Tag: team

Eagles’ linebacker Nakobe Dean expected to land on injured reserve with a foot injury

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean suffered a Lisfranc sprain and the 2nd-year defender will likely go on injured reserve according to Mike Garafalo

The Eagles are set to be without second-year linebacker Nakobe Dean for an extended period after the former Georgia All-American suffered a Lisfranc sprain.

It’s the second time Dean will miss an extended period of action after he suffered a foot injury against New England that placed him on injured reserve for four weeks.

Dean, 22, started on Sunday afternoon and has been a part of a three-man rotation with Nicholas Morrow and Zach Cunningham.

After not missing a game with an injury in college, Dean has struggled to stay on the field this season, his first as an NFL starter, and he’s been a critical figure in the success of Sean Desai’s defense.

According to PFF, Dean has 26 tackles, 11 stops, and one sack, with an 80.2 grade against the run.

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Updated Saints team needs after first big wave of free agency

We’ve updated our list of the top Saints team needs after they signed several defensive tackles and a running back in the first big wave of free agency:

Whew. The New Orleans Saints were busier than many expected during the first wave of free agency, reaching agreements with several veteran players and bringing back one of their own on Wednesday — the Saints cut deals with defensive tackles Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd as well as running back Jamaal Williams before retaining special teams linebacker Ty Summers.

So what’s left to be done after all of that (and the big-time free agent pickup in quarterback Derek Carr)? The Saints still have some team needs to address between free agency and the 2023 NFL draft. Here’s where we’re looking for movement in the days and weeks ahead:

Chris Olave credits Saints’ leaders for maintaining ‘all-time high’ confidence amid 1-2 start

Chris Olave credits Saints’ leaders for maintaining ‘all-time high’ confidence amid 1-2 start

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There haven’t been many rookies more impressive than Chris Olave; the New Orleans Saints wide receiver was just named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for September after starting things off at a furious pace. But it’s been a frustrating year for the Saints so far despite Olave’s individual success. Still, he sees a light at the end of the tunnel, and the first-year first rounder says his team is focused on turning things around.

“Confidence is at an all-time high still. No matter what I feel like, you can’t lose your confidence,” Olave told NFL Network’s Stacy Dales in London this week. “We’re competitors at the end of the day. It’s a rough start but we’re taking it day by day.”

When asked how he’s handling an adjustment to the NFL after making the jump from the college ranks, and then dealing with two losses and a close win to start his rookie year, Olave credited the team’s veteran leadership for showing him how to handle the challenges come with turning pro: “I feel like it was natural. My teammates helped me a lot to get to this point, making it easier for me. Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Jameis Winston, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram in the backfield, all those guys.”

Obviously it will take more than strong words on the sidelines and keep-your-chin-up mottos to right the ship in New Orleans, but having that kind of experience on your side is more than a lot of other 1-2 teams around the league can lean on. There’s a lot to be said for keeping a cool head and maintaining composure on the sideline and in the locker room. If the Saints can keep together and continue getting big plays out of Olave, they’ll be right back in the middle of things come December.

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Kam Chancellor interested in buying Seahawks: ‘Let’s make some history’

However, it seems that a certain former Seahawk wishes to be involved in the process.

Speculation over the future of the Seattle Seahawks has been rife in recent weeks and not just in regards to the product on the field. 

With reports floating around that the team could be sold, a few potential buyers could be in the market. However, it seems that a certain former Seahawk wishes to be involved in the process.

Kam Chancellor is one of the most beloved players in franchise history and one of the greatest strong safeties to ever lace them up. However, the idea of him currently being the sole owner of an NFL team is a pipe dream because he is not a billionaire, even though he has no financial concerns and will not for a long time, having made tens of millions as a player with the Seahawks.

It would be intriguing to see Chancellor involved in team operations in some capacity and it is pleasing to see that he cares about the organization’s long-term stability and is willing to put himself in a position to achieve it.

