Tag: Will Fuller

Notre Dame Football’s History of August Games

Let’s take a quick look back at five times Notre Dame has played in August, something that dates back to 1989.

Notre Dame helps kick off the college football season this weekend as the Irish will be in Ireland to take on Navy.  It’s rare that Notre Dame has kicked off a football season in Ireland but less that they have in August. The Irish have played a handful of times historically in the year’s eighth month and fared well.

So how well exactly have things gone for Notre Dame in August?  Check out below how the Irish have fared in those five games as we’ll see if they can add another victory to the list in 2023 as they open the season in Saturday against Navy.

 

ChatGPT ranks top 10 receivers in Notre Dame history

Please note that tight ends are not included on this list.

We’ve been asking AI writing tool ChatGPT to give its opinions of the top 10 Notre Dame players by position. It’s been a great way to generate discussion and debate amongst our readers. So far, we’ve asked it to list the top quarterbacks and running backs. Now, we move onto the receivers.

Please note that this list will not include tight ends but rather pure receivers. Even though it’s becoming more difficult to differentiate between receivers and tight ends these days, they still are different enough that they need to be separated. So please don’t ask why Michael Mayer or Cole Kmet aren’t on this list, but we also will get more into that when we ask ChatGPT about Irish tight ends.

Please also note that ChatGPT’s last knowledge update was in September 2021, and this list is based on historical data that was available at that time. Also, some entries have been edited for clarity and accuracy:

Potential wide receiver targets for Chargers following Mike Williams’ injury

Highlighting how the Los Angeles Chargers could address the wide receiver position during the bye week.

With Mike Williams set to miss multiple weeks with a sprained ankle, the Chargers have now sustained injuries to four of their top five receivers.

Keenan Allen returned for the first time since Week 1 against the Seahawks after a hamstring injury, Joshua Palmer missed the Seattle game with a concussion and has suffered multiple lower-body injuries, Jalen Guyton tore his ACL, and now Williams has an ankle injury.

While Allen and Palmer should be back for the Falcons game after the bye week, Los Angeles should still consider adding another gameday-ready piece to this room. I specify “gameday ready” because Odell Beckham Jr. is not on this list after recent reports that he will not be back from his ACL rehab until December.

Will Fuller (free agent)

Let’s start with the free agent pool, where the 28-year-old Fuller is still hanging out despite preseason reports that he was likely to sign sometime in August. Fuller was allowed to walk by Miami after last season, in which he missed Week 1 due to a PED suspension and broke his thumb in his second game. Injuries have been the story of Fuller’s career since joining the league in 2016, but it’s hard to argue with the prospect of 4.3 speed in an offense that currently has no defined deep threat (and hasn’t since Guyton went down). If Los Angeles wants to get splashy and feels they need to give someone new to the system extra time to get acclimated, this would be the time to pick up the phone.

John Ross (free agent)

Ross is another burner whose free agent market was rumored to be active enough that he would catch on by Week 1, only to remain available for the entire season to date. Ross did work out with the Cardinals last week but left the facility unsigned. Much like Fuller, the story of Ross’ career has been marred with injuries, namely recurrent shoulder and knee injuries during his time in Cincinnati. The workout with Arizona confirms that Ross is ready to go, making him another potential flier candidate if the Chargers are looking for a speedster. Ross also has kick return experience, which could prove useful considering DeAndre Carter’s ineffectiveness in that role and growing offensive snap count.

Dede Westbrook (free agent)

Westbrook worked out for a team as recently as the 25th in Miami, but the Dolphins ultimately decided to sign rookie Calvin Jackson from the tryout instead. The 28-year-old is familiar with Ryan Ficken, having served as Minnesota’s primary punt returner last season while Ficken was special teams coordinator. Many of the Chargers’ injuries have come on special teams this season: Joshua Kelley and Chris Rumph have been knocked out for multiple games and Drue Tranquill missed part of the Seahawks game with a minor injury on the punt team. That could create motivation to move Carter out of a full-time special teams role if he’s being asked to carry a bigger load on offense after the bye. Westbrook is a natural fit for those special team snaps and ran a 4.39 40 coming out of Oklahoma, making him a good candidate for the deep-threat role.

