Tag: 2024 offseason

Who misses who more: Diontae Johnson or the Pittsburgh Steelers?

With Pickens injured and Johnson causing drama in Baltimore, it’s unclear who’s missing who more—Diontae Johnson or the Steelers.

What a difference a week makes! Heading into Week 14, the Pittsburgh Steelers WR room seemed to have found its groove: the alpha in George Pickens, the deep threat in Calvin Austin III, and the big-bodied Mike Williams. However, following a last-minute hamstring injury to Pickens, which may jeopardize his availability over the next few weeks, the Steelers may regret trading away former All-Pro WR Diontae Johnson this past offseason.

Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers nine months ago in March 2024 for CB Donte Jackson, and was then traded to the Baltimore Ravens on October 29. There appears to be an issue with Johnson’s usage in the Ravens’ offensive scheme, leading to him refusing to play during Baltimore’s Week 13 contest against the Eagles, resulting in a one-game suspension.

While fans may be quick to disparage Johnson’s value for drama-related reasons, Pickens may have ultimately been more dramatic and disruptive this season.

Nevertheless, the only exception is the fantastic acquisition of Jackson, with WR depth still an issue and Johnson unhappy in Baltimore; both sides likely would have benefitted if the trade had never taken place.

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Former Chiefs defensive back responds to offseason trade to Titans: ‘I was bitter’

Former Kansas City #Chiefs DB L’Jarius Sneed responds to offseason trade to Titans: ‘I was bitter’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs made many changes during the offseason to improve the team, which led to sacrifices at certain positions. The decision to trade top cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans during the offseason continues to be felt by the defense leading into the new season.

Sneed opened up about the trade and his immediate reaction to head coach and Andy Reid after he was dealt to Tennesse. He was featured as a guest on ‘The Pivot‘ podcast to explain his mindset after not being retained by Kansas City.

“Yeah. Man, I didn’t talk to him. I was upset. Man, I was upset. Kansas (City), you know, that’s like my first love,” said Sneed. “So many ways, it showed me how to be a champion. Gave me two rings. And, you know, it’s just (that) I was bitter, you know, I was angry because I wanted to stay. And that environment around everybody I was used to. But, you know, it’s God’s plan.”

Sneed was a crucial part of the Chief’s defense, often matching up and shutting down the best receiver on the opposing team. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his former teammates in Kansas City have been vocal about his absence since training camp.

Chiefs are reportedly releasing DL Isaiah Buggs following multiple offseason arrests

Kansas City #Chiefs are reportedly releasing DL Isaiah Buggs following multiple offseason arrests | @EdEastonJr

The brief Kansas City Chiefs tenure for Isaiah Buggs appears to have ended without suiting up for the team in a game. The 27-year-old defensive lineman is expected to be released, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.

“The Chiefs have informed DL Isaiah Buggs they’re releasing him, per source,” Pelissero posted to his X account early Monday morning. The reported release follows two arrests of the former Alabama standout over the past few weeks in his hometown. Tuscaloosa Patch reported that Buggs was recently charged with burglary on June 16th after dealing with an arrest for animal cruelty last month.

The former sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft played three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the last two with the Detroit Lions before signing with the Chiefs as a practice squad player in January. He never played a down for Kansas City but signed a futures contract in February, hoping to make the team in training camp.

The Chiefs’ offseason is quickly ending, with training camp only weeks away as they will try to eliminate any more distractions on their journey to a potential three-peat.

Report: Cowboys to work out LB with UFL honors, NFL experience

From @ToddBrock24f7: Willie Harvey Jr. spent 3 years in the Browns organization and was the UFL’s leading tackler this spring with the St. Louis Battlehawks.

The Cowboys are still looking to bolster their ranks at one key defensive position, and they’re looking to the UFL for possible help.

The team will work out St. Louis Battlehawks linebacker Willie Harvey Jr. on Tuesday, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who cited a source in an X post.

Harvey has NFL experience, too, having spent three seasons in the Cleveland Browns organization. He signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of Iowa State and bounced around between the practice squad, the active roster, and the waiver wire several times through the Browns’ 2022 training camp.

He was drafted by the XFL’s St. Louis squad late that year and played two seasons for the Battlehawks. During the UFL’s inaugural season in spring of this year, his efforts landed him on the All-UFL Team.

