Tag: NFL training camp

Sean McVay is proud of Stetson Bennett’s progress but still evaluating backup QB spot

Sean McVay must decide if Stetson Bennett has earned the backup QB spot in Weeks 1 and 2, and he’ll take as much time as he needs to make that choice

As the Los Angeles Rams have just one preseason game left, they will have to choose who will back up Matthew Stafford in Weeks 1 and 2 while Jimmy Garoppolo serves his two-game suspension.

Garropolo’s resume says that he is good enough to start and play under any center in the NFL but has struggled throughout camp and is suspended to start the year. Stetson Bennett has been solid throughout camp and is coming off an improved performance in Saturday’s 13-9 win over the Chargers.

On Sunday, Rams coach Sean McVay said he’s still unsure of who will be backing up Stafford to open the season but he will “use all the time that we have” before deciding whether it will be Bennett or someone else.

“What I try to do is take it a little bit at a time. That’s where if you really said, ‘Okay, are you worried about Matthew? If we have to err on the side of caution, it’s going to give us more chances to evaluate Stetson and also Jimmy in some of these practice settings.” Said McVay. “I don’t necessarily have a timeline. I know the latest timeline is as it relates to that, but if (Bennett) continues to progress, you’ll be pleased.”

After being absent from the roster due to personal reasons last season, Bennett has played every preseason snap this year while Stafford and Garroppolo have played none. Fourth-string quarterback Dresser Winn has hasn’t played a snap this preseason, either.

This preseason, Bennett has had one game he’d like to forget and one where he looked better but still committed two turnovers..

In the first game of the preseason against the Cowboys, Bennett went 24-for-38 for 244 yards, one touchdown and a miserable four interceptions. In Saturday’s win over the Chargers, he was better than that dreaded performance the week before, going 17-for-31 with 213 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“… where he’s come from and the way he has acted, interacted, and responded to all the different things thrown at him. I’ve been proud of Stetson. I really have,” said McVay.

Before his arrival to the Rams last season, he was a two-time college football National Champion with the Georgia Bulldogs, while also being awarded as the National Championship offensive player MVP and was a two-time second-team SEC All-American.

While it’s unknown what the Rams might do at quarterback this season, one thing is for sure and that is Garroppolo will not be on the sideline for the first two games of the season due to his PED suspension.

Garroppolo has had quite a career in the NFL. From winning two Super Bowls with the Patriots as a backup quarterback to Tom Brady to leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback in the 2019-20 season where he was just shy of 4,000 yards passing with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

WATCH: Former Badgers RB Braelon Allen powers past defender in joint practice

WATCH: Former Badgers RB Braelon Allen powers past defender in joint practice

Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen showcased his speed and power at the New York Jets’ joint practice with the Carolina Panthers in a recent highlight.

In the clip, Allen can be seen accelerating past a defender who tugs at his jersey from behind, then stiff-arming another Panther defender before gliding to the end zone.

Allen most recently showcased his offensive capabilities in the Jets’ preseason game against the Washington Commanders. In his New York debut, the former Badger great registered six carries for a whopping 54 yards (9 yards per touch).

The Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, native will serve as the Jets’ backup running back to emerging star Breece Hall. Hall recorded nearly 1,000 yards on the ground in 2023 and enters this season as one of the NFL’s premier backs.

Hall’s volume, however, could open the door for Allen to contribute in red zone or third down scenarios. With his size and speed, he fits the “bruiser” role to Hall’s quickness and multiple-down effectiveness.

Allen, the youngest player in the 2024 NFL draft, went No. 134 to the Jets in the fourth round. He departed Madison with 597 carries, 3,494 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns during his three-year stint with the Badgers.

Steelers wrap up training camp on Wednesday

The Steelers have a very successful training camp and now they head home.

The Pittsburgh Steelers put a bow on their 2024 training camp on Wednesday. The team will now return to Pittsburgh and resume practices for the team’s final two preseason games at the UPMC sports complex.

Overall, Steelers training camp was productive but went out like a lamb, not a lion. With quarterback Russell Wilson dealing with a calf injury, the quarterback battle we anticipated with Justin Fields never materialized.

Fields played well as the lead signal caller in practice and we can’t help but think he has done his part to at least close the gap on the depth chart.

Meanwhile, on defense, it was mostly business as usual. New starters Patrick Queen and Donte Jackson seem to be fitting in perfectly and this unit looks like it will be the strength of the team once again.

Next up for the Steelers are the Buffalo Bills in the team’s second preseason game. This should be our best opportunity to see the starters for an extended period of time and get the best look at what this team can do in the regular season.

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Details on TE Matt Sokol’s contract with Steelers

The Steelers signed tight end Matt Sokol this week.