Marquez Callaway (Saints)

Brandon Staley and his staff preach continuity, a big reason why the Chargers haven’t made any moves that affect anything but the end of the roster since the season started. If that’s the case, perhaps Los Angeles targets a receiver familiar with Joe Lombardi’s system, like Callaway, who played his rookie season in New Orleans while Lombardi was QB coach. Callaway is cheap (a new team would owe him less than $500,000 for this season) and falling down the Saints’ depth chart with the emergence of rookies Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Flipping their WR5 or 6 for a late-round pick could be enticing for the Saints, especially with Callaway set to hit restricted free agency this offseason.

KJ Hamler (Broncos)

Hamler and teammate Jerry Jeudy have been the subject of trade rumors for a while now because of their declining usage in the Russell Wilson offense, which has only targeted Courtland Sutton and tight ends this season. I don’t think Jeudy is necessarily a realistic option for the Chargers; he’s more of an intermediate route runner, who is due a fifth-year option in 2024 that would inflate the Chargers’ WR bill to unprecedented heights. Hamler, however, could be an intriguing addition as a deep-threat piece still on a rookie contract. Denver is rumored to have at least listened to offers on Hamler, and I doubt it would cost more than a Day 3 pick unless the Broncos crank up the intradivisional tax.

Kendrick Bourne/Nelson Agholor (Patriots)

Both Bourne and Agholor seem expendable with the way Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker, and rookie Tyquan Thornton have been playing for New England. Both are relatively cheap for veterans: a new team would owe Agholor the remainder of his $9.8 million salary (roughly $5.4 million) and would owe Bourne the remainder of his $5 million salary (about $2.8 million). Both are deep threats: Agholor averages 12.7 yards per catch in his career, Bourne 13.4. If I had to pick one, I’d personally lean toward Bourne, the cheaper option with more reliable hands, but either Patriot receiver would add a new dimension to this Chargers offense.

Chase Claypool (Steelers)

This one is extremely unlikely, but so was trading for Khalil Mack until it happened. Claypool and the Steelers seem philosophically opposed: the offense isn’t vertical enough to utilize his skill set correctly and Pittsburgh has two other stud receivers in Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Yet Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has reported that Pittsburgh is unlikely to move 2020 second-rounder unless they’re blown away by an offer; compensation similar to the Christian McCaffrey trade has been rumored by other sources to be the asking price. I doubt Los Angeles is that desperate, but Claypool would come with a year and a half of team control and 4.4 speed at 6’4”. That’s a rare player build, and he’d work wonders in Los Angeles.

Quickly on two other targets with trade rumors swirling: trading for DJ Moore is simply not feasible. L.A. would owe their wide receiver room $65.7 million in 2023 if they traded for Moore. That’s more than 29% of the projected 2023 salary cap. Yes, wide receivers coach Chris Beatty coached Moore at Maryland. But getting him in powder blue is a pipe dream.

Similarly, Elijah Moore looks like his wish to be traded will go unfulfilled, with multiple sources reporting that the Jets have zero plans to trade their 2021 second-round pick. Moore is frustrated with his usage, a squabble that’s become public enough that the Jets sat him last week. Even so, expect Moore to remain in New Jersey for the time being.

Evaluating Chargers’ options after season-ending injury to Jalen Guyton

Looking at a few wide receivers the Chargers could consider bringing in after the season-ending injury to Jalen Guyton.

The Chargers are in the market for a new speed threat.

Jalen Guyton tore his ACL Sunday, marking the third long-term injury suffered in the Jaguars game. Rashawn Slater (biceps) is also out for the season, while Joey Bosa (groin) is week-to-week.

Guyton’s absence is of underrated importance, considering that Los Angeles now lacks a bona fide speed threat at wide receiver. Such a role has been an oft-criticized omission from Joe Lombardi’s offense through three weeks.

Here are a few receivers LA could look to bring onto the active roster.

Joe Reed

Reed seems the likeliest addition, considering he’s already on the Chargers’ practice squad and briefly pushed to stay on the active roster before a minor injury all but ended his preseason. Reed could also be an important addition as a kick returner, seeing that DeAndre Carter’s role is likely to expand on offense. Protecting him from taking extra hits on special teams will be an emphasis, at least in theory. A fifth-round pick in 2020, Reed has the speed to fill Guyton’s role, but his route running is a work in progress, and he’d primarily be added to the roster as a special teams player.

