Tag: age

Broncos have NFL’s 3rd-youngest roster in 2024

The Broncos have the third-youngest roster in the NFL going into the 2024 NFL season, including 17 players under 25 years old.

After setting their 53-man roster last week, the Denver Broncos have the third-youngest team in the NFL going into the 2024 NFL season, according to data collected by bookies.com.

With an average age of 26 years, one month and 19 days, the Broncos only trail the Los Angeles Rams (25.11.12) and Green Bay Packers (25.7.25). The Buffalo Bills (27.5.29) are the oldest team in the league.

This is a big age drop from last year when Denver ranked as the 10th-oldest team in the league. The Broncos moved on from several aging veterans this spring including quarterback Russell Wilson (35) and safety Justin Simmons (30).

Denver also parted ways with safety Kareem Jackson (36) late last season, and fullback Michael Burton (32) was dropped down to the practice squad this summer, so he does not count against the team’s active roster age average. 

“Sean [Payton] has said it a number of times, ‘We’re young and hungry,'” general manager George Paton said after roster cuts last week.

Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles (32) is the team’s oldest player. Denver has three other players older than 30 and four players older than 29. Rookie pass rusher Jonah Elliss (21) is the team’s youngest player. The Broncos have 17 players under 25, including rookie quarterback Bo Nix (24).

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Saints’ initial 53-man roster age has plummeted compared to 2023

The New Orleans Saints have gone for the younger approach to team building this year, dropping their average team age by half a year in one offseason

Last season, the New Orleans Saints had the oldest initial 53-man roster age of any NFL team, starting off at 27.4 years old. Per Nola.com’s Luke Johnson, the roster is now down to an average age of 26.9. Nearly a half of a year decrease in age a season later, with some of the older players still remaining on the roster and one year older (like Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Taysom Hill, Derek Carr, Tyrann Mathieu, and so on) this shows how much the roster turnover really aimed for younger players.

The Saints ended up with four undrafted free agents making the roster, as well as all but one of their draft picks in 2024 making the roster (Josiah Ezirim was added to the practice squad), that explains much of this youth movement. These players are:

  • Taliese Fuaga – 22 years old
  • Kool-Aid McKinstry – 21 years old
  • Spencer Rattler – 23 years old
  • Bub Means – 23 years old
  • Jaylan Ford – 22 years old
  • Khristian Boyd – 24 years old
  • Mason Tipton – 23 years old
  • Matthew Hayball – 27 years old
  • Dallin Holker – 24 years old
  • Rico Payton – 24 years old

Additionally, Kendre Miller and Bryan Bresee are both still 22 as well, dragging the average age down even further. While they may still end up being in the upper half and on the higher side of the age groupings, they have most definitely looked to go younger this year as opposed to last year’s theme.

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Brewers rising star Jackson Chourio is younger than Wisconsin great Braelon Allen

Brewers rising star Jackson Chourio is younger than Wisconsin great Braelon Allen

The sporting discussion in the state of Wisconsin currently revolves around Milwaukee Brewers breakout star Jackson Chourio.

The 20-year-old outfielder is hitting .339 (62/183) with 9 home runs and 34 RBI in his last 50 games, leading the Brewers to a 66-49 record — only 0.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second-best record in the National League.

Related: Every former Wisconsin Badger currently on an NFL roster entering 2024 training camp

His season-long numbers are up to .274/.321/.758, 14 home runs, 50 RBI and 16 stolen bases. The rising star could near a 20 home-run, 20 stolen-base season. That mark has only been previously accomplished by two players of his age: Mike Trout (2012) and Vada Pinson (1959), numbers courtesy of MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy.

The summary: after an offseason full of headlines including former manager Craig Counsell taking the Chicago Cubs job and ace Corbin Burnes being traded to the Baltimore Orioles, a young rising star has become the story of the season. The age of that rising star (20 years old) is the story almost as much as how his play is helping the team.

Wisconsin Badgers fans are familiar with such a storyline. A mention of age was at the center of every discussion regarding running back Braelon Allen during his breakout true freshman season in 2021.

