Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Chiefs coach Andy Reid are both aiming for significant career milestones on Sunday.

If Belichick’s Patriots beat the Cowboys, it will be Belichick’s 300th career regular-season win. If Reid’s Chiefs beat the Jets, it will be Reid’s 250th career regular-season win.

Only four coaches in NFL history have reached the 250-win total in the regular season: Don Shula with 328, George Halas with 318, Belichick with 299 and Tom Landry with 250.

The NFL’s official rankings for coaching win totals include both regular-season and postseason wins, which puts Shula first at 347, Belichick second at 330, Halas third at 324, Reid fourth at 271 and Landry fifth at 270.

The 71-year-old Belichick could move ahead of Shula in total wins as soon as next season, although if the Patriots don’t turn things around, it’s fair to wonder whether Belichick will even be in New England next season. The 65-year-old Reid could be about five years away from topping Shula.

– – –

Richard Sherman has a reason the NFL should ban the sneaky Eagles play:

Richard Sherman makes an interesting point when talking about the ‘tush push’

“My problem with the tush push is the NFL literally banned defensive players from pushing other players into the offensive formation on FG and PATs because it was a “Health and safety issue” but now it’s ok because it benefits the offense?”

This could come off as a double standard and showing favoritism towards the offense and helping them score more points because more points = more $$

What do you guys think?

CHICAGO

Advice for the Bears from former NFL exec Randy Mueller writing in The Athletic:

What the Chicago Bears are dealing with also is not found in the NFL coach and GM leadership manual. The offense has flat-out stunk, and you can choose any number of reasons. The most fault goes the way of the quarterback, Justin Fields, but the offensive line, including No. 1 draft choice and right tackle Darnell Wright — who is a guard if I’ve ever seen one — has been a disaster. As a GM, I think you lose credibility with the locker room when your top acquisitions are questioned. And believe me, players know when others are not performing. The offensive playcaller, the scheme and the consistently underperforming defense — run by the head coach whose expertise in that area got him the job — are all to blame as well. And it doesn’t help that the defensive coordinator had to resign after two games. It’s a mess.

This is a tough job for a first-time GM like Ryan Poles, who is still adjusting to his own chair and position. On-the-job learning and training is very hard in any workplace, but it’s especially so when running an NFL team. Adversity will hit most teams at some point during their season, and navigating this situation will take everything Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus can muster.

My advice for the Bears is to find and show progress in some way by going back to what Fields did well in the last month of the 2022 season. That’s really hard when you’ve lost 12 consecutive games, but Chicago has not been playing to Fields’ strengths this season. As bad as the Bears’ defense has been, people will see hope if the Bears can rectify things with Fields while there’s still time.

DETROIT

Initially it looked like RB DAVID MONTGOMERY (thigh) and T TAYLOR DECKER (ankle) were not going to play tonight.  But a battle with the Packers in Lambeau Field seems to have healing powers.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Lions running back David Montgomery and left tackle Taylor Decker plan to play tonight against the Packers.

Contrary to an earlier report that Montgomery and Decker would sit out tonight with injuries, they’re both good to go and expected to play tonight, multiple new reports say.

Montgomery missed one game with a thigh injury and Decker has missed the last two games with an ankle injury. Both are officially listed as questionable but are going to suit up to face the Packers.

Lions cornerback Emmanuel Moseley is not expected to play tonight.

WASHINGTON

How long can QB SAM HOWELL survive?  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Commanders quarterback Sam Howell is taking sacks at a rate that would obliterate the NFL record — in the unlikely event that he lasts 17 games getting sacked the way he has through the first three.

Howell has been sacked an NFL-high 19 times this season, or 6.3 times per game. Over a 17-game season, that would project to a preposterous 108 sacks. The NFL record for most times sacked in a season is 76, set by David Carr with the expansion Texans in 2002.

Howell is also losing yardage on sacks like no other quarterback. Through three games, Howell has lost 124 yards on sacks. That would project to a total of 703 yards on sacks in a 17-game season. The NFL record for yards lost on sacks in a season is 489, set by Randall Cunningham with the Eagles in 1986.

After Howell was sacked nine times in Sunday’s 37-3 loss to the Bills, there were some questions of whether coach Ron Rivera should have taken Howell out of the game. Rivera said he thinks it will be good for Howell to learn from playing through tough games like that.

“We want to see him handle this. We want to see him do the things that he’s capable of,” Rivera said. “There is a certain point that probably protecting him would’ve been the next step. . . . He’s a young guy, and he’s got to play, and that’s really what it comes down to, him learning and growing and getting better.”

Howell has to learn to avoid pressure better, or else he’s going to break the single-season sack record or get hurt before he can.

CAROLINA

QB BRYCE YOUNG is likely to be back Sunday against the Vikings.  Joseph Person of The Athletic:

Bryce Young, who sat out the Carolina Panthers’ Week 3 loss at Seattle, was a full participant at practice Wednesday and is trending toward starting Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

“I think the big thing right now is to see how he responds tomorrow,” coach Frank Reich said. “Because it was good work today. Just have to make sure there’s no major setbacks, no flare-ups. But if he stays on track, then I think things are headed in the right direction.”

Reich said Young took the usual percentage of reps he normally would take in practice.

“First thing I would say is hats off to Bryce for getting himself ready to get out there today,” Reich said. “You could see the determination in his eyes. You could feel his energy and the will to be out there. And he did get through the whole practice so we’ll have the full designation.”

Young injured his ankle in Carolina’s Week 2 loss to the New Orleans Saints, and Reich said last week that the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft would miss one to two weeks. Veteran Andy Dalton started the Panthers’ 37-27 loss to the Seahawks as Young was inactive. Dalton completed 34 of 58 passes for 361 yards and two touchdown passes. He was sacked three times.

In two games, Young is 42-of-71 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Young assuming his starting role

While Dalton had a good game against the Seahawks while attempting a career-high 58 passes, the Panthers did not draft Young with the first pick to have him sit on the bench. Reich said last week that when Young was cleared, he would be the starter again. So there’s no quarterback controversy in Charlotte.

Young, who had his right ankle taped Wednesday, made the trip to Seattle and Reich was pleased with how hard he worked at his rehab and stayed dialed in during meetings and practices last week.

A good week to get back

The Panthers were able to get their passing offense cranked up in Seattle against one of the league’s worst defenses. Dalton had five completions of 20 yards or longer after the Panthers had managed just one in Young’s first two games. But it’s not like this week’s opponent will remind anyone of the ’85 Chicago Bears. The Vikings are ranked 25th in the league or lower in total defense, pass defense and points allowed — another reason why the Panthers hoped to get Young back sooner rather than later.

