Tag: OTAs

Chargers’ Chase Daniel playing key role in quarterbacks room

Chargers quarterback Chase Daniel’s mentorship skills are paying dividends.

Chargers quarterback Chase Daniel’s money has been made not on the field, but from the sideline.

Signed in March to serve as Justin Herbert’s backup, Daniel’s presence has been paying off in the early stages of preparation for the upcoming season.

As Herbert learns the new offense under Joe Lombardi, Daniel has been aiding in the transition since he spent four seasons as Drew Brees’ backup with the Saints, which is what the system will draw parallels to.

“Chase has just brought a wealth of experience,” quarterback coach Shane Day said. “He’s helped us tremendously. He’s helped me tremendously. We have some great conversations in the quarterback room, and he’s able to bring all that experience that he’s had in the Saints offense and kind of bring it alive.

And he’s also got a great personality. He’s been great for the room that way, too. I’m glad that we were able to get him, not only from the standpoint of teaching and kind of mentoring Justin, but he’s been able to give me some real-life experience, which is great, for this offense that I haven’t been a part of. So he’s been outstanding.”

According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, Daniel has been monitoring Easton Stick on the second field while listening and observing Herbert over on the first field during the play calls since New Orleans’ offense possesses more complex wordage.

Daniel and Stick will be in competition for the No. 2 spot, but the veteran has the leg up due to his mentorship skills and familiarity with the offense.

Joe Schobert discusses how Jags’ defense could differ from 2020’s unit

It seems the Jags are installing way more blitz plays in their scheme this year in OTAs, which is something they didn’t do a lot of in 2020.

With five years of experience to his name between playing with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns, linebacker Joe Schobert has seen a lot defensively. That’s exactly why he may be the most equipped player to adapt to the Jags’ new scheme as they’ve made drastic changes.

When speaking to the media this week, the veteran linebacker said he had a pretty good understanding of what was going on, but the key would be more so to get the verbiage down.

“Once you get to a certain point, all NFL defenses are the same, you just have to learn the verbiage and the language of the defense to be able to communicate effectively on the field,” he said on Tuesday.

“… It’s just tough to learn the verbiage at first. You’re always going to associate things you did in the past and there’s always going to be a way that you thought you liked the best. But once you get through OTAs and mandatory minicamp and training camp, that’s three times we’ll have installed the whole playbook and everything going forward.”

Schobert’s understanding of the playbook will be huge for the Jags as he’ll be one of their defensive leaders heading into his second season with them. This time though, he’ll be leading a scheme that’s expected to be vastly different under new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen.

In last year’s scheme, the key was to get pressure with the front four linemen, but Cullen has already shown signs that the Jags will blitz way more in 2021 based on what Schobert and company have worked on in OTAs.

“I’d say like 50 percent of the plays in spring we’ve been running blitzes, so I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure,” said the veteran linebacker “[Defensive Coordinator] Coach Cullen’s not afraid to get after it and put some guys in man coverage, get pressure on the quarterback, try to force him to make mistakes, so it’s going to be fun to see what he has dialed up in games actually in the fall.”

Schobert’s statements don’t come as a surprise when looking at the Ravens’ statistics. While Cullen was just the defensive line coach, he was a part of a unit that blitzed at a rate of 54.9% in 2019, then 44.1% in 2020. If OTAs are a true sign of what the Jags are trying to install, fans should expect to see Cullen bring some major heat this season and possibly register a rate near 50%.

Injury, attendance updates from final week of Chiefs OTAs

The latest injury and attendance news from Kansas City Chiefs OTA practices.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have nearly completed their final group of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) on Thursday. The Chiefs have completed 9-of-10 voluntary OTA practice sessions ahead of the team’s mandatory minicamp and they’ll wrap things up tomorrow.

Attendance remains high, according to The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, who counted at least 80 players in attendance for Thursday’s practice. It’s important to note this as these practices remain voluntary, which means that players will come and go throughout the course of OTAs for various reasons.

There were a number of players absent from practice on Thursday. According to Taylor, the following players were missing from practice: Frank Clark, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, Armani Watts, Kyle Long, Charvarius Ward, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Martinas Rankin & Demone Harris.

Malik Herring, Chris Jones and DeAndre Baker did not participate in practice but were present on Thursday per Taylor. Returning to practice were safeties Juan Thornhill and Rodney Clemons, who had previously been sidelined.

To this point, the Chiefs had really escaped OTAs injury-free, but on Thursday morning news came down that Kyle Long had suffered a kneecap injury. Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided an update on that and mentioned that surgery is a possibility for Long.

“Kyle hurt his knee here. It doesn’t look like its ligaments, but we’ll see. . .  they’re going to look at it and determine it,” Reid told reporters. “There’s a chance that he’ll have to have surgery on it, but we’ll see.”

Long’s status will be something to monitor the next few months as we learn more about his injury, recovery and timeline for return.

In addition to the injury to Long, Coach Reid was spotted using a cane at practice. He assured reporters that it’s nothing to be alarmed about.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Reid said. “I hit 60 and things started aching a bit, but I’m good.”

