NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Trevor Lawrence won't participate in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday when the NFL kicks off preseason action with the Jacksonville Jaguars taking on the Las Vegas Raiders.

Coach Doug Pederson said Tuesday that Lawrence would sit the first preseason game. With backup C.J. Beathard still nursing a groin injury, Jake Luton will start Thursday and get the bulk of the action.

"Trevor's been getting a lot of great looks here in practice," Pederson said, "and (we) feel he's in a good spot."

Pederson added that second-year running back Travis Etienne, who missed his entire rookie campaign, will also not play in the HOF Game. Etienne missed Tuesday's practice due to an illness.

It's not surprising that Lawrence won't play in the first preseason game. More and more coaches are keeping critical players on the sideline during preseason action, using the games to evaluate younger players and those battling for positions and roster spots. Ensuring health is more important for some players than brief reps they might get.

"It's still evaluation time, we're still evaluating our roster," Pederson noted. "We've got a lot of young guys and a lot of battles that we want to start seeing in game situations."

Obviously, Jacksonville doesn't need to evaluate Lawrence to know he's the starting QB, so sitting him early in preseason action makes sense.


The Jags will participate in four preseason games. After Thursday's HOF Game, they'll face the Cleveland Browns on Friday, Aug. 12. We'll see if that's when Pederson decides to get Lawrence's feet wet.

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It's an opportunity for extra reps, which would be great for a developing player with a new coaching staff. But it's an extra game so it's not really a loss for him to miss it. And it's a week early so the protection in front of him would likely still be a bit rusty. Makes sense not to risk it.

But I do think teams have gone too far in recent years as far as sitting the starters during preseason. Those reps matter.

 

Wide receiver Tim Patrick needed assistance to leave the field after going down with an injury during Tuesday’s practice at Broncos training camp.

According to multiple reports from the practice, Patrick went down with a right leg injury after making a leaping catch. Practice came to a halt and players gathered around Patrick as a cart came out to take him for further evaluation.


With practice still going, there’s no word on his condition from the Broncos yet.

Patrick signed a three-year contract extension with the Broncos last November. He followed up a 51-catch season in 2020 with 53 catches for 734 yards and five touchdowns in 16 starts last year.

Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Kendall Hinton, Seth Williams, Travis Fulgham, Tyrie Cleveland, Trey Quinn, and fifth-rounder Montrell Washington are also on the roster at receiver in Denver.

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Quintez Cephus hurt his leg at Tuesday’s practice

The Lions saw wide receiver Quintez Cephus leave Tuesday’s practice early.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports that Cephus grabbed his left leg after getting tangled up with cornerback Jeff Okudah while making a catch during a drill. Cephus was attended to by medical personnel and then left the field with their assistance.


Cephus had 15 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the first five games of last season, but missed the rest of the year after breaking his collarbone.

The Lions added DJ Chark and first-round pick Jameson Williams to their receiving corps this offseason. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds are back from last year, so Cephus came into camp fighting for a depth spot on the roster. Any serious injury would obviously be a blow to that effort.

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Dolphins lose a 1st round pick in 2023 and a 3rd in 2024 for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton and for implying they were trying to tank despite no evidence of tanking or the alleged bribery for tanking found. Owner suspended until the 2023 owner's meeting.

 

Just another product of the league's care for the "integrity" of the league, instead of the integrity of the people who are in it.

 

Roger Goodell is expected to “read the riot act” to owners next week in Minnesota, about tampering and tanking



Rob Walton and Greg Penner may be having second thoughts about what they’re about to get themselves into.

When the league’s owners meet next week in Minnesota to approve the purchase of the Broncos by the Wal-Mart heir and his son-in-law, Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to “read the riot act” to all owners regarding tampering and tanking, in the aftermath of the suspension imposed Tuesday on Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.


As previously mentioned, the league gave Ross a pass on tanking, even though he apparently engaged in at least attempted tanking. Per the source, Goodell regards the issue as being very important, given the legalization of sports wagering. The next person who does it, if there is one, will get it a lot worse, the source predicts.

