Tag: guard

Everyone loved Quinn Meinerz’s blocking on ‘Monday Night Football’

Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz is a beast! 😤

Quinn Meinerz remains a fan favorite.

The 24-year-old guard played college football at Wisconsin-Whitewater, a Division III program, and his fantastic college film, impressive performance at the Senior Bowl and unique outdoor workout videos caught the attention of NFL teams in 2021.

Denver used a third-round pick to select Meinerz in the NFL draft three years ago and he quickly emerged as a fan favorite after “letting the belly breathe” at practice. Meinerz is much more than a meme, though. He is emerging as one of the best guards in the NFL, and a Pro Bowl nod could be within reach this season.

Twitter gushed with praise for Meinerz after his impressive performance against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 10.

Ex-Broncos guard Dalton Risner signing 1-year deal with Vikings

The Vikings are signing former Broncos guard Dalton Risner to a one-year contract.

Former Denver Broncos guard Dalton Risner is signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Risner (6-5, 312 pounds) was born in Branson, Missouri and he grew up in Wiggins, Colorado. After playing college football at Kansas State, Risner was selected by the Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Risner quickly won a starting job in Denver and was penalized three times and allowed two sacks in 16 games as a rookie. Risner then had the best season of his career in his second season with no penalties and no sacks allowed in 2020.

Risner’s performance has dipped since then as the guard was penalized four times and he allowed 8.5 sacks over the last two years (30 games).

Risner has played guard as a pro but he has experience at tackle and center from college. The versatile offensive lineman is probably best suited to play guard, but his position flexibility increases his value.

Risner, 28, will now get a fresh start in Minnesota.

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Saints sign a familiar face to replace Trai Turner at guard

The Saints signed a familiar face to replace Trai Turner at guard, bringing back a veteran player they waived just before training camp started:

There’s the guard we were looking for: the New Orleans Saints brought back Koda Martin after waiving him before training camp to open a roster spot for Trai Turner. Turner, the five-time Pro Bowler competing for a backup spot on his hometown team, went down with a season-ending injury at Friday’s training camp session. Martin’s return was listed on the daily NFL transactions wire.

So Martin is returning to the same spot he held a few weeks ago. He’ll reenter the fray for one of the last available roster spots behind Cesar Ruiz and Andrus Peat, though it’s clear that guys like Calvin Throckmorton and Nick Saldiveri have a leg up on him. He needs to show the Saints they were wrong to release him in the first place and outwork youngsters like Lewis Kidd and Mark Evans II.

Here’s what we wrote of Martin when he first signed with New Orleans back in January:

“Martin, 29, hasn’t seen many reps in the NFL since signing with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent back in 2019, though he played a handful of snaps on the field goal units and at right guard for the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. He finished his collegiate career at Syracuse, where he started all 13 games at right tackle as a senior in 2018; that’s after transferring from Texas A&M, where he started at left tackle as a junior.”

Are the Saints finished making moves at guard? Maybe, maybe not. There are still free agents available they could sign to add more competition to the room, and if they’re unimpressed by the state of competition they could also call around the league and see which players are available for trades.

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Creed Humphrey hints at extra grit, cohesion brewing along Chiefs’ offensive line

Creed Humphrey is excited for the pads to come on in St. Joseph on Friday as the #Chiefs offensive line continues building chemistry. | from: @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs opened training camp conducting practices without their players in pads. They have been following a strict low-to-no contact guideline throughout their workout sessions to this point, but plan to ramp up their intensity on Friday.

Center Creed Humphrey is among the Chiefs waiting most anxiously to get back to full-pace high-stakes action. He gladly revealed to reporters after practice on Wednesday which of his teammates felt the same way.

Humphrey sparked laughter at the podium, with his comment on guard Trey Smith, in particular.

“He gets to hit people, and he has pads,” Humphrey joked.

Smith earned a reputation for his brutal blocks last season, much to the delight of his teammate Humphrey. The team’s offseason additions, though,  were also favored by the decorated center. Players like tackles Wanya Morris, Donovan Smith, and Jawaan Taylor all seemed to have made great first impressions on Humphrey through four days of practices in St. Joseph, Missouri.

