The Daily Briefing Tuesday, August 16, 2022

AROUND THE NFL

A Tweet from Anthony Crupi:

@crupicrupicrupi

NFL Network’s telecast of Saturday night’s SEA-PIT scrimmage averaged 2.16M viewers, beating Fox’s MLB coverage (NYY vs. BOS/SEA vs. TEX, 2.08M) in the same window. Worth noting: Fox reaches ~40M more homes than NFL Net.

CHICAGO

LB ROQUAN SMITH’s “agent”, who has orchestrated a trade demand, does not have the proper paperwork and approval.  Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com:

The standoff between the Chicago Bears and linebacker Roquan Smith over contract negotiations took another turn Monday when the NFL management council sent a memo to all 32 teams stating that a non-NFLPA-certified agent has been contacting clubs on behalf of the 2018 first-round pick.

According to a copy of the memo obtained by ESPN, the management council was informed by the NFL Players Association “that a person by the name of Saint Omni, who is not an NFLPA certified agent, is contacting clubs indicating that he is representing Roquan Smith, who is under contract to the Chicago Bears.”

The memo states that “Mr. Omni is prohibited from negotiating player contracts or discussing potential trades on behalf of any NFL player or prospective player or assisting in or advising with respect to such negotiations.”

On Tuesday, Smith released a statement via NFL Media stating that he had requested a trade after failing to work out a contract extension with the Bears. The linebacker said the offer extended from Chicago “is one that would be bad for myself, and for the entire LB market if I signed it.”

That same day, Bears general manager Ryan Poles reiterated his desire to work out a deal with Smith and said the front office had bestowed an offer with “record-setting pieces.”

Smith is not registered as a client of any NFLPA-certified agent.

The linebacker was not seen at practice Monday. After reporting to training camp on time, Smith was put on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list for the first 12 practices. He passed a physical and was activated from the PUP list Wednesday but did not participate in practice the following day or in the Bears’ preseason win over Kansas City despite being present at both.

The management council’s memo referenced Article 48 of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, which states that player contracts are to be negotiated only with the player, if he is acting on his own behalf, or with his NFLPA-certified agent.

The memo ended with a reminder of the league’s anti-tampering policy, which states that “no club is permitted to negotiate with a player under contract to another club, or with his certified agent, or to discuss a potential trade without the direct written permission of the player’s employer club.”

Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire has more on the mysterious Saint:

Who the heck is Saint Omni?

It’s pretty difficult to find much about Saint Omni. But we did some digging and learned that Saint Omni is the director of football at LifeLine Financial Group, according to an article posted by Complex back in Nov. 2021.

Saint Omni’s Facebook page, which hasn’t been updated in over two years, lists him as a “business consultant and manager for high profile NFL Athletes and celebrities.”

The Facebook page has since been deleted.

– – –

Smith isn’t the first veteran to represent himself when seeking a contract extension. Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil also negotiated a contract extension without an agent. The person in question helping him during contract negotiations? One Saint Omni.

So this wouldn’t be the first time Saint Omni assisted a player acting as their own agent in contract negotiations.

Granted, these two situations are different considering Tunsil wasn’t seeking a trade. There’s no issue with Omni serving as a consultant for Smith. It’s the fact that Omni, a non-certified agent, is gauging trade interest with NFL teams. The very definition of tampering.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Hmmmm.

Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com:

The New York Giants might get quarterback Tyrod Taylor some first-team snaps this summer, coach Brian Daboll said Tuesday.

Taylor, however, is currently the clear-cut backup to fourth-year quarterback Daniel Jones.

“Yeah, he’ll get, as we get going here in terms of preseason games, we’ll talk about whatever we think is best,” Daboll said. “But I have full confidence in Daniel. And I have full confidence in Tyrod in what his role is. Each day we sit there and evaluate the guys, but will he get a few reps here or there? He might.”

While it could open the door for speculation on Taylor potentially replacing Jones, the pecking order is clear at the moment. Jones, who had the fifth-year option in his rookie contract declined earlier this year and is in the final year of his deal, has taken all but one first-team rep this summer. That one came when Taylor replaced Jones when he was having a conversation with Daboll about the previous play.

