| NFC SOUTH |
| NEW ORLEANSAn arrest in South Carolina of a possible part owner of the Saints. Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com: Rita Benson LeBlanc, the one-time presumed successor to her grandfather, Tom Benson, as principal owner of the New Orleans Saints, has been arrested in South Carolina. Via WCSC-TV, LeBlanc is accused of assaulting an officer/city employee. LeBlanc allegedly pushed a parking enforcement officer who was attempting to put a boot on her car. LeBlanc, per authorities, also briefly took officer’s parking boot-locking tool. The arrest happened on Monday, June 16. She was released the next day on a personal-recognizance bond. LeBlanc previously served as the team’s vice chairman of the board and was viewed as the person who would take control of the team following the passing of her grandfather. He suspended her in 2012, and he announced in early 2015 that she was no longer under consideration to succeed him. Litigation ensued. When the matter was settled in 2016, LeBlanc said she’d continue to be a partial owner of the team. We’re in the process of confirming whether she still is. If so, she potentially faces discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy. |
| NFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES RAMSThe Rams didn’t just go to Hawaii for mini-camp. No, not Oahu, but Maui. Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com: – WHEN LOS ANGELES Rams receiver Puka Nacua stepped off the plane in Maui on Monday for mandatory minicamp, he was greeted by a member of the welcoming committee with a big hug and a “thank you so much for everything you do for the Polynesian community.” Nacua, whose Polynesian background has made him beloved in Hawaii, said practicing in Maui for minicamp “feels like home.” The Rams traveled to Maui for minicamp in part for team bonding and to help a community affected by devastating wildfires nearly two years ago. The traveling party included approximately 500 people, including players, coaches, team staff, as well as any family members who wanted to come. The trip, head coach Sean McVay said, was about “connection,” not only between those on the team but also between those in the Rams’ organization and a Hawaiian community still recovering from the fires in Maui in 2023. “It’s about connection and being able to get some time,” McVay said. “It’s cool to be able to really, for me, meet a lot of these guys’ families that maybe I haven’t met quite yet or see their wives or girlfriends or their kids, and so that’s been a really cool thing so far. “This is about being able to get some good quality time with each other and then being able to use the platform that we’re blessed with to be able to get back to a community that went through some similar things that we can all understand and kind of empathize with, and you see how excited they are to see our players and that’s fun.” THE RAMS’ RELATIONSHIP with Hawaii goes back many years, and several members of the local community at the team luau Monday night noted they remembered the kids camps several Rams players held during the 1970s. More recently, the Rams began broadcasting preseason games across the Hawaiian Islands in 2018 and played a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu in 2019. Last offseason, the Rams began to discuss a partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, with the idea of holding the team’s mandatory minicamp in Maui. After the Maui wildfires in August 2023, the Rams dedicated a preseason game to raise money for American Red Cross relief efforts for those in need. Last month, Rams team president Kevin Demoff said the commitment to holding minicamp in Maui was just for this year, but quarterback Matthew Stafford said he would enjoy seeing it continue. “I’ve had a blast,” Stafford said. “That’s kind of above my pay grade; those people that make those decisions will figure that out, but we’ve had a good time. I know our team has enjoyed the experience, and it’s been a lot of fun.” At Tuesday’s practice, the Rams’ offensive players took part in a girls’ flag football camp on one field while the defense hosted a boys’ tackle football clinic on the other field. Davante Adams was part of a group working on routes with the girls flag football players. “I feel like it’s almost for me because I’m having a good time and connecting with the kids,” Adams said. “… It’s just a cool way to connect and show appreciation for them for allowing us to be here. And they’ve gone through a lot recently too, so it’s just good to bring some positivity to them.” At the same time, the Rams’ rookie class went to Lahaina to join Habitat for Humanity Maui as it rebuilt four homes in an area affected by the wildfires. Demoff said the Rams have seen “the enthusiasm and gracious welcome from the community.” “So many people [are] excited about the Rams being here,” Demoff said. “What it means for the kids who we worked with on the field yesterday, the people in the stands, and watching the entire community light up around the NFL team coming and spending the week with them here in Maui and helping them not only rebuild but just give them a spark of joy and confidence.” WHEN ADAMS JOINED the Rams this offseason, one thing that stood out to him was the “college-type of camaraderie” that exists in the organization. Adams said he found “it took a little more time for me to get integrated into the Jets team than it did getting here,” while acknowledging that he joined the Jets during the season and didn’t have the benefit of an offseason with his new teammates. The Rams hope that bond is continuing to strengthen in Maui, “whether it’s the 30 or 40 players who were in the ocean together yesterday, the karaoke videos I’ve seen, watching the players hula dance at the luau together on Monday night,” Demoff said. “Just unbelievable team bonding. “I think that will set a foundation for the season, as we come back into training camp and hopefully have the chance for a longer year. But it’s rare you get the entire team in a relaxed environment where they can go spend a night together going out without, and they have their families here, but they don’t have the other responsibilities that come at home of everything else you have to do. And so I think the team unity, the team bonding, along with just the immense support we’ve had for the Maui community have left a mark on all of us.” The Rams are especially well-equipped to grow their relationship with Hawaii because they have a Polynesian star in Nacua. The receiver’s popularity among the crowd showed early and often during his time in Maui. As he ran onto the field Wednesday at War Memorial Stadium, the crowd roared. In front of thousands, Nacua raced from one side of the field to the other, running along the far bleachers and high-fiving fans in the front row before returning to the practice field. When asked about the Polynesian players he grew up watching, Nacua listed quarterback Marcus Mariota, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu. When asked what it feels like to know that one day the fans and high school football players watching him in the stands in Maui might one day be putting him in the same conversation, Nacua said, “It doesn’t feel real.” “I’m having a blast,” Nacua said. “And it doesn’t feel real sometimes that people are wearing my jersey, but I hope that they carry the things that are part of our culture: respect to have the honor and the discipline to represent your family, but also those things carry and translate directly into football.” Stafford called the chance to practice in Maui “a unique opportunity,” saying the team will hopefully inspire some young Puka Nacuas. “It’s such a reciprocal relationship,” Demoff said. “… Watching him at the autograph signing yesterday with lines out the door, watching his reception here, watching him give his chain to the girl playing flag football, he’s obviously the biggest star we have on the team for this community. “But then I think for the people here, it’s a reminder that they can become the next Puka Nacua and the fact that the team is here, whether it was girls’ flag football or the guys’ high school teams that they were interacting with yesterday. I think seeing someone like Puka gives them hope of what they can become and a role model to aspire to when you see how genuine he is, the way he interacts with them with heart and intention, it only makes the whole story better.” |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYOT JOSH SIMMONS, who fell to the Chiefs at 31 in the first round due to injury concerns, is good to go for the start of camp. Adam Teicher of ESPN.com: Offensive tackle Josh Simmons will be ready for full participation when the Kansas City Chiefs begin training camp in July, coach Andy Reid said Thursday. Reid also said wide receiver Rashee Rice, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, would also be available for training camp. Rice participated in offseason practices. The Chiefs drafted Simmons in the first round this year (No. 32 pick) after he missed part of his 2024 season at Ohio State with a torn patellar injury. Simmons was a participant in the offseason practices and minicamp but those sessions as opposed to most in training camp are noncontact. “You can see his athletic ability,” Reid said as the Chiefs wrapped up their mandatory minicamp. “You can see his want-to. He’s got a great attitude. He’s approached everything the right way plus a little bit extra. You could tell if you just want to look at his rehab, you can see that he’s got a mindset that, ‘I’m going to get in there.’ “He worked his tail off to get there. So, we respect that part. He’s done a nice job, he’s worked well, and we’ll just see what training camp does. It’s different when things are flying fast up there and you’ve got full contact and pads on. We’ll see how he does.” The Chiefs also signed a veteran free agent, Jaylon Moore, as a candidate to fill their vacant left tackle spot. Reid also said Thursday he was not inclined to limit Travis Kelce’s snaps this season or otherwise make concessions to Kelce’s age. The veteran tight end will turn 36 in October. “I’m not feeling that,” Reid said. “It would be similar to last year I would imagine as it goes. So, he’s in great shape right now, so I think he’s looking forward to getting going.” |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDMike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com with more on the ticket given to QB SHEDEUR SANDERS: Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has picked up a pair of speeding tickets this month. Video of the second incident has emerged. Alex Raskin of the Daily Mail has posted obtained and posted it. A woman identified as Sanders’s girlfriend was pulled over at the same time, in a different car. The officer said she was driving 92 miles per hour. The officer decided not to give her a ticket. The officer said he had to ticket Sanders, given that his speed exceeded 100 miles per hour. There’s no suggestion that the two may have been racing. Regardless, they were in two separate cars and they both were traveling at a high rate of speed. So, he got a ticket in Strongsville where you get warnings for going 92. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| TENNESSEELet’s see how QB CAM WARD is asserting himself in Titans camp. Turron Davenport of ESPN.com: As Brian Callahan reflected on the first day of the Tennessee Titans minicamp last week, one thing became clear to him: The intensity and energy level had reached another level. Sure, that’s going to happen as teams advance through the offseason program. But that first minicamp practice was a little different for Callahan. A big part of it was the return of defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons — who checked into the facility after missing OTAs for personal reasons. Simmons is the clear cut leader of the Titans. He made his presence felt immediately by blowing up a couple of plays in the backfield and getting what would have been a sack on rookie quarterback Cameron Ward. Simmons made sure Ward knew he was near him every time he got pressure, especially when he got the sack. That trash talk added an element that hadn’t been as strong in Simmons’ absence. “It was good to have his energy back at practice,” Callahan said after the first day of minicamp. Simmons took the field with a more streamlined physique having lost what he approximated to be 20 pounds. He stepped on the scale that morning and weighed in at 301 pounds. His goal is to be more explosive so he can track down quarterbacks and turn more pressures into sacks. Judging from how Simmons was able to get to Ward, he’s made some progress, and he let Ward know about it. But Ward didn’t hesitate to chirp back, which impressed Simmons. “I’ve been hearing how much smack he talked, so I told him I’m going to smack talk to you too,” Simmons said. “I saw it myself — that you could have a guy with that much confident as a rookie.” Added Ward, “I need somebody like that, especially somebody like Jeff who’s going to let you know he’s there every time.” The back and forth was something that didn’t happen as much in previous years, especially not from the quarterback. “I think we found out that we have another guy that likes to talk probably just as much,” Callahan said. “It was good for the energy of practice.” The offense has always let its play do the talking. Ward seems different. “I am not used to calling plays to a quarterback who’s usually still talking when I’m talking to him,” Callahan said. For example, Simmons was talking trash from the sideline while Ward approached the huddle. Ward turned to Simmons and talked back. “When I’m calling a play, he’s doing all he’s doing, but he’s listening to everything I’m telling him,” Callahan said. “It was pretty remarkable to see all the things going on and how much he’s talking, but like his brain is still with me.” According to Callahan, Ward walked right into the huddle and “didn’t miss a beat while calling the play.” Ward then delivered a strike to tight end Chig Okonkwo for a first down while under pressure. Being able to exchange jabs with the defense was one thing, but Ward’s execution is what really stood out. “The most impressive thing was him being able to get back in the huddle, get the play to the guys,” Simmons said. “He was able to still operate the offense and throw the ball down the middle of the field.” Callahan’s offseason program focused on finding