Harvey led the league with 76 total tackles over 10 regular-season games. Nine of those tackles were for loss, and he finished tied for 15th in the league in sacks, with four.

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The Cowboys head into the summer with a lot of turnover at the position. Leighton Vander Esch has retired, and Markquese Bell will return to his more natural safety slot. Veteran Eric Kendricks was brought aboard this spring to help the unit transition to coordinator Mike Zimmer’s style. DeMarvion Overshown is expected to make his NFL debut after losing his rookie season to an ACL tear, and the team drafted Marist Liufau out of Notre Dame to join Damone Clark in his third season.

A slew of other ‘backers will additionally scrap their way through Oxnard, fighting for a roster spot. Some are familiar names- like Buddy Johnson and Damien Wilson- while newcomers Jason Johnson (Central Florida), Brock Mogensen (South Dakota), and Byron Vaughns (Baylor) hope to do enough to catch on.

Now the Cowboys may be adding the UFL’s leading tackler to that crowded mix.

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Jets holding mandatory minicamp this week

Jets holding mandatory minicamp this week

The Jets have one more week to go in their spring session. Mandatory minicamp begins Tuesday and will run for three days (June 11-13). After Thursday’s practice, the Jets are off until they reconvene in late July for the start of training camp.

Dates are not known as of yet but we do know the Jets will hold joint practices with all three of their preseason opponents (Commanders, Panthers, Giants).

Arguably the biggest question entering minicamp is whether or not edge-rusher Haason Reddick will report to minicamp. He is seeking a new contract as he enters the final year of his three-year contract and is set to make $14.25 million. He gave up $250,000 in workout bonuses by not attending the voluntary portion of the offseason program. Reddick would also be subject to fines by not attending minicamp.

New York begins the 2024 regular season in 91 days against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, September 9.

‘Dez Bryant-like’: Cowboys rookie WR Ryan Flournoy making early waves this offseason

From @ToddBrock24f7: There’s been just two minicamp practices, but the 6th-round draft pick out of tiny Southeast Missouri State is already turning heads.

Every summer, it seems there’s at least one young Cowboys receiver buried deep on the chart who makes some impressive grabs and therefore grabs everyone’s attention in training camp.

At various moments in recent years, T.J. Vasher, Simi Fehoko, Malik Turner, Dennis Houston, and Jalen Tolbert were all tabbed as the next great Cowboys pass-catcher on the cusp of breaking out. While Tolbert’s stock continues to improve, he’s hasn’t yet gained a stranglehold on that WR3 spot in Dallas… and that means there figures to be a flurry of activity under him as others look to make a move up.

This year’s one to watch could well be Ryan Flournoy.

The rookie, drafted in the sixth round back in April, spent the team’s minicamp turning several heads, including that of dallascowboys.com writer Patrik Walker. In an X post on Wednesday, Walker described a back-pylon catch by the Southeast Missouri State speedster that would have been just as impressive in a late-season divisional tilt as it was in an early-June practice.

“Flournoy elevated and snatched it at the high point after a crisp route,” Walker wrote, “then battled his own momentum by contorting on the way down to get both toes tapped inbounds.” The unidentified cornerback, he noted, “never stood a chance despite being glued to him on the jump.”

ESPN’s Todd Archer called Flournoy’s effort on the play “Dez Bryant-like.”

The moment may have caught his DB teammate off-guard, but Flournoy’s athleticism was certainly no surprise to the Cowboys when they selected him 216th overall. His Relative Athletic Score was a gaudy 9.89 out of 10, putting him in the top 1.1% of all NFL wide receivers drafted over the past 37 years and (h/t to Brandon Loree) giving him the highest RAS of any wide receiver in Cowboys history.

Numbers like that are what helped Flournoy earn the nickname “Super” in college.

Now Flournoy will get looks in Oxnard, and the longer CeeDee Lamb is away from the team, the more chances the Illinois native and Senior Bowl standout will have to make an impression on Dak Prescott and the Dallas coaches.

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It’s not inconceivable that Flournoy not only makes the final roster but claws his way into the gameday lineup.

NFL.com’s Adam Rank is already predicting it, saying Flournoy “will be a name to remember this season” and will send fantasy owners “scrambling for the waiver wire to scoop him up when he becomes the third receiver in Dallas.”

