Are the NFL's best two OTs Sooners?
1. 5 emerging players from Cowboys’ first week of training camp
Charles Tapper
Starring in training camp isn't new to Tapper, it's just more important now than ever. Tapper has spent the last two years on the injured list, playing in just 36 snaps. Now he finds himself behind several players at defensive end and having to claw his way up from third-team reps. Tapper entered camp as probably the seventh-best defensive end, and that's a tall order to jump onto the 53-man roster from that depth.
Here's our Shawn Kairschner describing one of Tapper's practice days:
On multiple occasions, he obliterated one of the second or third-team right tackles. Most impressive was that he did so in multiple ways: on back-to-back plays early in practice, he bull rushed his man right into the quarterback's lap.
Later in the practice, he exploded past poor Jake Campos like he was standing still. The Cowboys recent investments along the defensive line have not yet paid off; this might well be the season that narrative changes.
Dallas spent a fourth-round pick in 2016 on Tapper. He's currently eyeballing Kony Ealy's position on the team as the free-agent signing has yet to be impressive after being on three teams in the last year-plus.
2. Two down roster [Cowboys] guys, Charles Tapper and fourth-rounder Dorance Armstrong have really squeezed all the juice out of these practices. Tapper’s got the explosiveness but he must show that he can stay healthy. Against Chaz Green, Tapper worked him over quickly.
3. [Cowboys] Roster Locks: DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Taco Charlton, Randy Gregory, Dorance Armstrong, David Irving*, Maliek Collins, Brian Price, Jihad Ward
On the Bubble: Charles Tapper, Kony Ealy, Datone Jones
Analysis: The expected roster locks are joined by newcomers Armstrong, Price and Ward—each of whom has consistently played well in camp against the best linemen the league has to offer. The depth at the position means that Tapper, who has been nothing short of sensational, as well as Ealy and Jones, both of whom have acquitted themselves very well, is in danger of failing to secure a roster spot. Given their performances thus far, it would be a damn shame were the Turk to pay a visit to Tapper or Jones.
4. [Eagles] Jordan Mailata drove Corey Nelson, who is repping at third team linebacker, off the ball on a running play.
5. [Eagles] Corey Clement took the 1st first team carry during goal line drills. The offensive line drove him into the end zone for a touchdown. After the play, Lane Johnson started dancing. Duce Staley was very happy and gave Johnson a big high five. Lane’s a beast.
6. [Eagles] 1-on-1 offensive line versus defensive line notes: Lane Johnson holds firm against Chris Long’s bull rush.
7. [On potential HOFers on Eagles’ roster:] • Lane Johnson: He was the best offensive tackle in football last year, though he'll have the idiotic obstacle of being a right tackle to overcome, if he stays there over the rest of his career.
8. Eagles’ Lane to stardom about to reach the big-screen stage
By Bob Grotz, Delaware County Daily Times
Posted: 08/02/18, 9:44 PM EDT
PHILADELPHIA The new normal for the Eagles is sharing the SNF stage with Carrie Underwood.
Four defending Super Bowl champion Eagles made the cut this season, including Carson Wentz, Fletcher Cox and Zach Ertz.
The other player is Lane Johnson, the first offensive lineman to make the show in the Underwood era, and only the second ever to be part of any SNF intro.
“Linemen are left out of everything in this league,” Johnson said Thursday. “And I’m here to try to change that a little bit. But that was fun. I think linemen need to start getting their swag game up and they need to start representing a little bit more in the NFL because they do a whole lot for their teams.”
No one is more deserving of the attention than Johnson, who has come a long way. The Eagles are 20-4 with a Super Bowl title when he’s played for Doug Pederson. They’re 44-19 when Johnson plays since Chip Kelly took him off the board with the fourth overall pick in 2013. The Eagles are 5-9 in games Johnson has been suspended for violating the league’s drug policy,
“He’s the best tackle in football,” Eagles Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks said with a grin. “Better not let JP know.”
JP would be left tackle Jason Peters, who’s had an epic career with the Eagles. Center Jason Kelce playfully warned Brooks that there could be trouble if Peters found out. The truth is that Peters, 36, is a big fan of Johnson and the line that dominated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Eagles prevailing 41-33.
9. The other [Eagles] veteran who could find himself on the chopping block is Corey Nelson. Nelson was signed in the offseason to potentially start at linebacker for the Eagles. He has struggled at camp, though, and multiple players have risen above him on the depth chart. It is not looking likely that he makes it through the preseason.
10. [Players that have stood out in Giants camp so far:] WR Sterling Shepard: Shepard has been the star of camp offensively, in my opinion. His route running is superb and I haven’t see anyone successfully cover him in the slot. His suddenness at the top of his routes is superb. Last year an ankle injury and then the general deterioration of the offense short-circuited a potential breakout season. I think it comes this year. He’s also gotten more opportunities to line up as an outside receiver.
