Bombshell: Nick Saban retiring from coaching

Holy smokes!

Perhaps the greatest coach in the history of college football is retiring.

Nick Saban, who led Alabama to national championships in six different seasons and LSU to another is stepping down.

He does so after leading Alabama to another College Football Playoff appearance this season, something the Crimson Tide did in eight of the 10 years of the playoff’s existence under Saban.

Saban is a football legend who saw as much success as anyone who has ever coached the game.

Who ends up being the next Alabama head coach is anyone’s guess but the rumors will be plentiful.

Just to throw my two sense out there – my money would be on Lane Kiffin to jump from Ole Miss.

Be sure to check into Roll Tide Wire for all the happenings as Alabama now looks to replace a true legend.

A Wisconsin legend is working to supplant Adam Schefter

A Wisconsin legend is working to supplant Adam Schefter

Former Wisconsin defensive end and NFL legend J.J. Watt has a new angle in retirement. First, he’s part of the CBS NFL gameday crew as an analyst. Second, he is a cheerleader for his brother T.J. and tweets whenever he makes a big play. Third, he might now be entering the breaking news business.

Yesterday, the Wisconsin legend broke the news that Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz requested, and was granted, his release from the Arizona Cardinals. The long-time star tight end is now looking for a contender to join for the rest of the 2023 season.

There were follow-up reports that the Ravens and Eagles both make sense as destinations. But move over Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, there might be some company in your world.

Jason Kelce to host 3rd annual celebrity bartending event for Eagles Autism Foundation

To raise funds for the Eagles Autism Foundation, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce will host his 4rd annual celebrity bartending event on Wednesday, June 28

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Jason Kelce loves a good beer, and fans from around Philadelphia and New Jersey metro area will have another chance to see the All-Pro serving drinks.

The Eagles just announced that Kelce will host his 3rd annual celebrity bartending event at the Ocean Drive (OD) on Wednesday, June 28 from 4-8 pm to raise funds for the Eagles Autism Foundation and Team 62.

The OD is located at 3915 Landis Avenue, Sea Isle City, NJ 08243. Fans and supporters can donate to Jason’s Eagles Autism Challenge fundraising page by visiting http://haku.ly/team62.

There will be a $10 cover charge at the door for all guests. Proceeds from the evening – which include cover charge, bartending tips, raffles, autographed items, and an exclusive Team 62 pinnie – will benefit the Eagles Autism Foundation. In addition to the celebrity bartending experience at the OD, Paddy’s Green will feature a family-friendly atmosphere from 4-6 pm with giveaways and activations.

The inaugural event held in June 2021 raised $100,000 for the Eagles Autism Challenge, which included $50,000 in proceeds and a matching donation of $50,000 from Jason and his wife, Kylie.

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Raiders select Arizona State DT Nesta Jade Silvera at No. 231

Raiders select Arizona State DT Nesta Jade Silvera

With their final scheduled pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders have selected Arizona State DT Nesta Jade Silvera at pick No. 231.

Silvera is a 6’2, 304-pound defensive tackle who played at Miami (FL) and then Arizona State. He has appeared in 53 games but has only totaled 3.5 career sacks. His best work comes as a nose tackle, but he can also play as a one-technique in a 4-3 defense.

The Raiders have a ton of depth at defensive tackle, but not a lot of proven names. Silvera should have a chance to compete for a roster spot as a rookie.

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Raiders select Maryland CB Jakorian Bennett at No. 104

Raiders select Maryland CB Jakorian Bennett at No. 104

The Raiders have made their fifth pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Maryland CB Jakorian Bennett with the No. 104 pick.

Bennett is a press-man coverage who ran in the 4.3s at the NFL Combine. Bennett is a highly aggressive cornerback who loves to tackle and was a playmaker.

Here is what Dane Brugler of The Athletic had to say about Bennett:

A three-year starter at Maryland, Bennett was primarily an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Brian Williams’ balanced scheme. After only one season of high school varsity football, he went the juco route and then blossomed with the Terrapins, logging more passes defended (31) than games played (28) in his Maryland career. Bennett has NFL play speed and controls his throttle well to maintain competitive spacing in man coverage (zero touchdowns allowed in 2022).

