MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz said this week that he’s “really confident” that he’ll be ready to play in the first week of the regular season, but coach Doug Pederson wasn’t interested in naming a specific date he hopes to see Wentz back in action when discussing the quarterback’s knee rehab on Friday.

Pederson said that Wentz is “making progress each day,” but added that it can be a “fine line” when it comes to doing too much too soon as a result. For now, the plan is to just continue the current process for as long as it takes for Wentz to make it all the way back.

“I’m not going to rush him out there. I’m not going to expose him,” Pederson said, via ESPN.com. “He’ll be ready when he’s ready, and when we feel he’s ready. Right now, we’re encouraged with the progress he’s making.”

Wentz has not been cleared to do anything in practice beyond rehab work and throwing the ball, something that is unlikely to change until training camp. His level of participation as August unfolds will give the best idea about his odds of being in the lineup against the Falcons on September 6. (PFT)

 

The Eagles have a foolproof plan. Wentz for the first three quarters of the season then Foles for the home stretch.

 

We might have to flip that this year.

 

Sam Bradford is the Arizona starter, but Josh Rosen won’t be held back

With Carson Palmer retired, the Arizona Cardinals need a new starting quarterback. Currently, they have one. But that could change.

“We’re pushing everybody to start,” coach Steve Wilks said Friday, via NFL.com. “I’ve stated this several times: Sam Bradford is our starter. We gotta go out there with 11 guys and Sam’s going to be the first guy out there. But everybody’s fighting for a position, so I’m not going to hold [Josh Rosen] back at all.

“I want guys competing, I want guys fighting for a starting job. Whoever ends up winning the position, that’s who’s going to end up playing.”

That’s the smart way to do it. If a rookie establishes himself as the best guy, he needs to be playing, period. That’s what the Bills are doing with Josh Allen, but apparently not what the Browns are doing with Baker Mayfield.

It’s what the Seahawks did with Russell Wilson six years ago, when he unexpectedly outperformed Matt Flynn. People outside the team were surprised; people inside the team weren’t, because they knew Wilson was the best option. (PFT)

 

Give me a break !!!

The Browns have 29 reasons NOT to throw a rookie QB to the wolves. As talented as Baker Mayfield is, evidenced by the numbers he put up at Oklahoma, the fact remains he only took a handful of snaps under center during his collegiate career. Until he demonstrates he can make that transition and perform consistently better than the TWO veterans in front of him on the depth chart, he absolutely needs to sit, learn and develop into a pro QB.

PFT and their whole staff of "writers" can kiss my ass !!!

 

I agree with that assessment, but the PFT article states; that "if a rookie establishes himself as the best guy"... so, my question to you, Lyman is this. Do you still sit a rookie even if he can prove or is the best QB on the team?

I think its a tough call to throw a rookie in the mix in front of a veteran, but hell, its all about winning and you should take your best shot and field your best team, right?

 

The quote from PFT started with, "That's the smart way to do it" and then went on to infer that the Browns were being dumb because they're not doing it that way. THAT'S what I take exception to. Who the fuck are these guys to claim they know what a team, any team, should do to develop a rookie QB?

To answer your question: IF a rookie QB demonstrates during OTA's, training camp and pre-season that he is as capable of tansitioning to the pro game, then by all means he deserves a shot. But to commit to that rookie based on OTA's, training camp and pre-season for the regular season is akin to comparing a Corvair to a Corvette.

Last year, Sashi Brown stocked the Browns' roster with Kizer, Kessler and Hogan. Clearly the best of those three won the starting job. How did that work out? (hint: none of those three are back this year. And neither is Sashi.)

This year, John Dorsey added not one but two veteran QB's to the roster for a reason. If you think a QB drafted in the 1st round should automatically be named the starter, you might be a typical Browns fan (or a writer for PFT).

 

I agree with you 100%... just wanted to conversate (not a word till now).

I think your absolutely right that a veteran in Cleveland should be named the starter and in my opinion, the observations that will take place during OTA's, practice and pre-season will be well observed and decisions made accordingly.

