Month: July 2020

Chiefs DE Breeland Speaks looking svelte ahead of training camp

Speaks looks in shape and ready to go with Kansas City Chiefs training camp scheduled less than a month from now.

Kansas City Chiefs third-year defensive end Breeland Speaks is looking svelte ahead of training camp.

Speaks showed up to the start of OTAs in 2019 looking more like a defensive tackle than he did a defensive end. Many fans criticized him for showing up out of shape, but that doesn’t seem like it will be an issue in 2020.

Speaks appears to be working out alongside former Ole Miss teammate Isaac Gross. Instead of playing professional football, Gross is shaping the bodies of athletes as a personal trainer. He posted a pair of photos of a shirtless Speaks on Twitter. Speaks looks to be in a lot better shape than he was this time last season. Check it out:

Keep in mind that Speaks is coming off of a 2019 season spent on injured reserve. He suffered a knee injury in the preseason that required surgery. Brendan Daly did say he was impressed with how Speaks attacked rehab and recovery, these photos show that it wasn’t just optimism.

Expectations are high for Speaks this in 2020. The third year in the NFL is a make or break type of season in general, but for Speaks, there’s an increased emphasis on performance. As a rookie, he played out of position as an outside linebacker in Bob Sutton’s 3-4 defense. Then he had the lost season in 2019, in what would have been his first season playing his natural position at 4-3 defensive end. Thus far, Kansas City hasn’t really seen Speaks at his best.

Starting the season off right, with a fine-tuned body heading into training camp, could be the beginning of a breakout season for Speaks. With news of a potential holdout from star defensive tackle Chris Jones, the Chiefs will need all the help they can get in the pass rush department.

[vertical-gallery id=71250]

Wednesday Big 12 morning rush: Headlines from around the conference

Wednesday morning Big 12 news rush. Topics include most important game on the schedule and ranking the non-conference games.

Each morning Longhorns Wire will share the top stories from around the Big 12 Conference. For this edition of the Big 12 Morning Rush ESPN, 247Sports and Heartland College Sports provide the headlines.

Continue reading “Wednesday Big 12 morning rush: Headlines from around the conference”

Adam Rank: Colts should be favorites in AFC South

NFL.com’s Adam Rank is bullish on the Colts.

After making several moves this offseason throughout free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts are back to being considered favorites in the AFC South.

Not every single analyst feels this way, but the narrative surrounding Indy this offseason has been more optimistic after finishing the 2019 season at 7-9 and on the outside looking in when it came to the playoffs.

NFL.com’s Adam Rank is one of those analysts who are bullish on the Colts winning the division in 2020.

“Yes, Ballard is building a foundation for years to come with many of his moves, but you don’t bring in a veteran quarterback like Rivers and give up a first-round pick for Buckner if you’re not planning to make a run for the crown right now,” wrote Rank in his State of the Franchise piece. “The Colts should be considered the favorites to win the division.”

Chris Ballard did show that the Colts are taking more of a win-now approach with some of their moves this offseason. The Rivers signing and trade for Buckner are certainly examples. But the drafting of Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor also prove the Colts are looking for assets to make an immediate impact.

Speaking of Pittman Jr., Rank is extremely high on the USC product coming out of the gates hot for the Colts.

“Love this fit for the Colts, who were in desperate need of some receiving help. T.Y. Hilton is awesome when he’s healthy. Parris Campbell should be considered a breakout candidate in Year 2,” Rank wrote. “I love MPJ as a chain-mover who can get those tough yards. I believe he had the best hands of any receiver in the draft. And Rivers has thrived throwing to that type of receiver over the years: Vincent Jackson, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams. I expect MPJ to play that role.”

The Colts will need a lot of things to come together for a playoff run in 2020. But the moves they made this offseason should have them in the conversation to be favorites in the division.

Which 2019 Dolphins UDFA will play the most snaps in 2020?

Which 2019 Dolphins UDFA will play the most snaps in 2020?

The Miami Dolphins’ undrafted free agent haul of 2019 provided the team with significant contributions — a credit to the team’s scouting department and front office but also an indictment of the readily available talent on the team’s roster come the start of the season. It required a number of separate variables to allow some of Miami’s UDFAs to crack the starting lineup, and getting into the rotation in 2020 should prove to be a tougher test.

