Tag: ducks in the nfl

Atlanta Falcons name Marcus Mariota starting quarterback for 2022

The Atlanta Falcons named Marcus Mariota the starting quarterback over rookie Desmond Ridder just one day into training camp.

Those expecting a quarterback position battle to unfold in Atlanta between veteran Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder were treated to a one-day affair, after Falcons quarterback coach Jack London said on Wednesday that Mariota is the starter and Ridder is the backup.

“Marcus is the starter,” London told The Athletic. “That’s how we’re going into this thing.”

Mariota’s role was always expected after the team inked him to a two-year deal worth up to $18.75 million just a few days after they traded longtime starter Matt Ryan to the Colts.

Mariota has familiarity with head coach Arthur Smith from their days together in Tennessee when Smith was the offensive coordinator for the Titans, and although Ridder is a talented young quarterback it always seemed like he was going to come in behind Mariota at least for year one.

Mariota’s career hasn’t quite gone according to plan. After getting selected No. 2 overall in 2015 out of Oregon, he went just 29-32 as a starter for the Titans – tossing 77 touchdowns and 45 interceptions. He was eventually benched during the 2019 season and released shortly after, spending the next two years as a backup to Derek Carr in Las Vegas.

Now he’ll look to get things going again on a team with little weapons elsewhere, especially after star receiver Calvin Ridley got hit with an indefinite suspension for gambling on NFL games.

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Despite limited reps, Kayvon Thibodeaux making impression in New York

Former Oregon Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is making quite the impression in New York with the Giants, despite an injury.

The 2022 NFL season is still a few months away, but teams have begun acclimating the rookie class into their respective schemes during OTAs and minicamps.

For fans, these camps are their first opportunity to see how their team’s newest potential stars are adjusting to the speed and power of the NFL game.

Oregon Duck fans in particular are paying attention to the happenings across the country in New York, where No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux is beginning to make his mark.

Unfortunately, an undisclosed injury kept him out after just over one week of OTAs. The results in just that small time period were very promising, however, and at least according to ESPN it looks like he has a great chance of starting out the season with the first team – health permitting.

Jordan Ranaan of ESPN, along with the rest of the NFL beat reporters, gave a quick update on every first round pick with OTAs and minicamps coming to a close. Here was the report on Thibodeaux:

He spent most of the spring in a red jersey working with a trainer on the side at practice because of an undisclosed injury. Thibodeaux got twisted up on a rep late in practice during the second week of OTAs. It kept him out the rest of the spring. But in the limited time he was on the field it was obvious the Giants are going to use him often and everywhere. That first step is special. Thibodeaux was working with the first-team defense on the first day of OTAs.

Oregon has had plenty of talented players enter the NFL over the past few decades, and Thibodeaux will look to be next in a long line of top-10 picks to have a successful career at the next level.

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See where Chris Simms ranks Justin Herbert among NFL quarterbacks

NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms ranked the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL, and former Oregon Duck Justin Herbert was ranked in the top-5.

The 2022 NFL season is still over two months away, but the league continues to dominate the sports media landscape even in the midst of the offseason.

Chris Simms, a former NFL quarterback and current analyst for NBC Sports, got busy ranking the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on Twitter over the past week, with the final results posted late Wednesday evening.

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert, who has already set multiple team and NFL records in his first two seasons in the league, came in at No. 3 overall on Simms’ list – just behind Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.

Marcus Mariota, another Oregon alumni who is expected to start for the Atlanta Falcons this season, came in at No. 28 overall.

“He is probably the best pure thrower of the football in the NFL,” Simms wrote in a Tweet posted on Wednesday, regarding Herbert. “When things are clean in the pocket, he never loses control of the ball and I’m not sure there is anyone better at hitting the bullseye with any kind of throw.”

Herbert was a Pro Bowler at age 23 for Los Angeles last season, throwing a franchise record 38 touchdown passes while eclipsing 5,000 total passing yards for a team that finished a disappointing 9-8.

Herbert will have plenty more chances to make the playoffs down in the City of Angels, and it may not be long before he’s moving even higher on this list.

Mariota hasn’t started since the 2019 season with Tennessee, but he will get a chance to once again lead an offense using his arm and his legs, and a return to form could move him up into top-20 territory in no time.

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Kayvon Thibodeax is ready for the “primetime” of New York

Kayvon Thibodeaux expressed before the NFL draft he considers New York his second home. Now he heads “home” as a member of the Giants.