emerging leaders for the team. There are different ways players lead. Ward has already shown signs of being a leader, especially among the rookies. Ward campaigned for the Titans to sign undrafted free agent wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who was his main target last year at Miami. They connected 69 times for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. While at Miami, Ward had the receivers meet at the facility for film study and prep at 5 a.m. during the week. That habit has carried over to Nashville when Ward and Restrepo got there. The group now includes rookie tight end Gunnar Helm, along with first-year wideouts Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor. Ayomanor said the added layer of preparation allows him to feel more comfortable and confident heading into practice. Even the veterans are excited about the leadership qualities Ward has shown. Right tackle JC Latham credited Ward for his accountability. Latham said Ward will admit he’s wrong “even if it’s not 100 percent on him.” He also liked how Ward didn’t back down from Simmons. “I guess Jeff must have gotten too close to Cam so he headbutted Jeff,” Latham said with a smile. “As a quarterback who hasn’t played any snaps and seeing Jeff as the top dog of the team, he’s not backing down and going right at him.” Veteran running back Tony Pollard did Ward’s signature “Zombieland” celebration towards the defense after Ward connected with Calvin Ridley for a long touchdown during minicamp. Outside linebacker Arden Key and the defense returned the favor towards Ward after cornerback Davion Ross intercepted Ward the next day. “I just think as the quarterback you have to continue to motivate yourself and the guys around you when things are going bad,” Ward said. “The quarterback position will always be judged off wins. So I’m just trying to win a lot of games in the NFL in my career.” |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW YORK JETSThe Jets have signed PK HARRISON MEVIS, aka ‘The Thiccer Kicker”, a star in the UFL. Dennis Waszak at YahooSports.com: The New York Jets signed United Football League standout kicker Harrison Mevis and released veteran kicker Anders Carlson on Wednesday. Mevis, who earned the popular nickname “The Thiccer Kicker” for his 5-foot-11, 243-pound frame, was 20 of 21 on field goal attempts for the Birmingham Stallions this season. He’s also Missouri’s career scoring leader with 405 points and holds the school mark with 86 field goals. The 23-year-old Mevis will compete with rookie Caden Davis for the kicking job in training camp. The Jets’ special teams unit has been revamped under new coach Aaron Glenn and coordinator Chris Banjo. Veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter Thomas Morstead were both released during the offseason. With Carlson’s departure, New York has no kickers or punters — including Kai Kroeger and Austin McNamara — who have played in a regular-season game. Mevis, a freshman All-American in 2020 and first-team All-American in 2021, booted a game-winning 61-yard field goal for Missouri against Kansas State in 2023, to set the SEC record for longest kick. The Warsaw, Indiana, native was signed by Carolina as an undrafted free agent in May 2024 and waived by the Panthers during training camp last summer. Mevis signed with Birmingham last December. Carlson went 8 for 10 on field goals in five games last season for the Jets while filling in for an injured Zuerlein. He was also 9 of 11 on extra points. Carlson, a sixth-round pick in 2023 by Green Bay, has also kicked for the Packers and San Francisco 49ers. Why are we spelling it “Thiccer” and not “Thicker”? It’s a slang thing we are told: So, what is ‘thicc’? Originating from African American Vernacular English (AAVE), the slang ‘thicc’ usually depicts someone as having an attractive, curvy body. Adjectives like voluptuous or curvaceous are synonymous with the term. It is mostly used to appreciate someone’s body in a positive and respectful way, but it can often be misinterpreted, so it’s essential to educate and familiarize kids with the term’s usage. Why two cc’s? This from a teacher’s blog we found online. He/she/they are teaching “The Great Gatsby”: “She is not fat,” I always emphasize, with my hands planted firmly on my surplus hips. “She is what we call curvy or voluptuous.” Recently, a student, Isabel, added, “You mean she’s thick?” “Is that fat?” “No, it means,” Isabel looked to her neighbor, also a female, “how do you say it? She’s just . . . thick.” “Is she thick because of fat or muscle?” A few male students confirmed that “thick” is muscular. The young ladies in the room didn’t quite agree. Knowing that it could take the rest of the class–hell, the rest of the week–to get my students to agree on a definition, I wrote “thick” on the board and tried to