NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Bryan Edwards: Fit with Falcons offense as good as it gets for me



Wide receiver Bryan Edwards was traded from the Raiders to the Falcons this offseason in a move that set him up for a move up the depth chart.

Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow are the top two receivers in Vegas, but Edwards joined a more fluid group in Atlanta. Olamide Zaccheaus is the top returning wideout and first-round pick Drake London will likely take a little time getting comfortable in the NFL, so Edwards should be in line for plenty of work in an offensive scheme that he thinks is perfect for his skills.


“I just knew he liked the big-bodied receiver and they ran a lot of in-breaking routes with a lot of guys who could get YAC and make big plays off YAC,” Edwards said, via Josh Kendall of TheAthletic.com. “When I heard I was coming here, I felt like it was a really good fit for me, probably as good as it was going to get.”

Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota has had positive things to say about the size that the Falcons now feature at wideout and the improved fit could set Edwards up for a big jump from the 34 catches he had for the Raiders last season.

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Justin Simmons: I don’t take my defensive responsibilities lightly



The Broncos’ offseason changes included firing head coach Vic Fangio, but neither that departure nor the subsequent hiring of Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator will change much for safety Justin Simmons.

Simmons and fellow safety Kareem Jackson held a lot of responsibility for setting the defense under Fangio and Simmons said that this year’s approach is going to be a similar one. That leaves a lot on Simmons’ plate and he said he’s comfortable with having that kind of weight on his shoulders.


“I embrace it,” Simmons said, via Jon Heath of USAToday.com. “I welcome it, and I challenge myself. That’s what Kareem and I get paid to do. We have to make sure that we find ways to win the down — whatever it looks like. There will be times when it’ll be put on Pat [Surtain] to win a one-on-one on the outside. There will be times when it’ll be put on Kareem and me to make the right checks. When it comes down to it, no excuses. We’re the ones being handed the tools and the weapons to be successful, and it’s our job. I’ve talked about it multiple times last year in a similar defense with Vic. Any of the lapses that were happening in the back end — that’s my responsibility as a safety. Anything that’s happening top down, that directly falls on my plate. I don’t take that lightly.”

While much attention has been paid to Russell Wilson‘s arrival this offseason, Simmons said in April that he believes the Broncos’ chances of competing will come down to how well the defense performs. If it performs well, Simmons’ prominent role will likely leave him in line for accolades come the end of the year.

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Are the Steelers destined to lose Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool to free agency?



In the early years of free agency, the Steelers seemingly had a great outside linebacker every year. In many of those years, the great outside linebacker had to go elsewhere to get paid.

And the Steelers just kept on cranking out great outside linebackers.


In recent years, the Steelers have mastered the art of drafting and developing receivers. This year, James Washington left via free agency. Next year, Diontae Johnson likely will be following Washington.

Mark Kaboly of TheAthletic.com suggests in a mailbag column that the Steelers won’t pay Johnson $20 million per year. This means that they won’t re-sign him. He won’t take $20 million per year, not as the market is moving toward $30 million.

Why should he? The market is what it is. The cap is what it is, and it will keep going up. He needs to get paid while he can, because he has only so many years to get paid.

The Steelers don’t care, because they know they can replace Johnson via the draft. They drafted two more receivers this year, possibly planning for Johnson to leave. And for Chase Claypool, who considers himself to be one of the top three receivers in the league, to be next.

A decade ago, the Steelers made an offer to receiver Mike Wallace. When he didn’t take it, they basically offered the same deal to receiver Antonio Brown. Brown accepted. If the Steelers won’t go north of $20 million per year, neither Johnson nor Claypool will accept — and both will be gone.

Just like the revolving door the Steelers once had at outside linebacker, they’ll be drafting and developing receivers who become good enough to get paid big money elsewhere. And then the Steelers will do it al over again.

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Only a very few WRs are worth those rates. Johnson, Claypool and McLaurin aren’t.

