NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Some of the thinking from, NFL.com...

 

I love watching the new players during preseason to see if they might help the team

 

Makes sense to me to shorten it for those very reasons listed above. I also think 2 games is enough to get a feel for the real deal and get it done... less injury time also. It always killed me when good players (or any player) would go down to injury in a preseason game instead of one that really counts, both instances are bad, it just stings a bit more, imo, when they go down early.

 

Its really the only reason to watch. I think 3 games is the ultimate way to go, but this is one different and unusual set of circumstances.

 

I’m just afraid that teams will wind up cutting guys they would have kept with more opportunities to evaluate them .

 

Kerryon Johnson says he’s excited to play with D’Andre Swift



Lions running back Kerryon Johnson wasn’t paying close attention to the second round of the draft in April, but he eventually became aware of developments that would impact the look of the backfield in Detroit.

Johnson told reporters on a Wednesday conference call that he was finishing off the Harry Potter movie series when the Lions made former Georgia running back D'Andre Swift the 35th overall pick.

Johnson said he wasn’t surprised by the development as he expected the Lions to add a back to a group that also includes Ty Johnson and Bo Scarborough and that he’s “excited” about sharing the backfield with a player he watched from the other side of the field in college. He called Swift “lightning in a bottle” as a big-play threat and thinks the two players can help each other improve.

Staying healthy would be a good way for Johnson to assure Swift isn’t the top back in Detroit. He’s missed 14 games over his two seasons in the NFL and another long absence might make it hard for him to climb back into the picture for the Lions.

NBC

 

In other words, I am greatful that the lions need a backup for Swift because I would be unemployed right now if they didn’t

 

Los Angeles Rams running back Darrell Henderson said Wednesday that he has recovered from surgery to address a high-ankle sprain from December.

“Yeah. I’m good to go now. I feel like if we were able to practice today I’d be out there with no limits,” Henderson said in a zoom call with reporters.

Henderson was injured in Week 16 in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. The injury effectively ended Henderson’s rookie season as he did not suit up in the team’s regular season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

Henderson said he’s been going to the Rams facility as part of his rehab work from the surgery and that he’s no longer hampered from the injury.

“Its going pretty good. I feel great and I’m moving pretty good and I feel just fine,” Henderson said.

Henderson will be in the mix to replace Todd Gurley as the starting running back with the Rams this season. Malcom Brown and top draft pick Cam Akers out of Florida State will also be a part of the competition.

NBC

 

I Thought this was interesting...
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NFL rookie running backs: Who'll be most productive in 2020? My top 7

Cynthia Frelund
NFL NETWORK ANALYTICS EXPERT

1) Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
Drafted: Round 1, No. 32 overall
College: LSU

Between Edwards-Helaire's knack for earning yards after contact last season (SEE: an SEC-best 782 yards, per Pro Football Focus) and his top-level ability to break tackles in both the running (71, most in the SEC) and passing games (14, third-most of draft-eligible backs), he displays key attributes that project for success at the next level. Based on his past play-calling tendencies, Andy Reid's game plan likely includes plenty of touches for both Damien Williams and Edwards-Helaire, who has a lot of upside as a pass catcher. The Chiefs' personnel continuity from last season could also help pave a shorter path to Edwards-Helaire being a very productive contributor -- the more experience the other offensive pieces have, the more focus and time can be spent on the rookie back's role. My PPR model currently rates CEH as the No. 16 overall running back in fantasy football.


2) Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Drafted: Round 2, No. 41 overall
College: Wisconsin

Yep, I'm going right back to the yards-after-contact well because it really is an extremely helpful data signal in modeling rookie running back production. Since 2017, according to PFF, Taylor's 3,921 yards after contact are the most in college football -- by 941 yards! Add in that he's playing behind my model's second-best O-line (one that has great continuity, which my models are all tuned into even more this year, given the abbreviated offseason) and his real -- and fantasy -- value appears quite enticing. Despite being in a time share with Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines, Taylor is my model's No. 25 overall fantasy running back.

3) D'Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
Drafted: Round 2, No. 35 overall
College: Georgia

You know the yards-after-contact note is coming ... With the second-most such yards in the SEC since 2018 (1,334, per PFF), Swift was my model's top pick at the running back position prior to the draft. Breaking tackles and yards after contact are necessarily linked, so it makes sense that he had 77 missed tackles on rushes since 2018. In the passing game, Swift's college resume shows that he aligned in the slot or out wide on nine percent of his total Georgia snaps, according to PFF. Swift could easily end up as the top-producing back of 2020, depending on Kerryon Johnson's ability to contribute effectively. As of now, Swift ranks as my No. 27 overall fantasy running back.

4) Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Drafted: Round 3, No. 76 overall
College: Vanderbilt

Another back with enough upside to potentially lead this list by season's end, Vaughn is currently my No. 28 overall RB in terms of PPR fantasy projections. Over the past two seasons, Vaughn led the SEC with an average of 4.4 yards per rush after contact (min. 100 rushes, per PFF). Vaughn's receiving skills and Tom Brady's short passing game (155 targets to backs in 2019 -- second-most among NFL QBs, according to PFF) match well. Should Vaughn be able to eat into enough of Ronald Jones II's snaps, he could end up as the surprise star of this running back class.

