Category: Trojans in NFL

Former USC receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown signs huge extension with Lions

Amon-Ra St. Brown is getting paid, and he has earned it.

Star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown agreed to terms on a four-year extension with the Detroit Lions. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports is worth more than $120 million. Of that total, $77 million is guaranteed. This deal will lock St. Brown through the 2028 season. The deal will make the former USC Trojan the highest paid receiver in the NFL, surpassing Tyreek Hill’s $30 million-per-year Dolphins extension last season.

Since 2021—St. Brown’s rookie season coming out of USC—only four NFL wide receivers have more receptions (315). His 3,588 receiving yards rank eighth over that span, and his 21 touchdowns rank 13th.

In the past three seasons, St. Brown ranks eighth among wide receivers in yards (3,588), fifth in receptions (315), and 13th in receiving touchdowns (21).

The Anaheim Hills (California) native was selected in the fourth round (No. 112 overall) by the Lions in the 2021 NFL draft out of USC.

Lions Wire has more on this story, which solidifies a top receiver in an organization which has made dramatic improvements and came agonizingly close to making its first Super Bowl appearance last season. Detroit will try to fend off Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears next season, in addition to Jordan Addison and the Minnesota Vikings. USC players are making a home in the NFC North, and it will be fascinating to see them battle in 2024.

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Caleb Williams’ self-assurance is an NFL draft asset for the Bears

Caleb Williams knows he is good and knows he has put in the work. That should make Bears fans confident.

Caleb Williams of USC, the NFL’s No. 1 projected draft pick, talked about several different topics with The Pivot podcast crew on the eve of the NFL draft. Williams is expected to be picked by the Chicago Bears to start the draft in Detroit.

This year’s NFL draft class has received more noise than previous ones, mainly at the quarterback position. Many teams hope to change the trajectory of their franchise in the first round, and the Chicago Bears occupy the top spot.

Ryan, Channing and Fred sat down with the NFL’s projected No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams to find out what it will be like for him to hear his name called first at next week’s Draft in Detroit.

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner talked to The Pivot podcast a few days before his life-changing night. Williams talked about NFL leadership. A knock many people had against Caleb was that he lacked adversity growing up. Caleb countered these assumptions by noting how each of his biggest grow-up moments came from losses and failures. Whether it was falling short in crucial games or sitting on the bench at Oklahoma at the beginning of the 2021 season, Caleb has absorbed some frustrations. His parents taught Caleb to watch, learn and adapt, on and off the football field. Williams has found ways to get better, and he hopes to continue to evolve in the pros.

The Bears trading Justin Fields showed Caleb everything he needed to see. The culture change he brought to Gonzaga High School in D.C. and then to USC football is what he hopes to bring to Chicago and the NFL. He discussed how much he dreams of championships and the journey he has taken. Playing alongside Olu Fashanu in high school and against Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix in college has exposed Caleb to some of this year’s best draft talent.

Caleb explained how his leadership and focus will help him stand out from this draft class. Caleb hopes to cultivate a new culture in Chicago, and he has the confidence to make it happen.

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The Chicago Bears have made big investments to help Caleb Williams

The Bears have made a vigorous effort to surround Caleb Williams with high-quality pieces.

Caleb Williams of USC is joining an NFL organization which is making significant investments in his career. As the NFL draft arrives, Caleb can see that the Chicago Bears are serious about giving him substantial resources. Over the last two seasons, the Bears have added DJ Moore and future Hall of Fame Keenan Allen at wide receiver, Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett at tight end, and Roschon Johnson and D’Andre Swift at running back.

The Bears have also upgraded their offensive line, drafting right tackle Darnell Wright in 2023 and adding free agents Nate Davis, Teven Jenkins and Ryan Bates.

They added Montez Sweat at the trade deadline last season. They re-signed Jaylon Johnson to a four-year extension. The Bears also signed Kevin Byard in free agency to replace Eddie Jackson.

They will likely also add a offensive tackle or wide receiver at the No. 9 overall pick on Thursday night as well.

Caleb Williams comes into the NFL as arguably the best quarterback prospect since Trevor Lawrence or Andrew Luck. He has been compared to Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes.

