Tag: bucky brooks

Former NFL player, current analyst on what this year has taught him about Lawrence

A former NFL player and current NFL Network analyst still thinks Trevor Lawrence is made of the right stuff, despite the struggles he has endured during his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. NFL Media and Jaguars Media analyst Bucky …

A former NFL player and current NFL Network analyst still thinks Trevor Lawrence is made of the right stuff, despite the struggles he has endured during his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

NFL Media and Jaguars Media analyst Bucky Brooks — who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft and played for five different teams (Buffalo, Jacksonville, Green Bay, Kansas City and Oakland) in five NFL seasons — talked about Lawrence in the latest edition of the Jaguars.com feature, “Huddle Up with Bucky Brooks.”

Assessing what he’s seen from Lawrence in his first NFL campaign, Brooks believes Lawrence will develop into the franchise quarterback the Jaguars envisioned when they made him the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

“I think he’s wired the right way,” Brooks said. “I think, if anything, this year has taught me that he has all the maturity and the poise and the professionalism to be an A1 player, and I think his game will eventually show that.”

In 14 games this season, Lawrence has completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 2,945 yards and nine touchdowns with 14 interceptions.

While those statistics are clearly subpar by Lawrence’s standards and not what many expected heading into a season in which he was the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite, Brooks pointed out that Lawrence lacks the type of weapons around him that help other elite signal-callers around the league thrive.

“I think we like to romanticize the quarterback position as if they’re John Wayne in the western — that they just take down everybody, they do it all by themselves and they don’t need anything else to be able to thrive and flourish,” Brooks said. “And when you really look at it, all great quarterbacks typically have a handful of playmakers around them that are high caliber. I mean, Aaron Rodgers is playing with Davante Adams. Tom Brady has everybody. Pat Mahomes has Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, and the list goes on and on and on. And so, before we really can even understand what Trevor Lawrence can be in this league, you’ve got to make sure that you have enough high-end players around him.”

Brooks says in order to truly evaluate the caliber of quarterback Lawrence is, the Jaguars must surround him with an adequate level of talent and make that an objective this offseason.

“So, the challenge for anybody in the offseason in terms of building this team back, you have to make sure that you build an offense with enough high-end personnel to allow the quarterback to function at a level that will allow us to judge whether he is legit or not,” Brooks said.

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Bucky Brooks offers perspective on Dolphins’ minicamp headlines

Bucky Brooks offers perspective on Dolphins’ minicamp headlines

The past week has seen plenty of the Miami Dolphins in the headlines — although unfortunately their presence as a national talking point wasn’t necessarily for all the right reasons. There was a wave of reactions to reports from Miami’s minicamp that the team’s quarterbacks collectively tossed 7 interceptions on the first day of practice — the majority coming from second-year starter Tua Tagovailoa.

But as the week drug on, we saw the opportunity for some to push back against the negativity, including former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky. And now, highly regarded analyst Bucky Brooks of NFL Network has joined in on the assertion that June criticisms of ball security is much ado about nothing.

“Despite our insatiable appetite for real live football games, we need to remember that offseason workouts are a completely different animal. Some people are panicking about Tagovailoa’s performance in seven-on-seven and team drills, minicamp activities in shorts and T-shirts. This is silly.

As a young player with the Jacksonville Jaguars, I was encouraged by defensive coordinator Dick Jauron to experiment with different techniques during practice time, to determine what kind of approach best suited my skill set. The longtime NFL coach and former defensive back told me that you will never know your limits if you fail to test them. In addition, Jauron stressed to me that there is not a scoreboard on the practice field and the mistakes made while experimenting do not count. That’s why we should not overreact to reports of Tagovailoa’s struggles, particularly when he is working on becoming a more aggressive big-play hunter from the pocket.” — Bucky Brooks, NFL.com

Thankfully, there will be no more practice headlines for the next month or so as the team breaks one last time before the opening of 2021 training camp at the end of July. And when that rolls around, the hyper-analysis of the Dolphins’ young quarterback room will resume; only then will it be closer to something of substance than what this past week provided.

No Longhorns were selected in Bucky Brooks final 2021 NFL mock draft

No Texas Longhorns were taken in the first round of Bucky Brooks’ final 2021 NFL mock draft.

The 2021 NFL draft kicks off on Thursday night, therefore, analysts and writers have began to release their final mock drafts projecting which player(s) each team will pick.

