Tag: Pro Football Talk

PFT pre-camp power rankings: Jaguars barely crack NFL’s top 20

PFT pre-camp power rankings: Jaguars barely crack NFL’s top 20

The Jaguars have a lot to prove to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Jacksonville secured the No. 20 spot in Florio’s pre-training camp NFL power rankings, released on Monday. The Jaguars stood behind AFC South rivals Houston (No. 10) and Indianapolis (No. 18) on the list, and were the 11th-ranked AFC squad.

Florio made clear that these power rankings do not represent how he believes each team will perform in 2024, rather they reflect where each team stands following the 2023 season.

“Will that stop people from interpreting these ranking[s] as a prediction of how teams will finish the 2024 season? Nope,” he wrote.

He summed up Jacksonville’s bottom-half placement by referencing the team’s 1-5 slide over its final six games last season, after beginning the year 8-3.

“[The Jaguars] fell apart down the stretch last year,” Florio analyzed. “They need to prove that it was a fluke.”

The Jaguars would probably make that argument.

Jacksonville’s starting quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, endured a high-ankle sprain, a concussion and a sprain in his throwing shoulder between Weeks 13-16 last season. He missed one game but otherwise played through his multiple injuries.

The same couldn’t be said for his leading receiver, Christian Kirk, who suffered a season-ending groin injury in Week 13, when the losing stretch began.

Jacksonville handed Lawrence and star edge rusher Josh Allen the two biggest contracts in team history this offseason and signed eight free agents between March and April, combining to account for $388 million in total guarantees across the terms of those deals and other re-signings.

Power-ranking Jacksonville No. 20 immediately following 2023 would have made plenty of sense considering the team’s collapse.

But after an active offseason of retaining and adding talent, it’s hard to imagine the Jaguars would be happy with finishing outside of the playoff picture in 2024, as they would if Florio’s list was a projection.

Find Florio’s full pre-camp power rankings below.

Will Commanders’ Jayden Daniels have the most rookie passing yards?

How much will Jayden Daniels run the ball in 2024? That could significantly impact his passing yards.

Which NFL rookie quarterback will have the most passing yards this upcoming season?

That was the question asked on Friday’s Pro Football Talk with Mike Florio and Charean Williams.

The top three projected to possibly throw for the most yards in 2024 were Washington’s Jayden Daniels, Chicago’s Caleb Williams and Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy.

Williams: “I think the Bears have a real problem if it is not Caleb Williams. It means he was either hurt or not as good as everyone thinks he is. I would expect him to have a huge year with the offense that he is stepping into. No rookie quarterback has ever stepped into an offense with two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-thousand-yard running back like D’Andre Swift. So, he has the offense. Now, it is up to him to get it done. With those weapons, I don’t see how he is not going to have a big year.”

Florio: “I’ll go Williams just because I think Jayden Daniels may end up pulling the ball down and running it more because he’s going to be able to run around guys. He’s the guy when we were at the Scouting Combine talking to defensive players from the SEC, ‘Who is the toughest player you faced in college?’ And they would say Jayden Daniels simply because he is there, and then he is gone. When you have that level of physical separation, where you can just take off, he may end up having a lot of passing yards turn into running yards. That’s going to be the challenge, I think, to strike a balance. When do you run, and when do you throw? He’s going to be inclined I think, especially as a rookie to just show what he can do and he’s going to do some great things on the ground and that’s going to take away from his passing.”

Williams: “I was just going to say it’s going to be like Kyler Murray, probably with Jayden Daniels (in Kyler Murray’s first year). So you do have to find that balance.”

Indeed, Daniels’ rushing numbers were phenomenal in his last LSU season. In 2023, he ran the ball 135 times for 1,134 yards (8.4) and ten rushing touchdowns.

Former NFL QB: Rookie Michael Penix Jr. more ready than Commanders’ Daniels

Is Michael Penix Jr. more pro-ready than Jayden Daniels? It doesn’t matter: One will play, one will not.

“These guys can play quarterback, I think it is a ____ good group.”

That was Chris Simms’ quick summary of what he thinks about this years NFL rookie quarterback class. He and co-host Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk last week, were discussing the 2024 rookie quarterbacks.

Simms even called this group “The Ready Rookies.” Interestingly enough, he was discussing his ranking of current NFL quarterbacks from 26 through 30.

Where was the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels in the Simms’ rankings? Daniels the rookie from LSU, drafted second overall by the Commanders, was ranked No. 28 by Simms.

  • 26. Will Levis
  • 27. Michael Penix, Jr.
  • 28. Jayden Daniels
  • 29. Bo Nix
  • 30. J.J. McCarthy

Florio asked the obvious question, seeing Daniels was drafted second, why did Simms rank Penix Jr. ahead of Daniels?

