Tag: weight

Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy embraces DeSean Jackson comparisons, playing weight goals

#Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy told reporters that he is embracing comparisons to DeSean Jackson and elaborated on his playing weight goals.

The many rookies under contract with the Kansas City Chiefs are getting their first taste of NFL life. The rookie minicamp is the first look at draft selections and undrafted talent trying to carve out a spot on the roster.

Chiefs first-round selection Xavier Worthy understands the high career expectations and many DeSean Jackson comparisons he’s received as he addressed reporters on the first day of rookie minicamp.

“Yeah, just as with punt return, his ability to make a play after the catch, and how he understood the leverage for deeper outs,” Worthy said of the similarities between his game and Jackson’s. “I feel like he had really good leverage, and I think he has the record for the longest touchdown.”

Worthy has a well-known track background and has always had a smaller frame than most of the league’s receivers. He is proud to say that hasn’t been an issue and that he has no problem unleashing force on potential tacklers.

“I was 169 [pounds]. I don’t think I took [hits] because I delivered them,” said Worthy. “I feel like it’s not gonna be a problem. I feel like just understanding your strengths and your weaknesses. I feel like that’s the big thing in the league.

“Don’t… try to hit a 215-pound linebacker. So, understanding your way and your strengths, as I said, D-Jax came into the league at 169 and understood his strengths. So just using your strengths to your strength.”

Worthy stood out in Texas because of his fantastic speed and ball skills. He reminded media members about his goal of playing weight by the time the regular season begins: “I play around the 175-170 (pounds) range,” said Worthy, “I’d be fine.”

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had plenty of success with Jackson while with the Philadelphia Eagles, so he is well aware of Worthy’s potential to bring the team success for years to come.

Chiefs DT Danny Shelton cut weight, feels ‘great’

Danny Shelton lost some weight in the offseason, and feels ‘great’ heading into the 2023 season.

Battling for a spot on the 53-man roster, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Danny Shelton made a small change that could go a long way in helping his on-field performance.

The 30-year-old lineman, who is listed around 6-foot-2 and 345 pounds, shed a bit of weight, improving the way he moves and feels.

“This time last year I was probably like upper (3)50s,” Shelton said during Monday’s press conference. “Right now I’m about 12 pounds under. I used to use intermittent fasting but then I got stuck, it wasn’t working anymore. I did carb cycling in March in OTAs and it worked like magic for me. (My) energy has been great, feel great, joints feel great and everything.”

It may not seem like much, but cutting even five or 10 pounds can make a big difference for a normal person, let alone someone who plays a sport that favors those with speed. And Shelton, who was on the Chiefs’ roster last year but only played in one game, needs every bit of an advantage he can get to make his way back onto the team’s 53-man roster when cut day arrives on August 29.

Shelton has had a very good preseason so far, earning two quarterback pressures (including a sack) and two tackles (including a defensive stop) on 30 snaps. One final solid preseason performance against the Cleveland Browns on August 26 could lock Shelton’s roster spot in Kansas City.

Giants OT Evan Neal in even better shape heading into 2023 season

Former Alabama OT Evan Neal says he lost 10-15 pounds ahead of Giants 2023 season

At only 22 years old, New York Giants offensive tackle, Evan Neal, is still learning his way in the NFL. Neal was a First-team All-American for the Crimson Tide in 2021 and chose to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the NFL draft. He is one of the most talented offensive line prospects to come out of Alabama with an impressive 6-foot-7, 260-pound frame in college.

Neal was the No. 7 overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft and appeared in 13 games as a rookie as well as both playoff games. He was very solid in the action that he saw, and after the Giants inked quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year $160 million deal this offseason, Neal’s development will become even more of a priority within the organization.

At training camp this week, Neal spoke with reporters where he indicated that he is in even better shape heading into the 2023 season. A reporter asked Neal, “How much weight did you cut weight getting into shape this offseason?” to which Neal says, “Probably about 10-15 pounds, I definitely put on more muscle and got more leaner. I weighed in for training camp and I was 345.”

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Broncos QB Russell Wilson, now thinner, ‘looks sharp’ at OTAs

Broncos coach Sean Payton said Russell Wilson ‘looks good and looks sharp’ at OTAs. The quarterback lost weight this offseason.

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Russell Wilson has lost weight.

When the Denver Broncos started organized team activities last week, Wilson was made available to media members on Thursday. What stood out most from the quarterback’s podium presser was his appearance.

Wilson is still listed at 215 pounds on the team’s website — the same weight he was listed at in 2022 — but he looks slimmer going into 2023.

“Yeah, I feel great,” Wilson said when asked if he lost weight this offseason. “I feel lean and mean. Ready to go and focused. I’m excited to play again.”

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter earlier this week that Wilson “made it a point” to slim down during the offseason. Wilson declined to say exactly how much weight he has lost, but he looked visibly thinner when the team began OTAs last week.