For many twenty-somethings who are leaving college and entering the professional world for the first time, New York is their dream destination.

While the NFL teams in New York haven’t exactly been powerhouses recently, it’s still a dream come true to end up in the Big Apple for many NFL draftees.

That includes former Oregon Ducks star Kayvon Thibodeaux, who heard his name called fifth overall during the 2022 NFL draft, sending him east to the New York Giants.

Prior to his selection, Thibodeaux had raved about the possibility of ending up in New York, calling the city his “second home”.

“That’s the biggest stage, that’s prime time,” Thibodeaux continued. “I’m ready. I’m excited. I don’t want to get no hopes up. I’ll be grateful to go anywhere, but that would be fun.”

Now the young man from Los Angeles, who spent the past three years in Eugene, heads across the country to New York, New York, with all the weight of expectations and pressure from the media that comes along with playing ball in the Big Apple.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Former Duck Arik Armstead to announce 49ers’ second round pick in NFL draft

Former Oregon Ducks star Arik Armstead will announce the San Francisco 49ers second round selection.

In an effort to spice up the second day of NFL draft coverage, the league announced a large group of former and current players will announce selections for the team’s picking in the second and third rounds on Friday evening.

For the San Francisco 49ers, who are currently in line to make a selection at No. 61 overall, former Oregon Ducks defensive end Arik Armstead will be the one announcing the pick.

Armstead is joined by a large group of former and current superstars, including Barry Sanders, Tony Gonzalez, Emmitt Smith, Aaron Jones, and Warrick Dunn.

Armstead wrapped up his seventh season with San Francisco in 2021, totaling six sacks and 11 quarterback hits.

He has 28.5 career sacks and 71 quarterback hits, and perhaps most impressively has appeared in every single game for the 49ers dating back to 2018.

While Armstead may not be the most well-known Duck in the professional ranks, it is clear he means a great deal to the 49ers and their fans as evidenced by his selection for this honor.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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How USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire graded the NY Giants’ selection of Kayvon Thibodeaux

The NY Giants were able to grab Kayvon at No. 5. What draft grade did they receive for the pick?

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Kayvon Thibodeaux is headed to the Big Apple.

The former Oregon Ducks superstar was selected fifth in the 2022 NFL draft by the New York Giants, setting him up to begin his career in the sports capital of the country.

Thibodeaux was mocked everywhere from No. 2 to No. 10 leading up to the draft, but most believe the Giants have a steal getting Thibodeaux at No. 5.

That includes the fine folks over at USA TODAY Sports’ Touchdown Wire, who gave the Giants an “A” grade for their selection of the Oregon star.

When evaluating players, you have to understand the difference between effort and impact. There are players who make things look easier than they should be, and there are players who aren’t always utilized in all the ways that could make them special. It’s my belief that Thibodeaux suffers from both issues. He’s such an amazing raw athlete, we wind up expecting more of him at times than he may be capable of, given his current techniques and limitations. Is Thibodeaux’s impact muted at times when it shouldn’t be? Yes, but I do not see a consistent effort problem that would drop him down my rankings. I see a player who is not a traditional edge defender, and may be capable of much more in a different structure.

Thibodeaux was the No. 1 recruit in the country when he joined the Ducks in 2019. Over the past three years, he racked up numerous accolades; including Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, the Morris Trophy as the conference’s top defensive lineman in 2020, and he was a unanimous All-American and first-team All-Pac 12 selection in 2021.

Now he gets a chance to prove his worth in the NFL — and the scrutiny of New York’s notoriously difficult media landscape should add more fuel to his fire.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Could the Seahawks pursue Marcus Mariota after trading Russell Wilson?

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota is a free agent, and the Seattle Seahawks could be suitors after dealing superstar Russell Wilson.

Two significant NFL storylines involving elite quarterbacks reached their resolution on Tuesday morning. First, it was Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who announced he is returning to Green Bay on what could be a record-breaking contract – although terms of the deal have yet to be finalized.

That news was followed swiftly by a massive, franchise-altering trade between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, which sent Russell Wilson to Denver for a package that included five draft picks, as well as quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, and defensive lineman Shelby Harris.

These were perhaps the two biggest offseason stories in the NFL this year, and they create a seismic shift in the quarterback landscape ahead of the 2022 season.

For fans of the Oregon Ducks and their alumni, these moves will very likely impact the market for Marcus Mariota, recently named by ESPN as the most underrated free-agent quarterback on the market.

