Tag: Antonio Gandy-Golden

4 potential trade targets for the Lions before roster cutdowns

Every Wire team editor named one player who could be traded in the roster cutdown period. These four players make the most sense for the Lions.

The roster cutdown period will see hundreds of players suddenly available in the coming days. If the Detroit Lions are seeking a specific player or position that is expected to be cut by another team, making a minor trade instead of waiting through the waiver wire claim or open market is a shrewd way to build up the bottom of the roster.

Our Wire network of editors listed one player from each team who is a good candidate to be traded in the next few days. Obviously, not all will be dealt, but it’s a good look at what types of players and positional talent will be available after the final preseason games this weekend.

Here are four players whose names came up on the Wire list who would make sense as trade targets for the Lions.

Gardner Minshew, QB, Jaguars

Minshew is the best young quarterback available. He’s never going to get ahead of No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville and the Jaguars like what they’ve seen from veteran C.J. Beathard too. While Minshew isn’t a likely successor to Jared Goff, he does represent a more skilled and feisty backup option than either David Blough or Tim Boyle in Detroit. Neither has impressed enough to avoid being replaced.

N’Keal Harry, WR, Patriots

The sales pitch to acquire Harry isn’t a great one. A former first-round pick who has not panned out at all in New England, harry is also battling injury issues this preseason. A conditional late-round pick would secure his services at a position where the Lions are clearly seeking long-term potential, and Detroit does have the cap room to take on the remainder of his rookie contract.

Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Football Team

Gandy-Golden is the victim of circumstance in Washington. The Football Team’s fourth-round pick in 2020 out of Liberty lost most of his rookie campaign to injury and COVID-19, and the team appears to have moved on already. His size and playing style are quite similar to ex-Lions WR Kenny Golladay. While it was a different regime, the Lions did coach Gandy-Golden in Senior Bowl week in 2020.

Taylor Rapp, S, Rams

Rapp is a hyper-athletic box safety who bagged 100 tackles as a rookie in 2019. Lions GM Brad Holmes knows him well as the leader of the scouting staff that tabbed Rapp in the second round of that draft. The Rams defense doesn’t really use that kind of player anymore. Rapp would be an instant upgrade over Will Harris in that “big” safety role and can even play some hybrid LB/S.

Behind Enemy Lines: Week 9 Q&A with Washington Wire

With a Week 9 matchup between the New York Giants and Washington on tap, we go behind enemy lines for a chat with Washington Wire.

The New York Giants (1-7) and the Washington Football Team (2-5) will square off on Sunday afternoon in a Week 9 matchup at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

The Giants opened the week as 3.5-point road underdogs, but the spread has dwindled a bit with New York now at +2.5.

With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Washington Wire managing editor Zachary Neel.

Washington Redskins rookie Antonio Gandy-Golden cleared after testing positive for COVID-19

Washington Redskin draft pick Antonio Gandy-Golden says he is cleared after testing positive fore COVID-19?

Washington Redskins fourth-round draft pick Antonio Gandy-Golden had quite the scare during the pre-draft process.

The WR from Liberty tested positive for COVID-19 on March 24. He released a statement through his agent Wednesday saying he was cleared April 7.

The 6-foot-4, 223-pounder made 150 catches for 2,433 yards in two seasons at Liberty.

Rams center Brian Allen and Broncos linebacker Von Miller are the active NFL players known to have tested positive.

Antonio Gandy-Golden – No. 142 pick – Washington Redskins

Strengths: Great size, speed and nimbleness.
Weaknesses: Struggled against Auburn’s defensive press coverage and too many drops

Strengths: Great size, speed and nimbleness.
Weaknesses: Struggled against Auburn’s defensive press coverage and too many drops

Antonio Gandy-Golden – No. 142 pick – Washington Redskins

Strengths: Great size, speed and nimbleness.
Weaknesses: Struggled against Auburn’s defensive press coverage and too many drops

Strengths: Great size, speed and nimbleness.
Weaknesses: Struggled against Auburn’s defensive press coverage and too many drops

The 13 best prospects available for Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft

Two big-name quarterbacks are still on the board.

