Tag: Josina Anderson

Former Ravens safety says he’s better than the legendary Ed Reed

Former Ravens safety Earl Thomas told Josina Anderson that he was better than Hall of Fame defensive back Ed Reed

Earl Thomas was an All-American defensive back at the University of Texas and a first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks.

Thomas had a decorated NFL career, but injuries and off-the-field issues caused the defensive back to be out of the league by 2019 after his stint with Seattle and one season in Baltimore.

Thomas is clamoring for a return to the NFL. He recently sat down with Josina Anderson on ‘The Exhibit’ and claimed he was better than Ed Reed, a Hall of Fame safety.

“I know I still can play….cause my opportunities were slim to none after I had that incident in baltimore…it has to be a good atmosphere where coaches are going to go out there and let me play and communicate. I know the plays and the formations; just an atmosphere where they understand me. I’m still the best safety in the league… I would just know, I’m better than Ed Reed. I’m better than Troy Polamalu….I know a lot of Seattle fans would agree. I know for sure that 2013 team -we don’t win a Super Bowl without me.”

A key member of Seattle’s ‘Legion of Boom’ defense, Thomas was on his way towards carving out a Hall of Fame resume. Thomas played 10 seasons for the Seahawks and Ravens, logging 497 solo tackles, 216 assists, 2.0 sacks, six fumble recoveries, and 30 interceptions. He was selected to play in 7 Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl.

Reed played 12 seasons for the Ravens, Jets, and Texans, logging 534 solo tackles, 112 assists, 6.0 sacks, 13 fumble recoveries, and 64 career interceptions.

Reed was selected to play in 9 Pro Bowls, winning one Defensive Player of the Year award and one Super Bowl.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

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Former Chiefs DE Frank Clark reveals why he chose to sign with Broncos

Former #Chiefs DE Frank Clark spoke to Josina Anderson about his decision to sign with the #Broncos in free agency. | from @LazarczykLogan

Former Kansas City Chiefs edge rusher Frank Clark agreed to terms with the Denver Broncos on Thursday afternoon.

Shortly after his decision was made, the 29-year-old Clark told CBS Sports reporter Josina Anderson why he ultimately decided to stay in the AFC West division.

“The situation with Sean Payton is good for me. I get to play alongside Randy Gregory and stay in a division that I am very familiar with,” Clark said. “I also want to help the Broncos get back to the mountaintop.”

Although the Broncos are coming off of a disappointing season in 2022, this move makes plenty of sense for Clark. Familiarity is always important in a player’s success and Clark already has intel on each team within the division. He played four seasons in the AFC West and has played against the Chargers and Raiders a number of times. He also knows how Kansas City’s offense operates after years of practicing against it.

As Clark mentioned, he will be paired up with Gregory, who was in Clark’s draft class in 2015. Gregory and Clark were selected three picks apart from each other, as Gregory was selected 60th overall by the Cowboys and Clark was selected by the Seahawks at pick No. 63.

Winning the division will be a tall task for the Broncos, but playoffs are clearly the goal with Payton as the head coach. Denver has not made the playoffs since 2015 when the Broncos won the Super Bowl with Peyton Manning. Reaching the playoffs would allow Clark to continue his playoff legacy. His 13.5 playoff career sacks are the third most all-time behind Bruce Smith and Willie McGinest.

A trip to the playoffs would also be reminiscent of former Chiefs DE Neil Smith’s departure from Kansas City to Denver. His tenure with the Broncos resulted in plenty of playoff success and two Super Bowl rings (XXXII, XXXIII).

Joining a stacked defense like the Broncos have can take some pressure off of Clark’s shoulders, allowing him to be more effective in getting to the quarterback.

The Chiefs host the Broncos in Week 6 in Kansas City on “Thursday Night Football” and again in Week 8 in Denver.

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Josina Anderson gives update on possibility of Ravens trading during 1st round of 2022 draft

Josina Anderson of USA Today gave an update on the possibility that the Ravens trade during the first round of the 2022 draft

Assuming they keep their original first round selection, the Baltimore Ravens will be selecting higher than they usually do. They hold the No. 14 overall pick, and will likely have plenty of options available if they end up getting on the clock there. However, there is a chance that Baltimore moves off of the 14th selection to move up or down as they look to maneuver the draft board.

Shortly after the draft began, Josina Anderson of USA Today provided an update on the possibility that the Ravens trade up or down, reporting that the team is 50/50 on a trade, with 60% being moving back and the other 40% being moving up.

Odell Beckham Jr. excused from practice by Browns

Beckham Jr. is getting closer and closer to being cut.

