Tag: Josh Reynolds

9 prove it deal free agents the Philadelphia Eagles should pursue

With a tight salary cap awaiting and the Carson Wentz dead money weighing the ship down, the Philadelphia Eagles are going to be squeezed this offseason in their bid to add talent.

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With a tight salary cap awaiting and the Carson Wentz dead money weighing the ship down, the Philadelphia Eagles are going to be squeezed this offseason in their bid to add talent.

With free agency set to begin in two weeks, the Eagles will make some big moves and restructure to free up the necessary cap space to make improvements to their roster.

With the Eagles likely to pursuing some free agents looking for a prove-it deal, here are 9 players they should target to upgrade the roster.

6 WRs Titans should target if Corey Davis leaves in free agency

The Titans can’t spend big money on a No. 2 receiver this offseason.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Corey Davis had his best season as a pro at the right time as he prepares to hit the open market in 2021 after the team declined his fifth-year option last May.

Davis tied or broke career-highs in receptions (65), receiving yards (984), touchdowns (five) and 100-yard games (five) in 2020 as a key cog in Tennessee’s elite offense.

While the Titans would no doubt like to keep Davis on board, general manager Jon Robinson will have a tough task ahead of him in doing so.

Per Over the Cap, the Titans are projected to be $2.1 million over the cap if the final 2021 salary cap figure gets set between the new floor of $180 million at $180.5 million.

The Titans will have a tough time winning a bidding war that drives up Davis’ price, and the team really shouldn’t be spending big money on a No. 2 receiver in the first place.

With the possibility that the Titans lose Davis this offseason, here’s a look at receivers who the team can realistically target in free agency to fill the void left at the No. 2 receiver spot.

8 free agents the Eagles should target regardless of position

Tyrod Taylor is among 8 free agents the Philadelphia Eagles should target

With the Eagles projected to be almost $50 million over the salary cap at the start of the new league year, there will need to be several notables restructures, releases, and possible trades involving some big names.

Howie Roseman is a cap specialist and he’ll likely have no problem clear the necessary cap space in order for the Eagles to begin their rebuild.

The Eagles will need to acquire free agents in 2021 regardless of their cap outlook and we’ve presented 8 players regardless of position who could help the Birds on the cheap.

12 NFL free agents with ties to the new Lions regime that should interest Detroit

Here are some choice unrestricted free agents with ties to the new Lions regime

Detroit’s radical franchise overhaul to the front office and coaching staff gives the Lions a rare chance to remake the roster, too. The new faces in charge of personnel decisions have different ties to different NFL teams they can exploit this offseason to help in the remake, too.

The Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime has direct recent ties to four NFL teams. Holmes, the new GM, comes from the Los Angeles Rams. So does assistant GM Ray Agnew.

New head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn both worked for the New Orleans Saints for several seasons together before coming to Detroit.

Senior personal executive John Dorsey was the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2018-2019 before serving as a consultant in 2020. New offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn was the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers for the last four seasons.

That’s some pretty intimate familiarity and personal ties to four other NFL organizations who will have players leaving this offseason. Here are some choice unrestricted free agents from those teams and how they might be appealing to the amalgamation of the new regime in Detroit.

9 free agent WRs the Colts should consider in 2021

Free agent WRs for Indy.

There are several needs the Indianapolis Colts must address during the 2021 offseason, including at the wide receiver position where they could use some more depth.

Fortunately for the Colts, there is a chance they can add some top-tier talent in free agency if they feel like doing so. Whether they actually will is the big question for Chris Ballard but with their salary cap space, they shouldn’t be afraid to bring in a big fish.

The Colts have a solid group of young wide receivers. Michael Pittman Jr. is on track to being the future WR1 while Parris Campbell can hopefully put his injuries behind him. Zach Pascal has been as reliable as it gets as a depth piece. But the Colts can afford to bring in some more talent.

Here are nine free-agent wide receivers the Colts should consider signing this offseason:

Why “Empty” could be the key for Jared Goff against the Packers

Why one particular offensive formation could be the key to a Rams upset over the Packers.

The Rams saw their first drive peter out against the Packers in the divisional round, and they could manage just a field goal after an ill-advised direct snap to running back Cam Akers, a couple more Akers carries, and a false start. But quarterback Jared Goff was able to make a couple of big-time throws on the drive, and the formation tendencies were important to watch.

This 28-yard pass to Josh Reynolds on first-and-10 from the Rams’ 30-yard line was kind of a big deal.

As the dots will tell you, the Rams got their big play out of an empty formation, which Sean McVay has called far more than any other coach. This season, per Sports Info Solutions, Goff had dropped back 131 times in empty formations, with 83 completions in 122 attempts for 813 yards, 325 air yards, one touchdown… and four interceptions. But those four picks have clearly not stopped McVay from calling empty, and it worked out in that instance. It also worked out on Goff’s 19-yard completion to Robert Woods, also out of empty.

The Packers, on the other hand, faced empty formations in the regular season on just 35 dropbacks (the fifth-fewest in the NFL), allowing 22 receptions on 30 targets for 229 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. So, maybe it was unfamiliarity with the package… or maybe it was the three-man rush with edge-rusher Preston Smith in coverage. Eek.

