Sherman is also moonlighting as an occasional guest on Undisputed with Skip Bayless.
Former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is now a full-time take artist. In addition to his regular podcast, Sherman is also moonlighting as an occasional guest on Undisputed with Skip Bayless.
In his latest appearance, Sherman claimed to be unimpressed by the Cowboys’ 40-0 win over the Giants on Sunday Night Football. Watch.
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Good morning, Winners. I hope you’ve had a fantastic weekend. Of course, chances are if you’re a Giants fan you probably didn’t.
Not only did you watch your team get thrashed by a division rival without putting up a single point on the board, but Daniel Jones may have literally played the worst game of his career.
Truth be told, that quarterback play probably hits you a bit harder than the loss in total. And it should! The Giants just committed to paying Jones $40 million annually. He didn’t look like a $40 million quarterback on Sunday.
Don’t fret, though. You’re not the only fanbase in this boat. In fact, lots of expensive quarterbacks didn’t play very well on Sunday. Not as bad as Jones, maybe, but still! Pretty bad. OK at best. That includes:
Jalen Hurts (170 yards passing, 1 TD, 1 fumble)
Lamar Jackson (169 yards passing, 1 INT)
Geno Smith (112 yards, 1 TD)
Joe Burrow (82 yards and a seat on the bench)
Those are all Pro Bowlers at their best. They all just got paid over the summer with big commitments from their respective teams — that especially applies to Burrow, who signed the richest deal in NFL history. Then he comes out and puts up a stinker. Bengals fans are definitely nauseous this morning.
But I’m here to tell you now to worry. Everything will be fine. It’s not time to panic about your expensive quarterback. Not just yet.
In the words of Aaron Rodgers, R-E-L-A-X. It’s just week one, folks. It matters, but it has no bearing on what happens the rest of the way. We’ve seen this story over and over again.
Let’s just rewind one season ago to Joe Burrow last year. He threw four interceptions to start the season in 2022. He then proceeded to finish the year in MVP conversations. Sometimes, it just happens that way. That’s just how the game goes. It doesn’t mean you’re bad. A bad game is just a bad game.
If things continue this way then, sure, that’s a troubling sign. But there’s no point in worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet. I know that’s hard because this is the NFL and the week-to-week news cycle magnifies this stuff.
But I promise, it’ll be OK. If it’s not, then whatever. At least your team might get a shot at Caleb Williams or something.
Nick Saban might be cooked
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t think I forgot about you, Alabama. How could I? That loss to Texas was just so … not you.
For a decade and a half Bama has felt like a Thanos-level threat to the rest of college football. A loss was inevitable. That’s simply not the case anymore.
It might be time, man. Alabama might be cooked. This stat from The Athletic’s Kennington Smith III is definitely one that sounds some alarms:
“Saturday’s loss marked Alabama’s fifth loss to a Power 5 team in its past 20 games against those opponents. The previous five losses took 50 games, including two to Clemson in national championship games. By almost any other program’s standard, a 75 percent winning percentage across 20 games is considered excellent. Alabama won a national championship in 2020 and played for another in 2021 but statistically is showing vulnerability, which opens the door for teams to capture marquee wins and insert themselves into the championship debate.”
While Nick Saban’s machine is finally slowing down, other college football powerhouses are creeping up. Georgia still looks incredible after two straight national championships. Texas is back in the top 5. USC looks great and the Pac-12 (lol) has eight ranked teams.
Alabama and Nick Saban are still good. Very, very good. One loss to a very good team won’t end their season here. But they’re not invulnerable anymore. After watching over the last decade and change, that’s so wild to see.
A full spectrum of greatness in tennis
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Football was obviously king this weekend, but tennis had a moment this weekend. We had two different players celebrating drastically different — but equally great — moments in their careers on both the men’s and women’s sides. A full spectrum.
On one end, Novak Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open, tying him with Margaret Court for the most titles ever.
Meanwhile, on the other end, Coco Gauff won her first Grand Slam title with a US Open win over Aryna Sabalenka. She burst out in tears immediately following the match and, wow, is someone cutting onions in here? It’s hard not to be over the moon for her in this moment.
“Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me … To those who thought they were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it.” – Coco Gauff pic.twitter.com/XApgRrQBPQ
“Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me…You know, I tried my best to carry this with grace and I’ve been doing my best, so. Honestly, to those who thought you were putting water in my fire, you were really adding gas to it. And I’m burning so bright right now.”
You tell ’em, Coco.
Quick hits: The best things about Week 1 … Daniel Jones needs a hug … and more
— Christian D’Andrea has the 5 best things from Week 1 of the NFL action here. Hey there, 49ers fans. You’ll love this one.