– – –

When the Vikings hit the field in Charlotte, they will see a familiar face on the other side of the field.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen has prepared for a lot of games over the course of his NFL career, but this week is still an unusual one for the 10-year veteran.

The first nine years of Thielen’s career were spent with the Vikings, but he moved on to the Panthers this offseason after being released in a move that improved Minnesota’s salary cap situation. The Panthers play the Vikings this Sunday and Thielen said on Wednesday that it has been odd preparing to beat a team he helped win games for so long.

“It’s already honestly a little weird watching tape,” Thielen said, via Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “It’s just crazy to be game planning against guys that were my teammates for a long time.”

Thielen said there’s “a little bit” of motivation to show the Vikings that they were wrong to let him go. Getting a win would also be a big step for the 0-3 Panthers’ bid for positive growth this season, so there shouldn’t be any lack of reasons to push a little harder heading into Sunday.

NEW ORLEANS

With NFC South supremacy at stake, the Saints get RB ALVIN KAMARA back from suspension as the Buccaneers come to town.

Alvin Kamara watched the Saints’ first three games from afar and realized he is not a good fan.

He is a good player.

The Saints running back returned to what he loves this week when his three-game suspension ended.

“It’s weird not playing, so obviously it feels good to be back out there with teammates, feels good to be back out there running, moving around,” Kamara said Wednesday, via John DeShazier of the team website. “Finally get to play a game, so it’ll be good.”

Kamara went back to Miami to train after the preseason ended. He had his first regular-season practice Wednesday.

“He looked good,” coach Dennis Allen said. “He’s in shape, looked explosive today. It’s good to have him back out there, so we’re excited to have him.”

The Saints need him. Their offense has averaged only 17.7 points and 93.3 rushing yards per game, and quarterback Derek Carr could miss Sunday’s game with a right shoulder injury.

“I’ve had the same message for seven years: Whatever I’ve got to do, I’m going to do it,” Kamara said. “So, if that’s in the game plan, if that’s in the cards, so be it. But we’ve got tons of weapons. We’ve got guys that can get the ball and make something happen. Whoever plays – if Jameis [Winston] is out there, if Derek is out there, whatever the case may be – I’ve got faith that we’ll be able to get it done.”

Kamara’s next touchdown will be his 73rd and will set the franchise record. He currently is tied with Marques Colston.

SAN FRANCISCO

The 49ers have an ailing WR DEEBO SAMUEL on their hands.

49ers receiver Deebo Samuel was banged up in last Thursday’s victory over the Giants. Six days later, he’s still working his way back.

Samuel not only has an injury to his ribs, but he also has a knee issue, coach Kyle Shanahan said before Wednesday’s practice. Samuel will not practice.

Receiver Jauan Jennings (shin) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (ankle) also will rehab during practice. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder), linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (ankle) and cornerback Ambry Thomas (knee) will get limited work.

The 49ers initially feared a serious rib injury for Samuel after he landed on the football in the fourth quarter. He returned to the game and scored a 27-yard touchdown, but he did undergo medical exams that revealed no break.

He was sore a day later, according to Shanahan, and the All-Pro did rehab work Monday while the team practiced.

The knee injury is new.

“It was something we really didn’t know until the next day, later in that day, just him being sore and stuff,” Shanahan said of the knee injury, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “He didn’t realize it until later.”

Samuel has 17 receptions for 247 yards with one touchdown plus eight carries for 48 yards with a score this season.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

WR COOPER KUPP is getting closer to a return – although not likely this week.  Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com:

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said it is “the hope” that wide receiver Cooper Kupp will be able to come off of injured reserve in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kupp has missed the Rams’ first three games of the season with a hamstring injury and is eligible to return from IR after Los Angeles’ Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Kupp first injured his hamstring Aug. 1 during a training camp practice and experienced a setback prior to the start of the season.

McVay said he didn’t “want to pigeonhole” himself by saying that Kupp would be able to play in Week 5, but that the wide receiver is progressing and “ramping up his workload.”

“He’s doing a great job with [VP of sports medicine Reggie Scott] and his group, but when you’re talking about returning to performance and returning to play, those are different things,” McVay said. “And we want him to be able to return to performance at the level that he’s capable of.

“And so we’re continuing to take it a day at a time. I know he’s doing everything in his power to be able to get himself ready to go and get out there with his teammates, and hopefully next week will represent that.”

Before Kupp went on injured reserve prior to the season, McVay said Kupp’s journey with his hamstring injury hadn’t followed “the standard protocol for when you’re reaggravating a soft tissue injury.” Kupp saw a specialist in Minnesota last month in an attempt to get to the root of his hamstring issues.

Kupp has not played in a game since Week 10 of 2022 after an ankle injury ended his season. He had 75 catches for 812 yards and six touchdowns in those nine games.

DENVER

Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reminds us that 10 years ago the Broncos were known for scoring points, not allowing them.

The 2013 Broncos did what no team in the NFL had done before or since. They crossed the 600-point threshold for a season.

The Broncos broke the season scoring record, previously held by the 2007 New England Patriots (589 points), with 606 in 16 games. Quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns — both records — and five different Broncos scored at least 10 touchdowns.

They topped 40 points six times and surpassed 50 three times, including in back-to-back games. The 2013 Broncos’ 76 touchdowns (two on defense) were 10 more TDs than the 2021 and 2022 Broncos scored combined.

“Ten years go by and maybe you don’t think about all of it,” said then-Broncos receiver Wes Welker, now Miami Dolphins wide receivers coach. “But that was something, you’re never going to think you’re going to be part of anything like that and I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Not long after saying that, Welker witnessed his new team attempting to chase history. The Dolphins dropped 70 points on the Broncos on Sunday, the kind of quick-strike explosiveness and spread-it-around scoring it will take to top the current record. With 130 points in their three games, the Dolphins — who will have 17 contests to achieve a record the 2013 Broncos broke in 16 — are on pace for 737 points.

Miami’s chase could shine some light on a Denver team that is sometimes forgotten. Because those Broncos picked a bad day to have their worst day — trampled 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII by the Seattle Seahawks, who took the Lombardi Trophy and the Broncos’ storybook ending.

Breaking the decade-old record will take a transcendent effort by a magical team. The 2013 Broncos say their record has stood because they possessed the rarest of combinations.

“Unselfish talent, unbelievable … the coaches, the whole building was unselfish, everybody,” said Dolphins associate head coach Eric Studesville, who was the Broncos running backs coach in 2013. “They brought something out of Peyton that year, something in him. But you see a list sometimes of great offenses, and man, they don’t even know about that team.”

In another example of how times change, the OC of the 2013 Broncos was Adam Gase.

You can read more from Legwold on that team here.

LAS VEGAS

Matt Lombardo of FanBuzz thinks the Raiders will be dealing WR DAVANTE ADAMS soon and offers 6 possible destinations:

The shotgun marriage between the Raiders and Davante Adams seems to be following many of the unions consummated in Las Vegas’ 50 wedding chapels.

