Tag: depth chart

How adding Halapoulivaati Vaitai impacts the Lions roster

Examining how agreeing to terms with offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai impacts the Detroit Lions roster.

The Detroit Lions opened the 2020 tampering period of free agency by agreeing to terms with offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai and the early expectations are that he will take over the vacated starting role at right tackle.

Playing behind Eagles tackles Jason Peters and Lane Johnson, it’s not surprising that Vaitai’s starting experience was limited to only 20 games. But over his career he saw starts at both right and left tackle, even seeing some snaps at right guard.

Despite his limited starting experience, Vaitai (6-6, 320 pounds) is an underrated athlete — he meets all the Lions preferred benchmarks identified in my QIB system — and is an ideal scheme fit in the Lions offense, as mauling run blocker.

So how does Vaitai impact the rest of the Lions roster?

With the money the Lions are investing in Vaitai — reportedly averaging $10 million a year for five years — it’s fair to assume he is penciled in at right tackle. With left tackle Taylor Decker playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, the starters are in place.

Tyrell Crosby will likely be given a shot to win the right tackle job in training camp, and the Lions love his versatility to reliably back up both tackle spots. He is at worst, their third offensive tackle and primary backup.

Currently, the Lions’ fourth offensive tackle is Dan Skipper, while defensive end convert Matt Nelson is still learning the position and doesn’t appear to be in the mix at this time.

Will the Lions add any more offensive tackles?

Probably not in free agency, but with Decker in the final year of his contract, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Lions add a developmental tackle in the draft — a prospect that could compete for a potential OT4 role with Skipper this season and a potential starting role in 2021.

While tackles may be limited to the draft, the Lions still have a starting right guard position open and that role could be filled in free agency or the draft.

Broncos’ updated cornerback depth chart after A.J. Bouye trade

After the Broncos agreed to trade for A.J. Bouye, Denver’s cornerback depth chart is starting to shape up.

The Broncos have agreed to trade a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars in exchange for cornerback A.J. Bouye. The deal won’t become official until March 18 but we can already start imagining what Denver’s secondary will look like after Bouye officially joins the roster.

The Broncos are not going to tender De’Vante Bausby but that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t bring him back. Denver should be able to re-sign Bausby for less than what a tender would cost. So with that in mind, we have Bausby as part of the depth chart even though he’s not under contract.

Chris Harris is not included on the depth chart, though. It’s possible that the Broncos could re-sign Harris but it appears unlikely to happen. Cyrus Jones and Davontae Harris seem to be candidates to be re-signed but they’re not on the current depth chart.

CB1: A.J. Bouye (6-0, 191 pounds) is entering his eighth season in the NFL and he seems to be a perfect fit for Vic Fangio’s defense. Bouye earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017 after recording six interceptions and fans in Denver can only hope that he returns to top form under Fangio.

CB2: Bryce Callahan (5-9, 188 pounds) missed all of last season with a foot injury but Broncos fans shouldn’t overlook him. Callahan is doing better now than he was at this point last spring and he has experience playing under Fangio. In 2018, Callahan totaled two sacks and two interceptions.

CB3: De’Vante Bausby (6-2, 190 pounds) played in the AAF last spring before reuniting with Fangio in Denver (sensing a trend?). He emerged as a quality cornerback last season before suffering a scary injury. Bausby is now healthy again and could be a good CB3 or excellent CB4 in 2020.

CB4: Duke Dawson (5-10, 198 pounds) was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2018 draft and later traded to the Broncos for a late-round pick. He was a serviceable nickelback last season and should have no problem winning a rotational spot in the secondary this offseason.

CB5: Isaac Yiadom (6-1, 190 pounds) was selected by Denver in the third round of the 2018 draft and has failed to live up to his draft status since then. He can’t be relied on to be one of the team’s top cornerbacks but he could provide depth in 2020.

CB6: Shakial Taylor (6-0, 181 pounds) was claimed off waivers by the Broncos last November and didn’t dress for any games. Denver clearly saw something in him and wanted to stash him for the future. This offseason, Taylor will get a shot to prove he deserves some playing time.

CB7: Alijah Holder (6-2, 188 pounds) signed with the Broncos as a college free agent last spring and spent his rookie season on the practice squad. With Will Parks not expected to return, Holder might have a better chance to make the roster if he switches to safety.

