Tag: rookies

Elgton Jenkins, Darnell Savage make PFF’s 2019 All-Rookie Team

The Packers put two rookies on PFF’s All-Rookie Team for 2019.

Two of the Green Bay Packers’ top three picks in the 2019 NFL draft were named to Pro Football Focus’ All-Rookie team.

Guard Elgton Jenkins, the 44th overall pick, and safety Darnell Savage, the 21st overall pick, both made the team at their respective positions.

Jenkins, who took over as a starter in Week 3, graded out at PFF as both the NFL’s top rookie guard and a top-10 left guard in the NFL. He didn’t allow a sack despite playing 571 pass-blocking snaps. His career is just beginning, but Jenkins looks like a long-term starter and potential Pro Bowl player.

Savage missed three games with an ankle injury and was up and down at times, but his playmaking ability and speed in coverage shined through. He finished his rookie season with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and five pass breakups. He gave up a passer rating of 71.1 into his coverage and finished with a top-30 coverage grade among NFL safeties.

The Packers went into the offseason with clear needs at both guard and safety. Jenkins and Savage, along with veterans Billy Turner and Adrian Amos, helped solve issues at both positions.

While outside linebacker Rashan Gary didn’t make the All-Rookie team and was quiet for much of his first season, he flashed disruptive ability late in the year and could be an important part of the edge-rushing rotation for the Packers as they enter the postseason. While Jenkins and Savage were immediately thrust into starting roles, Gary has been afforded time to develop behind veterans Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith.

Two Warriors named in NBA Math’s Rookie of the Year top-10 standings

NBA Math’s Rolling Player Rating system ranks two Warriors rookies in the top-10 of their Rookie of the Year Prediction.

A 5-22 record is a change of pace for the Golden State Warriors, instead of wins, the team has had to seek out bright spots where they can find them. Within the Warriors down season, rookies Eric Paschall and Ky Bowman have blossomed out of almost nowhere.

Paschall, a second-round pick, and Bowman, an undrafted free agent, have greatly exceeded expectations through the first quarter of the NBA season, and now they’re starting to receive some recognition.

According to NBA Math’s Rolling Player Rating, both rookies, Paschall and Bowman rank in the top-10 of their Rookie of the Year predictions. Paschall is currently second with a 2.836 rating, and Bowman is an honorable mention at eighth with a 0.961 score.

Memphis Grizzlies rookie phenom, Ja Morant tops the list with a 3.588 rating. Miami Heat rookie, Kendrick Nunn, joins Paschall and Bowman as the only non-first round picks to make NBA Math’s top-10.

NBA Math’s rolling player rating factors in box score statistics from the players past 10-games with higher values towards quality opponents. According to NBA Math, defense is undervalued in their ratings with box score statistics and on-court contributions taking precedence. NBA Math uses Rolling Player Rating to help project awards like Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year.

Via NBA Math:

NBA Math’s Rolling Player Ratings are by no means perfect, as is to be expected from a metric based on a schedule-adjusted version of Game Score. They undervalue defensive contributions, only give credit for work that shows up in the box score and can sometimes favor players who rack up meaningless numbers in garbage-time situations. Essentially, they’re a measure of who’s best at producing the most glamorous NBA statistics rather than a measure of pure on-court value.

It makes sense for Paschall and Bowman to rank highly in this metric as they’ve both been consistent contributors for the Warriors all season. Paschall ranks in the rookie top-three in points per game 16.1 (second), total points 403 (second), and field goals 149 (second).

Bowman, a two-way contract player currently on assignment in the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors, is averaging 8.6 points, 2.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game in his rookie season with Golden State.

Regardless of advanced metrics, Paschall and Bowman’s play have been the bright spot in Golden State’s down season. If the rookie duo can continue to stack consistent play, they’ll give the Warriors two building blocks for the future.

Saints re-sign practice squad OL/TE convert Nate Wozniak

The New Orleans Saints re-signed Nate Wozniak, a collegiate tight end they converted to left tackle, to their practice squad on Wednesday.

