THE DAILY BRIEFING
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The day we have all been waiting for – Schedule Release Day.
The teams know their schedules now, so there may be some leaks beyond the select announcements by the NFL.
It’s not the first Sunday Night game of the year, but it’s a good one. NFL.com:
One of the most anticipated matchups of the 2022 NFL season will take place in Week 4 on Sunday Night Football.
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 2 at Raymond James Stadium.
Featuring two of the best and most popular quarterbacks in the game, the Chiefs-Buccaneers showdown is also a rematch of Super Bowl LV. It will be the first time the teams have squared off since the Bucs bested the Chiefs, 31-9, on Feb. 7, 2021, and the game will also be a historic encounter as it will stand as the first Super Bowl rematch played in the same venue of that Super Bowl, as Tampa Bay became the first team to play in (and win) the big game on its homefield.
This guy, Ozzy, has a Google doc that is tracking the leaks that you can view here. He claims to have more than 50% of the schedule as we go to press before 2 Eastern. We will have it all for you tomorrow.
He has this:
If accurate, the following is this year’s NFL Christmas Slate:
Packers at Dolphins 1:00, FOX.
Broncos at Rams 4:30, CBS.
Buccaneers at Cardinals 8:20, NBC.
Quite a bit of other stuff at his twitter @OzzyNFL.
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Congrats to Mike Signora, now a two-time winner of the Jack Horrigan Award:
NFL senior vice president of football and international communications Michael Signora, lauded for his professional dealings with the media who cover the league, has been selected as the 2022 Horrigan Award winner by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).
Signora, the 50th Horrigan Award winner, becomes the second person to receive the award twice, as he was also the 2013 honoree (the late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney Sr. won the Horrigan Award in 1975 and 1984). Signora is part of a group of six NFL communications executives – Joe Browne (1985), Leslie Hammond (1995), Greg Aiello (1999), Steve Alic (2007) and Randal Liu (2018) – who have received the Horrigan Award.
The Horrigan Award is given to the league or club official for his or her qualities and professional style in helping the pro football writers do their job. This year, the PFWA honored the Horrigan family — father Jack and son Joe — for their contributions in assisting writers over the decades in several roles by renaming the original Jack Horrigan Award (1973-2021) to the Horrigan Award.
Jack Horrigan was a sportswriter for UPI and the Buffalo Evening News, public relations director for the American Football League (1963-66) and vice president of public relations for the Buffalo Bills (1966-73). Joe Horrigan is in his 43rd year with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame’s current senior advisor was executive director (2017-19), executive vice president of museums, selection process and chief communications officer (2014-17) and vice president, communications and exhibits (1996-2014).
Other 2022 nominees for the Horrigan Award were Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, Los Angeles Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff, NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy and Rams general manager Les Snead.
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NFC EAST
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WASHINGTON
We’re not sure these are “bizarre” eating habits, but QB SAM HOWELL won’t be having a big steak dinner. Darryn Albert of Larry Brown Sports:
New Commanders QB reveals his bizarre eating habits
Sam Howell has yet to take a single snap for the Washington Commanders, but some are probably already thinking that the team made the wrong pick.
Howell, who was drafted by the Commanders in the fifth round this year, revealed this week that he only eats chicken. The 21-year-old QB does not eat burgers or steaks (both of which he has never tried) or seafood, per The Athletic. Howell also said that he orders chicken tenders at steakhouses and brings his own tenders to team dinners.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with going for some succulent chicken tenders, preferably from Raising Cane’s or Popeye’s. But eating chicken every single meal has to get pretty boring at some point, and ordering chicken tenders at a steakhouse sounds like a borderline felony.
The Commanders have some big hopes for Howell in his rookie season, but it is unclear if they will re-evaluate that in light of his eating habits. At least Howell attended North Carolina for college and not this powerhouse school whose head coach is very anti-chicken.
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NFC WEST
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SAN FRANCISCO
More rumblings that the 49ers may find it prudent to hang on to QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO who had them ahead late in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game. Christopher Scarglatto of the New York Post:
The 49ers’ quarterback woes seem to have no end in sight.