The Chiefs will break for a quick weekend siesta following Friday’s practice and they’ll turn around and get started on mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, June 15th to close out this portion of the offseason program.

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Chargers undrafted rookie draws praise from special teams coordinator Derius Swinton II

The Los Angeles Chargers could have a special teams standout on their hands.

One of the areas that the Chargers will need to make sure they are equipped with this upcoming season is special teams competency after finishing as the worst unit in 2020.

Los Angeles has steadily brought in players this offseason that they’re confident will aide in that department, and one of them could be an undrafted rookie.

At Tuesday’s media availability, special teams coordinator Derius Swinton II said former Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga has been a player that has stood out thus far during rookie minicamp and OTAs.

Ogbongbemiga finished as the second-leading tackler for the Cowboys in 2019 and 2020, making a combined 181 stops. Prior to working his way to the field, he was a special teams standout his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Ogbongbemiga, who amassed over 500 special teams snaps in college, would unlikely get snaps at linebacker, but his range and solid tackling ability would make him a valuable asset on coverage units from Day 1.

Report: Browns to hold first OTA practice today in Berea

The Cleveland Browns, at least some of them, will be back in town for OTAs today according to a report. Will the stars show up?

The Cleveland Browns got a look at a few of their players during rookie minicamp but there has been some uncertainty around when veterans would show up for organized team activities.

The players and team had been discussing what OTAs would look like after the NFLPA encouraged players to avoid them this year. For now, all team activities are considered voluntary so skipping them would not be disciplined. Many players have chosen to skip OTAs in the past including Odell Beckham Jr. but this would have been the first year a majority of the players skipped if they followed the NFLPA recommendations.

So far, we have a report that OBJ will be in attendance and a social media message from Myles Garrett to “Tell Stefanski we on the way.”

We now have more information about the start of OTAs as it looks like we will have players in Berea today with media access tomorrow:

 

Garrett’s social media post may be the only star player confirmed to be there this week. It will be interesting if Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Beckham, and the rest of the stars join Garrett this week.

It will also be interesting to see if J.C. Tretter, starting center and president of the NFLPA, shows up or if he holds the NFLPA line related to staying away from OTAs this offseason.

For now, Browns fans can get excited about some of their team getting on the field together. With high expectations and quite a few new players, the Browns can benefit from as much time together as possible.

Coming off a winning season and getting a second year within the systems put in place last year, the Browns get a chance to build on something as OTAs open up.

Washington wide receiver Dyami Brown talks Fitzpatrick & other things

While Dyami Brown was Washington’s second third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft and fourth overall choice, he may be the player fans are

While Dyami Brown was Washington’s second third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft and fourth overall choice, he may be the player fans are most excited about next season.

Brown recently joined Brian Mitchell and JP Finlay on 106.7 The Fan’s “BMitch and Finlay” and talked about several topics from his time at North Carolina to his current quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Last week was the first time Brown took the field with Washington’s veterans for the voluntary OTA sessions. Brown was so excited to be on the field he wore his pads all the to the practice field, which is not permitted in OTAs.

Head coach Ron Rivera had to tell Brown to remove his pads. But, in defense of Brown, he said he wasn’t the only member of the WFT to be on the field with pads.

Brown is certainly ready for his NFL career to begin and get to work with Fitzpatrick. In OTAs last week, Fitzpatrick connected with Brown on at least one deep throw, which impressed the rookie wideout.

“Oh man, that’s the guy right there,” Brown said with a laugh. “That’s the guy. I like him a lot. You know he’s composed; he likes to throw deep. I have seen him throw it deep a few times, and he has a great arm.”

Brown believes offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s offense is perfect for him:

Oh, I definitely think it works. You know, we do go deep sometimes, and that’s what I’ve been in for the last few years. I think it’s helpful because it allows us to move around and have different matchups.

The combination of Brown, Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries gives Washington a much-improved wide receiver corps in 2021. That, combined with the addition of Fitzpatrick, means the Football Team will likely be more aggressive through the air in 2021.

One of the more exciting parts of Brown’s game was his ability to make big plays. Not only does he have outstanding speed, but he wins on contested catches. That is something Rivera pointed out after Washington selected Brown.

Brown was asked about his ability to win in those scenarios.

“For me, it is see ball, get ball,” Brown said. “A 50/50 ball is never a 50/50 ball to me; it is 100% to me.”

There are plenty of reasons for Washington fans to be excited about Brown. And, if he is anything like the WFT’s last third-round receiver (McLaurin), the team could have one of the better wide receiver corps in the league.

Justin Herbert is growing as a leader and taking advantage of his first offseason in the NFL

Cemented as the starting QB in Los Angeles, coaches have remarked that Herbert has taken command of the team and growing as a leader.

If there was ever a question about the type of work ethic that former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert would show in his first offseason in the NFL, just ask someone from Eugene what they thought.