Allen was only 17 years old at the time after reclassifying in high school and joining the Badgers early.

Flash-forward three years, the 20-year-old Allen is a rookie on the New York Jets and enters the 2024 NFL season as the youngest player in the league. He is the league’s first active player to be born in 2004.

Allen’s age is a strong point of comparison for Badgers fans after his decorated college career. It can help contextualize Chourio’s record-setting breakout.

For further context on the Chourio’s headline-grabbing 2024 season, he’s actually 51 days younger than the former Badger running back, that note courtesy of @JaymesL on X.

Chourio recently signed an 8-year, $82 million extension with the Brewers in April. The club gave him the deal on April 4, 2024 — only five games into his professional career. That vote of confidence has already begun to pay off with his play this season.

Allen’s professional career, meanwhile, is beginning outside the state of Wisconsin, so he’ll no longer command the same headlines as when he was rushing for 1,200-plus yards with the Badgers. But his age can still serve as a benchmark for topics like this one — when another team in the state has a young player in the midst of a breakout.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. 

Saints’ Tyrann Mathieu named a ‘player to root for’ in 2024

New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu was named a ‘player to root for’ in 2024 by NFL Media. The hometown hero has plenty of fans:

2024 is a big year for Tyrann Mathieu. The veteran safety has been everything the New Orleans Saints hoped for when they signed him, rarely missing a snap while leading Dennis Allen’s defense with seven interceptions through two years with his hometown team. He’s an important leader in the locker room, someone teammates flock to looking for advice.

For those reasons and more he’s an easy player to root for, at least according to NFL Media’s Dan Parr. Parr highlighted one player to cheer on each NFC team, and he says Mathieu fits the bill:

Let’s not sleep on the Badger’s abilities, OK? I know he’s heading into his age-32 season, but he remains one of the best players at his position and should be getting more recognition for it. Mathieu was left off the Pro Bowl roster last season, but he led all safeties with a targeted EPA of -37 (expected points added allowed when the player was targeted as the nearest defender), per Next Gen Stats. That metric is one way to look at how a player affects the offense’s scoring potential, and as you can see, Mathieu is very good at wiping out the hopes of the team lining up across from him. He’s also one of only two players who have recorded three or more interceptions in each season since 2017, alongside Justin Simmons. I’m rooting for Tyrann to get the flowers he deserves in 2024, and I appreciate that he doesn’t take his opportunities for granted.  

It’s been impressive to see Mathieu playing so well this late into his career. He’s going into Year 12 in the NFL and turned 32 in May, having signed an extension with the Saints this spring. There’s a good chance he’ll play out the rest of his career in front of his hometown.

And the Saints are counting on him. We weren’t being hyperbolic about his snap counts; in 2022, he was on the field for all 1,129 snaps the team played on defense. In 2023 he was in the lineup for 1,097 of their 1,107 snaps played. He’s an every-down defender in every sense of the phrase.

Mathieu is one of several keystone veterans the Saints are leaning on defensively. Demario Davis (35 years old in Year 13) patrols the middle of the field at linebacker, while Cameron Jordan (who turns 35 in a few weeks, in Year 14) is the leader of the defensive line. At some point younger teammates must step up and lessen the load on their shoulders. For now, though, we’re anxious to see just how far Mathieu can take his career.

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Golf instruction: Combat your hip pain with this small adjustment

There is nothing worse than being uncomfortable while doing what you love to do.

There is nothing worse than being uncomfortable while doing what you love to do. This week we are talking about hip pain, and how to alleviate some of that pressure while playing golf.

This week, Golfweek’s fitness guru and long driver Averee Dovsek demonstrates how to adjust your foot placement in your set-up to combat and relieve some of that stubborn hip pain.

We recommend seeking a professional medical opinion to see if this fix is right for you.

If you’re interested in any of Averee’s fitness content, click here.

If you’re looking for more instruction, click here.

