The Blue Devils gave up some valuable intel when they announced their season opening quarterback. Advantage Irish.
Clemson has been a quarterback factory, with many of them highly ranked who can’t crack the starting lineup transferring to different programs. Duke was the benefactor of Trevor Lawrence’s greatness, as Chase Brice transferred to Durham looking for an opportunity to start. Well, that opportunity has become reality, as Duke named Brice their starter.
The Irish will face a former 3-star recruit who in limited playing time behind Lawrence completed 82-of-136 passes for 1,023 yards and 9 TD’s with 4 INT’s. Brice also rushed for 187 yards and 1 TD on 30 attempts.
Duke struggled at the quarterback position last year after first round pick Daniel Jones went off the to NFL. Brice is a solid quarterback, but obviously is not Lawrence and will not have the talented skill position players Clemson has at their disposal.
Now that Clark Lea and the rest of this defensive staff know who they are going up against they can properly game plan for Brice. Honestly, this isn’t the smartest decision by Duke head coach David Cutcliffe. He could have announced to the team his intentions, and not make it known to everyone, giving Duke an advantage without the Irish knowing who would be behind center the first snap. Now this is a wash, as Brian Kelly and Lea will surely be looking over old Clemson tape to get a feel for what Brice can do. Duke’s announcement is Notre Dame’s gain in this situation.
New York Giants QB Daniel Jones has added nine pounds of muscle this offseason, bulking up from 221 to 230.
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has not been shy about addressing his ball security problems, focusing much of his offseason attention on correcting those issues ahead of the 2020 regular season.
Not only has Jones worked with a quarterback coach who has placed an emphasis on fumble reduction, he’s also added nine pounds of muscle to his frame to ensure that he’s stronger at the point of contact.
“He’s been serious about staying busy in the weight room. I think he’s around 230,” David Morris of QB Country told The Athletic. “He’s gotten bigger and therefore you see it — he’s stronger.”
Bulking up from 221 pounds won’t completely solve Jones’ fumbling issues, but it’s just one small step in the right direction.
“One of Daniel’s greatest attributes is his competitiveness – the ability to fight, hang in there, go that extra yard and do whatever it takes. I think that’s a great gift and strength of his,” Morris said. “Same token, knowing when to stop competing is something that we talk about. Knowing when to move on — throw it away, tuck it. An incompletion is better than a sack. An incompletion is better than a turnover.”
One of the adjustments Jones is going to have to make is a willingness to not only toss the ball away, but to avoid taking on defenders and trying to play through big hits.
Of Jones’ 18 fumbles in 2019, five came when he failed to recognize pressure and three came when he took on defenders down the field. Three more came on the snap exchange and one on a busted handoff — all turnovers that Jones’ former Duke head coach, David Cutcliffe, feels can be corrected.
“He was too fearless as a runner here. I said, ‘In that league, it’s simple. Those guys hit you — they’re six or seven years older, they’re stronger than anything that’s ever hit you before. Quit running the ball like a back. Get on the ground. Run like a quarterback. Unless it’s to win the Super Bowl, quit taking on tacklers,'” Cutcliffe said. “He’s a great athlete, he can get out of trouble, make yards and then you get the hell knocked out of you by a guy that has been continuing to train his body for seven or eight years. I tell him, ‘Don’t take those hits. The ball is coming out. I don’t care what you do.'”
The adjustment necessary for Jones will be a difficult one. He’s a true competitor who wants every yard and believes he can get it, but the risk is not worth the reward. More than a physical adjustment, it’s a mental one. And while the nine additional pounds with help in some scenarios, Jones still has to learn when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em.
Duke head coach David Cutcliffe expects big things from New York Giants QB Daniel Jones in Year 2.
In his first year as the New York Giants’ quarterback, Daniel Jones provided plenty of reason for optimism. He also provided some reason for concern, especially in the turnover department.
Jones’ former coach at Duke, David Cutcliffe, is not worried, however.
The Giants will be looking for a big leap and hope Jones can decrease the volume of turnovers in Year 2, and Cutcliffe expects the young quarterback to deliver on those expectations.
Jones is already learning a new offensive system under offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and could be looking at a new offensive line rotation. Add the virtual offseason forced by COVD-19 and it would be easy for Jones’ development in Year 2 to be hindered.
Even facing those pitfalls, Cutcliffe anticipates a solid relationship between Jones and Garrett, which will shorten Jones’ learning curve.
“I sat with Jason and [Tony] Romo before, and talked football, and I saw his approach to coaching Tony Romo and the relationship they had. That’s why I’m making the assumption that I’ll see a similar relationship between Jason and Daniel,” Cutcliffe said.