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Georgia football: Projected offensive 2020 depth chart

The Georgia Bulldogs’ offense will miss multiple familiar faces in 2020.

The Georgia Bulldogs’ offense will miss multiple familiar faces in 2020.

Offensive line guru Sam Pittman accepted the head coaching role at the University of Arkansas prior to Georgia’s Sugar Bowl victory over Baylor. With Pittman left starting offensive linemen Isaiah Wilson, Solomon Kindley, Andrew Thomas, and Cade Mays.

The first three declared early for the NFL Draft while Mays, the son of Tennessee Volunteer legend Kevin and brother of Vol freshman Cooper decided to return home to Knoxville.

In the backfield, D’andre Swift declared early. Jake Fromm declared early. Brian Herrien exhausted his eligibility.

On the outside, receivers Lawrence Cager and Tyler Simmons have also exhausted eligibility. Tight end Charlie Woerner, known more for blocking than catching, has also graduated. Transfer TE Eli Wolf’s one year of eligibility in Athens came and went.

This leaves the Dawgs with starters Dominick Blaylock, Trey Hill, and George Pickens.

Missing a myriad of starters, what will the Dawgs’ offense look like in 2020?

Following the departure of Swift and Herrien, the Silver Britches’ ground game will be left unto Zamir White, James Cook, and Kenny McIntosh. The two underclassmen played behind Swift and Herrien while combining for an average of 8.5 yards per carry in 2019.

For a team rebounding from an off-season ripe with attrition, White and McIntosh need major help from an unproven group of offensive lineman.

In the offensive trenches, center Trey Hill will be the only constant in between seasons.

Matt Landers, Kearis Jackson, and George Pickens all return in at receiver.

Without a proven threat at tight end, Florida State transfer Tre McKitty arrives in Athens predicted to be the Silver Britches best option at the position.

In the absence of Fromm, Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman enrolled at Georgia last month.

As of today, the Bulldogs’ 2020 offensive depth chart appears to be:

Quarterbacks:

  1. Jamie Newman (graduate transfer)
  2. Stetson Bennett IV (redshirt junior)
  3. D’wan Mathis (redshirt freshman)
  4. Carson Beck (freshman)

Running backs:

  1. Zamir White (redshirt sophomore)
  2. James Cook (junior)
  3. Kenny McIntosh (sophomore)
  4. Kendall Milton (freshman)

Z receivers:

  1. Demetris Robertson (redshirt senior)
  2. Matt Landers (redshirt junior)
  3. Trey Blount (redshirt junior)
  4. Makiya Tongue (redshirt freshman)
  5. Justin Robinson (freshman)

Slot receivers:

  1. Dominick Blaylock (sophomore)
  2. Kearis Jackson (redshirt sophomore)
  3. Demetris Robertson (redshirt senior)

X receivers:

  1. George Pickens (sophomore)
  2. Tommy Bush (redshirt sophomore)
  3. Marcus Rosemy (freshman)
  4. Arian Smith (freshman)

Tight ends:

  1. Tre McKitty (graduate transfer)
  2. John FitzPatrick (redshirt sophomore)
  3. Darnell Washington (freshman)
  4. Ryland Goede (redshirt freshman)

Left tackle:

  1. Xavier Truss (redshirt freshman)
  2. Warren McClendon (redshirt freshman)
  3. Owen Condon (redshirt freshman)

Left guard:

  1. Justin Shaffer (senior)
  2. Clay Webb (redshirt freshman)
  3. Devin Willock (freshman)

Center:

  1. Trey Hill (junior)
  2. Clay Webb (redshirt freshman)
  3. Warren Ericson (redshirt sophomore)

Right guard:

  1. Ben Cleveland (senior)
  2. Warren Ericson (redshirt sophomore)
  3. Netori Johnson (redshirt junior)

Right Tackle:

  1. Jamaree Salyer (junior)
  2. Warren McClendon (redshirt freshman)
  3. Owen Condon (redshirt sophomore)

Where Georgia football ranks in terms of returning production in 2020

Here’s where Georgia football ranks in terms of returning production in all of CFB.

Georgia football returns 10 starters from a team that came oh so close from making a trip to the College Football Playoff last year.

Unfortunately, the Dawgs ran into eventual national champ LSU in the SEC Championship and there was never really a question as to how that game was going to go.

