NFL - NEWS & NOTES

You know people knock Joe Namath because he has so many INTs, but how would the gunslingers of today fair if they had to play by the same rules as Namath did in his career? The Mel Blount rule didn’t come till Namaths last season. Plus Joe had a bad knees most of his career.

 

They had some tackling machines back in the day. I remember seeing stats for like 250+ tackles in a 14 game season. But that was when teams ran on first down , second down and maybe third down too.

 

♫Girls were girls and men were men ♫
And we knew the difference.

 

I always feel like if someone gets voted in by a decent size group from all over the country with different sportswriter backgrounds, they've probably made a good impression for some reason.

I'd put Namath in. First 4000 yard season and no one did again for 10 years and with two more games added to the season

 

Saints sign Jesse James



Veteran tight end Jesse James has found a new NFL home.

The NFL’s daily transaction report brings news that James has signed with the Saints. No terms of the deal have been announced.

James played in two games for the Browns last season before landing on injured reserve for the rest of the year. The 2015 fifth-round pick spent four years with the Steelers before moving on for two years in Detroit and one year in Chicago.

James has 157 catches, 1,522 yards, and 12 touchdowns over the course of his entire career.

The Saints also signed Foster Moreau recently. The two newcomers join Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Lucas Krull, and Miller Forristall in their tight end group.

In addition to the James move, the transaction wire shows that they have signed fullback Jake Bargas and waived kicker Alex Quevedo.

PFT

 

Saints offense ranked among NFL’s most-improved units going into 2023



There’s a lot to like about the New Orleans Saints offense — on paper, per Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, who says the Saints are the second-most improved offense going from the 2022 season into 2023, trailing only the Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets.

The way they see it, the Saints are upgrading over every player they moved on from offensively. Here’s how Ballentine broke it down:

When you look at who the Saints lost on offense this offseason there isn’t a single player they will miss based on who they have on the roster or who is replacing them.

Adding Derek Carr gives them a viable starter for years. He has finished 14th in total QBR in each of the last two seasons.

Jarvis Landry (272 yards) and Marquez Callaway (158 yards) weren’t difference-makers last season in the receiving corps. Their departure isn’t likely to hurt and swapping out Mark Ingram for Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller gives the backfield more depth and youth moving forward.

The team traded away Adam Trautman but replaced him with Foster Moreau who has familiarity with Carr from their time with the Raiders.

Going from Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston to Derek Carr was one of the biggest quarterback upgrades of the offseason. There were no huge additions outside of Carr, but that’s enough to land them highly on this list.

Look, that’s a compelling list of positive moves. You’d be forgiven for having high expectations for the Saints in the fall. But until they back up all of this hype during games, we risk confusing the cohesive vision for a wispy mirage.

It’s possible that poor coaching decisions hold the team back again this year. There’s a chance Carr doesn’t perform at as high of a level as anticipated. All of this turnover isn’t necessarily a good thing with so many new role players picking up the playbook. And the offensive line is just as prone to injury now as it was six months ago.

But it’s the offseason. If there’s a time to daydream and set high standards, it’s now, when we don’t have to watch Dennis Allen agonize over fourth-down decisions minutes after Pete Carmichael Jr. sends Alvin Kamara running into the teeth of the defense on second down. If the Saints and their supporters end up being wrong and the offense struggles to put points on the board again, well, we’ll just have to eat crow and hope for serious changes this time next year.

YAHOO/SAINTS WIRE

 

Steelers rookie CBs Joey Porter Jr., Cory Trice Jr. have Patrick Peterson feeling young again

The Pittsburgh Steelers inked Patrick Peterson to be the veteran presence in the cornerback room this season, but according to the eight-time Pro Bowler, it's two rookies, Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr., keeping him youthful entering year 13.

"Those guys definitely make me feel young," Peterson said, via the team's official website. "Just trying to keep up with those guys. It's tough, but I am giving it my best go. These are guys who are tremendous athletes, big, strong. I told these guys they are new day and age cornerbacks. This is what NFL general managers and teams are looking for. Big, long guys who can run and have those physical attributes.

"It's definitely fun to have these young guys around because maybe they can help me play three more years."

The 32-year-old's play has waned in recent seasons from an All-Pro level, but he is coming off a bounce-back campaign in 2022, generating a 65.0 passer rating against and -11.7 target EPA, 18th among all corners with at least 300 snaps, per Next Gen Stats. Peterson might not be the lockdown corner he once was, but in a questionable Pittsburgh secondary, he enters as the most reliable commodity.

The Steelers are counting heavily on Porter Jr. and Trice to make an impact in their rookie seasons.

So far, Peterson likes what he's seen from the long, physical corners during OTAs.

"To have both of these young, as coach likes to call them avatar cornerbacks, it's going to be special," Peterson said. "Both of them want to learn, want to get as much knowledge as they need to be successful."

If the Steelers are to get back to the postseason after missing the dance a year ago, the young secondary players and the old veteran will have a lot to do with it.

NFL.com

 

The window is open for a Dalvin Cook trade



June 1 has come and gone. The ability to spread the cap hit over two years has arrived. Other teams with previous June 1 cuts have realized the cap relief from the official departure of the player’s salary from the roster.

The stage is set for a potential trade of Vikings running back Dalvin Cook.

The handwriting has been on the wall for weeks. The Vikings have decided to make a value play for Alexander Mattison, who has played well when called upon to do so during his first four NFL seasons. He’s not a home-run hitter like Cook, but in an offense that looks to be ready to focus on the passing game, the Vikings can take the position that Cook is a luxury they don’t need to afford.

Think of it this way. Are the Vikings a Super Bowl contender? If not, why not save money and refocus the offensive efforts toward other skillsets possessed by the likes of Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, K.J. Osborne, and first-round rookie Jordan Addison?

