NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey needs knee surgery after being injured in Thursday’s practice and will miss the beginning of the regular season.


NFL Network reports it is a meniscus, and that Ramsey will be sidelined “at least” 6-8 weeks. It could be longer depending on what the surgeon turns up. Hardly ideal, though it obviously could have been far worse. Ramsey could end up missing only 2-3 games, or perhaps just one. The injury staggers the Dolphins’ depth, but this is a strong overall defense, one now being coordinated by mastermind Vic Fangio. It is for these reasons Ramsey is unlikely to be rushed.

 

This is ridiculous. Daniel Jones got 81M guaranteed at signing and he was supposed to risk that for Barkley?

 

Jim Irsay: Colts haven’t made a contract offer to Jonathan Taylor



Colts owner Jim Irsay stirred up the conversation about the running back market on Wednesday, with misguided allegations of buyer’s remorse and bad-faith negotiation. On Thursday, Irsay was careful to point out that he wasn’t talking about his team’s current star tailback, Jonathan Taylor

“The comment wasn’t really directed at Jonathan,” Irsay told Stephen Holder of ESPN.com. “We haven’t exchanged any contract numbers with each other or anything like that. So, it’s not like we’re in the midst of that. I think we had a tough season last year. Didn’t win a lot of games. This is a year about coming back together and having a great year and we’re really depending on Jonathan to team up with [quarterback] Anthony Richardson to try and pull together to have a great year.”

Irsay’s Thursday remarks include an admission that the team has not made Taylor an offer on a second contract, only one season before he becomes eligible for free agency.

“We love Jonathan, we need Jonathan,” Irsay said. “Our hope is Jonathan has an outstanding year and that we have a good year as a team and then we get his next contract done. That’s the hope. We think the world of him as a person, as a player. It’s just timing. When your time comes to get paid, then you get paid.”

But his time to get paid is now. The Colts can franchise-tag him in 2024, if they choose. They can do it again in 2025, and then let him walk after six seasons of NFL wear and tear.

Irsay seems to dispute that the Colts would take that approach.

“We’ve always paid our players,” Irsay told Holder. “We’ve always believed in our core players going to a second contract. And that’s been how we’ve been successful in the last 20, 25 years. So, that’s not changed.”

Running back Edgerrin James would definitely disagree. He was required to play out his rookie contract. He was tagged once, he played under the tag, and then he left as a free agent.

The Colts seems to be squatting on Taylor because they can. The labor deal gives them exclusive control of his contract for four years, plus up to two more if they choose. And they can’t ever be compelled to give him a long-term deal.

That’s why he should have held out, frankly. High-end running backs after three years of service have to find a way to force the issue, before the team rides out the player’s best remaining seasons on a year-to-year basis.

NBC

 

Geno Smith praised rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba following Wednesday’s practice.


“He can do it all, man,” Smith said. “He’s a great player. Jaxon is one of those guys who if you put him out there one-on-one he’s going to win his battles. We’ve been seeing that so far.” The kind of quarterback who is willing to take 1-on-1 shots, Smith sounds like he is ready to put JSN in position to make plays. It is going to be difficult for JSN to rise higher than third on the targets totem pole, but his talent and draft capital make him worth betting on in the middle rounds of 12-team re-draft leagues.

 

Running back Dalvin Cook is set to visit with the Jets this weekend and he may not move on to any other meetings.

Cook was on NFL Network Friday morning and said the Jets are “right at the top of the list” of teams he’d like to play for in 2023. Cook added that the “possibility is high” that the visit could result in a contract with the team.

 

Bronco-turned-Jet Billy Turner blasts “bum” Sean Payton

First-year Broncos head coach Sean Payton said the 2022 Broncos were one of the worst-coached teams ever and also had some critical comments about this year’s Jets. Billy Turner was well-positioned to respond, and he didn’t hold back.

Turner played on the offensive line for the Broncos last year and is on the Jets this year. In a social media post after Payton’s comments were published, Turner blasted Payton.

“Seems like someone started training camp and is trying to soften the blow after realizing what he’s in for this season. Fucking bum,” Turner wrote, adding the hashtags “childish” and “BountyGate,” referencing the scandal that got Payton suspended for a full season when he was head coach of the Saints.

Turner is heading into his fifth consecutive season playing for Nathaniel Hackett: Turner played for the Packers from 2019 to 2021, when Hackett was their offensive coordinator, for the Broncos in 2022 when Hackett was their head coach, and is now with the Jets with Hackett as his offensive coordinator. Turner and Hackett have a good relationship, and Turner didn’t take kindly to Payton’s words.

The Jets visit Denver in Week Five, and the comments coming out of both teams this week are sure to make that one of the most-discussed games of this NFL season.

