NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Not the first down signal arm!

 

The Atlanta Falcons ended their fourth day of training camp early Saturday after two separate fights broke out on the field, resulting in defensive tackle Jalen Dalton being asked to leave, according to multiple reports.

Dalton, who was released by the New Orleans Saints in May, was dismissed from practice after swinging at offensive tackle Germain Ifedi following a drill, The Athletic reported. Not long after, Anthony Rush knocked center Jonotthan Harrison to the ground after hitting him from behind.



ESPN’s Michael Rothstein reported that head coach Arthur Smith "was not pleased" after the Dalton incident, but he later praised the team for its competitiveness in his comments to the media.

"Nobody did anything really that dumb," Smith said. "I would much rather have guys you have to pull back than you have to push. They’re competitive as hell. We are having so much fun working with these guys it’s unbelievable."

The Falcons are facing low expectations this season, which Smith addressed after Friday’s practice.

"Just go do a Google search, go look and see what they thought of the iPhone coming out if you want to humor yourself," he told reporters. "It's hard to find good comedy these days. Go back and look at those predictions if you want real comedy."

Just six seasons after reaching the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history, the Falcons are listed at 250-1 to reach the next Super Bowl, longer odds than every team but one, the Houston Texans.

FOX

 

Jerry Jones: Ezekiel Elliott “has to be the focus” of the Cowboys running game



At a time when many believe the star is fading for Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot and rising for Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, the man who writes the checks has a different viewpoint.

Appearing on NFL Network, owner Jerry Jones said that Elliott “has to be the focus” of the team’s running back game. “He has to be the focal point,” Jones said. “There is room for Pollard while Zeke is in there.”


Pollard is expected to play some receiver, lining up in the slot. Still, Pollard was widely viewed as the better option in the running game last year.

Maybe that’s because Elliott was fighting through a knee injury. Regardless, there’s no way the Cowboys would be paying Elliott $12.4 million this year if the salary hadn’t become fully guaranteed in 2021. And there’s no way they’ll pay him $10 million next year unless he has a year on par with his rookie season.

Meanwhile, Pollard may not be thrilled about the plan, as it was articulated by the team’s owner. Pollard enters the final year of his rookie contract, at a mere $969,000 in total pay. The more he does in 2022, the more interest he’ll have on the open market.

A cynic would wonder whether Jones wants to de-emphasize Pollard for that reason alone. Grind up Zeke this year, cut him after the season, and sign Pollard for less than he’d get if had a big season in his contract year.

PFT

 

Dean Pees: People are going to start talking about Falcons’ defense like Patriots, Ravens



Dean Pees has won a Super Bowl ring as the defensive coordinator of the Patriots, and another as the defensive coordinator of the Ravens. Now he’s the defensive coordinator of the Falcons, and he says he’s expecting to hold his players to the same standard.

In a training camp practice rant to the media, Pees said the Falcons’ performance on defense has been unacceptable through the years, and he sees changing the culture to make it more like New England and Baltimore as a major part of his job.

“We’re changing the culture around this dadgum place,” Pees said. “It’s not going to be mediocre. It’s not going to be average. It’s not going to be in the bottom half of the league like it’s been 15 of the last 20 years. Sick of that crap. We’ve got to take charge, and it’s not going to be anyone else to do it but us. I’m tired of everybody telling us how bad we are, because after a while you start believing it. . . . Guys around here on defense sometimes believe 15th is OK or whatever. We’ve been in the Top 10 one time out of the last 20 years. That bullshit’s over. Sorry, I’m getting fired up today, but I’m tired of this crap. We’re going to change the culture of the defense around this frickin’ place. People are going to start talking about the Atlanta defense like they did Baltimore and New England. It’s going to be the same shit around here.”

The Falcons’ defense was ugly last season in Pees’ first year at the coordinator. If he doesn’t bring up the standards in Year Two, he probably won’t get a Year Three.

PFT

 

I like this , Pees guy!

 

Bengals, Cardinals and Jets did a good job on the alternates.

love those Patriots throwbacks.

 

Get ready for the Browns throwback/alternate helmet . . .

.

Just like what they wore in 1950.

 

The Browns made the right call. As fun as it is for many franchises, a team that uses it's helmet as it's logo should definately skip the "alternate helmet" thing. When you have the best helmet in the NFL, no need for sideshow.

 

49ers, Deebo Samuel agree to three-year contract extension



Deebo Samuel will soon be getting back to work for the 49ers.

Samuel, the star wide receiver who has been sitting out training camp practices while negotiating a new contract, has agreed to a three-year extension, according to multiple reports.