Three weeks into the season, and many of the familiar woes that have plagued the Raiders in recent years have once again reared their ugly heads. This time, without Adams’ chosen quarterback, Derek Carr — who was effectively banished late last season, at he helm.

With Carr in New Orleans, and Jimmy Garoppolo in the concussion protocol following Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Raiders are one point against the Denver Broncos in Week 1 away from being 0-3 as September comes to a close.

Adams currently leads the Raiders with 322 receiving yards and three touchdown. But, if Las Vegas’ slow start continues, Adams becomes the Raiders’ most attractive trade asset, and it doesn’t sound like he’s in any mood to be part of some sort of dilapidated rebuild.

“I don’t want to act like it’s all crazy. It’s Week 3, but I don’t got time to wait around,” Adams told reporters following Sunday night’s loss. “It’s not a personal thing; I mean it is a personal thing but it ain’t just about me. It’s not my mentality to take all season to try and figure it out. To use these early games like this to establish an identity and we’re not doing things the right way to establish a winning culture early in the season. We gotta do something to turn that around”

If the Raiders do decide to move on, and trade Adams while absorbing a $7.85 million dead-money charge while creating $6.89 million in cap space, here are six possible destinations:

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have built a dominant front-seven that’s capable of stifling opposing offenses and changing the outcome of games, but, Dallas’ offense is still searching for some sort of an identity around quarterback Dak Prescott.

Last season, it was easy to see the tangible impact of losing a deep-threat like Amari Cooper, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns during the preseason. Conversely, pairing Adams opposite CeeDee Lamb, who has caught 19 passes for 273 yards through the first three games of the season, would create one of the more prolific receiving duos in the league and throw open the playbook for Prescott and the rest of the offense.

Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati might be a surprise to find on a list like this, especially given the long-term uncertainty surrounding Tee Higgins’ future, but the Bengals have a legitimate Super Bowl window as long as Joe Burrow is behind center and adding Adams could potentially widen it.

The Bengals, even after making Burrow the highest-paid quarterback in league history, still have $12.16 million in cap space this season and $86.63 million in spending flexibility in 2024. So, there really aren’t any financial hurdles to adding Adams to the fold. Moreover, it’s difficult to imagine many secondaries being able to keep both Adams and Ja’Marr Chase under wraps. At least for the rest of this season, Chase, Adams, and Higgins would unquestionably be the most dynamic receiving corps in the league.

San Francisco 49ers

49ers general manager John Lynch hasn’t been shy about adding marquee weapons, especially after trading for Christian McCaffrey prior to last year’s trade deadline, and Adams would add yet another new wrinkle to Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

Shanahan loves to deploy Deebo Samuel both in the intermediate passing game as well as a runner, Brandon Aiyuk does a tremendous job of creating separation, McCaffrey is as versatile and explosive a weapon through the air as he is a runner, and George Kittle is a matchup nightmare for for opposing linebackers and safeties. Giving Shanahan an additional chess piece like Adams to stretch the field will make the 49ers’ offense even more taxing on opposing defensive coordinators and further buttress Brock Purdy as needing to do little more than manage the game with an abundance of game-changing weapons around him.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have gone all-in on quarterback DeShaun Watson, with inconsistent returns thus far, and must find a way to replace the production lost by running back Nick Chubb suffering a season-ending knee injury. Enter Adams, and a commitment to the vertical passing game.

Miami, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Philadelphia with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and Seattle, with Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf have all shown the value in surrounding a quarterback with productive and prolific receiver duos. If the Browns want to elevate Watson and build an offense capable of keeping pace with the Dolphins, Chiefs, and Bills in the AFC, adding Adams would make a lot of sense.

Detroit Lions

Detroit has built a young and exciting core, and seems to have an opportunity to pick up the mantle of the NFC’s ‘next’ legitimate contender. Dropping Adams into the Lions’ receiving corps would create myriad opportunities for the weapons already in place around Jared Goff.

Yes, the Lions are getting former first-round talent Jameson Williams back, and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta is averaging 10.3 yards per reception, and is seemingly improving each week. But, There would be few secondaries in the league able to match up against Davante Adams, Amon-Ra St.Brown, Williams, and LaPorta, especially with a versatile running back such as rookie Jahmyr Gibbs coming out of the backfield. Adams would give the Lions’ offense a similar feel with similar upside to what the 49ers have built.

Green Bay Packers

If Adams would accept returning to a situation with a young quarterback like Jordan Love in place, this would make for quite an exciting reunion.

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Love’s late-game heroics against Carr’s Saints seem to entrench him as the Packers’ future, and Adams would be joining an exciting receiving corps that is on a sharp upward trajectory. There would likely need to be some pride swallowed on both sides, but the Packers did offer Adams more total money than he wound up collecting from the Raiders prior to last spring’s trade. An Adams return to TitleTown would elevate the Packers into the realm of legitimate contenders, especially as Love continues to develop.

– – –

QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO may not start against the Chargers Sunday.  Which way do you go to replace him if you are Coach Josh McDaniels, BRIAN HOYER or rookie AIDAN O’CONNELL?  Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com:

While Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol and Raiders coach Josh McDaniels is holding out hope Garoppolo will be healthy enough to play Sunday at the Los Angeles Chargers (4:05 p.m. ET, SoFi Stadium, CBS), the Raiders might have to look elsewhere on the roster.

As in starting either 15-year veteran Brian Hoyer, who last won an NFL start on Oct. 2, 2016, or rookie Aidan O’Connell, a fourth-round draft pick from Purdue who has yet to be active for an NFL game.

“You evaluate it in real-time,” McDaniels said when asked about the massive difference in experience between Hoyer and O’Connell, should they be the choices if Garoppolo cannot play. “Experience is valuable, and at the same time, we will try to play the right person, based on what the situation is and how practice goes, if that’s what it comes down to.

“Everybody’s going to get ready to go, and I think sometimes, experience is a good thing. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to determine how it’s going to go for one guy versus another. I mean, there’s a lot of guys that don’t have a lot of experience that can play well because they’re prepared, they do the right thing to get ready and they go out and, ultimately, what matters is how they perform. Not how long they’ve been in the NFL, or how many games they’ve played in or what have you.”

A quick look, then, at the pros and cons of starting Hoyer and/or O’Connell, as McDaniels said, “If that’s what it comes down to.”

Brian Hoyer

Silver and Black: If experience is the standard, then Hoyer is the guy, no ifs, ands or buts about it, right? He has been in the NFL since 2009 and the Raiders are Hoyer’s eighth NFL team. He also has seven-plus seasons in McDaniels’ system, so there’s even more experience on which he can lean on. In his previous 14 years in the NFL, Hoyer started 40 games and completed 59.4% of his passes for 10,668 yards, 53 touchdown passes and 35 interceptions.

