Tag: Will Anderson Jr.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Wrapping up NFL free agency for 2024

2024 NFL free agency is just about in the books, so it’s time for Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar to analyze the biggest transactions in the second wave.

Now that most of NFL free agency for the 2024 league year is in the bag — though there are a few helpful players still on the open market — it’s time for Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, to recap the biggest and most important moves in the second wave of this free agency phase. Greg and Doug covered the first day of free agency last week in the Xs and Os; here’s the conclusion.

Among the discussion points:

  • What does Brian Burns bring to a Giants defensive line that already has Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence?
  • Can Justin Fields become the best version of himself in the Steelers’ offense?
  • Conversely, can Kenny Pickett turn his career around with the Eagles?
  • How can Calvin Ridley use his true X-Iso skill set to ramp up the Titans’ offense?
  • Can the Texans’ addition of Danielle Hunter, along with Will Anderson Jr. and Denico Autry, make Houston’s defensive line a Super Bowl-level group?
  • What can Hollywood Brown do for the Chiefs?
  • Tyron Smith is a future Hall of Famer, but what will he be able to do for the Jets’ offensive line in the short term?
  • Chase Young has been an inconsistent pass-rusher throughout his NFL career; can he turn it around with the Saints?
  • The Lions made important additions to their defensive line and their secondary; can all that put them over the top?
  • The Falcons already have a ton of weapons for new quarterback Kirk Cousins. How will the addition of receiver Rondale Moore affect what looks like one of like the NFL’s most explosive offenses (in theory, at least)?

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Devon Witherspoon reponds to finishing fourth in DROY voting

After the news broke, Seattle’s angry little goblin in the slot shared a perfect response on Twitter.

NFL players don’t vote on these AP awards, but they are about to find out what happens when a competitor like Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon gets underestimated.

Last night was the league’s annual Honors showcase, where awards were handed out to a variety of players. One race to watch for the Seahawks was Defensive Rookie of the Year, where Witherspoon was one of five finalists. We had presumed that Jalen Carter would win, but in the end it was Will Anderson who took the hardware home. Here’s how the voting broke down.

You may have noticed something strange in there. Not only did Spoon not win, he didn’t even finish among the top three – receiving less than half the total votes Carter got and nearly one-third of Anderson’s.

That means clearly some folks have not gotten the message yet.

After the news broke, Seattle’s angry little goblin in the slot shared a perfect response on Twitter.

The greatest athlete of all time thrived on slights like these, either real or imagined. Seeing Spoon respond this way makes us believe he has a similar drive and it’s exactly the kind of thing you want to see as a Seahawks fan.

This new motivation, combined with a natural second-year development and the added influence of defensive mastermind head coach Mike Macdonald may be enough to catapault Spoon into the Defensive Player of the Year race as soon as the 2024 season.

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Former Alabama LB Will Anderson named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

Houston Texans Will Anderson Jr awarded as NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

With the Super Bowl just days away, it leaves a bitter-sweet feeling. Sweet in the sense that we get the most highly anticipated game of the year, bitter because it means football is gone for seven months. However, it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, and the 2023 football season was special.

The NFL Honors show was on Thursday evening as Lamar Jackson was unveiled as the league MVP for the second time in his career. For Alabama fans, the exciting part of the evening came as [autotag]Will Anderson Jr.[/autotag] was announced as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson becomes the first former Alabama player to win the award since his current head coach, DeMeco Ryans, last did it in 2006 with the Houston Texans as well. Anderson was a monster all season long as he finished the year with 45 tackles, seven sacks and 10.5 stuffs in 15 games.

Ryans and Anderson is a match made in heaven and is only getting to get better by the year. CJ Stroud and the Texans offense took up most of the headlines in Houston all year long, but the defense was the unsung heroes of the year. The Texans are beginning to look like geniuses for moving up to No. 3 in the draft to get Anderson a year ago.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Texans sweep Rookies of the Year as Will Anderson Jr. takes defensive honors

Will Anderson Jr. capped a Texans sweep of AP Rookie of the Year honors

The Houston Texans have set themselves up for the long run thanks to a stellar 2023 NFL draft.

The results were proven again on Thursday at NFL Honors when Will Anderson Jr. was named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The honor came minutes after his teammate C.J. Stroud was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Anderson had seven sacks and 22 quarterback hits as the leader of a defense that turned itself around after struggling for years.

Anderson was chosen with the third pick out of Alabama.

The defensive end earned Pro Bowl honors.

The Texans become the fourth team to sweep the rookie awards.