Saints’ offensive line experiencing a youth movement in 2024

The New Orleans Saints new scheme prioritizes offensive line’s athleticism. This shift coincides with a drop in the unit’s average age:

The New Orleans Saints offensive line is going through a youth movement. By their scheme, it is necessary. Trevor Penning highlighted Klint Kubiak’s wide zone scheme for utilizing the athleticism of the offensive line. That change of direction has also coincided with the unit getting much younger. Not every change can be tied scheme, but it does feel like an intentional shift.

Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are the only returning starters from last season. Trevor Penning is excluded because he spent most of the season on the bench. The offensive line’s average age drops from 28.2 to 24.6 years old. Even if Shane Lemieux starts at left guard ahead of Nick Saldiveri, the average age only rises to 25.2, which would still be a 3-year drop from last year’s average age.

James Hurst was the oldest player on the line last year, and he simply didn’t fit the new offensive scheme Kubiak is installing. He was the one player who needed to be replaced. New Orleans has always valued athleticism, so the pieces were already there. Of the new starters, first round pick Taliese Fuaga is the only one who wasn’t on the roster in 2023. His experience in a similar scheme, however, may provide one of the smoother transitions to Kubiak’s offense.

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WATCH: Braelon Allen’s age is at the center of another viral moment, this with Jets QB Aaron Rodgers

WATCH: Braelon Allen’s age is at the center of another viral moment, this with Aaron Rodgers

Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen’s age is in the news again. For once, it isn’t about him being the Badgers’ leading rusher and best offensive player as a 17-year-old freshman.

This time, it has to do with his New York Jets teammate Aaron Rodgers. Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams was meeting with the media on Wednesday and realized that Rodgers was entering the 20th year of his NFL career (2005-2024).

Related: Which Big Ten football team has the toughest 2024 schedule?

His response: “20 years..Aaron [Rodgers] has done 20 years in the NFL?” Williams remarked. Ain’t our running back, the number 0, 20 years old? So [Rodgers] has been in the NFL longer than he’s been alive? That’s crazy.”

As mentioned, number 0 on the Jets is former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen.

“I have to joke with him about that,” Williams concluded — likely talking about Rodgers and his veteran age.

Allen was selected by the Jets No. 134 overall in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He makes the leap to the professional level after three exceptional years with the Badgers, seasons which included 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns. Allen’s college career ended with him at No. 9 on Wisconsin’s all-time rushing yards leaderboard.

He joins a Jets backfield led by former Iowa State running back Breece Hall. Allen should find an immediate role in short-yardage situations and as Hall’s primary backup.

And yes, he will be playing with a 40-year-old quarterback who has been in the NFL since the year after Allen was born.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

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40 of the Saints’ 43 players on offense are under age 30

40 of the Saints’ 43 players on offense are under age 30. A youth movement is quietly spreading in New Orleans:

It’s no secret that younger athletes have an edge on older ones. Fresh legs and untapped potential have a lot to offer. And the New Orleans Saints have often been criticized for fielding a roster that skews closer to the older side in recent years, relying hard on so many veteran players on the wrong side of 30.

So it’s worth taking note when these trends reverse themselves. Right now, after drafting seven rookies and signing 15 more undrafted free agents, the Saints have 43 players on offense, 40 on defense, with a few specialists rounding out their roster to 87 (of the 90 offseason roster spots they’re allotted). And of those 43 players on offense, 40 are under the age of 30.

The only exceptions are quarterbacks Derek Carr (33) and Taysom Hill (33), as well as right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (30), who may not play this year while  dealing with a career-threatening knee injury. After three years of leaning hard on older players in playoffs-or-bust campaigns (which, you know, all busted) the Saints are finally getting younger.

It’s less notable defensively, but the trend continues there, too. Of the 40 defenders on the roster all but four are under 30: linebacker Demario Davis (35), defensive end Cameron Jordan (34), safety Tyrann Mathieu (31), and defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd (30). The problem is that those four players each led their position groups in snaps played last season, at least until Jordan’s ankle injury caused Carl Granderson to start playing ahead of  him late in December.

Getting young draft picks active and involved like cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, linebacker Jaylan Ford, and defensive tackle Khristian Boyd would do so much to change the complexion of this Saints defense. If spry free agent pickups like defensive end Chase Young (25) and linebacker Willie Gay (26) are playing heavy minutes, even better.