The 2020 NFL Draft still has plenty to offer, even in the later rounds of the class, and perhaps particularly at the quarterback position. Only one quarterback went on Day 2 (Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts) after four went on Day 1. That has left a few of college’s best starters in the mix for Day 3.

After the NFL set a record of receivers drafted in the first two rounds, the pass-catchers are looking less impressive. And the tight end group, which was never particularly awe-inspiring, has one big name leftover. Defensively, there are a handful of starting-caliber talents, too. Here’s a look at the 13 best prospects available.

Jacob Eason, QB, Washington

He’s an enticing physical talent, but clearly, NFL teams are concerned about his processing power. He didn’t show an advanced ability to read defenses or handle pressure. Even so, NFL.com gave him a second-round grade with the potential to be an average starter. He’ll likely go off the board early.

Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia

Fromm is a quarterback with equally uncertain pro prospects to Eason, but they’re totally opposite. Fromm has all the brains and work ethic to hang in the NFL, but his arm talent doesn’t seem to match. Those physical tools (or lack thereof) seem to be scaring off teams.

Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty

He blew up at the Senior Bowl with a strong set of practices, but his measurements didn’t wow at the 2020 NFL Combine. His 40-yard dash was 4.6-seconds and 3-cone drill was 7.33-seconds — neither is particularly impressive. But perhaps at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, he can be a big, possession receiver in the NFL.

John Hightower, WR, Boise State

His athletic profile is impressive, at 6-foot-1 and 190 yards and a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, 7.07-second 3-cone drill and a 38-inch vertical leap. He can stretch the field with his speed and route-running, and also works well after the catch. He’s an example of how deep this class is.

Hunter Bryant, TE, Florida Atlantic

Look, I may or may not have pegged him as a potential first-rounder — and at the time, I was willing to admit it was a little crazy. But I do think he can be a productive tight end in the NFL, in the same vein of Austin Hooper. He eclipsed 1,000 yards in his final season at FAU.

Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri

He’s a really good athlete with solid production in his three seasons as a starter, and in the process, he’s found ways to be productive in a number of ways. He had a career-high 11 touchdowns in his first season, a career-high 43 catches and 466 yards in his second season. But he didn’t quite develop over his college career.

Saahdiq Charles, OT, LSU

He missed six games for disciplinary reasons, but he’s a starting tackle on a National Championship-winning team. He saw no shortage of excellent pass rushers, and showed enough size and athleticism to give promise of being an NFL starter.

Curtis Weaver, Edge, Boise State

He was a three-year starter, and managed impressive production with 128 tackles, 34 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss. It seems his promise as a pass-rusher hasn’t outweighed his shortcomings as a run defender.

Bradlee Anae, Edge, Utah

He popped in his senior season with 13 sacks, 41 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. NFL.com touted his “revved-up motor and salty disposition,” with the ability to work on all four downs.

Geno Stone, S, Iowa

He’s a super smart safety, whose athleticism isn’t necessarily as impressive. There’s a good chance he can work his way up a depth chart into a starting role.

Reggie Robinson, CB, Tulsa

He has the right size, speed and athleticism that NFL teams want in a cornerback. But he’s still on the board, likely because of his difficulties as a tackler while competing at a lower level of competition

Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech

He’s a physical, nasty cornerback who is on the smaller side, but has the potential to earn a starting role in the NFL, specifically in the slot.

Larrell Murchison, DT, NC State

He’s a smaller and less athletic interior defensive lineman, whose effort and technique have helped him be a disruptor.

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The best players left after the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL draft

Players ignored in the first three rounds of the draft can still get it done in the NFL. Doug Farrar breaks down the best players left.