“Sterling is a good football player and he’s a gritty guy and is as equally engaged as Odell,” head coach Pat Shurmur said. “I really appreciate what he brings to the table, he’s a football player. You have much more history as reporters than I do with him, but I am gaining a real appreciation for him.”
11. [Redskins] Tackle Trent Williams (knee) got some snaps during full 11-on-11 periods for the first time during training camp. He is still limited and slowly working his way back.
12. As [Skins HC] Gruden mentioned before practice, the team worked on a lot of short-yardage situations. It’s clear that running backs coach Randy Jordan liked what he saw, even slapping Rob Kelley on the shoulder pads enthusiastically after a physical run play. Another high-point in practice was Samaje Perine smacking into linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton on an end-zone run play. From that point on, the intensity during practice increased. Being one of those players with an extremely fluid rep count, Perine took full advantage of having multiple team reps, and he looked good in all areas.
13. [Redskins Roster Predictions] Running back: Easily the most fascinating position battle. Derrius Guice, Chris Thompson and Rob Kelley are locked in. That leaves one spot for Samaje Perine, Kapri Bibbs or Byron Marshall. I’ve got Marshall on the inside track right now, but Perine might be the toughest to get to the practice squad, which would be a factor.
14. Jay Gruden on Trent Williams’ recovery: ‘A testament to why he is the best tackle in the NFL’
RICHMOND — On a scorching Sunday morning, Trent Williams crunched pads as much as he has all training camp. The Washington Redskins left tackle, returning from a right knee injury, was cleared for full contact the day before, and this practice he seemed more active. Williams worked into the first-team offense for a few snaps as it scrimmaged the first-team defense.
In one-on-one drills, the 6-foot-5, 320-pound tackle squared off with two of the team’s top edge rushers in Preston Smith and Jonathan Allen. He felt like a part of the team again, but the six-time Pro Bowl honoree knew he wasn’t yet back to top form.
“I’m still knocking the rust off,” Williams said. “I don’t feel like I’m back to being me, but every day is getting better. My eyes are starting to adapt to guys moving 100 miles per hour. I don’t know if there’s anything left other than to get more reps.”When Williams didn’t participate in team activities at practice, backup tackle Ty Nsekhe filled in, as he did last season when the Redskins tried to rest Williams before eventually placing him on injured reserve in mid-December. Nsekhe may have taken the lion’s share of the reps so far, as Williams works on the strength and stability of his knee, but it’s still unclear who will start at left tackle against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., in the preseason opener on Thursday. Regardless, Williams is expected to be ready for the season opener at Arizona on Sept. 9.
“To get that thing fixed and to watch him rehab and get himself ready to play is just a testament to why he is the best tackle in the NFL,” Coach Jay Gruden said.
This recovery period is unfamiliar territory for Williams, 30, because the surgery he had Dec. 29 was, he said, the first of his life. Since the Redskins picked Williams fourth overall out of Oklahoma in 2010, he had played through almost every injury, missing just three games from 2012 to 2015. In 2011 and 2016, the NFL suspended Williams four games for violating its substance abuse policy, but nothing seemed to stop Williams from receiving the respect of his peers — he was voted the league’s 47th-best player in the 2017 NFL top 100 — and his franchise. In 2015, Williams signed a five-year, $66 million extension that includes an option after this season.
Last fall, though, Williams ran into an ailment he couldn’t play through. In October, in the first quarter of a loss to Kansas City, a player rolled up on the back of Williams’s right foot and wrenched his knee. He tried to get up, but his leg buckled and he fell down. Trainers helped him to the sideline, where he received treatment and returned to play after missing four snaps. Yet, in the following weeks and months, Williams rarely practiced and appeared limited in games. The team sat him on a short week for its Thanksgiving Day game against the New York Giants, and he returned for the next two games but the knee became untenable.
“That was a bad injury,” Gruden said. “Hats off to him for fighting through it, because he saw what kind of injuries we had on the line and, if we took him off the line for some of those games, I don’t know who would have played, quite frankly.”
On Sunday, Gruden emphasized work on the goal line and in short-yardage situations, where this team struggled to convert last season. In his time spent off to the side, observing, Williams noticed his teammates respond to the ratcheted-up competition. The team went full-go, Williams said, “which we’ve hardly ever done [in camp] in the past.” He mentioned that, at this speed, he’s still regaining his feel on blocks because he wasn’t accustomed to sitting out. Williams is still nervous about the knee — “I’d be lying if I said I’m not” — but he accepted this is a part of playing this position in this sport.
“It’s the nature of it,” Williams said. “The mental part is one of the hardest things to get over, but I’m prepared. I have a strong mentality.”