No wonder he was the best quarterback, by far, at the start of Raiders training camp when Garoppolo was rounding into shape after March surgery on his left foot and O’Connell was getting his NFL feet wet. Hoyer is the quintessential bridge guy, one other veterans on the team trust to manage a game, and while he may not take enough chances to win a game, he shouldn’t lose it on his own, either.

Silver and Blechh: Look, Hoyer has not won an NFL start in nearly seven years, when he was under center for the Chicago Bears against the Detroit Lions. In fact, he has lost 12 straight starts. And for those of you who still scream that wins and losses are not a QB stat, facts are facts. Going the Hoyer route would not elicit much excitement, least of all from a hungry fan base expected to hold a 64-36 advantage at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, per Vivid Seats.

In fact, going the Hoyer route and losing to the Chargers may disillusion enough fans that they tune out after a 1-3 start, allowing the Green Bay Packers and their fans to execute another takeover of Allegiant Stadium in Week 5

Aidan O’Connell

Silver and Black: The Raiders drafted O’Connell, who passed for 9,219 yards and 65 touchdown passes during his career at Purdue, to sling the rock. Even if the plan was for him to sit and learn at the knee of Garoppolo. Thing is, O’Connell’s biggest perceived weakness — his inexperience — turned out to be his biggest strength in the preseason.

O’Connell played fearlessly, as if he did not know he was supposed to be intimidated. He completed 69.4% of his throws (43-of-62) for 482 yards and three touchdown passes without an interception in three exhibitions and looked every bit a future NFL starter. In fact, he looked better than every other NFL rookie QB in the preseason and Raiders fans wondered how and why O’Connell did not win the No. 2 spot of out camp. Yeah, he’s that popular with a weary fan base.

Silver and Blechh: As inspiring as making O’Connell the starter might be for a certain segment of the fan base, it might also signal a death knell on the season, an indication that the Raiders are in full rebuild mode. Again. Remember, it was said this offseason that if O’Connell played even one meaningful snap this season, something terrible had happened.

And well, here we would be, right? Yes, he looked great, at times, in the preseason, but remember, that was against second- and third-stringers and guys who are no longer in the league. And never will be again. Standing tall in the pocket with no experience and with Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa bearing down on you? That’s a different kettle of fish, entirely.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

RB AUSTIN EKELER calls his rehab “efficient.”  Liz Roscher of YahooSports.com:

Austin Ekeler hasn’t been on the field very much this season. He played in Week 1, but injured his right ankle during the game and hasn’t played since. There have been frustratingly few updates about his ankle and his status for Week 4 is still up in the air, but there’s reason to be positive: His rehab is moving in the right direction.

During his weekly “Ekeler’s Edge” podcast on the “Yahoo Fantasy Football Show” feed, the Los Angeles Chargers running back shared a quick but encouraging update about his health, revealing as much as he could without being too specific.

“Us as players, we do the most to make sure that, OK, hey, I’m doing everything to get back. So just know that, that is going on behind the scenes. I’m doing everything I can to get back, and be healthy, and not have any major setbacks. So there’s a cadence to this thing and I can’t go too fast, too slow, but just know I’m efficiently moving towards getting my a** back on the field.”

Ekeler said on last week’s podcast that his injury, an ankle sprain, wasn’t an “out for several months type of thing,” but would be managed day to day and week to week. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday that Ekeler is “hopeful” he’ll be able to take the field in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but with the Chargers’ bye coming in Week 5, it’s possible they keep him out against Vegas so he can have that extra week to heal up and rehab.

CLEVELAND

Former NFL exec Randy Mueller admires how the Browns have navigated through the injury to RB NICK CHUBB:

As an NFL general manager, building a team in the offseason is calculated and very intentional. But the word “manager” in the title is reflective of the need to do just that — manage — when things happen during the season that nobody calculated. Every team’s decision-makers must respond and lead in both calm and stormy seas.

The Cleveland Browns found themselves dealing with an unexpected and unfortunate situation after two games with the devastating knee injury to running back Nick Chubb. They were forced to face the unpleasant reality of needing to adjust, respond and adapt — first mentally, then on the field.

Some do it faster than others. The Browns did it quickly, and their defense led the effort by being overwhelming and at times dominating.

Opposing offenses are converting a league-low 19.5 percent of third downs, and the Browns have held opposing QBs to the third-lowest passer rating in the league at 60.0. In a game of third downs and matchups, the Browns are getting off the field better than any defense in the NFL. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Myles Garrett gets the pass rush attention, but the Browns have a fast and athletic group of linebackers who have been schemed up masterfully by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in a way that gives offenses a very small margin for error.

A 13-3 halftime lead against the Titans in Week 3 didn’t seem that close. Back-to-back stops at the end of the first half and another on the first series of the second half removed any doubt about who was controlling the game. With lead communicator and under-the-radar inside linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. making adjustments and calls on the fly, the Browns consistently beat the Titans to the spot in both defending the run and pressuring the passer. You can see the confidence growing with this unit. It can carry this team.

JACKSONVILLE

LB DEVIN LLOYD is expected to miss both Jaguars games in London.  Coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that he will stay in JAX after having surgery on his right thumb for an injury sustained early in Sunday’s loss to Houston.

TENNESSEE

A ruptured appendix for the Titans rookie OL PETER SKORONSKI per Turron Davenport of ESPN.com

Tennessee Titans left guard Peter Skoronski said he ruptured his appendix earlier this month and had to have an emergency appendectomy.

Skoronski felt discomfort and was taken to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville on Sept. 16. His appendix burst when he was at the hospital.

“It ruptured, but they caught it basically,” Skoronski said Wednesday. “I’m very appreciative of everyone there that helped me out. They did a great job, and I’m doing fine.”

Skoronski, who has not played the past two weeks, said he has lost some weight because he didn’t have much of an appetite. He plans to gradually gain that weight back while his appetite returns.

Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Skoronski has been in good spirits and is starting to get back into the weight room along with doing some conditioning work. The plan is to take his return to the weight room day by day. The training staff will start with core work and expand from there as they see what Skoronski can handle.

The rookie left guard has played in only one NFL game and is not likely to be available when the Titans host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

“It’s frustrating,” Skoronski said. “You want to be on the field as soon as possible, but you also don’t want to be out there in a position where you can’t do the right thing for your team.”

NEW YORK JETS

This is good:

“When you look on tape what are you seeing from Zach Wilson and the (Jets) offense?”