Ross should have gotten it a lot worse, frankly. He tried to tank. He did precisely what a multi-billionaire would do to send a message to those who hope to continue working for him, without having to actually order the proverbial code red. (Also known as the favorite phrase of Myles Simmons: “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”) And, because Flores not only refused to go along but also documented the owner’s efforts to pressure him to lose games in order to win improved draft position, Flores became persona non grata.

The source also predicted that the league will be much more rigorous on tampering. The problem with tampering is that the NFL lacks the resources to properly enforce the rules. It happens all the time, for that very reason. And it’s easy to think Ross wouldn’t have been scrutinized for it at all if the league weren’t already poking around on the tanking issue.

Thus, if the league tries to scare teams straight as to tampering, it likely won’t last for long. And folks will be more careful about it, more discreet. In time, it’ll go back to being rampant and reckless.

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Tore his ACL... bummmer. hate to hear this stuff so early.

 

Jalen Hurts on A.J. Brown: I think we’re growing together



The Eagles significantly upgraded their receiving corps on draft night when they acquired A.J. Brown from the Titans.

Brown was already a good friend of quarterback Jalen Hurts. But now the two are working to build their on-field chemistry.


“It’s a day-by-day thing,” Hurts said on Tuesday, via Dave Zangaro of NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. “I think we’re growing together. I think we’re adjusting together. Our relationship is changing and going from best friends to best friends on the field as well. Just trying to make things go.

“Seeing how he does, just having a feel for him, him having a feel for me and how I see that game. And just being on the same page.”

Hurts is going into his second full season as a starter. He already had a first-round pick and former college teammate in DeVonta Smith on the roster. But pairing Smith with Brown should help Philadelphia become more balanced after their run-heavy attack earned them a playoff appearance last year.

Still, there are several on-field elements for the Hurts and Brown to work out during camp.

“It’s not about how he sees it,” Hurts said. “It’s not about how I see it. It’s about how we see it.”

Hurts completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 3,144 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2021. He also rushed for 784 yards with 10 TDs.

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Steelers place Jeremy McNichols on IR, sign Master Teague



The Steelers added running back Jeremy McNichols just over a week ago. But an injury has already sidelined him.

Pittsburgh announced on Wednesday that McNichols has been placed on injured reserve. He had suffered a shoulder injury that head coach Mike Tomlin had said was being evaluated earlier this week.


McNichols accounted for 396 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown for Tennessee last year.

To add some depth back to the running backs room behind Najee Harris, Pittsburgh signed Master Teague III. Teague, an undrafted rookie out of Ohio State, played 31 collegiate games, rushing for 1,764 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2020.

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Bears will play starters in preseason opener



The Bears are feeling some pressure to get their offense together after a week of training camp and that effort won’t pause for the team’s preseason opener.

Head coach Matt Eberflus said on Wednesday that the team’s starters, including quarterback Justin Fields, will be on the field against the Chiefs next week. Eberflus did not say how many snaps they will play or if he’d make the same decision in years to come, but he was succinct about why he believes it is the right call this time.


“I think it depends on your team,” he said. “Could it be a different spot in years to come? Yeah it can be. . . . We need to play these guys,” Eberflus said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The defense is also learning a new scheme and may not have starting linebacker Roquan Smith as he’s been out of practice while looking for a new contract. There’s been no word from the Chiefs if they’ll be playing their first team, but Patrick Mahomes did play one series in last summer’s preseason opener.

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Amari Cooper returns to Browns practice



The Browns had wide receiver Amari Cooper back on the practice field at training camp on Wednesday.

Cooper hurt his ankle late in practice on Monday and head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the session that he didn’t have an update as to the severity. He sat out of Tuesday’s workout, but didn’t need to spend any other time on the sideline.


Dispatches from reporters at practice say Cooper was moving fine and videos of Cooper from Wednesday’s practice back up those assessments.

The Browns have been dealing with other injuries in their wide receiver group. Rookie David Bell has not practiced yet in camp because of a foot injury and Anthony Schwartz has been dealing with a knee injury.

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This seriously decreases the odds that Dallas will work a trade for Deion Jones once Jones gets off the PUP list.