So which of Miami’s three prominent UDFA contributors from 2019 is most likely to take the biggest share of snaps in 2020?

Preston Williams, Wide Receiver

2019 snaps: 450 

Williams will have a starting wide receiver role waiting for him in 2020 — once, of course, he’s healed from the 2019 ACL tear that ended his season at the halfway point. Williams’ recovery will be a big story to watch, as the Dolphins did not address their wide receiver group with any other additions this offseason. Could Williams be ready to rumble by Week 1? Or will he start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and miss action as he continues his rehab?

Nik Needham, Cornerback

2019 snaps: 780

Needham steadily built upon his performance each week and by the end of the year was a scrappy, competitive cornerback who was playing as well as any corner on the roster. But then the team signed Byron Jones, drafted Noah Igbinoghene in the 1st-round and got Xavien Howard back from injury this offseason. That spells a looming set of challenges for Needham to play such a high workload again in 2020.

Shaq Calhoun, Offensive Guard

2019 snaps: 505

Calhoun started almost out of necessity for the Dolphins early on, logging 7 starts for the team. But Calhoun’s play was a tough watch and Miami apparently didn’t see a lot to get excited about — the team added nearly two new interior offensive lines to the roster this offseason between free agents Ereck Flowers and Ted Karras, 2020 UDFA Donell Stanley and the drafting of Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt, who may also play tackle.

Final Verdict

If we had to guess, Shaq Calhoun does not make the Dolphins’ active roster in 2020. And while it a bit risky to bet on the recovery of a knee injury from late October of last year, we ultimately think Preston Williams will command the most prominent role for the Dolphins this season. As a result, we’re banking on him taking more snaps this season than Needham, who is the team’s 4th best option (in a best case scenario that ignores safeties Eric Rowe and Bobby McCain) at cornerback.

Steven Sims Jr. has goals to ‘be another Steve Smith’ playing under Ron Rivera

Sims knows that Rivera doesn’t have a long history of utilizing small receivers, but he sees himself as the next Steve Smith for Redskins.

For players in the NFL who are getting set to work under a new coaching staff, a lot of the preparation that they can do is based on what the coach has done with players like them in the past. For Washington Redskins wide receiver Steven Sims Jr., this may be a bit tough to do.

When sitting down for an interview with The Washington Post, Sims detailed that he found out early on in Ron Rivera’s tenure that he hasn’t utilized many small receivers in the past. Standing at 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, this raised a red flag to Sims, as he knew that he’d have to be special going forward if he wanted to stick around in Rivera’s scheme. Here is the excerpt from the interview:

I’m ready for whatever. We have a new staff, so that makes it even more in my head, like, “These guys didn’t watch you practice for a whole year last year.” They don’t know. … What I’ve done up to now means nothing. I have to prove myself again.

The only small receiver Ron Rivera ever had was Steve Smith. When my agent called and told me that, that was more motivation than I ever needed.

Wait, talk me through that.

It wasn’t a bad talk. It was right after we signed [Cody] Latimer, right after the draft. It was like, [Rivera] brought in bigger bodies [at wide receiver]. I was like, “Okay, that’s what he likes.”

I’m not saying I’m on the cut block. I’m just saying: “Be different. Be another Steve Smith.” He started off the same guy. They only thought he was going to be a returner, and he’s a Hall of Famer. … He was a small guy who played big. He wasn’t going to limit himself to being 5-9.

It may be a sky-high goal to reach, becoming the next Steve Smith on a Ron Rivera-coached team, but if Sims is able to grow and produce like he did down the stretch in 2019, I don’t see why he can’t become a player of similar caliber to the Hall of Famer. With Terry McLaurin and Sims on the same team going forward, we may look back on this time in the future as the start of one of the dynamic receiving duos that have ruled the NFL for decades to come.

[vertical-gallery id=36124]

Should the Dolphins consider playing Byron Jones at safety?

Should the Dolphins consider playing Byron Jones at safety?