#Chiefs Willie Gay: “A team that wants to run the ball…”

THIS AND THAT

TWO-WAY PLAYERS

Dan Pompei of The Athletic wonders if Colorado’s TRAVIS HUNTER will be the NFL’s Shohei Ohtani while providing us with a history of two-way NFL players:

As Ohtani was wrecking the Tigers, Micah Parsons, the all-world linebacker and defensive end for the Cowboys, could not have been blamed for paying attention. Truth be told, he’d like to play offense, too.

When he was 6, Parsons scored on 12 consecutive carries for the Harrisburg Packers. In high school, he played running back, defensive end, punter, kicker and kick returner. As a senior, he averaged 11.4 yards per carry and scored 29 touchdowns — one for every 3.8 times he touched the ball.

Running back was his favorite position then, but he didn’t object too strongly when Penn State recruiters told him they wanted him as a defender just as he was about to commit to them.

At 6-3 and 250 pounds, he doesn’t look like many running backs, with the exception of Derrick Henry. With 4.39 speed in the 40, Parsons believes he could have been a running back like Henry. Still believes, actually.

“As a running back,” he says, “I was really good.”

And so he has lobbied the Cowboys for offensive snaps.

Shortly after Ohtani dominated the doubleheader, the Colorado Buffaloes football team reported to training camp. There, Travis Hunter practiced as a cornerback one day and as a wide receiver the next.

In the Buffs’ opening-day victory over TCU, Hunter played 147 snaps, caught 11 passes for 119 yards, made a goal-line interception and had three pass breakups. Two days later, his coach, Deion Sanders, said on FS1’s “Undisputed” that Hunter could be a first-round NFL draft pick on both sides of the ball — “like first pick,” Sanders said.

And Sanders was not overstating.

“It looks like he has great instincts, speed and change of direction,” an AFC general manager says of Hunter, who has been sidelined since mid-September after a late hit in the Colorado State game lacerated his kidney. “Plus, he’s highly competitive and tough. There are a lot of unknowns with him and a lot can happen, but I would say he could play either position in the NFL. It looks easy to him.”

With Hunter and Parsons, the mind wanders. Could one of them be the NFL version of Ohtani?

Maybe a better question is, could anyone?

There has been a football version of Ohtani. He retired 71 years ago.

Sammy Baugh, a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, approached every football game as if it were a triathlon.

In 1943, Baugh led the NFL in pass completions and attempts, defensive interceptions and punting average. And 1943 wasn’t a one-year exception. He led the league in passing four times, punting average five times and had more interceptions than any other player over a five-year period.

Baugh probably was the greatest two-way player in NFL history, but there were many in his time. Among them were linemen Danny Fortmann and Mel Hein. Don Hutson and George McAfee were known for sprinkling glitter in their offenses, but both were exceptional defensive backs as well.

The two-way era effectively ended in 1949 when the NFL, seeking to highlight speed and skill, enabled free substitution, meaning players could become offensive or defensive specialists without being forced to play two ways.

A few still played both ways in the 1950s, notably Frank Gifford, who was voted to the Pro Bowl as a defensive back, running back and wide receiver, and Chuck Bednarik, who famously knocked out Gifford with a hit that still makes one look away.

Bednarik, the last of the true two-way players, was a linebacker and center. He also long snapped and sold concrete on his off days — hence his nickname “Concrete Charlie.”

In 1960, Bednarik knew he was near the end of his career and intended to play center only. But in the fifth game of the season, he was asked to substitute for an injured linebacker and play both ways. For the rest of the year, he rarely left the field and was the only player in the NFL going two ways.

In the 1960 championship game, the Eagles had a three-point lead on the Packers with 10 seconds remaining. Packers fullback Jim Taylor took a handoff from Bart Starr on the Eagles’ 22. He broke tackle attempts from Maxie Baughan and Don Burroughs and appeared headed to the end zone. Bednarik, a force from the first play to the last, got to Taylor at the 9 and laid on him as the clock ran out.

At 35 years old, he played 139 of 142 plays in the game. Browns coach Paul Brown called it “one of the greatest exhibitions of physical stamina I’ve ever seen.”

It takes more than exceptional physical ability to play two ways. It takes double doses of resilience, focus and imperviousness.

So it’s not surprising that after Bednarik, there wasn’t another two-way player of significance for 21 years.

As an offensive/defensive contributor, Roy Green was accidental and temporary. But he was sterling.

At Magnolia High in Arkansas, Green played six positions, but at Henderson State University he ceased playing offense and became an NAIA All-America defensive back. The Arizona Cardinals drafted him in the fourth round in 1979 and played him at cornerback and safety his first two seasons. He also returned kicks.

Even during his years on defense, Green felt an offensive calling, he says. “After every practice, I ran routes and caught balls with (running backs) O.J. Anderson and Theotis Brown,” Green says. “I felt it was conditioning, but I was doing things offensive players do.”

Early in the 1981 season, the Cardinals had injuries at wide receiver. In their second game, Green helped out and caught one pass against the Cowboys — it went for 60 yards. In their next game, he had 115 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown and an interception. It was the first time since 1957 that a player had a receiving touchdown and interception in the same game. Green did it twice more that season.

“I loved playing both ways,” says Green, who averaged about 100 plays a game that season. “It was the best time I ever had because of how competitive I am and how much I love to play. There were so many opportunities to make plays, and that’s the greatest thing there is.”

But playing both ways is like playing two major roles in an opera — there are a lot of lines to learn and an abundance of difficult notes to hit. Green split his time between offensive and defensive meetings and then had one-on-one sessions with Emmitt Thomas, a Hall of Fame defensive back who was coaching wide receivers for the Cardinals. Thomas tutored Green at both positions.

The following season, Green became a full-fledged wide receiver who rarely played defense. At receiver, he was a two-time first-team All-Pro who led the NFL in receiving yards once and finished second another time. By the time he left the Cardinals in 1991, he held the team records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Green did not start a trend. Another 15 years would pass before the NFL saw another like him. And then the man who would become Travis Hunter’s coach came along.

In 1995, Deion Sanders accepted a seven-year, $35 million contract offer to jump from the 49ers to the Cowboys, making him the highest-paid defensive player in the league.

Before Sanders signed, the Cowboys debated how to get the most value out of him.

“Barry (Switzer, the head coach) and our group said we don’t want him to get hurt because he would be our top corner,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones says. “We considered not even having him return punts. And I’ll never forget (team owner) Jerry (Jones) grabbing Barry and saying, ‘Pull up his top punt returns and let’s watch them together.’ They watched them, and, of course, he was magical. And after that, Barry and everybody said, ‘Hell, you know he’d be an unbelievable receiver.’”

Sanders said the opportunity to play receiver was partly why he chose the Cowboys over the Raiders, who offered more money.