It’s reportedly worth $71.55 million, including $58.1 million guaranteed. Although the full structure of the contract is not yet out, the topline numbers are almost identical to the three-year, $72 million contract DK Metcalf just signed with the Seahawks.

Samuel is coming off an outstanding season in which he caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and led the league with an average of 18.2 yards per catch, while also running the ball 59 times for 365 yards and eight touchdowns. The 49ers want to build a big-play offense around new starting quarterback Trey Lance, and they think Samuel and Lance are going to be a great combination for years to come.

PFT

 

If he wants a Year Three, he'll get it. He's already shown improvement - his defense last year gave up 30 fewer yards per game than the previous regime's defense in 2020. This was in spite of the offense's struggles quickly throwing the defense back out on the field. Atlanta's offense averaged 60 fewer yards per game in 2021 than in 2020 and had 60 fewer first downs over the course of the season in spite of the extra game.

This year is the true rebuild. It's also the first year he'll be unleashing his full defensive playbook. A few articles I've seen have said that last year he only implemented about 60% of his system because of the younger players and the limitations of the players he inherited.

But... Dean Pees at 60% of his defensive system was still an upgrade, and it certainly beats the heck out of Mike Nolan's defenses in 2013-2014.

 

Did anyone watch the Saturday coverage on NFL-N? I recorded it (all of it) and started to watch the final four hour segment but found it difficult to sit through, as 90%+ of it was just the NFL-N commentators blathering about whatever. The Colts 11-on-11 segment was cool but otherwise, meh.

I'll probably skim through the rest of it during the week and try to catch the better stuff. Or I might just delete the whole thing and catch up with the weekend's Australian Rules matches instead.

 

Lions' Dan Campbell 'buying stock' in WR Josh Reynolds: 'I call him the praying mantis'

The Lions' depth chart at wide receiver has a cut-and-dry top three with Amon-Ra St. Brown, free-agent acquisition D.J. Chark and No. 12 overall pick Jameson Williams once his ACL fully recovers, but that hasn't stopped head coach Dan Campbell from being bullish on wideout Josh Reynolds.

"I like this guy, I'm kind of buying stock on him," Campbell told reporters on Saturday. "I think he could have a big year. He's a smooth athlete and he's a grinder, he's smart and Jared (Goff) trusts him. And so I can't say enough about that room in general, and he's a big piece of that."

Reynolds joined the Lions midway through 2021 after the Tennessee Titans released him. He amassed 19 receptions for 306 yards and two touchdowns in seven games with the team.

Beyond Reynolds' late-season contributions, his rapport with Goff thanks to four years spent together in Los Angeles was likely a major factor in the team bringing him back on a two-year deal.

Reynolds had to slowly carve out a supporting role behind Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods as a Rams fourth-round pick, but when called upon he displayed sure hands and a knack for finding holes in opposing defenses.

Goff connected with him for 113 receptions, 1,450 yards and nine touchdowns during their time together on the West Coast.

Now with half of a season under his belt in the Midwest, Reynolds is well on his way to finding yet another supplementary role, earning descriptors like "smooth" and "grinder" from his head coach.


Of course, a personality like Campbell can't stop there when enamored with the development of one of his players.

"I'll tell you what, he's different now," Campbell said, continuing to describe Reynolds. "He's a different athlete. He's slippery, man. I call him the praying mantis. He's a spider of death. He's just -- there's something about him. Freaking serpent. So, I love where he's at right now. I really do, I'm glad we got him."

Mantis, spider, serpent -- whatever his spirit animal -- Reynolds rounds out a WR corps that is capable of supporting Goff in a vital year for both the quarterback and the team.

Detroit had a gritty squad last year, going 3-13-1 but losing six games by just one possession. If a few bounces go their way, the 2022 Lions having pieces like Reynolds makes them capable of turning heads -- which is better than what mantises are known to do with them.

NFL.com

 

By the way - Its August... and that means some football is getting right close.




Hall of Fame game...

 

One thing I did find amusing about the last four hours of NFL-N's training camp coverage over the weekend was that they had DeAngelo Hall as one of the commentators at the Colts training camp and that DeAngelo absolutely raved about Matt Ryan, how he "still has a cannon of an arm" and how he kept Atlanta in games last season.

DeAngelo was originally drafted by the Falcons in 2004. After we went through 2007 with that nitwit Petrino, DeAngelo was nervous about playing for another first-time coach in 2008. At first the team persuaded him that all would be well, but when the stories got out that Atlanta was in trade talks involving him, he asked to be traded and was granted his wish, being sent to Oakland for a 2nd round pick and a 2009 fifth rounder. So he never played with Matt Ryan here, and his departure (combined with free agent Von Hutchins getting hurt in a freak accident in the first day of training camp) left the team with a ridiculously young cornerback group.