move on to “delicate” Daisy. “It’s two Cs,” several students said. “T-H-I-C-C.” “Why two Cs?” They look at each other and shrug. “There must be a reason, otherwise why not just spell it T-H-I-C-K?” No one seems to know. Or care. I changed the spelling on the board to T-H-I-C-C. When I turned back around to face the class, I see Isabel curving the fingers of each hand to form the letter C. She whispered something to her neighbor who does the same with her hands and then they both burst out laughing. “Figure something out back there?” I asked them. Isabel holds up her Cs again, raising one hand higher than the other: “Boobs,” she said about the higher C and “Butt” about the lower C. Okay, so T-H-I-C-C isn’t related to muscle but more the quantity of TNA (Tits and Ass, not Talula National Athletics clothing brand, nor Total Nonstop Action wrestling alliance, nor Texas Nurses Association). I was satisfied with the two-Cs-symbol-for-TNA explanation for the spelling, but then one girl piped up: “We spell it that way, so it is ours. So that the definition belongs to our generation.” Crossing her arms, she gave me a sharp nod to indicate the discussion was over. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| BOLD PREDICTIONSJeffri Chadiha drops what he calls 10 BOLD predictions for 2025. If we think the prediction truly is BOLD, we will highlight the heading in Green. If we think it is completely blasé, such as The Eagles Will Be Good Again, we will make the heading red. Somewhat bold predictions will remain black. Let’s go: Before we reach that point, The First Read wanted to throw out a little food for thought. It’s usually best to make predictions once camps have gone on for a few weeks or the season is just a few days away. We’re taking a different route this time around. Here are some way-too-early bold predictions to ponder for this upcoming year … 1) The Bills will win the Super Bowl.This is bold simply because the Bills have dealt with so much heartache over the last five seasons. They’ve lost four playoff games to the Chiefs (including two AFC title bouts) and suffered another home defeat to the Bengals in the 2022 Divisional Round. This team has too much talent and smart coaching to continually miss out on opportunities to get over the hump, which is why this prediction makes so much sense today. Quarterback Josh Allen is coming off his first MVP season. The defense added some nice pieces in the 2025 NFL Draft, including speedy cornerback Maxwell Hairston and edge rusher Landon Jackson. The schedule also looks favorable, with Buffalo playing 10 games against teams that didn’t produce a winning record in 2024. There’s basically never been a better time for the Bills to earn the top seed in the AFC and potentially host a conference championship game. And if they can do that, they should win the whole damn thing. 2) Joe Burrow will be the league’s Most Valuable Player.Burrow is going to receive a lot of attention for this honor because he got plenty last year, when the Bengals were stumbling and fumbling their way through a frustrating season that ended with them missing the playoffs for the second straight year. There were people out there loudly saying that Burrow deserved to contend for the game’s top individual award because of sheer productivity. He led the league in passing yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43) while only throwing nine interceptions. It is true that Burrow would’ve had a strong case if Cincinnati had made the postseason in 2024. It’s even more logical to think that more people will be singing his praises if he repeats those efforts. The Bengals made it clear that they wanted to keep his weapons happy (wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both signed massive extensions). It’s also still a mystery as to what Cincy’s defense will look like after an offseason that has included contract disputes with All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and first-round pick Shemar Stewart, the hiring of new defensive coordinator Al Golden and some high-profile personnel changes. If the Bengals return to the playoffs, then their offense is going to be prolific. That puts Burrow in a position to earn a lot of love. 3) The Eagles will be the first team to repeat as NFC East champs in 21 years.We know this is one of the longest-running streaks in the league, but it’s time for it to end. That’s how good Philadelphia is going to be this coming season. As much as the Eagles have to fill in some holes left by key offseason departures — the defense, in particular, lost five key veterans — the core of the defending Super Bowl champions remains very much intact. Even with Kevin Patullo succeeding Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator, that side of the football remains stacked. Running back Saquon Barkley is coming