Prince Amukamara signed a one-day deal so he could retire with the Giants, who drafted him back in 2011. His last NFL contract was with the Saints during their 2021 training camp:
Plenty of players have signed ceremonial one-day contracts so they could retire with the New Orleans Saints — Lance Moore, Jermon Bushrod, and Scott Fujita on top of a mountain in South America — but it’s not often that the inverse happens. Former NFL cornerback Prince Amukamara did just that, signing a one-day deal with the New York Giants so he could hang up his cleats with Big Blue.
It wasn’t a hard decision to make. Amukamara was drafted by the Giants back in 2011 and spent most of his career there, but his last NFL contract was with the Saints during their 2021 training camp. He wasn’t able to push then-rookie Paulson Adebo for the starting job so the Saints released him from his contract two weeks after he signed it.
Out of football for the rest of 2021 and 2022, Amukamara has now formally retired, and he’s done so as a Giant. New York picked him at No. 19 overall in the 2011 draft (out of Nebraska) and he’ll get to say he ended his career in pro football where he started it. Good for him.
The Chargers signed linebacker Tae Crowder on Tuesday,
In correspondence, Los Angeles waived offensive tackle Andrew Trainer with an injury designation.
Crowder was the No. 255 overall pick by the Giants in 2020, making him “Mr. Irrelevant.” He appeared in 41 games, 31 being starts, before being waived in December of 2022. Crowder then joined the Steelers’ practice squad but did not appear in any games.
Through three seasons, Crowder has 232 tackles, nine for loss, eight passes defended, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions.
Before joining the NFL ranks, Crowder was a key player for the Georgia Bulldogs, finishing 122 career tackles, five pass breakups and two interceptions.
The Saints have gotten quality reps out of veteran backups like Manti Te’o, Kiko Alonso, and Craig Robertson. Now it’s Jaylon Smith’s turn:
News of the New Orleans Saints signing veteran linebacker Jaylon Smith drew mixed reviews on Thursday, with some fans criticizing the move as something of little consequence while others celebrated the addition of an experienced pro. Smith’s NFL career hasn’t met expectations after a catastrophic knee injury ended his college career, but he’s still carved out a role for himself on some good defenses with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants and occasionally earned Pro Bowl recognition.
So how can he find success in 2023? There’s actually already a blueprint for him in place. The Saints have gotten quality reps out of veteran backups before — guys like Manti Te’o, Kiko Alonso, and Craig Robertson, just to name a few. None of them were starters. Smith won’t be starting, either. But just like his predecessors, all he needs to do to make this move a positive is avoid making mistakes when the Saints call his number. Be ready when it’s his time, then get out there and execute his assignments. Don’t make mistakes.
And he’s done a great job of playing mistake-free football throughout his career. Pro Football Focus charting found that Smith missed just 7.3% of his career tackles, and that he’s allowed just 6 touchdown passes on 2,454 snaps when dropping back into coverage. For context, last year Demario Davis missed 14.4% of his tackles and yielded 2 touchdown passes. Pete Werner missed 11.7% of his tackles and gave up 2 touchdowns of his own in coverage.
Smith has a reputation as a dirty player (not helped by his infamous illegal hit on Alvin Kamara back in 2018), but he’s only been penalized 14 times in his seven-year pro career, and he hasn’t been flagged at all in each of the last two seasons. That’s something he identified early on as a weakness in his game and worked to correct.
Barring an extended absence for Davis or Werner, Smith isn’t going to play a ton of snaps this season. The Saints prefer to run nickel or dime defensive personnel to field more defensive backs than linebackers, and that isn’t going to change given their depth in the secondary. If Smith only plays 12 to 15 snaps per game and doesn’t look like a liability, that’s a win for all involved. He doesn’t need to be a starter or look to bag 100 tackles. He just needs to do his job well.
Report: Jaylon Smith to sign with the New Orleans Saints after successful tryout
Sources: Former #Giants LB Jaylon Smith is signing with the #Saints after today’s workout.
The 2019 Pro Bowl LB had 88 tackles, 3 TFLs and 1 sack in 11 starts last season, while also leading NY with 21 tackles and a TFL in two playoff games. pic.twitter.com/TYO3QttaiF
Smith, 28, has carved out a role for himself in stops with the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants, starting 69 of the 87 games he’s appeared in (plus four playoff games). Even if he isn’t starting on Sundays, he brings some much-needed experience to the Saints linebacker corps. After Davis and Werner, the Saints didn’t have a single linebacker with more than 8 career starts.
We’ll see what Smith can do in preseason. If he can consistently stop the run and lead the second-string defense when on the field, that should be enough to make the team. New Orleans still has youngsters like D’Marco Jackson and Nephi Sewell competing for snaps, but adding a proven commodity like Smith won’t exactly limit their opportunities over the next three weeks.