In 2023, Williams played 12 games and completed 68.6% of his passes for 3,633 yards while throwing 30 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The Bears are a good fit for Williams. The only downside is time; they weren’t very patient with Mitch Trubsiky or Justin Fields. However, it seems they are finally all-in on developing around their future star in 2024 and beyond.

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Interview with USC NFL draft prospect Brenden Rice, part two

Brenden Rice hopes to land on an NFL team which will feature him in its offense.

Brenden Rice is preparing for one of the big moments in his life. He will be picked at the 2024 NFL draft. The USC Trojan wideout was spectacular in the 2023 Cotton Bowl against Tulane, and he followed that up with a strong 2023 season for Lincoln Riley. We continued our conversation before the start of the draft:

Trojans Wire: I was at the Colorado game in Boulder and I know the altitude up there is insane. ow did Breathe Right help with that game in particular?

Brenden Rice: Yeah, man Mile High and Folsom stadium can get crazy and the atmosphere added in that game was just intense so Breathe Right helped tremendously, lavender are my go to strips they are life changing for on and off the field. It really helps with recovery and sleeping at night too.

Trojans Wire: Let’s talk on the field. Where will you be on this upcoming NFL draft night?

Brenden Rice: I’ll be at home with my friends and family in Chandler (Arizona), just making sure I’m around my people I’m comfortable with because emotions get so high.

Trojans Wire: Is there a team or a fit you see best for you in this upcoming NFL draft?

Brenden Rice: I wanna go to the team that will be able to feature me and know that I’m coming in to work hard every single day. A team that works hards and competes because they will get the best out of me.

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Interview with USC NFL draft prospect Brenden Rice, part one

Brenden Rice is re-creating the aesthetic appearance of his father. The next step: re-creating the results.

Breathe Right is working with former USC Trojans wide receiver Brenden Rice on a fun partnership before the NFL draft begins this week on April 25. We had a chance to sit and talk with the man who hopes to be a future NFL star.

This is a “full circle” partnership in a very real sense: Jerry Rice wore Breathe Right nasal strips during his career, and now Brenden will do the same. Brenden even re-created Jerry’s iconic “Air Jerry” ad from the 1990s.

Trojans Wire: How cool is it to be apart of something like this with Breathe Right, with your father Jerry obviously paving the way back in the 90’s?

Brenden Rice: It’s awesome to be able to continue on a legacy that was before me, it’s a true privilege man. I’m so grateful for my dad and Breathe Right it’s an amazing partnership and product all around.

Trojans Wire: How long have you been using Breathe Right strips?

Brenden Rice: Actually, it was this past season I’ve always dealt with nasal congestion and allergies on the field but Breathe Right has changed the game of football for me and made me better. With breathing better comes playing better and my lungs are getting all the oxygen needed to succeed at the next level.

Trojans Wire: Did you get your teammates on the Breathe Right nasal strips at USC?

Brenden Rice: Yes! My teammates were always asking me for strips before games, it was so great to go ahead and impact them and share Breathe Right with my on community and team.

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USC’s MarShawn Lloyd is a promising middle-round NFL draft prospect

MarShawn Lloyd graded out better than the other non-Caleb Williams USC prospects at the NFL draft.

Chris Simms and Ahmed Fareed of NBC Sports Sunday Night Football have noticed USC running back MarShawn Lloyd’s compact and sturdy frame. The analysts were impressed with Lloyd’s versatile running style and acceleration as the strengths of his game ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

MarShawn Lloyd will impress NFL draft evaluators for a few reasons. One is that he was the primary meal-ticket running back for USC in 2023. He got a lot of work and took a pounding, but remained consistent and a positive feature of the USC offense for several weeks. Second, Lloyd showed a fundamental combination of speed and toughness. He showed he could get tough yards in important situations, but he was also able to make splash plays and get into the open field for big gainers. Lloyd will do better than most of the other non-Caleb Williams USC prospects at the NFL draft. Let’s see what his destination turns out to be.

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Why Brenden Rice could be a fit with the Detroit Lions

Brenden Rice could join the Lions during one of the most exciting times in franchise history.

Brenden Rice, son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, is almost ready to make a name for himself in the NFL. Several teams are intrigued by the top receiver prospect from USC football. Rice will find out where he’s going when the NFL draft kicks off in Detroit next Thursday night. One suitor for Rice will be the Detroit Lions, who are looking to add to their wide receiver core.