San Francisco’s staff has reportedly been “continually underwhelmed” by its top 2021 NFL Draft pick, Trey Lance, according to NFL reporter Matt Lombardo. As the 49ers try to work with Lance, they simultaneously are trying to unload Jimmy Garoppolo and his contract. As the 2023 season approaches, San Francisco may be stuck with only a bridge QB.
In 2017, the 49ers originally traded for Garoppolo after he backed up Tom Brady on the Patriots for three seasons. Garoppolo led the 49ers to a Super Bowl apperance in 2019, the team’s first time in seven years.
But injuries in 2018 and 2020 — and a recent surgery on his throwing shoulder — have since put the 30-year-old on the trading block. However, even after the draft and multiple rumor swirls, Garoppolo has not been moved.
The Niners saw Lance as a replacement for the injury-ridden Garoppolo. During his rookie season, Lance showed he still has raw potential, playing five games and throwing 603 yards with his limited playing time.
The 49ers have built up a strong roster around their two quarterbacks over the last few, including disgruntled wide receiver Deebo Samuel and had real success in the playoffs, falling to the 2022 Super Bowl champion-Rams 20-17 during the NFC Championship.
However, still hoping to unload Garoppolo and their Trey Lance experiment reportedly not going as planned, the Niners may be now stuck at a dead end.
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AFC WEST
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KANSAS CITY
Andy Reid on the mentoring of QB Alex Smith. Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill took plenty of criticism last week when he said he didn’t see it as his job to mentor rookie quarterback Malik Willis. Chiefs coach Andy Reid says that in 2017, he told Alex Smith the same thing. But Smith mentored then-rookie Patrick Mahomes anyway.
The Chiefs traded up in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft to select Mahomes, even though Smith was coming off a Pro Bowl season and had led the Chiefs to the playoffs. It would have been easy for Smith to say he wasn’t going to help groom Mahomes to take his job, but Reid said Smith proved a perfect mentor for Mahomes.
“I told Alex, ‘Man go out and have the greatest year you’ve ever had and to you don’t have to teach Pat. We’re here to do that as coaches. You’re out there to go produce and win games and do the best you possibly can for your team.’ And so that’s the way we approached it with him,” Reid told Colin Cowherd, via the Kansas City Star. “Now Alex by nature, though, was the greatest thing that ever happened to Patrick Mahomes. There are different ways to do this thing, whether you play the player right now or some behind a veteran player. Alex was perfect for that. Alex did let Patrick into his world without being forced on it or anything and he let Patrick in it. Patrick handled it the right way and didn’t step in the way of Alex and what he needed to produce and had respect for him. So it worked out perfect. I didn’t have to say a whole lot other than, ‘You go play and go win games, let’s go win a championship. and do the best you possibly can do at the quarterback position.’”
Smith had a good final season in Kansas City, but Mahomes has had a great four seasons leading the Chiefs since then — something Smith gets some credit for.
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AFC NORTH
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PITTSBURGH
The Steelers are giving Andy Weidl, a smart guy in the Eagles front office, a second interview to replace Kevin Colbert as GM. He’s a Pittsburgh native. NFL.com:
As the Pittsburgh Steelers put together their second round of general manager interviews, they are looking in-state for a potential hire.
Pittsburgh is bringing in Philadelphia Eagles vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl for a second interview, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Thursday, per a source.
Weidl is the fourth known candidate to get another look, along with Tennessee’s Ryan Cowden, Tampa Bay’s John Spytek and former Buffalo general manager Doug Whaley. Pittsburgh initially interviewed 16 candidates for the role.
A Pittsburgh native, Weidl started his career with the Steelers as a player personnel assistant in 1998 and 1999, working under Steelers greats Tom Donahoe and Bill Nunn. He then spent 16 years as a scout for the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens before returning to Pennsylvania in 2016 to join Howie Roseman’s personnel department. Weidl has been Eagles VP of player personnel since 2019.
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AFC SOUTH
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JACKSONVILLE
EDGE TRAYVON WALKER, the first pick in the draft, has quickly come to terms with the Jaguars. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:
The first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has agreed to his first professional contract.
According to multiple reports. defensive end Travon Walker and the Jaguars have reached agreement on a deal. It will be a four-year deal with an option for a fifth season for Walker.
The deal will be for a fully guaranteed $37.4 million with a $24.4 million signing bonus.