1. 5 emerging players from Cowboys’ first week of training camp
Charles Tapper
Starring in training camp isn't new to Tapper, it's just more important now than ever. Tapper has spent the last two years on the injured list, playing in just 36 snaps. Now he finds himself behind several players at defensive end and having to claw his way up from third-team reps. Tapper entered camp as probably the seventh-best defensive end, and that's a tall order to jump onto the 53-man roster from that depth.
Here's our Shawn Kairschner describing one of Tapper's practice days:
On multiple occasions, he obliterated one of the second or third-team right tackles. Most impressive was that he did so in multiple ways: on back-to-back plays early in practice, he bull rushed his man right into the quarterback's lap.
Later in the practice, he exploded past poor Jake Campos like he was standing still. The Cowboys recent investments along the defensive line have not yet paid off; this might well be the season that narrative changes.
Dallas spent a fourth-round pick in 2016 on Tapper. He's currently eyeballing Kony Ealy's position on the team as the free-agent signing has yet to be impressive after being on three teams in the last year-plus.
2. Two down roster [Cowboys] guys, Charles Tapper and fourth-rounder Dorance Armstrong have really squeezed all the juice out of these practices. Tapper’s got the explosiveness but he must show that he can stay healthy. Against Chaz Green, Tapper worked him over quickly.
3. [Cowboys] Roster Locks: DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Taco Charlton, Randy Gregory, Dorance Armstrong, David Irving*, Maliek Collins, Brian Price, Jihad Ward
On the Bubble: Charles Tapper, Kony Ealy, Datone Jones
Analysis: The expected roster locks are joined by newcomers Armstrong, Price and Ward—each of whom has consistently played well in camp against the best linemen the league has to offer. The depth at the position means that Tapper, who has been nothing short of sensational, as well as Ealy and Jones, both of whom have acquitted themselves very well, is in danger of failing to secure a roster spot. Given their performances thus far, it would be a damn shame were the Turk to pay a visit to Tapper or Jones.
4. [Eagles] Jordan Mailata drove Corey Nelson, who is repping at third team linebacker, off the ball on a running play.
5. [Eagles] Corey Clement took the 1st first team carry during goal line drills. The offensive line drove him into the end zone for a touchdown. After the play, Lane Johnson started dancing. Duce Staley was very happy and gave Johnson a big high five. Lane’s a beast.
6. [Eagles] 1-on-1 offensive line versus defensive line notes: Lane Johnson holds firm against Chris Long’s bull rush.
7. [On potential HOFers on Eagles’ roster:] • Lane Johnson: He was the best offensive tackle in football last year, though he'll have the idiotic obstacle of being a right tackle to overcome, if he stays there over the rest of his career.
8. Eagles’ Lane to stardom about to reach the big-screen stage
By Bob Grotz, Delaware County Daily Times
Posted: 08/02/18, 9:44 PM EDT
PHILADELPHIA The new normal for the Eagles is sharing the SNF stage with Carrie Underwood.
Four defending Super Bowl champion Eagles made the cut this season, including Carson Wentz, Fletcher Cox and Zach Ertz.
The other player is Lane Johnson, the first offensive lineman to make the show in the Underwood era, and only the second ever to be part of any SNF intro.
“Linemen are left out of everything in this league,” Johnson said Thursday. “And I’m here to try to change that a little bit. But that was fun. I think linemen need to start getting their swag game up and they need to start representing a little bit more in the NFL because they do a whole lot for their teams.”
No one is more deserving of the attention than Johnson, who has come a long way. The Eagles are 20-4 with a Super Bowl title when he’s played for Doug Pederson. They’re 44-19 when Johnson plays since Chip Kelly took him off the board with the fourth overall pick in 2013. The Eagles are 5-9 in games Johnson has been suspended for violating the league’s drug policy,
“He’s the best tackle in football,” Eagles Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks said with a grin. “Better not let JP know.”
JP would be left tackle Jason Peters, who’s had an epic career with the Eagles. Center Jason Kelce playfully warned Brooks that there could be trouble if Peters found out. The truth is that Peters, 36, is a big fan of Johnson and the line that dominated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Eagles prevailing 41-33.
9. The other [Eagles] veteran who could find himself on the chopping block is Corey Nelson. Nelson was signed in the offseason to potentially start at linebacker for the Eagles. He has struggled at camp, though, and multiple players have risen above him on the depth chart. It is not looking likely that he makes it through the preseason.
10. [Players that have stood out in Giants camp so far:] WR Sterling Shepard: Shepard has been the star of camp offensively, in my opinion. His route running is superb and I haven’t see anyone successfully cover him in the slot. His suddenness at the top of his routes is superb. Last year an ankle injury and then the general deterioration of the offense short-circuited a potential breakout season. I think it comes this year. He’s also gotten more opportunities to line up as an outside receiver.
