Tag: pro football writers of america

Joe Tippmann named to Pro Football Writers All-Rookie team

Joe Tippmann named to Pro Football Writers All-Rookie team

Jets center Joe Tippmann was seen as one of the top prospects at the center position entering the 2023 NFL Draft and had a chance to make an early impact. He did just that for the Jets and was one of the top rookie offensive linemen this season.

The members of the Pro Football Writers of America agreed and recognized him by placing him on the organization’s All-Rookie Team at center for the 2023 season.

Tippmann started 14 games for the Jets in his debut season. He initially started at right guard in Week 3 due to injuries before Connor McGovern’s injury in Week 8 moved Tippmann over to center, where he would start the rest of the season.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was named Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year while Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was named Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Sauce Gardner named to PFWA All-NFL team

Sauce Gardner named one of the top cornerbacks by the Pro Football Writers of America.

Another day, another top recognition for Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. This one comes from the Pro Football Writers of America.

This is Gardner’s second straight appearance on the All-NFL team from the PFWA, just like his second straight appearance on the First Team All-Pro. Gardner is joined on the team by Dallas Cowboys’ cornerback Daron Bland.

Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams also received recognition from the PFWA as he was named to the All-AFC team at defensive tackle. Gardner was, of course, a part of this team as well. Aaron Donald of the Rams and Chris Jones of the Chiefs were the All-NFL defensive tackles.

Justin Jefferson recognized by Pro Football Writers of America

Jefferson continues to add awards to his resume

Minnesota Vikings fans know how great wide receiver Justin Jefferson is. After leading the NFL in receiving yards this past season, the awards and all-pro nods came pouring in for Jefferson. On Monday, Jefferson would add to that list of accolades as the Pro Football Writers of America named Jefferson to the All-NFL and All-NFC teams.

This is Jefferson’s second time being recognized by the Pro Football Writers of America. In 2020, he was named to the All-Rookie Team. Earlier this offseason, Jefferson was named to the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press and the NFL Players Association.

Jefferson finished the season with the most receptions (128) and yards (1809) in the NFL. This type of recognition will only continue to help Jefferson and his agent build a case to be the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. The Vikings and Jefferson can now negotiate an extension, which many expect will happen this offseason.

Raiders have 2 named to PFWA All-NFL Team, 4 to All-AFC Team

Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby make PFWA All-AFC Team, left off All-NFL team

As a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, I get a vote on their season-ending awards. So, I take particular interest in these awards.

Today the PFWA released their All-NFL, All-AFC, and All NFC teams based on the votes of all PFWA members. A few Raiders players showed up in the results.

Making the All-NFL team was RB Josh Jacobs and K Daniel Carlson. Both also made the All-AFC teams along with WR Davante Adams and DE Maxx Crosby.

For what it’s worth, all four received All-NFL votes from me.

Here are all the full PFWA teams.

2022 PFWA ALL-NFL TEAM
Offense
QB – Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
RB – Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns*; Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
WR – Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins; Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
TE – Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
C – Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles*
G – Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns#; Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys*
T – Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles; Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers*
Defense
DE – Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers*; Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns#
DT – Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs; Quinnen Williams, New York Jets
OLB – Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys*; Haason Reddick, Philadelphia Eagles
MLB – Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
CB – Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, New York Jets (r); Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
S – Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers; Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers
Special Teams
PK – Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders
P – Tommy Townsend, Kansas City Chiefs
KR – Keisean Nixon, Green Bay Packers
PR – Marcus Jones, New England Patriots
ST – Jeremy Reaves, Washington Commanders

(r) – rookie
* – repeat selection from 2021
# – consecutive selections from 2020-22

2022 PFWA ALL-AFC TEAM
Offense
QB – Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
RB – Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns&; Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
WR – Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders; Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins#
TE – Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
C – Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs*
G – Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns#; Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs
T – Terron Armstead, Miami Dolphins; Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans
Defense
DE – Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders*; Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns#
DT – Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs#; Quinnen Williams, New York Jets
OLB – Matthew Judon, New England Patriots*; Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers/Matt Milano, Buffalo Bills (tie)
MLB – Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens
CB – Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, New York Jets (r); Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
S – Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers; Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Special Teams
PK – Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders
P – Tommy Townsend, Kansas City Chiefs
KR – Nyheim Hines, Buffalo Bills
PR – Marcus Jones, New England Patriots
ST – Justin Hardee, New York Jets

(r) – rookie
* – repeat selection from 2021
# – consecutive selections from 2020-22
& – consecutive selections from 2019-22