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The New Orleans Saints offensive line received some added depth on Wednesday, with Amie Just of Nola.com reporting that the team re-signed offensive lineman Nate Wozniak. Wozniak, the former 6-foot-9 Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end, learned to play left tackle while with the Saints from May 2018 to August 2019. He spent the intervening months with stints on the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons practice squads, as well as trying out for a handful of teams.

Wozniak clearly has the size and length to play in the NFL, but rehearsed technique has eluded him so far. He never progressed beyond lining up at left tackle with the third-string offensive line while in New Orleans through two offseasons, and probably still needs a lot of work before he’ll be game-ready. The good news is that stepping into a game against NFL pass rushers shouldn’t happen for a while, with several players between him and the starting unit.

Here’s a projection of what the Saints depth chart looks like right now at offensive tackle:

  1. LT Terron Armstead (injured)
  2. RT Ryan Ramczyk
  3. LG/LT Andrus Peat (injured)
  4. LG/LT Patrick Omameh
  5. LT Ethan Greenidge
  6. OL John Leglue (practice squad)
  7. RT Derrick Kelly (practice squad
  8. LT Nate Wozniak

We’re still waiting on news of who left the Saints practice squad to create room for Wozniak, who would be the third offensive lineman on the unit along with Leglue and Kelly, both rookies. So stay tuned for the official NFL transactions wire to update with that information.

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Watch: Rookie Saints nose tackle Shy Tuttle intercepts, stiff-arms Matt Ryan

Rookie New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Shy Tuttle intercepted Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and stiff-armed him on the return.

The Atlanta Falcons offense was driving hard down the field against the New Orleans Saints defense, until it wasn’t. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw a low pass that deflected off of backup Saints nose tackle Shy Tuttle’s chest; Tuttle surprised by showing great awareness to intercept the ball.

What happened next was even more surprising. Tuttle didn’t go down. Instead, the rookie out of Tennessee returned the interception into the open field, with only Ryan to stop him. And when Ryan tried to tackle the big man, Tuttle threw out a stiff arm and shoved Ryan into oblivion. A few Falcons linemen chased him out of bounds after that, though Ryan was busy trying to lift himself back up from the turf.

Unfortunately, it didn’t count for much after a penalty on Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan. Jordan was flagged for a block in the back penalty on Ryan, having attempted to shield Tuttle during the return. It was an unnecessary penalty but not unforgivable — how was Jordan going to know that Tuttle would destroy Ryan with that jab? We won’t hold it against him when he was just trying to help his team.

The Saints defense has given up some big gains to the Falcons on critical downs, but this is the kind of complimentary football New Orleans has won with all year. Creating turnovers on defense gives the offense opportunities to go get points, and Drew Brees and company will take as many of these extra chances as their teammates can give them.

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Rookie expectations: David Blough, Amani Oruwariye preparing to start

The Detroit Lions are about to face off against the Chicago Bears for their annual Thanksgiving Day game. Unfortunately for them, a short week means that injured players have less time to heal and prepare, leaving the rookies to fill their roles.

The Detroit Lions are about to face off against the Chicago Bears for their annual Thanksgiving Day game. Unfortunately for them, a short week means that injured players have less time to heal and prepare, leaving the rookies to fill their roles.

Here’s what to expect from the rookies before Thursday’s game:

Quarterback David Blough

Matthew Stafford has been ruled out.

Jeff Driskel, limited with a hamstring injury, is not expected to play.

Now, the Lions have to rely on undrafted rookie David Blough to lead the offense this Thanksgiving.

The rookie out of Purdue, who the Lions acquired via trade from the Cleveland Browns, has yet to play a snap in a regular-season game. With Cleveland in the 2019 preseason, he completed 58 percent of his passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns, along with two interceptions.

The level of competition will be much higher than they were in the preseason. The Bears have one of the best defenses in the league at the moment, so the rookie will have a lot to prove.

