Tag: NFL Network

Jalen Hurts runs one of 10 fastest 40-yard dashes in NFL Combine history

With plenty to prove,  former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts turned on the burners at the NFL Combine.

With plenty to prove,  former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts turned on the burners at the NFL Combine.

Hurts ran a 4.64 in his first go-around at the 40-yard dash and followed it up with a 4.59. Hurts’ second run was made four one-hundredths of a second quicker on the official count for an official time of 4.54.

Hurts tied former Sooners quarterback Trevor Knight who ran a 4.54 in 2017. The fastest quarterbacks at the combine of all time are Robert Griffin III (2012) and Michael Vick (2001) who both ran 4.33 in their respective combines.

A rumored possible landing spot for Hurts, current Carolina quarterback Cam Newton is just a hair slower than Hurts as Newton ran a 4.56 in the 2011 combine.

Tyrod Taylor who is now the No. 1 guy for the Los Angeles Chargers ran a 4.47 in 2011. The Chargers have also been mentioned as a team who could take Hurts in the middle rounds after they mutually parted ways with the longtime face of the franchise, Philip Rivers.

The NFL Draft is set for April 23-25 in Las Vegas.

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Watch: Panthers coach Matt Rhule talks about offensive coordinator Joe Brady

Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule was a guest on NFL Network this morning.

Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule was a guest on NFL Network this morning. Watch Rhule talk about his 30-year old offensive coordinator Joe Brady with Peter Schrager on Good Morning Football.

We won’t get to see them coach in a real game for another six months, but one thing that shines through with Rhule and Brady is their passion for their craft. That should serve them well as they get to work with this rebuild.

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Matt Patricia calls speculation over trading Matthew Stafford, ‘Comical’

Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia was on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football this morning and didn’t mix words when addressing Matthew Stafford trade rumors.

You may have thought the Matthew Stafford trade talks were put to bed when Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn emphatically rejected the notion immediately after the rumor began circulation. But you would’ve been wrong.

Maybe you thought the talks would end after Quinn once again doubled down on his denial, in a pre-NFL Combine interview. But you would’ve been wrong.

Surely the talks would be over once at the NFL Combine, when Quinn, for a third time, in a private meeting with Lions reporters — a group that included Lions Wire’s own Jeff Risdon — once again debunked the rumor. But again, you would’ve been wrong.

This morning, Lions coach Matt Patricia was on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” and when Peter Schrager asked him for his thoughts on the subject, like Quinn, Patricia didn’t mix words when addressing Stafford trade rumors.

“It’s comical,” Patricia said. “To be honest with ya. Not interested in doing any of that. There’s no conversation of that whatsoever.”

This echo’s Quinn’s stance from the very first denial.

“It’s one of those things that, for me, I kinda laugh at,” Patricia continued. “Because it’s not even a conversation. Honestly, Matt Stafford, I love the guy. He is one of the reasons I came to Detroit.”

Maybe now this exhausting story will have reached its final conclusion. But let’s be realistic, it probably won’t be over until after the NFL Draft.

You can watch the portion of Patricia’s segment on this topic in the video below:

GMFB has differing opinions on Jameis Winston’s future with Bucs

See what the crew over at “Good Morning Football” had to say about Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston and his future with the team.

This morning on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Jameis Winston was the topic of conversation on the shows Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda segment, posing the question:

“Would you be surprised if Jameis Winston remains Buccaneers starting QB?”

Former wide receiver Nate Burleson, said that he would not be surprised if Winston remains at the helm citing comments from coach Bruce Arians, “We can win with Jameis.” Burleson continued by saying that Arians “wants a quarterback that can sling it, and throw it down field.” As Burleson elaborated, he talked about calling the Buccaneers and Houston Texans game at the end of the season, and spoke to Arians asking him about the offense, and what he wants out of his quarterback. “If he doesn’t make the throw, if he hesitates, if he checks it down, even if there are two guys on one of our star receivers, I am going to yell at my quarterback,” Arians told Burleson.

