Tag: Michael Penix Jr

Report: Saints did not try to trade up for Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.

Contrary to a prior report, it’s now been said that the New Orleans Saints did not try to trade up for Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

NFL draft season is Lyin’ Season, and it can be tough to parse fact from fiction — especially when a team like the Atlanta Falcons makes a widely-criticized pick and tries to cover themselves by spreading trade rumors to the media. Maybe that happened here, or maybe it didn’t. Maybe someone was just misinformed.

Either way, contrary to a prior report, it’s now been said that the New Orleans Saints did not try to trade up ahead of the Falcons to pick Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Saints News Network’s John Hendrix shot down that report, quoting a source as saying “It never happened.”

That makes sense. Penix is one of the older prospects in this draft class and wouldn’t see the field for at least two years while the Saints ride out the rest of Derek Carr’s contract. Trading more assets to move up for him would be neglectful at best. It doesn’t help that the Saints have a lot of arms on the roster already between Carr, Jake Haener, Nathan Peterman, Kellen Mond, and flex-player Taysom Hill. There wouldn’t be enough reps in practice to go around.

Could the Saints add another quarterback later on? Maybe. They probably should. Peterman and Mond have both flamed out in other stops already. They’re here to help Carr and Haener pick up the playbook more than anything else. If the Saints have an opportunity to add a rookie quarterback who could seriously challenge Haener for the backup job (and maybe develop into something more), they should consider it. That just can’t come at the expense of more pressing team needs.

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Breaking: Falcons select QB Michael Penix Jr at No. 8 overall

Breaking: The Atlanta Falcons selected Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL draft

That’s a stunner. Is stunner the right word? The Atlanta Falcons have decided to select Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

Despite signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason, the Falcons still decide to take a quarterback that will be 28 years old when that deal expires.

It’s not that Penix isn’t a good player, it’s just that it is a head-scratcher of a pick given their needs and even potential to be a contender. Instead of building up their defense, they take someone that truthfully might never see the field for them.

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Broncos select pass rusher Laiatu Latu in 2024 NFL mock draft

Peter Schrager’s first-round NFL mock draft has the Broncos selecting UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 12.

In his first 2024 NFL mock draft, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager has the Denver Broncos selecting UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu with the 12th overall pick.

Schrager has quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy going off the board with the first four picks. With none of the top QBs available, the Broncos pick Latu.

“Viewed by many as the best pure pass rusher in the draft, Latu absolutely could end up in Denver if the board falls this way,” Schrager wrote on NFL.com. “The Broncos would, of course, love to move up and get a top-four quarterback, but I just don’t think they have the ammunition. They’d have to really love Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. to take either at No. 12 overall. (Like really, REALLY love.) So Latu’s the prediction here.”

While many would state that the Broncos should draft a QB, continuing to load up on defense isn’t a bad idea. Latu’s 13 sacks last season with UCLA proved that he can provide the need to get to the quarterback. The Broncos’ defense slipped last season: their rush defense finished 30th, and their total defense was 29th. Using a first-round pick to retool the defense can help it get back to the level it was at in 2022 if it works out.

Nix gets picked at No. 23, for what it’s worth, but Penix falls out of the first round in Schrager’s mock.

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Raiders select a QB in latest Pro Football Focus mock draft

Raiders select a QB in latest Pro Football Focus mock draft

This is expected to be one of the wildest drafts in recent memory with as many as six quarterbacks potentially selected in Round 1. But could the Raiders be one of those teams to draft a quarterback in the first round?

In a recent mock draft by Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus, he gave the Raiders a QB at No. 13; Michael Penix Jr of Washington. Here is why he believes Penix could be a great fit in Las Vegas:

The 1983 NFL Draft set the record for the most first-round quarterbacks, with six hearing their names called. This class not only has a strong chance of tying that record, but all six could go in the top 15.

Penix has NFL-level arm talent and was one of the best signal-callers in college football in each of the past two seasons.

There is no doubt that the Raiders will select a quarterback at some point during the 2024 NFL Draft. But could Penix really be the pick at No. 13? All the signs have been pointing towards Penix being a first-round pick for the last several weeks and it seems like a perfect in Luke Getsy’s offense.

While this is far from a lock, it does appear that Penix to the Raiders has gained a lot of traction over the last few weeks. Don’t be surprised if the Raiders go in this direction in a few weeks.