It’s rare that analysts get these right. These projections are based on a combination of team needs, expected players available to fall to those respective teams and just a general feel for the board.

NFL analyst Bucky Brooks released his final first round mock draft for the 2021 draft, but interestingly enough, he didn’t include any Texas Longhorns to be selected in round one.

Offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi and pass rusher Joseph Ossai are both considered fringe first or second round players, but neither ended up in Brooks’ final mock.

In Brook’s top-5 rankings for each position, he mentions two Longhorns: Ossai is his No. 3 outside linebacker and Caden Sterns is listed as his No. 4 safety. There is a notable absence of Cosmi.

This is interesting considering Brooks had picked Ossai to go in the first round of his mock draft 1.0 previously. Obviously, you should take whatever mock draft with a grain of salt, but given Brooks’ connections and respect he has around the league, he might know more than he’s willing to let out.

It’s certainly possible that we will not see a Longhorn taken until day two of the draft.

Lamar Jackson responds to Bucky Brooks’ suggestion that Ravens let him ‘graduate’

The Baltimore Ravens have their franchise quarterback in Lamar Jackson. After Bucky Brooks challenged that, Jackson responded to him.

The Baltimore Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson to be their franchise quarterback and were committed to building their offense around him. They did just that, and Jackson has blossomed into one of the best young stars in the league.

Despite Jackson’s success, NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks floated the idea that Baltimore could move off the fourth-year signal-caller in favor of a younger option like Justin Fields. Jackson is due for a major extension soon, so Brooks believes that the Ravens can get the most out of their roster by resetting at quarterback.

The comment caused quite a large amount of controversy, and it seems that it reached Jackson. After ESPN’s Marcellus Wiley defended the quarterback to Brooks’ face, Jackson tweeted out the clip with a message.

Jackson made sure that his tweet was playful, adding in two laughing emojis, but his statement still carried some weight. He believes in himself, just like the organization, but hearing criticism 24/7 must be tiring. Jackson does a phenomenal job at tuning out and making sure he doesn’t see the hate, but some of it most likely trickles through.

Brooks’ idea makes sense to an extent, but suggesting that Baltimore follow his plan is extremely bold, especially considering any rookie quarterback wouldn’t be able to come in and immediately be as good as Jackson. The offense is tailored to him, so if any other player tried to run it, there would be some struggles.

Jackson has earned the lucrative contract extension he’s eventually going to receive. It wouldn’t be smart for the Ravens to part with him for the sake of money. Jackson has given so much to the city of Baltimore both on and off of the field, and it should stay that way for a very long time.

Bucky Brooks says Ravens might want to consider trading up for Justin Fields, let Lamar Jackson ‘graduate’

NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks floated an idea for the Ravens to make a shocking swap at QB.

Unlike many other NFL teams, the Baltimore Ravens have a franchise quarterback. Lamar Jackson has led the team to three straight playoff appearances and has accumulated numerous accolades and awards.

Despite not having a lot of playoff success yet, Jackson is one of the best young stars in the NFL and has a very bright future. However, NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks suggested that if another young quarterback is within Baltimore’s reach in the 2021 draft, they should consider making a trade up with some of the new picks that they acquired this week.

The overall point that Brooks is trying to hammer home makes sense in theory, but for the Ravens it would make no sense to part ways with a quarterback who is less than two years removed from winning the second unanimous MVP award in NFL history and has shown the potential to be one of the greatest players of all time. While he still has things to improve upon, trading draft capital to move up for a rookie would set the franchise back years, as Jackson has plenty of valuable NFL experience and has improved his game in many different areas.

There’s no doubt that Justin Fields can be a great player at the next level. However, surrendering assets to acquire a position that is at the bottom of Baltimore’s needs list — plus moving away from Jackson — is a scenario that wouldn’t benefit the Ravens in any way. It’s a fair point to ask why Brooks didn’t suggest his idea to the Bills or the Browns for Josh Allen or Baker Mayfield, respectively.

There are plenty of reasons that Baltimore is going to reward Jackson with a contract extension. The organization has believed in him since day one, built an offense around his skill set, and watched him grow. Fields could be a great player in the NFL, but the Ravens would be more than happy with their decision to watch Jackson continue to grow both on and off the field.

Pete Carroll and John Schneider named 3rd-best GM-Coach duo in NFL

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have been named the third-best GM-Coach duo in NFL by Bucky Brooks.

Coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have found their flow together over the last decade with the Seahawks organization. Since Carroll and Schneider took over the helm, the two have righted the ship in Seattle.

For their many accomplishments – including two Super Bowl appearances – NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks named them the third-best GM-head coach duos in the league.

“The ‘Hawks operate under a high-risk, high-reward premise when it comes to team building,” Brooks writes. “Schneider isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on a blockbuster deal to acquire a five-star talent to boost the roster (see: trades for Jamal Adams, Jadeveon Clowney and Sheldon Richardson). Although some of their bold moves haven’t moved the needle on the field, the aggressive acquisition tactics are part of a go for broke strategy that fits Carroll’s upbeat and energetic personality. The ultra-positive head coach blends newbies into the fabric of the team while nurturing young players along the way.”

“With Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and Chris Carson flourishing as homegrown stars for the Russell Wilson-led offense, Seattle’s exceptional developmental model and bold acquisitions yield big results (one Super Bowl title, two NFC championships, playoff berths in seven of the past eight seasons) in the Pacific Northwest,” Brooks continued.

Carroll and Schneider likely won’t be satisfied at third place, and like their players, operate best with chips on their shoulders.

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Bucky Brooks gives comparison for Chargers QB Justin Herbert

Chargers quarterback reminds Bucky Brooks of an NFC West signal-caller.

Throughout the pre-draft process, quarterback Justin Herbert was given pro comparisons by analysts to players like Carson Wentz, Ryan Tannehill and Paxton Lynch.

NFL Media’s Bucky Brooks recently gave his comparison on a segment of the Move The Sticks Podcast. Herbert reminds Brooks of 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

Here is what Brooks had to say:

I think this is the perfect marriage, because I think they will create an offense that has a lot of play-action passes, some movement-based passes that put him on the move. He was kind of underutilized in that aspect at Oregon. I think he can be what we call a ‘highly-efficient game manager.’ I don’t know if he’ll be the takeover type, meaning like a Pat Mahomes type. But I do believe he can do like the guy that played against Pat Mahomes — Jimmy Garroppolo. High level of efficiency in terms of getting the ball to the playmakers and being able to win a ton of games. Justin Herbert, to me, has that type of ceiling. He’s not what I would call a five-star player, but I certainly think he’s a four-star player that can get them to the winner circle.

Brooks states that both Herbert and Garroppolo are efficient at getting the ball to their skill players and are able to win a lot of games.

Herbert has been compared to recent busts like Lynch, Blake Bortles and Blaine Gabbert. But even with three coaches and three offenses, he still managed to flourish, amassing 10,541 passing yards and 95 touchdowns. Those numbers rank him among the best in Oregon history.

While Herbert played at Oregon, I got Wentz vibes from him. Both are big quarterbacks with high level arm talent, great confidence and pocket presence, underrated athleticism, confidence and natural leadership skills.

While Herbert does need to work on his anticipation, instincts, field vision and mechanics, I believe Herbert can overcome his flaws with better players and scheme around him, which is why having skill players like Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Hunter Henry will elevate him, as well as a system that involves more RPOs to play to his strengths.

If everything goes right, Herbert could be a star in the NFL.

Bills’ Trey Adams predicted as impact-making UDFA

Buffalo Bills rookie UDFA offensive lineman Trey Adams named an ‘instant-impact UDFA’ by Bucky Brooks.

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane admitted following the 2020 NFL Draft he tried to trade up to select an offensive lineman at some point, but failed to do so. This failure of sorts probably helped the Bills add someone who was recently given some very high praise.

Washington offensive lineman Trey Adams was once viewed as an early draft pick early in his college career, but he suffered an ACL injury in 2017 which set him way back. He proved last season he was healthy though, starting every game. In terms of what he can do on the field, Pro Football Focus ranked Adams as their 38th best available UDFA following the draft.

Now NFL Media’s Bucky Brooks has put the bar even higher now. Of all the undrafted rookie signings across the entire league, Brooks picked three that could make an impact as early as next season. Adams was among them.

Here’s Brooks’ breakdown on Adams:

“Trey Adams was a guy that man of us were expecting to be draft, but he some how fell through the cracks. You talk about a big-body tackle, who has length, he was toughness, he has the ability to move people off the ball in Buffalo, which should still continue to be a run-heavy system. He is going to be a great fit. And you think about being able to develop linemen, what you’re looking for are key traits… he has size, he has strength, he has power and that’s going to give him an opportunity to have success.”