off a 2,000-yard season, quarterback Jalen Hurts proved once again that he’s one of the most underrated leaders in the game and the receivers and offensive line still rank among the best in the league. As for the defense, coordinator Vic Fangio will help some new faces mature while an assortment of stars (including defensive tackle Jalen Carter, All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun and second-year defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean) should once again rank among the best in the business. Look, this team won 16 of its last 17 games last season and pounded Kansas City in the Super Bowl. Just as importantly, a good number players were around for that epic meltdown in the second half of the 2023 season. They surely learned a lot of about the challenges of success and how hard it is to stay on top, which will come in handy this fall. 4) The Broncos will snap the Chiefs’ streak of nine straight AFC West championships.The Chiefs have reigned over the division since 2016 and they’ve barely been challenged during most of the years that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been under center. Most of that success comes down to the Chiefs’ greatness but they’ve also been helped plenty by the ineptitude of the teams sharing the AFC West with them. Kansas City has been led by future Hall of Fame coach Andy Reid during that entire run of dominance. Every other team in the division has had at least four different head coaches within that same stretch. That churn appears to have slowed, though, with Pete Carroll (Raiders), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers) and Sean Payton (Broncos) now working in the AFC West. Of those three coaches — all of whom have either reached or won the Super Bowl — Payton is sitting on the most impressive team aside from the Chiefs. The Broncos have an elite defense, and it looks like they landed a franchise quarterback in Bo Nix in last year’s draft. We know Payton can coach up the offense, especially as the Broncos add more playmakers. We’ve also seen how Denver gave Kansas City fits last season in Arrowhead, with a blocked field goal keeping them from securing an impressive upset. Denver is good enough to win this division now. With the other teams also creating more resistance to the Chiefs — who went 5-1 in the AFC West after resting their starters in a Week 18 loss to the Broncos — Denver will earn its first crown since Peyton Manning was their quarterback. 5) Caleb Williams will throw for 4,500 yards and 35 touchdowns.There’s a lot of anticipation surrounding the Bears’ second-year quarterback and his ability to make good on all the promise that made him the top pick in the 2024 draft. One thing that shouldn’t be doubted is whether he’ll become the first Chicago signal-caller to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. Williams won’t just reach that barrier; he’ll blow it away, especially when considering all the advantages he has working for him now. The Bears hired the best offensive mind available to be their head coach in Ben Johnson. They’ve rebuilt the offensive line, drafted more pass catchers (tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III) and filled more holes on the defense. Williams threw for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns last season when he was running for his life and trying too hard to extend plays. Better coaching and an improved supporting cast will make life much easier for him, and the numbers will bear that out. 6) Daniel Jones will win Comeback Player of the Year.Jones already walked into a great opportunity in Indianapolis because the Colts gave him a chance to compete for the starting job with third-year veteran Anthony Richardson. There’s every reason to believe Jones can win that battle because Richardson, since arriving in Indy as the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career and even lost his job for a couple games last season. Jones knows a few things about that path — the former No. 6 overall pick was benched and eventually dumped by the Giants last year — but there’s reason to be optimistic about him today. Jones signed with Minnesota after New York released hm, which gave him an opportunity to be around another beleaguered quarterback in Sam Darnold who was turning his career around with the help of a strong coaching staff. Now, Jones gets to work with a creative offensive head coach in Shane Steichen, who happens to be the same man who helped take Jalen Hurts from raw talent to MVP-caliber quarterback in Philadelphia. Steichen likes quarterbacks who can move, and his time with Hurts proved that he could think outside of the box when it comes to maximizing a signal-caller’s strengths. Steichen easily could be the man to take Jones to another level, especially when considering the Colts have better skill players and offensive line play than Jones ever enjoyed in New York. Nobody saw Darnold taking off when he arrived in Minnesota. Jones could do similar things in Indy if he stays healthy. 