There’s always a little drama going on in the NFL.

Well actually, there is usually a lot of drama going on in the NFL.

According to Josina Anderson on Twitter, the Browns told wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., that he was excused from practice today. Additionally, it is Anderson’s understanding that Beckham Jr. was ready to attend practice as usual.

This could mean the Browns are preparing to cut him, because of his lack of performance and his injury-riddled history with the program. Releasing Beckahm Jr. would be most likely be beneficial for both parties. He only has 17 receptions for 232 yards and no receiving touchdowns through six games this season. Just yesterday, his father released a video of Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield not throwing to Odell when he was wide open.

Beckham Jr. has obviously been one of the league’s better talents at wideout over the past several seasons, but his injuries and unprofessional demeanor tend to lead to dramatic moments like this. The limelight allows NFL players to act out without serious backlash or consequences because of either their popularity or their value to their team. Unfortunately, the Browns don’t seem to care much about either.

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REPORT: Saints willing to trade Alvin Kamara

The New Orleans Saints open to consider trading Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara per a report from NFL insider Josina Anderson.

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A day after ESPN reported that Alvin Kamara had logged three unexcused absences during New Orleans Saints training camp while negotiating a contract extension, NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that the Saints are open to trading their superstar running back.

This follows news of an extension between the Cincinnati Bengals and their own powerhouse running back Joe Mixon, who signed a deal paying out $48 million over the next four years. That sort of arrangement would be the floor for any new contract between Kamara and the Saints.

And it appears to be similar to the last offer the Saints made Kamara. The Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reported that the team’s proposal is valued around that $48 million number, while also throwing out the four-year, $50 million deal Derrick Henry signed with the Tennessee Titans earlier this summer as a model. Kamara may be asking for more.

What would it take for the Saints to agree to trade Kamara? The deal that sent franchise tagged Jacksonville Jaguars sack artist Yannick Ngakoue to the Minnesota Vikings returned a second-round pick in 2021 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2022, but it required the Vikings to take on $12 million of Ngakoue’s salary while the Jaguars shed $16 million off their books.

Unlike Ngakoue, Kamara is set to earn just over $2.1 million this year, so any draft assets he’d return would be more valuable. A better comparison might be the Jamal Adams trade, which saw the Seattle Seahawks swap their first-round pick in each of the next two drafts plus a 2021 third-round pick and starting safety Bradley McDougald. Adams is set to count $3.8 million against the salary cap this year.

So there’s probably some truth to Anderson’s report in that the Saints would consider moving Kamara for the right trade package. But there’s a big difference between that passive interest and actively seeking out partners. Keep an eye out for the next development.

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Is free agent Jadeveon Clowney close to finding a new NFL team?

Could a new NFL team now be interested in free agent and former Seattle Seahawks defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney?

The Seattle Seahawks added a couple of defensive weapons to the arsenal this offseason but were unable to re-sign defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the roster. Numerous teams have expressed interest in the free agent, although he is still without a team.

But could that be about to change?

NLF insider Josina Anderson tweeted earlier on Thursday that an anonymous team that may be running a 4-3 defensive scheme could be interested in Clowney. Teams currently running a 4-3 scheme include the Browns, Colts,  Raiders, and Eagles.

Clowney has waited months for the right deal to be extended to him, but he will eventually have to take what he can get if he wants to see the field this year. Where the 27-year-old edge rusher calls home for the 2020 season is up in the air.

For now, it seems that the Seahawks have all but given up on trying to acquire Clowney’s services. Of course, anything can happen in the NFL, but it does not seem likely a reunion in Seattle is in the making.

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Report: Dez Bryant talking to clubs about a tryout, Ravens named as possibility

The former Cowboys WR has been working on his comeback; now with tryouts open again, he may get that chance with the Baltimore Ravens.

Former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant may indeed get his wish for a return to the National Football League. Cowboys fans hoping for a reunion with his former club, however, may be out of luck.

NFL insider Josina Anderson is reporting Bryant may be close to securing himself some workouts, now that the league has eased up on regulations put in place regarding free agent visits. Bryant, of course, has been lobbying hard to make a comeback after an Achilles tear ended his tenure with the New Orleans Saints after literally a matter of days. Anderson reports that Bryant is now in talks with the Baltimore Ravens “and some other teams” about an in-person tryout.

UPDATE: Bryant is confirmed to be working out for the Ravens this week, via NFL Network’s Jane Slater.

Bryant was a first-round pick for Dallas in 2010. After eight successful seasons and three Pro Bowls, he was cut prior to 2018’s training camp.

