Tag: safety

Broncos 2019 positional grades: Safety

The Denver Broncos enjoyed some great play from the safety position in 2019 and that could be something to build on going forward.

One of the better position groups on the entire Denver Broncos’ team is at the safety spot. That’s nothing new for the Broncos, who have benefitted from some great safety play over the years from the likes of Dennis Smith, Steve Atwater, John Lynch, Brian Dawkins and T.J. Ward.

But that group will be threatened in 2020 as two of the team’s safeties will hit the free agent market unless re-signed by the team before then. Whether or not the Broncos are able to keep the entire group together remains to be seen.

Before any more talk of that, let’s look back at how these players fared in 2019.

Justin Simmons

(Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

Stats

Tackles: 93

Interceptions: 4

Pass deflections: 15

Quickly emerging as one of the best safeties in all of the NFL, Simmons is a player the Broncos simply must find a way to keep in Denver.

Simmons broke through in 2019 and played as well as any safety in the league. He was tied for second on the team in tackles and led the Broncos with four interceptions, one of which was an incredible snag against Patrick Mahomes.

Simmons will be a free agent this offseason and could be a candidate to receive the franchise tag.

Simmons is well on his way to being the team’s next great safety, much like the guys mentioned above.

Grade: A

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Seahawks pick safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in Touchdown Wire mock draft

The Seattle Seahawks safety Antoine Winfield Jr. out of Minnesota at No. 27 overall in Touchdown Wire’s pre-combine mock draft.

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine doesn’t kick off until next week and free agency is still a month away but that isn’t stopping draft analysts from putting together their first mocks of the new season.

According to Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, the Seahawks could add to their secondary this April, pulling the trigger on Minnesota safety, Antoine Winfield Jr., with the No. 27 pick overall.

“Trading for ex-Lions safety Quandre Diggs last October probably saved the Seahawks from missing the playoffs last season,” writes Farrar. “After moving on from Earl Thomas, Seattle tried to replace the future Hall of Famer in the aggregate, which didn’t go well. Diggs is under club control through the 2021 season at ridiculously reasonable prices, but if we’re ever to see a reboot of the Legion of Boom, Pete Carroll and John Schneider are going to have to get another shot-calling safety with range, field smarts and a nose for the ball.

“Enter Winfield, the son of the former Bills and Vikings cornerback,” Farrar continues. “The younger Winfield missed all but eight games in 2017 and 2018 due to injury, but he recovered brilliantly to pick off seven passes last season. I recently watched tape with Winfield, and he explained how he’s able to add to his already estimable athleticism by understanding what’s going to happen on the field even before it happens.”

The combine gets underway next week but the defensive backs won’t take the field for drills until Sunday, March 1.

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Jamal Adams tweets, then deletes support for 17-game schedule 

New York Jets safety Jamal Adams sees the benefits of longer schedule despite concerns raised by other players.

Count Jamal Adams as a player who will likely approve the NFL’s proposed collective bargaining agreement, which includes increasing the regular season schedule from 16 to 17 games per team and expanding the playoff field to seven teams per conference under a new collective bargaining agreement.

After ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the proposal on Wednesday night, Adams tweeted his support with a simple explanation.

“More Regular Season Games + More Playoff Games = More money for the league & players, everybody wins,” Adams tweeted Wednesday after the news broke.

He later deleted the tweet because, as he explained, he “didn’t feel like dealing with random people that have no idea what’s going on in my mentions.” Adams didn’t waver from his stance of support on the schedule, though, despite 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman imploring him to reconsider his stance.

“I still think it would be dope to add an extra game,” Adams tweeted Thursday. “But I do understand there’s more to it!”

How would the players make more money? According to the proposed CBA, players would reportedly earn 48 percent of the revenue generated by the league every year, which is more than the 47 percent they earned over the length of the old CBA from 2011. That 48 percent bumps up to 48.5 percent if the 17-game schedule is ratified. That would mean, according to NFL Network, players’ earnings would increase from $2.5 billion to $3 billion with a 16-game season and to over $5 billion with a 17-game season. In addition, players who signed a contract based on a 16-game schedule would earn an extra game check capped at $250,000, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

There are underlying issues with the proposal which Sherman, who sits on the executive committee of the NFL Players Association, alluded to in his response tweet to Adams. The obvious problem revolves around player safety. Players already wear down over the course of a 16-game schedule and another game would increase the possibility of injury. Sherman explained his opposition to an elongated schedule before Super Bowl LIV, when he claimed the league owners cared more about money than player safety. 

“So that’s the part that’s really concerning for us as a union and us as players,” he said, “because they think that players have a price tag on their health and I don’t think we’re in the same ballpark in that regard.”