2022 PFWA ALL-NFC TEAM
Offense
QB – Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
RB – Saquon Barkley, New York Giants; Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
WR – A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles; Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
TE – George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers*
C – Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles*
G – Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons; Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys*
T – Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles; Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers#
Defense
DE – Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers*; Brian Burns, Carolina Panthers
DT – Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants; Javon Hargrave, Philadelphia Eagles/Daron Payne, Washington Commanders (tie)
OLB – Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys*; Haason Reddick, Philadelphia Eagles
MLB – Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
CB – Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers; Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles
S – C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles; Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers
Special Teams
PK – Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks
P – Johnny Hekker, Carolina Panthers
KR – Keisean Nixon, Green Bay Packers
PR – Kalif Raymond, Detroit Lions
ST – Jeremy Reaves, Washington Commanders

(r) – rookie
* – repeat selection from 2021
# – consecutive selections from 2020-22

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Pair of Chargers named to PFWA 2020 All-Rookie team

The Los Angeles Chargers got a lot out of their first-round picks this past season.

The Chargers got plenty of production out of two rookies this past season, both of whom were selected in the first-round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Those two were quarterback Justin Herbert and linebacker Kenneth Murray, who were named to the 2020 All-Rookie team, voted by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).

In addition, Herbert was named the 2020 Rookie of the Year and the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The former Oregon product finished with 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, breaking multiple records along the way and coming up just 38 yards shy of passing the rookie passing yard record held by Andrew Luck.

Herbert is currently the front-runner to win the prestigious Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Meanwhile, Murray recorded 107 tackles, three passes defended and one sack in his rookie season. The former Oklahoma product experienced growing pains right off the bat, but he made consistent growth week in and week out.

Texans fire vice president of communications Amy Palcic

The Houston Texans have fired their vice president of communications, Amy Palcic.

The Houston Texans continue to make changes inside the building as they attempt to get to the bottom of why they started the year 0-4.

On Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the club fired vice president of communications Amy Palcic, who had been with the team since June 2013. However, she was no longer considered a “culture fit,” according to Schefter’s source.

According to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain, team president Jamey Rootes was the one who fired Palcic. In addition to leading public relations for the team, Palcic also handled all relationship management with the league’s network TV partners.

Palcic was the first woman to be the head of an NFL public relations department, and her work was meritorious. In 2017, Palcic and the Texans PR department won the Pro Football Writers of America’s Pete Rozelle Award, which is given to the most outstanding team PR staff for that year. Not only was Paclic the first woman PR director to win the award, but she was the first PR director to win the award in their first year.

In 2016, Palcic was promoted from director of corporate communications to director of communications and eventually earned the vice president of communications title in April of 2018.

A graduate of Auburn, Palcic spent her 10 years as the director of communications for the Cleveland Browns.

Texans’ Romeo Crennel nominated for PFWA lifetime achievement award

Houston Texans associate head coach Romeo Crennel has been nominated for a Pro Football Writers of America lifetime achievement award.

Houston Texans associate head coach Romeo Crennel has been in the NFL almost as long as new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has been alive.

The Pro Football Writers of America have nominated Crennel, who enters his 38th season in the NFL as a coach, for the Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award, which is given out to assistant coaches who have spent a lifetime in the NFL.

The five-time Super Bowl champion assistant is no stranger to taking home honors from the PFWA. In 2003, Crennel won their assistant coach of the year award as the New England Patriots won three Super Bowls in 2001, 2003, and 2004, all with Crennel as defensive coordinator.

Prior to his arrival in New England, Crennel was the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2000. The previous three seasons he spent as defensive line coach under Bill Parcells with the New York Jets.

Crennel was a part of Parcells’ stint in New England from 1993-96 where he also coached the defensive line. Parcells was Crennel’s entry point into the NFL as he coached a variety of defensive line and special teams for the New York Giants from 1981-92.

The Texans have benefited from Crennel’s experience as defensive coordinator since 2014 when he arrived with coach Bill O’Brien. Only in 2017 and the upcoming 2020 season did Crennel step out of the role of defensive coordinator and take on a larger role as an associate head coach.

Crennel has been a head coach in his own right. From 2005-08, Crennel was the coach of the Cleveland Browns. Crennel took the job as the Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator in 2010, but eventually succeeded Todd Haley as interim coach in 2011 before getting the full-time gig in 2012.