7) Ashton Jeanty will run for 2,000 yards.Jeanty should be a heavy favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, given the situation he’s walking into in Las Vegas. Head coach Pete Carroll is going to do what he always does — which is run the football like crazy — and Jeanty is a three-down back built exactly for this type of approach. So instead of simply predicting that Jeanty will win some hardware in his rookie season, it’s worth going a step further and having him make history. Nine NFL players have rushed for 2,000 yards in a season, with Saquon Barkley joining the club in 2024. None of those men accomplished the feat in Year 1. Yes, it’s a heavy expectation to place on a rookie. It’s also apparent that the Raiders won’t have that many weapons to rely upon in that offense, and we’re living in an era when running the football is trendy again. The Raiders will have to win games with a ground-and-pound approach. That puts Jeanty in position to do unprecedented things. 8) Travis Hunter will be more impactful as a cornerback than a wide receiver in his first season.The Jaguars have grand visions for Hunter after trading up to take him with the second overall pick in this year’s draft. He wants to play on offense and defense, and the Jags are doing their best to make sure he’s a capable performer on both sides of the football. However, it’s also worth nothing a couple things here. One is that Hunter is far more polished as a defender at this stage of his career. He’s capable of lining up at cornerback from Day 1 and playing a huge role in a Jacksonville defense that was one of the league’s worst last season. The other fact worth remembering is the narratives coming out of Duval County recently. The Jaguars are spending more time coaching up Hunter at receiver because he needs more work at that position. Despite his success as a two-way player at Colorado, he’s going to need more reps to learn how to operate at that spot against top-flight defensive backs. That doesn’t mean he won’t have some impressive moments. It’s just that he won’t even be Jacksonville’s top target, as the team already has a strong receiver in second-year pro Brian Thomas Jr., who produced 87 receptions, 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. The Jags don’t have anybody in the secondary with the potential to do what Hunter can do. That’s why he’s going to shine more on that side of the football. 9) CeeDee Lamb will break the NFL record for receptions in a season.The Cowboys wide receiver will have an easier life with the return of quarterback Dak Prescott from injury and the arrival of wide receiver George Pickens via trade. Lamb already was one of the best receivers in the game, but those two factors will make him one of the most historic. Think about it. Lamb produced 135 receptions in 2023 with a healthy Prescott, which was 14 catches shy of the league mark of 149 established by former Saints receiver Michael Thomas in 2019. Lamb also generated 101 catches last season, when Prescott only played in eight games because of a season-ending hamstring injury. You pair Lamb with a receiver as dangerous as Pickens, and it’s likely that opposing defenses will be frustrated on weekly basis. Lamb has put together three straight 100-catch seasons despite being the focus of defenses tasked with stopping Dallas’ passing attack every year. With all the freedom coming his way this fall, CeeDee’s going to go off. 10) Kirk Cousins will start for another team this year.It’s so difficult to navigate an NFL season, and it’s a safe bet that some hopeful team eventually will need quarterback help because of injury. Prescott was one of four different signal-callers who didn’t finish last season because of injury. Two years ago, the Browns started five quarterbacks, while the Vikings and Jets each started four. It’s a fact of life: Quarterbacks go down in this league. This is why Cousins has a decent shot of playing some place this year. It didn’t work out in Atlanta — the Falcons gave him $100 million in guaranteed money as a free agent last offseason and then gave his job to rookie Michael Penix Jr. for the final three games — but the franchise didn’t deal Cousins over the past few months. That leaves him trying to play the good soldier as a backup until a viable opportunity arises. If history tells us anything, some team will come calling for him sooner or later. So four GREEN, three RED, three black. The DB concurs with number four, so maybe we didn’t think it was that bold but it could be a Green. We almost gave Daniel Jones for Comeback Player a Green, but the comeback portion is indisputable. |
