Category: 2022 season

Ryan Ramczyk weighing options with career-threatening injury

Ryan Ramczyk is managing a career-threatening knee injury. All options are on the table, including offseason surgery and an early retirement:

Ryan Ramczyk’s injured knee isn’t getting better. The New Orleans Saints right tackle spoke with reporters on Thursday and shared some insight on the uncertainty he’s facing after missing the last two games (and likely a third this week). All options are on the table. That includes offseason surgery and, worryingly, an early retirement.

The 29-year-old has been managing cartilage loss in his knee for years. He wasn’t able to play in seven games during the 2021 season because of it and was only able to suit up last season after receiving regular injections. This year he’s been given a rest day to start each week’s practice. But time and wear and tear have taken its toll. It’s a really tough break for a player who was so durable to start his career, having missed just one start in his first four years (when he and the rest of the starters were pulled from the meaningless 2018 season finale) before signing a landmark contract extension.

For now Ramczyk is trying to remain patient and follow doctor’s orders. He isn’t expected to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and is considered week-to-week while resting and receiving treatment, so he at least has a shot at dressing out for the regular-season finale with the Atlanta Falcons.

But the future is unclear. Ramczyk’s career could be over. There’s a possibility he’ll have lifelong knee issues because of this injury. If so, that’s something he’s already accepted, telling ESPN’s Katherine Terrell that “it’s what we sign up for. It’s part of the game, the passion we have to put ourselves through this. It’s worth it.”

What happens if Ramczyk is forced into retirement? Right now, he’s got a salary cap hit counting for north of $27 million in 2024. If the Saints release him outright they would take on more than $32 million in dead money. Their most realistic path forward would be treating his retirement just like they did Drew Brees’ and Malcolm Jenkins’: reducing Ramczyk’s $17 million base salary to the veteran minimum (in his case, $1.21 million) and processing his release as a post-June 1 cut, spreading out the remaining payments from his signing bonus over the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

That would ultimately result in about $16.3 million in dead money for each of those years, saving $15.79 million against the cap in 2024. But it’s by no means a simple solution. The Saints would have to carry Ramczyk’s $32 million dead-money figure against the salary cap through the offseason up until June 2, limiting the moves they could make in free agency ahead of the draft.

Another possibility: asking Ramczyk to return some of his signing bonus. It’s a dirty move for someone who’s already experiencing something as difficult as the premature end of his playing career, but the NFL can be a cold business. There’s precedent for it with players like former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland returning most of his signing bonus after a series of concussions, but some teams have taken players to arbitration over it. An arbitrator ruled that former Detroit Lions superstar Barry Sanders had to do just that, and another ex-Lions great, Calvin Johnson, publicly feuded with the team over a similar situation. None of those cases dealt with as much money as what sits between the Saints and Ramczyk. At the same time, an arbitrator may not rule in the team’s favor, making it a fruitless endeavor.

It’s unfortunate that this is what things have come to. Hopefully Ramczyk and the doctors he’s meeting with in the spring can find a way to better manage his knee and help him continue to play at a high level. But there’s a deadline. Ramczyk’s base salary includes $6.5 million that will become guaranteed on March 15 (the third day of free agency), and the Saints must reach salary cap compliance sooner than that, by March 13 (the start of the new league year). This won’t be a decision anyone involved can put off until the eleventh hour.

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Revisiting the Bears’ 2022 roster cutdown waiver claims

The Bears will be all over the waiver wire this week when cuts are made, but how did last year’s moves fare?

In just a matter of hours, the Chicago Bears and the rest of the NFL teams will whittle their rosters down to 53 players as they prepare for the regular season. That will leave hundreds of NFL athletes without a team, and they’ll hit the waiver wire with an opportunity to be picked up by a new one. When they do, the Bears will be waiting as they have first dibs at the top of the waiver order.

Just like they had the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft thanks to having the worst record in the league, the Bears also have the first waiver spot and will keep it until Week 3 of the regular season concludes. Then, waivers will be determined by the current league records, with the worst team getting the first spot.

Last year, the Bears had the seventh spot, but that didn’t stop general manager Ryan Poles from putting in quite a few claims for players. In 2022, the Bears led the league with six waiver claims on the first day (seven in total). Will Poles top that number this year as he looks to strengthen the roster?

Before we dive into possible waiver claims for this year, let’s look back to see how the 2022 waiver claims fared throughout the season.

Saints share epic highlight reel for long snapper Zach Wood

The Saints re-signed long snapper Zach Wood, celebrating with a highlight reel of his best plays from last season | @ClutchWDN

The New Orleans Saints retained their long-snapper Zach Wood on a four-year extension earlier today. With this, they also posted something pretty special that we rarely see on social media: a long snapper highlight reel. Giving credit to one of, if not the most under-praised positions on an NFL team is pretty great to see, especially one such as Wood who has been exceptional in his six seasons with the Saints.

Last season, Wood took 141 snaps according to Pro Football Reference, and his long-snap accuracy was on point per usual. He graded out with an 81.9 special teams grade in the Pro Football Focus premium stats section.