With tight end Rodney Williams still dealing with a shoulder injury in training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers added free-agent tight end Matt Sokol. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the contract is one year and worth $985,000.

Sokol is a journeyman, having played on multiple teams since coming into the NFL in 2019. He spent two tenures with the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars. Sokol was most recently with the New England Patriots.

During the course of his career, Sokol has appeared in only eight games with one start. He has never registered an NFL reception. It is highly unlikely that Sokol makes the final roster.

Tight end is proving to be one of the deepest units on the Steelers roster. Pittsburgh has worked in two- and three-TE sets during training camp, and it seems the new Arthur Smith offense is going to use the position much more than we are used to in Pittsburgh.

If the Steelers keep four tight ends, look for Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward and MyCole Pruitt to be on the 53-man roster.

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Wilson vs Fields: Who starts at QB Week 1 for the Steelers?

Justin Fields has been impressive as the Steelers starter at training camp.

Nearly two weeks into Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and a few things are very clear. One of those is quarterback Justin Fields is an impressive football player. With Russell Wilson working his way back after a calf strain, Fields has taken full advantage.

The Steelers play their first preseason game in just over a week against the Houston Texans. This will be the first opportunity to see Fields in live action in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme and perhaps see him in contrast to Wilson if he’s healthy enough to go.

But just based on two weeks of training camp, it’s hard to say Fields doesn’t look like the real deal in this offense. His athleticism is such an x-factor that Wilson cannot provide and adds an element that is so hard to defend.

Cast your vote and tell us who you believe will win the starting quarterback job for the Week One showdown against the Atlanta Falcons. Have you seen enough of Fields’ potential to hand him the job or is it too soon to call?

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Is Todd Monken the best OC Lamar Jackson has had in Baltimore?

Under OC Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has seen an increase in completion percentage and decrease in fumbles.

The Baltimore Ravens ranked No. 4 in the NFL in points per game last season, their highest ranking since 2019. The dynamics in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s scheme mesh well with the team. Is Monken the best offensive coordinator quarterback Lamar Jackson has had?

Jackson finished the 2023-24 NFL season with a completion percentage of 67.2, the highest in his career. Monken has intentionally gotten Jackson quick read out of the backfield, frequently working him in three-step drop pass concepts that allow him to play rhythmically.

Monken has also found ways to get the ball to team-leading wide receiver Zay Flowers on quick hitches, crossing, and screen routes. Flowers produced 858 receiving yards on just 77 receptions in his rookie season, or 11.1 yards per catch.

Unlike in Jackson’s 2019 MVP season, Monken has found ways to lessen Jackson’s tendency to run as a last resort. Instead, Monken has designed runs specifically for Jackson in short-yardage situations and inside the red zone. The designed runs for Jackson have helped him decrease his fumble totals, a problem fans saw frequently early in his career.

Lastly, Jackson has a powerhouse to hand the ball off to Derrick Henry, running back. Henry’s expected high volume will preserve Jackson’s run-threat ability, making him even more explosive down the stretch in games when defensive attrition begins to set in. Hiring Monken has ultimately paid dividends for the Ravens.

Which fellow rookie is outplaying Drake Maye in Patriots Training Camp?

Drake Maye isn’t the only rookie quarterback on the New England Patriots’ roster that is impressing in training camp.

If we’re talking about NFL Training Camps alone, the New England Patriots continue to look like they snagged an absolute steal in April’s NFL Draft.

Former UNC football star Drake Maye was drafted third overall, with the hopes he can one day become New England’s next franchise quarterback. Maye put together quite the college career – ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Player of the Tear and First Team All-ACC in 2022, then an 8,018-yard, 63-touchdown passer when his Tar Heel career ended after the 2023 campaign.

There’s a strong chance Maye begins the year as Jacoby Brissett’s backup, but there’s now a third quarterback in the mix – thanks to his strong training camp so far.

That third quarterback is none other than Joe Milton, the former Tennessee standout whom the Patriots selected in the sixth round of April’s NFL Draft.

After the NFL Draft, the immediate thought was Maye pushing Brissett for the starting job. Don’t forget about Milton, who – according to Boston Globe Senior NFL Writer Ben Volin – is outplaying Maye in Training Camp.

“I wrote after last Thursday’s practice that Milton is the “wow” quarterback at camp — the guy with the best size, best athleticism, and biggest arm,” Volin wrote. “Now I’ll take it a step further: Milton outplayed Maye over the first six practices of camp. You can’t tell which player is the No. 3 overall pick (Maye) and which is the sixth-round flier (Milton).”

ESPN’s Colin Cowherd took it a step further than even Volin, saying Milton could win the overall starting job.

It’s worth noting that while Maye was a generational talent at North Carolina, he didn’t consistently face SEC competition like Milton.