“Because my quarterback rankings are where I think they are going to be two or three years down the road. I don’t want to judge it all right now about the rookie year.”

“I think Penix has played a little more of the pro way,” continued Simms. “Jayden Daniels, I think there is going to be a little bit more of an adjustment at first. The offense he played in college?  I think there is going to be more of a versatility to the offense that he is going to get used to.”

“We know he is a special runner and all that, but he’s got to grow as far as being in the pocket. Guys like Bo Nix and Caleb Williams are better scramblers to throw the ball than Jayden Daniels.”

“He (Daniels) could learn to slide in the right places and maybe be a little more patient in the pocket, too.”

“My belief is that Jayden Daniels will be better at some point, but at this moment, with this exercise, I take it like we are in Week 1 or 2 in the regular season. I think Michael Penix is a little further along as far as being NFL-ready right now.”

Well, Daniels is going to be playing, so he will, thus, have every opportunity to prove Simms wrong in his evaluation that Penix is more ready to play.

 

Report: Jaguars could face NFL discipline for alcohol on team flight

Report: Jaguars could face NFL discipline for alcohol on team flight

Content warning: This story includes descriptions of alleged sexual assault.

According to Pro Football Talk, the Jaguars could face discipline from the NFL in addition to being named a defendant in a sexual assault lawsuit filed against former Jacksonville kicker Brandon McManus in Duval County Circuit Civil Court last week.

The lawsuit describes McManus as having been “drinking” and “drunk” during the Jaguars’ Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings charter flight to London on Sept. 28, 2023, when he allegedly sexually assaulted two female flight attendants in what was depicted to be a party-like atmosphere.

Additionally, Pro Football Talk reports witnesses “will say” Jaguars players brought alcohol onto that flight.

The NFL in Nov. 2022 issued a memo reminding teams of league policy prohibiting, and potential discipline for, alcohol possession and consumption in team facilities or during team-sponsored travel.

The memo was issued following the DUI arrest of former Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing after a Tennessee road victory in Green Bay and other documented potential offenses across the league.

However, neither the Titans nor the NFL publicly disciplined Downing for his actions, although he was fired following the 2022 season along with three other assistant coaches. He was sentenced to and served 48 hours in jail in early 2023.

“In light of recent events, clubs are reminded that league policy prohibits alcoholic beverages, including beer, in the locker rooms, practice or office facilities, or while traveling on team buses or planes at any time during the preseason, regular season or postseason. This applies to all players, coaches, club personnel, and guests traveling with your team,” the memo read. “This policy has been in place for many years. Making alcohol available at club facilities or while traveling creates significant and unnecessary risks to the league, its players, coaches and others. Violations of this important policy will be taken seriously and will result in significant discipline.

“Each club should ensure that its travel arrangements do not include providing alcohol service at any time and should also take appropriate steps to confirm that alcohol (whether beer or any other alcoholic beverage) is not available at its facility. Please direct all further questions on this subject to Management Council of Football Operations.”

The Jaguars are accused of gross negligence in the lawsuit for “failing to properly hire McManus, train him about inappropriate and sexual contact with flight staff, supervise him on the flight, adopt policies and procedures to protect flight staff from sexual misconduct by its employees, and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy regarding inappropriate behavior.”

The plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II in the lawsuit and represented by Houston-based attorney Anthony Buzbee, seek more than $1 million and have demanded a jury trial.

PFT says Commanders treated QB prospects like ‘lab rats’ during interviews

More nonsense from from Washington’s favorite critic.

Pro Football Talk blasted the Commanders on Friday.

The Commanders had entertained multiple players, including four quarterbacks, earlier in the week. It was a job interview, and apparently, Josh Harris and the Commanders were really out of line, according to Mike Florio and Myles Simmons.

“I think it is imperative to bring in these guys (quarterbacks) one at a time, know everything you can about them, get them all in with you. And that is where this has kind of gone off the rails for the Commanders. Because I’m hearing belief that maybe Jayden Daniels is not all that interested now in going to the Commanders,” Florio said during Friday’s installment of “PFT Live.”

Simmons replied: “You can pick up another asset (not picking Daniels and trading down), but is that going to be worth it if you are playing games and you don’t get the exact quarterback that you sensibly have fallen in love with throughout this draft process? To me, that would not make much sense. But, there are a lot of things about the way the Commanders have gone about, let’s call it, the last week that have not made much sense to me.”

Added Florio: “Here is the other thing I’ve picked up from somebody that I trust immensely, who is very plugged into the ownership scene. Josh Harris? A lot more involved than they thought he would be. … They brought them all in on the same day because that’s the day Mr. Harris was available to see them. That’s the only plausible explanation for having them there.

