The Daily Briefing Monday, August 1, 2022

The value of NFL teams continues to soar.  Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic:

NFL teams on average are worth $4.14 billion, 18 percent more than last year, with the cheapest team the Cincinnati Bengals at $2.84 billion, a new valuation study from Sportico reports.

To put that into perspective, before Sam Walton agreed this year to buy the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion, the previous sale, the Carolina Panthers in 2018, went for a then-record $2.275 billion, or more than half a billion dollars less than the 32nd team now in the Sportico valuations.

The NFL business machine barely hiccuped during the pandemic, cementing the league as the country’s preeminent entertainment product with 75 of the 100 most-watched programs of 2021. The NFL struck decade-long media deals worth $110 billion in 2021, as well as securing 10 years of labor peace in 2020. In 2021, each NFL team’s share of national revenues came to $347.3 million, a number that will only grow rapidly in the coming years.

Unsurprisingly, “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys sit atop the Sportico valuation rankings at $7.64 billion, followed by the Los Angeles Rams at $5.91 billion and the New England Patriots at $5.88 billion.

Valuation reports of course should be read with a grain of salt. Other than the Green Bay Packers, teams’ financials are not public, so setting a team’s revenues as part of a value calculation is often informed guesswork. And a team is, in the end, worth what a buyer is willing to pay, which in sports is often a decision driven by emotion more than finance.

In its 2021 study, Sportico pegged the Broncos’ value at $3.8 billion. Less than a year later it sold for 23 percent more.

But there is no question the valuations of NFL teams are well into the billions of dollars and surging. Despite its flagging attendance and well-reported scandals, even the Washington Commanders rank eighth in the NFL at $4.78 billion, according to Sportico, a testament to the team’s history and marketplace. Last year Sportico ranked the Commanders sixth at $4.25 billion.

The top teams in the Sportico rankings are largely big market clubs, with the Green Bay Packers the first real small market coming in at 14th ($4.19 billion). There are some big market teams that rank low. The Los Angeles Chargers, the junior partner in SoFi Stadium to the Rams, ranked 19th at $3.62 billion. And the Arizona Cardinals, which play outside Phoenix, ranked 28th at $3.165 billion.

Sportico is owned by Penske Media, which also publishes Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter among other titles.

NFC NORTH

DETROIT

Coach Dan Campbell with an unusual description of WR JOSH REYNOLDS.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Lions head coach Dan Campbell made his mark with some entertaining press conferences during his first season with the team and it doesn’t look like he’s changing his approach in his second year running the show in Detroit.

Campbell made that clear while discussing wide receiver Josh Reynolds over the weekend. Reynolds joined the Lions after being cut by the Titans last season and caught 19 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in seven games for the NFC North team.

Reynolds has now had extended time in the Lions system and Campbell said he is “buying stock” in the wideout heading into the year. He then came up with some colorful ways of explaining why he’s so bullish on Reynolds.

“He’s a different athlete, he’s slippery, man,” Campbell said, via the team’s website. “I call him the ‘praying mantis,’ he’s a spider of death. He’s just — there’s something about him, so — freaking serpent. So, I love where he’s at right now. I really do, I’m glad we got him.”

Reynolds said he likes the “praying mantis” moniker and there will be plenty of smiles in Detroit if adding DJ Chark and Jameson Williams to Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown leads to a jump in offensive production.

GREEN BAY

The Packers are thinking EDGE RASHAN GARY is poised for a breakout.  Or at least Matt Schneidman of The Athletic thinks so:

Early in Rashan Gary’s first training camp with the Packers three years ago, he called Za’Darius Smith after watching film of the former Green Bay All-Pro edge rusher to pick his brain. Smith was at the movies watching “The Lion King,” so Gary called back later and fired questions at Smith about what he saw on the veteran’s tape.

The Packers drafted Gary 12th in 2019, but he was their fourth outside linebacker behind Smith, Preston Smith and Kyler Fackrell, who led the team with 10.5 sacks the year before with Za’Darius on the Ravens and Preston on the Redskins. In his second year, Gary ascended to No. 3 on the depth chart when Fackrell signed with the Giants in free agency. And last year, Gary entered camp in the same spot before becoming the top guy during the season.

Now, for the first time in his career, Gary entered camp as the Packers’ No. 1 outside linebacker, even if those within the building would say he and Preston Smith are interchangeable in that role. Just like Za’Darius Smith did for him as a rookie, Gary is taking young edge rushers like rookie Kingsley Enagbare under his wing while growing into his newfound leadership role and hoping to establish himself as one of the NFL’s elite.

“Rashan is a tone-setter, and I think you guys see that each and every day,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He’s got the capability of wrecking practice. He probably would have had four sacks (Thursday). He’s just relentless. He plays with a great motor and energy, and I think it rubs off on everybody. He makes everybody around him better.”

NFC EAST

DALLAS

Owner Jerry Jones commands the coaching staff to play RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT more than RB TONY POLLARD.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

While Cowboys fans clamor for Tony Pollard to play a more prominent role in the offense, Dallas owner Jerry Jones continues to underscore the importance of Ezekiel Elliott.

Joining NFL Network’s coverage of Training Camp: Back Together Saturday, Jones said the team wants to get Pollard on the field, but not at the expense of Zeke’s carries.

“We gotta have Tony Pollard out there. No, seriously, Zeke’s gotta be our feature, and he is our feature,” Jones said. “We can feature him in a lot of different ways. We all recognize what he does in the passing game because of his protection ability. Don’t ever underestimate that especially with Zeke. Zeke takes some tolls when he’s out there as a back blocking. So it’s critical that we make Zeke — because he’s capable of being that — really the focus of what we’re doing. Now then, Pollard, there’s plenty of room for Pollard. There’s plenty of room for Pollard when Zeke’s in there. Pollard needs to get the ball.”

Elliott’s importance in pass protection is something that the Cowboys have highlighted as a reason he’s vital to the offense, even as his yards per carry have waned.

Elliott generated a career-low 13.9 carries per game and 58.9 rush YPG in 2021 while averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Zeke particularly struggled late in the season while dealing with a knee injury, earning just 3.6 yards per carry from Weeks 8-18 (5.1 YPC Weeks 1-6). He also generated 2.7 yards after contact per carry in 2021.

Pollard, meanwhile, displayed explosive ability in minimal reps. Pollard set career-highs in carries (130), rush yards (719) and scrimmage yards (1,056) in 2021 (first career season with 1,000+ scrimmage yards). His 3.6 yards after contact per carry were fifth most in the NFL last year.

With the Cowboys dealing with questions at receiver — Michael Gallup has already said he won’t be ready to return for Week 1 as he comes back from a torn ACL — Pollard could see increased reps out wide.