Saying Adams will make an impact as a rookie is a pretty tall task. While perhaps talented, he’s coming into an O-line room that’s pretty packed at the top. All five starters for the Bills are returning on the line. However, the Bills should always take a best-man win approach. While Buffalo is hoping the continuity on offensive will help the unit improve, if someone’s better, they’re better.

In college, Adams was a tackle, but perhaps a move to the side could help on a personal level, and give him a chance to find a starting spot with the Bills. Buffalo already has some youth at their tackle spots with Dion Dawkins and Cody Ford, but on the interior of the O-line, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse and Jon Feliciano are not old, but are not as young, either. Regardless, the Bills under head coach Sean McDermott have shown they love a versatile offensive lineman, so that would go a long way for Adams.

 

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NFL Analyst predicts Redskins will have Super Bowl parade in a couple years

Washington is near the bottom of the league, but with the moves they’ve made this offseason, some think a championship is not out of reach.

The Washington Redskins have seemingly made a lot of strides in the last few months as they try to work their way up from the bottom of the NFL into a respectable franchise who can piece together some wins. It won’t happen overnight, and it probably won’t have a satisfactory outcome after the first year or Ron Rivera’s tenure in Washington, but there is hope that what is taking place in the building right now will lead to great future successes.

One of those successes might just be planning a championship parade after winning the Super Bowl, according to NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks. The NFL.com writer said in a column last week that he believes the Redskins defensive line can carry them to a title, much like the San Francisco 49ers almost did last season.

“If No. 2 overall pick Chase Young is as good as advertised, the Washington Redskins are on their way toward becoming a Super Bowl contender,” Brooks wrote.

While the addition of Young to the defensive line may be the headline, there will have to be marked improvements elsewhere on the field if the Redskins are going to take a step even into relevancy. Dwayne Haskins will have to be better, the offensive line will have to be better, and the defensive secondary will have to be better. We’ve yet to see all three of those boxes be checked, but if they are then it becomes a real possibility.

“A dominant pass rusher can make a difference. The Redskins have five former first-round picks on that D-line rotation,” Brooks said. “You know who else had that? The San Francisco 49ers. We saw them in the Super Bowl last year.”

Do you remember Jimmy Garrapolo’s stat line throughout the playoffs and in the Super Bowl? Probably not, because it was nothing special. But that’s what a defensive line can bring the team — a chance to be average and still win a lot of games. If Washington is as good as advertised upfront, a change could be on the horizon.

“I’m not saying this year, but in a couple of years, we could see the Washington Redskins have a parade,” Brooks said.

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WATCH: NFL analyst says Redskins could be on way to a Super Bowl if Chase Young delivers

At least one NFL analyst believes the Washington Redskins could be a Super Bowl contender if former Ohio State DE lives up to his potential.

There are can’t miss prospects, and then there is Chase Young.

To be fair, there’s always a possibility that a guy hyped as much as the former Ohio State edge rusher won’t quite live up to the high ceiling. But if you’re picking one guy from the 2020 NFL Draft to blow up immediately and become an instant impact guy, Young is probably at the top of that list. Especially with what we’ve seen other former Buckeye defensive ends do in their first year or two at the next level.

So how much will Young’s presence on a Redskins’ D-line mean if he plays up to his potential? Well, at least one NFL analyst believes the Redskins could be on their way to a Super Bowl if he delivers on what he is supposed to be.

NFL analyst and former player Bucky Brooks was the one to step out on the ledge. In an interview with the NFL Network, he confirmed his original thoughts on what might be in store for the Redskins if Young becomes a force.

“If No. 2 overall pick Chase Young is as good as advertised, the Redskins are on their way to becoming a Super Bowl contender,” said Brooks … “Don’t belly laugh at this.”

Brooks expanded on this a little bit in the video interview posted to the NFL Network’s Twitter profile and you can see it all by clicking on the below video.

So how do we feel about this? There’s no denying the talent on Washington’s defensive line, and Young has a good chance to break out immediately and become an All-Pro type. However, it’s the offensive side of the ball that also has to find its way.

No matter what Young does, his former Ohio State teammate, quarterback Dwayne Haskins, has to make a leap this year and make the Redskins’ offense much more dangerous. You have to be able to score points in the NFL, and the only way that happens is if Haskins reaches his potential.

Still, yeah — it’s conceivable that the Redskins become a Super Bowl type of team, but don’t look for it to happen this year.

 

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