Tag: Duke in the NFL

Former Duke football star signs three-year extension with New York Jets

Former Duke cornerback Michael Carter II signed a three-year extension worth more than $30 million with the New York Jets on Tuesday.

Former Duke football star Michael Carter II signed a three-year extension with the New York Jets on Tuesday, according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Pelissero reported that the contract, which keeps Carter with the Jets through the 2027 season, is worth $30.75 million with more than $19 million guaranteed. He officially becomes the highest-paid slot cornerback in NFL history.

Carter, whom the Jets drafted in the 2021, has teamed with superstar cornerback Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed to form the most intimidating pass defense in the league. The Jets finished second in the NFL with 168.3 passing yards allowed per game last season, their second consecutive season giving up fewer than 200 yards per contest.

The former fifth-round draft pick has 185 total tackles, 23 pass deflections, and two interceptions through his first three NFL seasons. He played in 46 games across his four years with the Blue Devils (2017-20), intercepting four passes and breaking up 24 others.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1831102008415391823

The Jets get the 2024 season underway against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.

Graham Barton named starting center for Tampa Bay Buccaneers

First round pick Graham Barton named as starter for week one.

Tuesday has been a big day for you if you’re a fan of [autotag]Graham Barton[/autotag], the Duke Blue Devils, or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers and head coach Todd Bowles announced on Tuesday that Barton, the team’s first-round pick from this April’s NFL draft, would be the team’s starting center for the 2024 season.

The team is set to push itself into a new era of football, with former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield as its franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future after he signed a three-year, $100 million contract to remain in Tampa Bay.

The Bucs doubled down on their investment by taking Barton with the 24th overall pick in the draft.

Barton starred all across the Duke offensive line. He found a home in college at left tackle, where he handled some of the conference’s best edge rushers well enough to make the All-ACC First Team in 2022 and 2023.

When the Bucs made the pick and said they wanted him at center, his transition was a massive topic of discussion. Barton hadn’t played the position since his freshman year in Durham, but the team believed in Barton’s work ethic, size, skill, and willingness to play wherever they could make him their center of the future.

Barton has acclimated well this offseason, playing well in practice and preseason games. Announcing him as the starter gives him and Mayfield around three weeks to work out kinks and continue to build that all-important relationship between a quarterback and the communication lifeline along the offensive line.

The Buccaneers will open their 2024 campaign on September 8th against the Washington Commanders, coached by defensive mastermind Dan Quinn in his first game as the Washington head coach.

Could former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones lose his grip on the Giants’ starting job?

Despite emphatic reports that Daniel Jones will be the New York Giants’ starer in Week 1, there are whispers that backup Drew Lock could be close behind him.

Could former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones be losing his grip on the New York Giants starting quarterback position?

Jones, whom the Giants drafted with the sixth overall pick in 2019 after three years with the Blue Devils, led New York to the playoffs in 2022 and signed a 4-year, $160-million extension after that season.

However, he’s failed to throw 20 touchdown passes in his last three full seasons, and he battled injuries throughout 2023. In just six games last year, he averaged 5.7 yards per attempt and threw two touchdowns against just six interceptions.

The Giants still view Jones as their Week 1 starter, according to a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Barring a setback or injury during camp, Jones will begin the season under center for New York.

However, his leash may be shorter than in years past. The Giants brought journeyman Drew Lock, who started for both Denver and Seattle during his NFL career. Earlier this week, after the NFL draft, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said he thinks Lock has a chance to win the job.

Amid rumors that the team could trade up for a rookie quarterback, Jeremiah said the Giants emphasized that they were comparing the 2024 class to both Jones and Lock in terms of gauging who would improve their team.

Will Jones maintain his grip on the starting job for the entire 2024 season? Duke fans will need to wait until the fall to find out.