 

Micah Parsons thinks he, Trevon Diggs can be 'even better' than Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey

For a while there during the 2021 season, it looked like the Dallas Cowboys would end up with both the Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Micah Parsons, Dallas' do-everything first-year linebacker, was a shoo-in for the rookie honor, even staking a claim for the all-around prize, while cornerback Trevon Diggs, in his second season, was the league's preeminent ball-hawking defender. Alas, Diggs didn't receive a single vote for DPOY at the end of the year. Parsons, meanwhile, saw five of 50 votes, losing to Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt, but beating out the Rams' Aaron Donald.

Entering his second season, Parsons has high hopes for both himself and Diggs, a pair he thinks can rival that of Donald and his Los Angeles associate, Jalen Ramsey, in the near future.

"It's hard to say we're the best because I know we're young and we still make mistakes," Parsons told Jori Epstein of USA TODAY Sports. "It's hard to put us over Aaron Donald, the greatest defensive player in history, with Jalen Ramsey. So I won't do it yet.

"But I think we can become them or even better if we learn together and stick together."

Donald and Ramsey, reigning champions with the Rams, haven't played together for the entirety of their careers like Parsons and Diggs have in their short time together -- Ramsey spent his first three-plus seasons in Jacksonville -- but the two are inarguably one of the league's top defensive duos. Donald is a seven-time All-Pro, three-time Defensive Player of the Year and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s team, and Ramsey, no scrub himself, is a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler. Both have signed market-setting contracts in the past two years.

But those two were joined this season as first-team All-Pros by Parsons and Diggs, neither of whom is over the age of 23. Parsons was top-six in sacks and tackles for loss and boasted the highest QB pressure percentage (21.1) of the Next Gen Stats era. The linebacker tallied 13 sacks despite rushing the passer on just 52.9 percent of defensive snaps (260th in the NFL).


On the back end, Diggs led the pros with 11 picks, the most by an NFLer since Lester Hayes in 1980 (13). The corner was dinged all season, though, for being a boom-or-bust ball hawk; he led the league in receiving yards allowed in coverage (1,016).

"That's what makes the player he is: his confidence, his willingness to go after the ball," Parsons said of Diggs. "I've seen a lot of corners not give up yards, but their teams aren't winning games. This league is about how many times you can get the ball back, and you get the ball back with turnovers. I'd take that any day of the week."

The linebacker went as far to say Diggs should've beaten out Watt (and himself) for the top defensive prize in 2021.

"Without a doubt I thought (Diggs) was the best defensive player in the league last year," Parsons told Epstein. "We've seen 20 sacks before. But in this era, we've never seen anyone reach 10-plus interceptions. So it's disrespectful to me, because I think he deserves all the credit in the world and deserves to be named a top-five corner if not the best corner in the league."

Parsons has not lacked for confidence this offseason; the Swiss Army 'backer has sought out the single-season sack record (23) as a goal in 2022 and said he wants at the very least 15 in his second season. So it's no surprise his belief in himself extends to his teammates.

For Parsons and Diggs to jump off the stat sheet and into Donald and Ramsey's star stratosphere, though, the two will need more than individual success. As the latter two have achieved with the Rams, Dallas' dynamic duo will have to elevate the Cowboys to a championship level before being considered the premier pairing of their era.

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Diggs didn’t even get one vote for DPOY. Parsons mouth is running way out of control. I watched the cowboys a lot and Diggs was just as bad as he good. He shouldn’t even be mentioned as DPOY.

 

Neither did Jalen Ramsey, did he?

I think you are misreading what he is saying. As a duo, he thinks they can be just as formidable. Parsons did get votes, even if it was only 5 to Watt's 42. Donald didn't get his first DPOY until year 4, Parsons got his first votes in his 1st season.

Both Parsons and Diggs were All-Pros though, at the ages of 23. Donald got his first All Pro in his second season at the age of 24.