Wilson also looks sharp on the field.

“These guys are doing well, and he’s picking it up — the timing and all of those things that are required,” coach Sean Payton said of Wilson learning the offense. “For the first five weeks, we were just lifting and running. Now we’re getting into some football activity. We are ahead of schedule on the practice. He’s picking it up good — he looks good and looks sharp.”

Coming off the worst season of his career, the 34-year-old Wilson will aim to bounce back under Payton in 2023. He certainly appears to be headed in the right direction.

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Rashid Shaheed says he’s getting ‘bigger, faster, stronger’ in Year 2 with Saints

Breakout wide receiver Rashid Shaheed says he’s training to become ‘bigger, faster, stronger’ in pivotal Year 2 with the New Orleans Saints:

It took some time for New Orleans Saints fans to get a look at Rashid Shaheed, but the former Weber State wide receiver made a fast impression. He made plays for the Saints all over the field: on deep passes, near the first down marker, and in the return game (and that doesn’t even get into his big gains on end-around rushing attempts).

Those efforts were enough to put him on the map as someone NFL Network daytime shows should interview during the offseason, and Shaheed was happy to oblige when NFL Total Access came calling. He shared his reaction to the Saints signing Derek Carr in free agency and his eagerness to work with his new quarterback.

Shaheed also gave a quick update on his goals in offseason training, adding that he’s been working out with Marcus Epps and other NFL players at the EBS Performance and Fitness Gym in Cosa Mesa, Calif., owned by Epps and managed by pro trainer Karif Byrd.

He spoke highly of the facility and the resources available to him, saying: “My body’s been feeling amazing. I’m getting bigger, faster, stronger with him and I’m loving my time out there.”

Now that’s interesting. Shaheed weighed in at 5-foot-10.5 and 185 pounds before the 2022 NFL draft, though the Saints listed him at 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds on their official website roster. He has long arms for his frame (measuring 31.1 inches) and could add more muscle to his frame. We’re speculating, but maybe Shaheed’s angling to play at a 190 pounds, or closer to the 201-pound average the Saints have preferred over the last five years at wide receiver. Regardless of his listed measurements, Shaheed already plays bigger than he looks.

His combination of size and speed is certainly an advantage. There aren’t many defensive backs who can match Shaheed stride for stride, and his surprisingly-large catch radius gives his quarterback a wider margin for error in placing an accurate pass. If Shaheed can pack on a little more muscle mass to help him better fight for contested catches, he’ll be even tougher to defend in 2023.

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Bryce Young’s weight reportedly a bigger concern than height

With roughly a month to go until the 2023 NFL draft begins, teams are still expressing concerns over the Heisman-winning QB’s size.

Former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young played two stellar seasons as the starter for the Crimson Tide. With a Heisman Trophy under his belt and countless other accolades, he now prepares to begin his professional career, but must first go through the NFL draft process.

During the evaluation process leading up to the draft, analysts and scouts detail every possible flaw in all the top prospects. With Young, there are seemingly no concerns with his abilities on the field. The only issue that has been mentioned is his size.

But what does that mean, exactly? Height and weight are both often important measurements, but should they matter when the player has proven that not meeting the industry standards in measurables hasn’t hurt him?

Young’s height has been a big talking point. He recently measured at just over 5-foot-10-inches at the 2023 NFL scouting combine and weighed in at 204 pounds at Alabama’s pro day.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network recently revealed that the sense he got in Tuscaloosa during the pro day was that the height wasn’t as much of a concern as his weight.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Young and other former Alabama players as the 2023 NFL draft approaches.

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Could the Saints replace Marcus Davenport by revamping the prototype at DE?

After moving on from Marcus Davenport and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, the Saints could get back to Dennis Allen’s roots in setting their ideal prototype at DE:

One of the few complaints we’ve had about the New Orleans Saints defense in recent years is its overreliance on oversized defensive ends like Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, and Tanoh Kpassagnon — and the decision to ask guys like Payton Turner and Carl Granderson to bulk up into the 280’s after turning pro. The Saints have lacked a speed element up front that’s caused their pass rush production to run hot and cold. When facing quarterbacks who stay in the pocket and take their time surveying the field, they can get home with power.

But when playing against the league’s young mobile quarterbacks and faster processors, the New Orleans defensive ends haven’t made much of an impact. The team even drafted speed rushers out of college like Trey Hendrickson and Zack Baun, but it’s taken years for either of them to get real opportunities in games. Baun plays more snaps on special teams than with the defense most weeks, and when he is out there he’s been tasked with backpedaling at linebacker rather than rushing upfield.

