Tag: spencer brown

3 Bills players land on top-25 performance-based pay list for 2023

Money is nice:

Three players on the Buffalo Bills have earned three top-25 performanced-based pay distribution bonuses from the NFL for their efforts during the 2023 NFL season.

The NFL included offensive linemen Spencer Brown and O’Cyrus Torrence, along with linebacker Terrel Bernard  on their list of players getting a pay boost following last season.

All of the bonuses handed out to players is based on their snap counts and salaries. In many cases, the bump in cash goes to players still on their lower rookie contract salaries which is the case with the Bills trio.

The full breakdown of bonuses for each of the Bills players is as follows:

  • OL Spencer Brown: $912,723
  • OL O’Cyrus Torrence: $847,180
  • LB Terrel Bernard: $777,092

The full league-wide list can be found via ESPN’s Adam Schefter below:

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Bills’ Spencer Brown had offseason surgery

Here’s how we know:

Evidently Spencer Brown went under the knife at some point this offseason.

According to a source named Dion Dawkins.

After Dawkins signed his extension with the Bills, he was discussing offseason plans during his video conference call. Dawkins noted the O-line group had some things planned as a group but a few curveballs changed that.

One being Mitch Morse was released… another was Brown having surgery.

Brown potentially having surgery was not announced by the team. Last offseason in 2023, Brown had surgery on his back.

During last year’s regular season, Brown only was ever listed on the injury report with shoulder and knee problems. Banged Up Bills, a Bills injury analysis content creator, believes it was likely only a minor issue. There is likely no reason to worry for Brown’s long-term health.

Dawkins revealing Brown’s surgery can be found in the clip below:

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Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line getting acclimated

Sooners offensive line getting closer as spring football is here.

The 2024 season for the Oklahoma Sooners will be defined by how well the offensive line plays. Oklahoma has a five-star quarterback taking the reigns in [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], a deep wide receiver room, and a running back in [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], who closed the season with five straight 100-yard games.

But along the offensive line, Sooners are replacing five starters from last season.

They do return [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], who started the last few games, and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], who started a couple of games in the middle of the season. Even though they’ve added transfer players with starting experience like [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], there are still jobs up for grabs.

Bill Bedenbaugh has made it clear in his career he will start the best five. So, what these guys did previously doesn’t matter. That means even some of the young guys like [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag] will get a look.

Akinkunmi shared what it’s been like being around the other offensive linemen so far. “Getting to know those guys is amazing,” Akinkunmi said. “I absolutely love every single one of them. I feel like we are just getting closer and closer as the weeks go by. I feel like we are all close because we are all different and have different backgrounds.”

Akinkunmi said that hasn’t stopped the competition because having a strong offensive line group is important. As for the thing he was looking for most, as spring ball started on Monday? To show people what he can do and prove the doubters wrong.

Akinkunmi has quickly become one of my favorite recruits. I’m not sure he will see much playing time this season. He may need a year or two to develop. But with his mindset, I wouldn’t put anything past him.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Sooners land commitment from Washington transfer OL Geirean Hatchett

The Oklahoma Sooners added more offensive line depth through the transfer portal with the commitment of Washington OL Geirean Hatchett.

Oklahoma’s approach to the transfer portal has been to address needs and bolster depth under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. But they have never looked at and tried to build their entire roster via the transfer portal. This is why Venables is adamant about his recruiting efforts through the prep ranks.

However, after seeing the five guys who started along the offensive line and few depth options depart this offseason, Venables and his offensive line coach, [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag], knew they had work to do. That’s why the Sooners have brought in three transfer offensive line options this offseason. [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] came from Michigan State, [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag] transferred from North Texas, and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] transferred in from USC.

That list just grew as the Sooners landed a talented interior offensive line transfer in Geirean Hatchett. Geirean is a junior offensive lineman transfer from the Sugar Bowl-winning and national champion runner-up, Washington Huskies. 

Geirean Hatchett has played over 25 games, including eight in 2023. In his fifth year, he still has room to add more strength and continue to develop. It’s likely that will be a point of emphasis this winter with head strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt. Geirean played well before an injury limited him in the second half of the season, posting some solid pass-blocking grades via Pro Football Focus. With time to heal, a return to his productive days before the mid-season injury seems likely.

Here’s what Roman Tomashoff, site editor for UWHuskies Wire, had to say about Geirean.

He’s a good run blocker but needs to continue to work in pass protection. He has all the tools to be a really good offensive lineman, but needs to get stronger as he gets beaten too often with power. He’s worked a lot at multiple positions but is best at guard. – Tomashoff, UWHuskies Wire

The Sooners are getting a talented football player who offers valuable snaps and experience to an offensive line room that lost the five guys who started for the majority of the year.

With another portal addition, the offensive line is retooled. The stage is now set for Bill Bedenbaugh to do what he does best: develop and get the most out of his offensive linemen.

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PFF: 5 highest-graded Bills players on offense in Wild Card

Great outings by these #Bills players:

The Buffalo Bills won their Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 31-17 final.

The Bills (11-6) had a few players that stood out above the rest. On offense, the Bills were led by quarterback Josh Allen and his dual-threat skillset.

In terms of the players who helped Allen pull out the win, Buffalo will hope such efforts continue from some players throughout the rest of the 2023 playoffs as they aim for the Super Bowl.

According to Pro Football Focus, they’ll need these players to keep it up.