O’Brien has leaned on Crennel in his previous six seasons with the Texans.

“He’s got a ton of experience,” O’Brien said on March 26, 2019, at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, Ariz. “He has a really calm demeanor, which is good for me. He’s seen it all. So, you can go in there and you can ask him about situations, whether it be head coaching situations or defensive situations, and he’ll have a thought for you or maybe he’ll say, ‘Hey, I’ll get back to you tomorrow,’ or whatever it is. More than anything, he’s just a great person, great person.”

Crennel is going against Bill Arnsparger, Dick Hoak, and Rod Marinelli, Bobby Turner, Buddy Ryan, Floyd Peters, and Bobby McKittrick for the award.

3 Saints rookies receive PFWA recognition after 2019 debut

The Pro Football Writers of America recognized New Orleans Saints Erik McCoy, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Deonte Harris on its All-Rookie Team

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Three members of the New Orleans Saints rookie class were recognized by the Pro Football Writers of America on their 2019 All-Rookie Team, highlighting their impressive efforts during their first season in the NFL.

Saints center Erik McCoy, cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson (who went by Chauncey in college before abbreviating it in the pros), and punt returner Deonte Harris were each singled out as top performers. Of that group, Harris was also named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler.

McCoy snapped the ball on 99.4% of the plays run by the Saints offense, and played a combined 1,141 snaps between his time on offense and defense, per Pro Football Reference. That total trailed only right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, who tied McCoy’s snap count on offense but logged three more appearances on special teams. The consistency and mistake-free football McCoy played with (he didn’t draw a single penalty flag in the final six weeks) is remarkable to see out of a rookie.

Encouragingly, the Saints got great returns on both prospects they traded up to acquire. The trade package that helped New Orleans move to pick McCoy in the second round of last year’s draft also netted them a fourth-round pick that was swapped again in a leap up for Gardner-Johnson.

It took the safety some time to earn playing-time with the defense, but he ultimately finished tenth-best in snaps played there (546) while also logging the seventh-most snaps on special teams (205). He was credited with just four missed tackles on 46 attempts, a rate of 8.0%. Only first-team All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis had a better missed tackle rate (4.3%) among Saints players who attempted 40-plus tackles.

As for Harris: he had the best season for a punt returner in the Sean Payton era, having returned 36 punts to gain 338 yards (leading the NFL in both categories), a rate of 9.4 yards per try. He also finished the year tied with Buffalo Bills kick returner Andre Roberts for the fourth-most yards in that phase (644), but did so with fewer kick returns than all of the players ranked above him (24).

It took a little longer for Harris to become comfortable fielding kickoffs in the NFL than punts — which should be expected given he played at small-school Assumption College before this — but he was ferocious down the stretch, picking up 100-plus kick return yards in four of his last seven games, including three matchups when opposing teams were too scared to kick to him.

So, all told, that’s not too bad for a draft class in which the Saints didn’t own a first-round pick. It’ll be intriguing to see where they go next.

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Eagles have one playe named to PFWA 2019 All-NFL team

Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce named to PFWA 2019 All-NFL team

Jason Kelce has been racking up the accolades since the season came to an end and on Monday, the Eagles star was named to the Professional Football Writers of America 2019 All-NFL team.

2019 marks the third year in a row that Kelce has earned All-NFL team honors from the PFWA.

Kelce also landed on the All-NFC team along with Eagles starting right guard Brandon Brooks.
It’s the third year in a row Brooks has earned that honor.

Deonte Harris, Ryan Ramczyk among Saints named to 2019 PFWA All-NFL Team

New Orleans Saints players including Deonte Harris, Ryan Ramczyk were selected for the 2019 Pro Football Writers of America All-NFL Team.

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Postseason accolades just keep rolling in for the New Orleans Saints. Four players were selected by the Pro Football Writers of America for their All-NFL Team, including phenomenal rookie returns specialist Deonte Harris. Harris was joined by right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, wide receiver Michael Thomas, and defensive end Cameron Jordan. Thomas was the only player in the group to return from last year’s PFWA All-NFL Team.

Unlike the NFL Pro Bowl and Associated Press All-Pro rosters, the PFWA does not distinguish between first-team and second-team recognition. It does however assemble an All-NFC Team and All-AFC Team; all four of the Saints players previously mentioned received all-conference honors, along with cornerback Marshon Lattimore, kicker Wil Lutz, and special teams ace J.T. Gray. That’s not bad company to keep.

 

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