Tag: Sooners in the NFL

Where CeeDee Lamb ranks among top slot receivers in the NFL

A look at where former Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver CeeDee Lamb ranks among the top slot WRs in the NFL.

The rookie season for former Oklahoma star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb couldn’t have gone much better with all things considered. Despite losing his quarterback Dak Prescott to a lower leg injury against the New York Giants in the early going, the Dallas Cowboys rookie was very productive.

Not only was Lamb one of the best rookie receivers in all of the NFL, but he was also one of the most productive receivers from the slot period. Losing Prescott did hurt his production as he didn’t have a single 100-yard performance without him, but Lamb still made his mark during his first season in the NFL. With a fully healthy Prescott returning in 2021, the sky is the limit for the former Sooner.

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According to Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, CeeDee Lamb is among the 10 best slot receivers in the league after one season. He made the cut at exactly No. 10.

(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

The former Oklahoma star took very little time to get the hang of Dallas’ passing offense in his rookie season, even after Dak Prescott was lost for the season due to injury in Week 5. Whether it was Prescott, Andy Dalton, Ben DiNucci, or Garrett Gilbert throwing him the ball, Lamb was able to combine his open-field speed and impressive understanding of the requirements of the position to amass 69 slot receptions on 101 targets for 877 yards and five touchdowns. No NFL receiver caught more slot passes of 20 or more air yards than Lamb’s 10 for 306 yards and two touchdowns; imagine what that might look like with a full season of Prescott throwing him the ball. – Farrar

The stock on CeeDee Lamb is expected to soar in 2021, so make sure you have him in your fantasy football drafts prior to the season.

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Where former Sooners rank in Fantasy Rankings for the upcoming season

As you get ready for your fantasy football drafts, let’s take a loot at where former Oklahoma Sooners land on Fantasy Pro’s Expert Consensus Rankings for 2021.

The Oklahoma Sooners have produced quite a bit of NFL talent on the offensive side of the ball in the last decade. They’ve provided fantasy football players with highly productive players at various positions. In the last couple of years, former Sooners have broken onto the scene in the form of Joe Mixon (2017), Baker Mayfield (2018), Kyler Murray (2019), and CeeDee Lamb (2020).

Fantasy football players will find incredible value in certain Sooners while others will require high draft picks.

Let’s take a look at where former Oklahoma Sooners rank in the most recent Expert Consensus Rankings over at FantasyPros.com. The Expert Consensus Rankings collect rankings from around the fantasy football industry and collate them into a consensus.

Three former Sooners to be a featured on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’

Three former Sooners to be featured on cable television staple ‘Hard Knocks’

HBO and NFL films announced that the Dallas Cowboys will be featured for the third time on “Hard Knocks.” This will be the show’s 20th anniversary season. The five-episode season will begin on Aug. 10 at 10 p.m. ET. after the team’s trip to Canton, Ohio to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame game. The annual cable television staple provides a look at an NFL training camp and roster evaluations/cut-down to 53 for the regular season.

America’s Team was also on the show’s training camp documentary series in 2002 and 2008. The Cowboys present a unique cast in 2021. Last year, Dallas went 6-10 in Mike McCarthy’s first year as head coach and this season will provide behind-the-scenes introspective on how the team bounces back under his leadership and created culture. The season will also shed light on first-year defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, and his newly implemented scheme. He will strive to maximize the talent on defense and turn around a unit that hit record-setting lows last season as the 31st ranked run defense.

Dak Prescott’s return from injury will be a main storyline as he writes his comeback story on the turf. Three former Sooners will likely make an appearance as well. In Prescott’s talented supporting cast, CeeDee Lamb is poised to make a leap in Year 2 following a stellar rookie campaign. His acrobatic catches turned heads a year ago and on defense, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore and safety Steven Parker will be looking to leave their mark in Quinn’s defense. Gallimore became a starter midway through the 2020 season and impressed in the interior bulldozing ball carriers. He made plays on the ball and became a bright spot on a squad that desperately needed a boost.

Many big-name players provide intrigue as position battles take form. One to watch will be in the secondary. With the acquisition of Jayron Kearse and Damontae Kazee in free agency paired with Israel Mukuamu in the draft, this will be a group to watch.  They will join Donovan Wilson, Reggie Robinson II, Darian Thompson, and Steven Parker in the club’s last line of defense. The new coaching regime is not married to players and training camp will provide insight on predominant starters in the lineup come fall.