Adams might be in the minority of players who want a longer schedule. 49ers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and Chargers offensive lineman Russell Okung are among other players who publicly agreed with Sherman’s concerns with regards to player health. Sanders actually played 17 games in 2019 after the Broncos traded him to the 49ers before their bye week and after the 49ers’ and didn’t seem too thrilled with doing that every year.

“If the NFL wants to change the season to 17 games they should ask me, and I say no,” Sanders said before the 2019 playoffs. “Because my body was hurting.”

Okung, who missed the 2019 season after suffering a pulmonary embolism, told ESPN he also opposed a longer schedule because of player safety concerns.

“Health and safety is a priority to us,” he said. “We need to protect the future of our league.”

The NFLPA will vote on the new CBA on Friday. If the proposal passes with a two-thirds majority, every NFL player will vote on the CBA, at which point only a simple majority is needed to approve. If the new CBA passes, the new schedule wouldn’t go into effect until 2021.

Texans safety Justin Reid no longer wearing sling after shoulder surgery

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid is out of his sling after having shoulder surgery in late January.

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid is already making progress in his recovery from a shoulder surgery at the end of the 2019 season.

According to multiple reports, Reid is no longer wearing a sling and has positive reviews about his shoulder.

“Shoulder is holding up good,” Reid said on Tuesday via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “I actually got out of the sling today. I’m making the right steps and recovering and getting ready for next season.”

Reid had surgery to repair a torn labrum on Jan. 23 and tweeted a video from the hospital declaring the procedure to be a success.

Reid had surgery to repair his wrist at the end of his rookie season in 2018, and wore a cast for much of the offseason.

With the former 2018 third-round pick from Stanford out of his sling already, it bodes well to his availability for the team’s nine-week offseason workout program, which kicks off in late April.

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Mock Draft Roundup: Trio of Longhorns predicted on day three

Safety Brandon Jones and wide receivers Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay are projected to be selected on day three of the 2020 NFL Draft.

In the latest gatherings of credible mock drafts, the three highest-rated players from Texas are projected to be selected on day three of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Safety Brandon Jones and wide receivers Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay are widely considered to be fourth or fifth round selections. Each of them still have the NFL Combine and Pro Day to increase their draft stock, but it’s becoming more likely that day three will be a busy one for the trio of former Longhorns.

In Draft Wire’s latest four-round mock draft, Jones was the only former Texas player included. The Carolina Panthers select Jones with the No. 103 overall pick near the beginning of the fourth round.

Jones was unable to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl this year due to injury, but with a loaded wide receiver class, Jones remains the mostly likely to be the first player selected from Texas. Luke Easterling recently ranked Jones as the No. 6 safety in this draft class.

However, Saints Wire released an updated seven-round mock draft for their particular team needs, and wide receiver Devin Duvernay landed as their fifth round selection. Duvernay could inch his way into becoming a day two selection with an impressive combine performance, as CBS Sports currently lists him as the No. 79 overall player on their big board.

Pro Football Network compiled a seven-round mock draft that projects big-bodied Collin Johnson in the fourth round at No. 129 overall to the Minnesota Vikings. Jones was listed at No. 114 overall, while Duvernay fell to the fifth round at No. 169 overall.

 

 

 

Ex-Broncos DB Rahim Moore makes another big play in XFL

Former Broncos safety Rahim Moore has forced two turnovers in two XFL games.

Last week, former Broncos safety Rahim Moore made a big play in his XFL debut, recording an interception in the DC Defenders’ 31-19 win over the Seattle Dragons. On Sunday, in his second XFL game, Moore made another big play — he forced (and recovered) a fumble in a 27-0 win over the New York Guardians.

Here’s the play, courtesy of DC’s official Twitter page:

Moore finished the day with two tackles, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Moore now has five tackles, one interception and two pass breakups through two games in the XFL.

Moore (6-1, 200 pounds) was selected by Denver in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft out of UCLA. He spent the first four years of his career with the Broncos, totaling 196 tackles, one sack and nine interceptions.

Denver opted not to re-sign Moore when he became a free agent in 2015 and he went on to spend time with the Texans, Browns and Giants. He played for the Arizona Hotshots in the now-defunct AAF last spring.

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Texas’ Brandon Jones among best safeties available in the NFL Draft

Former Texas safety Brandon Jones is listed as a top 10 player at his position ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.

There’s no shortage of talent available in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Texas’ highest-rated prospects are safety Brandon Jones and wide receivers Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay. The trio were invited to the Senior Bowl, but Jones was unfortunately unable to attend due to injury.

Although missing the Senior Bowl didn’t appear to hinder Jones’ draft stock, it would have been a great opportunity to improve it. Jones will now only have the chance to impress NFL scouts and executives at the NFL Combine and Pro Day.

