Tag: number changes

Rookie LB Divine Deablo latest Raiders player to nab single-digit number

Rookie LB Divine Deablo latest Raiders player to nab single digit number

This offseason, the NFL opened up their number selection rules to allow most positions to wear single digit numbers. It used to be just quarterbacks, kickers, and punters who were allowed. Now it’s anyone other than linemen who can don a single digit.

The first Raiders player to change to a single-digit number was Zay Jones who switched from No. 12 to No. 7. Now the Raider have another. Third-round rookie linebacker Divine Deablo has switched from No. 49 to No. 5.

What’s interesting is the number five was always available to Deablo or anyone. No one was wearing it in camp, so it wasn’t a matter of waiting until a player was cut to pounce on it. It must’ve been that he just wasn’t given permission until now.

Often times the reason for the switch has to do with what the player wore in college. That was the case with Zay Jones who wore number seven at East Carolina. Deablo, on the other hand, wore  No. 17 as a safety at Virginia Tech. And wore No. 88 as a freshman when he played wide receiver. So, I guess until someone asks him, we won’t know what the significance is to the number five.

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WR Russell Gage named Falcons’ biggest offseason standout

Those around the league will be watching to see how Atlanta’s offensive dynamic changes with Jones out of the picture.

The biggest storyline of the Falcons’ offseason has been the departure of All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones. Those around the league will be watching to see how Atlanta’s offensive dynamic changes with Jones out of the picture.

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski took a deep dive into all 32 NFL teams and named one player as the biggest offseason standout for each. For the Falcons, Sobleski highlighted fourth-year wide receiver Russell Gage:

No one will ever truly replace Julio Jones in the Atlanta Falcons’ lineup. Still, the franchise’s greatest player does leave a void that someone must try to replace. After all, the 32-year-old wide receiver, whom the Falcons traded to the Tennessee Titans, leaves behind a significant role.

Calvin Ridley will pick up some of the slack. Russell Gage is the obvious candidate to flourish without Jones. Gage finished last season with 72 receptions for 786 yards. His usage should dramatically increase under new head coach Arthur Smith.

“Russ has done a nice job in the slot, but we’ll move Russ all over the place and then we got to make a decision as we get closer to the season, all right, we’re giving him a shot here,” Smith told reporters. “He’s done well. He’s grown his game. Done this with a lot of players, and everybody’s on a different timeline.”

The initial reaction to the Falcons trading away Jones was to elevate Gage because he’s next up on the depth chart. However, the 2020 season doesn’t necessarily support this case.

Over the seven games that Gage played without Jones in the lineup, his production remained relatively unchanged, and even saw a slight decrease in a per game average. With Jones playing, Gage averaged 49.56 yards per game. Without him, his yardage dropped to 48.57 per game. He even saw one less target on average in the seven games without Jones.

While we don’t want to overreact to these numbers, they don’t allow for the working narrative that Gage’s production will increase. Even Pro Football Focus’ early 2021 season projections have Gage below his total posted in 2020.

The addition of Kyle Pitts will no doubt cut into the targets for Gage. The rookie tight end is projected to have a better season in terms of receptions, yards and touchdowns than Gage. The real standout for the Falcons this offseason may end up being Olamide Zaccheaus. PFF projects the speedy wide receiver to be the immediate benefactor without Jones and to post a career-high 514 yards this season.

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Jaguars announce several veteran number changes

The team announced a handful of number changes for veteran players on the roster on Wednesday.

With some of the rules regarding jersey numbers by position being relaxed this offseason, some Jacksonville players (like rookie running back Travis Etienne, who wears No. 1) have taken advantage. Though it doesn’t seem any of the veterans on the team chose to try out one of the newly allowed jersey numbers, the Jaguars did announce a handful of number changes for returning players on Twitter.

Here’s a quick recap of all the changes.

  • Running back Carlos Hyde, who wore No. 30 in Seattle last season and previously wore No. 34 during his stint with the Jags, will wear No. 24. That number was occupied by cornerback Josiah Scott last season, who was traded to Philadelphia on Tuesday.
  • Cornerback Sidney Jones changes jerseys from No. 22 to No. 21. Though no one wore that jersey last season, it was owned by A.J. Bouye before that.
  • Aaron Patrick, a defensive end who was signed late in the 2020 season, will take Dawuane Smoot’s former No. 91. Smoot changes from No. 94 to No. 91, the jersey that was formerly occupied by Yannick Ngakoue before he was traded.
  • Cornerback Jameson Houston, who was acquired from the Eagles in the trade involving Scott, will change from the No. 46 he wore in Philly to No. 34.
  • Cornerback Shaquill Griffin will retain the No. 26 jersey he wore in Seattle. Safety Jarrod Wilson, who wore that jersey last year, has changed to No. 25.

With a lot of new faces in town and a new era taking over Jacksonville, it’s as good a time as any for players on the team to rebrand. Coach Urban Meyer just hopes the changes in Jacksonville in 2021 aren’t limited to the jersey numbers listed on the roster.

Falcons WR Russell Gage changes number to 14

Gage looks to build upon his formidable 2020 season and hopes to see a bigger role in Atlanta’s offense under first-year head coach Arthur Smith.

