anthony Barr, tackle Phil Loadholt and defensive end Brian Robison back with them for part of their minicamp, though it's unlikely the Vikings will bring any of the three players back to full participation as they seek to avoid a setback before training camp. Zimmer has not disclosed Barr's injury, other than to say he did not re-injure the knee he had surgically repaired at the end of last season. Robison has been limited to individual drills after sustaining a pectoral injury during a workout last month, and Loadholt is returning from a torn pectoral muscle he sustained at the end of last season.
"We're going to be careful with him," Zimmer said of Robison. "We may give him some of the individual work and some of the situation stuff, but we're going to be careful with him. Same with Loadholt."
- Adrian Peterson anticipates more work as a receiver
by Andrew Krammer
ESPN.com
Matt Asiata, Chris Ogbonnaya, Ronnie Brown and Mike Tolbert are running backs with more catches in a single season than Adrian Peterson during his eight years building a Hall of Fame career. All four were lead targets out of the backfield for Norv Turner offenses since 2011 and provide a glimpse at what we might expect from Peterson in a full season with Turner.
Speaking during Adrian Peterson Day at his hometown in Palestine, Texas on Saturday, Peterson said he's looking forward to finally playing a game with Teddy Bridgewater and expects to be 'more involved' in the passing game.
"With [coordinator Norv] Turner's offense, there's so much that he throws out there," Peterson said, via ESPN. "So I'll be more involved in the pass game, being out wide, presenting myself for Teddy to check down. But I think the biggest thing will be just the run threat and making the defense play more balanced."
As Peterson said, the Vikings offense will be able to breathe again after the rushing attack was suffocated without an explosive threat. Turner got just four runs, all from rookie Jerick McKinnon, of at least 20 yards in his first season at the controls. Peterson averages 13.5 of such runs per season.
He should also provide a boost to Bridgewater's checkdowns after the rookie quarterback relied on a fellow rookie (McKinnon) and an undrafted running back in his third season (Asiata). Asiata had just six career receptions before he made nine spot starts for Peterson last fall. He finished second on the team in receptions, grabbing 44 catches for 312 yards and a touchdown. The increased load gave way to mistakes at times, as Asiata dropped seven of his 58 targets and tipped three passes into interceptions, per Pro Football Focus.
Just having Peterson in the backfield should open up throwing lanes, but he could see career-type work as a receiver during his age 30 season. Turner's spread looks will move Peterson around the formations and keep defenses seeking No. 28. That might take some time to adjust. Peterson has just 208 career catches; Vikings running backs amassed 82 receptions in the first year with Turner's playbook.
"He's very comfortable with what we're doing," Turner said last week. "He retained a lot. We have new stuff in and he was eager to get involved in that."
A key component to Peterson's workload will be the involvement of McKinnon, who the Vikings were impressed with during his six starts as a rookie third-round pick. McKinnon caught two of every three passes thrown his way and improved in pass protection. He could push for a third-down role, as running backs coach Kirby Wilson alluded to in a discussion with NFL Media this week. Wilson said Peterson's 'more balanced' workload could put a governor on snaps, not carries, which opens up space for McKinnon.
Should Peterson become more involved as a receiver, it'll be an interesting case study for a transcendent talent already in uncharted waters coming off nearly a full season away while healthy. Peterson's drop rate [7 catches per drop] is the worst among the league's current top backs since 2007, comparing to LeSean McCoy [13 catches per drop], DeMarco Murray [13], Frank Gore [12], Marshawn Lynch [10], Arian Foster [9] and Jamaal Charles [8]. (Drop stats via PFF)
"My body felt great. I don't care what you do in the offseason; it's hard to duplicate playing football," Peterson said, via ESPN. "Actually getting out there and making cuts and things like that...I think I had maybe like a day of soreness. I'd been working so hard, so the soreness didn't last too long. Just kind of getting back into the groove of making sudden cuts and stops and running routes and things like that. After about a day or two, I felt pretty good."
- Carolina Panthers Should Sign OT Jake Long
By Jason Fletcher on June 12, 2015
The Carolina Panthers have not possessed the financial flexibility to address their porous offensive tackles over the past two seasons. This year, general manager Dave Gettleman finally had a little bit of cap room to work with, and he went out and signed Michael Oher after the Tennessee Titans released him, in addition to claiming Jonathan Martin off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers. The Panthers then selected Daryl Williams, an offensive tackle from Oklahoma, in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The team also still has 2012 undrafted free agent Mike Remmers on the roster, who was the starting right tackle in the second half of 2015 for the Panthers.
Looking at that group, other than the potential of Williams, there’s no player there to make Cam Newton, the franchise quarterback for the Panthers, feel safe when he drops back in the pocket. After a promising beginning to his career, Oher went to the Titans and was absolutely terrible. Martin has underachieved his entire career and is best known for being bullied by Richie Incognito. Remmers did a nice job for the Panthers last season, but can he sustain it? Williams looks like a beast, but he is only a rookie and may not be ready to contribute in 2015.
With so many questions surrounding the current state of the Panthers’ offensive tackles, I believe it would be wise for Gettleman to sign Jake Long. While Long has battled injuries recently, he’s still only 30 and he has produced extremely well when he’s on the field. Because of the injuries, Long would likely only receive a one-year deal, which could be all the Panthers would need from him until Williams is ready. Long can also play either tackle spot, and I’m sure Newton would feel much better with a mauler like Long protecting his blindside compared to any of the other players currently on the roster.
- [Panthers] OTA MVPs
Frank Alexander: Alexander, suspended for the first 14 games last season, approached practices like he had something to prove. Coaches have seen this from Alexander before: Rivera called him the MVP at training camp last year in Spartanburg.
You might have heard the Panthers are looking for another pass rusher after opting not to address the position in the draft or free agency following Greg Hardy’s departure. Alexander, who pulled his groin late last week, could be the answer.