Widely projected to be a top 100 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jones is considered a top 10 player at his position according to Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling.

Our colleagues at the Draft Wire recently ranked the top safeties available ahead of April’s draft, Jones landed at the No. 6 spot. The fourth-year defensive back appeared in 42 career games for Texas, making 31 starts.

He’s just as impressive off the field as he is on it, being one of six Longhorns elected by teammates as a team captain for the 2019 season and a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

As a senior, Jones started eight games for the Longhorns, where he led the team with 55 tackles. The 6-0, 205-pound do-it-all safety finished his Texas career with 202 total tackles.

Jones’ best trait is the physical style of play that he showcases each time he steps onto the field, he oftentimes punishes receivers with powerful hits. He is a relentless player with exceptional tackling abilities who can potentially start at strong safety at the next level.

Opinion: Ed Reed cheated the Texans in 2013

Hall of Fame S Ed Reed says he felt “lied to” about the Houston Texans signed him in 2013. Is it fair to say maybe they were cheated of his services?

Former Houston Texans safety Ed Reed told Bleacher Report in an interview that debuted Monday that he was “lied to” as part of the organization’s efforts to bring him to the two-time AFC South champion club.

What then-owner, the late Bob McNair, then-general manager Rick Smith, or then-coach Gary Kubiak told the former Baltimore Raven to get him to sign with Texans is ambiguous. Whatever was said, it was enough to convince the five-time All-Pro to sign a three-year deal worth $15 million. Keep in mind the Ravens let Reed’s contract expire after his 11th season with the club and his starting all 16 games en route to the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory.

The 35-year-old was going to a Houston team that had stalled out in the divisional round of the playoffs the past two seasons. They needed to get over the hump and at least crack into the NFL’s final four. Having a proven winner such as Reed on the defense would probably help the locker room finally comprehend what being a champion is all about.

Not even two months after Reed signed with the Texans, he needed to have his hip cleaned up, the same one that forced him to start the 2010 season on the physically unable to perform list. Injuries happen. Much like 2010, Reed would not make his season debut until the regular season kicked off. Coincidentally, the former 2002 Ravens first-round pick made his premiere against his original draft team in Week 3.

2013 was an unmitigated disaster for the Texans, far worse than the 2017 season. After starting 2-0 with rookie receiver DeAndre Hopkins catching the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Tennessee Titans, Houston never won another game. Also keep in mind Reed missed the first two games of that year; all he knows about the Texans is losing.

Maybe the Texans were a bunch of losers. After all, the franchise was founded in 2002 and didn’t have its first winning season until 2009. All they had to show were two division titles and two playoff wins over the Cincinnati Bengals, who hadn’t won a playoff game since 1990.

“I was surrounded by a bunch of guys just coming to work,” Reed said in the interview. “It was a job. It wasn’t football anymore. That was very draining, man.”

Kubiak had been the Texans’ coach since 2006 and all of the club’s success happened during his tenure. However, the club couldn’t snap that interminable losing streak and he was fired with three games to go. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips took over and saw the Texans finish 0-3 as interim coach and etch a 2-14 mark into franchise annals.

Maybe Kubiak and his staff were losers. That would be a convincing argument, but two years later he led the Denver Broncos to their first Super Bowl win since 1998 when he was the offensive coordinator under Mike Shanahan.

The coaching in Houston wasn’t the problem. On the 2015 Broncos staff were six former Texans assistant coaches, including Phillips, who was the defensive coordinator of a Broncos defense that finished No. 1 in the league.

Reed wasn’t necessarily a has-been either. When the Texans released him, Reed signed with the New York Jets for seven games — a team coached by one of his former Ravens defensive coordinators in Rex Ryan. Despite not producing so much as a pass deflection with the Texans, the former Raven grabbed three interceptions and four pass breakups to go along with his 22 tackles and two tackles for loss.

The Texans didn’t get the playmaking safety they hoped with the $5 million guaranteed they gave to Reed. In fact, in the same free agency that they obtained Reed, they lost a four-year veteran they took in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. The cornerback-turned-safety grabbed two interceptions, broke up 13 passes, forced two fumbles, logged 84 tackles, collected six tackles for loss, and even produced 1.0 sack. That safety was Glover Quin, and he got away from Houston to have a Pro Bowl second half of his career in Detroit.

The problem with Reed’s tenure in Houston was Reed himself. As he admitted in the interview, the game of pro football was like a job, not like a recreational activity. Reed should have discerned more to determine if Houston was the right fit instead of signing with the first offer he got.

2020 Texas Longhorns Spring Battles: The Tight Ends

Cade Brewer will lead the 2020 Texas Longhorns at tight end heading into the spring but who could be on the horizon?