Walker was expected to go early in the draft after the end of the college football season, but he wasn’t expected to be the top pick until shortly before the festivities got underway last month. That’s because the Jaguars believe that his ceiling is far higher than his college production — 61 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks while at Georgia — would suggest.
Now that has contract has been settled, Walker can direct all of his attention toward proving the Jaguars right on that front.
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AFC EAST
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BUFFALO
QB JOSH ALLEN and QB PATRICK MAHOMES, who would seem to have a decade of rivalry atop the AFC (along JOE BURROW and JUSTIN HERBERT) ahead of them have become good buddies. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:
Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are on-field rivals. But away from the gridiron, the two have developed a friendship.
In a recent episode of The Steam Room podcast with Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson, Allen detailed the relationship between the two men. He pointed to both of them being in Miami for the F1 race over the weekend and Mahomes FaceTiming him, telling him to come and hang out.
“And you know, sure enough, we go up and we hung out for an hour and a half, two hours, just kind of hanging around, talking, having a good time,” Allen said, via Ed Easton Jr. of USA Today. “I’ve spent a couple of times around Patrick, but every time I’m around him, he’s just a great dude. He’s a great personality. He’s fun to be around. And obviously, all the respect that I have from on the field, I think it’s a different vibe than what people think.”
Essentially, it doesn’t matter much to Allen that the two are in the same conference vying for a chance to be in the Super Bowl when they’re in the offseason.
“Again, when we step on that field, we were supposed to be competitors,” Allen said. “It’s the old mantra, ‘You gotta hate your enemy.’ But I would say that we have a really good relationship, especially for, you know, the type of games that we tend to play in. [The] AFC championship two years ago, and obviously, the divisional last year.
“But he is — he’s awesome. He really is. Love being around him. And I’m super excited for this opportunity with him. Because I think the other side, they’re gonna riff a little more than, than me and Pat, I think we’re gonna feed off each other pretty well.”
Allen and Mahomes are competing together against Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in a golf exhibition on June 1 that will be televised on TNT.
They’ll then face off again at some point in the regular season in Kansas City. The time and date of that matchup will be revealed on Thursday night.
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MIAMI
The new coaching staff in Miami continues to believe (or act as if they believe) that they have all they need in QB TUA TAGOVAILOA. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:
One of the biggest questions about Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is whether his arm strength is big enough to thrive and it was one of the topics of conversation for offensive coordinator Frank Smith on Wednesday.
The Dolphins have had a few weeks to work together and Smith said that the team is “really encouraged” by what they’ve seen from Tagovailoa thus far. That extends to his arm strength as Smith said that the team is not taking anything off the table because of the quarterback’s skill set.
“I wouldn’t say that we’re limiting ourselves in anything,” Smith said, via Alain Poupart of SI.com. “He’s actually been doing a great job of . . . every day presents different routes, different things we’re trying to accomplish with receivers. So I would say that everything we’ve done so far has been extremely optimistic because there’s certain things in our progressions and reads and his ability to move from throughout his progressions. He’s been awesome for a guy just really being in the system for a month.”
The Dolphins are unlikely to say that they’ve taken deep balls or anything else out of the offense, so the full picture will have to wait until the team is actually playing games. For now, though, the team continues to do all it can to show they believe in Tagovailoa as their quarterback.
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NEW ENGLAND
With QB BRADLEY ZAPPE drafted, the Patriots are dumping QB JARRETT STIDHAM to Las Vegas. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com:
The New England Patriots are finalizing a trade of backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham to the Las Vegas Raiders, a source confirmed to ESPN.
The Patriots will also send Las Vegas a 2023 seventh-round draft pick in return for the Raiders’ sixth-round selection, according to a source.
Stidham, who at one point was considered a top candidate to replace Tom Brady in New England in 2020, enters his fourth season in the NFL and will vie for a backup spot behind starter Derek Carr in Las Vegas. He joins Nick Mullens and Garrett Gilbert in a competition for that role.
The trade also reunites Stidham with Raiders first-year coach Josh McDaniels, who was Stidham’s offensive coordinator in New England for the past three seasons.
SI.com first reported the trade Thursday morning.