After watching the semi-scrawny kid from Sheldon High School turn into an eventual Rose Bowl MVP and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, it was clear that the Eugene native worked harder than anyone else.

Now, in his first true offseason with the Los Angeles Chargers, Herbert is getting a chance to take command of the offense, and really settle in as a leader on the team. Through the first week of OTAs, that leadership is palpable.

“Justin’s a big part of the operation in terms of his command in and out of the huddle and I think that’s going to be a hallmark of how we play … I thought he was really impressive,” said Chargers coach Brandon Staley, via the team’s website. “There was one (play) in particular that I felt like really demonstrates that he’s got the capacity that you guys are all aware of from an identification standpoint of something we do defensively that we feel like is tough to pick up, and he picked it up practice No. 1. He’s off and running.”

Herbert also has the benefit now of returning to a more normal offseason, where, thanks to the prevalence of vaccines in our society, we can worry less about the coronavirus and more about football. Of course, Herbert is once again dealing with a new coaching staff, but he’s shown in the past that the change to a scheme is little to worry about for No. 10.

It’s always hard to make good on a career season, and when you set the bar as high as Herbert did in 2020, expectations are almost insurmountable. Regardless, we know that the former Duck will put his all into climbing this mountain ahead of him, and if his career trajectory is to continue, we will be talking about him for a long, long time to come.

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Sean McVay gives his initial impressions of Matthew Stafford during OTAs

Sean McVay has already been impressed by Matthew Stafford, saying he’s “looked good” in practice.

The most prized addition for the Los Angeles Rams this offseason is Matthew Stafford, and it appears the veteran quarterback is already impressing the coaching staff. After being asked about his initial impressions of Stafford during OTAs, Sean McVay responded with glowing remarks for the newly-acquired signal-caller.

McVay was first asked how Stafford looked in practice so far.

“What’d you think?” he replied with a grin before agreeing that the quarterback “looked good.”

“I think we’re in the early phases of it, but certainly the way he’s handled things up to this point, we’ve been very pleased,” McVay said during his press conference. “He’s a joy to be around every single day. The consistency he comes into work with is definitely something that he makes it really fun, and I’ve been pleased with what he’s done up to this point.”

The Rams shared one video of Stafford completing a deep pass to Cooper Kupp on Thursday, who was wide open down the right side.

When the Rams landed Stafford via trade from the Detroit Lions in exchange for Jared Goff and draft picks, fans knew what type of quarterback they were getting. Ever since Stafford came into the NFL in 2009, he’s had one of the most talented arms in the league, making him capable of completing any throw on the field.

It’s early in Stafford’s tenure with the Rams, and even though we have yet to see him take part in game action in McVay’s offense, it’s still a positive sign to see the coach raving about his new quarterback in OTAs. Following McVay’s comments on Stafford, fans will be counting down the days until Week 1 of the 2021 season to see Stafford operate the offense for the first time during a live game.

Pete Carroll expects ‘darn good attendance’ at Seahawks minicamp

Despite the low turnout for OTAs, Coach Pete Carroll expects a “darn good attendance” at Seattle Seahawks minicamp in mind-June.

The Seattle Seahawks are in the middle of OTAs and only a handful of vets have shown up to the voluntary workouts this week. Seattle players, like numerous others around the league, issued a statement via the NFLPA last month citing COVID-19 concerns over the in-person sessions.

Coach Pete Carroll told reporters via Zoom on Thursday that under 40 players are participating in the on-field workouts – mostly the same roster from the rookie minicamp. But despite the low turnout for the OTAs, Carroll expects a packed house for the mandatory minicamp later in June.

“Our activities will pick up as we get closer to minicamp,’’ Carroll said in his press conference. “We expect pretty darn good attendance at minicamp. There’ll be a couple of guys who have some special situations.

“But for the most part, we expect guys to be there.”

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Washington coach Ron Rivera rewards team after positive week of OTAs

Washington head coach Ron Rivera stated in April he expected to have “most” of his team in town for the team’s voluntary offseason program,

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Washington head coach Ron Rivera stated in April he expected to have “most” of his team in town for the team’s voluntary offseason program, specifically the OTAs.

He was right. Washington had 86 of the 91 players on the roster present for the first day of on-field workouts on Tuesday. The most notable absences were defensive ends Chase Young and Montez Sweat and offensive tackle Charles Leno. Leno remains in Chicago with his wife after the recent birth of their second child.

Rivera isn’t concerned with any of the absences because, as he stressed, these workouts were all voluntary.

That doesn’t mean the coach isn’t pleased with those who did attend. He was so happy, he gave his players an extra week off.

Now, instead of having the third — and final —week of OTAs on the week of June 8-10, Rivera moved Washington’s minicamp to that week, canceling the third week of OTAs.

Washington’s minicamp is mandatory for all players.

This is another reason why players love and trust Rivera. The outstanding attendance for the voluntary OTAs impressed the head coach. He was proud of the attendance. So, he rewarded them.

And now, the players get an extra week off before training camp with the minicamp moved up.