“Here is the danger, the David Tepper danger. This is when the owner is involved in any way. … At the end of the day, if you get it wrong, you better get it wrong with the guy the boss wanted. Your worst-case scenario is, the boss wanted this guy, and you went with that (other) guy, and that guy stinks. … Your long-term job prospects are best suited by giving the boss what you think the boss wants, and it all comes down to how vocal the boss is.

“You are the No. 2  guy. The people who know what they are doing, have Jayden Daniels as the clear No. 2 guy. So, when you have your visit to this team, that wants you supposedly, and the day is diluted by the three other quarterbacks being there. At some level you are going to be pissed. … There’s red flags there, and it all flows back to how the Commanders have handled it. It’s not anything about Jayden Daniels. It’s how the Commanders have handled Jayden Daniels.”

Wow, has it not yet occurred to Florio that comparing Harris to Tepper is extremely unfair to Harris? If Harris proves himself to be a Tepper, then yes. But for now, doesn’t that seem like attacking Harris prematurely?

Second, do Florio and Simmons fail to comprehend the Commanders have not presented any signs whatsoever that Daniels is obviously their guy?

Third, they are flat-out wrong because several analysts also think Drake Maye should be the second selection. The situation is not as simple as Florio and Simmons erroneously believe it to be.

Fourth, are any of the other quarterbacks who visited complaining about the process? So how can Florio and Simmons logically conclude it has to be the Commanders at fault in how they handled Daniels this week?

Simmons then proceeded to say twice the Commanders’ process was “disrespectful” to the prospective quarterbacks, expressing, “I am confused by this approach.”

Though Adam Peters and Lance Newmark stated there were both individual meetings and group time, this simply does not satisfy Florio and Simmons. Florio then called it “the strategy the Commanders concocted; I know people and am a student of the human condition. It’s disrespectful, it’s disrespectful to all of them.”

Florio then said the Commanders were treating the quarterbacks “like lab rats in a weird sort of way. … Let’s just put them in a room together and see how they act. Maybe one will kill the other three, and that will clearly be the right choice for us. … There is an element of evil scientist that comes through this, that is just offputting to me as an outsider.”

Florio then called it “this weird power-trip [expletive].”

Here is the video of their entire discussion:

 

 

Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons is building steam

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote that there are “very credible indications: that Kirk Cousins could be headed to the Atlanta Falcons

For weeks now, the race for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has been a two-horse race: the Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons. With the NFL Scouting Combine in the rearview mirror and the start of free agency looming, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio mentioned in his latest piece that there are “very credible indications” that Cousins to Atlanta is more than just a rumor.

We can’t get into the specifics, for now. But we’re getting very credible indications that Cousins is seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta. Which would mean, obviously, that he’d be signing with the Falcons.

The Falcons have always been the top alternative to the Vikings for Cousins, who becomes an unrestricted free agent next Wednesday. And for good reason. His wife, Julie, grew up in nearby Alpharetta, Georgia. Her parents still live there.

The Vikings have, by all appearances, decided they want to keep Cousins, but only at their price. They seem to think he won’t get a better offer elsewhere. If he does, they seem to be content to let him go.

While there isn’t much new information to add to the situation, the talks about Minnesota moving on from the 35-year-old quarterback are getting louder. Vikings fans may have to start getting used to the idea that a new quarterback may be under center in 2024.

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Report indicates the NFL blames the Lions for Brad Allen’s mistaken call

A report from Pro Football Talk indicates the NFL blames the Lions for Brad Allen’s mistaken call

The Brad Allen saga continues into the new year, and it’s not headed in a direction that many Detroit Lions fans will like. Allen, the referee who mistakenly announced Dan Skipper as an eligible receiver instead of Taylor Decker on the critical 2-pt. conversion late in Detroit’s loss in Dallas in Week 17, has the protection of the NFL shield.

In a report propagated by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the NFL is effectively covering up for Allen and pointing the finger at the Lions for the referee’s mistake:

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL does not plan to change the procedure for players reporting as eligible. The league views the situation as an effort by the Lions to engage in deception and gamesmanship that backfired.

While there might be some inherent deception built into the play, that doesn’t excuse Allen for his lazy, irresponsible error. He failed to do his job properly, period. If he’s that vulnerable to legally permitted deception, deliberate or not, he shouldn’t ever be allowed to blow a whistle again.

Technically, the report shows the NFL is correct on one front. The league does not need to change the procedure for players reporting as eligible. The Lions did that part to the letter of the law. Allen simply screwed it up on his own.

The fact the league defends him is a frustrating acknowledgment that the NFL doesn’t really want to fix its officiating issue. Failing to hold officials accountable for their own egregious mistakes is a slippery slope that keeps getting slicker and steeper for the NFL. The downhill momentum furthered willingly in the Allen case just might snowball into something much worse for the league.

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Chris Simms believes Nick Mullens should start after bye

One former quarterback believed that Mullens should be the starter coming out of the bye week

The Josh Dobbs story has been one of the more unlikely ones in the NFL this season. But that story may be coming to an end when the Minnesota Vikings return from their bye week. Dobbs and the Vikings have lost two straight after a five-game win streak, and Dobbs has struggled mightily in each. At least one analyst believes Nick Mullens should be at the helm when the Vikings next take the field.

During a segment on Pro Football Talk with Mike Florio, analyst and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms expressed that he believes Nick Mullens should be the guy — if healthy — for the Vikings moving forward.

Simms points out that, while the Dobbs story has been a great one, now that teams have some film on him and have seen what he’s capable of, the flaws are starting to show themselves. He goes on to say there’s a reason Dobbs is a backup and has been with multiple teams in his career.

Mullens has been designated to return to the team after spending time on IR with a concussion. The team could also turn to rookie Jaren Hall, who was initially planned to take over for Kirk Cousins after his Achilles injury, but left his first game early with a concussion of his own.

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Will Commanders trade for Bill Belichick?

But a source close to Josh Harris said this is “simply not true.”

“I caught wind over the weekend of some chatter in league circles with this notion that when the season ends, the Commanders will trade with the Patriots to get Bill Belichick.”

That’s how Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio introduced the rumor that the Commanders will pursue New England head coach Bill Belichick.

Florio continued, saying he was told, “Everyone is out. Jason Wright, team president; Martin Mayhew, general manager; Ron Rivera, head coach; all out.”

The PFT host conveyed that Monday’s trades of Montez Sweat and Chase Young also point to new owner Josh Harris cleaning house and getting his own people in there.

It’s important to remember that Belichick still has multiple years remaining on his contract. Indeed, if Washington were to pursue Belichick, it would cost them, and perhaps cost them dearly.

WJLA-TV sports anchor Scott Abraham said he too reached out and was told the rumor is simply not true.

But back to Florio: He said that once the season is over, Patriots owner Robert Kraft will simply sit back, not firing Belichick but waiting for Harris to make the first move.

Once Kraft and Harris would work out the compensation, then Harris would be free to contact Belichick and discuss the concept with Belichick and work out a deal.

Florio went even further, suggesting someone other than Harris would contact Belichick’s agent, and the two would be informally discussing the possibility if the other party were interested.

As to the origin of the story, Florio thought it was from the Belichick camp, getting the story out there so the league teams know that Belichick is going to be available for the right price after this season.

Would Harris pursue Belichick?

Or would Harris prefer someone younger, likely one of the more respected coordinators who desires to be head coach?

Could Commanders owner Snyder, have one final trick up his sleeve?

The vote for Washington’s ownership transfer is expected this week.

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One NFL insider is not yet ready to say Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder won’t make one final attempt to mess up everything.

Though Daniel Snyder had his office at the Ashburn facility cleaned out prior to the 2022 season finale home game against Dallas, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is still not putting it past Snyder to attempt something.

“Daniel Snyder is leaving; he wants to leave it all behind him,” said Florio Thursday. He doesn’t want to be responsible for any liabilities that may arise in the future.”

However, there is one item Florio believes could cause problems in this sale to the Josh Harris group this upcoming Friday.

“I overlooked a very important issue of how the NFL and Daniel Snyder will handle the potential for liability arising from the actions of one or the other. Snyder presumably wants indemnification for anything that could stick to him in this Gruden email case.  The league may want indemnification for Dan Snyder for anything that could stick to them, caused by him.”

Florio feels “it is possible that both sides have civil liability to Jon Gruden by the time this is all said and done.”

Gruden may have some leverage in trying to get more of a financial settlement from the NFL. Thus, could this hold up the sale being approved this coming Friday?

Who leaked the Jon Gruden emails? Snyder testified under oath that he did not leak the emails. Bruce Allen testified under oath the NFL told him they did not leak the emails but that the leak came from the team.

How much money will be enough for Gruden to settle? Will the settlement be with the NFL or Snyder?

Florio doesn’t see Snyder wanting to move on so easily. “If he wants to be a jerk, yeah, he can hold their feet to the fire. ‘I want this, I want that. Hey, you want to get rid of me; you give me those things. Otherwise, I’m not going.’ Wouldn’t that be something?”

Meanwhile, Commanders fans, media following the team, franchise employees and the team itself want this to simply be concluded and for Snyder to determine he will quietly ride off into the sunset.

Having made a huge profit, after all.