Jones was hand-picked for Dan Quinn's defense in Atlanta in the 2016 draft and was the star of the defense from 2016-2018. He didn't do so well last year under Dean Pees, leading to speculation that his large cap figure would prompt the team to trade or release him. The catch is that thanks to restructurings in past years, virtually all of his 2022 salary is guaranteed. The Falcons wouldn't save jack on the cap by releasing him. Some outlets have suggested they should release him anyway, but the alternative of keeping him and playing him makes a lot more financial sense. Of course, it's a moot point until he's cleared medically, but I say it's trade or bust as far as getting him off the roster in 2022.

My guess is they'll still work to trade him once he's cleared to play, but they'll have to swing it in some way where they still cover a big chunk of his salary. They already showed with the Matt Ryan deal that they'll trade players for lower than expected returns, so if eating some of the cap is what it takes to make a deal happen, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they're willing to go that route to make it happen.

 

Rams WR Cooper Kupp 'respectfully' disagrees with Vikings WR Justin Jefferson ranking himself ahead of triple-crown winner

Few receivers in NFL chronicle have had as remarkable a season as Cooper Kupp's 2021 campaign.

Regardless of the historic showing, fellow NFC Pro Bowl selection Justin Jefferson ranked himself ahead of the Los Angeles Rams receiver, stating recently, "Coop is good, but I'll say he's behind me."

Kupp, the reigning AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, politely disagreed Wednesday when asked about the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver's take.

"I respect his opinion and I can also respectfully disagree," Kupp said, via team transcript.

Kupp's 2021 season was a tour de force. He led the NFL with 16 touchdowns, 145 receptions and 1,947 yards, becoming the first receiver since the Carolina Panthers' Steve Smith in 2005 and just the fourth overall since the 1970 merger to win the receiving triple crown.

The L.A. wideout's ascent to the top of the leaderboards saw him produce single-season reception and yardage numbers that were each second-most in NFL history, and he became only the fourth player to ever produce 100-plus catches, 1,500-plus yards and 15-plus TDs, according to NFL Research. The other three -- Jerry Rice (1995), Marvin Harrison (2001) and Randy Moss (2003) -- are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Thus, Kupp, who also won Super Bowl Most Valuable Player in the Rams' triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals, would seem to have earned some high regard. However, Jefferson has previously opined that Davante Adams is the best WR in the game and that he will surpass him in the 2022 season.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's a stance Kupp doesn't look unkindly upon.

Hailed for his work ethic and tenacity in becoming one of the game's greats, Kupp, 29, complimented Jefferson's mindset.

"I would hope he would say that," said Kupp, whose stellar 2021 season came with Kevin O'Connell, now Jefferson's head coach, at offensive coordinator. "I think that's the beauty of this game. I think it speaks to the competitiveness of this league. If you're not putting yourself as the best and you're not working to be the best, then I'd be concerned about stepping on the field with you if you don't feel like you've prepared to be the best player that you can be."

Jefferson, 23, is off to a most scintillating start to his career, one greater than just about anyone else in the history books. His 3,016 receiving yards are the most in league history over a player's first two seasons. In his two seasons, he's put up 196 catches, 17 touchdowns and the aforementioned 3,016 yards, which all compare quite nicely to Kupp's 237 receptions, 2,921 yards and 19 touchdowns in that same span.

Whether it be Adams, Kupp, Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill or whomever else, there are arguments aplenty for who the best in the game is.

There is no arguing however that in the arena of statistics and team success, Kupp stood above them all in 2022, just like his Rams. The debate, in all regard, will kick off again in a few weeks with the dawn of a new season.

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David Montgomery playing special teams for the first time



Bears running back David Montgomery has played a total of four special teams snaps in his career. He might play more this season.

The team’s lead back is embracing the opportunity.


“Funny thing about David: The other day, he was taking a couple reps on the special teams and his reps were over and he said, ‘Hey, can I get on the scout team since my reps are over? Can I get on the scout team and give these guys a look?’” special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said, via TheAthletic.com. “That just speaks to (GM) Ryan Poles and (coach) Matt Eberflus about the culture that these guys are creating.”