Jones also worked with the starters in the preseason opener Thursday against the New England Patriots. He went 6-of-10 for 69 yards. Taylor went 13-of-21 passing for 129 yards, with a touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Both the Giants’ starting and backup quarterbacks played a quarter.

Daboll insisted that getting Taylor some work with the first-team offense was in no way a reflection on his starting quarterback’s training camp or preseason performance, which has been up and down this summer.

“Absolutely not,” Daboll said emphatically. “I learned from a pretty good coach a while ago. Usually, he doesn’t tell those guys when he throws them in, because that is what the backup job’s role is. You have to go in in a split second and prepare as if you’re the starter. Fourth play of the game something happens, you’re in and you have to be ready to go. I don’t think we’ll necessarily tell those guys when it will happen.”

PHILADELPHIA

The Eagles coveted DT JORDAN DAVIS with the 13^th pick in the draft.  Ted Ngyuen of The Athletic watched his Preseason Week 1 film and was impressed:

Jordan Davis looks like a problem — a big problem

There was discussion about whether or not it was prudent to draft a nose tackle in the top 15. The Eagles believed in Davis’ value and drafted him 13th overall. His low sack total was a concern in college and his value as a pass rusher is to be determined but he made his presence as a run stuffer known quickly against the Jets’ starting offensive line.

– – –

Davis showed off his elite movement skills for a player his size and made the back cut again to the middle of the defense where he was tackled for a short gain.

Davis is going to be a handful in the middle of the Eagles defense and allow them to play with light boxes because of his ability to disrupt the run. In this system, he doesn’t need to rack up tackles to be effective. He just needs to make the running back dance in the backfield to buy time for second- and third-level defenders to fit the run.

NEW ORLEANS

QB DESHAUN WATSON went uncharged by two grand juries, yet the media consensus is a 6-game suspension was too light.

RB ALVIN KAMARA is charged with a violent felony.  It looks like he plays Week 1 for New Orleans.  Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com:

Alvin Kamara is expected to face at least a six-game suspension stemming from his alleged involvement in a Las Vegas fight back in February. But the star Saints running back may not serve that suspension until 2023. With less than a month until New Orleans’ first regular-season game, Kamara is increasingly likely to be available to start 2022, according to ESPN. The Pro Bowler recently had a hearing for his battery case delayed until Sept. 29, and any NFL discipline would likely wait until said case is resolved.

“There’s a real chance,” Adam Schefter reported Monday, “that the status of that case is not going to affect his availability this season. He could be disciplined … But in terms of this season, it looks more and more unlikely.”

ESPN and ProFootballTalk had previously reported Kamara was expected to be suspended six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The 27-year-old running back is facing multiple charges, including a felony count of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm, after allegedly punching and injuring a man at a nightclub on the eve of the Pro Bowl.

The hearing related to the case has been delayed three different times this offseason. It’s possible it could still be resolved during the 2022 season, but the Saints are set to open their schedule on Sept. 11, before the hearing takes place.

TAMPA BAY

EDGE CARL NASSIB is back with the Bucs.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Nassib, the free agent pass rusher who previously played in Tampa Bay in 2018 and 2019, has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

While spending the last two years with the Raiders, Nassib became the first openly gay player to appear in a regular-season game. Since hitting free agent in March, there has been little apparent interest in him among NFL teams, and questions were raised about whether homophobia was working against Nassib in his efforts to continue his NFL career.

But the Bucs know Nassib well, and they want him back on their defense. He’ll have to compete with players who have spent all offseason on the Bucs to make the roster, but his experience in head coach Todd Bowles’ defense gives him a good chance of being a solid contributor in Tampa Bay this season.

SAN FRANCISCO

Apparently, QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO could be hard to find in the offseason.  Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com:

The 2022 NFL preseason has officially kicked off, and the fate of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is not any more clear. A trade partner has yet to emerge, and it’s possible the 49ers could end up releasing him.

While Garoppolo has led the 49ers to the Super Bowl and the NFC Championship just this past season, an unflattering report surfaced last week that potential suitors may want to hear about. According to Mike Silver of The San Francisco Chronicle, Garoppolo “disappeared” in most offseasons — including in 2018, after he signed his five-year, $137.5 million deal. 