The tight end position hasn’t been one that has been used much in Austin over the past several years but his year under Mike Yurcich could be different. In the past, Yurcich has used them on offense to help spread out a defense. For the Longhorns there are several to keep an eye on this spring as they battle it out for playing time.

Previous Spring Battle Articles

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Cade Brewer:

Brewer comes into 2020 as the incumbent starter, he required ankle surgery during the 2019 campaign. Brewer would appear in seven games with 11 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown. With so much uncertainty surrounding the wide receiver position in 2020, Brewer could be in for a big senior campaign in 2020.

Malcolm Epps:

For the Longhorns, Epps could make an impact in multiple spots on offense. Epps was recruited as a tight end but made the switch to wide receiver last season. With Yurcich’s affinity for multiple tight end usage on offense he could find himself back at his original position in some capacity for the Longhorns.

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Reese Leitao:

Leitao found his way into two games during the 2019 season, mostly due to the injury to Brewer. Much like Epps, Leitao could work his way onto the field in 2020. Brewer will be a season in 2020 and the Longhorns need to have some development into the next tight end in Austin.

Jared Wiley:

Wiley is a young tight end who signed as part of the 2019 recruiting class as an early signee. The 6’6″ tight end caught one pass against Texas Tech in 2019 for 15 yards. He will likely battle it out with Leitao and Brayden Liebrock for backup duties to Brewer in 2020.

Brayden Liebrock:

Liebrock should be the dark horse of the entire group. He has all the makings of a great tight end at the University of Texas. The four-star prospect was named to the USA Today All-American second team and participated in the Under Armour All-American game. He appeared in the Rice and Texas Tech games but did not register a reception. Liebrock is the one player outside of Epps who could really give opposing defenses fits in coverage and the tight end to watch this spring.

 

2020 Texas Longhorns Spring Battles: The Wide Receivers

The Texas Longhorns spring battles among the wide receivers will be an interesting one to watch. Jake Smith and Brennan Eagles are two keys.

In the ongoing series for the upcoming spring battles, the wide receivers take center stage. The Longhorns will be looking to replace the production they lost with Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay graduating and heading to the NFL in 2020. Our series started with the quarterbacks and the running backs.

Jake Smith

Smith is coming off a solid freshman season. In his first season on the Forty Acres, Smith appeared in nine games and hauled in 25 passes. Of those 25, six were for touchdowns. Smith tied Eagles for the second-most receiving touchdowns in 2019 just behind Duvernay who hauled in nine. Smith is likely first up to take over the slot receiver role left vacated by Duv. The receiver that quarterback Sam Ehlinger called “freaky fast” should be a big weapon in 2020. Smith’s 274 yards receiver was fourth-most on the team.

Brennan Eagles

Much like Smith, Eagles made an impact on the passing game with his six touchdowns. He was forced into the starting lineup due to the injury to Johnson that cost him six games overall in 2019. Brennan finished third on the team with 552 yards receiving but his 16.3 yards per reception was best on the team. Eagles is likely going to be the outside receiver in 2020.

Joshua Moore

Moore seems to be the forgotten man in Austin among the wide receivers group. After serving an indefinite suspension for a gun charge, Moore will be looking to get back into the good graces of Tom Herman and the offensive staff this spring. Moore played in six games as a freshman in 2018 before an injury shortened his season. He caught seven passes for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Malcolm Epps

After registering just one catch as a freshman, Epps had a much larger role at wide receiver in 2019. Epps finished with 20 receptions, 232 yards and two touchdowns. Epps could be playing tight end in 2020 and used as a red zone weapon at times. Until others get acclimated, don’t forget about Epps outside. He can use that 6’5″ frame to his advantage.

Jordan Whittington

Whittington could be fit into a lot of roles in 2020. He appeared in one game before he was shutdown due to injury with two receptions for 17 yards. Jordan could play running back but with the loaded running back room and Bijan Robinson coming in the fall, Whittington might be better suiting to play wide receiver. The Longhorns could use more weapons outside and Whittington is a candidate to make his impact there.

Marcus Washington

Washington appeared in just four games this past season. According to sports-reference.com he is credited with three catches for 33 yards. Washington should be in the mix during the spring as the Longhorns try to figure out who will be catching passes from Ehlinger this fall.

As far as the incoming class, Troy Omeire will be part of the spring camp. He enrolled early after signing with Texas. The four-star wide receiver accounted for 2,452 yards and 31 receiving touchdowns in high school. The Longhorns also added Kelvontay Dixon will join in the fall after signing with Texas. Dixon accounted for 1,223 yards and 20 touchdowns this past season with Carthage (TX).