Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Are there any hog mollies worth keeping an eye on in free agency?
Will the Carolina Panthers be able to find the fabled offensive line depth this offseason?
Here are the top 12 free-agent offensive tackles of 2024:
Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 71 jersey number.
With 71 days left until the regular season opener for the New England Patriots, we are looking at every player for the franchise that has ever worn the No. 71 jersey.
Offensive guard Michael Onwenu, who is one of the most underrated offensive players in the NFL, currently wears the number for New England. He was snubbed from the Pro Bowl in 2022, despite having the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade at his position.
Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio was the only other AFC offensive guard with a higher grade than Onwenu.
Of course, there have been other standouts to wear the jersey, from offensive linemen to defensive linemen. Here’s every Patriots player that has worn the No. 71 jersey throughout franchise history (via Pro Football Reference):
5 great options for Raiders as Free Agency figures to heat up again.
Typically you think of free agency as happening in March. That’s when those players whose contracts are up with their clubs are able to negotiate and sign elsewhere. And for the most part, the top options fly off the market, following by a couple more “waves”. Then it cools down and teams shift their focus to the draft.
But that doesn’t mean it’s over. It’s more of a break before it starts up again.
There is another wave starting up now. Why? Well, two reasons, really: One, it’s when players can be signed and it will no longer count against the team’s compensatory pick total. And two, because the draft is done which means teams know what areas they were able to address and which still require some attention.
For the Raiders, they were able to address basically edge rusher and tight end for certain.
At seven overall they got edge rusher Tyree Wilson and at 35 overall they got tight end Michael Mayer. Those are the two sure starting caliber players. After that, there’s still plenty of room for upgrades and competition.
Friday the Raiders cleared up some cap space by restructuring Chandler Jones’s deal, giving him about $4 million to spend on free agency should they wish to use it.
Here a short list of some free agents still out there who could make sense for the Raiders
The Jaguars reportedly hosted free agent offensive tackle Cam Fleming on a visit.
The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted former Denver Broncos offensive tackle Cam Fleming on a visit, according to a league memo.
Fleming, 30, was a fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2014 and later spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants before signing with the Broncos in 2021.
In nine NFL seasons, Fleming has made 61 starts including 15 during the 2022 season.
Fleming split time at both left and right tackle with Denver last season, and was credited with allowing seven sacks on 976 offensive snaps. His 72.6 grade on Pro Football Focus was the highest of his career.
Earlier this offseason, the Jaguars lost starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. The team’s 2021 second-round pick, Walker Little, is expected to step into the void left by Taylor’s departure.
Behind Little and starting left tackle Cam Robinson is very little depth. The addition of Fleming and/or an offensive tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft could provide the team with a much-needed swing tackle and a contingency plan if one of the starters gets injured.
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The Houston Texans may need to use free agency to address their tackle positions. Here are five free agents Houston should keep in mind.
The Houston Texans will need free agency and the draft to effectively complete their rebuild in the second year of general manager Nick Caserio.
Houston has some decisions to make at tackle. Tytus Howard, a former 2019 first-round pick, has shown versatility to play guard and tackle, feeling more comfortable with the later. The Texans still have left tackle Laremy Tunsil under contract, although he struggled to get back on the field after Week 5 with a thumb injury. Tunsil could also be effective trade bait with any tackle-hungry teams.
No matter whether the Texans keep Tunsil, draft Ikem Ekwonu, or elevate Charlie Heck to a starting role, here are five free agent tackles the Texans should consider signing when free agency starts.
All salary figures are according to Spotrac.
Who could fill out the Patriots offensive line?
The Patriots’ offensive line may have been the strength of an unproductive offensive unit. While the group dealt with injuries, they never really wavered.
Heading into this offseason, there were a lot of thoughts regarding what the team could look like along the line with Joe Thuney and David Andrews set to become free agents.
Luckily for New England, they found a diamond in the late rounds of last year’s draft in the form of Michael Onwenu. Many are expecting the second-year guard to slide right in and replace Thuney with no issue.
The tackle spots were thought to be good to go with Isaiah Wynn and Marcus Cannon both set to play, the latter returning from a year off due to the COVID-19 opt-outs. However, the Patriots decided to make a move to re-acquire Trent Brown. Now, there may be an odd man out due to having three capable starters for two spots.
Center is a much bigger question. New England doesn’t have a ready-to-go young stud to play in the middle like they do at guard. So, they will likely be looking heavily to find their guy in either the draft or free agency.