Both Diggs and Ramsey got their first All Pros in their 2nd year at the age of 23.

There is a definite mirror look to their careers, even if Parsons and Diggs still have a lot to prove at their extremely young age.

I think you were a little butt hurt that he was comparing himself to Donald instead of TJ...

 

Justin Herbert: Big for us to keep Mike Williams



The big news on the defensive side of the ball for the Chargers this offseason concerned players leaving other teams to come to Los Angeles, but that wasn’t the case on offense.

Wide receiver Mike Williams has played his whole career for the Chargers and the team moved to re-sign him ahead of the start of free agency in March. He is coming off career highs in catches and receiving yards during the 2021 season, so it doesn’t come as a great surprise to hear quarterback Justin Herbert calling the move a big plus for the team.


“Mike Williams has been huge,” Herbert said, via Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com. “He’s one of those guys that if you need a conversion on third down — he’s going to be open. As special and as talented as he is as an athlete, he’s an even better teammate. For us to keep him around, I thought that was big for this franchise because he’s such a big part of our offense. Without him, we’re not the same team. It was really good to keep him.”

The Chargers offense was one of the most potent units in the league last season. Re-signing Williams is a bid to keep things strong on that side of the ball while the other moves are designed to give the team a defense that can make a few more leads stand up this time around.

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Im wondering why Latavius Murray doesnt have a gig. He aint all that bad and besides, I still have that FA on my fantasy team in hopes of someone picking him up.

 

The guy said Diggs should have been DPOY, that’s utter bull crap. Neither one of them cowboys is worthy to carry TJ’s jock strap. Diggs gave up almost as many fifty yard bombs as he made INTs

 

He gave his reasoning behind it..

He quoted stats, and thought the fact that he had more interceptions than any DB has had since 1981, he deserved the nod. It's an arguable statement. I don't agree with it, as the reward is based on total body of work and Watt wasn't given the award based solely on 22.5 sacks. But, he did match the league record, while Diggs feat was something that has actually been done 27 times before him, even if it had been 40 years since the last time. He was grand standing a little, lol. But, being excited about their future doesn't take away from what the two accomplished in 2021.

You are more upset over the fact he said ANYONE else deserved it over your beloved Steelers player. That is why you are so mad. If it had been Aaron Donald or Myles Garrett who won the award, you wouldn't have even cared about this article.

 

Obviously the voters agree with me because they didn’t even fart on Diggs

 

I don't think anyone disagrees with the outcome, with the exception of Parsons during an interview discussing he and his teammate. If pressed to give a real accurate response to the question, off record, I bet he would agree Watt deserved it as well. I think you are getting your blood pressure up over nothing.. You even have to admit though that 11 INTs in a season is an amazing feat. It's badass.

 

Parsons said that the sack record wasn’t a big deal. That’s just plain stupid. The cowboys should say that to him when he wants a big pay raise.

 

Also I don’t see any CBs approaching the pay level of guys that sack the QBs.

 

OK Gid, you win... This is a boring debate

 

Baker to CAR for a conditional pick

 

This one’s getting a little old.. Josh Allen(your proclaimed HOF) is 5th, with an average of 2.2 INT per year less than Baker. 2 picks per SEASON.

Let’s move on to something a little more meaningful, shall we?

Between you beating this drum and Gid posting the same posts on every page of multiple threads, the Bears guru might just get his wish that I stop coming around here. Can we get back to some football talk that matters?

Which coach is going to lose his job after this season?

My guess is Pete Carroll. The dude is 70 years old. He is coaching this year for one singular reason. They don’t want to bring in a young coach with the 2022 season destined to lose. If they find a way to win, so be it. But if they find themselves in the QB lottery for the 2023 draft, they find the next player for a new couch to mentor. Carroll slides into an executive only role and the new coach gets his choice of QBs to build the new team around.

They have done nothing to improve their roster this year, losing is inevitable.