Report: Seeking improved defensive depth, the Saints work out former Giants and Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith
This could be an interesting move: TheScore’s Jordan Schultz reports that the New Orleans Saints brought in linebacker Jaylon Smith for a workout in the wake of Anthony Barr’s visit on Monday.
Smith, 28, has spent most of the last two years with the New York Giants after starting his career with the Dallas Cowboys back in 2016. He’s started 69 of the 87 games he’s played in the NFL, as well as four playoff games. He also had a two-game cameo with the Green Bay Packers in 2021.
Smith’s career was derailed by a catastrophic knee injury in his final college game at Notre Dame, costing him his entire rookie season and dropping him out of first-round consideration; it turned out to be one of a few incidents that ignited a wave of withdrawals by top NFL draft prospects in bowl season that continues to this day.
To his credit, Smith has gone on to put a nice career together for himself, and he’d be a good fit in New Orleans behind Demario Davis and Pete Werner. Head coach Dennis Allen recently acknowledged that he hasn’t seen anyone emerge out of the group of first- and second-year pros and journeymen special teamers to win that opportunity.
CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports free agent LB Anthony Barr is looking to visit the Giants after meeting with the Saints, hoping to make a decision after weighing his offers:
Anthony Barr left the New Orleans Saints without a contract on Tuesday, and he wants to continue exploring his options before making a decision on where he’ll be playing in 2023. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports that Barr is scheduling a visit with the New York Giants as another prospective team fit — helped by the presence of Andre Patterson, New York’s current defensive line coach.
He’s a coach Barr knows very well. They were together on the Minnesota Vikings from 2014 to 2021 when Patterson worked with the defensive line as the Vikings’ co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Patterson helped draft and develop Barr and that relationship could help New York seal the deal where New Orleans was unable to reach the finish line. On the other hand, it’s just as possible the Giants offer Barr less than the Saints, leading him to circle back. It’s too soon to say one way or another.
Former Jaguars running back James Robinson is joining the Giants, his third team since getting traded by Jacksonville in October.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson was a fan favorite during his brief tenure in Duval, but he’s had trouble finding footing with a new squad since being traded in October 2022.
After spending most of the latter half of the 2022 season as a healthy scratch for the New York Jets, the 24-year-old running back signed with the New England Patriots in March. He was cut just three months later, though. Now he’s joining the New York Giants.
Robinson was a breakout star for the Jaguars in 2020, earning an immediate starting role as an undrafted rookie. He finished that year with 1,070 rushing yards, 344 receiving yards, and 10 total touchdowns.
Despite bizarre stints on the sideline and discord with Urban Meyer during the 2021 season, Robinson still recorded 989 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdown before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in December. He returned to score four touchdowns in the first three games of the 2022 season before the Jaguars gradually turned to Travis Etienne Jr. as their featured back.
In New York, Robinson could provide the Giants with some insurance as Saquon Barkley’s contract dispute with the team continues. After not receiving a new deal before the mid-July deadline for franchised players, Barkley has talked about the possibility of sitting out the 2023 season.
The Giants also have running backs Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Jashaun Corbin, and Eric Gray on the roster.
Minkah Fitzpatrick viewed as the clear best safety in the NFL according to league personnel
This past week, ESPN conducted a number of surveys with NFL executives, coaches and scouts to gather the league’s opinion on various topics. One of the opinions they love to grasp is how people in the league view certain players and position groups. Yesterday, the survey discussed the top corners in the NFL, including three former Alabama players and Patrick Surtain II, who was ranked No. 1 on the list.
Recently, ESPN discussed the safety position (subscription required) and who is at the top of the league right now. The Crimson Tide add another to their claim as Defensive Back University, or “DBU,” Pittsburgh Steelers DB, Minkah Fitzpatrick, was ranked as the No. 1 safety in the league. Xavier McKinney qualified on the list as well as an honorable mention, but it is impressive when you think about all of the top corner and safety talent Alabama has sent to the NFL.
One executive in the NFL said of the Giants‘ McKinney, “Young, consistent big starting-level safety. One of the leaders on the Giants defense, versatile – not a lot of flash or high-ed athletic ability compared to some of the other top safeties.”
The reviews for Fitzpatrick were glowing coming off of a 2022 First-team All-Pro performance. Fitzpatrick has arguably the best ball-hawking skills in the NFL and he displayed that last season with 11 pass breakups and six interceptions.
An NFL personnel director said of Fitzpatrick, “Best in the game, and it’s not close. You have to keep him moving because if he’s stationary, coordinators can plan for him, but every single play, there’s that feeling of, where is he going to be? Post, slot, nickel, box. He’s capable, willing and able to handle all of that. He’s brilliant, works, studies, loves the game.”
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