“They’ve been great so far,” Humphrey explained. “Everybody has been really eager to learn, everybody has been really eager to grow together, build chemistry together, so it’s been really good. I say this all the time, when you’ve got five guys up front who’ve got the same mindset and everything like that, it’s going to lead to good results. I feel like they did a good job of bringing in guys that have the same mindset as us.”

Humphrey and the rest of the line will do their best to continue playing with an edge and fostering unit cohesion as the Chiefs look to defend their Super Bowl LVII victory in 2023.

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Broncos’ Quinn Meinerz gets honorable mention among NFL’s best guards

NFL coaches, players, execs and scouts gave Quinn Meinerz an honorable mention among the game’s top interior offensive linemen.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently interviewed NFL executives, coaches, scouts and players to have them rank the best players in the league at each position.

The Broncos had two players land in the resulting rankings — Pat Surtain was named the No. 1 cornerback and Justin Simmons was named the No. 3 safety.

Denver also had a pair of players receive honorable mention nods at their respective positions — running back Javonte Williams and guard Quinn Meinerz.

Meinerz was healthy for 13 games last year and started all of them. In those contests, he was penalized twice and allowed 3.5 sacks, according to STATS LLC. Meinerz was the sixth-best guard in the NFL last year with an overall grade of 77.7, according to Pro Football Focus.

Meinerz has started 22 games through his first two seasons in the NFL. He is expected to serve as the team’s right guard in 2023 following the arrival of new left guard Ben Powers this offseason.

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Mock Draft Monday: Saints projected to pick Boston College guard Christian Mahogany

Mock Draft Monday: New Orleans Saints projected to pick fast-rising Boston College guard Christian Mahogany, a name high on our 2024 watch list

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It’s time for another 2024 mock draft as we continue to build our New Orleans Saints watch list in anticipation of the college football season. The Saints were projected to pick fast-rising Boston College guard Christian Mahogany, a name already high on our 2024 watch list, in this admittedly way-too-early model from ESPN’s Jordan Reid. Here’s Reid’s reasoning:

Interior offensive line is a major question mark for the Saints, with their top three options — Andrus Peat, Cesar Ruiz and Calvin Throckmorton — all scheduled to become free agents following the season. Mahogany was getting early-round buzz before tearing his right ACL heading into the 2022 season, and now that he is healthy, scouts are watching to see if he can follow Chris Lindstrom (2019) and Zion Johnson (2022) as the next Boston College first-round lineman. Mahogany has spent time at both guard spots, and at 6-foot-3, 335 pounds, he is tough to beat.

Few teams invest early-round picks in the trenches like New Orleans. Since Jeff Ireland was hired to oversee their college scouting department in 2015, New Orleans has picked offensive or defensive linemen with 11 of their 19 selections in the first two rounds. As Reid observed, the Saints will be looking for new blood at guard next offseason with all three of their top players at the position headed for free agency.

If Mahogany meets expectations and helps the Boston College line return to form, he could very well end up being their pick next April. But first he needs to prove he’s fully recovered from last year’s knee injury, and that he can play at a high enough level to justify that kind of buzz. So which other positions are on Reid’s radar when it comes to New Orleans?

Beyond the interior offensive line, Reid highlighted wide receiver and the defensive line as positions of need. Some prospects in his mock draft who could fit what the Saints typically look for include Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy (though he’s skinny at just 160 pounds; Rashid Shaheed is the lightest receiver in New Orleans at a listed 181 pounds) and Illinois defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton, a disruptive player who lined up at both end and tackle. We’ll add them both to the list.

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Broncos roster series: No. 60, OL Luke Wattenberg

Entering his second season with the Broncos, Luke Wattenberg is a versatile lineman who can provide cover both at center and guard.

Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at second-year offensive lineman Luke Wattenberg, No. 60.