Stidham’s time with the Patriots took several notable turns. The former Auburn star was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 draft and quickly ascended to the No. 2 role behind Brady in his rookie season.
Then when Brady departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency in 2020, Stidham seemed primed to elevate to the starting role before New England signed veteran Cam Newton in the weeks leading up to training camp. Newton quickly earned the No. 1 job, and veteran Brian Hoyer also beat out Stidham for the top backup spot.
In 2021, Stidham’s path was blocked again when the Patriots selected quarterback Mac Jones in the first round of the draft. Stidham’s standing on the 2022 roster was placed in jeopardy when the Patriots selected Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe in the fourth round of the draft.
Stidham has appeared in eight games over his three NFL seasons, all as a reserve. He has completed 48 of 124 passes for 270 yards, with two touchdowns and four interceptions.
He has one year remaining on his contract and is scheduled to earn a base salary of $965,000. The Patriots have been tight to the salary cap, and trading Stidham provides some short-term relief.
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THIS AND THAT
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ALL-PAID TEAM
They may not be the best players at their position in every case, but they are those with the biggest contracts:
The 2022 NFL All-Paid Team is a collection of the highest-paid players in the league at each position. It’s essentially an All-Pro team, but the pocketbook supersedes pedigree and production for the day.
Average per year (APY) is the most accepted measure of comparison for player contracts, so it’s what will be used for our purposes. Also, players who received the franchise tag are ineligible, due to the fixed nature of their salaries.
Here’s a quick rundown of the 2022 All-Paid Team’s contractual totals:
Total NFL seasons under contract: 98
Total combined value: $2.1 billion
Average per year: $22.1 million
Total full guarantees: $924.2 million
Total combined APY: $485.2 million
Total combined 2022 cap hit: $307.2 million
Total combined 2022 cash: $407 million
Now, let’s get to the individual honorees.
NOTE: All contract information is from Over The Cap and/or Spotrac.
OFFENSE
QB Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay Packers · 38 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $50.3 million *2021 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow member
Rodgers’ accolades span the length of his career, and he is still one of the handful of elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Rodgers has the highest touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history and already ranks fifth in career passing touchdowns with 449. He’s won 13 games in each of his three seasons under head coach Matt LaFleur — the last two of which earned the quarterback league MVP awards. Over those two seasons, Rodgers led the NFL in completion percentage (69.8) and passer rating (116.7) among QBs with 20-plus starts in that span. With another MVP award in 2022, Rodgers would tie Brett Favre for the most consecutive honors (three) and Peyton Manning for the most in a career (five). A similar season sans All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams would give Rodgers plenty of momentum toward another MVP nod in 2022. There are some discrepancies on the details of Rodgers’ new contract, but both Spotrac and Over The Cap have him with a $50.3 million average per year. This makes Rodgers the highest-paid player in NFL history, based on average annual value. The new money on his contract is actually $123.8 million over two seasons (which would put Rodgers closer to $62 million per year in new money).
RB Christian McCaffrey
Carolina Panthers · 25 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $16 million
When McCaffrey’s healthy, it’s hard to argue there’s a more productive running back in the NFL today. However, health has been a key concern for the soon-to-be 26-year-old. He’s played just 10 games over the last two seasons after playing all 48 in his first three campaigns. Calling McCaffrey a dual-threat is almost an understatement. The former No. 8 overall pick averages the fifth-most scrimmage yards per game (113.8) in NFL history, a list of which he trails just three Hall of Famers (Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis) and Billy Sims, whose career was cut short after five seasons. Through the air, McCaffrey has averaged 6.2 receptions per game over the course of his career, the fourth-most of all time, behind just Michael Thomas, Antonio Brown and Keenan Allen. If he’s on the field, he’s worth the money. One has to wonder if another running back will see McCaffrey money in the near future. He’s one of three RBs to have signed contracts worth an average of $15 million per season. The Cowboys have seen Ezekiel Elliott’s performance wane substantially, and the Saints have had Alvin Kamara both miss games and find himself in a legal situation. Jonathan Taylor is the position’s next shot at a top-of-the-market deal, but more and more teams may shy away from extending running backs to lucrative second deals.