That could change in 2023, though. Defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen spoke often about his preference for heavy ends, but he’s left for the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator job. And Davenport, a divisive draft pick who modeled the complaints with this style of player, has also moved on for a $13 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

Enter Todd Grantham. The former Florida Gators defensive coordinator is replacing Nielsen as the group’s position coach. In four years running the Gators defense, his defensive ends were listed at an average weight of 254, 252, 260, and 257 pounds. Last season the Saints’ defensive ends had an average listed weight of 274 pounds, though they each said their playing-weight was closer to 285. Either way, that’s a substantial difference.

However, it’s not like Dennis Allen has a history of preferring these oversized edge rushers. He was the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator back in 2011, when they drafted Von Miller at No. 2 overall — who weighed in at just 246 pounds at the annual NFL Scouting Combine. A few years later, Allen was head coach of the Raiders when they picked Khalil Mack at No. 5 overall, after he weighed in at 251 pounds. Allen has shown us he knows the value in these undersized speed rushers off the edge, and that he’s comfortable investing significant resources in them.

So maybe he goes back to that without Nielsen pushing for bigger players up front. Or maybe not. It could be his defensive philosophy has changed over the last decade and he wants to stick with this plan. Hiring Grantham suggests otherwise, though.

If so, the Saints could look to bring in one of Grantham’s former players in free agency. The Los Angeles Rams cut Leonard Floyd as a salary cap casualty last week, and he enjoyed a productive season on Grantham’s 2013 Georgia Bulldogs defense with a team-leading 6.5 sacks (Grantham was his coordinator and position coach). Floyd is listed at 240 pounds now but usually plays closer to 244, and he’s been very effective no matter the number: he’s consistently graded out well in run defense while posting 54, 73, and 55 quarterback pressures the last three years with L.A. For context, Jordan led the Saints last season with just 37 pressures, per Pro Football Focus charting.

Bringing in Floyd would be a radical move for the Saints up front, but it kind of makes sense if we’re on the right track here. They have a coach who knows him well, and Allen has a history of fielding players like him. Signing him also wouldn’t jeopardize a lucrative 2024 compensatory draft pick because his last team released him from his contract. You’d like to think Payton Turner is ready to take the next step and start in his third season, but he’s a total unknown, and neither Granderson nor Kpassagnon should be asked to start 17 games. But rotating each of them into the lineup with Jordan and the 30-year-old Floyd could get the best out of everyone. If the Saints are changing their priorities at defensive end, Floyd might make more sense than other free agent pass rushers on the market. It could also lead them to a surprise draft pick like Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith in April.

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WATCH: Nick Saban gives hilarious response to questions over DeVonta Smith’s size

Alabama is saying goodbye to DeVonta Smith as he enters the 2021 NFL draft, but questions regarding his size and his ability persist.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban joined the “Rich Eisen Show” today, where he was asked a question about the height, weight and overall size of Heisman-winning wide receiver, DeVonta Smith.

Smith, who weighs roughly 170 pounds and stands around 6 feet, 1 inch, is not as large as the other players at his position.

However, that certainly has not stopped him from being the most decorated college football wide receiver in history, and Saban is now making a case that teams should not shy away if given the opportunity to select him in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Coach Saban offers a great explanation why Smith is a great wide receiver, but offers one line that is hilarious.

“The ball weighs 13 ounces, how big do you have to be to carry it?”

Saints fill out the roster with former Chiefs, Chargers pass rusher Anthony Lanier

The New Orleans Saints training camp roster is back at capacity following the signing of former Los Angeles Chargers DE Anthony Lanier.

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The New Orleans Saints hosted half a dozen free agents for a group tryout earlier this week following injuries to the front seven, with defensive end Marcus Davenport and linebackers Zack Baun and Anthony Chickillo held out of Friday’s full-contact scrimmage.

And it appears two of those visitors earned contracts with the Saints for the duration of training camp: per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, defensive end Anthony Lanier will be joining the Saints along with former CFL linebacker Wynton McManis.

Lanier, listed at 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, fits the physical profile the Saints like out on the edge from a height-weight standpoint. He spent the 2018 season on the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad after breaking out for Washington in 2017, playing 339 snaps and notching 5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, 6 pass deflections, and a pair of fumbles (one forced, another recovered). Lanier joined the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason but was released after the 2020 NFL Draft.

He’ll have a week to make a nice impression, but the Saints have a fairly stacked defensive ends rotation — depending on Davenport’s health. The Saints are not required to publish a formal injury report, so it’s unclear what issue he may be dealing with, but he was earning praise from all corners during training camp. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.

While Lanier’s addition rounds out the 80-man roster for training camp, the Saints could churn the bottom of the depth chart with more last-minute signings in an attempt at getting more time with practice squad candidates. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis spoke about the anxieties of evaluating players without extensive preseason game tape, so bringing in players like Lanier and McManis even for a week could help pad out scouting reports. The Saints must cut their roster down to just 53 players by 3 p.m. CT on Sept. 5.

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