But with 10 returning starters, the Dawgs are primed to make another run at the SEC Championship and hopefully the CFP.

With the returning talent that Georgia has, it puts the Bulldogs at 59th in the country according to Bill Connely of ESPN, who ranked the college football teams with the most returning production in 2020.

The offense returns 50% of its production (different than starters), which is 98th overall. The defense returns 80% production, good for 21st in America.

Connely explained how he differentiates returning production from returning starters.

I have for a few years been deriving what I call a team’s returning production percentage as an alternative to returning starters. It looks at the most predictive key personnel stats — percentage of your QB’s passing yards returning, percentage of your secondary’s passes defensed returning, and everything in between — and is weighted based on what correlates most strongly with year-to-year improvement and regression. It is a major factor in my annual SP+ projections, which will be released next week. (The other primary factors: recent recruiting and weighted five-year history.)

With 80% of production returning to a defense that ranked No. 1 in America last year, the Dawgs will be making life difficult for opposing offense next season. The losses of safety J.R. Reed, defensive tackle Michael Barnett, defensive linemen David Marshall and Tyler Clark and linebacker Tae Crowder hurt, but with the way Kirby Smart has been recruiting for the past three years, the defense will be just fine, likely even better, next season.

In terms of returning starters, Dawgs247 searched through players who started seven or more games in 2019 and came up with this list of returning defensive starters:

NG Jordan Davis

DE Malik Herring

OLB Azeez Ojulari

ILB Monty Rice

CB Eric Stokes

DB Mark Webb

DB DJ Daniel

S Richard LeCounte

The offensive guys include center Trey Hill and versatile offensive lineman Ben Cleveland.

There’s also George Pickens coming back, who was not on 247’s list as a result of their criteria, but he may make a bigger impact on offense than any returning player next season.

Back to ESPN’s list of returning production — regarding total production returning to the program, here are some notable rankings throughout college football:

(Out of 130 teams)

2. Georgia Tech

32. South Carolina

50. Tennessee

59. Georgia

61. Florida

78. Auburn

126. LSU

127. Alabama

Georgia football: Kirby Smart excited about loaded group of WR signees

Georgia football HC Kirby Smart talked about UGA’s loaded group of incoming wide receivers.

After Georgia football landed college football’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class, head coach Kirby Smart spoke with the media about why he recruited each position group the way that he did.

A big reason why Georgia was able to secure the No. 1 class was in part thanks to the signing of five wide receivers, four of them being 4-stars.

We all saw the step back that Georgia football suffered this past season on offense without Mecole Hardman, Terry Godwin, JJ Holloman, Riley Ridley and Isaac Nauta.

Next season Georgia will be without one of its best receivers Lawrence Cager, who shined in 2019 as a grad transfer from Miami before suffering a season ending injury.

Luckily for the Bulldogs, though, Georgia football is in good shape with the return of two five-stars George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock, who are both sure to have big sophomore seasons.

Once Cager was done for the year, it was pretty much Pickens and everyone else. Blaylock did a fine job but did not see enough action.

But there was just no help for Pickens or Blaylock and Smart acknowledged the lack of skill at receiver throughout the 2019 season.

On Wednesday, Smart spoke about the importance of Georgia football landing such a talented class of wide receivers this recruiting cycle.

“Wide receiver was an area that we had to address and I’m excited about the wide receivers that we have as additions to this signing class and those guys are expected to help us. With Justin (Robinson) being here now and going through a couple of bowl practices with us, it’s been a big addition to get those guys.”

Robinson was the only one of the five to enroll early in Athens.

Vols’ projected 2020 offensive depth chart 1.0

2020 Tennessee football.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee will begin spring practices March 9.

The annual Orange and White game will take place April 18 at Neyland Stadium.

With winter workouts underway and early enrollees on UT’s campus, Vols Wire takes a look at Tennessee’s 2020 offensive depth chart projection.

Projections are based on current player personnel on roster, including 2020 signees, for Tennessee’s offense following the Early Signing Period and ahead of National Signing Day on Feb. 5.