On Monday afternoon, the Atlanta Falcons announced that wide receiver Russell Gage will be wearing the No. 14 this season. Since being drafted in the sixth round back in 2018, Gage has worn the No. 83 — his college number at LSU.

The No. 14 was previously made popular among fans by former Falcons receiver Justin Hardy from 2015 to 2019. This number was then occupied by Chris Rowland, who saw no snaps at receiver in 2020 but 16 in total on special teams. Rowland, who is still with the team, has opted to wear the No. 12 instead this year

Gage looks to build upon his formidable 2020 campaign and hopes to see a bigger role in Atlanta’s offense under first-year head coach Arthur Smith. Gage posted 72 catches for 786 receiving yards (11 yards per reception) and four touchdowns last season.

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New Raiders veterans get their numbers, others change numbers

Several new Raiders saw their new numbers made official today. The newest Raiders player Casey Hayward is the lone exception. But all of the previous free agent additions are now officially assigned numbers. Along with a couple of those new numbers …

Several new Raiders saw their new numbers made official today. The newest Raiders player Casey Hayward is the lone exception. But all of the previous free agent additions are now officially assigned numbers. Along with a couple of those new numbers there were a couple number changes.

Free agents

TE Nick Bowers – 82

WR John Brown – 15

DT Matt Dickerson – 51

CB Rasul Douglas – 29

RB Kenyan Drake – 23

G Marquel Harrell – 61

DT Quinton Jefferson – 97

S Karl Joseph – 43

C/G Nick Martin – 66

DE Yannick Ngakoue – 91

DT Darius Philon – 96

WR Trey Quinn – 14

WR Willie Snead IV – 17

DT Solomon Thomas – 92

TE Carson Williams – 86

Number changes

DE Clelin Ferrell – 99 (formerly 96)

Notes: Ferrell wore 99 at Clemson. Arden Key wore it last season and was cut this offseason.

DL Kendal Vickers – 93 (formerly 91)

Notes: Yannick Ngakoue takes 91. Daniel Ross wore 93 last season and was not brought back.

Undrafted rookies

TE Matt Bushman – 84

CB Shaun Crawford – 40

RB Garrett Groshek – 46

OT Devery Hamilton – 73

CB TJ Morrison – 41

RB Trey Ragas – 36

LB Max Richardson – 54

DT Darius Stills – 79

WR Dillon Stoner – 16

WR DJ Turner – 19

The 2021 draft class has not yet gotten official numbers as of yet. The entire class is supposed to arrive at the Raiders facility next weekend for the first time.

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Tom Brady is being an absolute buzzkill with the NFL’s new number rule

Tom Brady is just being old.

For once, the NFL has done something fun. They recently announced new rule changes and among them was the league’s new number policy. 

Now, defensive backs, running backs, full backs, tight ends and wide-receivers are allowed to wear numbers 1 through 49. Linebackers are also allowed to wear 1 through 59. Single-digit numbers are usually reserved for quarterbacks and kickers. Numbers in the teens were only available for wide receivers.

So, obviously, that’s a pretty big change. And one that a lot of people seemed to enjoy. Most fans seemed to be thrilled with the idea that players could wear different numbers. There seemed to be players who were also thrilled about having options, too.

There was a notable name that wasn’t, though: Tom Brady.

The Buccaneers quarterback complained about the number change in a story post on Instagram. He said it was going to make for “a lot of bad football.”

Whew. Major “get off my lawn vibes” here from Brady. He’s making a big stink about nothing.

Sure, one could potentially make the argument that it might be hard for the untrained eye to discern who is about to rush on a given play because a linebacker could wear a defensive back number now.

But that’s the thing: None of these guys are untrained. There’s a ton of preparation that gets done through the week and, by the end of it, everyone knows who is who and what they might do on the field. Brady knows that — he’s mastered it throughout his career.

So, no, if we see bad football next season it will have absolutely nothing to do with the numbers players are wearing. The teams that we’re watching probably just weren’t good in the first place.

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NCAA approves new rule changes ahead of 2020 CFB season

Tuesday, the NCAA released several new rule changes for the 2020 college football season.

Tuesday, the NCAA released several new approved rules regarding targeting, instant reviews, jersey numbering, clock management and referee jurisdiction.

  1. Targeting

Players that are called for targeting will now be allowed to remain on the sidelines with their team. Previously, players that were called for targeting were required to spend the rest of the game in the locker room.

2. Instant Review

Pace of play has been a recent point of concern for the NCAA. As the aspect of video review expands every year, the average pace of play increases and now games approach the four-hour mark more often. To combat the increased game times, the NCAA approved a rule that limits reviews that are not “end of game reviews” and reviews that are “exceedingly complicated” to two minutes.

3. Jersey Numbers

Players are now allowed to wear the same numbers, regardless of position, as long as they are not on the field at the same time. Additionally, the number “0” is now allowed.

4. Clock Management

In previous years, if officials believed there was time remaining at the end of the game, the play could be reviewed and if video proved there was any time remaining, referees held the power to put that amount of time back on the clock. Now, if review proves there was time remaining on the clock, it has to be at least three seconds or the game is over.

5. Referee Jurisdiction

In 2020, referees will hold control over the games 90 minutes before kickoff. In previous years, officials held control of the game 60 minutes before kickoff. The NCAA hopes that the extra time will limit the negative interactions between teams during warm-ups.