PFT

 

How many playoff games has Turner been involved in? How many Super Bowls has he won? Payton can be tough to get along with. But he's a football coach. He's not being paid to be a nice guy!! And the people of Denver are about to find out that there's never a dull moment when Sean Payton is around.

 

Payton crossed a line and he admits it...

Meeting with reporters on Friday, that was Payton’s explanation. He made a mistake, and he regrets it.

“I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on, and not my coaching hat on,” Payton told reporters. “And, you know, I said this to the team in the meeting yesterday. We’ve had a great offseason relative to that. And I’ve been preaching that message, and here I am, the veteran. You know, stepping in it. I was a learning experience for me. It was a mistake, obviously. I needed a little bit more filter. . . . .

“I said what I said, and obviously I needed a little bit more restraint, and I regret that.”

 

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said on Friday morning that the team would have a better idea of how long cornerback Jalen Ramsey will be out once he had surgery on his knee later in the day and there’s now some word about his timeline.

It’s not terribly positive for the Miami defense. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that doctors performed a full meniscus repair on Ramsey’s knee and that he is expected to be out into December as a result.

If the Dolphins are able to keep most of their other players on the field, Ramsey’s return could coincide with a playoff push but it’s a blow given how promising the prospect of having Ramsey in Vic Fangio’s defense looked this offseason.

Xavien Howard will be at one corner spot for the Dolphins. Cam Smith, Kader Kohou, Noah Igbinoghene, Keion Crossen, Trill Williams, and Nik Needham will be in the mix for playing time alongside him.

PFT

 

Bijan Robinson... 'juke' box hero!

 

Steelers WR George Pickens: Expect to see more downfield shots on offense this season



Perhaps the most prevalent training camp storyline in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is the Steelers' downfield passing game.

Well, more like their lack thereof. Pittsburgh has not been an explosive offense for much of the past few years, but the Steelers are attempting to break through that wall in 2023.

Just ask their favorite big-play target, second-year receiver George Pickens, who has been in the crosshairs of Pittsburgh's downfield sights during practice this week.

"That's more of an explosive hint," Pickens said on Friday of Thursday's session, via The Athletic's Mike DeFabo. "Like, we're gonna probably take more shots this year. Try to mix it up a little bit."

Throwing downfield effectively begins with quarterback, of course, so the focus will be on second-year passer Kenny Pickett. The University of Pittsburgh product ranked 32nd in the NFL in passing yards per attempt in his rookie season of 2022, while also finishing 32nd in passer rating and dead last in touchdown-to-interception ratio (among 33 qualified quarterbacks).

But it's not just Pickett who hasn't found a ton of downfield success in Pittsburgh. Since 2019, Steelers quarterbacks have averaged a league-low 6.3 passing yards per attempt. Yes, that means this issue has persisted through the end portion of Ben Roethlisberger's career, and a stretch of Mason Rudolph starts.

Pickens could help change this narrative. He did, in fact, finish second in Next Gen Stat's Catch Rate Over Expected rankings in 2022, proving he can make the difficult grabs -- especially on go routes, in which he led all receivers in CROE on such routes at +23.3 percent.

With time comes familiarity, trust and a better understanding of where teammates will be at specific moments in a play. Last year, Pickett and Pickens produced a handful of highlights, but not often enough to elevate the offense. This year, they're hoping their rapport blossoms into a fireworks display.

"The same plays are the same plays," Pickens said, per The Athletic. "As far as where we're going with the ball, huge change."

Pittsburgh will need this element of its offensive attack to bring balance to its team, which has relied on its defense too often in recent years. If the Steelers can accomplish this, the AFC North could end up proving to be the toughest division in football -- and one the Steelers will believe they can win.

NFL.com

 

Storms around the Great Lakes and Mid-West have been brutal. 2 days ago we lost power here for 7 hours as did 20,000+ residents here in Toledo, some still without... winds came through 70mph. Tree on the south side of my house came down, fortunately no house damage, just lots of debris and cleanup to do as the back yard looked like a war-zone. Flooding on top of that. Took a ride yesterday and damage everywhere you looked. Standing on my deck at any time all you can hear is chainsaws running in the distance. More severe storms blew through this morning between 130 and 4am, fortunately, no additional damage. At least we are going to get a break from 90's temps to low 80's and less humidity for a while and that's cool by me.

Hope all of you fared well as these systems plowed through.

 

Free agent running back Ezekiel Elliott is meeting with a team on Saturday.

According to multiple reports, Elliott is visiting with the Patriots. It’s the first known visit that Elliott has had with a team since being released by the Cowboys in March.