The future of team ownership is up in the air for now and things could be settled very soon, so we will just have to wait and see.

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What an all-UGA NFL team would look like for 2022 season

What an all-UGA NFL team would look like for the 2022 season…

The Georgia Bulldogs broke the record for most players selected in the NFL draft when they had 15 players taken during April’s event.

After the historic draft, Georgia now has 59 players on NFL teams, meaning it has more than enough to fill an entire 53-man roster.

With all these fresh faces entering the league, it got us wondering….what would an all-UGA NFL team look like? Well, it would be loaded with talent, especially at the linebacker position, where Roquan Smith would lead a ferocious defense that’s littered with first-round draft picks. On offense, it would be Matthew Stafford and Nick Chubb’s team, with a really solid line in front of them.

There’s a few guys you may be surprised to see are not on this list, and that’s because they are currently not on an NFL roster. Some of those names include safeties Shawn Williams and Maurice Smith, wide receiver Riley Ridley, tight end Isaac Nauta, and linebacker Davin Bellamy (USFL).

Here’s a look at what an all-UGA NFL team would look like:

Everything you need to know about the 2021 Arizona State Sun Devils

Everything you need to know about the 2021 Arizona State Sun Devils

Ah, Wisconsin’s final game week of the 2021 college football season. First things first, here’s to hoping the Badgers and Arizona State Sun Devils are able to play in light of the cancellations we’ve seen across the country.

With both teams already in Las Vegas, it appears we’re well on track for the game to be played.

Related: Wisconsin’s Las Vegas Bowl depth chart sees one significant change

Arizona State presents an interesting matchup for the Badgers. The team is great on the ground and has a strong defense, though has had trouble at times throwing the football. Yes, you can say that same exact sentence about Wisconsin.

Here is a complete team preview of Herm Edwards’ Sun Devils, complete with which players will and will not be playing:

Week 16 halftime stats: Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams tied 6-6

The Seattle Seahawks are tied 6-6 with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16 at the half. Here’s a look at the stats after two quarters of play.

The Seattle Seahawks are hosting the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16 with the hopes of clinching the NFC West division title.

At the half, the Seahawks and the Rams are tied 6-6.  Here’s a look at the stats after two quarters of play.

NFL will test players for COVID-19 daily for first 2 weeks of camp

The NFL will test their players for COVID-19 daily for the first two weeks of training camp to reduce the spread of the infectious virus.

The NFL will be having their players tested daily for COVID-19 for the first two weeks of training camp at minimum, following reports of at least 72 players testing positive for the virus.

Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s leading medical officer stated that at least two negative tests are mandatory before players can get tested or participate in team activities and that the positivity rate among players must fall below 5% by the end of the first two weeks to reduce the testing rate.

“There’s no finish line with health and safety and I think these protocols are very much living and breathing documents, which means they will change as we gain new knowledge about this virus, as we gain new knowledge about transmission, as we gain new knowledge about testing and there are new tests and new techniques that come online,” Sills said. “We very much anticipate that these protocols will change.”

Sills stated that reducing the risk of spreading the infection is the biggest priority around the league, so every team must take extreme precautions.

“Everything that we’re doing is centered around the concept of risk mitigation,” Sills said. “We know that we can’t eliminate risk, but we’re trying to mitigate it as much as possible for everyone. We know that this is going to be a shared responsibility.”

Sills said that this process will make the NFL environment and the people involved in it safer as a whole if everyone cooperates.

“What’s good for players and what makes players and their families safer also makes coaches, staff, and teams safer and, quite frankly, it makes our communities safer,” Sills said.

The quicker the spread of the coronavirus is mitigated, the sooner the NFL and the United States as a whole can get back to some semblance of normalcy.

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Texas Longhorns team of the century: Tight ends

Texas has never been known for the tight ends but has still fielded some good players. Here are the tight ends of the century for Texas:

Texas has never been known for the tight ends, producing better pass catchers at wide receiver. However, there are a couple guys who have played important roles in the offense the past 20 years.