Personally, I don't see or think Mayfield will waltz in and outperform the Vets, but the competition and depth are a great thing to have. I could be wrong, but I trust the Browns higher-ups to make the right choice.

Furthermore... I cant wait to see this Browns team. I am stoked and waiting anxiously to see how things unfold. I'm really hoping for the best for them.

Earlier you made a statement about the offensive line. To me that's the key here. They will only be as good as the guys in the trenches. I'm a big fan of this and it seems to me the teams that succeed are teams that can win the trench warfare. Again, I hope they get that figured out as it will be critical to the run game and QB protection so plays can be executed.

I wish the Browns the best... good luck.

 

Colts have no doubt Andrew Luck will be ready by camp

The Colts are taking a painstakingly deliberate approach to Andrew Luck's shoulder rehabilitation this offseason, but there's reason for more optimism this summer than last.

After speaking with team sources, NFL Network's Charley Casserly reported on Friday's edition of Rookie Camp Live that the Colts are "very confident" Luck will be ready for training camp in late July.

"There is no question in their mind that he will open training camp throwing the football," Casserly added. "Right now, they're being conservative. He's throwing a weighted ball. That's where they are right now, but he's going to start training camp. They're totally confident in that."

Luck is healthy enough to participate in offseason practices, but he's learned the importance of adhering to a strict schedule after missing the entire 2017 season due to the shoulder injury.

It's been evident for some time, however, that the Colts are counting on the face of the franchise to be fully healthy and capable of withstanding the pounding once the season starts.

Sitting down with Around The NFL Podcast at the Annual League Meeting in late March, new coach Frank Reich was so confident that Luck would "ready to go" that he expressed hope the teams selecting ahead of Indianapolis would target quarterbacks with the first five picks in last month's draft.

"You plan that he's going to be there [for Week 1]," Reich said. "All the rehab is checking off all the boxes: Yep, we hit that stage. Stage one, stage two, stage three. It's all been good. We'll just have to keep progressing on down that road."

Luck's status is one of the stories most worth monitoring this summer.

He's not expected to air it out in OTAs and mandatory minicamp over the next month. If he's not a full participant when camp opens, though, it will be time to dust off the red flags for the Colts' 2018 season. (PFT)

 

When it takes you 2 years to heal you have to lose something on your throws.

 

That is true and he clearly has forgotten how to play by now too.

 

Sean Payton: J.T. Barrett has “a lot of the things” you look for in a QB



Quarterback J.T. Barrett‘s bid for an NFL career got underway this weekend at rookie minicamp in New Orleans.

Barrett, who started 44 games and won a national title at Ohio State, signed with the Saints after going undrafted last month and will be trying to earn a spot on the depth chart behind Drew Brees. His first work with his new team earned a nice review from head coach Sean Payton.

“There is a leadership presence about him,” Payton said. “He is in an athlete. He has played a lot of competitive football and he has handled this camp very well. [He has] a lot of the things that you look for in that position. He was certainly worthy of being drafted and he has done a good job here.”

Barrett gave himself less of a rave and said, via the New Orleans Advocate, that “it was a deer-in-the-headlight type deal” when he first got on the field with the offense. The faster he progresses beyond that point the better for his chances in a competition with Tom Savage and Taysom Hill for work behind Brees. (PFT)

 

Brett Favre reveals he went to rehab three times



Brett Favre was open about his addiction to painkillers during his playing career. But he has just revealed his struggle with addiction hung over his life for longer than he had previously disclosed.

Favre told Peter King that his 1996 stint in a rehab facility was one of three times during his NFL career that he had to seek in-patient treatment for addiction, both to painkillers and to alcohol.

“That was an MVP year for me,” Favre told King, referring to the 1995 season. “But that year, when I woke up in the morning, my first thought was, ‘I gotta get more pills.’ I took 14 Vicodin, yes, one time. I was getting an hour or two of sleep many nights. Maybe 30 minutes of quality sleep. I was the MVP on a pain-pill buzz. The crazy thing was, I’m not a night owl. Without pills I’d fall asleep at 9:30. But with pills, I could get so much done, I just figured, ‘This is awesome.’ Little did I know [fiancée and now wife] Deanna would be finding some of my pills and when she did, she’d flush them down the toilet.