There was talk of the Cowboys bringing Elliott back at a lower salary after he was initially released, but there’s been less chatter on that front in recent months. Elliott was also said to have a three-team wish list that included the Jets, Bengals, and Eagles, although none of those teams appeared to have mutual interest in a working relationship.

The Patriots have been mentioned as a landing spot for Dalvin Cook, who is visiting with the Jets on Saturday. Rhamondre Stevenson is set to be the No. 1 back in New England this season.

NBC

 

Kelce threw a punch at practice...

 

I don't see that the defender did anything wrong. Did I miss something?

 

Maybe It was a bit late?... the swipe by the defender, but Kelce was a bit touchy in my opinion.

 

Dolphins to sign Eli Apple

One-on-one drills between receivers and cornerbacks just got a little more interesting at Dolphins training camp.

Miami is signing veteran corner Eli Apple to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports.

Apple, who turns 28 next month, spent the last two seasons with Cincinnati, where he began a feud with receiver Tyreek Hill. While the beef started when Hill was on the Chiefs, it continued last year after Hill was traded to the Dolphins.

“Monday practice gone be fun,” Hill posted on social media shortly after news broke of the signing.

The No. 10 overall pick of the 2016 draft, Apple has bounced around to several different spots in his career. After playing two-plus seasons with the Giants, he was traded to the Saints midway through the 2018 season. He started 25 games for New Orleans in 2018 and 2019 before signing with the Panthers in 2020.

But Apple’s stint with Carolina was short, as he battled injuries and appeared in just two games before he was released in October.

Apple started 30 games for Cincinnati in 2021 and 2022. Last season, he recorded 49 total tackles and eight passes defensed in the regular season along with 18 tackles with one PD in three postseason games.

In 88 career games with 78 starts, Apple has recorded five interceptions, 51 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, and seven fumble returns.

The Dolphins needed to add some depth at corner after Jalen Ramsey went down with a torn meniscus. He is expected to be out until December.

Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, free agents Fabian Moreau and Anthony Averett also worked out for Miami, with the club electing to go with Apple.

NBC

 

Jerry Jones on Zack Martin: We need the money to pay Micah Parsons



Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t have much to say earlier this week about right guard Zack Martin’s decision to hold out of training camp, but he had a bit more to say on the subject Saturday.

Martin is looking for an adjustment to his contract, which runs through the 2024 season, and Jones said on Saturday that there has been “no resolution” when it comes to making that happen. Jones suggested that will remain the case because the team is looking at the need to sign defensive star Micah Parsons and other players down the road.

“He’s been at the top of the money the whole time,” Jones said, via the team’s website. “If you make that adjustment, then you don’t have the money to pay the guys on their first contract. It has nothing to do with him. It’s not about precedent, it’s about facts. We need the money to pay Parsons. We need the money to pay the players that we got to pay in the future. That’s a fact.”

Parsons is eligible for a contract extension after the 2023 season.

Jones said he doesn’t know when Martin will report and noted that it is “punitive” for the guard to miss camp because he’s subject to fines of $50,000 a day. That hasn’t stopped the six-time All-Pro from taking this course of action, however, and it’s unclear when he might choose a different one.

PFT

 

Kelce owned up to it later...



He also apologized after practice.

 

More disgruntled RB contract squabbling...

Report: Jonathan Taylor requests a trade

Well, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com was onto something,

Less than a day after the man who covers the Colts for ESPN raised the possibility of running back Jonathan Taylor requesting a trade, Jonathan Taylor reportedly has requested a trade.

That’s the word from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.

The news comes after Taylor and owner Jim Irsay met on Irsay’s bus, and after Irsay said (via Holder) there are still no plans to extend Taylor’s contract. (Holder also adds that the trade request was first made several days ago.)

We’ve previously suggested that Taylor should have held out of training camp. Irsay perhaps wisely timed his unwise tweet about the running back position until after Taylor had reported.

Taylor still has no real leverage, given that he has reported. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it’s much harder for a player to leave after he has reported.

That said, Taylor wants out. And Colts G.M Chris Ballard previously has echoed, in a #PFTPM interview, the mantra from Steelers coach Mike Tomlin that “we want volunteers, not hostages.”

“Mike Tomlin says it best,” Ballard explained in 2022. “I always say, ‘You want volunteers.’ You want people that want to be here. So when you get a player who doesn’t want to be in your organization anymore, you can play hardball -- which sometimes we all do -- but you want volunteers. You want people who want to be here.

Taylor no longer volunteers. Will the Colts now seek trade partners?

The second-round pick from Wisconsin had 1,811 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns in 2021. He missed six games due to injury in 2022. He is signed through 2023.

NBC