Tag: rookie minicamp

Bears OT Kiran Amegadjie will not practice during rookie minicamp

The third-round rookie is still recovering from a quad injury and won’t practice during rookie minicamp or during the spring.

The Chicago Bears rookies hit the field for the first time this weekend, but one notable player will not be participating. Head coach Matt Eberflus met the media on Friday and said third-round rookie offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie will not practice during minicamp and will likely be out for future spring practices.

Amegadjie suffered a quad injury during the 2023 season while playing for Yale, and he is still recovering. Eberflus said the team was well aware of his recovery, and the plan is for him to be ready when training camp begins.

Amegadjie was selected with the No. 75 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He shined during his collegiate career at Yale and enters his career with the chance to become the team’s swing tackle. Amegadjie grew up just outside of Chicago in suburban Hinsdale and is realizing a dream come true to play for his hometown team.

Though Amegadjie won’t be on the field, he’s still in the building and will continue to learn with the rest of the rookies. The rest of the draft class, including quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, hit the field on Friday and Saturday for the first time as professional players.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels has a message for Washington fans

Moments after it became official that he’d wear No. 5, Jayden Daniels had a message for fans.

It became official on Thursday night: Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will wear the No. 5 jersey.

Punter Tress Way has worn the No. 5 since 2014 and voluntarily gave Daniels the number ahead of Washington’s rookie minicamp, which begins Friday in Ashburn.

With Daniels now wearing No. 5, Way will wear a new number in 2024. Fans who wanted to buy a Daniels jersey can now do so without wondering which number he will wear.

The Commanders officially released a video of Way acknowledging he was giving the number to Daniels at 7:46 p.m. ET. Only 10 minutes later, Daniels had a message for Washington fans:

This all comes days after some numbers revealed that Washington struggled to move team merchandise. Some fans blamed the name, others blamed the jerseys, while others acknowledged that if the Commanders became a winner, they should sell more merchandise.

Perhaps Washington needed a franchise quarterback to get behind, and those jerseys would start to sell. Based on how fans reacted on X, Daniels will shoot up the list in individual jersey sales.

 

All the players attending the Bucs’ 2024 rookie minicamp

The Buccaneers’ rookie class arrives for minicamp this week.

The Buccaneers’ 2024 rookie class arrived for minicamp, which is the first time any of these players will suit up in Bucs gear. It is also an opportunity for the undrafted free agents and tryout players to make enough of an impression to make it to and through training camp.

The headliners of the rookie class are still the Bucs’ 2024 draft class:

Among the minicamp attendees includes an undrafted free agent class whose signings the Bucs have yet to formally announce. The rest are invited tryout players and a handful of veterans looking for a roster shot. The complete list of attendees includes (from Fox Sports’ Greg Auman):

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is officially No. 5

Tress Way gives Jayden Daniels the No. 5.

The Washington Commanders open rookie minicamp on Friday. Washington’s rookie class began showing up in Ashburn this week, but there was one piece of unfinished business before the Commanders took the field Friday.

What number would quarterback Jayden Daniels wear? Daniels has always worn No. 5, but that jersey was taken by Washington’s most-tenured player, punter Tress Way.

Not anymore. On Washington’s official X page, Way posted a 15-second video with a No. 5 jersey in the background. However, the jersey’s back did not bear Way’s name. Daniels’ name adorned the back of the jersey, and before the end of the video, the camera shifted to the rookie passer in the background.

According to Zach Selby of commanders.com, Way isn’t giving the number away for free. No, he isn’t taking money from Daniels. Instead, Way may have the rookie quarterback get him some tickets for the first LSU/Oklahoma game now that Way’s Sooners are in the SEC.

To be clear, Way is not giving the jersey away for free. He doesn’t want money, but he did come up with “a couple cool ideas” for what he and Daniels could do for the swap. His alma mater, Oklahoma, is going to be in the SEC, so he suggested that perhaps he could get tickets to the first LSU-Oklahoma game. He also brought up the possibility of having fans submit pictures of them wearing Way’s old number to the team so Daniels could buy them a jersey with Way’s new number on it and a personal letter from Way himself.

WATCH: Patriots QB Drake Maye arrives for rookie minicamp

Drake Maye is in the building!

Quarterback Drake Maye arrived ahead of the New England Patriots’ rookie minicamp on Thursday.

The No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft came waltzing into the building with a huge grin on his face, ready to kick-start his career at the next level.

Heavy expectations come with being a top-three draft pick, but so far, Maye hasn’t shied away from the challenges he knows he’ll face on the football field. The Patriots have a long, storied history as one of the greatest franchises in NFL history, but they’re also coming off a 4-13 season, where they had one of the worst rosters in the league.

Is Maye ready for that challenge?

The good news is Maye won’t need to be forced onto the field right out of the gates. New England signed veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the offseason, and they still have Bailey Zappe on the roster.