WR Tyreek Hill
Miami Dolphins · 28 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $30 million *2021 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow member
WR Davante Adams
Las Vegas Raiders · 29 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $28 million
*2021 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow member
WR DeAndre Hopkins
Arizona Cardinals · 29 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $27.3 million
The Christian Kirk effect! After Kirk signed his four-year, $72 million contract with the Jaguars in March, the dominos began to fall with elite receivers either requesting paydays and/or trades. Hill, Adams and A.J. Brown each got traded then signed massive contract extensions with the new team. Hill and Adams were both chasing the title of NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. Both deals have inflated base salaries in the final year(s) that artificially drive up their average annual salaries. Hill is the NFL’s most dangerous deep threat. Since entering the NFL in 2016, he paces all players in catches, yards and touchdowns on passes of 20-plus air yards (according to Next Gen Stats). The question remains how the transition from Patrick Mahomes to Tua Tagovailoa, two very different quarterbacks in both style and career accomplishments, will affect Hill’s output. While Hill will be catching passes from a new quarterback this offseason, Adams will team up with a much more familiar cohort in Derek Carr. Carr and Adams both led the FBS in yards and touchdowns, in their respective metrics, over their 2012 and ’13 seasons at Fresno State. Adams’ shiftiness at the line of scrimmage and divine-level route running have allowed him to lead the NFL in receptions (581), receiving yards (7,192) and receiving touchdowns (69) since 2016. Hopkins will start his 2022 season with a six-game suspension after missing seven games last season due to hamstring and knee injuries. However, the three-time first-team All-Pro led the NFL with 430 receptions and 5,522 receiving yards from 2017 through 2020.
TE George Kittle
San Francisco 49ers · 28 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $15 million
The tight end position has experienced tremendous growth over the last few seasons, especially considering that Jimmy Graham was the NFL’s highest-paid tight end for six straight seasons from 2014 through ’19 despite diminishing production. That was until Kittle and Travis Kelce both signed contracts north of $14 million on the same day in August 2020. This allowed four other tight ends to fall right underneath them at $12-plus million annually. Kittle has been historically successful as a pass catcher. Graham and Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. are the only tight ends in NFL history with more receiving yards in their first five seasons than Kittle, while Kelce is the only player at the position to average more receiving yards per game. This goes without mentioning his ability as a run blocker, which can be just as valuable in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
LT Trent Williams
San Francisco 49ers · 33 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $23 million
LG Joe Thuney
Kansas City Chiefs · 29 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $16 million
C Frank Ragnow
Detroit Lions · 25 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $13.5 million
RG Brandon Scherff
Jacksonville Jaguars · 30 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $16.5 million *2021 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow member
RT Ryan Ramczyk
New Orleans Saints · 28 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $19.2 million
Williams is a bully among men — as seen here, here and here. Williams earned a 97.8 Pro Football Focus grade last season, by far the highest mark in the NFL. When Williams re-signed in March 2021, he surpassed Packers All-Pro David Bakhtiari by just $10,000 per season for this distinction. The Chiefs made Thuney the NFL’s highest-paid right guard with a five-year, $80 million contract in 2021, and he returned plenty on that investment in Year 1, earning the best PFF pass-protection grade at the position last season. Cleveland’s Joel Bitonio also makes $16 million per season, but on a shorter three-year deal. PFF also favored Ragnow, who graded out quite well last season despite only managing to play in four games due to a toe injury. After playing on back-to-back franchise tags in Washington, Scherff finally got a long-term pact with the Jaguars this offseason, pushing him past Thuney as the NFL’s highest-paid interior offensive lineman. The Saints solidified their right bookend in 2021, when they signed Ramczyk to the largest right tackle contract ever. Ramczyk missed seven games in 2021 and will be needed even more after three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead signed with the Dolphins in free agency.
DEFENSE
IDL Aaron Donald
Los Angeles Rams · 30 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $22.5 million
IDL DeForest Buckner
Indianapolis Colts · 28 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $21 million
Fresh off of a Super Bowl championship and amid an offseason with some sudden retirement speculation, Donald and the Rams are said to be working on another extension. Donald is still the NFL’s highest-paid interior defensive lineman on a deal he signed in 2018. The addition of a Super Bowl ring makes Donald easily the greatest defensive player of his generation — and one of the very best in league history. Despite getting this kind of attention on a regular basis, Donald still leads the NFL with 98 sacks, 226 quarterback hits and 150 tackles for loss since entering the NFL in 2014. Since 2018, Buckner’s 36 sacks trail just Donald and Chris Jones among interior defensive linemen. Giants DL Leonard Williams is tied with Buckner at $21 million per season, but on a shorter deal.