John Ross

If we’re talking about speed, we have to mention Ross, the owner of the fastest 40 time in NFL Combine history. Just 26 years old, Ross has struggled with lower body injuries, part of the reason he’s currently a free agent. It was reported in August that the former Washington Husky was working to rehab a knee injury he suffered last season, with hopes to catch on with a team around the start of the season. The barrier to entry for Ross is twofold, however: one, he must prove he’s healthy. Two, Brandon Staley and Joe Lombardi, have shown preference to receivers that can win at multiple levels of the field. Without designed touches in the screen game, Ross is only a deep ball threat at this stage.

Will Fuller

Fuller has shown NFL ability as recently as 2020 when he finished with career highs in receptions (53), yards (879), and touchdowns (8) with Houston. But similar to Ross, Fuller’s questions will be all about health. The 28-year-old has never played every game in a season and remains a free agent despite reported interest from multiple teams in August. Does that mean he’s asking for too much money for what he is, or is he not the player he once was because of injuries piling up?

Odell Beckham Jr.

Beckham is probably the biggest name on the wide receiver market right now, and for good reason. After forcing his way out of a bad situation in Cleveland, OBJ showed he still has the talent that made him one of the faces of the league with the Rams last season before tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl. There are a few problems with the Chargers bringing Beckham in, though. Number one: Beckham won’t be ready to contribute right away. The last report we got about his health suggested he’d be full go in October or November, a timeline that the Bolts can’t afford to stick to. Secondly, OBJ has been pretty clear that he wants to sign with a contender, and he’ll have ample time to pick and choose which teams are in that upper echelon by the time he’s ready to return. With the other injuries on this roster, LA is not likely to be on that list.

Dede Westbrook

Westbrook would likely be a practice squad signing that the Chargers elevate to give him a test run for a few weeks before committing to an active roster spot, but he checks many boxes for this team. Westbrook ran a 4.39 at the combine and played under special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken in Minnesota last season, so he knows what Ficken expects. That will be an important factor for a midseason signing, especially one expected to fill the shoes of Guyton, who was also one of Los Angeles’ punt gunners in the first three weeks.

Bo Melton

Melton was a favorite of ours at Chargers Wire during draft season because of his explosive athleticism and surprising physicality. He ended up being drafted late by the Seahawks, but they moved him to the practice squad before the season, leaving him available to teams hungry for depth at the position. That means LA potentially has the ability to right the wrong of not addressing the position in the draft. Melton is a smaller, slot-limited player, which may hurt his chances of becoming a Charger. But his college tape is full of plays at every level of the field and top-end speed. He’s the kind of receiver L.A. could use if they get creative.

Jaquarii Roberson

Roberson was a player I thought was draftable this spring, but his lack of special teams experience and value pushed him into the undrafted ranks. After being cut by the Cowboys, he latched on with the Steelers, where he’s currently on the practice squad. That, again, makes him available to teams like LA. Roberson isn’t a true burner, but he does accelerate to a pretty high gear when he gets going, and his proficiency on double moves often resulted in wide open plays at Wake Forest. Much like Melton, he’s a smaller receiver, and Roberson struggles as a blocker. But beggars can’t be choosers, and at this point, there are plenty worse options than Roberson.

The NFL’s best remaining free agents, from Odell Beckham Jr. on down

NFL free agents can still make a difference, even this close to the regular season. Here are the best players still on the open market, for whatever reason.

On Thursday, September 8, the NFL’s 2022 regular season officially begins when the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills. Teams have already been busy between wrapping up their training camps, prepping for Week 1, and both waiving and claiming players based on the league’s mandated roster cuts last Tuesday.

There is one more aspect of team-building that every franchise will pay some level of attention to at this point: Are there available free agents who can help our team for the right price? There are still valuable free agents on the open market. Some are recovering from injuries, or bad seasons, or they’ve already fielded multiple offers, and they’re either weighing the best opportunity, or just waiting for training camp to end so they don’t have to deal with that.

Here are our best remaining free agents with one calendar week left to go before the regular season; don’t be surprised if the majority of these guys get snapped up somewhere before the Rams and Bills kick things off.

The NFL’s best remaining free agents

NFL free agents can still make a difference, even this close to the regular season. Here are the best players still on the open market, for whatever reason.

One week from today, the NFL’s 2022 regular season officially begins when the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills. Teams have already been busy between wrapping up their training camps, prepping for Week 1, and both waiving and claiming players based on the league’s mandated roster cuts last Tuesday.