How close is a Baker Mayfield contract extension?

CBS Sports breaks down Baker Mayfield’s contract situation entering the 2021 season.

Quarterbacks are the face of a franchise. Their notoriety and command of the huddle often come with a lofty payday. As the league becomes more pass-oriented, the signal-caller is essential to the success of a team. Last season, six 2017 first-round picks signed extensions and did not play out the final year under their rookie deals.

Former Oklahoma Sooner quarterback and a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Baker Mayfield is eligible and poised for an extension. He had his fifth-year option for 2022 (fully guaranteed) picked up in April, worth $18.858 million. The next step is to iron out the details of a contract extension for Mayfield.

CBS Sports’ broke down Mayfield’s situation with the Cleveland Browns.

Just over a week ago, Mayfield indicated he wasn’t in a rush to sign a new contract. He said his focus is on trying to win games. Jack Mills, Mayfield’s agent, said earlier this week he expects something will be done this summer. He believes the quarterback market is pretty well-defined and is anticipating the salary cap to rebound.

Along those lines, the NFL and NFLPA recently agreed to a salary cap ceiling of $208.2 million for 2022. Reaching the ceiling in 2022 would be a 14.1% increase over the current $182.5 million salary cap.

Mayfield hasn’t had the same individual success as Allen and Jackson with their MVP-caliber seasons. He rebounded from a sophomore slump in 2019 to arguably play the best football of his NFL career during the second half of last season, which helped the Browns earn a playoff berth for the first time since 2002.

In 2020, Mayfield’s accuracy and ball placement improved significantly down the stretch. In comparison to 14 interceptions in 2018 and 21 in 2019, he hit a career-low of eight interceptions on 538 dropbacks last season for a 95.8 quarterback rating. He led the Browns to the Divisional Round of the playoffs and it is highly unlikely that the organization would explore the market after Mayfield’s stellar 2020 campaign for the dawgs.

The “summer” narrative is intriguing given that many have speculated that Mayfield would like to see what the extensions will be for Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. Signing him to a deal prior to the 2021 season comes with more of a risk, in the event of regression like Carson Wentz and Jared Goff had after signing four-year extensions.

There is the possibility of reverting to the 2019 form, but another year in Kevin Stefanski’s system will accelerate Mayfield’s growth. The Browns have one of the most dangerous running back tandems in the league with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chubb is a physical downhill runner that thrives between the tackles and Hunt makes defenders miss in space. They help open up the passing game and as Mayfield continues to ascend, the Browns are once again looking at a playoff berth. Mayfield has always played with a chip on his shoulder and regardless of a payday, he will continue to do so.

One former Oklahoma Sooner listed in PFF’s top 50 players in the NFL

According to PFF, former Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle Trent Williams is among the 50 best players in the NFL.

Each and every year rankings come out for NFL players, such as the NFL’s top 100 voted on by players. More recently PFF50 by Pro Football Focus ranked its 50 best players in the league. The Oklahoma Sooners have plenty of former players in the NFL that could qualify but only one was ranked among the top talents in the league.

Coming right in the middle of the pack of the Pro Football Focus’ top 50 is Trent Williams at No. 24:

No offensive lineman could match the blocking highlight reel that Williams crafted in 2020. The veteran tackle was one of the most dominant run-blockers we have ever seen, earning a 91.8 PFF grade in that facet of play; he routinely buried his assigned defender to spring big runs for the 49ers’ backs and only allowed 19 total pressures in his first year back after missing the 2019 season. – Sam Monson

Williams has been a dominant force on the edge, facing off against top-tier pass rushers, since being the No. 4 overall selection in the 2010 NFL draft by the Washington Football Team. While a member of the Sooners football program, Williams was named first-team All-Big 12 in 2008 and 2009. He also became a unanimous All-American in 2009.

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Since joining the NFL, Williams was named second-team All-Pro in 2015 and selected to the Pro Bowl eight times (2012-2018, 2020). Williams took off the 2019 season before seeking a trade from Washington, ultimately landing in San Francisco with the 49ers. He recently inked a new deal to keep him in the Bay area.

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Which former Sooners crack PFF’s top 25 players under 25 entering 2021 list?