EDGE T.J. Watt
Pittsburgh Steelers · 27 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $28 million *2021 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow member
EDGE Joey Bosa
Los Angeles Chargers · 26 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $27 million
It’s a real family affair in the edge portion of the proceedings. T.J. Watt became the second person in his family to become the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player (his brother, J.J., did so in 2014). T.J. passed Joey Bosa for the most recent title, and Bosa’s younger brother, Nick, will soon surpass all of them at the top of the pay scale. The younger Watt finally won the Defensive Player of the Year award, the fourth such award with his family name on it. It took tying Hall of Famer Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record (22.5). Watt has been dominant since the Steelers selected him 30th overall in 2017, leading the NFL with 72.0 sacks, 150 quarterback hits and 22 forced fumbles in that time period. Watt led the league in sacks in each of the past two campaigns. He has 13-plus sacks in each of his last four seasons, joining Reggie White as the only players with such a streak since individual sacks were officially tracked in 1982. Drafted a year prior to Watt, Joey Bosa ranks in the top six in the NFL in sacks, QB hits and TFLs since being selected third overall in 2016. The Chargers made Bosa the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player in July 2020, a title he held for over a year before Watt signed his contract in September 2021. The younger Bosa, Nick, could become the first $30 million-per-year defensive player in NFL history.
LB Darius Leonard
Indianapolis Colts · 26 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $19.7 million *2021 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow member
LB Fred Warner
San Francisco 49ers · 25 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $19 million *2021 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow member
C.J. Mosley blew the top off the off-ball linebacker market in 2019. Leonard and Warner are the beneficiaries. Leonard is the only player since 2018 with 10-plus interceptions and double-digit sacks or forced fumbles. Future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner is the only player with more tackles than Leonard over that span. To put Leonard’s start into more of an historical perspective, only one defensive player has earned more first-team All-Pro selections in his first four seasons than Leonard’s three. His name is Lawrence Taylor. Warner’s biggest compliment may have been future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers telling him: “Ain’t nobody better. … You’re the best and everybody knows it.” Warner has also received PFF’s highest coverage grade among linebackers (90.5) over the last two seasons.
CB Denzel Ward
Cleveland Browns · 25 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $20.1 million *2021 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow member
CB Jalen Ramsey
Los Angeles Rams · 27 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $20 million
CB Marlon Humphrey
Baltimore Ravens · 25 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $18.5 million
The second of the Browns’ two top-four selections in the 2018 NFL Draft (after Baker Mayfield went No. 1 overall), Ward was a Pro Bowl selection for the second time in his career last season. He’s recorded multiple interceptions and double-digit passes defensed in each of his four NFL campaigns. Among corners to play 1,000-plus snaps since 2018, only Stephon Gilmore, Jaire Alexander and Jalen Ramsey have higher PFF coverage grades than Ward. Ramsey is the best player at his position. The Rams traded two first-round picks for him, then gave him a five-year, $100 million extension. Ramsey rewarded their investment by helping the Rams win a Lombardi Trophy this past February. Alexander, another player surely to be on this team in the future, is the only corner with a better PFF grade than Ramsey over the last two seasons. Humphrey has forced nine fumbles since 2020, second-most in the NFL behind Darius Leonard.
S Jamal Adams
Seattle Seahawks · 26 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $17.5 million *2021 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow member
S Harrison Smith
Minnesota Vikings · 33 years old
AVERAGE PER YEAR: $16 million
The least-valued position on defense (in terms of player compensation) is headlined by a man who doesn’t necessarily play it. Adams is much more productive around the line of scrimmage than he is moving backwards. The level of cost needed to acquire him (two first-round picks, a third-rounder and Bradley McDougald) has yet to be justified by his performance. Though he did lead the team with 9.5 sacks in 2020 (the most ever by a defensive back in a single season), Adams’ struggles in coverage cannot be overlooked. The Seahawks still doubled down and made Adams the game’s highest-paid back-end defender last offseason. Smith has consistently been among the NFL’s best safeties, displayed by the two top-of-the-market extensions the Vikings have given him. Non-quarterbacks entering their age 32 season rarely get the kind of money Smith received last offseason ($64 million over four years), but he immediately answered the bell with a career-high 114 tackles and three sacks in 2021, earning his sixth Pro Bowl selection in the last seven seasons.