The team currently has 12 wide receivers listed on their payroll. But based on early buzz, Flournoy appears to be climbing those ranks quickly.

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Prescott: Cowboys offense ‘in a much better place’ than one year ago, thanks to one thing

From @ToddBrock24f7: The QB says having a season of Mike McCarthy’s offense under his belt will let Dallas’ high-powered offense run even more smoothly in 2024.

Last year’s 1,000-yard rusher is gone, replaced by the guy who had been deemed totally expendable just twelve months prior. The veteran receiver who had turned contested catches into an art form also departed during the offseason. The eight-time Pro Bowl blindside blocker has left the building, too, same as his linemate who had touched the ball on essentially every play for the past four seasons; their combined 40% of the offensive line will now be manned by fresh-faced rookies yet to play a single snap in the NFL.

There’s almost no one who thinks the Cowboys offense is improved over 2023…

Except the guy who runs it on Sundays.

“We’re in a much better place right now than we were a year ago at this time,” quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters this week at The Star.

That curious assessment comes despite four talented starters- Tony Pollard, Michael Gallup, Tyron Smith, and Tyler Biadasz- all wearing different uniforms this season.

“You don’t win games with just talent,” Prescott rebutted. “And you don’t win games on paper, and talent’s really not decided on paper.”

A Cowboys offense that’s even more potent than 2023’s unit would be something of a September surprise. Last year, Dallas led the league in touchdowns, total points, and first downs and finished top-five in passing yards, total yards, and ball security (turnovers).

So even though more than a third of the faces in the huddle will be different, Prescott says one thing that’s even more important is, in fact, carrying over from last season.

“Second year in Mike [McCarthy]’s offense,” he explained. “Last year at this time was the first time you’re hearing these things. You’re on the 500-level now, you know what I mean? You’re talking these plays in particular game situations, down and distances and not just the breaks, the alignments, and things like that. We’re getting into the nuts and bolts of the thing.

“It’s Year Two of anything … you’re a lot better, a lot more confident in it.”

Early reports suggest that certainly seems to be the case for Prescott, who McCarthy said is thus far having the best offseason program yet during his time as Cowboys head coach.

“My focus is on getting better,” Prescott confirmed, “getting better overall, in every way that I can, every aspect of my game, and making sure I push the other people around me.”

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After just two days of minicamp practices, Prescott says the improvement is noticeable.

“Being more comfortable with the footwork. Guys- the receivers around me- their second year in it; they’re more comfortable, they’re more confident. Things are just faster off the line: from the huddle, through the play, to the scramble drill when a play doesn’t work.”

With the third day of minicamp reserved for a private team event rather than on-the-field work, the next time Prescott & Co. will run a play together is July, when the Cowboys reconvene in Oxnard, Calif. for training camp.

That, of course, will be the beginning of the final run-up to a critically important 2024 regular season. With the futures of Prescott, his most experienced running back, his two primary receiving targets, and the entire Cowboys coaching staff currently unguaranteed for next year, the quarterback’s optimism regarding his unit’s stealthy upgrade had better be spot-on.

“It’s about just making sure these guys are getting better,” Prescott said. “We all understand the urgency of us improving.”

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Chiefs are reportedly re-signing WR Mecole Hardman to a one-year deal

#Chiefs are reportedly re-signing WR Mecole Hardman to a one-year deal | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII hero is expected to be back in the fold for the 2024 season. Mecole Hardman is re-signing with the Chiefs on a one-year contract, according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.

The veteran receiver had 14 catches for 118 yards in six regular season games with the Chiefs. He had five receptions for 62 yards in four postseason games, including three catches for 57 yards and the walk-off game-winning touchdown grab in the Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

“Veteran WR Mecole Hardman is re-signing with the Chiefs on a one-year deal, per source,” said Pelissero in a post early Thursday morning on his X account. “A hero in Super Bowl LVIII after a brief stint with the (New York) Jets, Hardman is back in Kansas City.”

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Hardman days after his Super Bowl LVIII-winning catch, and he explained how Kansas City embraced him after acquiring him mid-season.