He sat out the first half of the 2018 regular season, reportedly spurning an offer to play in Cleveland. He was signed by the Saints in November of that year, but ruptured an Achilles tendon in just his second practice with the team.

After a grueling rehab that he often documented on social media, Bryant announced his desire to return to the NFL. He focused on a small handful of clubs, including his former employers in both Dallas and New Orleans.

There had been legitimate hope of Bryant returning to Dallas, with owner Jerry Jones even fanning the flames on more than one occasion. The selection of Oklahoma wideout CeeDee Lamb in the 2019 Draft threw some water on that fire. When Jones then talked Lamb into wearing Bryant’s old jersey number, the last ember seemed to be extinguished.

The league had shut down free agent visits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but announced just last week that they were lifting those restrictions.

Coincidentally or not, Bryant tweeted the following two days after that news release:

It will be hard for many Cowboys fans to see Bryant finally suit up for another squad after so many memorable moments in Dallas. But he’s worked his tail off to even be in a position to talk realistically about a comeback, especially at a position where most players see their skills fall off the edge of a table and never return. Bryant deserves the chance to go out and prove himself, and maybe even throw up the X a few more times.

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Report: Jadeveon Clowney plans to sign with team before season starts

Former Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney plans to sign with a team before the start of the 2020 NFL season.

Free-agent, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney intends to sign with a team before the start of the 2020 NFL season, however, which club he signs with remains to be seen.

Apparently, the former Seattle Seahawk is still open to offers.

Clowney told Josina Anderson via a phone call the plan is to sign “before the season starts, if everything still goes on time with the season.” Asked who the lucky club might be, Clowney replied: “No I have not narrowed down a final team. I’m still open.”

Clowney entered this year’s free agency period as one of the hottest commodities around the league. While he has been rumored to have been in talks with various NFL teams, including the Titans and Browns, he has yet to secure a new deal.

“It’s my opinion from my phone conversation with Clowney just now that he remains confident about his value and worth and that interested teams have the ability to still pay, regardless of the upcoming pandemic-impacted season,” Anderson tweeted. “I sensed zero shift in that belief.”

Training camps are scheduled to start by July 28, so the clock is now ticking for Clowney to make his decision.

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Report: NFL insider Josina Anderson out at ESPN

NFL insider Josina Anderson will be leaving ESPN, according to a New York Post report.

The talent carousel continues at ESPN. NFL insider Josina Anderson is done at the Worldwide Leader, according to a New York Post report.

Per the Post’s Andrew Marchand:

ESPN will replace Anderson with a combination of Field Yates, Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Dianna Russini and newcomer Kimberley Martin.

It is unclear what is next for 41-year-old Anderson. Over her nearly nine years with ESPN, she has had some good gets, including a sit down with Antonio Brown this year.

However, she ran into trouble at times with ESPN executives. After the Myles Garrett incident in which the Browns defensive lineman hit Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with Rudolph’s helmet, Anderson tweeted, “I would bet Myles Garrett will say he heard Mason Rudolph call him something egregious. Never seen Garrett act like that, ever.”

ESPN has seen Adam Amin leave for FOX Sports, as well as Emmanuel Acho in recent times.

 

Former Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin eyes NFL return

31-year-old Percy Harvin, who has been out of the league since 2016, is eyeing a return to the NFL this season.

Former Pro Bowl wide receiver Percy Harvin, who has not played in the NFL since 2016, told Josina Anderson of ESPN he is planning to return to the NFL and has been training with a former Olympian.

Harvin’s agent, Alvin Keels, also told Anderson that he has handled calls from teams looking to add a veteran receiver, and that the pandemic has caused some teams to turn toward established veteran players, like Harvin.

Harvin was famously acquired by the Seahawks in March of 2013, after they gave up a first round pick, a seventh round pick and a fourth round pick in the 2014 draft.

Harvin only played in one regular season game for Seattle that season, hauling in one reception for 17 yards, although he did have one of the most famous plays in franchise history – a kickoff returned for a touchdown to begin the second half of Seattle’s 43-8 win over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Harvin was eventually shipped to the Jets after five games with Seattle in 2014, ending a tenure littered with injuries and disappointment, save for one epic play.

After a half year in New York and two injury-plagued seasons in Buffalo, Harvin was out of the league by age 28.

Now, he will look to catch on with a team this summer at age 31, hoping to reclaim some of the magic that made him a Pro Bowler early in his career.

Whether a team will be willing to put him on the 53-man roster remains to be seen, but it’s not hard to imagine there’s some juice left, especially now that his body has had time to recover.

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