“I actually went to rehab three times. I saw the most successful, smart people—doctors, professional people—lose it all, ruin their lives. A year or two before you saw me, I went to a place in Rayville, La., just outside Monroe. It was pills then too. Deanna and [agent] Bus [Cook] talked me into it. I didn’t think I had a problem, but they talked me into it. I went for 28 days. When I got out, I was able to control myself for a while. I wouldn’t take anything for a day or two, and I wouldn’t drink. But I was a binge drinker. When I drank, I drank to excess. So when I went in the second time, to the place in Kansas, I remember vividly fighting them in there. They said drinking was the gateway drug for me, and they were right, absolutely right, but I wouldn’t admit it. I will never forget one of the nurses. I had it all figured out. I fought with this nurse all the time. I would not admit the drinking problem. At the end she said to me, ‘You’ll be back.’

“I was back. 1998. Guess who was waiting there when I walked in—that same nurse. This time it was strictly for drinking. I didn’t go back to the pills. I admitted my problem, I was in there 28 days, and it worked.”

Favre managed a 20-year NFL career, while fighting through much of it with a harder battle than anyone knew. (PFT)

 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carson Wentz was back on the field throwing passes less than six months after knee surgery ended his season.

The Pro Bowl quarterback wore a brace on his surgically repaired left knee and tossed passes to assistant coaches and ballboys as the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles kicked off organized team activities on Tuesday. Wentz isn't medically cleared to participate with the rest of the team.

"I'm just learning how to trust it, trust your knee, trust your movement, all of those things," he said. "That comes over time."

Nick Foles stepped in after Wentz went down, leading the Eagles to their first NFL title since 1960. Foles was the Super Bowl MVP in a 41-33 victory over the Patriots and would be the starter if Wentz isn't ready for the season opener on Sept. 6 against the Falcons.

"Anytime you're rehabbing, you have to be careful," Wentz said. "Trust what the trainers and doctors are saying and be smart with it."

Linebacker Paul Worrilow injured his knee during practice and had to be carted off the field. There was no immediate word on the extent of his injury.

 

Bridgewater looks sharp, healthy in practice with Jets



FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Teddy Bridgewater rolled right, kept moving and then zipped a pass down the field on the run.

If his first practice of organized team activities with the New York Jets was a test of his health and confidence, the quarterback passed in a big way. And so did his surgically repaired left knee.

"It feels great," a smiling Bridgewater said Tuesday.

Bridgewater missed most of the past two seasons after suffering a gruesome, career-threatening injury in August 2016 while with the Minnesota Vikings. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and dislocated the knee joint on a non-contact play that had many wondering if he'd ever play again.

The comeback trail took a positive turn late last season, when he threw two passes — one was intercepted — in a game for the Vikings. But Minnesota moved on from the former Louisville star, who was a first-round pick in 2014, and allowed him to become a free agent.

After signing with the Jets in March, Bridgewater is moving on from his painful past.

"I'm just focused on the now and what's ahead of me," he said. "I'm happy to be here. We have a great team, a group of young guys who are anxious to continue to make noise in this league. That's very exciting to be a part of."

It was uncertain as to how much Bridgewater would be able to do at the start of OTAs, but the quarterback wasn't limited at all despite having his left knee wrapped. It was an encouraging performance as he worked behind incumbent starter Josh McCown with the first-team offense in team drills.

"He moved well today," coach Todd Bowles said.

His throws were mostly sharp, and he scrambled around the field several times — showing some flashes of the playmaking ability that made him a Pro Bowl selection in his second season in 2015.

"I've been working with the training staff," Bridgewater said. "We've been making some great progress. The goal is to get better each day. That's our primary focus right now. That's my focus as an individual goal, and we're going to continue to just make those strides."

Bridgewater adds an interesting element to what will be a must-see quarterback competition, that now won't include Christian Hackenberg after he was traded to Oakland for a conditional seventh-round draft pick Tuesday.

New York took Sam Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft last month and the former USC star has already been anointed by many as the franchise quarterback of the future — and maybe of right now.