“Sterling is a good football player and he’s a gritty guy and is as equally engaged as Odell,” head coach Pat Shurmur said. “I really appreciate what he brings to the table, he’s a football player. You have much more history as reporters than I do with him, but I am gaining a real appreciation for him.”
11. [Redskins] Tackle Trent Williams (knee) got some snaps during full 11-on-11 periods for the first time during training camp. He is still limited and slowly working his way back.
12. As [Skins HC] Gruden mentioned before practice, the team worked on a lot of short-yardage situations. It’s clear that running backs coach Randy Jordan liked what he saw, even slapping Rob Kelley on the shoulder pads enthusiastically after a physical run play. Another high-point in practice was Samaje Perine smacking into linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton on an end-zone run play. From that point on, the intensity during practice increased. Being one of those players with an extremely fluid rep count, Perine took full advantage of having multiple team reps, and he looked good in all areas.
13. [Redskins Roster Predictions] Running back: Easily the most fascinating position battle. Derrius Guice, Chris Thompson and Rob Kelley are locked in. That leaves one spot for Samaje Perine, Kapri Bibbs or Byron Marshall. I’ve got Marshall on the inside track right now, but Perine might be the toughest to get to the practice squad, which would be a factor.
14. Jay Gruden on Trent Williams’ recovery: ‘A testament to why he is the best tackle in the NFL’
RICHMOND — On a scorching Sunday morning, Trent Williams crunched pads as much as he has all training camp. The Washington Redskins left tackle, returning from a right knee injury, was cleared for full contact the day before, and this practice he seemed more active. Williams worked into the first-team offense for a few snaps as it scrimmaged the first-team defense.
In one-on-one drills, the 6-foot-5, 320-pound tackle squared off with two of the team’s top edge rushers in Preston Smith and Jonathan Allen. He felt like a part of the team again, but the six-time Pro Bowl honoree knew he wasn’t yet back to top form.
“I’m still knocking the rust off,” Williams said. “I don’t feel like I’m back to being me, but every day is getting better. My eyes are starting to adapt to guys moving 100 miles per hour. I don’t know if there’s anything left other than to get more reps.”When Williams didn’t participate in team activities at practice, backup tackle Ty Nsekhe filled in, as he did last season when the Redskins tried to rest Williams before eventually placing him on injured reserve in mid-December. Nsekhe may have taken the lion’s share of the reps so far, as Williams works on the strength and stability of his knee, but it’s still unclear who will start at left tackle against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., in the preseason opener on Thursday. Regardless, Williams is expected to be ready for the season opener at Arizona on Sept. 9.
“To get that thing fixed and to watch him rehab and get himself ready to play is just a testament to why he is the best tackle in the NFL,” Coach Jay Gruden said.
This recovery period is unfamiliar territory for Williams, 30, because the surgery he had Dec. 29 was, he said, the first of his life. Since the Redskins picked Williams fourth overall out of Oklahoma in 2010, he had played through almost every injury, missing just three games from 2012 to 2015. In 2011 and 2016, the NFL suspended Williams four games for violating its substance abuse policy, but nothing seemed to stop Williams from receiving the respect of his peers — he was voted the league’s 47th-best player in the 2017 NFL top 100 — and his franchise. In 2015, Williams signed a five-year, $66 million extension that includes an option after this season.
Last fall, though, Williams ran into an ailment he couldn’t play through. In October, in the first quarter of a loss to Kansas City, a player rolled up on the back of Williams’s right foot and wrenched his knee. He tried to get up, but his leg buckled and he fell down. Trainers helped him to the sideline, where he received treatment and returned to play after missing four snaps. Yet, in the following weeks and months, Williams rarely practiced and appeared limited in games. The team sat him on a short week for its Thanksgiving Day game against the New York Giants, and he returned for the next two games but the knee became untenable.
“That was a bad injury,” Gruden said. “Hats off to him for fighting through it, because he saw what kind of injuries we had on the line and, if we took him off the line for some of those games, I don’t know who would have played, quite frankly.”
On Sunday, Gruden emphasized work on the goal line and in short-yardage situations, where this team struggled to convert last season. In his time spent off to the side, observing, Williams noticed his teammates respond to the ratcheted-up competition. The team went full-go, Williams said, “which we’ve hardly ever done [in camp] in the past.” He mentioned that, at this speed, he’s still regaining his feel on blocks because he wasn’t accustomed to sitting out. Williams is still nervous about the knee — “I’d be lying if I said I’m not” — but he accepted this is a part of playing this position in this sport.
“It’s the nature of it,” Williams said. “The mental part is one of the hardest things to get over, but I’m prepared. I have a strong mentality.”