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Running back Ty Johnson

Johnson’s rookie campaign has slowed down immensely due to Bo Scarborough’s recent successes on offense. Once thought to be the team’s starter, Johnson has taken just 31 snaps on offense since the Lions signed Scarborough two weeks ago, rushing six times for 17 yards and making three receptions for a mere 10 yards.

Facing off against a solid Bears’ run defense that is allowing just 3.7 yards-per-carry this season, Johnson isn’t expected to contribute much on offense this week.

Tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Isaac Nauta

Despite taking the most tight end snaps last week, Hockenson managed to keep his name clear from the box score. He was targeted twice but failed to make a reception on either pass. Expect the team’s first-round pick to start once again, but don’t expect him to make a difference on offense — especially if his shoulder injury continues to be burdensome.

Nauta, who played in his first regular season game last week, took a bulk of his snaps from the fullback position. While only used for a handful of offensive snaps, the rookie tight end showed promise as a run blocker. His ability as a lead blocker could make an impact in Detroit’s run game. Expect the rookie’s role to be limited to fullback and special teams against Chicago.

Offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel

The undrafted rookie was active for the first time in his career on Sunday but never saw the field.  With both Frank Ragnow and Kenny Wiggins being full participants in practice, expect Benzschawel to make his way back to the inactives list.

EDGE Austin Bryant

Bryant’s NFL debut last week showed some promise in his limited action. The rookie was credited with one quarterback pressure, where he was able to make a hit on Washington’s Dwayne Haskins.

With both Trey Flowers and Da’Shawn Hand limited in practice, Bryant may have another opportunity to see the field this week.

Linebacker Jahlani Tavai

The last time the Lions faced the Bears, Tavai walked out of that game with three tackles and a sack. Despite his usage on-field going down drastically in recent weeks, the rookie could still have the chance to make some big plays. He’ll be used in a much more limited role, coming in as an extra linebacker in some situations. Expect the rookie to see the same success he had last time.

Cornerbacks Amani Oruwariye and Michael Jackson

One of the most pleasant surprises of the Lions’ 2019 seasons was the sudden emergence of Amani Oruwariye. After spending most of the season on the bench, the fifth-round pick found himself in the starting lineup against Washington, subbing in for an injured Rashaan Melvin.

In his first full game as a Lion, Oruwariye blanketed receivers, allowing just half of the passes that came his way, with an average passer rating of 18.7 against him.

With Melvin still listed on the injury report, expect this rookie to come in and contribute heavily on defense once again.

Fellow rookie cornerback Michael Jackson received his first snaps as a pro on special teams. If he is active again this week, his role isn’t expected to change.

Safeties Will Harris and C.J. Moore

For the third time this season, rookie Will Harris saw the field for every defensive snap in the game.

While he started the season strong, his skills in coverage have started to look like an issue. He has missed almost a fifth of the tackles he’s attempted this season and has allowed an average of nearly 12 yards-per-completion.

With Tracy Walker limited again with his lingering knee injury, Harris may be starting again this week. Hopefully, his struggles don’t show up in this matchup.

Undrafted rookie C.J. Moore has remained relatively quiet this season on defense but he’s shown some promise on special teams. With injuries at the safety position, expect Moore to be active again this week with a limited role on defense.

Rookie Alen Smailagic to start in G League before making NBA debut

The Warriors are being patient with the development of Alen Smailagic. The Serbian will start in the G League before making his NBA debut.

Last season, Serbian native Alen Smailagic was the youngest player to ever participate in the NBA G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors at only 18-year old. Smailagic was so impressive, that the general manager of the Golden State Warriors, Bob Myers spent a draft pick on him the following season.

From the moment Golden State used the 39th overall pick in June’s draft to select Smailagic, there’s been buzz surrounding the young Serbian. Unfortunately, Smailagic suffered a sprained ankle at the start of training camp, and we haven’t heard much from him since.