5) J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
Drafted: Round 2, No. 55 overall
College: Ohio State

With the third-most yards after contact in the FBS since 2017 (2,652, per PFF) and the third-most last season alone (1,208), it makes sense that Dobbins had 31 rushes of 15-plus yards in 2019 (most in FBS) and forced 73 missed tackles on rushes. Sixteen of those came in the 2019 Big Ten title game win over Wisconsin -- the third-most missed tackles forced by any player in a single 2019 game, per PFF. But for Mark Ingram and Lamar Jackson, who combined for 2,224 rushing yards last season, Dobbins' projection would have been quite a bit higher than No. 30, where he ranks among running backs in my PPR projections.

6) Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
Drafted: Round 2, No. 52 overall
College: Florida State

At RB36 in my PPR projections, Akers' 74 forced missed tackles on rushes last season at Florida State (tied for ninth-most in FBS, per PFF) are a relevant resume point to dive deeper into. Every year, I use a set of computer vision measurements to "bucket" all Power Five schools' offensive lines into one of five categories (elite, above average, average, below average and well below average) as an initial way of comparing them across seasons. This also provides great context in terms of illustrating the conditions surrounding a team's quarterback and skill players. FSU's O-line fell into the below average category -- nearly well below. So, yeah, Akers was operating (and valiantly produced) in very difficult conditions. The Rams' RB depth chart suggests immediate opportunity for Akers, and his resume maps to great upside potential, even behind an NFL O-line with well-documented issues.

7) Zack Moss, Buffalo Bills
Drafted: Round 3, No. 86 overall
College: Utah

With 88 forced missed tackles on rushes in 2019 (second-most in FBS, per PFF), Moss helps fortify the Bills' ground attack. The Utah back's production in 2018 and '19 show both consistency and upside, as well as pass-catching proficiency. Buffalo's strong O-line is also one with continuity from last season, which adds to the potential here and nets out in Moss being my No. 45 overall running back in PPR projections.

 

Now there’s talk of keeping one backup QB in quarantine in case your gameday one’s test positive for the virus

 

Will: <sees picture of attractive blonde>
"Well, hey there, this looks like some very reasonable and well thought out fantasy advice!"

 

Will this nightmare ever end

 

With NFL teams unable to do any on-field work until training camp, many are shutting down the virtual program early.

The Browns are not one of those teams.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed his team will continue into the final week of June 22, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. He has not determined a final day.

All offseason programs must end by June 26.

The Browns have installed their offense and defense during the virtual program, and they have built camaraderie during the meetings with things like slam dunk challenges.

“I am just so sensitive to not just worrying about the X’s and O’s right now,’’ Stefanski said, via Cabot. “It’s important. We’re installing and teaching a new offensive system and a new defensive system so we have a curriculum to achieve that. Starting next week, we will be in review mode so we are out of install phase, but it is still a matter of with teaching, you can’t just hit it once and it is done. We have to go back, review and build upon the foundation we have started to lay. All the while, we have to come together as a team.

“The challenge has been to come together while many miles apart. It is a challenge but not something that we can’t do. We have tried a few different things. We have some unique people on this team, I will tell you. Again, anything to kind of get a laugh, keep this thing as loose and start to come together. That is going to be a challenge when we do physically come together, as well. It is something I am thinking very seriously about. As important as the Xs and Os are, we are working really hard on the team building aspect, as well.”

NBC

 

The Titans have talked to Derrick Henry‘s representation last week and again this week, General Manager Jon Robinson said in a conference call Thursday.

Henry has signed the franchise tag, which guarantees him a base salary of $10.2 million this season.

“He wants to get something done,” Robinson said. “We want to get something done, and we’re working toward that. It’s about coming to that common-ground spot as it is in every negotiation. We’re anxious to keep the conversations going and keep talking through things.”

The Titans have said all along they feel good about getting a long-term deal done with Henry. They face a July 15 deadline to get an extension finalized or Henry will play under the one-year tag.

“We’re just continuing to work through things,” Robinson said. “The conversations have been positive between me and the reps there and we’re just trying to find some common ground.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Derrick is an important part of what we do, and we’re just trying to find the spot where we all need to be and where we all want to be.”

Henry, 26, led the league with 303 carries for 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2019. That followed a 1,059-yard, 12-touchdown season in 2018.

“Derrick’s approach to how he prepares, he’s been that way back since when he was at Bama and probably when he was in high school,” Robinson said. “He’s a tireless worker. He’s been engaged in the meetings.”

NBC

 

Titans are cheap asses. Henry will play for the highest bidder next year

 

Bye the way. The bull it has hit the bone

 

Where am I to go now that it has gone too far? The bullit hits the bone

 

I’m drinking some everclear tonight so please excuse me for my stupid post tonight
Thank you in advance
I love all of you gidion72

 

I know, I want to know have you ever seen the rain

 

Everything is clear when you drink everclear