As noted by Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, Mattison has served not as a complement to Cook but an injury replacement. On five occasions, Mattison received more than 20 carries in a game, when Cook was unable to play.

In those five games, Mattison rushed for 522 yards, an average of 104.4 yards per game.

That extrapolates to a 1,774-yard season, assuming he can handle the week-in and week-out grind of being the starter.

With so many weapons in the passing game, the Vikings might not need 20 carries from Mattison. Regardless, he has shown he can get it done — and he re-signed for a lot less money than they’re due to pay Cook.

So where will Cook go? If there’s a team that will pay him the $10.4 million he’s due to make this year — and to give the Vikings something for the contract — the deal could be done. As soon as today.

Still, regardless of any analytics-based justification for moving on from Cook, the Vikings will miss him. And his next team could end up being very glad to have him.

PFT

 

Still a lot of chatter about Hopkins to the Browns. It might happen. Watson to Hopkins used to be a big deal in Houston.

 

yeah there’s a lot of chatter in general about Hopkins. I don’t see how he fits into the scene with the recent acquisitions, as well as the contract he is bound to demand.

 

Nick Chubb shares fond memories of Jim Brown



Browns running back Nick Chubb considers himself lucky to have known the Browns’ greatest running back, Jim Brown.

Chubb says that Brown, who died last month at the age of 87, welcomed him to Cleveland from the moment he entered the league.

“He called my name on draft, and that was already special,” Chubb told the Akron Beacon-Journal. “Then I got a chance to meet him and it was everything. He was able to tell me things, teach me about football and just talk to me about being a person. It was definitely an honor being drafted by the Browns. If I wasn’t drafted, I never would’ve got a chance to meet him.”

Chubb said he studied the way Brown played the game and tried to emulate him.

“I feel like the biggest thing that he taught me was something he never even said,” Chubb said. “Just probably just me watching his film and playing here in Cleveland behind him. Just knowing that the greatest running back played here, and that’s enough inspiration and motivation for me. Just to know, I’m coming behind Jim Brown, so people around here expect a lot from a running back.”

Like the rest of the Browns organization, Chubb is mourning a legend.

“Jim Brown means a lot to the community, to this town, to this state, to this country,” Chubb said. “I mean, he did a lot. He paved the way for running backs like me and all the other running backs. We all look up to him, and it was an honor to come in behind him and play running back, too, same position. So wish well to his family and RIP to a legend.”

PFT

 

It's the same thing again keep everyone questioning what will be your next move....( sigh ) Kwesi-Adofo-Mensah

 

I hope they work a trade somehow... The Cowboys and the Dolphins are highly rumored. Its a wait and see thing, frustrating to be sure.

 

Ed Oliver, Bills agree to four-year contract extension



The Bills have locked up one of their key defensive players for years to come.

Buffalo has agreed to a four-year contract extension with defensive tackle Ed Oliver, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The deal is reportedly worth $68 million with $45 million guaranteed.

The No. 9 overall pick of the 2019 draft, Oliver was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract on the fifth-year option.

Oliver, 25, Has appeared in 62 games with 53 starts for Buffalo over the last four years. He has recorded 14.5 sacks, 30 tackles for loss, and 42 quarterback hits.

Last season, Oliver had 2.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, 14 QB hits, and three passes defensed in 13 games for the Bills

PFT

 

From what ive read this morning, DeAndre Hopkins is running out of suitors, thanks in part to his demand of around $15M. Giants and Cowboys were on the rumored radar, but not much any more according to sources. Kansas City offered the wideout an incentive-laden deal with a low base salary, and the front office noted that Hopkins could parlay a one-year stint in Kansas City into a more lucrative deal in 2024. If thats still holds true, Hop better hop on over there ASAP and take what he can get and then work/prove he's worth what he's demanding. What better situation in todays NFL could he want... Mahomes and the Chiefs are as good as it gets, at the moment.

Sometimes I think players on the outside looking in better quit looking at what Joe Shmo is making and accept whats realistically offered. I understand its a business, but seriously, how many millions does one need to get he's foot in the door?

 

Sometimes I think players on the outside looking in better quit looking at what Joe Shmo is making and accept whats realistically offered. I understand its a business, but seriously, how many millions does one need to get he's foot in the door?[/QUOTE] At this point in your football career 15 million who's going to pay that kind of money?

 

Patriots, Steelers put lengthy streaks on the line this year



When considering the best teams in the AFC for the coming year, it takes a while for the Patriots and Steelers to enter the conversation. There’s actually a not-small chance that both will bring up the rear in their own divisions.

If it happens for either team, it will end a very long streak.

Via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, the Patriots have a 22-season streak of not landing in last place in the division. It last happened in 2000, the first year Bill Belichick coached the team. A 5-11 record put New England in last place, by a three-game margin.

For the Steelers, the streak is 34 seasons. It dates all the way back to 1988, when the Steelers had a five-win season.

Those are, per Reiss, the two longest current streaks of teams not finishing last in their own divisions.

It has become easier to land in last place since 2002, when all divisions went to only four teams. Still, during those 21 seasons of eight four-team division, neither New England nor Pittsburgh have finished fourth of four teams.

On paper, the Patriots are the worst team in a very good AFC East. In the AFC North, it’s hard to figure where the Steelers fall in relation to the Browns. Both are perceived as being a cut below the Bengals and Ravens.

Still, don’t bet on the Patriots or the Steelers ultimately landing in the basement of their respective divisions. Not with coaches who know a thing or two about finding a way to stay in contention, even when their rosters seem to be lacking, in relation to other teams.

PFT

 

Since the Steelers last did it, 1988 I believe every team in the league has done it at least twice including the Patriots.