 

Will Anderson Jr. beats out Kobie Turner for Defensive Rookie of the Year

Kobie Turner’s Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign came up just short as Will Anderson Jr. won the award on Thursday night

The race for 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year came down to three strong candidates: Kobie Turner, Will Anderson Jr. and Jalen Carter. Turner, the Rams’ standout rookie, put together a fantastic season and led all first-year players with nine sacks, but he came up just short in his pursuit of the coveted award.

At the NFL Honors show on Thursday night, Anderson was crowned the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Texans edge rusher finished with seven sacks, 22 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for a loss this season, making an immediate impact as the No. 3 overall pick in Houston.

Turner was a third-round pick but still managed to have one of the best rookie seasons ever by a defensive tackle. He had 16 quarterback hits and eight tackles for a loss to go along with nine sacks, which tied Aaron Donald for the most by a rookie in Rams history.

Carter, the ninth overall pick, was very impactful for the Eagles this season, recording six sacks, nine quarterback hits and eight tackles for a loss in 16 games played. He also recovered a fumble and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown against the Cowboys in December.

Turner finished third in the race, but it was incredibly close as he received 14 first-place votes.

The Rams hit a home run with Turner and though he made a remarkably strong case to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, he’ll have a chance to build on that impressive season when he returns as a starter in 2024.

Former Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr. named PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year

Former Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. had a stellar rookie season with the Houston Texans. He was named the PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Former Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. was named the PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Anderson Jr. was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He was drafted by the Houston Texans.

The Georgia native showed up and showed out during his rookie campaign. In 16 games, Anderson Jr. tallied 45 tackles and seven sacks.

He was an intrical part of the Texans defense led by former Alabama linebacker Demeco Ryans. Not to mention, he was also joined on the defensive side of the ball by former Alabama linebackers Henry To’oTo’o and Christian Harris.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest news regarding the Alabama football program and its former players in the NFL.

Devon Witherspoon 1 of 5 finalists for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year

Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon is one of five finalists for the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon is one of five finalists for the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Spoon will be in the running along with Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr., Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner.

Witherspoon’s claim to win the award is as strong as any. However, as has been the case since the season started Carter remains the odds-on favorite to win DROY. Spoon’s case isn’t helped by missing three games with a hip pointer injury, nor his atrocious tackling against the Steelers in Week 17. Our best guess is that Carter will win out.

That said, there may be no young defender in the NFL with a higher ceiling. Rookie of the Year or no, Witherspoon has all the ability in the world to make multiple All-Pro teams.

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Ravens PFF grades: Best and worst performers from 34-10 win over Texans in divisional round

We’re looking at the highest and lowest graded players in the Baltimore Ravens 34-10 win over the Houston Texans in the divisional round

The Ravens are off to the AFC Championship game after a dominant 34-10 win over the up and coming Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium.

In Saturday’s win, Jackson accounted for four total touchdowns while becoming the first player in NFL history to log two rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns, 100 yards rushing, and 100 yards passing in the same game.

With preparation for the championship Sunday set to begin, we’re looking at the highest and lowest graded players in Saturdays win via PFF.

Takeaways and observations from Ravens 34-10 win over Texans in AFC playoffs

We’re looking at takeaways and observations from the Baltimore Ravens 34-10 win over the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round matchup

Baltimore will host the AFC title game for the first time since January 1971 after a 34-10 divisional-round win over the Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon.

In Saturday’s win, Jackson accounted for four total touchdowns while becoming the first player in NFL history to log two rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns, 100 yards rushing, and 100 yards passing in the same game.

With preparation for Championship Sunday set to begin, we’re looking at takeaways and observations from the win.

Ravens snap count vs. Texans: Breakdown, observations from divisional round win

We’re looking at the snap count and playing time percentages for the Ravens in their 34-10 win over the Texans in the AFC Divisional Round

Baltimore will host the AFC title game for the first time since January 1971 after a 34-10 divisional-round win over the Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon.

The Ravens will play in that semifinal round for the fifth time since their arrival in Baltimore. They’ll take on the winner of Sunday’s matchup between Buffalo and Kansas City.

Lamar Jackson was on another level from start to finish and will likely win his second NFL MVP in the coming weeks.

In Saturday’s win, Jackson accounted for four total touchdowns while becoming the first player in NFL history to log two rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns, 100 yards rushing, and 100 yards passing in the same game.

The stat line is a credit to offensive coordinator Todd Monken and the Ravens’ ability to develop a scheme that features what the dual-threat quarterback does best.

With preparation for Championship Sunday set to begin, we’re looking at the snap count and playing time percentages from the huge win.