There are clearly parameters in place for them to take their time with a rookie quarterback. With that said, the No. 1 goal for the Patriots is getting back to Super Bowl contention, and they aren’t doing that without Maye being a major draft hit.

QB Taulia Tagovailoa to participate in Cardinals’ rookie minicamp

Tagovailoa will try out with the Cardinals after being in Seattle’s rookie minicamp last week.

The Arizona Cardinals do not have a rookie quarterback on their roster currently. Because rookie minicamp begins Thursday, that means the Cardinals need to bring one in.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, they have invited Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, to participate in rookie minicamp as a tryout player.

Tagovailoa participated in the Seattle Seahawks’ rookie minicamp last week and gets another shot.

He is 5-10 and 200 pounds and started three seasons at Maryland. In 2023, he passed for 3,377 yards, 25 touchdowns and threw 11 interceptions.

He is undersized and has quick feet but was not a dynamic runner (only 205 career rushing yards) and does not have the great arm talent his brother does.

The Cardinals currently have three quarterbacks on the roster — starter Kyler Murray, backup Desmond Ridder, whom they acquired via trade this offseason, and 2023 fifth-round pick Clayton Tune.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

49ers first on-field look at rookies coming soon

Hey the #49ers have some offseason stuff happening this week!

The 49ers won’t have to wait much longer to see their first-year players in on-field action. Draft picks and undrafted free agents will all report to the team facility on Thursday, May 9. Their first rookie minicamp will take place the following day.

In all there isn’t much to glean from rookie minicamp, but it provides different opportunities for different players.

Early draft picks will just be hoping to get through the sessions and prove to be competent at football. It’s likely the easiest thing they’ll do in an NFL uniform.

For the later draft picks and undrafted players it’s an opportunity to shine. Nobody is going to win a starting job or a roster spot. However, making an impression as a late-round pick, UDFA or minicamp invitee could set the table to show out in OTAs and beyond. Simply getting on the radar is a win for those players in the rookie minicamp.

Beyond that we won’t take too much away from the session. Those big takeaways can come from training camp and the preseason once the pads come on and real preparations are underway.

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Commanders make roster moves ahead of rookie minicamp

Commanders make some last-minute roster moves ahead of rookie minicamp.

The Washington Commanders begin the on-field portion of the offseason on Friday with a three-day rookie minicamp. On Tuesday, the Commanders made some roster moves to meet the NFL’s 90-man roster deadline. The Commanders can keep 91 players because they have a player in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, which gives teams a roster exemption.

Washington released the following three players:

  • Brandon Bouyer-Randle
  • CB D’Angelo Mandell
  • DE Joshua Pryor

Of three players released, only Pryor ever played in a game for the Commanders. An undrafted free agent last May from Bowie State, Pryor appeared in seven games last season.

Friday’s rookie minicamp will feature the debut of quarterback Jayden Daniels in the burgundy and gold. We shall know by then what number Daniels will wear. Will it be the No. 5 jersey currently worn by longtime punter and team captain Tress Way?

 

 

Chiefs HC Andy Reid impressed by Jared Wiley at rookie minicamp

Andy Reid told reporters that he was impressed by Jared Wiley at the #Chiefs’ rookie minicamp over the weekend.

In addition to bolstering their offensive line and defensive backfield, the Kansas City Chiefs added firepower to their passing game in the 2024 NFL draft.

Xavier Worthy stole most of the headlines, but one of Kansas City’s most underrated selections was TCU tight end Jared Wiley, who was picked in the fourth round.

While speaking with the media on Monday, Head Coach Andy Reid commented on how Wiley has impressed him so far this offseason.

“I liked what I saw, big kid, could change direction. [Jared Wiley] was a good blocker in college, so we’ll see how that transfers,” Reid began. “I thought he caught the ball well for the most part and retained information. I thought he did a pretty good job there.”

Wiley should be able to contribute to the passing and running games, and he could be a key factor in the red zone offense. Over the past two seasons at TCU, Wiley caught 71 passes for 765 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Xavier Worthy: ‘He did a nice job picking things up’

Andy Reid told reporters at #Chiefs rookie minicamp that Xavier Worthy “did a nice job picking things up”

The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up their rookie minicamp on Monday, and Andy Reid was the first member of the team to speak with the media following practice.

Reid was impressed with what he saw over the course of the three practices from the rookies that participated, specifically receiver Xavier Worthy.

“I thought he [Xavier Worthy] did a nice job picking up things and working through [it]. We asked him to do a whole lot of stuff there,” Reid said. “He was put in most of the primary spots, so it was good for him to be able to get in there and move around a little bit.”

Reid added that Worthy is a “sharp kid”, which is something — in addition to his speed — that the Chiefs loved about the 21-year-old receiver.

If Worthy can pair his defense-shifting speed with understanding coverages and see where defenders are going to be, his ceiling in this offense with Patrick Mahomes under center is boundless.