Sanders played sparingly on offense that season, but in the Cowboys’ 27-17 Super Bowl victory over the Steelers in 1996, he caught a 47-yard pass from Troy Aikman that set up a touchdown.

Before 1996, Sanders played major league baseball as well as football. After the Super Bowl, he gave up baseball so he could learn to play wide receiver. That season, he played 80 percent of the Cowboys’ snaps on defense and 50 percent of their snaps on offense, catching 36 passes for 475 yards and one touchdown while earning first-team All-Pro honors on defense.

However, his demanding quarterback was not enthralled with throwing to a part-time wide receiver.

“Troy was a hard-ass,” Stephen Jones says. “He was so into everybody having their routes just right. And if you are going to play most of the snaps on defense, your routes are not going to be perfect.”

As the season went on, Sanders played less on offense. In the offseason, he returned to baseball and gave up his wide receiver hobby.

It takes more than a special player to have a two-way player on a team. It takes a special coach. The Patriots have one.

If there is hope for the two-way player, it may be in New England, where Bill Belichick has used numerous players in dual roles. Among them are Troy Brown, Julian Edelman, Matthew Slater and Marcus Jones, the cornerback who took 18 snaps on offense last season as a rookie.

At Kent State, Edelman was a quarterback, then Belichick made him a wide receiver/returner after drafting him in the seventh round in 2009.

In November 2011, the Patriots were thin at defensive back when secondary coach Josh Boyer approached Edelman midweek and told him to go to a defensive backs meeting. In the game that followed, against the Jets, Edelman took a few defensive snaps. It was the first time he played defense since he was a 12-year-old outside linebacker on the Redwood City 49ers (winners of the Pop Warner Super Bowl).

The following week against the Chiefs, Edelman played the “money” position, which meant covering the running back. In his next game, Edelman played nickel.

Edelman used his offensive experience to help him on defense.

“I would kind of cheat when it came to the playing DB because I would study the situations and go-to players and go-to routes they would run in those situations and I knew conceptually about offense,” says Edelman, now an analyst on “Fox NFL Kickoff.” “So I would just hold as much as I could for five yards and then run the route with them on what I thought it would be. That was kind of how I got away with it.”

In the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game victory over the Ravens, he played 22 snaps at receiver (he converted a third down with an 8-yard reception), 23 snaps at cornerback (he covered Anquan Boldin often and forced a fumble) and 12 on special teams.

On defense, Edelman could use his instincts more and hit instead of bracing for the hit. “I loved it,” he says. “But I liked playing offense as well. And at that point in my career, I was going to do anything they asked me to do.”

In the offseason, that meant moving back to wide receiver, the position he played for the rest of his career.

Since Bednarik retired, some players such as Sanders, Green and Edelman have gone two ways for one season.

Others, including Julio Jones, William “Refrigerator” Perry, Mike Vrabel and J.J. Watt, have taken cameo roles on the other side of the ball.

In recent times, no one has sustained a two-way role with a heavy workload for long. Patrick Ricard of the Ravens is a fullback who had a side job as a defensive lineman for the first three years of his career, playing 38 snaps on defense in 2017, 47 in 2018 and 140 in 2019. He primarily has been an offensive player since.

Against the Saints on Sunday, Packers coach Matt LaFleur played cornerback/returner Keisean Nixon one snap on offense and has indicated he could be used more on that side of the ball.

Working overtime is one thing. Working double time is something else.

Concrete Charlie was proud to be the last of his kind.

“Deion couldn’t tackle my wife, Emma,” Bednarik said before his death in 2015. “He’s not what I’d call an iron man. The iron man is up front where the action is, where the hitting is constant.”

Playing both ways can be especially difficult for players like Bednarik, who hit every down. And it can be especially difficult for players such as Sanders, who ran every down, as well as every day in practice with both the offense and the defense.

Green says near the end of his two-way season, his legs started breaking down. Eventually, he pulled a hamstring.

“I know it was because of so many reps,” he says. “It’s taxing, very stressful on the body.”

Changes in the NFL have worked against the idea of two-way players. When Baugh played, rosters fluctuated between 28 and 35 players, which meant taking a seat on the sideline wasn’t an option for most. Even in Bednarik’s era, teams could carry no more than 38 players. Now, with 53-man rosters and 16-man practice teams, players don’t need to go two ways out of necessity.

The NFLPA, formed in 1956, might have something to say if a modern team used a player like the Eagles used Bednarik. Player health and safety never was considered back then; now they are NFL initiatives.

Limitations of the human body are pushed more in the modern era with 17 game schedules versus 14 when Bednarik played and 10 or 11 during Baugh’s time. And today’s players have short weeks with Thursday games and Monday games.

Baseball isn’t as physically demanding as football, but Ohtani tore a ligament in his elbow in August, underwent surgery in September and won’t pitch again until 2025, if ever. He’s also missed time with an oblique injury.

The coaches and general managers who decide players’ fates might be tempted by the short-term benefits of using a player like the Angels used Ohtani, but they have to balance their desires by considering the big picture.

And part of the big picture is the survival not only of the player in question but also of the coach and/or general manager in question.

“The moment you do something to play a guy outside of his normal position and he gets hurt, you get roasted,” Hall of Fame general manager Ron Wolf says. “Guess what happens next? You get fired.”

It would take a rare situation for a team to sign off on giving a player who is a star on one side of the ball a significant role on the other side of the ball. The Cowboys have a rare situation, as owner Jerry Jones is also the general manager, and his son Stephen is the player personnel director — as they were when Sanders played two ways. They don’t have to worry about getting fired.

They also have the most amphibious player in the NFL.

“If you lined Micah up at running back, he probably would be one of the best,” Stephen Jones says.

The Cowboys have not had serious conversations about Parsons playing offensively. The focus now, Jones says, is to help Parsons establish himself as the best defensive player in the league, if he hasn’t done that already.

But he also points out that Sanders didn’t play offense until his eighth season in the NFL — Sanders evolved into a two-way player.

Could Parsons evolve similarly?

“It has become harder and harder for a player to go both ways,” Jones says. “But with a guy like Micah, you never would discount it.”

And that is an answer that could play two ways.

COACHING HOT SEAT

Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com has Sean Payton as a surprising #4 on his current coaching hot seat list with the AFC West providing 3 of the 5t:

Three weeks into the NFL season can be a strong indicator of a team’s performance, specifically for teams that have head coaches with uncertain futures. The Los Angeles Chargers didn’t exactly get off to the start they desired, same with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Even though the Dallas Cowboys lost last week (and the spotlight is on Mike McCarthy all season), they are still 2-1 and in better shape than most teams around the league. The same can be said about the Washington Commanders, even with Ron Rivera being under the microscope all season long (they could be much worse than 2-1).