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BROADCAST NEWS
What is Tom Brady getting himself into? Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
Tom Brady, if you haven’t heard, will become the No. 1 analyst at Fox after he retires from playing. Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times has spoken to multiple quarterbacks who have been there and done that.
Some interesting quotes came from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, who has done limited booth work on TV and who has spent most of his time as a studio analyst.
“That’s one of the challenges as you get into television,” Warner told Farmer. “What am I going to be as an analyst? One of the hardest things is, when you’re a guy like Tom Brady that everybody likes and you want to be liked by people, and you have to figure out how to truly analyze and be critical of what’s going on but not be critical of people.
“Everybody’s afraid of, I don’t want to offend anybody, but I also want to do my job and I want to do it really well. It’s something that I’ve struggled with, because I don’t feel as if I ever attack anybody and say, ‘This person’s terrible.’ But there are times when you go, ‘This isn’t very good. They should do this or that.’”
The problem is that, for the people on the wrong end of the verbal barbs, the line between honest criticism and personal attacks gets blurry.
“I’ve seen people take it personally,” Warner said. “You can’t just be a nice guy and really be good in this business. Now, calling games can be different than being an analyst in a studio. But at the same time, you’ve got to be able to be critical. . . . For me, I never attack a person, but I always attack a problem.”
Brady has said he rarely says what he actually thinks. In reality, however, how many of us constantly share our innermost thoughts with everyone in our lives? Whether it’s being tactful or picking battles or adopting a completely dishonest persona in order to avoid any and all entanglements from daring to tell the truth, there are reasons for human beings to maintain a very thick filter between brain and mouth.
Apart from the content, Brady also will have to learn the mechanics. He’ll be speaking in very short sound bites, stopping for the next play, studying what happens as it happens, listening to the producer via his earpiece, and trying to think of the next thing to say. And so on. And so on. Over and over and over until the game ends.
Rich Gannon, the NFL’s MVP in 2002, told Farmer that, when Gannon became a broadcaster in 2005, he didn’t understand the timing and rhythm of a broadcast. He learned on the job. Brady presumably will teach himself those things before he’s ever on the job.
Ultimately, he’ll want to be great and he’ll want to be liked. And he’ll strive to find that tiny little sweet spot that allows him to be both.
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2022 DRAFT
Gene Clemons of The Athletic has five studs from Group of 5 schools that he wants you to know will be drafted gems:
G5 (Group of Five) teams produce great NFL talent, and this year is no different. There were two G5 players taken in the first round of the draft — the first was Cincinnati cornerback Sauce Gardner (selected fourth overall by the Jets). Gardner’s a well-known talent who was shoved down the throats of football consumers throughout the draft experience. The other was Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith, whom most people only heard about when his name was called 24th overall by the Cowboys. Smith and Gardner will be expected to be difference-makers for their new teams, but there were other G5 alums in this draft who have a chance to make an immediate impact for their teams, as well.
Last season Brady Christensen, an offensive lineman from BYU, started six games after being selected in the third round by the Carolina Panthers. UCF cornerback Aaron Robinson made two starts in 2021 after the Giants selected him in the third round. Philadelphia selected edge rusher Milton Williams in the third round from Louisiana Tech and he was able to make a couple starts for the Eagles, collecting 30 tackles, including six tackles for a loss and two sacks. SMU tight end John Bates made eight starts for Washington as a fourth round selection. Running back Elijah Mitchell made his presence felt as a sixth round pick for the 49ers. He finished the season with 10 starts, 963 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. There are diamonds in the G5 rough found every season, so let’s take a look at a few of the future potential G5 gems from the 2022 NFL Draft.