– – –

Jerry Jones with some cruel remarks towards his best coach.  Jason Jones ofYahooSports.com:

It’s been a year since Jimmy Johnson’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It’s likewise been a year since Jerry Jones finally conceded that the head coach who delivered two of his Super Bowl trophies and laid the groundwork for his third would be inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. Johnson’s still waiting on that call. Jones all but said on Sunday that he shouldn’t hold his breath.

Jones sat down for an interview with NBC 5’s Newy Scruggs, who asked the Cowboys owner about Johnson’s Ring induction. It’s still coming, allegedly. But Johnson has to continue to wait in line.

“It’s BS for anybody to be making anything,” Jones said of the perception that Johnson’s delayed induction is petty. “I’ve said I’m gonna put him in. Now when I put him in and the circumstances and what I do with that — there’s a lot more than Jimmy to think about here.

“And I’ve got a lot of other lives out here that have laid a lot on the line on the field that need to be in that Ring of Honor as well.”

Ok. So when does Jones think Johnson will be inducted? When Jones says so, of course. And no amount of Johnson’s “sniveling” will sway him to move faster.

“And so how I do that, what I do it with, I get to make that decision,” Jones continued. “And it isn’t at the end of the day all tailored around whether Jimmy is sniveling or not.”

Those don’t sound like the words of a man who’s buried the hatchet of decades-old beef with a man with whom he’s shared life-changing success. Even though this time last year, said beef appeared well on its way to being squashed.

As Johnson prepared for his Hall induction last August, Jones confirmed on live TV while sitting alongside Johnson and Troy Aikman that, yes, a call to the Cowboys Ring of Honor would would follow.

“It’s kind of hard to not recognize this contribution to the story of the franchise,” Jones said, while looking at Johnson. … “He will be in the Ring of Honor.”

“While I’m alive?” Johnson retorted to chuckles from the FOX NFL set.

Johnson’s question was a valid one. Jones had long played coy about his induction into the Ring. But Johnson went on to thank Jones during his Hall induction speech as the ice surrounding their relationship appeared to be thawing.

“To go from the worst team in the league two years in a row to winning back-to-back Super Bowls and building a heck of a football team, we did it,” Johnson said. “And let me tell you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, Jerry. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.”

This all came weeks after an emotional Jones acknowledged that he “f***ed” up his relationship with Johnson ahead of Johnson’s tumultuous exit from the franchise. Then, in September, Jones personally presented Johnson with his Hall of Fame ring at a ceremony during a Cowboys home game.

But come January, there was still no word on Johnson’s induction into the Ring — a fact that Johnson enthusiastically acknowledged on Twitter.

This tweet likely qualifies as “sniveling” in Jones’ book. Did it ultimately further delay Johnson’s induction into the Cowboys Ring? Time will tell. But we wouldn’t put it past Jones if it did.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Peter King on QB DANIEL JONES:

Everyone wants to know about Jones’ future, but that’s impossible to know till the games begin. If anything, the schedule gives Jones a fighting chance. Six of the first 10 games are against teams (Carolina, Chicago, Jacksonville, Seattle, Houston, Detroit) that, like the Giants, could struggle to reach .500.

Jones showed his star traits Friday at times—sprinting through the defense for one long run, combining with talented second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson several times—but he had more bad plays than good ones. “He’s big, he’s strong, he’s athletic, he’s got good mobile skills,” Daboll said, evenly, about Jones. “There’s a lot of different things you could do with a quarterback like that. We’re still tinkering with things to make sure that what I want him to do is be vocal back to me on things that he doesn’t feel comfortable with.”

WASHINGTON

EDGE CHASE YOUNG will not be ready for the regular season opener against Jacksonville.  Ben Standig of The Athletic:

Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young will not play in the team’s regular-season opener, at least, coach Ron Rivera said Friday.

Young, the 2020 defensive rookie of the year, suffered a right ACL tear in Washington’s Week 10 win over Tampa Bay on Nov. 14. That the surgery was not straightforward – surgeons grafted part of his healthy left patella tendon to help repair the injured knee – pointed toward the third-year lineman missing training camp and preseason at a minimum.

Young was among four players placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list Tuesday before Washington opened camp. Following Friday’s practice, Rivera initially answered a question about Young’s timeline by suggesting he could remain on PUP when the season starts before dialing back on specifics beyond Week 1. Washington hosts Jacksonville on Sept. 11.

“Going into the season, yes. He will not play the first game,” Rivera said. “I’m going to put it that way. I’m not going to say he’s going to start on PUP. He will not be ready for the first game.”

Young is with the team for camp, working with trainers on the side field and, according to defensive tackle Daron Payne, “watching film” with the unit.

“The young man’s done a hell of a job to get himself where he is today,” Rivera said. “The doctors are very pleased with where he is today. Everything is going about as good as we can expect it, and we’ll see.”

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY

Peter King with a buyer beware for WR JULIO JONES:

Sobering numbers on the Julio Jones signing in Tampa Bay:

• In his six prime seasons, 2014 to 2019, Jones missed four of 96 regular-season games. He averaged 104 catches and 1,565 yards per season.

• In his last two seasons, 2020 and 2021, Jones missed 14 of 33 regular-season games. He averaged 41 catches and 431 yards per season.

One more sobering metric:

• In those six prime seasons, Jones played at least 75 percent of the Falcons’ snaps each year.

• In the last two seasons, Jones played 38.9 percent of his teams’ offensive snaps.

In other words, manage your expectations, Bucs fans.

But this on QB TOM BRADY:

I think it won’t be a national holiday (not yet, anyway), but you may hear a thing or two about Tom Brady turning 45 on Wednesday. A few notable things to me about the birthday and its significance in NFL history, even though I sincerely doubt Brady, who will be trying to break in a new center after the camp injury to Ryan Jensen last week, will be interested:

a. Brady, per Alex Stern of the Elias Sports Bureau, would be the ninth player to play an NFL game after his 45th birthday. Five are exclusively kickers (Ben Agajanian, Adam Vinatieri, Morten Andersen, Gary Anderson and John Carney). A lineman named John Nesser played two games for the Columbus Panhandles in 1921, while end Bobby Marshall played three games for the Duluth Kelleys in 1925.

b. You read that right: Brady, assuming he lines up to play Dallas in Week 1, would be the first non-kicker at 45 or older to play an NFL game in 97 years.

c. Blanda is the only quarterback to throw a pass after age 45. He completed 7 of 22 after turning 45, though those were mostly mop-up throws, with no quarterback starts, as he wound up his career mostly as a kicker for the Raiders.

d. I doubt Brady’s going to break this mark, but you never know: The oldest player to ever throw an NFL pass was Blanda, on Dec. 21, 1975, at 48 years and 95 days old, per Pro Football Reference. John Madden got Blanda some snaps in the last game of the regular season—Oakland 28, KC 20—at the Oakland Coliseum. Blanda threw a pick to Willie Lanier and completed one of three passes.

e. In other words, a starting quarterback for a Super Bowl contender playing at 45 is without precedent.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

Does WR D’ANDRE HOPKINS make a good point here?  Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:

Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will miss the first six games of the season because of a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance, but Hopkins doesn’t think that’s right.