Burleson continued on his understanding of what Arians wants, saying “Jameis has that, he’s not going to hold back, he’s going to let it fly. I heard he went out and got LASIK, got his thumb on his throwing hand fixed. All things that point to Jameis coming back and having a better season. He won’t be 30-for-30 like the ESPN documentaries.”

Co-host, Kyle Brandt meanwhile, had a polar opposite opinion on Winston’s future saying, “[Bruce] Arians doesn’t want someone to sling it. Winston doesn’t need Arians to tell him to sling it. Carson Palmer, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, those guys were not throwing 30 interceptions a year. Those are Bruce Arians guys.” Brandt made reference to Winston being the teams starting quarterback for five years by very simply stating, “If you’re not sure after five years. Then you are sure.”

During their press conferences, both general manager Jason Licht and Arians have been delivering the same undertones that the team could win with Winston as their quarterback, but they are doing their due diligence and weighing all of their options. Arians went as far as saying that he and the team already know what they are going to do at quarterback, they just haven’t made it public yet. It’s now being discussed among many of my peers that the Buccaneers are a potential landing spot for Tom Brady.

Another take that isn’t being widely discussed, could the Buccaneers trade up into one of the top spots and draft a quarterback? Keeping the defense together has been the top priority for the team, and this would allow them to allocate the majority of money to doing just that.

The April 23rd draft is not very far away, and only time will tell what the Buccaneers will do in preparation for the 2020 season.

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Matt Patricia wants to give Lions’ fans ‘what they deserve’, a winning team

Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia was on NFL Networks Good Morning Football and was asked if he had a message he wanted to give to the fans. His answer was simple, give them what the deserve, a winning football team.

Detroit Lions head coach was a guest of Peter Schrager’s on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” at the NFL Combine and was asked what message he had for Lions fans about the upcoming 2020 season.

“Our fans are amazing, Patricia said. “The passion in which they love this team, every single year. The encouragement we’ve gotten as an organization, to go out and try to get everything done the right way.”

“I was at Ford Field last week for a Garth Brooks concert,” Patricia continued. “The energy of that building, as soon as I walk into that place, right away I’m like, man we’ve gotta win, we’ve gotta get this going for the fans. They’ve got to feel this energy and this excitement.”

Patricia concluded his message to Lions fans by saying, “that’s really all I want. I want to win. I want to try and build a team the right way, to where we can do that week-in-week-out, and just give the fans what they deserve.”

Since taking over the Lions from Jim Caldwell, the team has seemed to have regressed, as they have a lowly 9-19-1 record in the two seasons under Patricia. With a lot of the right pieces already in place on offense, and holding the coveted third overall pick in the draft, the Lions may be able to fill the holes on defense and right the ship heading into the third season under Patricia.

How Bills’ Sean McDermott sells Buffalo to free agents

What Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said about free agency.

The Bills are at the 2020 NFL Combine in Indianapolis this week, figuring out who to put on their draft board ahead of April’s 2020 NFL Draft.

But there’s business to attend to in the middle. As the combine is underway, next up for the Bills and their front office led by general manager Brandon Beane is free agency in March. Who will stay? Who will go? Who will arrive?

While Beane steers the ship, but Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott certainly plays a part in adding potential free agents, too. While on GMFB from the combine on Wednesday, McDermott discussed the message the sends to potential free agents who he could be coveting. Exactly how does he convince players to join the Bills?

The coach said he tries to bring a realistic, honest approach to free agents. One that extends beyond the football field.

“It just comes down to, simply, we’ve got a tremendous culture, a tremendous locker room, and really it’s about a transformational type of locker room, type of culture, as opposed to transactional,” McDermott said. “You come to Buffalo, you’ll become the best version of you that you’ve ever been before. On the field and off the field. Whether it’s college players coming to us via the draft or via free agency with pro players, that’s what we’ve done and that’s what the players have done and that’s really a credit to everyone in our building.”