If the team is looking for some veterans to add to bolster their line, these five guys could be great options for them.
The New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers square off in a storyline-rich game in Week 1 of the 2020 regular season.
The New York Giants are two days away from their season opener this Monday against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium.
There are about two dozen storylines that I could hit you with but for the sake of time and space, here’s just a few of them.
Joe Judge reminds me of Bill Parcells in 1984 after Tuna decided to simply be himself and just coach the team his way. He’s a teacher but also holds the players accountable. The fact that he did not want players to have their names on the backs of their jerseys in camp shows how much he believes in the ‘team first’ mantra.
Judge has a veteran staff to help him navigate the red tape issues but in my opinion is he appears to have the right stuff to become a very good head coach in this league. I have yet to hear or read someone state “he’s not going to cut it” or something else along those lines. He’s for real.
Dallas continues to stock its roster, this time adding a former first-round lineman who won a Super Bowl ring last year with Kansas City.
The Cowboys have added some beef to the offensive line following the retirement of Travis Frederick and free agency departures of Cameron Fleming and Xavier Su’a-Filo.
The club has agreed to terms with five-year veteran Cameron Erving, according to the official team website. Erving played most recently with Kansas City, starting eight games at left tackle during the Chiefs’ 2019 Super Bowl campaign. Erving can also play guard and even has experience at center. That multi-positional flexibility will make him a valuable addition to the Dallas line, where starters Tyron Smith and La’el Collins both missed time last season, and backups like Joe Looney, Fleming, and Su’a-Filo all played meaningful roles.
Cam Erving adds more experience and versatility to Cowboys’ offensive line. An option as swing tackle, he saw nearly 600 snaps at left tackle in 2019. Erving also logged 963 snaps at left guard the year prior, including the postseason.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) May 6, 2020
The new guy’s name may ring a bell with Cowboys fans. Erving was the other participant in an on-field scuffle with David Irving during the team’s 2016’s Week 9 win over Cleveland. Both players were ejected for the fight.
A first-round draft pick in 2015 out of Florida State, Erving spent his first two NFL seasons with the Browns before being traded to Kansas City in 2017. Erving is listed at 6-foot-5 inches and 313 pounds.
Looks like another smart and savvy pickup for the Cowboys, who continue to stock their roster with experienced players in key positions.
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With NFL free agency all but over, here’s a quick breakdown of each new contract the New York Giants handed out.
The New York Giants have done substantial work to their roster this offseason, including the big additions of cornerback James Bradberry and linebacker Blake Martinez.
Initially, there was some confusion over the new contracts and how bonuses were structured, but the vast majority of that has been cleaned up thanks to The Athletic.
Here’s a quick breakdown of each new contract:
Deal: Three years, $8.4 million with $3.5 million guaranteed. $2 million roster bonus in 2020. $50,000 workout bonuses all three years.
Base salary (cap hits):
Cam Fleming admits he signed with the New York Giants because he saw an opportunity to come in and earn a starting job.
The New York Giants have legitimate concerns at both tackle positions, but have done little to address that early on in free agency.
Mike Remmers has departed for the Kansas City Chiefs, Nate Solder remains in tow without a contract adjustment and the only addition has been long-time reserve Cam Fleming, who agreed to terms with the Giants earlier this week.
And the reason Fleming chose the Giants? Because he was given the opportunity to earn a starting job (likely at right tackle).
“I saw an opportunity that I could go compete for a position and really have a chance to play,” Fleming told the New York Post. “I feel comfortable with that playbook after doing it for two years already. I think it increases my chance to play even more.”
Fleming, of course, spent the previous two seasons in Dallas playing under Jason Garrett and Marc Colombo, both of whom now reside on the Giants’ coaching staff. Prior to that, Fleming spent time in New England where he worked alongside Joe Judge.
“[Judge and Garrett] are both incredibly hard working and knowledgeable,” he said. “I think they are going to work well together. It will be a great combination of coaches from two different cultures who come together and make this team special. If you think a coach is knowledgeable about what’s going on in the offense, then he garners a lot of respect.”
As far as what the Giants are getting in Fleming, let him tell you in his own words…
“[The Giants] are getting a smart, tough lineman, who can get down and dirty in the trenches and pass protect his [butt] off,” Fleming said. “I don’t know what their plans are for the offensive line beyond what they have now, but I know there is an opening there that hasn’t been filled yet, and I’d like to go in there and try to take it.”
As things sit, Fleming’s most likely competition comes by way of Eric Smith and Nick Gates, the latter of whom has primarily played guard.
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