Overall, Wood has been exceptionally talented in his time with New Orleans, and with another four years added to his contract, he will be remaining with the team for the foreseeable future.

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Wins are on Chris Olave’s mind in Year 2: ‘I’ve never lost that much in my life’

Wins are on Chris Olave’s mind in Year 2 after his rookie season didn’t go as planned: ‘I’ve never lost that much in my life’

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Chris Olave has a simple goal for his second year in the NFL: get back to winning games. The New Orleans Saints’ star receiver opened up about his tough rookie year on Richard Sherman’s podcast, sharing that he didn’t expect to suffer so many losses — it’s a new feeling for him after his teams found rare success in college and high school.

Sherman asked Olave for his goals in 2023, and he’s making it clear that he’s focused on team accomplishments.

“Man I’m just trying to win, man. Last year was tough for me. I’ve never lost that much in my life. That shit took a toll on me, I can’t,” Olave exhaled. “That don’t sit right with me. I’m just trying to be the best version of myself, help my teammates, help them be better, help us win and get to the playoffs.”

He’s not lying. Here’s how each of Olave’s teams performed previously:

  • 2015: 5-6 (Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif)
  • 2016: 7-5 (Mission Hills in San Marcos, Calif.)
  • 2017: 12-1 (Mission Hills in San Marcos, Calif.)
  • 2018: 13-1 (Ohio State)
  • 2019: 13-1 (Ohio State)
  • 2020: 7-1 (Ohio State)
  • 2021: 11-2 (Ohio State)
  • 2022: 7-10 (New Orleans)

So Olave joined the Saints having only lost 17 games since he began playing varsity football, only to suffer 10 losses in his first year as a pro. Olave’s team lost nearly as many games in 2022 as he saw in total from 2021 to 2016. He never lost double-digit games in a single season before. That’s a gut punch for someone who has only experienced success on the gridiron, so of course it’s going to leave him feeling restless. He’s putting that energy to good use.

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NFL analyst believes Bears RB Khalil Herbert in line for ‘big year’

Could Bears RB Khalil Herbert be in for a breakout year? One NFL analyst believes so.

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What do you think when someone says, “Chicago Bears?” It’s a multi-faceted question that can have many answers, all of them holding truth. One person might attach an identity to the team, saying “hard-nosed football.” The Bears lead the NFL with a whopping 30 players inducted in the NFL Hall of Fame; another fan might acknowledge one of them as the personification of the team, like the legendary Walter Payton.

For many, however, the Bears are known for having a long history of positional excellence that has withstood the test of time. Linebackers, defensive lineman, cornerbacks, running backs — excellence has graced these positions over the team’s 104-year history and many of those players are considered Bears legends.

The tradition is still alive and well in the modern age, as several recent players have brought elite skill to their respective positions. All-Pro Roquan Smith was the center piece of some truly terrifying Chicago defenses as the team’s middle linebacker, and the powerful duo of Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mack were whirlwinds of freak power and athleticism that opposing lineman couldn’t weather. As for running backs… it’s a bit of a different story.

While former Bear David Montgomery was an above-average running back whose ability to break tackles couldn’t be denied, Chicago has not had a truly great running back since 2015 — since Matt Forte was catching bullet passes from quarterback Jay Cutler. If history is truly meant to repeat itself, then where is Chicago’s next great running back? Well, one reputable football analyst claims that he’s already on the roster: Khalil Herbert.

Herbert has become a bit of a social media darling in Bears circles the last week or so. Fans are claiming that Chicago’s apparent commitment to an “running back by committee” approach on the ground can pave the way for Herbert to stand out among his teammates. Analyst Clay Harbor, however, believes an advanced metric from last season could indicate a “BIG year for Herbert.”

In the graph Harbor posted, Herbert ranks above other prominent running backs in a statistic called Average Rush Yards over Expected, with the Bears running back comfortably above one yard. For those who may not be aware, formulas are utilized to estimate what a ball carrier should average on any given play, based on a number of factors.

In this case, the formula Harbor posted is from the website Football Insights. So, the graph effectively demonstrates that Herbert gained one more yard per running play than the formula would have predicted Herbert to gain.

That number may seem inconsequential, but football is a game of inches. That one yard more Herbert gains on average could be the difference between getting stuffed at the goal line or scoring a touchdown.

Herbert’s breakout year could be imminent, if Harbor and the rest of the Bears’ faithful is to be believed. Which means Herbert may be taking his first steps into becoming Chicago’s next great running back.

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Bears QB Justin Fields thrived against playoff teams in 2022

Bears QB Justin Fields had strong performances against playoff teams in 2022.

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Many have Bears quarterback Justin Fields pegged as a breakout candidate heading into the 2023 NFL season. Following a sophomore campaign where Fields impressed with his elite rushing ability, all eyes will be on Fields in the passing game. And he has a strong base to build off.

According to NFL Game Day, Fields had strong performances against some playoff teams in 2022. He had a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 11-to-1 against the seven playoff teams Chicago faced. His lone interception came in Week 1 against the 49ers.

Fields’ passing touchdown-to-interception ratio led all quarterbacks, where he ranked above Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

Stats are stats, but as always, stats don’t tell the whole story. While the Bears had the league’s best run game — thanks in large part of Fields’ 1,143 rushing yards — they struggled mightily in the passing game. They averaged 130.5 yards per game, which was far and away the worst in the NFL.

Fields threw for over 200 yards just twice last season — including a season-high 254 yards against the Packers. His season-high in attempts were 28 passes, and he attempted less than 25 passes in 12 of 15 games.

There’s no question Fields needs to improve as a passer, and the Bears made a concerted effort to help build around him this offseason. The addition of DJ Moore will be huge, as well as upgrades along the offensive line.

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Demario Davis was the NFL’s only every-down linebacker in 2022

Demario Davis was the NFL’s only every-down linebacker in 2022, playing 100% of the New Orleans Saints’ 1,132 defensive snaps:

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Now this is impressive. There aren’t many true every-down linebackers in the NFL these days, but Demario Davis isn’t just one of them — he’s arguably the only one, per Pro Football Reference and Stathead. Davis was on the field for all 1,132 defensive snaps the New Orleans Saints played in 17 games during the 2022 season.

For context, Davis was the only linebacker to play 100% of his team’s defensive snaps in the last three years. Since Davis arrived in New Orleans in 2018, it’s a feat just three players have achieved: Myles Jack did it with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018 (playing 1,024 snaps through 16 games) and Jordan Hicks went the distance with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 (on 1,133 snaps in 16 games).

And Davis is doing it having celebrated his 34th birthday in January. Jack was 23 at the time and Hicks was 27 when he joined the 100% club. His durability has been a real asset for the Saints defense, but we shouldn’t make light of his ability to make plays all over the field. Davis has had at least 100 combined tackles and 10 tackles for loss, 3 or more sacks, and 4 or more passes defensed in each of his five years with New Orleans. The only other linebacker to match that production multiple times in that span is Roquan Smith, who did it twice.

So don’t take Davis for granted. He’s one of the best linebackers in the NFL, and the Saints are very, very fortunate to have him captaining their defense. He deserves all the accolades that have come his way after arriving in New Orleans.

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Bears defense PFF grades from 2022 season

Here’s a look at the PFF grades for the Bears defense for the 2022 season.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2023 season, where many are expecting the defense to rebound after a brutal 2022 campaign.

The Bears have welcomed a slew of new faces to the roster this offseason, including linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, defensive tackles Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, defensive ends DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

Chicago is also returning some top veterans, including safeties Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, defensive tackle Justin Jones, defensive ends Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson and linebacker Jack Sanborn.

Here’s a look at the PFF grades for the Bears defense for the 2022 season:

Bears offense PFF grades from 2022 season

Here’s a look at the PFF grades for the Bears offense for the 2022 season.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2023 season, where expectations are high for the offense.

The Bears have welcomed a slew of new faces to the roster this offseason, including wide receivers DJ Moore and Tyler Scott, offensive linemen Darnell Wright and Nate Davis, running backs Roschon Johnson and D’Onta Foreman and tight end Robert Tonyan.

Chicago is also returning some top veterans, including quarterback Justin Fields, running back Khalil Herbert, wide receivers Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, tight end Cole Kmet and offensive linemen Braxton Jones and Teven Jenkins.

Here’s a look at the PFF grades for the Bears offense for the 2022 season:

Bears QB Justin Fields was the NFL’s most explosive runner in 2022

No one was more explosive on the ground last season than Bears QB Justin Fields.

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Bears quarterback Justin Fields emerged as one of the NFL’s most electric players during the 2022 season due to his elite rushing ability.

Fields rushed for 1,143 yards — second-most ever by a quarterback — and eight touchdowns last season. Fields rushed for 100-plus yards in three games, including a career-high 178 rushing yards against the Dolphins. Fields eclipsed 70 rushing yards in eight games.

Fields was the NFL’s most explosive runner during the 2022 season, according to Next Gen Stats, where he was ahead of the likes of Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III and Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne.

Fields’ 2022 season was visually thrilling. Statistically, it was incredible, especially considering the state of the Bears last year.

What Fields did in 2022 was a matter of making the most out of a less-than-ideal situation. The Bears lacked weapons offensively and struggled because of it, but Fields often kept them afloat otherwise. His ability to create positive gains with his legs only makes him more dangerous, and unless Chicago confines him to the pocket indefinitely, it’s safe to expect he’ll end up on this list again a year from now.

When breaking it down, Fields earned an explosive score of 98 (the next closest was 90). Fields had 33 runs of 10-plus yards (20.6%) and 89 runs that eclipsed 15 mph (55.6%), which was the most in the NFL. Simply put, Fields was magic.

While Fields made it clear he doesn’t want to rush for 1,000 yards again, there’s no doubt that his running ability will remain a huge component of the Bears offense moving forward. And Fields will always be a threat to break off a long run.

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