McDermott’s formula and eye for talent has seemed to work as the Bills have had few busts via free agency. The Bills have touted their preference to build their team through the draft, which is what the organization has mostly done, but the foundation was laid by guys such as Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer in the secondary. They joined the Bills even before Tre’Davious White did, who was McDermott’s first ever draft pick as a head coach in 2017.

Of course, there’s guys like Trent Murphy who aren’t exactly working out perfectly, but the Bills have found a way to nab players with a straight-forward approach. McDermott & Beane will hope that mindset helps them retain their drafted guys in the coming years as well, such as White, who will need contract extensions.

For more from McDermott’s segment, see the attached video below:

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Arians says bringing back the entire defense is ‘very realistic’

Hear what Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians had to say at the NFL Scouting Combine regarding the future of the team’s defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians joined NFL Network’s NFL NOW program to discuss Shaquil Barrett and the entire defensive front seven’s future with the Buccaneers.

“Well, I think, it’s how you get it done,” Arians replied to Andrew Siciliano about how you get a deal done with Barrett, who is likely in store for a large payday this offseason. “How did he get it done? Great worker, tremendous talent. It wasn’t like guys were falling down in front of him. He was getting them. The defense fits him perfectly and I think Todd Bowles utilized him tremendously. Having Jason Pierre-Paul back on the other side would help also. So we are trying to make sure we keep our pass rushers.”

“It’s very realistic to bring them all back,” Arians said of bringing back the Buccaneers front seven on defense. “They all enjoyed playing defense for Todd [Bowles] and our organization. It’s just a matter of getting them paid.”

Arians also made a note that he was not too happy about the uniform changes because he has great style and wasn’t approached.

To hear the entire interview watch the video below.

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How to tune in to the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine

The New Orleans Saints will be busy during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, which fans can tune into on NFL Network’s exclusive broadcast.

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The New Orleans Saints figure to have a low-key part to play in this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, with neither head coach Sean Payton nor general manager Mickey Loomis scheduled for press conferences. Sure, assistant general manager Jeff Ireland should be seen running around Lucas Oil Stadium — he and his team of college scouts have their work cut for them in evaluating the various athletic drills that will be broadcast in prime time.

But the Saints will do most of their work behind closed doors in a series of 45 interviews with draft prospects, each session timed at just 18 minutes in length. And that doesn’t even get into their quiet negotiations with agents representing Saints players whose contracts will soon expire. It’s going to be a busy week for all involved, even if we don’t hear from Payton and the Saints braintrust directly.

That said: fans are tuning in for the all-important athletic testing routines, like the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump, and the three-cone drill. Here’s your full schedule of when each position group will run through that gauntlet, and how you can keep up. This year’s combine will be covered exclusively on NFL Network:

2020 NFL Scouting Combine TV broadcast schedule

Thursday, February 27, 3-11 p.m. CST

Tight ends, quarterbacks, wide receivers

Friday, February 28, 3-11 p.m. CST

Kickers, punters, special teamers, offensive linemen, running backs

Saturday, February 29, 3-11 p.m. CST

Defensive linemen, linebackers

Sunday, March 1, 1-6 p.m. CST:

Defensive backs

Jets trade back, add capital in NFL Network’s pre-combine mock draft

In NFL Network’s three-round mock draft, the Jets trade back with the Denver Broncos and add Alabama OL Jedrick Wills Jr. with the 15th pick

With the NFL Combine next week in Indianapolis, the NFL Network released a three-round mock draft that includes multiple trades.

In this particular mock draft, the Jets trade back in the first round and add an extra pick on Day 2 and Day 3. While this mock draft has the Jets maximizing their value, some of the picks may be too good to be true. Obviously, the combine will help clear up any uncertainties, but players like TCU’s Jeff Gladney and Michigan’s Josh Uche could be dark horse first-round picks after they perform in front of teams next week.

With that said, let’s take a look at who the Jets got in NFL Network’s pre-combine mock draft.