With three preseason games and plenty of practices until his NFL regular season debut on Sunday, Sept. 8, will Maye be able to hold off Milton on the Patriots’ depth chart?

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Lions Frank Ragnow snubbed on the NFL Top 100

Lions All-Pro center Frank Ragnow is a glaring snub from this year’s NFL Top 100 list

Whenever I see power rankings, position rankings and things of that nature, I always take it with a grain of salt. Not everyone is going to agree with those lists or rankings and more often than not, everyone tends to be a little different with how they rank a team or a player.

That said, the NFL and the players that vote on the NFL Top-100 players got it wrong by not having Frank Ragnow on their list this year. As of now, the top 10 is still set to be revealed, but the way it sits, there are only two interior offensive linemen in the top 100.

I’d be curious what the criteria is to make the NFL Top-100. Is it data and analytical rankings from sites such as Pro Football Focus (PFF)? Or is it based off the number of games played? Could these rankings be strictly based off the film?

Whatever the case may be, Ragnow is better than just about everyone at his position. Especially now that Eagles’ longtime center Jason Kelce retired. But when you look at the PFF grades for centers in the NFL, Ragnow led the way in 2023 with an 88.1 overall grade.

If you go to the film, you can see multiple reps on every single drive where Ragnow just dominates the opposition. Whether it’s physically driving defenders into the dirt or just having proper positioning to climb the second level and seal off linebackers and safeties.

Look at the play above where Ragnow gets up to the second level and clamps onto a linebacker with ease. He stays square, keeps his hands tight and inside and then he shows off his grip strength by being able to steer and drive the defender. The defenders in the NFL would be lying if they said there’s no game plan or preparation needed for Ragnow.

Meanwhile, he’s tough as nails. During the Lions playoff game against the Buccaneers in 2023, Ragnow suffered a sprained knee and ankle in that game. While he missed a few plays to get checked out by trainers, he came back in and finished the game. In fact, he made one of the key blocks from his knees on Vita Vea during a 4th and 1 run play from the Bucs half-yard line. This block helped keep running back Craig Reynolds clean long enough to enter the end zone for a touchdown.

You can call me biased or a fanboy, but the fact remains that Frank Ragnow should be rated as one of the top 100 players in the NFL. Certainly, the list means nothing to Ragnow but he should still be given a tip of the hat by his peers and by the league for his toughness and dominance at his position. If he can stay healthy, I’d expect that same dominance from the Lions 7-year veteran.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on first padded training camp practice: ‘This tape is gold’

Mike Tomlin loves when the Steelers put the pads on and hit.

The Pittsburgh Steelers held their first padded practice of training camp this week on Tuesday. Seeing the team back on the field the previous week was great but it’s when the pads come on that we get a real look at the conditioning and mindset of the team.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media after practice and he struggled to contain his excitement about how much this means to the team. “This tape is gold,” Tomlin said.

Padded Steelers practices are always highlighted by the infamous backs-on-backers when skill players square off with defenders one-on-one in a test of wills. The Steelers roster has seen a serious makeover this offseason and so it makes these padded practices, when new players face off for the first time even more important.

The Steelers take on the Houston Texans in their first preseason game of the year on August 9 at Acrisure Stadium.

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John Harbaugh gives update on Nate Wiggins in first NFL training camp

Here’s what John Harbaugh had to say about former Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins in his first NFL training camp with the Baltimore Ravens.

Cornerback Nate Wiggins became the latest Clemson player under Dabo Swinney to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft back in April when the Baltimore Ravens drafted him with the No. 30 overall pick.

Wiggins is in his first training camp with the Ravens at their Owing Mills, Md., headquarters. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh was asked about Wiggins and had this to say courtesy of our friends at Ravens Wire:

“Nate [Wiggins] has been looking good. [He’s] been working on technique. Again, it’s only his second day. He made a nice play, great technique, nice and square in man coverage there, and [he] made the pick. It was a nice play. He actually came running right back through the middle of the field – which you’re supposed to not do that, but that is where I was standing. I was just happy that he didn’t hit me and ran around, so that was nice. But he was coming very fast.”

In three years at Clemson, Wiggins had 50 tackles with 24 pass breakups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack. He had a 45-yard interception return for touchdown for the Tigers’ first score in their 48-14 win over Florida Atlantic last year on Sept. 16.

Wiggins finished the season with 25 tackles, nine pass breakups, two interceptions and two forced fumbles en route to being a 2023 All-ACC selection. Wiggins joins a Ravens secondary that features veteran cornerback and three-time Pro Bowl selection Marlon Humphrey. He was one of six Clemson players chosen in the 2024 NFL Draft.

For more coverage of the Baltimore Ravens, head over to Ravens Wire.

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