Hopkins doesn’t deny that he tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine, but he says he had only a very small amount in his system, doesn’t know how he could have ingested it, and thinks the NFL ought to look at extenuating circumstances when disciplining players.

 “I’ve never taken any of that kind of stuff,” Hopkins said, via ArizonaSports.com. “If you know about what it is, it can be in shampoo, it can be in a lot of different things. Obviously the NFL is very black and white, so of course, I wish the rule wasn’t so black and white. It is what it is. It’s hard to know when something gets contaminated at a trace amount when you’re not working at the manufacturing company.”

Hopkins maintains that anyone can get a small amount of a banned substance in his system without knowing it.

“It’s hard to know what you can eat, what you can do when you’re not in control of manufacturing anything or what goes through a conveyor belt, you know what I’m saying?” Hopkins said. “So, obviously, I do think that rules should change. But like I said, that stuff, it’ll work itself out, and I’ve never taken anything. I barely take vitamins.”

Hopkins has been making similar comments since his suspension was first reported, but the reality is Hopkins’ union and the NFL both agreed to the PED policy, and there’s just not a lot of wiggle room for players to say they don’t know how they consumed a banned substance. If you test positive for a performance-enhancing substance, even for a trace amount, you’re suspended.

– – –

While we were away, QB KYLER MURRAY’s independent study clause came and went.  This from The Athletic:

The Arizona Cardinals removed the controversial “independent study” addendum from quarterback Kyler Murray’s new contract, the team confirmed Thursday. Murray held an unscheduled press conference earlier in the day to push back on the criticism that came following news of the clause, which was first reported Monday.

The addendum was removed on Wednesday, NFL Network reported.

“After seeing the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract,” the Cardinals said in a statement to ESPN. “It was clearly perceived in ways that were never intended. Our confidence in Kyler Murray is as high as it’s ever been and nothing demonstrates our belief in his ability to lead this team more than the commitment reflected in this contract.”

Murray’s new $230.5 million deal, which includes roughly $160 million guaranteed, according to the NFL Network, contained an “independent study addendum” that required him to review four hours of game film per week (outside of normal team preparation). It also stated that while watching film, Murray could not be engaged in other activities such as watching television or playing video games.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury said he had no role in adding the addendum into the contract, which was announced July 21.

“Yeah, I don’t get in on the negotiation,” Kingsbury said. “Obviously, my entire role in that was prayer and pleading. And it worked out really well for me.”

That addendum prompted much discussion and criticism among fans on various social media platforms, as well as from analysts and media pundits about Murray’s preparation and work ethic.

The former Heisman Trophy winner responded to those criticisms Thursday by listing his accomplishments in the sport, which include two Pro Bowl selections and being the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

In his NFL career, he has thrown for 11,480 yards with 70 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, along with 1,786 rushing yards and 20 rushing TDs.

Even though the clause has been removed, there will likely be public pressure on Murray to prepare properly after the issue entered the public eye. And with the Cardinals on “Hard Knocks” this season, the spotlight on the team will be especially bright.

SAN FRANCISCO

The Titans and Packers shipped WRs A.J. BROWN and DEVANTE ADAMS out of town when their demands got too high and tempers flared.

But the 49ers stayed the course with WR DEEBO SAMUEL – and today they have a deal.  Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:

After a roller-coaster offseason that included a surprising trade request, a social media scrubbing and a half-dozen other receivers signing lucrative contracts, the final domino fell Sunday when wideout Deebo Samuel agreed to a three-year contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers.

The deal is worth a maximum value of $73.5 million over the three years and includes $58.1 million in guarantees, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Samuel is the seventh wideout this offseason to sign a deal worth at least $24 million per year. Before this season, only DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals had hit that mark.

In striking the deal, the Niners and Samuel brought a peaceful end to a turbulent negotiation that saw Samuel request a trade from the Niners in April. Despite that request, San Francisco held firm to its desire to work through whatever issues bothered Samuel and reward him with a significant contract that would keep him with the team well into the future.

Mission accomplished.

During the NFL draft in April, the Niners received some offers on Samuel but never got anything close to what it would have taken to move on from him. In the weeks that followed, Samuel slowly came back into the fold, attending the team’s mandatory, full-squad minicamp in June. Samuel then reported on time for the start of this year’s training camp.

He and coach Kyle Shanahan talked through the plan for him as camp opened Tuesday, agreeing that Samuel would do conditioning work on the side as the Niners and his representatives continued hammering out a deal. At that time, Niners general manager John Lynch was more optimistic than ever that the sides would strike a deal.

“We’ve had really productive and substantive talks,” Lynch said then. “I don’t want to get everyone all excited that something is imminent because we’re not there yet, but really hopeful that in the near future we’ll be able to announce something that is exciting for everyone involved. Deebo is here today and we’re excited about moving forward with him as part of this team.”

In signing Samuel, the 49ers retained their most productive offensive player. In 2021, Samuel, 26, coined the term “wide back” because of his ability to play receiver and running back. In his dual role, Samuel emerged as a unique offensive threat, becoming the first player since 1999 and third in NFL history to have at least 1,000 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns and five rushing scores in the same season.

Along the way, Samuel averaged a league-leading 18.2 yards per catch and 6.2 yards per carry while scoring a combined 14 touchdowns. His 1,770 yards from scrimmage ranked third in the NFL, and his eight rushing touchdowns were the most by a receiver in league history as he surged to All-Pro honors.

It will be interesting to see if there is an agreement – either formalized or hand shake – as to how much, or how little, Samuel will be asked to carry the ball.

– – –

Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com believes in QB TREY LANCE:

The Niners said there’ll be days like this. There’ll be days like this, the Niners said.

Second-year quarterback and freshly named starter Trey Lance had a difficult day at San Francisco training camp Friday morning, but no one here is pressing the panic button just yet.

“There’s always going to be ups and downs. I’m more worried at this point about how we respond,” Lance told me after practice. “I thought it was a little bit sloppy today for sure on my end. But we’re going to keep getting better. It’s only Day 3 so we got a lot of work to do.”

Early in team drills, Lance appeared to throw a pass slightly behind tight end George Kittle that was picked off by second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga. A few plays later, a deep ball intended for Ray-Ray McCloud hung in the clouds, and good coverage by Charvarius Ward helped it fall incomplete.

Later, another intended pass to Kittle went incomplete when the tight end appeared to slip and fall as the ball was released. Lance was high on a sideline pass to Kittle with cornerback Emmanuel Moseley in coverage. And finally, Lance’s boot-and-stop throw intended for Brandon Aiyuk arrived as a wounded duck that fluttered so much, Ward couldn’t judge it well enough to get what should have been an interception.

The question today is one that may be repeated throughout camp: How much of this is Lance needing reps with the offense vs. how much is this the defense being better?

At this point, it’s hard to tell. The defense could easily be the best in the NFL. Nick Bosa can wreck any play at any point. Fred Warner appeared to get two TFLs on rush attempts during team drills. The Niners have a great defensive backfield with depth to spare.

Folks I speak with here tell me Lance had a great spring and summer and has taken greater command of the offense and huddle. Deebo Samuel should be on the field with his new contract soon (more on that below), and the offensive line is going through a bit of musical chairs right now.

If Lance is struggling at a camp practice before the pads come on, no one here is worried. Lance has earned the opportunity to drive the car here, and I asked him why he believes the organization has such faith in a young quarterback taking over a playoff contender.

“I’m confident in myself but I guess that’s a question for those guys,” Lance says. “They know I got their back and I know they got my back 100%. So I’m excited to get this year started. I’m going to do everything I can to be as prepared as I can Week 1 and even the preseason. I’m going to be ready to go.”

AFC NORTH

CLEVELAND

Today is D-Day – as in Deshaun Decision Day.

@MaryKayCabot

Source confirms for clevelanddotcom that the parties involved in the #Browns Deshaun Watson case have been involved that Sue L. Robinson will issue her ruling on Monday, as @JosinaAnderson  first reported. I reported Friday it would be early this week.

No one professes to know how Robinson will rule, but the NFLPA is acting like they think that Watson’s punishment will be less than The Commish would have handed down.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

With a decision from disciplinary officer Judge Sue L. Robinson expected on Monday, the NFL Players Association has issued a statement that includes a very strong implication.

“In advance of Judge Robinson’s decision, we wanted to reiterate the facts of this proceeding,” the NFLPA said Sunday night. “First, we have fully cooperated with every NFL inquiry and provided the NFL with the most comprehensive set of information for any Personal Conduct Policy investigation. A former federal judge — appointed jointly by the NFLPA and NFL — held a full and fair hearing, has read thousands of pages of investigative documents and reviewed arguments from both sides impartially. Every player, owner, business partner and stakeholder deserves to know that our process is legitimate and will not be tarnished based on the whims of the league office. This is why, regardless of her decision, Deshaun and the NFLPA will stand by her ruling and we call on the NFL to do the same.”

Without expressly saying it, this statement strongly suggests that the union and Watson won’t appeal Judge Robinson’s decision, whatever it may be. Subsumed within that position is a quiet confidence that the decision will fall far short of the one-year minimum ban the league office wanted.

The biggest question becomes whether the NFL will abide by her ruling. Last month, the Associated Press reported that the league would be inclined to not appeal a suspension in the range of six to eight games. That report was later disputed. Regardless, the league will have the ability to appeal, unless Judge Robinson imposes no discipline at all.

Peter King:

I don’t think the union knows what Robinson’s decision will be, but I think the NFLPA wants the ruling to be in the hands of an impartial former judge and not in the hands of Roger Goodell or his designee. In calling on the league to abide by whatever Robinson rules, the union looks magnanimous in the court of public opinion. But I can’t see the NFL agreeing to give up its collectively bargained right to appeal her decision if it chooses.

I’ve speculated the arbitrator may not do what the league wants—suspend Watson for a year, or indefinitely, because this is her first case, and it is the most vexing NFL player discipline case since the Ray Rice affair eight years ago. But regardless, the union clearly doesn’t want the appeal in Goodell’s hands. Tulane sports law professor Gabe Feldman tweeted Sunday night that the union clearly wants a decision of this magnitude decided by an “independent third party—and not Roger Goodell.”

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com reports that Watson is down to only one outstanding legal matter:

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has now settled all but one of the lawsuits brought against him by female massage therapists who say he engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct during therapy sessions.

Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who represented two dozen women who sued Watson, told John Barr of ESPN that three of the remaining four active lawsuits against Watson have been settled.

Among those settling is Ashley Solis, the first massage therapist to sue Watson and the first to tell her story publicly.

Buzbee has not said who the one remaining plaintiff is, or what the status is with that case.

Watson is expected to learn today what if any league discipline he will face for the allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct. If the suspension falls short of the league’s request, the league can appeal, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell decides the appeal.

PITTSBURGH

Peter King at Pittsburgh camp:

Tomlin’s usually good theater at this time of year, but I was especially focused on him Saturday because of what’s at stake. With two of the organization’s most important people, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and GM Kevin Colbert, retired since the Steelers last suited up, this is a year of change, a year of what’s-next for one of the league’s top franchises with only one immovable force remaining—Tomlin, entering his 16th year as coach.

In his first 15 years as head man, Tomlin’s never had a losing season, a remarkable run of competitiveness in the dog-eat-dog NFL. (For comparison, Bill Belichick had five losing years in his first 15 as a coach.)

Tomlin didn’t like my post-practice line of questioning about what has been lost here, at one point asking, “You’re hoping that we’re mediocre?” I said no—but this is a year that people look at the Steelers and have no idea what to expect.

NFL: MAY 24 Pittsburgh Steelers OTA Offseason Workouts

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. (Getty Images)

I could feel the heat from behind his sunglasses.

“Bring it on,” Tomlin said. “Bring it on.”

“You like that?” I said.

“Bring … it … on. Quote me.”

I think Mike Tomlin loves this setup. Just loves it.

QB MITCH TRUBISKY is the early leader in the battle to replace Big Ben.  More King:

That’s what I’d want out of my head coach. Roethlisberger’s gone. Okay. Who’s up? And will we throw it 60 percent or run it to hide whatever zits we have in the passing game? Can Najee Harris handle a 300-carry load if need be? Those are the things Tomlin tries to figure out this year—but they’re the things, at different positions, he’s tried to figure out every year.

It’s too early to draw any conclusions on the quarterbacks six weeks from opening day. But there was one major clue about how it’s trending on Saturday: In an early passing period of practice, in the tight red zone, the reps were split 4-2-1, Trubisky-Rudolph-Pickett. From what I gleaned, the opening-day assignment, Steelers at the Super Bowl Bengals, is Trubisky’s to lose.

Of course, things like this period factor into the ultimate decision. Trubisky was one of four, and Pickett nailed his one chance with a perfect touch throw for a touchdown to free-agent wideout Tyler Vaughns. “We’re at the very early stages of this. Everyone’s gonna get an opportunity to show their capabilities, for sure,” Tomlin said. As it should be.

“Coach Tomlin is very transparent about the situation,” Trubisky said. “Ever since I got here, it’s been really impressive to me how he leads the team as a football coach. He’ll even tell you. It’s not an accident that he gets the results he does because he’s such a great leader. I’m just trying to soak in all that knowledge so I can be the best player I can be and we can continue to go out and win games for the Steelers.”

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND

At Patriots camp, Peter King had his eyes on Bill Belichick:

The 70-year-old Bill Belichick looks and coaches a lot like the early-New England Bill Belichick. A couple of months ago, I saw a photo of George Halas coaching in his seventies (he was 21-18-3 in three seasons after turning 70) and he looked 80. Belichick looks 55. Belichick was hands-on coaching the quarterbacks, from what I saw. He spent play after play working with and drilling backup QB Bailey Zappe, who sure is getting a lot of snaps for a fourth-round maybe guy.

THIS AND THAT

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES

From Rivers McCown of ProFootballOutsiders (edited for space):

Every year, Football Outsiders puts together a list of the NFL’s best and brightest young players … who have barely played. About 80% of draft-day discussions are about first-round picks, and 10% are about the players who should have been first-round picks but instead went in the second round. Particularly if they were quarterbacks.

This list is about that last 10%. It’s a stab in the dark at players who might just come out of the woodwork and surprise you this year.

This is a list of players who have a real chance to make an impact in the NFL despite their lack of draft stock and the fact that they weren’t immediate NFL starters.

Previous editions of the list have hyped George Kittle, Cooper Kupp, Mark Andrews and J.C. Jackson before they blew up. Last year’s list led off with Damien Harris, who scored 15 touchdowns during the 2021 season. It had Logan Wilson, who eventually started in the Super Bowl. It also had some solid starters and, well, some misses.

This is the 16th anniversary of the list. We’re still relying on the same things we always have: scouting, statistics, measurables, context, ceiling, expected role and what we hear from other sources. Here’s our full criteria for the top 25:

Drafted in the third round or later, or signed as an undrafted free agent.

Entered the NFL between 2019 and 2021.

Fewer than 500 career offensive or defensive snaps (except running backs, who are allowed just 300 offensive snaps).

Have not signed a contract extension (players who have bounced around the league looking for the right spot, however, still qualify for the list).

Age 26 or younger as of Sept. 1, 2022.

Let’s start with the top prospect:

(Ages are current as of July 31, 2022)

1. Josh Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Age 23 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 77 | 458 offensive snaps

A challenging prospect based on raw numbers, Palmer had fewer than 100 career catches at Tennessee as the team struggled to mount a passing offense. He had only 475 receiving yards for the 2020 Volunteers, which still led the team with almost twice the yardage of second-place Velus Jones Jr.

Palmer showed the ability to create on his own in a limited offense time and time again, but this lack of production was a main factor behind a pretty poor playmaker score projection — Palmer had just an 8.7% playmaker rating — and he didn’t show especially great splits in workouts. He ran an average 4.52-second 40-yard dash, and his most dominant physical characteristic was probably his 33-inch arm length.

He didn’t play enough to qualify for our main leaderboard as a rookie, but among wideouts with 10 to 49 targets, Palmer finished 14th in DYAR and 22nd in DVOA. However, by the end of the season Palmer began getting starts. He had three touchdowns in the last five weeks of Los Angeles’ season as Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler missed some time. Palmer wasn’t physically dominating, but he had a knack for doing work at the catch point. His production came despite finishing with the 13th-lowest amount of cushion according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

The extremely exciting part is that Palmer is dialed into one of the best offenses in the NFL. Allen might not be washed up yet, but he turned 30 in April and will eventually leave a target vacuum to be filled. Palmer has also already earned his quarterback’s confidence.

“This year it’s a different Josh Palmer out there. He knows exactly where he’s going. We throw a bunch after practice. I feel comfortable with him,” Justin Herbert told reporters in June.

If Palmer is the third wideout in the Chargers’ offense, he’s going to be a fantasy factor in a hurry.

2. Andre Cisco, S, Jacksonville Jaguars

Age 22 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 65 | 245 defensive snaps

Cisco had 18 passes defensed and seven interceptions as a freshman at Syracuse in 2018. He had another 10 pass breakups and five picks in his sophomore season before a torn ACL in a pregame collision ended his junior season prematurely. Cisco’s tackling technique was about the only thing scouts could pick up on as a weakness, but we also have almost no workout data for him because of the ACL injury.

Drafted by Urban Meyer’s Jaguars at the top of the third round, Cisco didn’t play because … well, because it was a dysfunctional environment. In fact, Meyer botched a direct question about it when asked. “Well, Cisco’s playing a little bit more, I believe,” Meyer said at the time. “I don’t have his numbers in front of me. But yeah, that’s a conversation.” Cisco at the time had played just 21 defensive snaps in the previous month.

After Meyer was fired, Cisco started getting major playing time. Both of his passes defensed came in the final month of the season. Cisco looks likely to beat out incumbent Andrew Wingard for a starting spot this season.

New defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell heaped praise on Cisco during minicamp.

“Smart. Smart. One thing about it, coachingwise, you put stuff in and he gets it quickly, able to take it out on the field, make calls, he communicates well which is huge for us. Just a smart, good … player.”

3. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

Age: 24 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 120 | 265 offensive snaps

Stevenson led Oklahoma in rushing during the abbreviated 2020 COVID-19 season with 665 yards in six games. Overall at OU, he averaged 7.2 yards per carry and scored 13 rushing touchdowns in 165 career carries.

Running a 4.63 40-yard-dash at his pro day helped build on the narrative that he didn’t have much explosion — Stevenson’s a big back at 231 pounds, and he bullies defenders.

Checking in with the No. 3 success rate in the NFL (59%) in his rookie season, Stevenson was a change-up behind last year’s No. 1 overall prospect Damien Harris. It was clear that Stevenson had some juice even if the fantasy football tastemakers and preseason watchers were a little ahead of their skis when they anointed him as someone who could make a difference in 2021. Stevenson finished in the top 20 in both rushing DVOA and rushing DYAR. He also had 0.53 rushing yards over expectation per NFL’s Next Gen Stats, a top-10 figure in the NFL. And he was behind Harris in all three categories.

Harris remains ahead of Stevenson on the depth chart heading into 2022. That doesn’t mean we can rule out Stevenson taking a bigger share of the backfield. With James White re-signed to play third-down back and rookie Pierre Strong Jr. behind him in that role, Stevenson is going to have to beat out Harris to get more than a share of the lead role in this backfield. He has the talent to make that happen, but some patience might be warranted on any kind of impending breakout just because of the competition.

4. Ernest Jones, LB, Los Angeles Rams

Age 22 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 103 | 440 defensive snaps

South Carolina’s leading tackler in back-to-back seasons, Jones racked up 10.5 tackles for loss, 7 pass deflections, 2 picks and 183 total tackles in his final two years with the Gamecocks.

He has modern interior player length and burst, with an 80 1/8-inch wingspan and a 38.5-inch vertical jump, both 93rd percentile among NFL linebackers. Most of the dings against him from scouts were about coverage after a junior season that had no passes defensed.

However, Jones quickly proved to be an all-around player for the Rams. He became a starter on Halloween and played most of the snaps until a Week 16 high-ankle sprain left him just shy of our snap requirement. Jones started in the Super Bowl and sacked Joe Burrow. He had a run stop rate of 71% (sixth among qualifying linebackers) and allowed just 4.8 yards per pass in coverage (11th).

The Rams reeled in Bobby Wagner this offseason, but the plan seems to be to start Jones alongside the former All-Pro.

“He has all of the attributes of a great linebacker. If I could do anything to help, I will,” Wagner said of Jones in May. “I think he’s a very special player, and he has a chance to be really, really good.”

5. Ambry Thomas, CB, San Francisco 49ers

Age 22 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 102 | 333 defensive snaps

Only a one-year starter for Michigan, Thomas had three picks and seven passes defensed in 2019 before opting out of the 2020 season. He ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at his pro day and, though a little short at 5-foot-11, was stout enough to play press successfully in the Big Ten. As a true outside corner with any kind of track record of pure success, he was in demand enough to go in the third round.

Injuries forced the 49ers to open Thomas down the stretch, and he was torched in his first few weeks before making adjustments. Starting in Week 16, over five games (including the playoffs) he allowed just 5.5 yards per pass in coverage with a 59% success rate. The playoff run in particular was wildly successful, as even though he was picked on often, he was up to the task. Matthew Stafford targeted him 10 times in the NFC Championship Game and gained only 47 yards on those targets.

Both Josh Norman and K’Waun Williams left the top of the 49ers’ depth chart this offseason, paving the way for Thomas to potentially be a starter outside alongside Charvarius Ward.

He’ll have to beat out Emmanuel Moseley for the spot (or perhaps one of them will play nickel), but Thomas’ rapid improvement has us believing he has the inside track.

6. Nick Harris, C, Cleveland Browns

Age 23 | Drafted: 2020, Pick 160 | 214 offensive snaps

Harris finished first-team All-Pac-12 at Washington in his junior and senior seasons, with some snaps at right tackle and some at center. His size (6-foot-0, 302 pounds) is better suited to the inside in the NFL. His best trait from a scouting perspective was his 5.1-second 40-yard dash at the combine, which was in the 80th percentile of all offensive linemen. But his power was questionable, and so despite good college production, he slid into Day 3.

Through two years, Harris has a pair of spot starts and an extended relief appearance in 2020. He struggled in pass protection in 2020, blowing three blocks and allowing two sacks in 91 pass-blocking snaps. But he improved in 2021’s small start, with just one of each. The knock on him until he proves otherwise is going to be dealing with inside power in pass protection.

With Cleveland releasing JC Tretter, Harris has become the favorite for the starting center job for the Browns this offseason.

7. Tyler Huntley, QB, Baltimore Ravens

Age 24 | Undrafted | 401 offensive snaps

Despite a huge senior bump in which he completed 73.1% of his passes at 10.9 adjusted yards per attempt for 19 touchdowns with just four picks, Huntley’s lack of ideal size for the position — 6-foot-1, 196 pounds — left him off most teams’ draft boards.

He also ran 389 times over three years as a more-or-less full-time starter, picking up 16 rushing touchdowns. That might have been a signpost that he could deal with NFL punishment, but if it was, teams besides the Ravens weren’t listening.

Huntley had to start down the stretch after Lamar Jackson was hurt last year. He finished with a 1.8% passing DVOA and 14 DYAR, completing 64.9% of his passes. He did take a ton of sacks (his unadjusted sack rate was 8.7%), and his tenure was one of being one play away from winning the game rather than actually winning the game. But all in all, it was a fairly successful debut. Any time a quarterback shows even the remotest sign of a pulse like this as a backup, it’s worth monitoring.

We don’t think Huntley is someone the Ravens should promote to starter unless there are dire circumstances, but he has played interestingly enough that the league’s truly quarterback-needy teams should consider him.

He’s not Kyler Murray. But Murray proved that small packages can sometimes yield more than expected in an NFL context, and Huntley could do the same if given a real chance.

8. Alim McNeill, DT, Detroit Lions

Age 22 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 72 | 422 defensive snaps

Normally defensive tackles on this list make it here because they’re undersized — one of the biggest hits in the history of this list is Geno Atkins — and McNeill is very much not that.

Playing behind Michael Brockers and Nick Williams in an inside rotation in 2021, McNeill led Lions interior players with two sacks and finished second with eight hurries. He also had the highest run stop rate (68%) among Detroit’s interior linemen. All of McNeill’s hurries came on first or second down.

The offseason depth chart has unfolded nicely for McNeill, as fellow rookie John Penisini’s abrupt retirement left a three-man rotation of McNeill, Brockers and 2021 second-rounder Levi Onwuzurike inside. McNeill figures to take over as a starter this year. The question about his value will simply be: Is he a very good nose tackle for run downs, or is he going to be able to play on passing downs?

9. Brevin Jordan, TE, Houston Texans

Age 22 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 147 | 232 offensive snaps

Falling to the fifth round because of a lack of optimal size, the 6-foot-2, 247-pound Jordan has some tweener criticism in his draft profile and was also dinged for missing games to injury in every season at Miami.

His rookie season with Houston was a mixture of what you’d expect from that profile. Jordan was slowed by injuries at times but caught three touchdowns in an anemic Texans attack despite never really becoming a full-time starter.

If we had confidence that Jordan was going to be targeted as a 1A option by the Texans behind Brandin Cooks — something that you could argue should be the case based on the résumés of their other wideouts — Jordan would be a candidate for the No. 1 overall prospect spot.

If Jordan makes a playing-time leap, he should be a fringe fantasy TE1. It’s just hard to foresee how things will shake out on this bizarre roster, even if new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton does have a penchant for using tight ends more often than predecessor Tim Kelly.

10. Joseph Ossai, DE, Cincinnati Bengals

Age 22 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 69 | 0 defensive snaps

There was some real helium in Ossai’s stock leading up to the draft, so it was a bit of a surprise that he was still around for the Bengals at 69th overall. The former Texas edge rusher had 29.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his final 22 games on the 40 acres, then ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. SackSEER gave him a rating of 89.2%, which puts him historically against prospects like Kyle Van Noy and LaMarr Woodley.

Ossai was supposed to be the extra pass-rusher the Bengals could go to on third down next to Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard (both fellow prospect list alums!), but instead went down with a season-ending torn meniscus in his first preseason game — he did have several great rushes and a sack of Tom Brady before the injury.

It looks likely that Ossai will be the No. 3 pass-rusher to start the 2022 season if he’s healthy, and the Bengals haven’t really added anybody who would push him. Reports were that Ossai would be ready for training camp and we have seen him on the field. As long as he hasn’t lost anything to the injury, he’ll have a chance to be a factor for the Bengals’ AFC title defense right away.

11. Julian Okwara, LB, Detroit Lions

Age 24 | Drafted: 2020, pick 67 | 431 defensive snaps

A player who returns from last year’s list, Okwara was a highly effective situational pass-rusher for the Lions last year

Detroit has promised more of a hybrid role for Okwara this offseason after drafting Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Paschal early. They want him to play Sam linebacker on run downs and rush the passer as part of a third-down package. We’re not sure if he can hold up to all the modern linebacker responsibilities, but we’re already believers that he can get after the quarterback at a high level.

12. Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Detroit Lions

Age 23 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 101 | 243 defensive snaps

Yet another Syracuse product on the list, Melifonwu rolled into the 2021 draft with true outside cornerback traits and build: 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, with a 4.48 40-yard dash.

While Melifonwu started the second game of the season against the Packers, a large amount of his playing time came during Weeks 16-18, where he played almost 100% of Detroit’s snaps. He allowed 7.2 yards per pass over 14 targets during those weeks, giving up a pair of touchdowns in coverage to DK Metcalf. He also gave up a bomb to Kyle Pitts, which is the kind of thing that will happen when you’re a raw rookie on a bad defense, but you are the one with the body type to match up to the NFL’s best.

Frankly, it’s hard to believe that A.J. Parker and Jerry Jacobs are better options outside than Melifonwu would be physically, but with Jeff Okudah possibly back and Kerby Joseph also added to the secondary, Melifonwu may just be trying to find a spot to start.

13. Benjamin St-Juste, CB, Washington Commanders

Age 24 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 74 | 318 defensive snaps

A Canuck who played his college ball at Minnesota after transferring away from Michigan, St-Juste didn’t pick off any passes but had 13 passes defensed in two seasons. He also has true outside cornerback height and weight at 6-foot-3, 202 pounds.

St-Juste ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, which was disappointing but understandable given his size. He clearly showed some good change of direction, though, with a 6.63-second 3-cone drill time. He wasn’t regarded as anywhere near a finished product coming out, and that sent him tumbling to the Commanders in the third round.

St-Juste was immediately one of the most popular targets in the NFL in his rookie year, allowing 8.1 yards per pass and being targeted on a team-high 23.8% of his snaps. He was a big part of Mike Williams’ breakout year in Week 1, but afterward rebounded a bit and didn’t allow another touchdown in coverage in his short stint as a starter. A long-term concussion forced St-Juste from the lineup after Week 8 and he didn’t play a single defensive snap for the rest of the season.

The confidence to throw St-Juste outside in Week 1 of last season and hang with him through his ups and downs likely tells us a lot about how much Washington believes in this third-round pick.

14. Brady Christensen, OT, Carolina Panthers

Age 25 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 70 | 480 offensive snaps

As Zach Wilson’s blindside protector at BYU, Christensen was a first-team All-American in 2020 and ran a blistering 4.89-second 40-yard dash at 302 pounds. His 32¼-inch arm length was the primary ding on him, as some offensive line coaches believe in a floor for the position that is higher than that. Despite being incredible in college, the arm length, his age and the lack of tape against top edge prospects had Christensen lasting until the beginning of the third round.

Often we tell stories here about how a guy shined in a small sample. Nobody shined on Carolina’s terrible offensive line last year, and Christensen was no exception. He was dreadful, blowing 19 blocks and allowing 4.5 sacks. Tampa Bay, in particular, had him in knots. Eight of his blown blocks came in two games against the Bucs. He also was forced inside at times to cover for injuries on the line, and his lack of versatility in college came home to roost.

It’s unclear how much reliability we can give to Matt Rhule’s narration at this point, but he has called Christensen “one of the best players on the team” this offseason, and the starting job at left tackle is still up for grabs as we go to press with a camp battle between Christensen and top-10 pick Ikem Ekwonu. The loser will likely play guard.

It’s possible that Christensen needs more seasoning to be good at the position. It’s also possible that he plays left tackle and is solid at it — and we rarely can squeeze a solid left tackle onto our top prospects list. Starting-quality tackles often start right away. The upside Christensen offers vaults him into the middle of this list despite the poor rookie season.

15. Aaron Robinson, CB, New York Giants

Age 24 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 71 | 268 defensive snaps

Robinson had just two real starts last season: Week 13 and 14 while Adoree’ Jackson was hurt. He allowed 8.7 yards per attempt on nine targets during that stretch, mostly successful passes under the RPO Tua Tagovailoa offense. Robinson did allow only 5.6 yards per play on the season, though, and had the highest success rate on passes (58%) of any non-Jackson Giants defensive back.

With the late-offseason release of James Bradberry, Robinson currently is the best bet the Giants have at outside corner. It feels a bit like they’re shoehorning him in and that it could be a trial by fire with the lack of an established talent who actually has an outside corner build on the roster.

The opportunity is there in spades, but it’s an interesting trial because even if he’s not cut out for NFL outside duties, the Giants could still move him back inside.

16. Talanoa Hufanga, S, San Francisco 49ers

Age 23 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 180 | 395 defensive snaps

He wound up comfortably fitting a hybrid role in his first year in San Francisco, playing deep just as often as he played forward for defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. We had him with just four broken tackles in 392 snaps, and while he didn’t exactly dominate the passes defensed score sheet, he also had his yards per play allowed massively skewed by one 50-yard completion allowed to Christian Kirk in Week 9 — it’s the only pass play of more than 20 yards for which SIS had him in coverage all season.

With Jaquiski Tartt off to Philadelphia, Hufanga appeared to be winning the early competition with veteran George Odum to take over as one of San Francisco’s safeties. We do worry that the speed could be exposed, but as long as he’s not a single-high safety too often, the 49ers’ defense is a good fit for Hufanga’s skill set.

17. Milton Williams, DL, Philadelphia Eagles

Age 23 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 73 | 456 defensive snaps

If there’s a player comparison that’s close to the workout numbers Williams put out in 2021, it might be Aaron Donald. (We are not saying he plays like Aaron Donald, please do not say that we said that.)

In his first season in Philadelphia, Williams was the third wheel to Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave. He mostly kept pace with Hargrave as a run stuffer but wasn’t quite as disruptive as a pass-rusher. That’s not to say Williams was bad — Hargrave was exceptional — but Williams produced 14 hurries and two sacks in his limited snap count. Twelve of the 17 plays on which he produced pass pressure came from Week 10 on.

The problem we had with putting Williams on this list is that the Eagles’ interior line is a fully loaded baked potato. Hargrave and Cox are back, and they added Jordan Davis at 13th overall in the 2022 draft.

The path for Williams to get a full-time job is nonexistent without multiple injuries in front of him. However, everything we’ve seen so far points to Williams being a worthy starter if he gets that chance.

18. Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Age 25 | Drafted: 2020, Pick 217 | 337 offensive snaps

A big possession receiver type, Jennings is exactly what you’d close your eyes and imagine the 49ers targeting in the draft. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he led all FBS receivers with 30 missed tackles in 2019 en route to a 969-yard, eight-touchdown season for Tennessee.

After spending most of 2020 on the practice squad, Jennings became the 49ers’ third wideout as the 2021 season wound down and Mohamed Sanu and Trent Sherfield were found lacking. Jennings caught two touchdowns against the Rams in the season finale to help San Francisco clinch the playoffs.

Speaking about his third-year receivers — Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk — in OTAs, Kyle Shanahan said: “They’ve had as good an offseason as they’ve had since they’ve been in the league. And they’re as good as they’ve been right now. Both of them.”

19. Thomas Graham Jr., CB, Chicago Bears

Age 23 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 228 | 112 defensive snaps

He has a tweener body type between outside and slot at 5-foot-10, 192 pounds, and his pro day workout was a fairly big disappointment without a real standout result. This slid him all the way into the sixth round for the Bears.

Active as Chicago played out the string, Graham started in Week 15 against the Vikings and played major snaps in Week 16 versus the Seahawks. It’s not much of a sample size, and he allowed a 41-yard touchdown catch to DK Metcalf (who among us hasn’t?), but he held his other six targets to one catch for 10 yards.

With the great purge that was the Chicago roster this offseason, Graham has a real starting shot. All he has to do is beat out veteran Tavon Young to be the team’s starting nickelback.

20. Jonas Griffith, LB, Denver Broncos

Age 25 | Undrafted | 255 defensive snaps

Hailing out of tiny Indiana State, Griffith was overlooked by most draftniks coming out. One thing you can’t say is that the college numbers were unimpressive: Griffith had 14 sacks, 28.5 tackles for loss and 382 total tackles in four years as a starter. By his senior season, opposing Missouri Valley teams had started trying to avoid him entirely.

Undrafted, Griffith was dealt from the 49ers to the Broncos at last cuts in 2021 in a swap that ultimately netted a sixth-round pick for San Francisco. The Broncos stuck him on injured reserve but came back to him late in the season as a starter for the final four games. He posted a 71% success rate in coverage and a 72% stop rate on run plays, but didn’t play enough snaps to qualify for our rankings in either. Those would both be very good numbers in a bigger sample size.

With Kenny Young and Alexander Johnson both gone, Griffith seems like the best option to play with Josey Jewell inside. We prefer Griffith to ex-Eagles veteran Alex Singleton.

21. Rashard Lawrence, DL, Arizona Cardinals

Age 23 | Drafted: 2020, Pick 131 | 385 defensive snaps

Under the old rules of our list, where we defined our minimums with start count instead of snaps, Lawrence wouldn’t be eligible. That distinction says a lot about what Lawrence is: a pure run-stuffing, run-downs-only interior lineman.

We don’t have him high up on this list because the value of a run-only defender is lacking and there’s not much question that Lawrence isn’t a pass-rusher at this point. But the Cardinals have shed a lot of defensive interior guys this offseason and Lawrence should benefit as a likely rotation piece alongside Leki Fotu and Zach Allen on the inside. Lawrence’s gap-soundness on first and second down can help the Cardinals get to those aggressive blitz schemes on third down.

22. Kene Nwangwu, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Age 24 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 119 | 29 offensive snaps

You’re used to NFL success stories that were overlooked on stacked depth charts from, say, Alabama. How about David Montgomery and Breece Hall’s backup at Iowa State? Nwangwu caught eyes by running a 4.31 40-yard dash at the Cyclones’ pro day in 2020. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in college and added 26.8 yards per kick return.

Somewhat of a surprise pick in the fourth round — some outside publications had him as a priority free agent — Nwangwu spent most of the year behind Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison. He did manage two kick-return touchdowns and averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his extremely limited 13-carry sample.

The path to playing time for Nwangwu is not cut-and-dried in 2022, but the path to playing time in Minnesota is very open in the long term. Cook’s cap hit balloons to $14 million in 2023, in his age-28 season, and if he becomes expendable, the Vikings will save cap space releasing him. This is in a front office led by new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who has an analytical background. Meanwhile, Mattison will be a free agent after the 2021 season.

Nwangwu has very little chance of making an offensive impact this year beyond injury chaos, but he’s so explosive with the ball that we couldn’t leave him off your radar.

23. Kylen Granson, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Age 24 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 127 | 228 offensive snaps

Frank Reich was very adamant that the Colts come away with him in the draft, telling Indy’s With The Next Pick series: “I like Granson a lot, he’s gonna play.” And from the same video, a Colts scout related: “Frank came into the draft room one day and was like ‘Hey, I watched this Granson kid, he can run … I really like this guy.'”

Granson spent his rookie season third on the depth chart behind Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox. He finished with a minus-15 DYAR but a 73% catch rate. He never drew more than two targets in a single game, and his playing-time high was just 32 offensive snaps in Week 16.

But with Doyle’s retirement, Granson now enters the season as the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart, and Matt Ryan is a quarterback who could be better suited (read: more willing) to take advantage of Granson’s skill set.

24. Jabril Cox, LB, Dallas Cowboys

Age 24 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 115 | 9 defensive snaps

A North Dakota transfer who moved up to LSU for his senior season, Cox notched 6.5 tackles for loss, 3 picks and 8 passes defensed with 58 tackles for the Bayou Bengals. For his college career, he finished with 33 passes defensed including nine picks. At 6-foot-3, 232 pounds, there was some concern about his ability to take on more physical players at LSU.

What we didn’t get to see in 2021 was any kind of response to that criticism. Cox barely played before a right ACL tear ended his season in October.

With Leighton Vander Esch back in Dallas, Cox is currently set to be the third linebacker in base sets for the Cowboys. In an ideal world, Cox would seize Vander Esch’s passing-down duties since he never fully recovered his form in coverage prior to his neck injuries. To do that, he’s going to have to improve his play strength.

25. Dyami Brown, WR, Washington Commanders

Age 22 | Drafted: 2021, Pick 82 | 335 offensive snaps

Brown’s rookie season in Washington was something of a missed opportunity, with injuries limiting his effectiveness and a poor deep passing game keeping him from unlocking his best traits.

But the big leap for most players is Year 1 to Year 2, and the situation in front of Brown hasn’t exactly settled. Most of the reason to believe in him comes from his prospect profile rather than his first season in the NFL, but he still has a chance.

Honorable mentions

Tre Brown, CB, Seattle Seahawks

Camryn Bynum, S, Minnesota Vikings

Ben Cleveland, G, Baltimore Ravens

Drew Dalman, C, Atlanta Falcons

Divine Deablo, LB, Las Vegas Raiders

Chris Evans, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Demetric Felton Jr., RB/WR, Cleveland Browns

Zech McPhearson, CB, Philadelphia Eagles

Quincy Roche, LB, New York Giants

Trey Sermon, RB, San Francisco 49ers