“Guys welcomed me with open arms,” Hardman explained. “I came back to a system that I was very familiar with, you know, that knew the plays already. So, it didn’t take me long to get plugged back into the system. I didn’t come with no expectations of trying to be the guy or whatever; I just wanted to play a role and help when I could.”

Hardman will be a knowledgeable option in the Chiefs’ offense, which has a question mark surrounding the status of last year’s breakout rookie receiver, Rashee Rice. A fan favorite in Kansas City, it is a logical choice to bring back the three-time Super Bowl champion.

‘Sky is the limit’: Cowboys rookie Marist Liufau gets early approval from fellow LB

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 3rd-round draft pick has been praised for his football IQ. Fellow linebacker Damone Clark raved about his motor one day into minicamp.

Marist Liufau hasn’t even earned a star decal for the side of his helmet yet, but one day into minicamp, the Cowboys rookie has already gotten rave reviews from one of his fellow linebackers.

The third-round draft pick out of Notre Dame was called a reach by some draft analysts, many of whom felt that Dallas should have used the 87th overall selection on a running back. But since his arrival, the Hawaiian-born Liufau has impressed Cowboys coaches with his intelligence, and now his teammates are seeing it first-hand, too.

“He’s a sponge,” third-year linebacker Damone Clark said Tuesday, per Patrik Walker of dallascowboys.com. “He asks a lot of questions. He goes out there and does everything 110 percent. He gives his all on every play, and the sky is the limit for him. Marist is going to be one of them ones.”

The team is counting on it. The Cowboys’ new linebacker corps- under the leadership of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in his first year back on the job- will be anchored by veteran Eric Kendricks, who just joined the club in March. Clark led all Dallas ‘backers (except for Micah Parsons, who is only technically a linebacker on paper) with nearly 800 defensive snaps last year, but he’s just 23 and still developing. And second-year project DeMarvion Overshown has yet to take the field in a real game.

So Liufau figures to have a real opportunity to make an impact as a rookie. Zimmer said as much in May, when he hinted to The Doomsday Podcast that Liufau could be deployed in much the same way as Parsons.

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“Number one, he’s brilliant,” Zimmer told podcast hosts Matt Mosely and Ed Werder. “He catches on really quick. He wants to be so good and so intense that he’s almost too much at it right now. The other thing is I think he’s a really good pressure player, and I think having that with Parsons and another pressure player that is a linebacker, he can move somewhere else and Parsons can move somewhere else. I think those pieces add to confusion for the offense. Plus, he’s a really good rusher.”

It’s still early for the rookie, but after one day of mandatory minicamp, Damone Clark seems to agree.

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Report: CeeDee Lamb not expected to show for first day of Cowboys mandatory minicamp

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 3x-Pro Bowler is now subject to fines for each day he misses. Skipping all 3 days of minicamp could result in a fine of over $100k.

On April 15, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb opted out of the team’s first day of offseason workouts. Phase One was voluntary, after all, and the three-time Pro Bowler had been expecting a contract extension from the front office that would bring his payday more in line with his status as one of the game’s premier receiving threats. But the deal hadn’t come, so Lamb chose not to report for OTAs and work out on his own instead.

Now it’s June 4, the first day of minicamp at The Star. Attendance is mandatory. But for Lamb, it’s second verse, same as the first.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the former first-round draft pick has not been spotted at the team facility and is expected to stay away.

Lamb’s absence now subjects him to possible fines for each day he misses. The cost of skipping Tuesday is $16,953, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. If he misses Wednesday, the fine goes to $33,908; the fine for sitting out a third day would be $50,855.

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The $101,716 Lamb stands to lose if he skips all three days of minicamp is, obviously, a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the $17.99 million he’s already set to make for his fifth season. And it’s nothing when stacked against the record-breaking extension that Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson agreed to on Monday.

Jefferson, who was drafted five spots after Lamb in 2020 and has amassed strikingly similar stats over the same period of time, will earn a reported $140 million ($110 million of which is guaranteed) over the next four years. Lamb is widely considered to be in line for a deal in that same financial neighborhood.

And while the Cowboys brass has said for months that it’s one of their offseason priorities, there has been no movement whatsoever on actually making it happen. Many assumed that Jerry and Stephen Jones were waiting for Jefferson’s bar-setting deal to get done.

Now it is. And mandatory minicamp has begun. And Lamb is nowhere to be found.

And the meter is running.

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