The Miami Dolphins’ secondary is very much the identity of this football team in 2020. The Dolphins, with several big-money contracts invested into the likes of Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, boast an embarrassment of riches on the backend — the latest reminder that head coach Brian Flores is a disciple of the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick. With the Dolphins’ personnel on the back end, the team figures to be well aligned to handle matchups in coverage week in and week out.

But one spot does linger for the Dolphins as something of a sore spot in the secondary — if for no other reason than because there’s no proven commodity there.

Free safety.

For many football fans, free safety is viewed as a premiere position — the opportunity to roam the back end of the defense and hunt the football can be a key role in generating turnovers. But for the Dolphins, there is offered no firm answer on if that void can be filled. Bobby McCain is currently scheduled to serve in that role for the defense, but he only has 9 games of experience playing the position, which came in 2019 for Flores and company and led to a fair share of ups and downs.

Could another cornerback step into the role? Could the Dolphins take advantage of their superior depth at corner and shift someone else to play at free safety? One other member of the Dolphins’ secondary does have free safety experience — and it is one of their newest contributors, Byron Jones.

Jones spent two of his seasons in Dallas playing safety between the 2016 and 2017 seasons; an experiment that ended ahead of the 2018 season with the addition of Kris Richard (former finalist for the Dolphins’ head coaching vacancy in 2019). Jones logged each of his two career interceptions over those two seasons, but he ultimately was charged with playing closer to the line of scrimmage as time went on. That misuse of his talent helped prompt the move to cornerback full time.

Could the Dolphins charge Jones with playing free safety? Sure, they could. And in any given week, you may see Jones take some reps in space. But to ask him to play there permanently would temper his value for the Dolphins and be a mis-managed opportunity; especially considering what the cost was to secure Jones’ services. Don’t expect Jones to be a possible replacement at free safety in the long-term, because the Dolphins’ system is going to lean heavily on press man coverage to interrupt the timing of opposing passing offenses. Jones’ length and athleticism are most valuable to the team serving as one-half of a lockdown duo on the outside.

And in the meantime, the team will likely call on an interchangeable collection of secondary defenders to serve as the free safety at any given time — as the more looks and personnel Miami can throw at opposing coaches, the harder it will be to scheme up who is responsible for what in the Dolphins’ secondary.

Adam Rank predicts Oshane Ximines will be Giants’ breakout star

Will Oshane Ximines make the leap in Year 2?

Many pundits have listed their breakout stars for the New York Giants this upcoming NFL season. Wide receiver Darius Slayton, defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and quarterback Daniel Jones have all been identified as players who could take that next step to stardom this year.

Adam Rank of NFL.com adds another name to the mix — second-year outside linebacker Oshane Ximines, who was selected in the third round in last year’s NFL Draft out of Old Dominion.

The “X-Man” as he has become to be known, played in all 16 games last year as a rookie, starting two, registering 25 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and nine QB hits.

The Giants would like to see Ximines jettison to stardom with more playing time in 2020. It won’t be an easy task, as the Giants signed Kyler Fackrell in free agency and are likely bringing Markus Golden back later this month.

“The Giants are going to need to improve defensively (they ranked 30th in points allowed last season) and it’s going to be incumbent on them to get to the quarterback more, as they ranked 22nd in sacks,” writes Rank. “The Giants could have been super frisky in the draft and picked Isaiah Simmons fourth overall, which would have been my choice. (I know he’s not an edge rusher but he did have eight sacks for Clemson last season.) Or they could have paid big money for an edge rusher in free agency.”

Rank thinks the Giants stayed away from adding a top edge rusher this offseason because they are confident that Ximines (and others) can get the job done.

“That leads me to believe the Giants saw enough from Ximines last season to trust him as one of their top pass rushers. Ximines posted 4.5 sacks despite playing less than half the defensive snaps as a rookie. He’s poised to make a huge jump in Year 2.”

The Giants would be in excellent shape if X-Man can come through for them. With talent added all over the field on defense, a quality edge rusher would turn them into a formidable bunch.

[lawrence-related id=651285,651277,651271]

See it: Former Titans RB Chris Johnson graduates from college

Chris Johnson is officially a college graduate.