So. You’ve got NFL potential, but for whatever reason, the NFL doesn’t see you as a first- or second-day pick. Yes, it’s devastating at the time, but all kinds of players have recovered from falling to the fourth through the seventh rounds to become something special. Ask Geno Atkins, who was taken in the fourth round of the 2010 draft by the Bengals out of Georgia. Atkins has made eight Pro Bowls. Ask Richard Sherman, taken in the fifth round of the 2011 draft by the Seahawks out of Stanford. The former receiver became the preeminent cornerback of his era.

Antonio Brown. Dak Prescott. David Bakhtiari. Jason Kelce. Stefon Diggs. Kirk Cousins. Everson Griffen. And that’s just in the last decade. There’s also that quarterback taken 199th overall by the Patriots in the 2000 draft. Plays for the Buccaneers now. Guy named Brady. You may have heard of him.

The point is, of course, that your draft spot does not determine your destiny. And that should be encouraging news to these players — the best prospects left on the boards after the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL draft.

Anthony Gordon, QB, Washington State

(Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports)

Gardner Minshew’s successor at Washington State, Gordon doesn’t have Minshew’s gunslinger mentality, but he was highly productive in 2019. He had an Adjusted Completion Rate of 79.8%, and he completed 23 of 81 passes of 20 or more air yards for 736 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions. So, not just a dink-and-sunk guy. Gordon needs work with diagnosing defenses at an advanced level, but he projects well as a spot starter in the sub-Kirk Cousins mold.

Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Everybody loves Fromm’s game smarts and grit, but the physical limitations are there, and they’re obviously not going unnoticed by NFL personnel people. Fromm is a pocket guy who needs to put everything into it to make deep throws, but in the right system, he can develop into an average NFL quarterback and possible future coach. Think Kellen Moore with a little more zip on the ball, but not much.

Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona State

(Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports)

Benjamin was a human highlight film for the Sun Devils over the last two seasons — he broke 84 total tackles in 2018, and 62 in 2019. At 5-foot-9 and 207 pounds, he’s not an every-down back in the traditional sense, but he’s a good receiver, and an absolute weapon in the open field. He could have Reggie Bush potential in the right system.

Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty

(Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports)

Gandy-Golden is a massive target at 6-foot-4 and 233 pounds, and he caught 150 passes for 2,433 yards and 20 touchdowns in just two seasons for the Flames. While he’s not a downfield burner, any team looking for an Anquan Boldin “late in the career” type (a power possession receiver) might find him to be an appealing option.

Saahdiq Charles, OT, LSU

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

There are times when you watch Charles protect Joe Burrow’s blind side at a very high level in 2019, and you think he’s the epitome of a first-round pick. At other times, his mechanics will fall short, and things will get messy. He’ll allow more sacks and pressures than you would like, and he’s a project at this point, but in a strong offensive line room, he has Pro Bowl potential… at times.

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2020 NFL Draft: Antonio Golden-Gandy has talked to Bills ‘the most’

Antonio Gandy-Golden has talked to the Buffalo Bills the most during 2020 NFL Draft pre-draft process.

The Buffalo Bills have a strong trio of wide receivers. It’s almost weird to say, based on recent memory.

Stefon Diggs goes to the top immediately, but John Brown is fresh off a 1,000-yard season, while Cole Beasley set a career-high six touchdowns.

Despite those stats, there’s numbers all three don’t have. It’s in the height category. Could a small school prospect improve the Bills there?

Liberty’s Antonio Gandy-Golden says yes.

He told  Game On LU that he’s spoken to the Bills quite a bit during the pre-draft process.

“Definitely the most contact with the Bills,” Gandy-Golden said.

Here’s his interview:

Golden-Gandy could be an interesting later-round prospect for the Bills. He produced back-to-back 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns seasons for the Flames. The part that will most interest the Bills is his 6-foot-4, 223-pound frame.