Jones is surrounded by young talent on the offense. With the Giants directly addressing the offensive line via the draft, Jones should be able to limit the turnovers and have a better year.
“What pocket movement is is about one second max,” Cutcliffe said. “It’s very subtle, and sometimes the more athletic guys are, the more they want to escape … The other thing is when you’re running the ball as a quarterback in the NFL, quit running like a back. Some of his fumbles were getting hit with good runs, or just getting tackled.
“Pocket movement is different than pocket presence. Daniel’s got great pocket presence. He’s tough, he’s courageous, he keeps his eyes downfield. But one of the things you have to learn in the pocket is quit moving away from what you’re reacting to feeling, and move more to what’s secure in the pocket, move more to what you see. Don’t move away from what you’re really not seeing, you know, a guy on the edge. I think when you overreact to edge pass rush which is what happened to him, a couple of things will happen — one, you move to one you don’t see; the other is that sometimes you drop the ball, it’s just a reflex.”
We all know about Cutcliffe’s ties to the Manning family. Jones got to learn from one of the best in his rookie year as he spent a lot of time with Eli Manning prior to his retirement.
“I know in talking with Eli that Eli thinks Daniel’s a very special person that cares about other people, cares about football,” Cutcliffe said. “It means a lot to me that Eli saw those same qualities. You’re not a leader if you’re not respected. And I think he has the respect of all his peers.”
Even with the current times where teams have not been able to work together on the field due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cutcliffe is confident in Jones’ work ethic.
“Trust me, he’s working 10 hours a day on his own mastering this, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody more eager,” Cutcliffe said. “He’s every bit the worker that Peyton and Eli were their entire careers.”
Taking over for Eli Manning is a tough task for anyone, but Jones seems like the type of guy who can handle the big city. Jones will need to make big strides in Year 2 as the Giants hope to improve upon their record from last season.
Watch New York Giants QB Daniel Jones get back to work at Duke alongside New York Jets WR Jamison Crowder.
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones returned to Duke earlier this week to get some offseason training in, and he brought some teammates with him — wide receivers Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard.
But the trio weren’t alone. They were joined by New York Jets wide receiver and former Duke alum, Jamison Crowder, and several others.
“I’m just gonna work on the things I need to improve,” Jones said, via NFL.com. “It’s tough to really install the offense and learn the offense and what the rules are. I can focus on stuff I need to work on, stuff I need to improve from last year and kinda go from there. I’m looking forward to it.”
And that’s exactly what Jones has been working on at Duke with David Cutcliffe overseeing him, just as he had with Eli Manning for the past 16 years.
Jones struggled with turnovers as a rookie, which wasn’t too dissimilar to the issues Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had in his first season as a pro.
Correcting those issues will be a focus for Jones during his time at Duke, where he expects to return at least once more before the Giants’ offseason workout program gets underway.
New York Giants QB Daniel Jones intends to return to North Carolina this offseason and train at Duke.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
On Friday, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning called it a career, officially announcing his retirement from professional football after 16 years.
In attendance was his understudy, rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, who will now take over the throne from Eli and only hope to accomplish what his predecessor did.
Luckily, in Eli’s mind, the Giants are in good hands.
“I think there’s a bright future,” Manning said. “I have a lot of fond memories of being in the meeting rooms and being with the coaches and being around Daniel and Alex Tanney in the quarterback room. We had lots of laughs and great work that we did.
“I know Daniel. I appreciate a lot of things about him, and the fact that he loves the game of football. He’s passionate about it and he works extremely hard, so you appreciate those things. If that weren’t the case, it might have been harder to go through this situation, but you see the way he conducts himself, and I think, you know, he’s got a bright, bright future ahead of him and do so the Giants.”
Unsurprisingly, Jones will keep a long-standing Manning tradition alive as he takes over as the franchise. He will return to North Carolina this offseason and workout at Duke facilities alongside David Cutcliffe, who had done the very same with Manning over the past decade and a half.
.@DukeFOOTBALL HC @DavidCutcliffe told @CFD22 & me on @SiriusXMNFL that he already has planned some offseason workouts with one of his proteges — @Giants QB Daniel Jones. Plan is to work on "fundamentals" that may include drills related to better ball-protection in the pocket
Cutcliffe served as Manning’s head coach at Ole Miss before moving onto Tennessee from 2006-2007 and then landing at Duke, where’s remained ever since.
During that time, Cutcliffe also oversaw Jones, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Will Manning also make his way to Duke to help mentor Jones during those trips? The answer to that question won’t be realized for months, but in the mean time, Jones is focused on doing everything he can to fill Manning’s shoes.