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Watch: Washington gets back in the game with a score before halftime

Michael Penix Jr makes it a one-score game with a touchdown pass in the National Championship game

Early on, it looked like the Michigan Wolverines would run away with the National Championship game. With a 17-3 lead, they looked dominant. However, just before halftime, the Washington Huskies put together a drive of their own, capped by a Michael Penix Jr touchdown pass to Jalen McMillan.

The drive started on the Washington 39-yard line. The drive spanned 11 plays and 61 yards. The Huskies Southpaw started to heat up as he led the offense down the field to get back within striking distance.

The touchdown pass came on 4th down after Michigan failed on a 4th down attempt of their own. With the Huskies getting the ball back after halftime, it could signal a big momentum shift in the game. Penix Jr will look to keep it up in the 2nd half.

Michael Penix Jr. raves about Penn State’s new DC at CFP National Championship media day

Michael Penix Jr. raves about Tom Allen at CFP National Championship Media Day.

The College Football Playoff National Championship game kicks off Monday night from Houston’s NRG Stadium, but before then, we had media day throughout the day on Saturday.

Both head coaches Jim Harbaugh and Kalen DeBoer spoke to the media and players from both Michigan and Washington, respectively. When Huskies’ star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took the podium, he was asked about his path to the title game, and one man in particular stood out: [autotag]Tom Allen[/autotag].

The newly hired Penn State defensive coordinator and ex-Indiana Hoosiers head coach recruited Penix to Bloomington. He believed in the future Heisman runner-up after Tennessee’s new staff under Jeremy Pruitt didn’t see a future with Penix. Although Penix’s career in Indiana was riddled with several season-ending injuries, there was no love lost between Penix and his former head coach.

“He’s a great coach. He’s a coach that it’s easy to love him because of the guy he is, the person he is. I feel like he cares about his players. He cares about the person more than the player. I feel like he’s a guy that will definitely do great things at Penn State (as DC). He’s going to bring great leadership. He’s going to bring great energy, intensity each & every day. He was always the same guy every day & always had that same energy, same spark, trying to help the team be better in any way that he could. I feel like they’re definitely getting a good coach” – via @Brett_McMurphy

Now preparing to start his final collegiate game in the National Championship, Penix will get the chance to go out with a bang if he can deliver a title for the Huskies. Allen is a big reason why he is in this position. After all, he is the one who hired Kalen DeBoer, his offensive coordinator, to work with Penix in 2019.

It sure sounds like [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] made a homerun hire with Allen as his new defensive coordinator. Former players raving about their coaches is always a good sign, and Penix’s quote sure makes it seem that Penn State has a tremendous leader to coach its defense.

Follow Charlie Strella on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.

Jameis Winston predicted half of the 2023 Heisman Trophy finalists

Jameis Winston knows ball. Two of the New Orleans Saints quarterback’s Heisman Trophy picks are finalists for this year’s award:

Jameis Winston knows ball. Like all former Heisman Trophy winners, he’s given a ballot for the award’s voting each year, and the New Orleans Saints quarterback shared his picks for the 2023 finalists earlier in November.

And half his picks made the cut. Winston named LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels and Oregon Ducks passer Bo Nix as two of the most impressive players in college football this season, and they’re both in the running with invitations to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation coming up in December. Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. also made the cut.

Winston’s other two picks were left out, though: USC Trojans signal-caller Caleb Williams (the reigning winner) and Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis (who led Winston’s alma mater to an undefeated season and conference championship). Williams regressed this season and Travis suffered a season-ending injury, so neither of them were in the running when it came time for voters to turn in their ballots.

So who is going to be this year’s winner? We’ll have to wait and find out when the 2023 Heisman Trophy is awarded on Saturday, Dec. 9.

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The best quarterbacks against AP Top 25 opponents in the regular season

Comparing top quarterbacks based on their performances against top 25 teams in 2023.

Breaking down the numbers against AP top 25 opponents, we see that Noah Fifita of Arizona had a strong season with 16 touchdowns in those six games. Fifita filled in for Jayden De Laura late in the game against Stanford and took over the starting role against Washington. Fifita performed quite well and never relinquished the starting job back to De Laura.

The Pac-12 has a large portion of the quarterbacks on this list that performed well against top 25 teams. Along with Fifita, Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, Washington QB Michael Penix Jr, Washington State QB Cameron Ward, and Oregon QB Bo Nix all qualified as top passers.

Sanders was not only among the most productive passers, but he was also among the leaders in sacks taken. He was sacked 28 times for a total of 250 yards lost. Ward was among the most sacked passers as well with 16 sacks for 91 yards lost.

Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr are set to face one more top 25 team as they go head-to-head on Friday night in Las Vegas for the Pac-12 championship. The winner is almost certainly in for the College Football Playoffs.

Here is how the top quarterbacks performed, sorted by touchdown passes.

Quarterback Games Comp% Yards YPA TDs INTs
Noah Fifita 6 74.9 1,705 8.1 16 4
Shedeur Sanders 6 67.8 1,764 7.3 14 1
Carson Beck 4 74.6 1,247 10.2 11 2
Jayden Daniels 4 66.9 1,238 10.5 10 2
Michael Penix Jr 4 59.1 1,052 7.7 10 2
Tyler Van Dyke 4 62.9 1,121 9.0 10 3
Cameron Ward 4 70.4 1,371 8.5 10 2
Devin Leary 5 55.1 933 6.8 9 2
Bo Nix 4 79.7 1,228 8.3 9 1

One quarterback that was surprisingly not among the top players was USC Trojans gunslinger Caleb Williams. He finished with just 5 touchdown and 3 interceptions in four games against AP top 25 teams.

ESPN: Saints are a ‘wild card’ to trade into 2024 draft’s top 10 picks

ESPN’s draft analysts say the New Orleans Saints are a ‘wild card’ to trade into the 2024 draft’s top 10 picks. Never rule out Mickey Loomis:

Well this is interesting. Could the New Orleans Saints trade up and into the 2024 NFL draft’s top-10? ESPN’s Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates collaborated on a mock draft for the first 10 selections, with the draft order determined by ESPN’s Football Power Index. That left the Saints on the outside looking in, but Yates cautioned against writing them off as a player early in the 2024 draft.

When discussing wild-card teams that could make a move and trade into the top 10 picks, Yates said that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis “has perhaps the strongest belief of anyone in the league that if you have a guy you want, you do what it takes to get that player. He’s unafraid of the audacious, and trading up classifies as that. Keep an eye on New Orleans.”

That’s obviously true. Just look at his history. Loomis has greenlit first-round trades in recent years to go get players like wide receiver Chris Olave and Trevor Penning (in 2022) and Marcus Davenport (2018). He’s traded Saints players away to get additional first-round draft picks, spending them on right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (2017), linebacker Stephone Anthony (2015). His history of early-round trading goes back further: running back Mark Ingram II (2011), defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (2008), and defensive lineman Johnathan Sullivan (2003).

And as you can see from that list of names, his hit rate is about 37.5%. Olave appears to be on the right track, Ramczyk has been a great player, and Ingram left the Saints as the franchise’s leading rusher in every major category. But Penning can’t get on the field, Davenport and Anthony were busts, Ellis washed out of the NFL after playing out his rookie contract, and the less said of Sullivan’s miserable run with the team, the better.

So, yeah, Loomis could absolutely call in another bold trade next April. He’s done it before. If Derek Carr continues to look like a lemon and a promising rookie quarterback like Jayden Daniels or Michael Penix Jr. is unlikely to get out of the top-10, maybe the Saints would make a move. But it’s worth asking whether that’s the right move for this Saints team. With an aging roster and few draft picks to work with in the early rounds, they need to hit on every selection possible, and that might mean a more patient approach is the better course of action.

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Jameis Winston shares his picks for this year’s Heisman Trophy finalists

Jameis Winston, who won the award in 2013, shared his picks for this year’s Heisman Trophy finalists:

All former Heisman Trophy winners get a vote in choosing the annual award’s winner, and New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston knows who his finalists are. Winston, who won the Heisman Trophy back in 2013 with Florida State (where his jersey was retired over the weekend), shared his picks in no particular order at Monday’s Saints media availability session.

Declining to specify an order in the picks, Winston singled out quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Jordan Travis (Florida State), and Caleb Williams (USC) as the most outstanding players in college football this season, speaking with Nola.com’s Rod Walker and FOX 8’s Sean Fazende.

The current betting favorites to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy, depending on where you look, are Daniels and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. They have both been exceptional this season while playing at a very high level to improve their draft stock. Voting is still a week away, and finalists will not be announced until Monday, Dec. 4, with the winner revealed on Sunday, Dec. 10. So we’ll have to wait and see who wins. In the meantime, this is a good time to remind everyone that Reggie Bush still has not had the 2005 Heisman Trophy he rightfully won returned to him, so keep up the pressure on the NCAA.

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