What two former Sooners land on PFF’s top 25 players under 25 list entering 2021?

At the cusp of a new NFL season, the unknown excites. Particularly the hype surrounding new young talent. Some of the best highlights from the 2020 season happened at the hands of a player under the age of 25. The game is evolving each year with new blood breaking barriers and records on the gridiron.

Some rookies have stellar first-year campaigns and others make the jump in Year 2 or 3. Each year is a fresh slate and the opportunity for greatness to unfold. As the 2021 NFL football season fast approaches, PFF ranked the top 25 players under the age of 25 entering this upcoming season. Who is poised for a standout year? Former Oklahoma Sooners CeeDee Lamb and Kyler Murray cracked the compilation.

Cowboys’ WR CeeDee Lamb

(Lola Gomez/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

The Dallas offense is so stacked that Lamb spent most of his rookie year (93.2%) in the slot while Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup manned the outside spots. Despite that and a passing game that fell away after Dak Prescott went down injured, Lamb still generated a passer rating of 102.0 when targeted, making several spectacular plays in the process.

Lamb exceeded first-round expectations in 2020. With an evolving door at quarterback following Dak Prescott’s injury and a makeshift offensive line, No. 88 nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark as a rookie. He notched 935 yards on 74 receptions, five touchdowns and averaged 12.6 yards-per-catch. His elite catch radius and acrobatic grabs down the sideline awed throughout his first-year campaign and with Prescott’s return and a healthy wall protecting him, the sky is the limit for Lamb this upcoming season. He has not even scratched the surface.

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Next a quarterback makes the list…

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Cowboys’ Dak Prescott has high expectations for CeeDee Lamb in 2021

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has high praise for CeeDee Lamb.

After a huge rookie season, CeeDee Lamb is looking for another huge campaign in his second year in the NFL. He was was one of the best players from the slot in the NFL, not just among rookies. With Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup commanding the outside spots, Lamb is able to take advantage inside.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is returning in 2021 from a horrific injury. In addressing the media, he spoke very highly of former Oklahoma Sooner wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

My expectations are super high. I’m so excited for CeeDee. So excited for just his growth from our five games together to just getting back out there in OTAs and throwing it to him and watching him get off the line, run routes, go up and get contested balls time and time again. That’s exciting. It’s exciting what he’s going to offer and it’s exciting what he brings to this whole receiving corps and this offense. That’s a playmaker that we’re privileged to have and he’ll be big time and definitely have a breakout season.

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In 2020, Lamb accumulated 29 receptions for 433 yards in five games prior to the injury. In the 11 games following, he finished with another 45 receptions for 502 yards. The loss of Prescott definitely impacted his production. With a fully healthy quarterback in 2021, CeeDee Lamb should show out on the football field once again.

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Kyler Murray leaves the door ‘open’ for baseball career

Kyler Murray keeping options ‘open’ for potential baseball career.

Since Kyler Murray made his full commitment to playing football in 2019, he has ascended into one of the NFL’s promising young stars and the Arizona Cardinals‘ franchise quarterback. The thought of a return to baseball has not crossed anyone’s minds but for Murray, he is not closing the door just yet.

“But me personally, I played the game my whole life,” Murray stated in a Thursday media session via Darren Urban of the team’s official website. “If I ever had the opportunity, for sure, I would definitely go for it. What are we talking about? I’m sure anyone asking me bout it would (take the opportunity) too. I’m not trying to start anything. I’m just talking.”

Murray is the only athlete to ever be selected in the first round of both sports. He was selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s. Murray initially pursued baseball but after winning the Heisman Trophy propelling him to the No. 1 overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, he switched sports.

He has two years left on his rookie contract plus the fifth-year option and Murray addressed the elephant in the room. Most pro athletes do not have another sport as an alternate plan but Murray does. He has the ability to play another at a high level. He knows he has leverage and put it out into the open that he has not completely shutdown a baseball career but is happy right now playing the game he loves: football.

In 2020, Murray concluded the season with 3,971 yards, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 67.2 % completion percentage. The dual-threat also made an impact on the ground, notching 819 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He is poised for stardom under center in 2021.

Murray was simply answering a question and facilitating the conversation. He cannot play baseball under his current contract but until the door is slammed, the possibility will hover and the narrative will circulate.