The first batch of the in-season coaching hot seat rankings is significantly different than our preseason list (as expected). Here’s how they were ranked in the preseason:

Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders)

Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints)

Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers)

Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys)

Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders)

Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns)

Robert Saleh (New York Jets)

Some of these coaches didn’t qualify for the top five this time, but that could change in the coming weeks:

1. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears)

An 0-3 start doesn’t help matters, but it’s the lack of development of Justin Fields that’s concerning. Fields has actually gotten worse as a passer, which isn’t good for Eberflus or his coaching staff. Fields has the most QB starts with under 200 passing yards (20), under 150 passing yards (10), and under 100 passing yards (5) since entering the league, all while compiling a 58% completion rate, 526 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions this season (67.7 rating).

Fields is 0-for-6 on throws of 25-plus air yards this season, while having fewer designed runs by 15% this year (49% last season to 34% this year). Fields also has a bad offensive line, being sacked 3.5 times per game (the most by any quarterback with 500-plus pass attempts since 1970). The Bears defense also has allowed 25-plus points in 13 straight games, tied for the longest streak in NFL history. Keep in mind Eberflus is a coach with a defensive background.

This feels like the beginning of the end for Eberflus in Chicago.

2. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers)

Staley needs to (at least) win a playoff game to keep his job, but the Chargers’ slow start has the makings of an in-season firing. The Chargers have one of the NFL’s best offenses (second in total offense and third in pass offense), but have one of the league’s worst defenses. They are 32nd in the NFL in passing defense this season (337.0 yards per game allowed) and rank 31st in total defense this season (450.7 yards per game allowed). Staley is also a coach with a defensive background.

The biggest concern is Staley’s overaggressiveness. Trying to give his team a victory (and avoid an 0-3 start), Staley went for it on fourth-and-1 on the Chargers’ own 24-yard line, holding a 28-24 lead with 1:51 left. Joshua Kelley was stopped, and the Vikings had the ball with 1:47 left at the Chargers’ 24 — in prime position to win.

The Chargers defense bailed Staley out by picking off Kirk Cousins in the red zone and getting to 1-2, but Staley significantly put his team at risk by failing to convert on fourth down. Staley is going to coach aggressive and listen to the analytics, no matter the result.

No matter what the numbers say, the decisions aren’t benefitting Staley. The Chargers are too talented to be this bad — especially on defense — through three games.

3. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders)

Still impressive how McDaniels landed a second head coaching job in the first place. The Raiders have been bad through three games, as they are the only team in the NFL to not score 20-plus points in a game this season (McDaniels has an offensive background by the way). Jimmy Garoppolo has already thrown more interceptions this season (six) than he did all of last season in 11 games (four) and Vegas is 32nd in rush yards per game (61.7) with zero rushing touchdowns scored this season. The Raiders also have Josh Jacobs — who led the league in rushing — at running back.

Then there’s the whole off-field stuff. From Chandler Jones and his saga to Davante Adams being frustrated with the organization, the Raiders are reeling. Let’s not forget McDaniels’ decision to kick a field goal on fourth-and-4 from the Steelers’ 8-yard line down eight points with 2:25 left this past week, especially when he went for it on fourth-and-5 at the Steelers’ 22-yard line with 13:18 left earlier in the quarter (the attempt was unsuccessful).

An inconsistent decision-maker and a bad coach is not a good combination. The only reason he’s still around is because the Raiders would owe him a boatload of money if they fired him.

4. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos)

Three games into Payton’s tenure and the Broncos are a disaster. Not only is Denver 0-3, but the defense gave up 70 points and 726 yards to the Dolphins in embarrassing fashion. The Broncos have allowed the second-most points (122) through three games since 1970 and the third-most points (105) in a two-game span since 1970. Poor defense has been a track record under Payton. He’s allowed the most team points per game (27.5) by a head coach in NFL history (minimum 50 games).

The offense — and Russell Wilson — have been better. Denver is averaging 23 points through three games (averaged 16.9 last year), while Wilson has completed 65.4% of his passes for 791 yards with six touchdowns to two interceptions (99.5 rating). The defense — backed off a questionable hire of Vance Joseph — has just been atrocious (this was a top-10 unit in yards allowed last year).

Payton isn’t getting fired after Year 1, not after what the Broncos had to surrender in trade compensation to acquire him — and then pay him. If the Broncos lose to the Bears on Sunday, Denver fans might be thinking significantly different about their future with Payton.

5. Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders)

Rivera is under pressure to perform this season, and has handled it well, getting the Commanders off to a 2-1 start. However, Sunday’s blowout loss to the Bills raises some red flags concerning this team, especially on the offensive line.

The Commanders have allowed 19 sacks this year, the most by a team in the first three games since the 2006 Raiders. Sam Howell is on pace to be sacked 107 times, which would be a league record. Howell’s hot start significantly cooled off, as he became the first quarterback since Warren Moon in 1985 to be sacked nine-plus times and throw four-plus interceptions in a game. Howell has completed 65.7% of his passes for 671 yards with three touchdowns to five interceptions and a 74.5 passer rating in his three starts.

Right now, the Commanders are fine. A bounce-back performance from Howell and the offense will certainly help, but the 27th-ranked defense in points per game allowed needs to be addressed too.

If Payton isn’t really on the hot seat – as Kerr admits “Payton isn’t getting fired after Year 1” – then who would be your 5^th name?  Arthur Smith in Atlanta as QB DESMOND RIDDER struggles?  Robert Saleh if the Jets don’t get some semblance of offense?  Mike Vrabel in listless Tennessee?

2024 DRAFT

Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com offers a late September Mock Draft:

While not as loaded with high-caliber talent as the quarterback position, the 2024 wide receiver class is starting to take shape, and it’s looking better each week. There’s Marvin Harrison and Emeka Egbuka at Ohio State, Malik Nabers at LSU, and Florida State has two outside monsters in Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman.

Could they all land in the first round next April?

The draft order below was determined using current Super Bowl odds from Caesar’s SportsBook.

NFL MOCK DRAFT

1 ARIZONA (from Houston)

Caleb Williams QB

USC • JR • 6’1″ / 215 LBS

Of course, we can’t set this in stone yet. But I’m guessing the Cardinals would be perfectly content with this outcome. Williams in the desert, starting in 2024.

2 ARIZONA

Marvin Harrison Jr. WR

OHIO STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 205 LBS

The Cardinals are ecstatic to land Williams and Harrison Jr. with the first two selections in the 2024 draft. Franchise cornerstones.

3  CHICAGO

Drake Maye QB

NORTH CAROLINA • SOPH • 6’4″ / 230 LBS

At this rate, the Bears will move on from Justin Fields after the 2024 season. The current regime didn’t draft him, and he has regressed early in his third season. Maye comes with big-time throw ability and plenty of experience. He’s young too.