There is one more aspect of team-building that every franchise will pay some level of attention to at this point: Are there available free agents who can help our team for the right price? There are still valuable free agents on the open market. Some are recovering from injuries, or bad seasons, or they’ve already fielded multiple offers, and they’re either weighing the best opportunity, or just waiting for training camp to end so they don’t have to deal with that.

Here are our best remaining free agents with one calendar week left to go before the regular season; don’t be surprised if the majority of these guys get snapped up somewhere before the Rams and Bills kick things off.

A bettor wagered $1,500 on unemployed Will Fuller to lead NFL in touchdown catches

Betting on players who are unemployed? That’s a new one.

We have found one of the ultimate galaxy brain bets of the NFL season, folks.

One of the wagers that someone, somewhere, can explain, but otherwise has no basis in reality or logic. Last week we found out bettors were hammering Rhamondre Stevenson’s +50000 odds to lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns.

This week’s bizarre long-shot bet is even more out there. One bettor at Caesars Sportsbook just wagered $1,500 on Will Fuller to have the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL this upcoming season.

Fuller is not currently on an NFL roster.

The risk associated with gambling is what makes the activity fun and worthwhile. But sometimes the risk far outweighs the possible reward, like betting crazy amounts of money on the seemingly impossible.

I truly cannot fathom ever making a bet this random.

Not only is Fuller unemployed, but even when he was an NFL player, he never cracked the top-10 finishes in total receiving touchdowns in any season.

Hey, maybe this bettor knows something we don’t and will end up a rich man.

Couldn’t be me, though.

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10 free agent WRs Broncos should consider to help replace Tim Patrick

Should the Broncos sign one of these free agent wide receivers?

The Denver Broncos received a gut punch on Tuesday when they received word that wide receiver Tim Patrick suffered an ACL injury that’s expected to sideline him for the entire 2022 season.

Even without Patrick, the Broncos still have pretty good receiver depth headlined by Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. In addition to Sutton and Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Kendall Hinton and Montrell Washington will look to step up as well.

Denver will undoubtedly want to add some more depth at the position, though, either through free agency or via trade. The most notable free agent available at the moment is Odell Beckham Jr.

Beckham likely would have been signed by now if not for an ACL injury of his own. OBJ suffered the injury during Super Bowl LVI and he might not be fully recovered until October or even November.

So if the Broncos did sign OBJ, he wouldn’t be an immediate replacement for Patrick. He’s the most notable WR available, though, so OBJ tops the list.

Here’s a quick look at nine other WRs the team might also consider.

The 10 best NFL free agents still available this preseason, from Odell Beckham Jr. to J.C. Tretter

There are a bunch of solid veterans left for some lucky teams to scoop up.

This time of year, with training camps around the NFL in full swing, most rosters are more or less set in stone.

Sure, there might be the occasional camp controversy, positional battle to sort through, or warranted holdout (or “hold-in”). But, for the most part, teams know what kind of shape they’ll enter the 2022 season in.

Now, that said, no one has a perfect roster. In fact, many squads might still have a glaring hole or two that they can fill with a capable veteran. (Ask the Buccaneers and Julio Jones.) The initial wave and frenzy of this year’s NFL free agency is worlds, er, months away now. But plenty of good and capable players remain on the market, especially if any squad wants to fill in the gaps and start this fall on a better foot.

Here are the 10 best free agents still available as the NFL moves toward the 2022 preseason:

Best available WRs Titans can still target in free agency

At this late stage in free agency, the Titans’ options at wide receiver are limited.

The Tennessee Titans entered the 2022 offseason with a need at the wide receiver position, a need that became more dire once the team decided to release veteran wideout Julio Jones.

Tennessee’s solution for that issue was the trade for Robert Woods, who was set to serve as the team’s No. 2 behind A.J. Brown, which was a positive development despite Woods coming off a torn ACL.

From there, it was expected that the Titans would add a young receiver in the 2022 NFL draft; however, things quickly went to DEFCON 1 after the Titans traded Brown.

The Titans did add a pair of receivers in the draft in Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips, but as is the case with any rookie wide receiver, neither is guaranteed to provide the boost Tennessee needs in their first seasons.

As a result of the question marks with those players, and with the group as a whole, it is almost a foregone conclusion the team will add another veteran option at some point before the start of the season.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the top wide receivers still available in free agency. For the record, we do feel Julio is still one of the best options out there, but he isn’t included here because there’s zero chance for a reunion.