It’s never too late for someone to go back to school and finish their education, and former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson is proof of that.

13 years after he played his last game at East Carolina University, Johnson officially became a college graduate. He shared the special occasion via a post on Instagram.

Johnson spent four years at East Carolina where he totaled 2,982 rushing yards, 1,296 receiving yards and 42 total touchdowns (32 rushing). His best season came in 2007 when he finished with 1,953 yards from scrimmage and 23 scores.

After posting what was the fastest official 40-yard dash time in NFL Combine history, Johnson was a first-round pick of the Titans during the 2008 NFL Draft.

From there, Johnson went on to put together one of the best careers for a running back in franchise history.

The man also known as “CJ2K” went on to post six 1,000-yard seasons in each of his first six years in the NFL, one of which included a 2000-yard campaign on the ground in 2009, helping him earn his nickname. Johnson’s 2,509 yards from scrimmage that season is an NFL record.

[lawrence-related id=39039,39000,39005]

[vertical-gallery id=39012]

Steven Sims tells story of Haskins laying down the law near end of rookie season

Sims Jr. recalls a tale of Dwayne Haskins taking control of the huddle in his rookie season and commanding respect from veteran players.

One of the biggest criticisms of Washington Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins during his rookie season was the respect he demanded. The most glaring misfall of this came midway through the season when Haskins was in the midst of a tough game, and a video of him pleading with his offensive line on the sideline was shared across the internet, and questions of his leadership started to arise.

Well, as we saw down the stretch, Haskins started to get a grip on things, and his work and dedication this offseason have helped further that notion. According to wide receiver Steven Sims Jr., it was apparent down the stretch of the season that Haskins was growing into his own as the leader on the team.

“To see that in Dwayne, that’s big for me,” Sims said in an interview with The Washington Post. “That’s what I saw from him late [last] year, correcting [former left tackle] Donald Penn in the huddle. He’s telling him, ‘Hey, Penn, shut up. I’ve got to say this play, [and] you’re sitting here going back and forth with the refs. We got to move on. We got a whole new play coming. A whole new clock is started and already running.’ It’s good to see those things, that leadership, and chemistry.”

If Haskins can demand that type of respect from his teammates, especially the veterans, his leadership will start to spread far and wide across the team and in the locker room. If the roster respects the leader, and the leader is able to do his job on the field, there’s no telling where a team can go.

[vertical-gallery id=35486]

Madden 21 allows the opportunity to play two seasons for the Longhorns

An updated feature in Madden 21’s Face of the Franchise mode will allow you to play for the Longhorns for two season.

It was announced on Tuesday that a new feature in the upcoming Madden franchise produced by EA Sports would allow you to play for 10 select college franchises. Yes, one of those teams would be the Texas Longhorns. While fans clamor and beg for the return of the NCAA football franchise, this gives you a little bit of that with a college mode.

For last year’s edition you could choose one of 10 teams, however they replaced Texas Tech and Florida State with Nebraska and Michigan State.

According to EA Sports’ website, you will face some challenges with the opportunity to play for two seasons  in college before trying your luck in the NFL.

Your story doesn’t end there though as you’re thrust center stage on National Signing Day as ten FBS schools vie for your talents. What starts off as a normal Signing Day ends with a dramatic twist after you don the hat of the school you’ve chosen to attend. Once you set foot on campus the stakes get even higher as you not only have to deftly navigate a Quarterback controversy right out of the gate, but also have to figure out how to appease your domineering, old school approach, newly minted Head Coach Red O’Brien – all while attempting to build your draft stock through two challenging seasons of college football AND win an College Football Playoff Championship (or two) along the way. As if that weren’t enough, you’re thrown out of your comfort zone and into disarray when Coach O’Brien delivers you an ultimatum – either switch positions to Running Back or Wide Receiver, or pack your bags and take your chances in the NFL Draft!

For Longhorns fans, you could very well become your own version of Roschon Johnson. Start out at quarterback only to make the switch to running back or even wide receiver. With so much uncertainty surrounding the upcoming season with COVID-19, this might be one way to guarantee you get your football fix.

Not everyone was excited about the possibility of playing for the University of Texas in the “Face of the Franchise” mode.