Tag: Offensive Rookie of the Year

Former OROY Cam Newton says C.J. Stroud had greatest rookie season ever

Former No. 1 pick Cam Newton had high praise for Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Cam Newton is no stranger to excellent rookie quarterbacking.

After the Carolina Panthers drafted him No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL draft, Newton tore through the league with 4,000 passing yards in addition to 14 rushing touchdowns on his way to NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. It was the start of a career that would later include NFL MVP in 2015 and a Super Bowl run while consistently putting up gaudy numbers for Carolina.

Despite his own greatness and becoming the first rookie quarterback to ever throw for 4,000 yards in a rookie season, Newton doesn’t believe the best campaign ever was his own. He met with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud to give him that credit in Las Vegas.

“I don’t know nobody that really had a better rookie campaign than you.” Newton said before Stroud interjected that it was debatable.

After, Newton explained the difference was that, “We didn’t make it to the playoffs, we didn’t win. You won and you made it look sexy, you were standing on business. It wasn’t even your performance as much as you defying the odds. You did it with so much class, so much grace.”

Newton later complimented Stroud on showing out against the Georgia Bulldogs and SEC competition a year earlier in the College Football Playoff, which was no surprise considering how Newton played for the Auburn Tigers. He credited Stroud for carrying that momentum into turning around the Texans franchise and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

It is yet another former player bringing well deserved high praise of Stroud after a phenomenal year. Nobody is as recently removed from the game as Newton, so his praise rings even stronger as someone who was quarterbacking at an MVP level not too long ago.

Newton will have to watch if Bryce Young, his successor in Carolina and the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft one selection before Stroud, can find that type of success as well moving forward. Meanwhile, the Texans franchise quarterback will have to carry all this good will into what many hope could be a Super Bowl run in 2024.

Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs finish top 4 in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting

Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs finish top 4 in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting

Neither Sam LaPorta nor Jahmyr Gibbs won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at the annual NFL Honors extravaganza. But the Lions duo finished in the top four in the voting.

LaPorta captured 40 of the 48 third-place votes to finish in third. Gibbs earned three third-place votes to come in fourth.

The Lions finished well behind winner C.J Stroud of the Houston Texans and also second-place finisher Puka Nacua of the Rams. The top two captured all the first and second-place votes.

It’s an impressive showing for LaPorta and Gibbs, who were integral parts of the Lions 2023 draft class. LaPorta broke the rookie productivity record for tight ends, while Gibbs finished with over 1,200 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns.

WATCH: C.J. Stroud accepts NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud thanked everyone who helped him along the way on his path tho win Offensive Player of the Year.

It’s official, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The fans had voted, the Pro Football Writers Association had voted, and the Associated Press affirmed the same sentiment. He officially accepted the award at the 2024 NFL Honors ceremony in Las Vegas on Thursday night and showed the command at the podium that those in the media have come to expect from him.

Stroud started the ceremony thanking Jesus Christ as he has done all season. He  didn’t forget to applaud those who helped him along the way after he was emotional when drafted by the Texans. This award was seemingly Stroud’s to lose as far as back as October in what was one of the greatest seasons ever from a rookie quarterback.

He is the first Offensive Rookie of the Year award winner for the Texans and the fourth total after fellow rookie Will Anderson Jr. took home Defensive Player of the Year.

Puka Nacua weighs in on Rookie of the Year race, doesn’t feel the award favors QBs

Puka Nacua doesn’t feel Rookie of the Year is a quarterback award and is just happy to even be in the conversation as a wide receiver

On Thursday night at the NFL Honors show, we’ll learn whether Puka Nacua’s historic season with the Los Angeles Rams was enough to win him Offensive Rookie of the Year. It was statistically the best rookie season by a wide receiver in NFL history, but C.J. Stroud is still the favorite to win the award as the top offensive rookie.

Either way, Nacua’s season will hold a place in the record books after he had the most receptions and receiving yards ever by a rookie, and he’s just thankful to even be in the conversation.

In an interview with Rams Wire on behalf of Sleep Number, Nacua said he doesn’t feel Rookie of the Year favors quarterbacks.