Round 1: Jedrick Wills Jr. | OT | Alabama

(Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports)

In this scenario, as projected by NFL Draft analyst Chad Reuter, the Jets trade back from No. 11 to No. 15 and pick up a third and fourth-round pick in the process.

The Broncos trade up for Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb, who was just recently mocked to the Jets by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, while the Jets trade back four spots and land arguably the draft’s best tackle in Jedrick Wills Jr.

Here’s Reuter’s explanation for the trade-back and the draft choice:

Wills lived up to the recruiting hype in 2019, showing nice athleticism in pass pro and destroying his man in the run game. The Jets pick up third- and fourth-round picks from the Broncos in this trade scenario.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, it’s highly unlikely that Wills will be on the board for the 11th pick, let alone the 15th.

If he were there at No. 11, the Jets probably wouldn’t trade back with Denver and risk him being poached by the Raiders, Colts and Buccaneers. That trio of teams could be in the market for a tackle depending on how free agency shakes out.

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Dez Bryant says he ‘would do some damage’ in Cowboys offense

Dez Bryant sits down with The Boys & Girl Podcast and explains how he’s building the best verision of himself yet. Wants back in Dallas.

Dez Bryant is looking to return to the NFL in 2020. Every day there are more in-the-lab social media posts by Bryant as he attempts to get back from a gruesome achilles injury suffered days after signing a contract with the New Orleans Saints in 2018.

In an interview with The Boys & Girl Podcast hosted by NFL Network reporter Jane Slater and producer Bobby Belt, Bryant and his personal wide receiver coach David Robinson sat down after one of Bryant’s numerous workouts in attempts to return to the league this upcoming season.

Slater and Belt didn’t hold back, asking Bryant hard hitting questions. When asked about the naysayers who think Bryant may be a little slow and that time may be passing him by, Bryant said, “My message is this right here, first and foremost, I’ve never been a speed guy, so I just block that out. I’ve been running routes, my routes have improved tremendously thanks to this guy over here (Robinson), specially getting in and out of my breaks.”

Bryant went on to say he’s not listening to anyone who hasn’t played the game. Bryant has been commented on by current NFL players like Baltimore Ravens safety Earl Thomas and Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and those are the opinions he’s focused on because he considers them elite defensive backs still out on the field.

Slater has documented some of Bryant’s gloomier days, such as his release from the organization which drafted him and his catastrophic injury that cut his time with the Saints short.

“Mentally, I felt like I had a lot of mixed emotions. I had just been recently cut from the Cowboys. I wasn’t really trying to play football that year but I’ll save that for another time. I just wasn’t where I needed to be, mentally. I appreciate coach Payton for bringing me in and believing in me and I appreciate those guys that were there because they showed me crazy love, the best 48 hours of my life, it’s up there.” Bryant explained.

Bryant went on to mention two very crucial people who bring out the best in him. Both Robinson and Team APEC president Bobby Stroupe have played significant roles.

“Bobby is tremendous. He’s exactly what I need just like D-Rob.” Bryant explained. “He’s going to make you feel like doing it when you don’t want to do it. You need those type of guys around you.”

Belt asked the key question that’s been on everyone’s mind lately as far as a preference on where Bryant would like to play.

He envisions himself with the Cowboys because of the weapons they have on offense. “They have a loaded offense. Man, I’ve never been able to play with that much talent.” Bryant explained. “Not to be selfish but I know if I was placed in a position like that, I would do some damage”. Bryant is all for playing with the Cowboys this season but he is also prepared for other options.

“If it’s not for Dallas, Cowboy fans, hey, I want to play ball. So I’ll see who opens the doors for me. I’m just trying to come in, do whatever they tell me to do, be the best version I can and help in any type of way. If that’s me giving giving water to the quarterbacks, to the running backs, telling the other receivers certain things, I don’t mind, I miss the game.”

This is obviously a hungrier and more humble Bryant. There have been conversations with Stephen Jones and the Cowboys front office as of late but Bryant understands the business side of being in the NFL. Whichever team decides to give 88 this chance, he believes that they’re getting the best version of him yet.

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