Tag: OTAs

Panthers hold Xavier Legette out of OTAs on Wednesday due to hamstring injury

A hamstring injury kept Panthers rookie WR Xavier Legette out of Wednesday’s session of OTAs.

The Carolina Panthers hit the practice field on Wednesday without one of their most notable pickups from the offseason.

Wideout Xavier Legette did not participate in today’s session of organized team activities due to a hamstring injury. According to Vashti Hurt of Carolina Blitz, the team is “erring on the side of caution” with the rookie receiver—who tweaked his hamstring on Tuesday.

Legette was selected by the Panthers with the 32nd overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft.

The 23-year-old has been hard at work these past few months during his transition to the pros. He stated during rookie minicamp that his biggest focus during the jump has been his route running.

“I don’t necessarily really worry about what folks say, but a lot folks were bringin’ that to my attention,” Legette said on May 10. “Like, a lot of coaches who I was talkin’ to, they was also bringin’ it up—like why you think a lot of folks sayin’ this and that?

“I felt like the coaches kinda thought the same thing as well. So I feel like that was important, to put emphasis on makin’ that happen and bein’ able to show them that I can do that through the process.”

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Two players in particular have surprised Patriots coach Jerod Mayo at OTAs

There have been two obvious standouts at OTAs, per Patriots coach Jerod Mayo

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo admitted to being impressed by two players in particular during organized team activities.

One of those players is second-year defensive end Keion White, and the other is special teams veteran standout Brenden Schooler. Keep in mind, the Patriots are still early in the process. They haven’t even practiced with pads yet.

But Mayo has seen clear instances of growth from both players.

That’s a major positive for a Patriots team hoping to turn things around in 2024. The defensive unit took a massive hit when Matthew Judon went down with a season-ending biceps injury last season. So having White take that next step as a pass-rusher would help take some of the load off Judon, who turns 32 years old in August.

Meanwhile, Schooler will be looked at as the leader on special teams with legendary special-teamer Matthew Slater announcing his retirement back in February.

Patriots fans are hopeful some of those surprises come on the offensive side of the ball as well considering the unit ranked amongst the worst in the NFL last year. That unit’s improvement could mean the difference between winning and losing.

LOOK: 62 best photos from New Orleans Saints OTAs practice

LOOK: 62 best photos from New Orleans Saints OTAs practice highlight Derek Carr, Klint Kubiak, and Taliese Fuaga

The New Orelans Siants opened up practice to the media this week during organized team activities, and we’ve got a photo gallery of the best shots from Tuesday’s session.

In addition to highlighting key figures on the team like quarterback Derek Carr, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and rookie left tackle Taliese Fuaga, we’ve also got an early look at players wearing their new Saints jerseys like wide receivers Bub Means and Equanimeous St. Brown.

Take a look for yourself:

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WATCH: Chiefs TE Jared Wiley catches pass at OTAs

Check out this video of fourth-round pick Jared Wiley catching a pass at #Chiefs OTAs this week

The Kansas City Chiefs added a promising tight end prospect to their roster in the 2024 NFL draft when they selected TCU tight end Jared Wiley.

A massive target with sure hands, Wiley should pair well with Travis Kelce in the Chiefs’ new-look offense next season, providing Patrick Mahomes a much-needed safety valve over the middle.

Though he will have to wait a few months to make his regular season debut, Wiley was seen catching a pass at practice this week, giving fans their first look at Kansas City’s newest tight end.

Check out the video that was posted by the Chiefs’ official Twitter account below:

While Wiley won’t be a starter for Kansas City in 2024, his potential to develop into the heir to Kelce’s throne has been a topic of discussion in Chiefs Kingdom since the draft.

For now, fans will have to wait to see if Wiley can live up to the hype.

WATCH: Sights, sounds from Bucs OTAs

Check out some of the action from this week’s Organized Team Activities at One Buc Place

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently kicked off their first round of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) for the 2024 offseason, as they prepare to chase a fourth straight NFC South title and fifth consecutive trip to the postseason.

After keeping all of their key free agents, the Bucs are primed to run it back and hang another banner, continuing the most successful run in franchise history that started with a Super Bowl win in 2020.

Watch the video above for some sights and sounds from this week’s practices, courtesy of Pewter Report.

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Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler intercepted twice at Saints OTAs on Tuesday

Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler was intercepted twice at Saints OTAs on Tuesday. But May is the time for making mistakes and learning from them:

It might be time to put that talk about Spencer Rattler starting ahead of Derek Carr to bed. From the reports coming out of New Orleans Saints practices this spring, he isn’t ready to push Jake Haener out of the backup spot, either. The fifth-round draft pick hasn’t exactly hit the ground running.