We’re seeing the Saints change shape right before our eyes. This isn’t a team going for broke to trade up at every opportunity in the draft while cooking the books to add big names in free agency. There’s a self-awareness in Mickey Loomis’ front office that we haven’t seen before.

Will that lead to better results? Maybe, maybe not. Dennis Allen is still the head coach and Carr is still the quarterback. We probably shouldn’t make too much of the roster’s youthfulness in April when many of these rookies will be let go during roster cuts in September, rebalancing the scales. But if the Saints are going to find success and sustain it, doing a better job of drafting and developing young talent is the best way to get there.

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Packers had youngest and least experienced roster, most first-year players to open 2023

The Green Bay Packers had the youngest and least experienced roster in football to start 2023. They were also one of the biggest.

The Green Bay Packers had the youngest and least experienced overall roster, the most first-year or rookie players and the second-fewest players over 30 years old to open Week 1 of the 2023 season.

They were also one of the biggest teams to start 2023.

According to information collected by the NFL, the Packers had an average age of 25.13 years, average experience of 3.0 years and 17 rookies or first-year players. The Cincinnati Bengals ranked second in age at 25.42 years on average. The Los Angeles Rams ranked second in experience at 3.19 years and had the second-most first-year or rookie players with 15. The Packers had only three players age 30 or older, an NFC low; the Indianapolis Colts had the fewest in the NFL with two.

For comparison, the New York Jets had an average age of 27.11, average experience of 5.27 years and 15 players over the age of 30.

The only three players aged 30 or older in Green Bay are David Bakhtiari, De’Vondre Campbell and Preston Smith. The Packers actually have more first-year or rookie players (17) than players with five years or more of experience (16).

The youth movement is on in Green Bay. So far, so good. The Packers are 1-0 after beating the Bears in Week 1.

While young and inexperienced, the Packers were the biggest team by average height and weight in the NFC. In fact, the Packers’ average height of 6.25 was the tallest in the NFL, and only the New England Patriots (249.11) were bigger than the Packers (248.89) weight-wise.

Young and big. And undeniably fast. The Packers will likely go through ups and downs during the 2023 season, but general manager Brian Gutekunst has built a developing yet competitive group of young, exciting players around a strong, experienced core.

Packers rookies, first-year players

DL Karl Brooks
K Anders Carlson
QB Sean Clifford
OLB Brenton Cox Jr.
WR Malik Heath
S Anthony Johnson Jr.
TE Tucker Kraft
TE Luke Musgrave
WR Jayden Reed
TE Ben Sims
CB Carrington Valentine
OLB Lukas Van Ness
WR Dontayvion Wicks
RB Emanuel Wilson
DL Colby Wooden
P Daniel Whelan
S Zayne Anderson (first-year)

Broncos have NFL’s 10th-oldest roster going into Week 1

The Broncos have the 10th-oldest roster in the NFL going into Week 1. Safety Kareem Jackson (35) is the team’s oldest player.

After setting their 53-man roster for the 2023 NFL season, the Denver Broncos have an average age of 26.68 years, according to Spotrac.com.

That makes Denver the tenth-oldest team in the NFL going into Week 1.

The team’s oldest player is veteran safety Kareem Jackson (35). Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (34) is not far behind, followed by nose tackle Mike Purcell (32), tight end Chris Manhertz (31), tight end Michael Burton (31) and left tackle Garett Bolles (31).

Denver’s youngest players are, not surprisingly, all rookies: wide receiver Marvin Mims (21), running back Jaleel McLaughlin (22), inside linebacker Drew Sanders (22) and safety JL Skinner (22).

Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Las Vegas Raiders are the third-oldest team (26.94), the Los Angeles Chargers (26.04) are the ninth-youngest and the Kansas City Chiefs (25.85) are the sixth-youngest in the league.

The New York Jets (28.22) are the oldest team in the NFL and the Green Bay Packers (25.36) are the youngest. You can view the full list on Spotrac.com by clicking the “AVG AGE” tab.

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