For both Vince Young and Colt McCoy, the tight end was always a safety valve. The two had big-name receivers to throw to such as Billy Pittman, Limas Sweed, Jordan Shipley, and Quan Cosby. Not being the main focus in the passing game, these two tight ends always came through when called upon.

Here are the tight ends of the century for the Longhorns:

Starting tight end: David Thomas

  • 98 receptions
  • 1,367 receiving yards
  • 15 receiving touchdowns
  • 51 games played

An intricate part of the 2005 National Championship winning team, David Thomas gets the starting spot for tight ends. Over his four seasons with Texas, his numbers grew better, having 50 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns his senior year.

Thomas’ best performance of his career came in the 2006 Rose Bowl against USC. On that night, he had 10 receptions for 88 yards. Thomas was the safe and reliable option for Vince Young the entire night. He was the leading receiver for the Longhorns, winning the program’s fourth national championship.

Backup tight end: Jermichael Finley

  • 76 receptions
  • 947 receiving yards
  • Five receiving touchdowns
  • 26 games played

Only playing for two seasons, Jermichael Finley was productive during his short stint in Austin. During his redshirt freshman season, Finley’s 31 receptions were the most a tight end had ever caught for Texas during their freshman season.

The next season in 2007, Finley showed out in the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma. His 149 receiving yards were the most by a tight end ever for the Longhorns. A career-high, he did so on just four catches and had one touchdown.

Forgoing his redshirt junior and senior seasons, Finley was drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers. Despite only being in Austin for two years, Finley’s production for Colt McCoy was outstanding.

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Texas Longhorns team of the century: Running backs

Continuing our series of the Texas Longhorns team of the century, we now look at running backs. Find out which two players make the team.

Continuing our series of the Texas Longhorns team of the century, we now look at running backs.

Related: Texas Longhorns team of the century: Quarterbacks

Over its’ history, Texas has had world-class running backs come through the program. Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams both won the Heisman Trophy during their time in Austin.

Moving into the 2000s, nothing changed for the Longhorns as they have continued to produce great running backs. Two players, in particular, stand out, as they were both apart of great Texas teams and are atop the all-time leaderboards in rushing.

Starting Running Back: Cedric Benson

  • 5,540 rushing yards
  • 64 rushing touchdowns
  • 621 receiving yards
  • Three receiving touchdowns
  • 49 games played

Benson rushing for 1,000+ yards in all four of his seasons is an incredible stat that will not happen in Austin again for a long time. He got better and better as the years went on, eventually rushing for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns his senior season.

His 2003 performance against Texas A&M remains one of the greatest in the history of the rivalry. On 35 carries, Benson had 283 yards and four touchdowns. Texas dominated the Aggies and won 46-15.

Second in all-time rushing yards behind Ricky Williams, Benson is in the top three all-time running backs to play for the Longhorns. From start to finish, he put up monster numbers for Texas.

Backup Running Back: Jamaal Charles

  • 3,328 rushing yards
  • 36 rushing touchdowns
  • 539 receiving yards
  • Three receiving touchdowns
  • 38 games played

A part of the 2005 National Championship team, Charles got to play with both Vince Young and Colt McCoy during his three years at Texas. Sharing carries with Selvin Young in 2005 and 2006, once Charles became the every-down back in 2007, he exploded for 1,619 yards.

Charles’ speed and agility are what made him special for the Longhorns. A play that always comes to mind is his 80-yard touchdown against Oklahoma in the 2005 Red River Shootout.

Despite only playing for three years and having another running back in the backfield with him for two seasons, Charles is still fourth all-time in rushing yards. What if Charles had returned for the 2008 season to help a 12-1 Texas team? It could be one of the biggest ‘What ifs?’ in Longhorns history.

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