The Lions need more depth after the departure of Josh Reynolds. On top of that, Jameson Williams remains a relative unknown.

Rice, who caught passes from projected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at USC, is viewed as a middle-round draft prospect. His father, Jerry Rice, is known as the GOAT — the greatest wide receiver of all time. No player in NFL history has more receptions, receiving yards, or touchdown catches than Jerry Rice.

Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL chimed in on if Brenden Rice could be a fit with the Lions:

“Ja’Lynn Polk can be one from Washington,” Jeremiah said. “Can give you physicality and toughness. Brenden Rice from USC would be another one I could see filling that position.”

Brenden Rice knows how difficult his NFL life is about to become: “The standard is ridiculous, so you can see what you’re expecting from me,” Brenden Rice said of following in his dad’s footsteps.

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Brenden Rice eyes the biggest threat to Jerry Rice’s records

Brenden Rice knows what it means to be an elite wide receiver. Can he himself become one?

Brenden Rice, the former USC wide receiver and the son of Jerry Rice, joined USC legend Keyshawn Johnson on the All Facts No Brakes podcast ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. Brenden Rice discussed his father’s legacy and gave a hint at who can challenge some of Jerry’s all-time receiver records.

Jerry Rice remains the gold standard for NFL wide receivers. He had a high football IQ, difference-making speed, elite-level elusiveness, the long arms needed to make difficult catches, precise route-running ability, and legendary competitive toughness. He was in many ways the Michael Jordan of NFL receivers, marrying athleticism, toughness and intelligence in one complete package. Like Jordan, Rice was at his best in the most important moments of the biggest games. He led the San Francisco 49ers on a long downfield drive for the winning touchdown in the final minute of Super Bowl XXIII over the Cininnati Bengals in January of 1989. He and Joe Montana formed one of the greatest pitch-and-catch combinations in the history of pro football.

Brenden Rice isn’t expected to match Jerry Rice, but he gets his big chance to prove himself in the NFL. A proud papa will be watching.

Here’s Brenden Rice on Keyshawn Johnson’s podcast:

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J.T. O’Sullivan explains why Caleb Williams is a special NFL draft prospect

Quarterback-specific film analyst J.T. O’Sullivan is sold on Caleb Williams.

J.T. O’Sullivan is a former NFL quarterback, a well-traveled journeyman with several years of experience in the league. He performs film study of quarterbacks and is an in-demand analyst at this time of year, every year, before the NFL draft. J.T. O’Sullivan weighed in on USC’s Caleb Williams in the video below. O’Sullivan has also made comments about Caleb to other outlets, such as NBC Sports Chicago:

“”It’s really impressive. The ball comes off of his hand as well as anybody I’ve seen on the college level. I’m a big fan of how Caleb plays,” O’Sullivan said. “He does a number of things well. I think the thing that would be the No. 1 trait people would name is just that he’s the epitome of a playmaker. Now, he can get himself in trouble with that. And there’s a flip side of that. But he can create as well as anybody. He’s got great arm talent. He can make all the throws in the structure, out of structure.”

Here, in the video below, is more from J.T. O’Sullivan on Caleb Williams:

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With NFL draft two weeks away, Caleb Williams is preparing to be a Bear

If there ever was a storm surrounding Caleb Williams before the draft, it has subsided.

There is zero speculation about Caleb Williams’ NFL draft destination. Some NFL drafts have legitimate buzz and drama in the weeks leading up to the big event. Not this time. Everyone agrees that Caleb Williams will go to the Chicago Bears at pick No. 1. The USC Heisman Trophy winner will go to the Windy City.

Bears Wire wrote this about Caleb Williams:

“Let’s be honest, Caleb Williams is already a Chicago Bear (even though it won’t be official until April 25). Williams’ impending arrival provides the most optimism for this franchise moving forward, as the hope is he can finally break Chicago’s QB curse and elevate this team into a championship contender. Williams has an incredibly high ceiling and impressive skillset to boot, which includes arm strength, accuracy, creativity and leadership. Williams is coming into as ideal a situation that a No. 1 pick quarterback has had probably ever, which is already a step in the right direction for this franchise.”

https://youtu.be/0ZCCLMQlocs?si=hUQWr2EAb9WHYO9_

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