“I don’t necessarily feel it’s a quarterback award,” Nacua said. “I know C.J. and I love watching him ball. Especially even at the Pro Bowl, some of the throws he makes are absolutely ridiculous. I think the free style and the confidence he plays with is something I love watching, just the play style that he has. I’m excited either way. To be in that conversation as a wide receiver, the year I had, it was a blessing no matter what. I had a lot of fun and I’m not really too worried about it.”

Nacua may have just finished his first season in the NFL, but he’s as humble as a seasoned veteran. Despite being the most accomplished rookie receiver in league history, Nacua knows there are areas of improvement and ways he can get better in his second season.

“Definitely my cardio and just conditioning, being able to play all snaps of the game,” he said. “And catching. I was unaware I led the NFL in drops, so that’s definitely something I can’t let happen again.”

The NFL will announce the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award on Thursday night at the NFL Honors, which airs at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

Bijan Robinson named an AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist

The former Texas Longhorn had a productive rookie season despite a limited workload.

Despite a limited workload and shared backfield, former Texas running back Bijan Robinson is a finalist for the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Robinson was second for all-purpose yards by a rookie this season with 1,464, trailing only Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua.

The Atlanta Falcons star was selected with the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and has lived up to the hype when he gets the ball. Robinson rushed for 976 yards with 4.6 yards per carry. He also rushed for four touchdowns and caught another four.

Robinson was held back by former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, where he shared the backfield with fellow running back Tyler Allgeier and utility man Cordarrelle Patterson. Bijan only accounted for 39% of Atlanta’s snaps and should have seen much more. With a new coaching staff in 2024, Robinson will likely be used more.

Here are the offensive finalists for the AP NFL Rookie of the Year award.

WR Jordan Addison snubbed from being Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist

Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison was snubbed from being a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year

On Thursday morning, the National Football League announced the finalists for all of the major awards. Five players for awards like Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year and Head Coach of the Year.

When it came to Offensive Rookie of the year, the award had five finalists just like every other award, but it had one glaring omission.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison.

Yes, the Vikings first first-round pick at 23rd overall was not a finalist for the award, despite being a force for the Vikings all season, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month in October and catching 70 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Sure the Vikings’ offense wasn’t as potent as it could have been over the last half of the year because of the torn Achilles tendon suffered by quarterback Kirk Cousins. That doesn’t mean Addison’s rookie year wasn’t any less impressive. Heck, you could argue it was even more impressive due to the circumstances.

He might have been snubbed, but we all know that Addison should be at the NFL Honors ceremony as a finalist for the award.

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Puka Nacua still isn’t the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, but should he be?

C.J. Stroud still has much better odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year despite Puka Nacua’s historic start and league-high 58 catches

There isn’t a player in the NFL with more receptions than Puka Nacua this season. Only two players have more receiving yards, and no one has been targeted more than the Rams rookie.

Nacua has gotten off to one of the best starts ever by a rookie, regardless of position or draft slot. He and Ja’Marr Chase are the only rookies in NFL history with 700-plus receiving yards in their first seven games, with Nacua putting up 752 through Week 7 this season; Chase had 754.

All this makes you wonder how it’s possible that Nacua isn’t the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. According to BetMGM, that honor goes to Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who’s undoubtedly having a fantastic season of his own. But has Stroud really been the better rookie than Nacua? Statistically, no. And it’s not close.

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At -190 to win the award, Stroud has an implied probability of 65.5% to take home Offensive Rookie of the Year. Nacua is +300 to win it, giving him an implied probability of only 25%. The next-closest player after Stroud and Nacua is Jordan Addison at +900, so it’s looking like somewhat of a two-man race after seven weeks – though that can obviously change quickly.

Back to the Rams’ stud receiver, he’s the only rookie in NFL history with at least 50 catches and 600 yards in his first seven games. Beyond just rookies, his 58 receptions are tied for the seventh-most ever by a player in his first seven games of a season, and his 752 yards are the 21st-most in that span.

Again, Stroud is having a great season, throwing for 1,660 yards and nine touchdowns in just six games, leading the NFL with an interception rate of only 0.5%. His 13.1 yards per completion also lead the league, and he holds the record for the most pass attempts (177) to start a career without an interception.

What might be even more impressive is that the Texans are 3-3, considering they’re in the midst of a rebuild and led by a rookie head coach, DeMeco Ryans. If the Texans were 0-6 right now but Stroud was still putting up great numbers, would he still be the favorite? Maybe, but there’s no way the gap would be as big as it is right now.