NEXT: Tennessee’s 2020 offensive depth chart projection

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

He’s back: Saints sign WR Tommylee Lewis to reserve/future contract

The New Orleans Saints signed Tommylee Lewis to a reserve/future contract. He did not play last year after trying out with the Detroit Lions

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The New Orleans Saints reunited with a familiar face on Monday, re-signing wide receiver Tommylee Lewis to a reserve/future contract, which guarantees him a spot on their 90-man offseason roster. He’ll have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot over the summer and through training camp, giving the Saints some experience at the bottom of the depth chart.

Lewis spent last offseason with the Detroit Lions after his first stint with the Saints wrapped up, but a training camp injury resulted in him not making it through roster cuts. He didn’t play in the 2019 season, though he did try out for a few different teams, including the Saints. He was selected by the XFL’s Dallas Renegades in the startup league’s inaugural draft, but declined to join them with NFL offers on the table.

Before that, though, Lewis appeared in 38 games from 2016 to 2018 (including the playoffs). He caught 20 of 28 passes for 252 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns, while also chipping in on special teams with 41 punt returns for 360 yards and 24 kick returns for 528 yards.

The arrival of rookie phenom Deonte Harris resulted in Lewis losing his roster spot and jersey number to the newcomer; including the playoffs, Harris bested Lewis’s number on both punts (fielding 40 for 382 yards) and kickoffs (returning 28 for 777 yards). It’s safe to assume Lewis won’t be a threat to Harris’s job security.

Lewis was the targeted receiver on the infamous no-call for defensive pass interference in the 2018 NFC Championship Game. His return signals little more than the serious need for better talent in the receiving corps behind first-team All-Pro Michael Thomas. Ted Ginn Jr. is headed for unrestricted free agency, while Austin Carr will have restricted status, and Keith Kirkwood will be an exclusive-rights free agent (meaning he likely returns). Here’s who the Saints currently have at wide receiver on the current depth chart:

  1. Michael Thomas
  2. Tre’Quan Smith
  3. Deonte Harris
  4. Lil’Jordan Humphrey
  5. Krishawn Hogan
  6. Emmanuel Butler
  7. Tim White
  8. Maurice Harris
  9. Tommylee Lewis

Interestingly, Lewis is the latest wide receiver from the Saints’ notorious group workout with Antonio Brown to get a job out of it. Lewis joins Harris and White with the Saints, while CFL all-star Reggie Begelton inked a reserve/future contract with the Green Bay Packers after working out for the Saints.

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Saints sign another wide receiver from Antonio Brown’s group workout

The New Orleans Saints signed free agent wide receiver Maurice Harris, formerly of the Patriots and Redskins, to a reserve/futures contract.

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The New Orleans Saints signed veteran wide receiver Maurice Harris to a reserve/futures contract, as first reported by Nola.com’s Amie Just. Harris, 27, spent the 2019 offseason with the New England Patriots after starting his career with the Washington Redskins. He’s got nice size for the position at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, and has caught 40 of 65 targets (61.5%) for 432 receiving yards (10.8 yards per reception) in 28 career games, all with Washington.

Harris was also suggested as the best wide receiver at Patriots training camp last year, before his year ended on injured reserve with a vague lower-leg issue. Interestingly, he was one of the other wide receivers to participate in the Saints’ infamous late-season workout with a group of free agents including Tommylee Lewis and Antonio Brown. He joins Tim White as the only players to sign with the Saints after that tryout.

Now that he’s signed a reserve/futures contract, Harris will count against New Orleans’ 90-man offseason roster. He joins a sketchy wide receivers depth chart that includes White, Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, Deonte Harris, Emmanuel Butler, and Krishawn Hogan. Keith Kirkwood and Lil’Jordan Humphrey are exclusive-rights free agents who should stick around on minimum-salary contracts. Ted Ginn Jr. and Austin Carr are also headed for free agency, but it would be a surprise if they don’t test the open market.

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Why are the Saints bothering with Antonio Brown?

A lack of depth behind Michael Thomas led the New Orleans Saints to put Antonio Brown through a workout with other free agent wide receivers

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The New Orleans Saints sent a shock-wave through the NFL on Friday when they included ex-Pittsburgh Steelers, -Oakland Raiders, and -New England Patriots wideout Antonio Brown among a group of free agents trying out for the team. Well, Brown sent the shock-wave by leaking his workout waiver form on social media.