“Once he left that press conference nobody heard from him for weeks and weeks,” an unnamed 49ers assistant coach on the 2018 staff said (H/T Peter King’s Football Morning in America.) “He didn’t return calls, he didn’t return texts — he basically just vanished. And we were looking at each other going, ‘What just happened.'”

It goes without being said that a different kind of work ethic is required to be successful in the NFL — especially when it comes to the quarterback position. Front offices want their signal-callers to be examples in everything they do, including how to handle the offseason. This new report seems to indicate that Jimmy G really enjoyed his time off.

Maybe the experience Garoppolo is currently going through will change how he approaches the game. As for who he will play for in 2022, that’s something that’s still being decided. There are no clear-cut landing spots for him at this time, although it’s been reported that the Cleveland Browns will consider trading for him if Deshaun Watson’s suspension increases substantially. The rival Seattle Seahawks could be in the mix as well, although they will probably need Garoppolo to be released. Pete Carroll and Co. seem confident in Drew Lock and Geno Smith, but it was reported last month that Seattle had even done work in the film room to see how Garoppolo would fit in.

While this leakage might assuage Jimmy G fans among the 49er Faithful when he is departed, it doesn’t seem designed to drive up his trade value.

SEATTLE

Seattle and Philadelphia have traded players they were likely to cut.  Brady Henderson of ESPN.com:

The Seahawks acquired wide receiver/tight end J.J. Arcega-Whiteside in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for defensive back Ugo Amadi on Monday.

The Seahawks were planning to cut Amadi as part of their first wave of roster reductions, according to a source, but instead found a trade partner and a reinforcement at a position that’s been thinned by injuries.

Whiteside, a second-round pick out of Stanford in 2019, has a combined 16 catches for 290 yards and a touchdown in 40 games over three seasons. The Eagles moved the 6-foot-2, 237-pound Arcega-Whiteside to tight end earlier this offseason. The Seahawks plan to use him as a hybrid receiver/tight end, according to a source.

Arcega-Whiteside was viewed as a long shot to make the Eagles’ final roster.

KANSAS CITY

Matthew Berry drops two RBs to keep an eye on in your Fantasy Draft.  We already had TREY SERMON of the 49ers, but he’s also preaching about an obscure Chief:

💎 Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco

Every day we continue to get more indicators that the Kansas City rookie is climbing the depth chart while Ronald Jones is headed in the other direction (and potentially a cut candidate).

Fantasy players have reacted accordingly with Jones going unselected in some recent Underdog drafts I’ve done. I’m still skeptical Rojo gets cut, but it’s time to start giving Pacheco a long look in the late rounds. His ADP could rise quickly if these reports continue.

BALTIMORE

When we first saw this news, we confused BRETT HUNDLEY (eminently cutable) with rising star TYLER HUNTLY, and were shocked.  But now it all makes sense.  Alek Arend at AthlonSports.com:

It’s roster cut-down day in the NFL. The Baltimore Ravens, as a result, are trimming down on players. According to a report, one of those players is veteran quarterback Brett Hundley.

The Ravens are reportedly cutting veteran quarterback Brett Hundley. The leaves the AFC North franchise with three quarterbacks: Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntly and Anthony Brown.

It was previously believed Hundley would make it further into Baltimore’s camp and that Brown, the former Oregon quarterback, would be the first quarterback cut. However, the undrafted prospect performed well in the Ravens’ recent preseason game and is now getting another opportunity. Hundley, meanwhile, is now a free agent.

PITTSBURGH

There is buzz that the Steelers discovered draft gold when they plucked WR GEORGE PICKENS, who was hiding in plain sight at Georgia, in the second round.  Mark Schofield at YahooSports.com:

During the buildup to the 2022 NFL draft, many evaluators argued that Georgia wide receiver George Pickens was worthy of a very early selection. While he was returning after a knee injury that sidelined him at the start of his final college season, what he did while at Georgia, particularly as a true freshman in the SEC earlier in his career, was first-round stuff.

Those same evaluators had some words of warning for the rest of the AFC North when Pickens slid to the Steelers midway through the second round last April.

After what Pickens has showed in camp, and then after his debut against the Seattle Seahawks, those calls are getting even louder.