4  CHICAGO (from Carolina)

Laiatu Latu EDGE

UCLA • SR • 6’5″ / 265 LBS

Latu has the NFL-caliber size, bendiness, and productivity to be picked this high. Plus, the Bears are desperate for outside pass-rushing help.

5  DENVER

Olumuyiwa Fashanu OT

PENN STATE • JR • 6’6″ / 317 LBS

The Broncos have a myriad of issues, meaning they could go in a variety of directions here — but after coaching in New Orleans with typically stellar blocking units, Sean Payton upgrades the left tackle spot here with Fashanu.

6  WASHINGTON

Joe Alt OT

NOTRE DAME • JR • 6’7″ / 322 LBS

The Commanders must upgrade the protection in front of Sam Howell, and Alt comes with the Notre Dame pedigree and plenty of clean games in pass pro on film.

7  NY JETS

Brock Bowers TE

GEORGIA • JR • 6’4″ / 240 LBS

With Aaron Rodgers back in the mix in 2024, the Jets go best player available, and it just so happens to be a dazzling tight end prospect who’ll help Rodgers and New York’s offense instantly.

8  NY GIANTS

J.J. McCarthy QB

MICHIGAN • JR • 6’3″ / 202 LBS

Although the extension Daniel Jones signed this offseason will make it hard for the Giants to release him before the end of the 2024 campaign, the Giants jump at the opportunity to pick a high-upside passer like McCarthy.

9  LAS VEGAS

Kool-Aid McKinstry CB

ALABAMA • JR • 6’1″ / 195 LBS

The Raiders secondary needs work. It’s in dire need of a young, truly alpha perimeter cornerback. That’s precisely what McKinstry is.

10  TAMPA BAY

Barrett Carter LB

CLEMSON • JR • 6’1″ / 230 LBS

The Buccaneers are looking at Devin White and Lavonte David entering free agency in 2024. Carter has quarterback-of-the-defense skills at the second level.

11  NEW ENGLAND

Emeka Egbuka WR

OHIO STATE • JR • 6’1″ / 206 LBS

The Patriots add a savvy, productive wideout to the pass-catching contingent for Mac Jones. Fills a major need.

12  MINNESOTA

Bo Nix QB

OREGON • SR • 6’2″ / 217 LBS

With the Kirk Cousins era potentially coming to an end in Minnesota, the Vikings officially begin a rebuild with Nix.

13  LA RAMS

Jer’Zhan Newton DL

ILLINOIS • JR • 6’2″ / 295 LBS

The Rams see shades of Aaron Donald in Newton with this selection.

14  INDIANAPOLIS

Malik Nabers WR

LSU • JR • 6’0″ / 200 LBS

The Colts get a wideout with No. 1 receiver characteristics for Year 2 of the Anthony Richardson era.

15  TENNESSEE

Kalen King CB

PENN STATE • JR • 5’11” / 190 LBS

Tennessee can’t add too many defensive backs in this draft class, and King is squeaky clean on film

.

16  ATLANTA

Shedeur Sanders QB

COLORADO • JR • 6’2″ / 215 LBS

How about Sanders to the city where his dad’s legendary NFL career began? Desmond Ridder isn’t trending toward being the answer for the Falcons organization.

17 GREEN BAY

Tyler Nubin S

MINNESOTA • SR • 6’2″ / 210 LBS

Green Bay isn’t shy about selecting defensive backs in Round 1, and Nubin is an instinctive turnover-creator on the back end.

18  JACKSONVILLE

Leonard Taylor III DL

MIAMI (FL) • SOPH • 6’3″ / 305 LBS

Taylor comes with massive upside given his athleticism and pass-rush flashes.

19  SEATTLE

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. LB

CLEMSON • JR • 6’0″ / 230 LBS

Another Clemson linebacker to the first round. Trotter of course comes with NFL bloodlines and can be a high-level tackling machine in Seattle’s defense.

20  PITTSBURGH

Graham Barton OT

DUKE • SR • 6’5″ / 314 LBS

Barton is long-term insurance for the offensive front in Pittsburgh, and his game is well-rounded enough that he very well could be one of the five best blockers as a rookie.

21  NEW ORLEANS

Jared Verse EDGE

FLORIDA STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 260 LBS

The Saints are thrilled to land Verse this late in the first round. Even after given Carl Granderson a well-earned extension, New Orleans goes edge rusher because the value is too good to pass up.

22  LA CHARGERS

Ruke Orhorhoro DT

CLEMSON • SR • 6’4″ / 290 LBS

The Chargers defensive interior still needs work. Orhorhoro is a rock inside.

23  HOUSTON (from Cleveland)

Keon Coleman WR

FLORIDA STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 215 LBS

A big-bodied, go-up-and-get-it wideout for Year 2 of the C.J. Stroud era. Fun pairing with Nico Collins on the perimeter.

24  DETROIT

Kris Jenkins DL

MICHIGAN • SR • 6’3″ / 305 LBS

More powerful talent on the interior of the defensive front for the Lions going with the local product here.

25  CINCINNATI

Patrick Paul OT

HOUSTON • JR • 6’7″ / 315 LBS

The Bengals should continue to add versatile blockers to their blocking contingent in front of Joe Burrow.

26  BALTIMORE

Xavier Legette WR

SOUTH CAROLINA • SR • 6’3″ / 227 LBS

Legette is a freaky specimen with thunderous YAC talent who’d bring another dynamic element to the Ravens passing offense.

27  BUFFALO

Rome Odunze WR

WASHINGTON • JR • 6’3″ / 215 LBS

The Bills add a sizable, vertical threat to the offense in Odunze who’s a moose in the open field with the ball in his hands.

28  DALLAS

Josh Newton CB

TCU • SR • 6’0″ / 190 LBS

The Cowboys add a young, speedy, sticky-in-coverage corner who’d complement Trevon Diggs very well.

29  MIAMI

Chop Robinson EDGE

PENN STATE • JR • 6’3″ / 254 LBS

Robinson has the speed and bend talent to becomes an ideal running mate to Jaelan Phillips on the Dolphins’ defensive front.

30  PHILADELPHIA

Caelen Carson CB

WAKE FOREST • JR • 6’0″ / 195 LBS

Given the ages of Darius Slay and James Bradberry, the Eagles go with a twitchy, playmaking cornerback here.

31  KANSAS CITY

T’Vondre Sweat DL

TEXAS • SR • 6’4″ / 362 LBS

The Chiefs gets an interior penetrator who’s been on the draft radar to help Chris Jones along their defensive line.

32  SAN FRANCISCO

Kingsley Suamataia OT

BYU • SOPH • 6’6″ / 315 LBS

Suamataia has dancing bear qualities at tackle and is an exquisite mentee to Trent Williams in San Francisco.