Luke Goedeke, OG, Central Michigan — Round 2, Pick 57, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Goedeke is a bully of an offensive linemen who plays through the echo of the whistle. He knows how to dig out defenders who are anchored down. There’s no doubt that this man wants to maul the opposition every time the quarterback says “hut!” He’s played tackle as well, but in the middle of an offensive line is where you will find more value for his skills and mindset. He has a natural guard disposition; once Goedeke gets his hands on you he is practically impossible to shake off and you are usually going on a ride that involves a lot of syrup. On the inside, Goedeke can hide his deficiencies dealing with speed rushers, though he is an athletic lineman who started his career as a tight end. That athleticism will be used to climb to the second level to block linebackers, get out into space on quick passes and screens, and pull with bad intentions. He should be an immediate plug-and-play guard. Shaq Mason was brought in to fill one guard spot and Goedeke should fill the other. Expect the run game to be much better in 2022 for the Buccaneers.
Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming — Round 3, Pick 70, Jacksonville Jaguars
Muma has a chance to be one of the most productive linebackers in this draft class. He was the highest rated linebacker on many boards going into the draft. You could argue that the reason that he dropped to the third round was due to where he played, not how he played. If Muma had played at Alabama or Georgia there’s a good chance he would have been a first round draft pick. But because he played at Wyoming, many used “level of competition” as an argument against him. What we know is that Muma possesses the ideal size for an interior linebacker with the athleticism that allows him to play on all downs. He is good in coverage. He can man up backs and tight ends and he also reads well in zone coverage. As a run defender, there isn’t a tackle he cannot make on the field. He can fill holes and chase ball carriers sideline to sideline. He should fit in well with an athletic Jaguars defense.
Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State — Round 3, Pick 84, Arizona Cardinals
Outside of Kayvon Thibodeaux, Thomas may be the most explosive defensive end off the line of scrimmage, and he plays with an extremely high motor. He has the ability to be a 9-technique edge rusher on the weak side, a 5- or 7-technique edge setter on the strong side of a 40 front, or a 4-technique banger in a 30 front defense. That level of versatility should make him a steal in the third round of the draft. He plays well with his hands and does a good job of shedding blocks. He is also a sure tackler and is aggressive at the point of attack. With Chandler Jones leaving Arizona to sign with the Raiders, Thomas will have the opportunity to show the Cardinals’ defensive staff and front office that he can be relied on to fill the void. He should find his way on the field in some capacity early and often next season.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina — Round 4, Pick 139, Baltimore Ravens
Likely is in the mold of many of these modern pass-catching tight ends. At a little over 6’4” and slightly less than 250 pounds, Likely is a guy who is able to get in and out of breaks quickly and is explosive with the ball in his hands. He was tremendously productive while at Coastal Carolina, as he flashed the type of game that transitions perfectly into the NFL — but, once again, he was discounted because of his size and his level of play. No, he is not the best run blocker, but he is willing and not afraid to be physical. It is also worth mentioning that outside of Rob Gronkowski and George Kittle, the other elite-level pass catchers at the position leave a lot to be desired as blockers. So there is no reason why Likely cannot have success at this level. It will be interesting to see if he’s able to ascend up a tight end depth chart that is stacked and has Mark Andrews as the unquestioned TE1 — if Likely is able to show value as a moveable piece, he could be that second guy.
Tariq Woolen, DB, UTSA — Round 5, Pick 153, Seattle Seahawks
Normally when you have elite-level size for the position you rise up the draft boards. You definitely rise when you have elite-level athleticism. Woolen has both and for some reason he never shot up the draft board — it was shocking to see Woolen still available in the fifth round. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and the Seahawks were able to retrieve that treasure. At 6’4” and 205 pounds, Woolen has size you don’t see often at cornerback. He combines that size with 4.26 speed and a 42-inch vertical. He is still relatively new to the position, only playing corner for the past two seasons at UTSA after being converted from receiver to defensive back. But his measurables and receiver-like ball skills make him attractive in a defensive backfield, especially against these big, jump ball receivers like Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Ja’Marr Chase and more. He has smooth hips and transitions quickly, so expect a defensive backs coach to be excited to get a chance to help mold him into a premier corner. Because of the nature of the NFL and its propensity for passing, he may need to learn on the job, especially in the NFC West. He will need to improve his tackling but his DB career is still in its infancy. He should improve quickly in his early NFL career.
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