In any event, you can expect to see the Rams run more empty in this game, especially if Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine doesn’t bring extra pressure.

4 Rams free agents who could be fits for the Cardinals this offseason

The Rams and Packers face off in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Rams have some scheduled free agents who might be of interest to the Cardinals.

The first game of the weekend in the divisional round of the playoffs has the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers. The Arizona Cardinals are not in the postseason but Cardinals fans can watch the game and see individual players who will be free agents this offseason.

Who are some Rams free agents who could be potential targets for the Cardinals in March?


Watch: Josh Reynolds scores Rams’ first TD of night vs. Bears

Josh Reynolds put the Rams up 6-0 early against the Bears.

The Rams’ first drive of the night against the Bears stalled after a third-down screen pass failed to gain any yardage. But on their second possession, the offense moved the ball with ease and found the end zone after a methodical drive by Jared Goff.

He found Josh Reynolds on a quick out in the red zone, scoring from 4 yards out for the Rams’ first touchdown of the night. It was Reynolds’ second straight game with a touchdown and the ninth of his career.

Samuel Sloman converted on the extra point to put the Rams up 7-0 early against the Bears, which was the score at the end of the first quarter. Goff started the game 8-for-11 for 68 yards and a touchdown, his first career touchdown pass against the Bears.

First look at rookie Cam Akers in Rams’ new uniform

Cam Akers is looking good in his No. 23 jersey.

Replacing a two-time All-Pro at running back won’t be easy, but after cutting Todd Gurley this offseason, it’s exactly what the Rams have to do. They quickly filled the void left by Gurley on the depth chart by drafting Cam Akers in the second round, adding another young running back to the mix.

Akers is probably the one rookie Rams fans are most excited to watch this season, and seeing him in the team’s new uniform has been a long time coming. The coronavirus pandemic has prevented players from doing official photoshoots with at the facility, but with everyone back in the building this week, Akers put on his No. 23 jersey.

Here’s a first look at him in L.A.’s all-royal uniform set.

Akers has impressed the Rams during this virtual offseason, asking good questions and giving the right answers in meetings. That’s a positive development because Akers’ time in practice will be limited, so if he can be prepared from the next up, it will help him get acclimated to the NFL quickly.

“Just the demeanor and the way that he has handled himself in these virtual settings, it definitely doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too big for him,” McVay said. “He is very smart. I’ve been really impressed with his ability to give us some feedback. When we ask him questions, he’s on the screws with all those answers.”

In addition to Akers, Josh Reynolds also put on the Rams’ new uniform for a photoshoot this week, showing off his new No. 11 jersey.

The Rams seems to have a strong preference for the all-royal uniform combination rather than wearing yellow pants with the blue jersey. We’ll have to wait and see which set they pick for the season opener on Sept. 13 against the Cowboys.

Rams plan for Josh Reynolds to be a ‘big-time part of this offense’

The Rams are still high on Josh Reynolds despite drafting Van Jefferson.

Don’t sell your stock on Josh Reynolds just yet – even after the Los Angeles Rams drafted Van Jefferson in the second round.

Reynolds, a fourth-year player who has been a solid fill-in for the Rams in the last few seasons, is expected to step up in place of Brandin Cooks, who the team traded to the Texans. Given his experience in this role, Reynolds should be able to produce as the No. 3 receiver.

Much of it will come down to opportunities and targets, but Reynolds has had an impact in limited action before. His role has never been bigger than it’s expected to be in 2020, especially with the way Sean McVay is talking about him.

McVay made it a point that the Rams wouldn’t have traded Cooks if they didn’t have Reynolds, and they didn’t plan on drafting a receiver until they dove into the class and identified Jefferson.

“He’s a guy that we have a lot of confidence in,” McVay said on a conference call this week. “We would not have made the move on Brandin Cooks had it not been for the confidence we have in Josh Reynolds. We were able to get a player we had a lot of value for in with Van Jefferson but that was not part of the plan going into the draft until we got a chance to dive into that receiver group and say, ‘OK, this is a guy that fits, has a skill set.’”

“Josh is a guy we anticipate being a big-time part of this offense. as far as those things in the future go, we’re really just taking it a day at a time right now.”

Reynolds has seen his fantasy stock ping-pong in recent weeks. It went up after Cooks was traded, for obvious reasons, but then it sank a bit with the arrival of Jefferson. Reynolds should have a leg-up on Jefferson as the No. 3 receiver, but the Rams clearly like Jefferson a lot.

They’ve shown a lot of confidence in Reynolds over the last few years, primarily because he showed the ability to play and succeed in a starter’s role.

“He’s stepped in and been a starter and he’s got the ability to play really our X or Z, he can play in the slot. I think, really, we just feel like he’s a capable starting receiver if you’re getting into some of those three-receiver sets,” McVay said.

Reynolds will be a free agent after the upcoming season, so it’s an important year for him. If he breaks out as the third receiver, he could land himself a nice contract next offseason. If he doesn’t stand out and remains nothing more than a backup, he might be cheap enough for the Rams to re-sign – especially if Cooper Kupp prices himself out of their range.

Regardless, this will be an extremely important season for Reynolds.

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