 

Patrick Mahomes' practice struggles don't worry Reid

The Kansas City Chiefs earned plenty of praise when handing the starting quarterback job to Patrick Mahomes this offseason after just one start.

Despite the universal acclaim, the young Padawan still has several steps to take before becoming a Jedi Knight.

Andy Reid and the Chiefs coaching staff have thrown the kitchen sink at their new starter during offseason practices. During Thursday's OTA session open to the media, Mahomes struggled, completing just 4 of 15 passes with an interception in a full-squad session. He went 7 for 12 with an INT in 7-on-7 drills, per ESPN's Adam Teicher.

Normally we'd scoff at tracking completion percentage and interceptions during OTAs. In the Chiefs' case, however, it's instructive in how much the coaching staff is putting on Mahomes' plate, knowing he must run the offense at full capacity come September if K.C. is to return to the playoffs.

"[Coaches] have really tried to throw a lot at the whole offense," Mahomes said Thursday, brushing off his struggles, via the team's official website. "If you want to make mistakes you make them now. You don't want to make those mistakes in the game so we throw a lot now so when we get to the game it's a lot easier."

Reid likewise dismissed Mahomes' practice struggles as part of the process of getting the new quarterback up to speed.

"No, and I've mentioned this to you guys before when Alex [Smith] was here and so on, these are camps where you want to test," Reid said when asked if the interceptions were worrisome. "We throw in a lot of new stuff so you want to test what you can get away with in these camps, so you're going to have interceptions. That doesn't bother me. If you repeat it, now that's a problem but you want to test it and see what you can get away with. That's all a part of the way this thing works."

Mahomes garnered nearly widespread praise for his singular outing in 2017, in which he completed 22 of 33 passes for 284 yards with one interception. The big-armed quarterback showed some 'wow' throws and flashed the traits that caused the Chiefs to leap up in the first round to select him last year. Ultimately, it was that game that made Reid and the Chiefs comfortable transitioning from Smith to the youngster.

Offseason practices aren't used only for testing a young QB's limits. Coaches also need to discern what Mahomes does well to tailor the playbook to his skill set.

"I want him to be exposed to things and that's what you do," Reid said. "Then you work with it and put your personality on these different things. Try to find the things that he's best at, work the offense around him like we did with Alex. We worked the offense around Alex and built it around him and now it's this kid's turn and you have to kind of feel that part out. He's gonna keep firing and that's all we want, and learning, it's a great time for that. That's what this is all about right here."

Mahomes' struggles in the spring shouldn't be taken as a precursor to problems in autumn. They should simply be used as a reminder -- a soft brake on the hype train, if you will -- that we shouldn't assume the transition from Smith to Mahomes won't have some bumps along the way. (NFL.com)

 

Vikings receivers highly encouraged by Kirk Cousins in OTAs

EAGAN, Minn. -- There was an audible reaction inside the Minnesota Vikings' new indoor practice facility as Kirk Cousins' pass evaded All-Pro safety Harrison Smith's reach and connected with Adam Thielen, who has been seeing throws like these from his new quarterback for a couple of months now.

"The ball comes out of [Cousins'] hand differently," Thielen told me with a smile after Wednesday's OTA practice, the second open to reporters this spring. "Every quarterback has their strengths and weaknesses, and I'm not here to evaluate that, but all I can say is, the ball comes out of his hand differently.

"(Stefon) Diggs said it the other day -- the spiral he puts on it just makes it easy for us to catch. It just kind of pops out of his hand differently than you're used to, and you don't see that kind of stuff on film. You can only see that when you're out here practicing. It's been fun, and we have a lot of work to do."

Far greater tests await than a non-padded spring practice as Cousins tries to live up to the three-year, $84 million, fully guaranteed contract he signed with the Vikings in March, ramping up expectations for a team that reached the NFC Championship Game last season and the QB it's paying to lead it even further. Still, Thielen's words about Cousins are notable when you remember all the comparisons at his disposal. Just since Thielen cracked the active roster in 2014, the Vikings have started six quarterbacks: Matt Cassel, Teddy Bridgewater, Christian Ponder, Shaun Hill, Sam Bradford and Case Keenum.