Creed Humphrey could be Week 1 starter for Kansas City Chiefs

Rookie Creed Humphrey lining up with the 1’s during Chiefs’ OTAs.

There is a new left-handed center in town for the Kansas City Chiefs. Organized team activities (OTAs) are underway and player evaluations during the offseason have begun. The team has concluded the first three phases and the squad is building the foundation for the 2021 NFL season.

With strict guidelines in place on formations, scheme and player lineups, media members have not been allowed to disclose much information on who is taking reps where. With some observations and roles revealed by the coaching staff, Chiefs Wire’ released a breakdown of the five offensive lineman taking reps with the starting unit this week. The group includes former Oklahoma Sooner, Creed Humphrey.

Look no further than the Chiefs’ team photo galleries throughout the week, and you’ll spot a left-handed snapper with the starting lineup. Well, there’s only one left-handed snapper in Kansas City in rookie Creed Humphrey.

So that leaves us from left-to-right a starting offensive line of Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Kyle Long and Mike Remmers. Will this group be the starters for the Chiefs in Week 1? It’s possible.

Under the leadership of Bill Bedenbaugh, Humphrey produced an impressive resume at OU. He did not allow a single sack during the duration of his three-year career in Norman, paving the way for Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray and runner-up Jalen Hurts. He anchored Oklahoma’s great wall with near perfection in the interior. Now, he has the opportunity to protect ascending quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the pros.

That is a lofty job for a rookie but Humphrey has been primed for the leadership role. Mahomes has taken the NFL by storm with his arm-talent, and Humphrey moves from arguably college football’s most explosive offense under Lincoln Riley to the NFL’s with the Chiefs. Humphrey’s wrestling background translates into leverage and superb technique in the trenches.

The weak spot for Kansas City’s offense last year was the offensive line, which Andy Reid prioritized during the draft/free agency. Mahomes took a beating in Super Bowl LV by the Bucs’ defense, and a bolstered unit will hit the turf in 2021. The team is poised for contention once again and Humphrey will be a key. He will be one to watch throughout the remainder of the offseason.

Former Sooner among PFF’s top LB rankings entering 2021

Former Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray lands in Pro Football Focus’ top LB’s list ahead of 2021 season.

The role of a linebacker is pivotal to the success of a defense. Whether it be blitzing the quarterback or being tasked with covering a tight end or running back in man coverage, LBs are given multiple assignments to disrupt an offense. Over the years as pro offenses have evolved, more offensive coordinators are incorporating tight ends into the formation for the nightmare mismatch over the middle of the field that many create.

With their size and pass-catching ability, it makes it difficult for linebackers to contain. Against cover 3, offenses typically use short routes and underneath passes with the middle of the field opened up. This puts added stress on linebackers and eliminates a team’s pass rush.

Many premiere linebackers still exist across the NFL and PFF highlights their top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2021 season. Former Oklahoma Sooner Kenneth Murray appeared among the stellar compilation. He checked in at No. 23.

Rookie linebackers have struggled hugely to hit the ground running in the NFL over recent years, but Kenneth Murray did as good a job as any of the bunch a season ago. He endured the typical struggles in coverage but brought an obvious physical presence to the Chargers’ defense, making three pass breakups. Year 2 could be when we see Murray really emerge as a star at the position.

Murray, the Los Angeles Chargers‘ first-round draft pick in 2020, found his rhythm in the second half of the season. He passed Derwin James’ single-season franchise rookie tackle record with 106. At Oklahoma, Murray typically covered running backs out of the backfield but had to transition and expand his duties in the NFL. He had to drop back additional yardage to cover tight ends.

As expected from a rookie, there was an acclimation period. Murray was quickly thrust into action and became a day one starter, having to learn the ropes as he went along on the turf. The speed of the game is much quicker in the NFL and diagnosing/calling out assignments is a big role for any player, much less a rookie. He flashed rare athleticism and showcased enough as a first-year player to land on PFF’s radar.

Down the stretch he became more comfortable in the Chargers’ scheme that led to faster play. Against the Patriots in Week 13, Murray bulldozed ball carriers with relentless pursuit and collapsed the pocket around Cam Newton. His talent is evident and in year two, Murray has the capability to ignite the Chargers defense to a dominate force in the AFC West.