Rattler was intercepted twice at Tuesday’s organized team activities practice open to the media; both passes were picked off by another rookie, Millard Bradford, an undrafted free agent out of TCU. Locked On Saints host Ross Jackson charted every pass attempt in team drills, which were rough for the first-year pro:

  • Derek Carr: 8-for-8, with a possible sack by defensive end Carl Granderson rushing against Trevor Penning at right tackle
  • Jake Haener: 4-for-7, with a scramble under pressure by blitzing linebacker D’Marco Jackson
  • Spencer Rattler: 3-for-8; Rattler was intercepted once in a 7-on-7 session and again during team drills

This isn’t too surprising, so don’t overreact to it. These practices in May are the time for rookies to be making mistakes like this — they can be valuable learning experiences. So long as Rattler is learning which throws he can and can’t get away with in the NFL, and doesn’t repeat those errors, he’ll be fine.

But for now he’s getting picked off while leading the third-string offense. Carr is the unquestioned starter on the first team, and Haener is in the middle on the second string. There’s plenty of time for Rattler to climb the depth chart. Right now, though, he’s still figuring things out and working to get better.

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Ravens TE Isaiah Likely should see more snaps in 2024

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely may be the x-factor for the offense in 2024.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely may be the x-factor for the offense in 2024.

Likely plays behind All-pro tight end Mark Andrews on the team depth chart but has a big-play ability that cannot be overstated. Considering this, should the Ravens frequent more two tight-end sets on offense this season?

With running back Derrick Henry acquired, offensive coordinator Todd Monken may deploy the usage of more play-action and 12 personnel.

Andrews missed eight games due to injury last season and Likely was excellent in his absence. With Monken already aiming to get Henry 300-plus carries this season, it would be sensible to use two tight-end sets that include Likely.

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Likely made 30 receptions on 40 targets last year and played all 17 games. Likely deserves credit for his run blocking on an offense that ranked No. 1 in the NFL In rush yards per game.

Ultimately, Andrews and Likely should spend more time on the field as a tandem and not separately. 12 personnel would create play-action opportunities and assure physical run-blocking for quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Henry.

WR Tee Higgins a no-show at start of Bengals’ voluntary OTAs

Tee Higgins has been viewed as a potential trade target for the Patriots

Voluntary organized team activities started for the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. Star quarterback Joe Burrow was back on the field after suffering a season-ending wrist injury in 2023.

But star wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were nowhere to be found.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two receivers are absent at OTAs at a time when they’re both seeking new deals. One would think the Bengals would make re-signing Chase a priority, while Higgins’ situation is much less certain.

The New England Patriots had been considered a potential trade partner with the Bengals for Higgins, but then the standout receiver was slapped with a franchise tag back in February.

Higgins has yet to sign his franchise tender with the Bengals.

The Bengals were obviously hoping to keep their top-two receiving targets on the roster for a possible Super Bowl run. Now, there are serious questions surrounding the chances of that happening.

Keep in mind, this was only the voluntary portion of OTAs. Things could escalate, however, if Higgins starts skipping mandatory practices. The receiver-needy Patriots will likely be watching with vested interest for however long this lasts.

NFLPA wants to make changes to OTAs, NFL offseason workouts

The NFLPA has been looking to revamp the NFL offseason workout program and they may finally have a chance at doing it.

The NFLPA has been looking to revamp the NFL offseason workout program, and they may finally have a chance to do so.

The NFLPA is developing a proposal to overhaul the offseason starting in 2025. That plan would eliminate voluntary on-field work in the spring in favor of a longer training camp ramp-up, with players reporting in mid-June to early July.

The report of these changes came from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network on Tuesday.

The NFLPA saw new leadership in 2023 and has been open to hearing about changes players want to see. One of those included the Organized Team Activity workouts and Minicamps heading into Training Camp. Currently, workouts for some teams start as soon as mid-April and go through mid-June.

Pat McAfee hinted that the changes could be similar to what fans and teams saw take place during the COVID-19 year in 2020. McAfee mentioned that players “loved it” as they felt fresh and not beaten up heading into another season.

No changes are expected immediately as the 2024 offseason is in full swing, but a proposal is expected for the 2025 calendar year.

NFLPA looking to end OTAs in favor of longer training camp period

The NFLPA wants to end OTAs. What does this mean for the Browns?

The Cleveland Browns just wrapped up their first week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) last week, and it may just be their last ever.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL Players Association is looking for a massive overhaul of the NFL offseason:

“The NFL Players Association is working to finalize a proposal to overhaul the offseason starting as soon as 2025, eliminating voluntary on-field work in the spring in favor of a longer training camp ramp-up, with players reporting in mid-June to early July.”

This does not mention rookie minicamp, so we may still get a good look at those youngsters just drafted before training camp. However, they would not join the veterans until training camp in this new proposal.

With most veterans opting out of OTAs anyway, including the likes of All-Pro players Joel Bitonio and Myles Garrett, it may make more sense to let the veterans do their own thing until it is time to report for mandatory training camp activities.

Player safety is key, and giving players more time to recover is a positive in a sport that may be looking to add an 18th game in the near future.