Before the Broncos: Wattenberg (6-5, 300 pounds) played college football at Washington, earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 recognition in 2021 and 2020. He started all 12 games at center for the Huskies in 2021. Before that, he started four games at center during a COVID-shortened season in 2020. He began his college career with 27 straight starts at guard with Washington before switching to center. Wattenberg ran a 40-yard dash in 5.2 seconds and a 10-yard shuttle in 1.77 seconds at the NFL combine in 2021.

Broncos tenure: Denver used a fifth-round pick to select Wattenberg in last year’s NFL draft. He dressed for seven games as a rookie last season and earned one start.

Chance to make the 53-man roster: Wattenberg should have strong odds to make the team as a backup swing guard/center. The Broncos have a crowded center depth chart, but Wattenberg could win a spot on the active roster thanks to his experience at guard.

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Broncos roster series: No. 66, OL Henry Byrd

Broncos rookie Henry Byrd is a versatile offensive lineman who will compete for a backup job on Denver’s offensive line this summer.

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Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at rookie offensive lineman Henry Byrd, No. 66.

Before the Broncos: Byrd (6-5, 310 pounds) played college football at Princeton, earning first-team All-Ivy recognition in 2021 and 2022 after receiving second-team All-Ivy honors in 2019. He played as an offensive tackle in college, but he also got reps at guard in high school. In an interview with Ross Tucker, Byrd said he will begin as a guard in Denver who can swing across the line, able to provide cover both at tackle and center.

Broncos tenure: The Broncos signed Byrd as an undrafted free agent in May. He will make his Denver debut during preseason this summer.

Chance to make the 53-man roster: Byrd will be a long shot to make the team’s active roster as a rookie. He will probably be competing for a backup swing guard/tackle spot at training camp this summer. Byrd’s best shot to stick with the team in 2023 will likely be on the practice squad.

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Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly visiting Memphis on Wednesday

Alabama guard transfer Jahvon Quinerly will be taking a visit to Memphis on Wednesday, according to Jon Rothstein. Quinerly entered the transfer portal on June 25.

Alabama guard transfer Jahvon Quinerly will be visiting Memphis on Wednesday, according to Jon Rothstein. Quinerly entered the transfer portal on June 25.

Quinerly was expected to be a key piece of Alabama’s backcourt next season. However, the New Jersey native decided to weigh his options for his sixth and final season.

In three seasons at Alabama, Quinerly averaged 11.7 points per game, 2.3 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game. Quinerly was named the Co-Sixth Man of the Year in 2023. Over the course of his career in Tuscaloosa, Quinerly was known for playing at an elite level in the postseason and providing valuable minutes off the bench.

Interestingly enough, Quinerly has played Memphis twice. In 2021, Quinerly finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists. In 2022, he recorded seven points, two rebounds, and five assists. The Tigers coaching staff has become familiar with Quinerly’s style of play over the last two seasons and are now pushing to land his commitment.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program and its involvement in the transfer portal.

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Broncos roster series: No. 74, OL Ben Powers

After four years with the Ravens, Ben Powers joins the Broncos as their new starting left guard.

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Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at fifth-year guard Ben Powers, No. 74.

Before the Broncos: Powers (6-4, 310 pounds) started his college career at Butler Community College in 2015 before transferring to Oklahoma in 2016. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2016 and 2017 before earning consensus All-American recognition in 2018. Powers spent most of his time with the Sooners as a left guard.

The Baltimore Ravens used a fourth-round pick to select Powers in the 2019 NFL draft. He dressed for just one game as a rookie before earning 16 appearances and seven starts in his second season in 2020. Powers emerged as a full-time starter in 2021 but missed four games due to injury that year.

Powers started all 17 games for Baltimore last season and did not commit any penalties. He allowed 1.5 sacks, according to STATS LLC.

Broncos tenure: The Broncos made Powers a priority during free agency, signing him to a four-year, $52 million contract. Powers is now projected to start at left guard in 2023 with Quinn Meinerz at right guard.

Chance to make the 53-man roster: Powers is a lock to make the team and start in Week 1, health permitting.

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