Tag: most improved

Paulson Adebo named Saints’ most improved player, according to PFF

After improving in every major statistical category, Paulson Adebo was labeled the Saints’ most improved player by PFF.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo continues to receive praise for his career year. Pro Football Focus labeled Adebo the Saints’ most improved player It’s hard to argue with the tag. In his third year, the cornerback improved in all major categories. Most impressively, he set career highs in interceptions and pass deflections. He did it while having to step into a bigger role.

Adebo bounced back from a sophomore slump in 2022 that put him into a battle for his starting job. The third year player won the battle and never looked back. He took on the challenge of being the Saints lead cornerback and passed with flying colors. Adebo is a physical corner, so penalties will naturally come with his play style. He did a much better job playing with an edge as opposed to being overaggressive. Hiring aa new position coach last offseason, Marcus Robertson, proved good for him.

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Who was Packers’ most improved player in 2022?

The Packers didn’t have many “most improved” candidates coming out of the 2022 season. PFF picked a veteran defensive lineman.

A combination of veteran personnel losses and a lack of development internally combined to push the Green Bay Packers from a team that had won 13 games in three-straight seasons to an 8-9 outfit that missed the playoffs in 2022.

Internal development is vital to continued success in the NFL, and the Packers just didn’t get enough of it this past year.

So, who was the team’s most improved player?

Pro Football Focus picked defensive lineman Jarran Reed, who signed a one-year deal to join the Packers before the 2022 season.

Reed regressed sharply in 2021 but bounced back in Green Bay in 2022, delivering 33 total pressures and 28 tackles considered to be a stop over 705 total snaps. He was excellent down the stretch as a pass-rusher, and his strip and recovery in Miami momentarily saved the Packers’ season.

PFF had a tough job here because the Packers didn’t have many “most improved” candidates. In fact, the list of veteran players who regressed was far longer and much more significant.

For reference, Reed was the fifth-most improved player on the roster by overall grade at PFF He trailed quarterback Jordan Love, kicker Mason Crosby, safety Rudy Ford and defensive lineman TJ Slaton. You can find the entire list at Packers Wire here.

Reed’s contract with the Packers was scheduled to officially void on Monday. He will be a free agent and without a contract come the start of the new league year in March.

Should the Packers bring back Reed and continue developing the young players (Slaton, Devonte Wyatt) up front on defense, or look for another cheap veteran option in free agency? Let us know in the comments.

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Seahawks QB Geno Smith wins Comeback Player of the Year, Most Improved

Congrats!

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith started out the 2022 season playing at an MVP level – or at least good enough to be in the conversation. Smith’s game dropped off a bit after Week 5 due to issues with turnovers and he fell out of that race. However, he still performed well enough overall to win himself a couple of prestigious awards.

The team just announced that Smith has won the Comeback Player of the Year award. He also won the Most Improved Player award from the Pro Football Writers of America.

The other finalists for the Comeback Player of the Year award were  Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley, who were both deserving in their own ways, but Smith made a much bigger impact.

Smith ended the season with a career best 30 touchdown passes to go with a new Seahawks franchise record 4,282 passing yards and he led the league in completion rate at 69.8%.

Congrats!

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Mike McCarthy names second-year DB ‘most improved’ Cowboys player of 2022

Israel Mukuamu has played mostly on special teams and as an injury fill-in, but he’s turned the head of his coach with his work ethic. | From @ToddBrock24f7

When Israel Mukuamu was drafted in the sixth round last year, the easy one-liner on him was that he was “the other” defensive back from South Carolina, after Jaycee Horn was taken eighth overall by the Panthers.

The cornerback-turned-safety has been on the field for just a handful of snaps over his first two seasons, but his mostly behind-the-scenes work ethic has turned heads on the Cowboys coaching staff, even prompting Mike McCarthy to single him out with a midseason accolade.

“Israel’s one of- or the most- improved players from last year to this year,” the coach told reporters Friday.

The brand-new 23-year-old (his birthday was Monday) saw the field for just 20 defensive snaps as a rookie. He surpassed that total in his first game out this season, playing 30% of the defensive snaps in Week 2.

With an early-season MCL sprain rendering Jayron Kearse inactive, Mukuamu logged similar playing time in Weeks 3 and 4, getting his first NFL starts in two of those contests.

His third start- and action on 46% of the defensive snaps, his most yet- came in Week 8’s win over Chicago, when Malik Hooker was out with a hamstring issue.

Mukuamu would probably stand to see extra time this Sunday night if Kearse cannot go; the veteran has been listed as “limited” on the team’s practice reports all week. Though officially termed “questionable” for the Week 13 clash with the Colts, Kearse is expected to be play.

Though he may be relegated to backup duty once again this week, the former Gamecock has put in the time to make sure that he won’t be just an injury fill-in for much longer.