Smailagic is finally healthy and will be returning to the floor on Friday, just not with the Golden State Warriors, but with the Santa Cruz G League affiliate. The 19-year-old will make his 2019 debut against Iowa Wolves for the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Smailagic flashed during the start of the NBA Summer League in the “California Classic” in Sacramento, and outside of that, his experience is minimal. Before Smailagic’s one season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, he came over with only junior league playing time from the KK Beko club in Serbia.

Smailagic is still incredibly raw; he ideally fits the Warriors as more of a project right now. Even with their bench thin due to injury, Golden State has a deep frontline filled with players who have earned minutes. Kevon Looney will be returning to the team soon after recovering from his neuropathic condition, making the frontcourt even more crowded. Steve Kerr told reporters it just makes more sense for Smailagic to start with the G League club while the rookie continues to learn.

“He plays the one position where we actually have plenty of depth. It makes a lot more sense for him to go down to Santa Cruz and get his legs underneath him,” Kerr said.

With the Warriors season quickly becoming more about the future than the present, the team is being patient when it comes to Smailagic’s development.

What to expect from the Lions’ rookies against the Cowboys

Setting expectations for the Detroit Lions’ rookies in their Week 11 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field.

The rookies of the Detroit Lions have a tough matchup ahead of them with the Dallas Cowboys coming to town in Week 11.

Despite many seeing increased roles in recent weeks, their levels of on-field success have varied.

Here’s what to expect from this year’s rookie class:

Quarterback David Blough

With starting quarterback Matthew Stafford sitting out once again, Blough will go into this game as Jeff Driskel’s backup. The undrafted rookie has yet to see the field this season, and that isn’t expected to change today.

Running back Ty Johnson

Johnson’s availability for this game was uncertain heading into this week, but the Lions sixth-round pick has cleared concussion protocol and is ready to play against Dallas. The rookie running back will be the team’s starter but will share his reps with J.D. McKissic and newly signed Bo Scarborough.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson

Hockenson’s rookie campaign has not been that of a player taken eighth overall, but his role on the offense is clearly defined.

A bulk of the rookie’s snaps have come from the slot while fellow tight ends Jesse James and Logan Thomas lined up from the traditional inline tight end spot.

Hockenson has made 25 catches on 44 targets this season with just two drops. Interestingly enough, 17 of those 25 receptions went for first downs. If he could keep up that kind of success in short-yardage situations, the offense will have a much easier time moving the sticks against Dallas’ strong pass defense.

Offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel

The undrafted rookie has yet to play in a regular-season game, and with a healthy interior offensive line, don’t expect anything different from him.

Linebacker Jahlani Tavai

Tavai has been showing some improvement throughout the season, seeing his snap counts rise steadily. While his increased workload has led to a decrease in Jarrad Davis’ reps at MIKE, it has actually caused Davis to thrive in a new role.

Tavai has done well as a pass-rusher and against the run, but there’s still work to be done in pass-defense. Expect him to get a fair share of snaps from the inside linebacker role while Davis and Devon Kennard hold the outside spots.

Cornerbacks Amani Oruwariye and Michael Jackson Sr.

Both rookies have had fairly quiet seasons, with Oruwariye being active for two games and Jackson yet to suit up for one.

Detroit’s cornerback group is looking to be at full health for the first time in weeks, meaning that these two could see themselves as healthy scratches on the inactive list this week.

Safeties Will Harris and C.J. Moore

For the second week in a row, Harris has taken every single defensive snap for the Lions. Despite a clear-cut starting role, the third-round pick has struggled to cover opposing receivers.

Harris has allowed an average 113.7 passer rating against him along with one touchdown. Expect this rookie to have a rough matchup against Dallas’ talented trio of wide receivers.

In a much more limited role on defense, Moore has yet to allow a reception against him. His usage on defense will go back down this week if Tracy Walker returns to the field, but expect the undrafted rookie to rotate in on defense while playing a bulk of Detroit’s special teams snaps.