Here are the five highest-graded Bills players on offense Steelers in the Wild Card round:

Have the Oklahoma Sooners adequately addressed their needs in the transfer portal?

The Oklahoma Sooners were active in the transfer portal, but have they done enough to address their needs?

The Oklahoma Sooners went into the offseason with a number of needs to address via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

Bryant Crews highlighted five positions that the Sooners needed to address in the portal, namely offensive line, defensive line, tight end, secondary, and kicker.

But how well did the Sooners address those needs and where else have they added talent?

With the coaching carousel extending into January with the Alabama and Washington jobs opening up, the transfer portal has heated up again for the next 30 days. Could the Sooners add more talent? We’ll see if they take advantage of the opportunity to add talent from the Crimson Tide or the Huskies.

But until then, let’s take a look at what they’ve done in the portal thus far and if they’ve addressed their needs.

PFF: 5 worst-graded Bills players on offense in Week 18

Not their best days:

The Buffalo Bills won a tight 21-14 final in their Week 18 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

The Bills (11-6) had a few players that stood out above the rest in this one. On offense, the Bills were led by quarterback Josh Allen and his second-half efforts.

In terms of the players who helped Allen pull out the win, Buffalo will hope such efforts improve from some players throughout the rest of the 2023 playoffs as they aim for the Super Bowl.

According to Pro Football Focus, they’ll need these players to be better.

Here are the five worst-graded Bills players on defense against the Dolphins (11-6) in Week 18:

Oklahoma Sooners take a dip in final AP Poll of 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners finish the 2023 season at No. 15 in the final AP Poll of the year.

As always with the Oklahoma Sooners, there are high expectations. Even coming out of a 6-7 season in 2022, there was a thought the Sooners would have a chance to “hang a banner” at the end of the year, according to Brent Venables.

The Sooners certainly had a chance after a 7-0 start, which included a win over Texas. But a pair of losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State knocked them out of Big 12 title contention. Still, the Sooners finished the regular season strong, with three straight wins over West Virginia, BYU, and TCU.

Even after their Alamo Bowl loss to the Arizona Wildcats, the Sooners finished the season as a top 15 team in the nation in the US LBM Coaches Poll. In the final iteration of the AP Poll, the Oklahoma Sooners come in at No. 15, falling three spots after their loss to the Wildcats.

National champion Michigan came in at No. 1 and Washington at No. 2. The Georgia Bulldogs climbed three spots to No. 3 followed by the Texas Longhorns at No. 4. Alabama rounds out the top five.

The Sooners are the second-highest ranked Big 12 team to finish the year. In 2024, they’ll face four teams ranked in the top 10 and six in the top 25 of the final AP Poll.

Oklahoma made some promising improvements, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and continues to make strong headway on the recruiting trail.

The Sooners will certainly have questions up front, but they’re attempting to address those concerns in the transfer portal with the additions of [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag], and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] and the continued pursuit of Zalance Heard from LSU.

With their skill positions solidified and the belief in Jackson Arnold as a top tier quarterback in college football, the Sooners offense should still be among the best in 2024.

Still, they’ll face tougher challenges week-to-week when they arrive in the SEC. They weren’t as good as they could have been in 2023 and have to learn to get out of their own way. Each of their three losses were marred with turnovers. If the Sooners can consistently protect the football, they’ll have a chance to be a playoff team in 2024.

More: Sooners drop three spots in final US LBM Coaches Poll

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Portal target: LSU transfer OL Zalance Heard visits Oklahoma

The Sooners continue to try to build their offensive line, this time with a visit from a highly-touted offensive lineman.

The biggest question mark going into next season for a lot of people was the offensive line. The Oklahoma Sooners would have to replace the five guys who started a majority of the season.

They have to do that while also entering into the SEC, which makes that task even more daunting. The Sooners have gotten to work, signing a high school class that appears to be underrated. Also, they’ve gotten to work in the portal with commitments from [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag], [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag].

But the Sooners aren’t done there. They hosted former five-star and LSU Tigers transfer, [autotag]Zalance Heard[/autotag]. Heard was LSU’s highest-ranked recruit in the 2023 class and comes with three years of eligibility. He appeared in 12 games a season ago and made one start.

He would be a massive get for Oklahoma not only for this upcoming season but for the following season as well because it would almost assuredly solidify their left tackle spot for at least those two years. But it won’t be easy for Oklahoma to win his services.

Heard also visited the Tennessee Volunteers over the weekend, and rumors started to swirl about the [autotag]Ole Miss Rebels[/autotag] possibly getting involved as of Monday. But all reports have been positive for Oklahoma. He apparently is high on [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] and his track record of developing guys and getting them into the [autotag]NFL[/autotag].

We also know Oklahoma will play the NIL game. They just won’t overspend for a guy like other schools will. It also could be positive for Oklahoma that Ole Miss got a commitment from a transfer tackle on Monday evening and is hosting another tackle this weekend.

For now, it’s a waiting game, but if Oklahoma can pull it off, it could be a massive win.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Panthers sign 11 players to future deals on Monday

The Panthers have signed 11 members of their practice squad to future deals.

Carolina Panthers assistant general manager Dan Morgan began the organization’s transition from Scott Fitterer on Monday.

In addition to signing tight end Stephen Sullivan and defensive linemen Nick Thurman and LaBryan Ray to one-year extensions, the team also brought back 11 practice squad members on future deals.

Here are those 11 players: