CHICAGO

WR CHASE CLAYPOOL starts camp on PUP.  He has been “nursing” a soft tissue injury through OTAs.  Alyssa Barbieri of USA TODAY adds:

Last month, Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Claypool was dealing with “a few things,” but he believed he was on track to return for training camp.

Claypool was recently spotted working out with quarterback Justin Fields and teammates down in Florida, so it looked like he’d be ready to go for the start of camp. But that doesn’t appear to be the case.

DETROIT

Breaking news from Lions camp on Monday morning as CB C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON goes down.  Liz Roscher of YahooSports.com:

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, one of the big offseason acquisitions for the Detroit Lions, has reportedly been injured at training camp.

According to multiple reports, Gardner-Johnson injured his right leg during light drills Monday and had to be carted off the field when he wasn’t able to put any weight on it. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that it was a non-contact injury.

Gardner-Johnson, 26, signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Lions in March after helping the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles make it all the way to the Super Bowl (where they lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs). He pulled in six interceptions last season, tied for the NFL lead, and had a five-game interception streak. That’s even more impressive when you consider that he missed five games during the season due to a lacerated kidney.

– – –

Coach Dan Campbell doesn’t want his team to get run over by the “hype train.”  Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com:

As the Detroit Lions enter the 2023 season, there have been some high expectations placed on the team that even head coach Dan Campbell couldn’t ignore.

“I think as always, the thing that’s gonna worry you is the hype train,” Campbell said Sunday, the Lions’ first day of training camp. “I mean, as with most coaches, this thing is just taking off and it’s out of control right now and that’s fine, as long as we stay focused on the job at hand and the work. I just keep going back to that. We’ve got to put the work in and earn it.”

Although the organization hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2016, the Lions are the consensus betting favorite to win the NFC North after winning eight of their final 10 games to end last season. Detroit hasn’t won the division since 1993, when it was called the NFC Central and had five teams.

They also have four prime-time games on the schedule, in addition to their annual Thanksgiving Day game.

Second-year defensive end Aidan Hutchinson says it’s nearly impossible to fully ignore the outside chatter.

“It’s kind of hard not to see it,” he said. “We’ve got the TVs on in there and it just pops up so you see it and I think it’s smart if a lot of our guys stay off of it just because it can get to your head a little bit, but I think we’re doing a good job of keeping our mentality and keeping what we’ve been doing, especially even last year, and building off of it. I think we’re doing a good job with our mentality. We keep that underdog mentality. We haven’t won anything yet, so obviously there’s a lot of expectations, but then again, we still feel like the underdogs.”

Campbell is also trying not to let his players feed into the extra attention.

“I think you just keep the message consistent, and you call it what it is, and it just goes back to the work,” Campbell said. “And when you see it not going that way or we have some guys that are deviating a little bit, or they think they’ve arrived and they haven’t, you call them out on it.

“I think as long as we do that as coaches and players as teammates, we’ll be fine.”

Lions quarterback Jared Goff credits Campbell for being the “greatest” at keeping the locker room on an even keel. Goff also gets a kick out of the buzz surrounding the Lions this season.

The 2016 No. 1 pick knows what it takes to compete on the big stage after leading the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl appearance in 2018. For the Lions to reach similar heights, he knows they can’t allow outside distractions to get them off track.

“That so-called ‘hype train,’ I think it’s funny to me that like you go 9-8, you don’t make the playoffs and now you’re all of a sudden the favorite,” Goff said. “Of course, we’ve got good players, we’ve got good coaches, we’ve got a good team, but we haven’t done anything.

“We have a lot of work to do. Minnesota won 13 games last year, Green Bay’s won the division a handful of times in the last handful of years, so we’ve got some work to do to put the stamp on who we want to be and are nowhere near that yet, but are on our way.”

– – –

Thoughts from Peter King as he visited camp:

Despite the upgrades the personnel department made at tight end and at the running back position, King does have concerns about the departure of running Jamaal Williams.

The long time NFL reporter, who recently appeared on the team’s podcast, noted, “My only my only issue with the Lions on offense quite honestly is, I really like what Jamaal Williams brought to them last year in all ways. I think they might miss him some. I really do. I think they might. They really might miss him more than people think.”

After struggling defensively for the past few seasons, the team has invested draft picks on young players along the offensive and defensive lines.

Aaron Glenn’s defense has been revamped, namely in the secondary, with the hopes of improving all aspects of their performance each and every week.

“Obviously on the defensive side of the ball, they made some very good picks last year in the draft,” said King. “Obviously it’s not all Aidan Hutchinson, but you know, getting James Houston low in the draft last year and having him play as well as he did — I think they have really answered a lot of the questions about, ‘Do they have enough depth or are they going to be good enough to stick with the real good teams in this division?'”

JAMAL WILLIAMS signed with New Orleans.  D’ANDRE SWIFT is now an Eagle.  The Lions RB depth chart is DAVID MONTGOMERY, Rookie JAHMYR GIBBS, CRAIG REYNOLDS and JUSTIN JACKSON.

PHILADELPHIA

Nick Sirianni hints that you (as a Fantasy Football player) won’t be able to figure out how he’s going to use his running backs:

One of the most intriguing questions facing the 2023 Eagles is how Nick Sirianni and new offensive coordinator Brian Johnson will deploy the Eagles’ newly shaped stable of running backs.

One thing is certain: It will look awfully different.

The last four years, Miles Sanders has been the Eagles’ bell-cow back, and even though he’s missed significant time with injuries he’s been the clear No. 1 back since the middle of 2019, when Jordan Howard’s season ended with a shoulder injury.

From that point through the end of last year’s regular season, Sanders had 633 carries and Boston Scott had the next-most on the team, with 259 – most while Sanders was out.

Only three times in Sanders’ entire four-year stay with the Eagles was there a regular-season game where he had at least 10 carries and another running back had more. All three were in 2019, two of them in the first month of Sanders’ career.

So for about 1 ½ years under Doug Pederson and the last two years under Nick Sirianni, Sanders has been the undisputed The Guy.

Then everything changed.

Kenny Gainwell supplanted Sanders as the lead back in the postseason, the Eagles made no attempt to re-sign Sanders when he hit free agency, Sanders signed a four-year, $25 million deal with the Panthers and the Eagles quickly added veterans Rashaad Perry and D’Andre Swift to the running back roster.

What does it all mean?

Nobody knows.

Even Sirianni.

“I’m OK having a committee, I’m OK with one guy getting the carries, too,” he said in a recent interview. “I really am. Whatever’s working, whatever’s going (well).

“We’ll say at times we’re going to go here and then a guy gets hot and we’ll roll with him. For example, Kenny in the playoffs a little bit last year. He got more touches than he had gotten because he was running it really well.

“I’m content with whatever’s working and playing the best guys. I love the depth that we have to be able to rotate guys and keep guys fresh. I like when you have a guy that can do all of it, I like when you have a guy that you can segment it. There’s so many different ways to do it.”

Swift is the most experienced of the group and the best receiver.

Penny has that monster 5.7 career rushing average, tied for highest in NFL history by a running back.

Gainwell is young and versatile and coming off a promising postseason.

And then there’s Boston Scott, who plays sparingly but is unstoppable in short yardage and has 17 touchdowns in limited duty the last four years.

All four backs have had terrific moments in their careers. None has ever been a lead back over a full season.

Swift has rushed for over 500 yards every year of his career but never more than 617. Penny ran for 749 yards and an NFL-best 6.3 yards per carry in 2021 but has played in only eight other games since 2020. Gainwell has averaged only 3 ½ carries per game in the regular season. Scott always seems to produce when called on but has never rushed for 400 yards.

There’s a lot of talent here. But also so many questions. Can Swift and Penny stay healthy? Can Gainwell handle a larger role? Where does Scott fit in?

Making it even more intriguing is the fact that only Gainwell is signed beyond 2023.

The Eagles used a running back committee with brilliant results in the 2017 postseason with Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement and LeGarrette Blount combining for 556 scrimmage yards, including 255 in the Super Bowl. The last time the Eagles used a rotation for an entire regular season was 2016 with Ryan Mathews, Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles, although that was really a product of injuries.

Why was the Blount / Ajayi / Clement rotation so effective? Because they were all so different, and defenses never knew what was coming. Blount was a power runner, Ajayi fast and elusive, Clement a terrific receiver and tough runner.

That’s why the old Three-Headed-Monster of 2003 worked so well. Brian Westbrook, Duce Staley and Correll Buckhalter all had different strengths and complemented each other so well.

Sirianni’s plan?

Every game may be different. Every drive may be different.

He’s going to make this up as he goes along depending on the opponent, the score, the down and distance and who’s got the hot hand.

“I guess it’s like this with the receivers and tight ends,” Sirianni said. “You have certain visions of routes that you want to run or you know how to attack a defense (with), and you don’t need one guy to do every one of them – you’d love for all the guys to be able to do every one of them – but you just need them to, ‘Hey, how do we get this, this, this, this and this done?’ Well, he can do this, he can do that, he can do this, this guy can do that one too.

“It’s the same thing with the running backs. So however that happens. And if you don’t have a section where they can do it, you cross that part out of your playbook and maybe you add something different.

“But however that takes place, I don’t really care how it happens as long as those boxes can be checked.”

CAROLINA

It’s been so long since we had rookie holdouts of signicance, we didn’t realize that the top three QBs were all unsigned.  That is until QB BRYCE YOUNG inked his pact on Friday.  David Newton of ESPN.com:

The Carolina Panthers signed quarterback Bryce Young to a four-year deal on Friday that will allow the top pick of the 2023 NFL draft to report to training camp on schedule.

The $37.9 million deal includes a $24.6 million signing bonus and is fully guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Panthers’ rookies are scheduled to report to training camp Saturday in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The team’s first full practice takes place Wednesday.

Young was the last of Carolina’s rookies to sign and the first of the three quarterbacks taken among the top four picks of the NFL draft to sign.

C.J. Stroud, taken second overall by the Houston Texans, and Anthony Richardson, selected fourth by the Indianapolis Colts, remain unsigned.

Carolina traded with the Chicago Bears to move from the ninth pick to first overall. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Alabama will enter training camp as the starter ahead of veteran Andy Dalton.

Young was promoted to first team during June offseason workouts. He is expected to be the Week 1 starter against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 10.

KANSAS CITY

A knee injury for WR LADARIUS TONEY.  Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:

Training camp for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney got off to an ominous start Sunday when he left the field prior to the start of the first practice because of a knee injury.

Coach Andy Reid after practice said Toney injured the knee while returning a punt before some of his teammates had even arrived on the field. Reid described the injury as a “tweak,” normally his term for a minor ailment.

But Toney left the practice field, something usually reserved for more serious injuries, and the Chiefs continued without him.

The Chiefs have rebuilt their wide receiving group in the past couple of seasons after trading Tyreek Hill and losing JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency. Toney has been a centerpiece of that effort. The Chiefs last year traded a couple of draft picks for Toney, a first-round pick by the New York Giants in 2021.

Toney was spectacular at times for the Chiefs after the trade, never more than in the fourth quarter of their Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles, He caught the touchdown pass that put the Chiefs in the lead early in the period and later set up another TD with a 65-yard punt return.

But because of injuries, Toney has yet to play a full NFL season. He missed six games as a rookie with the Giants and was limited to nine games last season.

The Chiefs in the past couple of seasons have added other wide receivers, including veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency last year. They drafted a receiver in the second round in each of the past two seasons, Skyy Moore in 2022 and Rashee Rice this year.

– – –

Teicher also reports that DT CHRIS JONES is out of camp and not close to a new deal:

Defensive tackle Chris Jones did not report for the start of Kansas City Chiefs training camp, and the sides are “far apart” on reaching an agreement on a new contract, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday.

Jones has one year left on the four-year, $80 million contract that he signed in 2020, which made him the ninth-highest-paid defensive tackle in the league in terms of average salary.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Sunday that he was surprised by Jones’ absence but emphasized that the defending Super Bowl champions will “just keep moving” without him.

“There had been communication, we’ll see where it goes from here,” Reid said. “If you’re not here, we just keep moving. That’s how we roll. We don’t worry a lot about that. We let it take care of itself. We’ve got great people working on that.

Team chairman Clark Hunt added that the Chiefs “love Chris.”

“When he decides to report, we’ll welcome him,” Hunt said Sunday.

Jones also did not report to the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp in June. He is subject to a daily fine of $50,000 for his absence, according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the players’ association.

Jones tied his career high last season with 15.5 sacks, which ranked fourth in the league and No. 1 among interior pass-rushers. He was named first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career after second-team selections in 2018, 2020 and 2021.

The Chiefs began camp on Sunday at Missouri Western State University.

Nate Taylor of The Athletic has an idea of what Jones wants:

The loudest roars from the fans (on the first day of camp) — from children, mothers and middle-aged men — were for Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Another loud ovation surely would have greeted the Chiefs’ best defensive player, the player who has joined Mahomes and Kelce as the third member of the franchise’s superstar trio. If he was here Sunday, he would’ve flashed his big smile, raised his arms in the air in a celebratory manner and spent several minutes after practice signing ball caps, jerseys and footballs.

If Chris Jones, the league’s best interior pass rusher last season, was here, coach Andy Reid would’ve been able to start the Chiefs’ 2023 campaign without any major issues. Instead, Jones is holding out for the first time in his eight-year career. He elected to not report to camp on time Saturday, a decision that, based on the new CBA, will require a mandatory $50,000 fine each day he is away from the team.

“It’s been good up (until) just a bit ago,” Reid said of his conversations with Jones before Saturday, the team’s first meeting. “They’re doing their thing and we’re doing our thing.”

Entering the final year of his four-year, $80 million contract, Jones wants a lucrative contract extension from the Chiefs, one that will make him at least the second-highest-paid player at his position, according to a league source. The highest-paid player at the position is the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald, who signed a three-year, $95 million contract restructure last summer. Earlier this month, New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension with $66 million guaranteed, making him the second-highest-paid player at his position.

Jones and the team — led by club owner Clark Hunt and general manager Brett Veach — are at a stalemate for now as Jones seeks an extension that would pay him an average annual salary of $30 million.

– – –

Unlike Hill on offense, everyone in the Chiefs organization understands that Jones is the team’s best defensive player. An elite pass rusher listed at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, Jones is capable of creating advantageous mismatches against interior offensive linemen and drive-ending sacks against opposing quarterbacks.

“Chris is an excellent player,” safety Justin Reid said. “He’s a professional. We’ll let him do his thing. I’m focused on the guys here, taking care of the (defensive backs) room, making sure our young guys are ready to play.”

But similarly to Hill, Jones understands this is likely his best opportunity to maximize his earning potential.

Last season, Jones led the Chiefs by matching career highs of 15 1/2 sacks and 29 quarterback hits. He also played 916 snaps — 80 percent of the unit’s total snaps — the most among Chiefs defensive linemen. Jones became the Chiefs’ closer, too, as 71 percent of his sacks in the regular season ended an opponent’s drive. He also led the league with 34 fourth-quarter pressures.

He was pivotal in the Chiefs’ memorable postseason run, too, generating two sacks and a team-high six quarterback hits. In the past three seasons, Jones is second in the league with 124 quarterback pressures.

On multiple occasions, Jones has said that he wants to play his entire career with the Chiefs. He is expected to be the Chiefs’ oldest defensive starter, a leader alongside Reid and linebacker Nick Bolton. Veach and Reid used much of the offseason to continue building the Chiefs’ defense around Jones. One reason the Chiefs wanted to sign defensive end Charles Omenihu as their biggest free-agency acquisition for the unit was to pair him next to Jones for clear pass-rushing situations on third down. In March, the Chiefs used Mahomes’ contract to benefit their defense. The team created $9.6 million in cap space when it converted $12 million of the $34.4 million roster bonus in Mahomes’ contract into a signing bonus. That allowed the Chiefs to acquire linebacker Drue Tranquill and safety Mike Edwards and re-sign defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi.

LAS VEGAS

We’re not sure why it needs a “source” but it appears that QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO is good to go at the start of training camp.  Adam Schefter of ESPN.com:

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who spent his offseason recovering from a foot injury, passed his training camp physical, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.

Garoppolo, a source told ESPN, will be worked into practice “at the right pace” to start camp and “wouldn’t call it slowly” after the quarterback did not participate in any on-field activities during the offseason workout program.

Garoppolo, who joined the Raiders on a three-year, $72.75 million free agent contract March 17, signed a waiver/release in place of a physical because of his injured left foot, suffered Dec. 4 while playing for the San Francisco 49ers.

His introductory news conference was postponed a day, presumably after the Raiders found issues with the foot and had him sign the waiver. Garoppolo was asked that day to shed light on the delay and if the injury played a part. He said, “No worry.

“I mean, it was just talking, language, things like that. But no, both sides, I think, knew what we wanted to get done, so it was very collaborative, actually. Just us coming together.”

Garoppolo then underwent surgery after signing with Las Vegas and was limited to classroom work with the Raiders during OTAs and minicamp. His $11.25 million signing bonus was converted into base salary to give him a $22.5 million base salary for this season, all of which lent credence to the notion that the Raiders could cut him with little to no financial hit if he had been unable to pass a physical before the season begins.

And while there was plenty of hand-wringing by fans over the Raiders signing an injured Garoppolo in need of surgery to replace nine-year starter Derek Carr, who was released on Feb. 14 and later signed with the New Orleans Saints, second-year Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said on June 1 he had “no anxiety” over the team’s quarterback situation.

“I don’t worry about the things I can’t control,” McDaniels said at the time. “I have very good information that tells me that we’re going to be fine, you know what I mean? So again, nothing has happened that would’ve changed that, so that’s why I feel that way.”

Free agent signee Brian Hoyer, who is entering his 15th NFL season and has experience in McDaniels’ system from his time with the New England Patriots, ran the first-team offense during the offseason program, while fourth-round draft pick Aidan O’Connell from Purdue also got significant reps. The lone returnee at quarterback for the Raiders is second-year player Chase Garbers, who has yet to take a snap in a regular-season NFL game.

Jarrett Stidham, who started the Raiders’ final two games after Carr was benched and left the team, signed a two-year, $10 million free agent contract with the Denver Broncos two days before Garoppolo signed with the Raiders.

Also, the Raiders on Friday placed rookie edge rusher Tyree Wilson, the No. 7 overall draft pick, on the non-football injury list, as expected. Wilson suffered a season-ending injury to his right foot while playing for Texas Tech on Nov. 21 and had a follow-up procedure to have the hardware removed on March 21. He, like Garoppolo, was limited to classroom work during the offseason program.

Meanwhile, third-round pick Byron Young, a defensive tackle from Alabama, was placed on the physically unable to perform list.

Raiders veterans report to camp Tuesday with the first practice Wednesday morning.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Chargers RB AUSTIN EKELER seems to be forming a union within a union as he calls a Zoom meeting of the elite running backs.  ESPN.com:

Several star NFL running backs took part in a Zoom call Saturday to discuss the depressed market for players at their position.

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb confirmed Sunday he participated in the call and said Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey also were in the meeting. Josh Jacobs also took part, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

ProFootballTalk.com, which first reported the news, said the meeting was organized by the Los Angeles Chargers’ Austin Ekeler, who has been outspoken about NFL running backs not being paid their true worth.

The source told Fowler that the running backs kicked around ideas during the call, but no major plans emerged from the meeting.

“Right now, there’s really nothing we can do,” Chubb said Sunday. “We’re kind of handcuffed with the situation. We’re the only position that our production hurts us the most. If we go out there and run 2,000 yards with so many carries, the next year they’re going to say, you’re probably worn down. It’s tough. … It hurts us at the end of the day.”

Barkley and Jacobs received the franchise tag from the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively, but were unable to agree to long-term contracts before last Monday’s deadline. Neither player has signed their franchise tender, worth $10.091 million for running backs, and are not expected to report to training camp with the rest of their teams, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported. The two unsigned stars will lose money only if they miss regular-season games and forfeit game checks.

Barkley said on the “The Money Matters” podcast that was recorded before the deadline for franchised players to agree to long-term deals that he has considered not playing for the Giants this season amid his stalemate with the team.

The Dallas Cowboys’ Tony Pollard also received the franchise tag, but unlike Barkley and Jacobs, has signed his tender.

After the three running backs were unable to agree to long-term deals before the deadline, several prominent running backs, including Henry, McCaffrey, Ekeler and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Najee Harris, tweeted about their displeasure over the financial state of their position.

“We’re definitely in a tough situation, running backs as a whole. Saquon’s a great player, and you can ask anyone around the league or even on the Giants how much he means to that team. So it’s hard seeing him not get what he deserves,” Chubb said Sunday.

The last time a running back signed a long-term contract worth $10 million or more per season was the Browns’ Chubb in 2021. Chubb’s contract runs through the 2024 season, but he has no guaranteed money after this season.

“I know it can be me one day,” Chubb said. “I’m just kind of playing both sides. I’m here for my team. But I’m also understanding the situation I could be in.”

McCaffrey is currently the highest-paid running back, averaging just over $16 million per season in a contract he signed when he was with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. Now with the San Francisco 49ers, his contract runs through the 2025 season.

CLEVELAND

As good as he is on and off the field, RB NICK CHUBB knows he isn’t going to get paid his worth.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

On Sunday, Browns running back Nick Chubb offered up some big-picture comments on the struggles of the market at his position. Chubb also focused on his own situation, which could in time put him in the crosshairs for getting cut.

“I mean, it’s easy for me to say it’s not a big deal, but next year it could be me in the same situation,” Chubb told reporters on Sunday, via the transcript produced by the team. “But for right now, I do have one more year, but I’m here, I’m all in. I’m ready to work [with] my guys.”

Chubb is due to make $10.85 million in base salary for 2023. Only $2.866 million of it is guaranteed. In theory, the Browns could still try to squeeze him to take less before the rest of it becomes guaranteed as a practical matter in Week One. There’s currently no indication that they will. There are also no current efforts to extend Chubb’s contract.

“No, I’m focused on just playing right now,” Chubb said, when asked about talks on a new deal. And he knows that, without an extension, things could come to a head in 2024, when his salary increases to $11.75 million and his age increases to 28.

Has he considered what might happen next year?

“I can’t say I haven’t, but I’m so focused and locked in,” Chubb said. “I’m there with those guys, too. I understand the situation. I know it can be me one day and yeah, I’m just kind of playing both sides. I’m here for my team, but I’m also understanding the situation that I could be in.”

There had been some speculation early in the offseason that the Browns don’t need to spend nearly $11 million on a running back, especially as the focus of the offense presumably pivots toward $45 million per year quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Browns continue to embrace Chubb, however.

The Browns, as one source noted on Sunday, paid Chubb and kept Chubb because his leadership is critical to the team’s culture. That actually could be one way for running backs to create the surplus value that is elusive to the position. Beyond doing what plenty of other younger, cheaper players can do, Chubb brings important intangibles to the table — intangibles that make the Browns more willing to give him tangible dollars.

Still, it’s clear there are no guarantees for any running backs, beyond any guaranteed dollars they might still have in their contracts. When G.M. Andrew Berry specifically was asked whether Chubb has anything to worry about, Berry did not answer the simple yes-or-no question with a simple yes or a no.

“Nick Chubb is the type of player and person that you hope is with the organization as long as possible,” Berry replied.

While that may be true, the question eventually becomes whether his cost outweighs his benefit. For a franchise that aspires to lead the way in the embrace of analytics, that’s always the ultimate question.

Coach Kevin Stefanski sings Chubb’s praises to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Coach Kevin Stefanski had the utmost praise for running back Nick Chubb before Day 2 of Browns training camp at The Greenbrier on Sunday, and also described how things will be different this season Deshaun Watson.

Stefanski stressed that Chubb fits into every kind of scheme, including running out of the shotgun.

“Nick’s a huge part of our offense, obviously hand it to him, throwing it to him,” he said. “He’s been adept at both … We have very good empirical data on what he’s good at, and it’s tried and true. So that part of what we are will always be with Nick in mind. But Nick himself, I don’t know if there’s limits to him as a player. I think he’s, he’s a schematic fit really in anything.”

=

Stefanski noted that “he’s been successful in a bunch of different areas. I think Nick’s a good runner when you spread it out. Nick’s a good runner when you try to block everybody. He’s good from the ‘gun, good from the pistol, good from when quarterback is under center, so we talk a lot about versatility and offense.

“It’s nice to have a runner that really, you can run anything with Nick. There’s some runners that really prefer downhill gap scheme runs and maybe aren’t great from the gun. There’s some runners that are better from the gun and better on perimeter type schemes. Nick’s good at it all.”

Stefanski couldn’t say enough about Chubb’s demeanor.

“Nick’s a different breed and he’s all about the team,” Stefanski said. “He’s receptive to really everything we ask him to do and that’s not just from a game perspective, but from out here on the field and in the meeting rooms and in the weight room. He’s an unbelievable leader because he leads from out in front. I know he doesn’t outwardly, a lot of people say, wow, Nick’s so quiet. I think he is at times.

“But when he is around his teammates, he’s not quiet. I mean, he can be vocal, but I think he leads from doing the right thing all the time. That’s one of the things we joke about as coaches, you never have to worry about Nick really. You tell him to do anything, he’s going to do exactly how it was coached to be done.”

– – –

Through it all, QB DESHAUN WATSON has had the same girlfriend per Jonathan X. Simmons of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Jilly Anais has been with Deshaun Watson through every step of his lawsuit and controversy that has surrounded the Browns’ signal caller over the last couple of years.

The couple celebrated their four-year anniversary over Independence Day weekend, and Anais gave fans a brief look into their relationship through an Instagram photo dump.

But who is she?

Recommended Browns stories

The daughter of former Texas A&M basketball player Jules K. Moor and Comcast executive Theresa Moor, Anais is a rising pop singer, a social media influencer — with more than 2.5 million followers on Instagram — and an occasional actress.

Her full name is Jillyan and she grew up in Houston with her younger brother before moving to Los Angeles in 2014. She won the 2011 Miss Teen Houston award before she was famous.

She started her singing career nearly 10 years ago, and her latest single, “Like That,” was released in March. The 27-year-old was recently on tour with Nick Cannon.

She dated Atlanta Hawks point guard Dejounte Murray up until 2018. In 2019 she and Watson met, and they started dating. According to TMZ, one of their first dates was a 7 a.m. workout at a hot yoga studio and a more than five hour long dinner.

They’ve been locked in ever since. She’s even been in Cleveland, rocking Watson’s No. 4 jersey at a handful of Browns games.

JACKSONVILLE

The Jaguars hope to get more out of LB JAVON WALKER, the first overall pick in 2022.  So does Walker.  Christian Gonzales of NFL.com:

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker is looking to make a jump in 2023.

With Walker heading into his second training camp with the Jaguars, he shared his goals for the upcoming season and what he learned from his rookie campaign in Jacksonville.

“I want to focus more on just playing faster, not thinking as much, playing with a clear head,” Walker told John Oehser of the team’s website. “I’ve been in the scheme, so I really shouldn’t be thinking as much. Now I should really be concentrating on the game of football to understand how veteran players do certain things, what are some tendencies I can pick up on from formations, things of that nature.

“There’s so much going on in the rookie season, coming into a new scheme, new coaches, just having to get a feel of the people that I’m going to be around. Now I just really go back to the basic fundamental game of football.”

There’s many reasons to believe in Walker and the rest of the Jacksonville squad to repeat their success in 2023. After finishing the 2022 season with an 9-8 record and an appearance in the Divisional Round in head coach Doug Pederson’s first season, Walker is surrounded by a talented young defensive core with Josh Allen, Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun and Tyson Campbell.

Walker, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, recorded 3.5 sacks, 10 QB hits, five tackles for loss, one interception and one forced fumble in 15 games last season. The 22-year-old linebacker out of Georgia improved throughout the course of his rookie season. Despite only bringing down a quarterback a few times, Walker has high expectations for his career heading into Year 2.

“I wouldn’t say it’s about accolades, but my main accolade is the gold jacket [for the Pro Football Hall of Fame],” Walker said. “I feel like if I get the gold jacket, the Super Bowl, all of that’ll come with that.”

When training camp begins for veteran players on July 25th, Walker will be working toward his goal of earning a gold jacket and raising the Lombardi Trophy.

– – –

More trouble for CB CHRIS CLAYBROOKS.  This one in Jacksonville last September, pre-dating another arrest in Nashville this April:

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Chris Claybrooks was arrested in Jacksonville on Friday afternoon following a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery.

According to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, the incident in question dates back to Sept. 22, 2022 at 12:10 a.m. — just days before the Jaguars played the Los Angeles Chargers on the road.

According to the source, the victim alleges that the two argued and the victim attempted to leave the residence. The victim stated that Claybrooks then allegedly grabbed her around her torso and prevented the victim from leaving by physically blocking her exit. The source says the alleged incident was also caught on video surveillance.

Claybrooks is due in court at 9 a.m. on Saturday in Duval County. Claybrooks turned himself into Duval County Jail alongside his counsel on Friday.

“We are aware of the arrest of Chris Claybrooks and are currently in the process of gathering information. We will have no further comment at this time,” a Jaguars spokesperson said in a released statement.

This is the second domestic incident that Claybrooks has been attached to in the last several months, with the first occurring in mid-April. The two incidents are not directly related.

Claybrooks was arrested in Nashville on April 15 and was charged with domestic assault with bodily injury and vandalism under $1,000. He was accused of grabbing a cell phone from a woman’s hand and damaging it by throwing it to the ground.

Claybrooks was not prosecuted for the Nashville incident, as online court records show the charges were dropped.

Claybrooks, 26, was drafted by the Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 48 games with the Jaguars, including 19 last season.

It is not clear whether there are two different complainants.

BUFFALO

A setback in Buffalo as RB NYHEIM HINES is done for the season with an off-campus knee injury.  Kevin Patra of NFL.cojm:

Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines’ 2023 campaign is over before it started.

Hines suffered a significant knee injury off-site and is expected to miss the entire upcoming season, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Monday, per sources informed of the situation.

Buffalo acquired Hines last year in a midseason trade with the Indianapolis Colts. The back reworked his contract, taking a pay cut to remain with the Bills this offseason.

The shifty Hines was expected to be a pass-catching option out of the backfield behind James Cook, Damien Harris and Latavius Murray. With Hines out for the year, the third-down role in passing situations will be up for grabs.

A dynamic returner, who famously returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in Week 18 last season, Hines was expected to be the primary kick and punt returner for the Bills. Buffalo must fill those two spots with Deonte Harty, Khalil Shakir and Micah Hyde as the main in-house options.

Season-ending injuries at any time are painful, but when they happen before a player even steps into training camp, they’re even worse. It’s a brutal blow for the Bills and Hines.

And here is the scoop on how it happened from Tom Pelissero:

@TomPelissero

While sitting stationary on a jet ski, Nyheim Hines was struck by another rider and sustained serious, but non-life threatening injuries. Hines will require surgery and will miss the 2023 season.

NEW YORK JETS

QB AARON RODGERS will make his Jets debut wearing Legacy White. Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com:

The Jets might not be ready for prime time, but their uniforms will be.

The team announced on Monday that they will wearing “Legacy White” uniforms for Week One and Week Four of the 2023 season.

In Week One, the Jets host the Bills on Monday Night Football. In Week Four, the Jets host the Chiefs in Sunday Night Football.

The uniform features the Jets logo from the days of the original all-green helmet, a white jersey, and white pants.

It means that the Bills and Chiefs will be wearing their dark home jerseys on the road for these two key early-season road games.

To the DB, Legacy White would mean the white helmet Joe Namath wore:

THIS AND THAT

CLUTCH QBs

Doug Clawson, writing at CBSSports.com, has a methodology for determining the best “clutch” QBs.  The DB has noted that QB AARON RODGERS has far fewer Game-Winning Drives in his career than you would think.  Will he be deemed “clutch” by Clawson?

Who is the most clutch QB in the NFL? Which QB do you want with the ball in his hands with the game on the line? These are probably debates you’ve heard before where people spit out a list that looks identical to the list of best quarterbacks in the NFL.

Well, this exercise will be a little bit different. I let the numbers do the talking to answer these age-old questions. I used two stats:

QB conversion rate on game-tying or go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter and overtime

Expected points added (EPA) per play in these situations (looks at value added on all plays between rushes, passes, sacks and fumbles)

Essentially, how often does a QB lead his team down the field successfully in do-or-die situations, and how does he perform on those drives. I broke those numbers down between a QBs career in the regular season, career in the playoffs, and 2022 performance. All of these were evenly weighted and used to churn out this top 10 list of the most clutch QB in the NFL.

Last disclaimer. I only looked at the 25 current starting QBs with NFL experience. So rookies and other projected starters with only a few starts (like Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell) weren’t considered.

10. Jared Goff

Jared Goff just beat out Derek Carr for the last spot on this list. He converted on 5 of 11 game-tying or go-ahead drives late in games in 2022, the fifth highest rate in the NFL. He was also third in EPA per play in those situations. His career numbers in the clutch are average, but he was carried by a bounceback year last season.

He notably threw a late game-winning touchdown pass on the road against the Jets, and led a game-winning drive in the last game of the regular season at Lambeau Field, outdueling Aaron Rodgers. If there’s one throw that got away, it was a missed deep ball on Thanksgiving that could have given Detroit a win against the Bills. Instead Detroit settled for a field goal and Josh Allen played hero.

9. Aaron Rodgers

If this list was based solely on what a QB has done in his career, Rodgers’ resume would surely put him in the top 3, but my formula evenly weights career performance and 2022, and Rodgers is coming off the worst season of his career. That extended to play in the clutch, where Rodgers notably fell short on potential game-winning drives in both games against the Lions, the latter which would have gotten Green Bay into the playoffs.

Rodgers converted on just 6 of 18 potential game-tying or go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter or overtime last season. He still cracks the top 10 thanks to a laundry list of clutch theatrics in his career. He’s converted on 9 of 16 of those clutch drives in the playoffs, second-best among current starters behind only Mahomes. His Hail Mary’s to Richard Rodgers and Jeff Janis, plus the iconic sideline throw to Jared Cook in the playoffs will never be forgotten.

8. Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott’s stock is down right now after leading the NFL in interceptions last year and failing to put Dallas on his shoulders in back-to-back playoff losses to the 49ers in the last two postseasons. He’s converted on just 3 of 9 potential game-tying or go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter or overtime of his playoff career. His playoff resume is lacking, but he’s been steady throughout the regular season in the clutch department, ranking top 10 in conversion rates in his career and in 2022.

7. Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo is probably higher on this list than you expected, and full disclosure, some credit goes to his supporting cast. His high ranking is driven by a top 5 rank in clutch EPA per play in both his regular season career and in 2022. He notably averages 8.9 yards per pass attempt in the fourth quarter or overtime on potential game-tying or go-ahead drives. One of his best moments includes leading a 49ers’ game-tying touchdown drive in the two-minute drill in the 2021 regular season finale at the Rams. San Francisco won that game in overtime to make the playoffs.

His shortcomings have been apparent in the playoffs, where he’s converted on 1 of 5 potential game-tying or go-ahead drives late in games.

6. Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow solidified his status as “Joe Cool” with thrilling wins in each of his first three matchups against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. His conversation rates on game-tying or go-ahead drive chances are at least 40 percent across the board: regular season career, playoff career and in 2022. He’s top 10 among current starters in all three categories.

His clutch resume isn’t perfect though. The Bengals failed to score in their last five drives of the Super Bowl loss to the Rams. They also failed to score on their final two drives of the most recent AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs.

5. Josh Allen

The Bills shook off the “can’t win close games” narrative in 2022 thanks to some heroics from Josh Allen on clutch drives against the Ravens, Chiefs and Lions. His throw to Stefon Diggs to get Buffalo in field goal range on Thanksgiving is one that only a few in the world can make.

Allen also went throw-for-throw with Patrick Mahomes in one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history, a Chiefs 42-36 win in the 2021 divisional playoffs. Allen can climb higher on this list with more consistency and better decision making. His overtime interception in a loss to the Vikings in 2022 comes to mind in that department.

4. Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson’s electrifying play has yet to translate to the postseason, where he doesn’t have much of a sample size, but it has been among the league’s best during the regular season. He’s converted on 51% of potential game-tying or go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter or overtime of his regular season career. The only current starting QBs with higher rates are Tua Tagovailoa and Patrick Mahomes.

He flashed his dual-threat value in clutch situations early in 2021, beating the Chiefs in Week 2 primarily with his legs (two fourth-quarter touchdown runs and sealed game with fourth-down run) and the Colts in Week 5 with his arm (three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and OT of a 19-point comeback win).

He didn’t perform well enough in these situations in 2022, as Baltimore blew big leads to the Dolphins, Bills, Giants and Jaguars, but that should change in 2023 with a better supporting cast and new offensive coordinator.

3. Kirk Cousins

To steal a viral phrase from Kirk Cousins, “You like that!” Cousins’ clutch career has been so much more than the 24-point comeback he led in 2015 leading to that quote. He lands third on this list after he was Mr. Clutch in the 2022 season, converting on an NFL-high 71% (12-17) of potential game-tying or go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter or overtime.

He’s part of the reason the Vikings set or tied NFL records in the following categories in 2022

Largest comeback in NFL history (33 points)

Most one-score wins in a season (11)

Most comeback wins in a season (10)

Most fourth-quarter comeback wins in a season (8)

Most 10+ point fourth-quarter comeback wins in a season (4)

Cousins also led eight game-winning drives, tying an NFL-record shared with Matthew Stafford in 2016. His throw to set up Minnesota’s game-winning field goal in overtime in Buffalo was among his best of the season.

Unfortunately Cousins’ season will be remembered for his last throw, this one that was well short of the chains in the Vikings’ playoff loss to the Giants. As you can see from the above notes, he offers plenty more in the clutch than just his last throw.

2. Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa was cooking in the clutch until he was slowed down by multiple head injuries last season. He actually threw three fourth-quarter interceptions in a late, close loss to the Packers in Week 16 after suffering a concussion earlier in the contest. Despite an off day that skews his numbers, he’s still converted on 11of 20 potential game-tying or go-ahead drives in late, close games in his career, the second-best rate in the league behind Patrick Mahomes.

His clutch credentials include four fourth-quarter touchdown passes in a 21-point comeback win against the Ravens in 2022. Plus, don’t forget his walk-off touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith in the national championship game. If the “clutch gene” exists, it’s hard to argue against Tagovailoa.

1. Patrick Mahomes

When it comes to clutch QB play, there’s Patrick Mahomes, and there’s everyone else. He leads all current starting QBs in virtually every clutch category. He’s converted on 59% of potential game-tying or go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter or overtime of his regular-season career. That’s the best in the league and well above his closest contemporaries, Josh Allen (44%) and Joe Burrow (41%). He’s converted 65% (11 for 17) of those chances in the playoffs, also the best in the league.

He further cemented himself as the best quarterback in the game (and most clutch) with a first-down scramble on a bad ankle to set up the game-winning field goal in the AFC Championship Game against the Bengals. He had another long scramble on the game-winning drive in the Super Bowl win against the Eagles. He also had just one incompletion in the second half of that Super Bowl.

He’s proven time and time again in his career, no matter the deficit, how much time is left on the clock, or the injury, he can pull off some kind of miracle. The Chiefs’ overtime-forcing drive in their instant classic win against the Bills marked the latest start time (13 seconds left) for a game-tying or go-ahead drive in playoff history. The man has a 14-10 career record when trailing by double-digits at any point in a game. Just remarkable.

So Rodgers just makes it.  Among those absent – JUSTIN HERBERT, DANIEL JONES, GENO SMITH and JALEN HURTS.

Here is the top 20 in career game-winning drives, which is a basic clutch measurement:

Rank   Player                                 GWD

1          Tom Brady                            58

2          Peyton Manning+                 54

3t         Drew Brees                           53

Ben Roethlisberger                53

5          Dan Marino+                          47

6          Matt Ryan                             46

7          Brett Favre+                          43

8          Matthew Stafford                  42

9          John Elway+                         40

10        Johnny Unitas+                     38

11        Eli Manning                         37

12t       Warren Moon+                    35

Carson Palmer                   35

14t       Philip Rivers                       35

Russell Wilson                     35

16t       Derek Carr                          33

Fran Tarkenton+                 33

Vinny Testaverde               33

19        Drew Bledsoe                      31

            Aaron Rodgers                 31