Like Offensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year shouldn’t be about wins and losses. It should be about the most productive rookie in the league. Through seven weeks, that’s been Nacua. And he’s on a ridiculous pace: 141 catches and 1,825 yards.

There’s one player in NFL history who has put up at least 140 catches and 1,800 yards: Cooper Kupp in 2021 when he won Offensive Player of the Year. You’re telling me if Nacua finishes with a similar stat line, he won’t win Rookie of the Year? Stroud would have to put up some outstanding numbers to hold off Nacua, if so.

There’s a long way to go before this award is decided, but Nacua should at least be even with Stroud for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He has better than a 25% chance to win it based on the numbers he’s posted.

Where does Bryce Young rank among 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates?

In a recent ranking, Bryce Young is not in the top 3 to be the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Bryce Young will begin his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers after being selected first overall in the 2023 NFL draft by the franchise. The team’s front office has put together a quality offense, but will it be enough to earn Young the Offensive Rookie of the Year recognition?

Curt Popejoy of Draft Wire argues that Young isn’t even a top-three candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Instead, he ranks Anthony Richardson (QB, Indianapolis Colts), C.J. Stroud (QB, Houston Texans), and Bijan Robinson (RB, Atlanta Falcons) ahead of Young. The former Crimson Tide quarterback ranks No. 4 on the list.

Behind Young at fifth and sixth are WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks and WR Quentin Johnson of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Young’s offense will be headlined by wide receiver Adam Thielen and running back Miles Sanders. It certainly is a strong rookie class, but Young has the talent and the supporting cast to help him achieve national stardom in his first year.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Young as he begins his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers.

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What Seahawks vet Tyler Lockett learned from studying younger players

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett studies the younger wide receivers in the league nearly as closely as they study him.

Very few will argue that Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett is one of the best in the game at his position right now. The veteran, who is entering his ninth season in the league, has a unique approach to mastering his game – he studies the younger players just as they do him.

Henry McKenna, AFC East reporter for FOX Sports, interviewed Lockett earlier this month.

“You can learn from anybody,” Lockett told McKenna. “You can see things that they do in their game, and you can try to figure out ways to intertwine into your game. You can watch how they do certain moves, how they set people up at the line, how they become a magician in the way that they run routes. And some of them might not work for you, but you just constantly try to find different releases and stuff that you like and see if you can emulate.”

Lockett gave McKenna three names of younger players he observed closely this season: Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Offensive Rookie of the Year, Garrett Wilson.

“Garrett Wilson’s game is real savvy,” Lockett explained. “I think he’s really elusive — when you watch the way that he gets off the line, you watch the way that he catches the ball. He’s able to catch the ball, make a move, and he’s able to take it to the house at any time. Despite all the stuff that may have happened there, he was consistent when given opportunities. He performed at the highest levels. Won Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was able to break 1,000 yards. He has a really promising future ahead of him.”

And if anyone should know, it’s Lockett. Live and learn.

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Chris Olave only received 5 first-place votes for Offensive Rookie of the Year

Chris Olave only received 5 first-place ballots for Offensive Rookie of the Year, finishing fourth in Associated Press voting:

So that’s frustrating. Chris Olave was outstanding in his New Orleans Saints rookie year — he led the team with 72 receptions for 1,042 yards and 4 touchdown catches in 2022, which ranked high among the league’s first-year players. But it wasn’t enough for Olave to win recognition as the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year at Thursday night’s NFL Honors awards ceremony. That belongs to his old college teammate Garrett Wilson.

For his part, Olave isn’t bitter. He quickly congratulated his friend on that accomplishment. It’s still frustrating to run the numbers and see that Olave gained more yards per catch (14.5) and yards per game (69.5) than Wilson while catching a higher percentage of his targets (60.5%) and dealing with a similarly-inept quarterback situation. Still, the AP voters should have done a better job evaluating rookie performances around the league.

Just 5 of the 50 ballots had Olave in first-place. He received 6 second-place votes and 7 third-place votes. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy received more first-place votes than Olave (6) while only suiting up for 9 regular-season games. It’s wild that more than half of the AP voting pool left Olave off their ballots altogether. But it can’t be helped. Let’s see what kind of heights Olave chases in 2023 after setting such a high bar for himself in 2022.

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