“He’s thinking about the future of an organization that means a whole lot to him,” Jones said, via the New York Post. “I understand that being an emotional situation for him, for someone who has done as much as he has for the organization, who’s been kind of the face of the organization for 16 years, it certainly makes sense he’d be emotional about the future of it.
“That’s something I take seriously, his concern for it and the responsibility we all have as current Giants and where he’s left the legacy of the organization. It’s our job to continue that and to build on that.”
NASHVILLE – The American Football Coaches Association’s annual convention took place Jan. 12-14 at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Many coaches from across the nation and the world were present. Vols Wire was in attendance and discussed a wide range of topics with various coaches from career achievements, what lies ahead and talking concepts that included the Air Raid mesh with Arizona head coach Kevin Sumlin.
The event kicked off with Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck discussing his career and how he has risen from a junior wide receiver at Northern Illinois attending the AFCA Convention and knowing he wanted to coach. He has since climbed the coaching ranks, becoming a first-time head coach at Western Michigan (2013-15). There, his ability to build a program with its culture on display was at the forefront and he has since moved on to rebuild Minnesota’s program in the same capacity.
Current and former University of Tennessee coaches were present at the annual event. UT Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer also made his presence.
The likes of former Tennessee assistant and current Duke head coach David Cutcliffe discussed his time at UT coaching under Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer.
“Coach Majors was the most organized practice guys,” Cutcliffe said.
The Duke head coach mentioned Majors made it a point for assistants to write down any mistakes they made and learn from it.
“The big thing with Phillip (Fulmer) was perseverance,” Cutcliffe continued regarding the pair of former UT head coaches. “He was the most consistent, perseverian person that I have ever been around.”
Cutlciffe also discussed with Vols Wire his openness to changing coaching tactics as the game does with rules, the transfer portal and other items such as offenses changing.
“I have learned more in the last five years than I have in the previous 15,” he said. “We all have to be prepared to do that in our line of work.”
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Recently departed Tennessee running backs coach David Johnson was also present at the AFCA Convention representing his new school, Florida State. Johnson discussed the amount of hard work he gave to Tennessee over the last two years with Vols Wire, simply saying that he worked hard during his time on Rocky Top.
Other coaches present at the Convention discussed UT’s coaching staff vacancy with Vols Wire. The common theme was that Jeremy Pruitt will take his time to fill the opening Johnson has left behind, much like he did when hiring offensive coordinator Jim Chaney last offseason. Johnson left UT on Jan. 4.
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Former Tennessee head coach Butch Jones also took part in the 2020 AFCA Convention on its second day. Jones, who finished his second season as an analyst at Alabama in 2019, mentioned to Vols Wire that he eventually plans on getting back into a head coaching position again and is enjoying his time under Nick Saban.
One coach told Vols Wire that Jones will enhance what went well during his Tennessee tenure and will fix what could have been better when he becomes a head coach again.
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Former Tennessee defensive graduate assistant Jon Shalala arrived at UT during the summer of 2016 under Jones and defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. Shoop went to Mississippi State in the same capacity for the 2018-19 seasons.
Shalala remained at Tennessee throughout Pruitt’s first season as head coach in 2018. He then followed Shoop to Mississippi State and served as an assistant to inside linebackers throughout the 2019 season.
Mississippi State fired head coach Joe Moorhead following the Bulldogs’ bowl game and have since hired Mike Leach for his replacement. Shalala has experience handling transition when Tennessee went from Jones to Pruitt following the 2017 season. He remains currently within Mississippi State’s program under Leach and told Vols Wire that everything has been good so far during the transition.
Shalala filled in for linebackers coach Chris Marve during the Music City Bowl against Louisville. Marve left Mississippi State to join Mike Norvell’s Florida State coaching staff.
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
University of Tennessee at Martin running backs coach Sean Fisher was selected to the AFCA 2020 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. Fisher previously discussed his coaching career on the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” with newly hired USA Academy head coach Rush Propst. The interview can be listened to below.
NASHVILLE — The 2020 AFCA Convention kicked off in Nashville, Tenn. Sunday.
The American Football Coaches Association’s annual convention is taking place Jan. 12-14 at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
On the first day of the convention, the likes of former Tennessee assistant and current Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and former UT running backs and wide receivers coach David Johnson were present.
The kickoff speaker for the three-day event was Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck. Fleck discussed his head coaching career that centers around building and maintaining a culture within his program — similar to what Jeremy Pruitt is establishing at the University of Tennessee.