Mariota is no longer an option in Green Bay or Denver, but he could be a free agent option for the Seahawks now that Wilson is out of the picture.

Seattle likely isn’t looking to Lock as the Week 1 starter – at least not without some serious competition in training camp – and Mariota obviously has ties to the west coast and fits the mold of the type of quarterback coach Pete Carroll likes.

Seattle does have the ninth overall pick in this upcoming draft, but the class is a historically weak crop of quarterbacks and it makes sense for the team to look elsewhere for their signal-caller this offseason.

The Rodgers signing complicates the quarterback market as well, with the Packers potentially looking to move on from backup Jordan Love now that Rodgers is back in the mix.

Love is a potential option for any other teams looking for a quarterback this offseason, joining 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as options on the trading block.

Mariota is perhaps the most notable free agent option, but he is not the only one: former Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will garner some attention as well, although Mariota is (arguably) the more appealing veteran on the market.

Plenty of teams should consider signing Mariota and giving him a chance to compete for a starting job this summer, with Seattle moving up to the top of the list now that they are officially moving on from the Russell Wilson era.

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Would drafting Penei Sewell have won the Bengals the Super Bowl?

Ja’Marr Chase had an outstanding rookie season for the Cincinnati Bengals, but after losing the Super Bowl it’s fair to wonder if the team should have taken Oregon Ducks tackle Penei Sewell instead.

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, making former Oregon Ducks Justin Hollins and Johnny Mundt champions for the first time in their NFL careers.

The Bengals hung around for the entire game thanks to strong play from their defense and a solid performance from quarterback Joe Burrow, but ultimately LA’s imposing defensive front got to Burrow enough in the second half to secure the victory.

Burrow took seven sacks in the game, exposing Cincy’s offensive line as the team’s fatal flaw – a widely held belief coming into the game.

In fact, the Bengals offensive line has been a topic of conversation all season long, especially because they had a chance to upgrade in a significant way during the 2021 NFL draft, where they opted to take LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase No. 5 overall, instead of Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell.

Sewell went seventh to the Detroit Lions and had an outstanding rookie season, establishing himself as a perennial Pro Bowl candidate and one of the best young tackles in the NFL.

Chase was no scrub, hauling in 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns, but Cincy’s struggles to protect their quarterback late in the game bring in to question once again the decision to take a receiver – widely viewed as an area of strength – instead of taking Sewell, who could have immediately shored up the offensive line.

Sewell alone wouldn’t fix all of the Bengals issues, and trying to block Aaron Donald and the rest of LA’s frontline is no easy task, but Chase is a tough player to utilize at his full capacity if Burrow doesn’t have enough time to get him the ball – a fact that was fully on display on the final play of the game for Cincinnati on Sunday:

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How former Oregon Ducks performed in NFL Week 16 games

It was another successful week of NFL game action from the Oregon Ducks alumni at the next level.

Despite COVID-19 positive tests sweeping through all 32 teams, the NFL trekked on in Week 16.

The plethora of positive tests did create a situation where more practice squad players got recalled onto the active roster to replace COVID positive players.

This was good news for a pair of Oregon alumni, as it resulted in the second NFL game for Bears rookie defensive back Thomas Graham, as well as the first game action of the season for veteran running back Kenjon Barner, who returned five punts for Tampa Bay.

Elsewhere around the Pro Duck landscape, Justin Herbert completed 77% of his passes for over 300 yards, but threw two interceptions in LA’s loss to Houston. Jevon Holland had another nice game for Miami as a safety and punt returner, while Royce Freeman handled a bigger role in the backfield for the Texans.

Here is a look at how every Oregon alumni performed in NFL Week 16 action:

Justin Herbert breaks NFL record for passing yards in first two seasons

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert set the record for most passing yards through his first two NFL seasons.

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Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert continues to be one of the most exciting young QB’s in the NFL – not just in this era but of all-time.

Even though his Los Angeles Chargers suffered a close loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football, Herbert once again completed 22 passes for 236 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while rushing for an additional score as well.

Now through 29 NFL starts, Herbert has completed 756 passes for 8,394 yards and 63 touchdowns, along with 22 interceptions.

The 8,394 yards is a record pace, solidifying Herbert as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history through his first two NFL seasons.

For Herbert to not only have more passing yards than any other quarterback through his first two seasons – but to still boast a remarkable 66.4% completion rate – is a true testament to how elite he has been since Los Angeles made him the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

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