With his ball skills, he displays an innate ability to judge and disrupt the catch point, although teams must be comfortable with the tradeoff, which is his aggressive propensity to draw flags.

Overall, Bennett’s lack of discipline mid-route and at the catch point created rough patches on tape, but his cover speed and knack for getting his hands on the football are traits that will follow him to the NFL. He will compete for gunner reps and defensive snaps as a rookie.

He is the first secondary player that the Raiders have selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. Bennett should be able to compete for snaps right away as a rookie.

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Raiders select Cincinnati WR Tre Tucker at pick No. 100

Raiders select Cincinnati WR Tre Tucker at pick No. 100

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The Las Vegas Raiders have made their fourth pick of the 2023 NFL Draft and that was Cincinnati WR Tre Tucker at pick No. 100. Tucker ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at 182 pounds at his team’s Pro Day, which is one of the reasons they took him at the end of Round 3.

Tucker had 112 catches in college for 1,433 yards and eight touchdowns during his college career. He played in over 50 games during his four-year career at Cincinnati.  He can also impact the return game, returning kicks and punts for the Bearcats.

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Raiders trade up to No. 35, select Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer

Raiders trade up to No. 35, select Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer

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The Las Vegas Raiders have made their second pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, trading up to No. 35 with the Indianapolis Colts. With that selection, the Raiders have selected Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer.

The cost for the Raiders to move up three spots was pick No. 141, a very small cost to secure an offensive playmaker.

Mayer was widely viewed as the top tight end in the class but slipped a bit due to a lack of speed. However, he is the best overall tight end in the class and will excel in Josh McDaniels’ offense.

Mayer is the all-time leading receiver at tight end from Notre Dame, totaling over 2,000 receiving yards. He had back-to-back 800-yard seasons for the Fighting Irish and his only 21 years old. His best football is still ahead of him and should be a Day 1 starter for Las Vegas.

The Raiders selected Texas Tech EDGE Tyree Wilson at pick No. 7. Their next pick will be at No. 70.

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Raiders tried to trade back into Round 1?

Report: #Raiders tried to trade back into Round 1 with the #Cowboys

There were rumblings all last night that the Las Vegas Raiders were interested in trying to trade up from No. 38 into Round 1. One of the teams that they supposedly contacted was the Dallas Cowboys at pick No. 26.

We got more confirmation on Friday that the Raiders did try to make a move into Round 1. That was reported by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Who might the Raiders have been interested in grabbing in Round 1? Could it have been Mazi Smith at defensive tackle? Potentially, but it also could be Joey Porter Jr, who is widely viewed as the top cornerback left on the board.

With the Raiders picking at No. 38 today, it will be interesting to see if they try to move up a few spots to select a player high on their board. Don’t be surprised if Brian Branch, Michael Mayer, or O’Cyrus Torrence are the targets today for the Raiders in Round 2.

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NFL.com gives Raiders grade of ‘A-‘ for selection of Tyree Wilson

NFL.com gives Raiders grade of ‘A-‘ for selection of Tyree Wilson

The opinions of Tyree Wilson are all over the place and that was the case going into the NFL Draft. And now that he was selected by the Raiders at No. 7, many have mixed feelings about the fit.

However, one person that does love what the Raiders did in the first round is Chad Reuter of NFL.com. He graded every team’s first-round pick and gave the Raiders an ‘A-” for the selection of Wilson. Here is what he had to say about the pick:

Wilson pairs with Maxx Crosby on the defensive line to wreak havoc. His length and athleticism also allows him to be used in space, if the Raiders want to take advantage of his versatility.

The team doctors must have signed off after evaluating Wilson’s foot injury. I thought the Raiders might have interest in Christian Gonzalez at this selection, but it’s difficult to fault them for adding much-needed help up front on defense.

Wilson gives the Raiders more size and athleticism on the defensive line, which was desperately needed. And while they did pass on Christian Gonzalez at No. 7, there are still a bunch of quality cornerbacks available heading into Roun d2.

If Wilson can prove to stay healthy, the Raiders should have a pretty good pass rush in 2023 with Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones, and Tyree Wilson.

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