The more a player can do, the more opportunity he gets and potentially the bigger the paycheck. Montgomery is entering the final year of his rookie deal, so it’s an important season for him.

“Wherever they need me, I’m going to be ready to be there,” Montgomery said. “I’ve never played special teams before. But I’m always down and excited to learn so I can be better.”

Montgomery and Khalil Herbert should get plenty of carries this season in a run-heavy offense that will utilize fullback Khari Blasingame.

Montgomery totaled at least 267 touches, 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in each of his first three seasons.

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Saints rookie tackle Trevor Penning kicked out of practice after third altercation in three days

New Orleans Saints rookie offensive tackle Trevor Penning entered the NFL with a reputation for a fiery on-field demeanor that toed the line between playing through the whistle and going overboard.

The Saints are already experiencing that dance with the first-round pick through the early stages of camp.

Penning has been involved in altercations with defensive teammates in the past three practices, including a Wednesday scuffle that saw the rookie and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach kicked out of practice.

"We don't have time for that," coach Dennis Allen said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN. "I sent two guys in today and we've got to get our work done. We've got to learn as a team how to compete and how to play and how to practice and push ourselves to the limit but yet not take it over the edge.

"It's not unusual for something like that to occur in training camp. It's certainly something we don't want to see happen. It'll be addressed and we'll move forward."

On Monday, Penning and defensive end Payton Turner reportedly threw punches before it was broken up. On Tuesday, the rookie and safety J.T. Gray nearly got into it.

"It's football. We're competing," Penning said Monday. "It's a tough game for tough people and you've got to be able to take that. There's no bad blood between us. We're just competitors competing."


The Northern Iowa product, who is battling James Hurst for left tackle duties, has a knack for irritating defenders. It's something that drew the Saints to draft him, but they don't necessarily want it against his teammates.

"It's part of my game, I think. It's just how I am as a player," Penning said Monday of playing through the whistle. "But I'm obviously out there working technique. I'm trying to get better at the technique of the game, getting the blocks down. The finishing ability, that's what I pride myself in, and that's always going to be part of my game."

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Been a lot of torn ACL's and a whole lotta fighting this year.

 

Packers rookie WR Romeo Doubs making 'wow' plays every single day in camp

The Green Bay Packers are getting big plays from a rookie receiver during training camp, just not the one they expected.

Second-round pick Christian Watson has been sidelined after knee surgery earlier this summer. Instead, fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs has hit the ground running, making splash plays that have even reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers gushing.

"Every single day ... there's been at least one kind of 'wow' play for him," Rodgers said Wednesday, via the Associated Press. "And that's kind of rare for a young guy like that."

With the Packers trading Davante Adams to Las Vegas and Marquez Valdes-Scantling signing in Kansas City, it's a wide-open battle for receiver reps in Green Bay.

Hearing Rodgers' praise of the rookie is an excellent start to camp, but Doubs knows he must continue to stack big days.

"I feel like my camp is going really good," Doubs said. "But just for myself, I continue to tell myself just focus on what's next throughout the day. I just make sure I try not to get too high or low with myself."

The 6-foot-2 Nevada product combines good speed and size and has shown the ability to beat defenders with the ball in the air during the early stages of camp. Gaining Rodgers' trust is a good first step in the rookie winning a significant role out of the gate.


"I have to set myself at a standard to make sure Aaron has enough trust in me regardless of me being a rookie," Doubs said.

As for Watson, the second-rounder doesn't have a target date for his return but has been picking the brains of Rodgers and veteran receivers Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard to get mental reps on the offense.

"It's definitely frustrating, but I've tried not to let that affect me too much," Watson said. "There's still things I can do to get better and still be a part of everything, taking mental reps and still being in the playbook. So I try to look at positives and kind of stay away from the negatives."

If Watson can return soon and make up for lost time, and Doubs continues to shine, the Packers will have the makings of an intriguing young duo to develop as they attempt to win their fourth straight NFC North title.

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I don't think that we'd be seeing this kind of thing under Sean Payton. More experienced head coaches know how to put a stop to this kind of thing immediately. Right now, it's no big deal. But, if this spills over into the season and it starts costing the Saints 15 yard personal foul calls, that's an issue!