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Antonio Gandy-Golden says Philadelphia Eagles are among teams to show the most interest

Philadelphia Eagles among the teams interested in Liberty wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden

The Philadelphia Eagles are in the market for wide receivers in the NFL draft and it appears that Howie Roseman is doing his due diligence on the athletes from Power 5 schools and small-school products as well.

According to Mike Kaye of NJ.com, the Eagles are one of the teams showing the most interest in Liberty stud wide receiver, Antonio Gandy-Golden.

The 6-foot-4 and 223-pound Gandy-Golden put on a show in Mobile at the Reeses Senior Bowl and firmly put himself on the map as a player to watch as we progress towards the NFL draft.

Gandy-Golden has all the tools and 4.5 40-yard times that has him rising up draft boards.
Last season, Gandy-Golden racked up 79 catches for 1,396 yards and 10 touchdowns.

He excels at boxing out defenders and catching the ball at its highest point.

Drawing comparisons to Atlanta Falcons All-Pro Julio Jones and New Orleans Saints All-Pro Michael Thomas, Gandy-Golden could be a late second-round or third-round option for the Eagles.

The Eagles have been rumored as a team that will likely trade up or trades back in the first round depending on what happens to the big-4 (Jeudy, Lamb, Ruggs, Jefferson) at wide receiver.

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2020 NFL Draft: Giants could benefit from deep WR pool

The New York Giants could benefit from an exceptionally deep wide receiver pool in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is loaded at the wide receiver position. It is so saturated with NFL-level pass catchers, each team should be able to come away from the draft table with at least one potential starter or contributor.

Both the haves and the have-nots of the NFL are going to get better at the wide receiver position this offseason. The New York Giants have to be smart and beat teams to the wideouts that fit them best.

The Giants already have an impressive lot at wideout, but considering Sterling Shepard suffered two concussions, Golden Tate is 32 years old and Corey Coleman is on a one-year contract, the future at the position looks like Darius Slayton and several other unprovens.

The Giants can fortify their depth chart in this draft. Now’s the time.

They likely won’t take a receiver in the first round, and maybe not even in Rounds 2 or 3, but the depth of this class goes beyond three rounds. Last year, they found Slayton in the fifth round. This year, they can easily find another viable receiver in that round — or beyond.

Here are some mid-to-late round options they should consider:

Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State (6’4″, 210) – Big outside and red zone target with good hands and ability to win the contested catch.

Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan (6’2″, 212) – Underachieving college player who could find his niche in the NFL. Has size, speed and hands to make it at the next level.

Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty (6’4″, 223) – Smaller-school prospect that is on everyone’s sleeper list. Can do it all.

James Proche, SMU (6’0″, 195) – Speedster who averaged 20.4 yards per catch. Caught 112 passes for 1,225 yard and 15 touchdowns in 2019.

Tyler Johnson, Minnesota (6’1″, 206) – Powerful frame allows him to bully defenders. Is one of the Gophers’ all-time productive receivers.

K.J. Hill, Ohio State (6’0″, 196) – The Buckeyes’ all-time receiving leader who is a reliable pair of hands. He’ll be on an NFL roster in 2019.

Kalija Lipscomb, Vanderbilt (6’1″, 207) – Coming off a disappointing 2019 campaign, but led the SEC in receiving in 2018 and is a versatile option.

Quez Watkins, So. Mississippi (6’0″, 195) – Ran 4.35 40 at the NFL Combine and is still scratching the surface of his ability.

Collin Johnson, Texas (6’6″, 225) – A huge target who will likely find his niche in the NFL as a downfield/red zone option.

Quartney Davis, Texas A&M (6’1″, 201) – Has 4.5 speed and is built to play in the slot in the NFL.

Others who interest me: Juwan Johnson, Oregon; John Hightower, Boise State; Dezmon Patmon, Washington State; Stephen Guidry, Mississippi State;  Ja’Marcus Bradley, Louisiana and Jauan Jennings, Tennessee.

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