He did play AGAINST Matt Ryan that year though, and Ryan utterly abused him. The final score was 24-0, and three days later the Raiders waived DeAngelo. He cleared waivers but quickly signed with Washington, where he remained until he retired after the 2017 season. Ryan torched him again in later games, and Hall also had a bit of a scuffle on the sidelines with Falcons coach Mike Smith - the same coach he spurned in 2008 by asking to be traded.

So it felt a bit strange to hear the way he gushed about Ryan and what the veteran QB could bring to Indianapolis.

 

Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown is reporting for duty as Kansas City prepares for its first padded practices of training camp.

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported that Brown would report to Chiefs camp Monday and play under the franchise tag, per a source informed of the plan.

ESPN first reported the news.

Brown had held out of the start of training camp after the sides couldn't agree on a long-term contract by the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players. By not signing the franchise tender, the left tackle wasn't subject to fines at the start of training camp.

He'll make $16.662 million on the one-year franchise tender.

The Chiefs brass has been adamant they want Brown in town for the long-term, and that didn't change with his brief holdout.

"The agency has advisors around him, and we respect his decision," GM Brett Veach recently told the Kansas City Star. "And it's not going to limit our pursuit of him next year. We're gonna continue to try to get him locked up."


Sides can't negotiate a new long-term deal until the season ends. At that point, the Chiefs could use the franchise tag again -- at a 120 percent price increase -- if it can't come to terms on a multi-year solution or let the offensive tackle hit free agency.

While much was made of Brown's absence early in camp, the reality is he missed just four days of non-padded sessions. With the Chiefs set to put on the equipment beginning today, Brown determined he should be there as the blindside protector for Patrick Mahomes as the real practices ramp up.

"He wanted to be there for padded practice because that's when leaders are developed," Brown's agent Michael Portner told Pelissero.

NFL.com

 

Browns activate Jack Conklin off PUP list



The Browns will have their right tackle back at practice as they begin the week.

Cleveland announced on Monday that the team has activated Jack Conklin off the physically unable to perform list.


Conklin suffered a torn patella tendon suffered in Week 12 of last season. He also missed games in 2021 due to a dislocated elbow.

Conklin and the Browns renegotiated the last year of Conklin’s contract so that he’ll earn $8 million guaranteed with $4 million in play-time incentives.

The Browns also announced that they’ve signed receiver Derrick Dillon and waived receiver Isaiah Weston with an injury settlement. Weston was carted off the practice field over the weekend with a knee injury.

Dillon most recently spent time with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL.

PFT

 

Jack Conklin -> NFL.

NFL = Not For Long

 

Reports: Cowboys fear foot fracture for James Washington



It didn’t look good when it happened, and the news isn’t good: The Cowboys fear receiver James Washington fractured his right foot, per multiple reports. The prognosis for a Jones fracture, which Washington is believed to have, is 6-8 weeks but can be longer.

Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence had a Jones fracutre in his left foot during a Week 2 practice and missed 10 games, and former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant missed five games with the same injury in his right foot in the 2015 season opener.


Owner Jerry Jones said he is “concerned,” Bobby Belt of 105.3 The Fan reports.

Washington will undergo further testing to confirm the injury.

The Cowboys signed Washington to a one-year deal after trading Amari Cooper to the Browns and losing Cedrick Wilson to the Dolphins in free agency. Michael Gallup tore an ACL on Jan. 2, so he will miss the start of the season.

They were counting on Washington to start opposite CeeDee Lamb at least until Gallup returns.

The Cowboys now will have to lean heavily on third-round selection Jalen Tolbert and/or sign a veteran free agent. Will Fuller, T.Y. Hilton and former Cowboys Allen Hurns and Cole Beasley are among receivers who remain unsigned.

PFT

 

Requires surgery - out 6 -10 weeks.

 

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers put on the pads for the first time this training camp. Padded practices are always the most exciting part of the offseason. Steelers guard Kendrick Green said it is like Christmas and you know he isn’t the only one who feels like this.

Head coach Mike Tomlin jumped on a quick video from training camp with running back Najee Harris to make a little hype video for the fans on the first day of pads. But what jumped out to us was when Tomlin characterized Harris as a “combat specialist” which we found fascinating.

Harris is the workhorse of the Steelers offense and in the video acted like he took offense to the defense getting all the press and said, “I’m about to make some stuff known” and you could tell he was ready to show this defense just how good the offense is.




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