And that’s the problem with him. His legal battles (and potential league suspension) notwithstanding, Brown is a constant headache on social media who obsesses over letting everyone see what he’s doing with his life. He’s almost a living caricature of what a “diva wide receiver” would look and act like in a movie about professional football players.

Unfortunately, the Saints aren’t in position to overlook him as an option. Michael Thomas has proven to be their only competent wide receiver (and to his credit, he’s more than competent — he’s the best in the NFL) through 16 games. Thomas has hauled in 116 more receptions for 1,277 more yards than the next-best wide receiver (Ted Ginn Jr., who has caught 29 passes for 411 yards). The team’s depth at the position in razor-thin.

It’s not like the Saints didn’t try to address the wide receiver position sooner. They hoped Tre’Quan Smith and Keith Kirkwood would each progress in their second year in the NFL, but Smith has been a ghost for much of the year while Kirkwood went on injured reserve and didn’t return. The Saints gambled that Cameron Meredith was a better bet to return from his knee injury than Willie Snead would be to rebound from a down year, and that blew up in their faces. Rookies Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Emmanuel Butler haven’t shown enough to get off the practice squad. Great as he is on special teams, Deonte Harris is very much a work-in-progress on offense.

And now Thomas is injured. He’s been limited in two days of practice on the Saints injury report, while managing a hand issue. ESPN’s Mike Triplett reported that Brown’s visit is not related to Thomas’ hand injury, characterizing it as more of like the Saints doing their due diligence. That lines up with another report from his ESPN colleague Adam Schefter, who noted that the Saints are trying out multiple free agent wideouts, such as Maurice Harris.

Earlier this week, Saints coach Sean Payton was asked how deep the “ready list” runs for defensive backs — referring to the free agents well-known by the team internally. The Saints were quick to claim Janoris Jenkins on waivers and sign D.J. Swearinger and DeShawn Shead in free agency when injuries struck the secondary, prompting the question. Ironically, Payton’s comments could now extend to the wide receiver room.

Payton said, “Typically, the ready list is players that aren’t on the roster that we’ve got graded and if a game ended Sunday, we could call Sunday night and we feel like we’ve got a pretty clean evaluation on them. I’d say usually four or five deep at various positions. There are four or five tight ends, four or five receivers. You’ve got a list of players that you feel like you know who they are and what they can do or can’t do.”

So this could all just be a fact-finding mission to see if Brown’s body is right, though his behavior appears to be just as chaotic as always. If Brown isn’t moving well in the tryout or shows the Saints something that troubles them, they can move on to the other free agent options they’ve brought in without second-guessing themselves. He’s effectively on a policy of “one-strike, you’re out.”

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Saints shuffle practice squad, sign former Giants and Texans TE Jerell Adams

The New Orleans Saints practice squad added former New York Giants and Houston Texans tight end Jerell Adams, an athlete who needs a shot.

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The New Orleans Saints aren’t finished tweaking their roster just yet. As first reported by The Athletic’s Katherine Terrell, on Thursday the team waived practice squad offensive lineman Nate Wozniak to open a spot for fourth-year tight end Jerell Adams. This follows a concussion to starting tight end Jared Cook in last week’s game with the San Francisco 49ers, as well as the previous release of reserve tight end Dan Arnold.

Adams first entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick out of South Carolina, selected by the New York Giants back in 2016; he had boosted his draft stock before that by timing the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds at 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds, the best mark for a tight end at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He played sparingly as a rookie, and was outranked the following year by first-round pick Evan Engram and veteran free agent pickup Rhett Ellison. Adams was waived by New York during roster cuts before the 2018 season.

He went on to spend the better part of two years on the Houston Texans practice squad, having been just released on Dec. 3 before the Saints called him up. There are practice snaps to go around with Arnold out of town and Cook on the mend, with just one healthy, experienced tight end (backup Josh Hill) and a converted defensive lineman (Mitchell Loewen) ahead of him. If Adams still has some athleticism to spare, he’s in good position to take advantage of the opportunity before him.

For the curious, here’s how the Saints practice squad shakes out now:

  • WR Emmanuel Butler
  • WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
  • DT Taylor Stallworth
  • OL Derrick Kelly
  • OL John Leglue
  • RB Taquan Mizzell
  • DB T.J. Green
  • LB Andrew Dowell
  • TE/DL Mitchell Loewen
  • TE Jerell Adams

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