“My memories of Iz are seeing him come in with everybody else in the morning, and then you walk down the hall,” McCarthy recalled, “at three o’clock, and he’s back out there doing it again. So he basically went to two-a-days, totally voluntary, on his own.”

He’s been a staple for John Fassel this season, participating in between 48% and 83% of the special teams snaps in every game he’s played (all but Week 1). He even represented the special teams unit as one of the Cowboys’ three game captains on Thanksgiving Day versus New York.

But he’s carving out a role in Dan Quinn’s unit, too, as his lanky 6-foot-4-inch frame allows him to be an effective cover man against the league’s large tight ends.

“Confidence is really what he needed, and he’s done an excellent job,” McCarthy concluded. “There’s some things he was asked to do on special teams that he did not do the first year, and he’s responded. Look at him on punt protection. He’s been a good matchup player for us from a coverage component. I really like the step that he’s taken this year.”

And while Mukuamu is still looking for his first regular-season interception as a pro (he snatched two in the 2022 preseason), he’s done enough to earn consideration for the “most improved” award from his head coach as the second-year man continues to make a name- and a reputation- for himself.

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Who will be most improved Chiefs player in 2020 season?

A look at 7 players who might be the most improved for the Chiefs in 2020.

The uniqueness of the 2020 NFL offseason poses a big challenge for Kansas City Chiefs players who are looking to make improvements from the 2019 season. While they’re getting more one-on-one time in the classroom than perhaps ever before, they’re not on the field practicing yet.

That could pose a challenge for those who are looking to elevate their game. Who will rise to the challenge and become the most improved Chiefs player in 2020? We’ve got a few players in mind, but be sure to let us know your choice on Facebook, Twitter and the Chiefs Wire forums.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

CB Rashad Fenton

Fenton surprised some people with his performance in 2019. Not many sixth-round picks play 15% of their team’s defensive snaps during their rookie year. While Fenton didn’t draw any starts in 2019, it was clear that Steve Spagnuolo and the rest of the defensive staff trusted him more and more as the season went on.

In 2020, Fenton might be called upon to play early in the season. Second-year corner Bashaud Breeland is facing a possible suspension early in the season. The only corner on the roster with experience in the system besides starter Charvarius Ward is Fenton. Increased playtime doesn’t always mean better performance, but it’s looking like Fenton will get every opportunity to show that he’s made improvements in 2020.

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Marcus Davenport named Saints’ most improved player of 2019

New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport was named the team’s most improved player of 2019 by the analysts at Pro Football Focus.

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The New Orleans Saints needed a big jump in production from Marcus Davenport to justify the bold move to acquire their 2018 first-round pick, and he came through in his second season. Davenport was a force in 2019, and earned recognition from the analysts at Pro Football Focus as last year’s most improved Saints player:

The Saints’ decision to trade up to select Davenport was met with some derision at the time of the 2018 NFL Draft. Some of that may still be warranted, but for his part, Davenport is working to show that he was worth it. After a 2018 season in which he earned a 69.7 overall grade, buoyed by strong play in run defense, Davenport saw significant improvement in his second season. His pass-rush win rate rose from 13.5% to 18.4%, and he increased his raw pressure count from 28 in his rookie season to 50 last year despite missing the end of the season with an injury. Davenport also increased his run-defense grade from 76.2 to 82.4. He and Cameron Jordan form a dangerous edge duo in New Orleans.

Much of that lines up with what we’ve seen through Davenport’s first two years as a pro. His rare combination of size, strength, and speed has allowed the big defensive end to play like a naturally strong run defender, but tutelage under Jordan has done a lot to refine his game. But the Saints drafted Davenport with the expectation that he’ll grow into a serious threat as a pass rusher, and the results he showed in his second year speak for themselves. Here’s hoping he can get and stay healthy in year three.

It’ts interesting to compare Davenport’s career arc so far to similar players around the league. One of those would be Jadeveon Clowney, who the Houston Texans selected first overall back in 2014 (the Saints invested two first-round picks in Davenport in the 2018 NFL Draft). They’re both gifted athletes, with Clowney measuring at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds and Davenport towering at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, and they’ve each dealt with serious injuries early in their careers.

Clowney was limited to just 17 games in 2014 and 2015, notching 47 combined tackles (11 for loss of yards) to go with 4.5 sacks and 8 quarterback hits. Compare that to Davenport, who’s played 26 games from 2018 to 2019 while amassing 53 combined tackles (11 for loss), as well as 10.5 sacks and 28 hits. Davenport has also forced four fumbles in that time, while Clowney didn’t produce his first turnover until his third season.

While the Lisfranc injury that Davenport suffered last season is very serious and should be the focus of his offseason, it’s worth noting that his overall trajectory is very much trending up. This is something that he can overcome, and he should only continue to develop into a more well-rounded player with more experience. Here’s hoping for a thorough and speedy recovery.

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