The Vikings won a lot of games with Bridgewater and Keenum, and Bradford (when healthy) is regarded as one of the best pure passers around. Yet, from the moment Cousins got on the field here, everyone in the building seemed to take note of the way he throws. Smith told me he kept glancing over during Phase 2 of the offseason program, before the offense is allowed to go against the defense, to see Cousins dropping dimes on the other end of the field.

New offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said last week: "I knew he had a strong arm coming in. I didn't know he was able to drive it as well as he does. He has a very compact release. The ball just jumps off his hand because he has a short stroke back."

"That's the cool thing about him that you notice out here. You notice when his eyes get to you -- boom! -- it's out," Thielen said. "When you're running a route and all of a sudden he finds you and he puts his eyes on you, it's coming out. And that's a great feeling for a receiver. That's what you want, because you don't want to get too close to a safety, or you don't want the ball to be late, because that's when you get popped."

Again, this is all happening in OTAs. Nobody's getting popped -- not even Cousins when he's diving for the goal line, as he did during a red-zone period Wednesday. There's no pass rush. Frankly, an $84 million QB had better look good in this environment. It'll be a while before Cousins, 29, gets a chance to live up to that monster contract after six seasons (three as the starter) with a Redskins team that always seemed to be in some state of flux and never made him feel he was their guy. (in part from, NFL.com)

 

Broncos OC: Case Keenum's workload paying dividends

Quarterback Case Keenum hasn't taken long to assimilate in the Denver Broncos' offense.

Keenum, who signed a two-year, $36 million deal during free agency, is paid as a starter. And he has conducted himself as such while the Broncos transition to a new scheme under offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.

"Case is working hard," Musgrave said Thursday, via the Broncos' official website. "It's a new system for him; it's a new system for everybody. Case is getting -- exclusively -- all the reps with the ones. We're not splitting them like you would if you didn't have an established starter, so he's getting more concentrated work, and it's paying dividends."

Musgrave's praise of Keenum is noteworthy when considering what the Broncos endured in 2017 without an established starter.

Denver finished the past season ranked 20th in passing en route to a 5-11 record after going through quarterbacks Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch. The trio combined to throw 19 touchdowns, which ranked 25th in the league.

But with Keenum locked in as the clear No. 1, the team's receiving options can focus on building chemistry with the quarterback during organized team activities.

"You don't have to worry about getting reps with multiple guys," wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said after Tuesday's OTA practice. "Your focus is to get reps with Case and only Case. To build that connection. So far, so good."

Tight end Jake Butt echoed Thomas' assessment of Keenum.

"Obviously, Case is our leader, our head man and the voice of the offense," Butt said. "He's doing a great job commanding us, getting everybody lined up, making the right reads and making the good throws."

While players often shine during the no-contact phase of the offseason workout program, it is a good sign for the Broncos that Keenum has taken command ahead of training camp.

Should Keenum carry that momentum into the 2018 regular season, the retooled Broncos could find themselves back in the mix in the AFC West after missing the playoffs for two straight seasons. (NFL.com)

 

If Keenum plays close to what he played like in Minnesota... watch out for the Broncos.

 

Dak Prescott: I like what we have

When the Cowboys’ locker room opened to the media earlier this week, it was Jourdan Lewis, not Orlando Scandrick, and Dak Prescott, not Jason Witten, who were leading conversations.

The names have changed but leaders remain, Prescott insists.

“There’s definitely still some big voices in that locker room,” Prescott said, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “There’s definitely a lot of energy in that locker room. That’s part of being a young team. It’s different, but it’s not bad. It’s actually great.

“There’s a lot of good energy. I like what we have.”

Prescott likes everything about the Cowboys. While everyone outside the locker room is focused on what the Cowboys lost in Dez Bryant, Scandrick and Witten, Prescott instead focuses on what they have.

The organized team activities gave Prescott a chance to work with his new receivers and tight ends, including Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, Michael Gallup and Dalton Schultz.

“We got a good feel for one another,” Prescott said. “We got a good feel for this offense. We got a good feel for this defense. A great feel for where this team is heading. I liked everything I saw out there.”