Pickens, in limited action early, caught three passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. The scoring play was a dazzling effort, that included a toe-tap in back of the end zone.

Looking back, here is part of what I wrote about him prior to the draft:

Pickens is a master of late separation. He wins at the catch point, which is something he was doing as a true freshman against bigger and more physical SEC cornerbacks, but also has the ability to create a bit of space off his breaks with arm bars, shoulder nudges and by using his leverage and frame.

A solid debut for Steelers fans. One that perhaps we should have seen coming.

More from Ted Ngyuen of The Athletic:

The Steelers have a scary group of skill players (not including QB)

Receiver George Pickens had first-round talent but dropped to the second round because of injury concerns. So far, it looks like the Steelers hit big on their gamble. Pickens has made spectacular play after spectacular play throughout training camp and it continued against the Seahawks in the preseason opener. Pickens had three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown.

On third-and-13, Pickens beat off coverage on a fade route and was able to toe-tap in the back of the end zone to finish for a touchdown. Pickens mostly ran vertical routes, so I’m curious to see if he can get open and make difficult catches in the middle of the field.

The Steelers already have Diontae Johnson, who is a No. 1 receiver, Chase Claypool, who is a good No. 2 receiver, and if Pickens proves to be a No. 1, opposing defenses will have their hands full. Tight end Pat Freiermuth is a good player and running back Najee Harris looks like he can be an elite running back. Obviously, quarterback is a big question with Mitchell Trubisky penciled in as the starter for now but whoever ends up winning the job will have a full deck at his disposal.

This from Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com shows his Steelers teammates believe.

Steelers rookie wide receiver George Pickens has generated a lot of buzz in his first months as an NFL player and it doesn’t show any sign of slowing down with the regular season drawing closer by the day.

Pickens’ fellow wideout Diontae Johnson added his voice to those singing Pickens’ praises on Monday. Johnson called Pickens “a freak” who is getting better every day that he takes the field.

Johnson sees that development being a major problem for defenses who will have to wrangle with Johnson, Pickens and Chase Claypool come the regular season.

“It’s going to be a big plus,” Johnson said, via Noah Strackbein of SI.com. “They’re not going to be able to cover everyone, they can’t double everyone. There’s always going to be a one-on-one matchup, it’s up to the defense who they’re going to cover.”

The Steelers haven’t announced their starting quarterback for Week 1, but any choice is going to have a lot to work with in the receiving corps.

Pickens, who is 6-3, was a dominant player at football power Hoover H.S. near Birmingham, but he left Alabama for college – flipping from Auburn to Georgia.

In his first two seasons for UGa, he caught 85 passes for 14 TDs before his injury in the spring of 2021.  He returned for the final 4 games of the national title season, catching a 52-yard TD in the national title game against Alabama.

TENNESSEE

EDGE BUD DUPREE takes a plea deal for his belligerent altercation at a drug store in January.  ESPN.com:

Titans outside linebacker Bud Dupree pleaded guilty to a lesser assault charge in Nashville on Monday and was sentenced to six months of probation, according to online court records.

Dupree had been cited with misdemeanor assault (fear of bodily injury) after an altercation with an employee at a Walgreens in Nashville in January and turned himself into authorities in February. After the plea agreement Monday, Dupree pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault (offensive or provocative).

In January, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said that after a verbal altercation between the 20-year-old male employee and some individuals who had entered the store, the subjects then reentered the store with Dupree, who allegedly grabbed the employee and his phone and then was involved in a physical altercation with the employee before leaving.

NEW ENGLAND

This happened at a joint practice between the Patriots and Panthers on Tuesday:

@HurwitzSports

HUGE fight taking place, started with shoving and ended with a lot of punches being thrown. Both fields were cleared. Chaos in Foxboro.

NEW YORK JETS

DT QUINCY WILLIAMS had a very late hit on Eagles QB JALEN HURTS in Week 1, and to the Jets credit they have taken it seriously.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Jets have embraced the phrase “all gas, no brakes.” That attitude, generally speaking, has led to plenty of avoidable car accidents.

One such incident occurred on Friday night, when Jets linebacker Quincy Williams applied a late hit to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Philly coach Nick Sirianni justifiably blew a gasket. Jets coach Robert Saleh called the hit “egregiously awful.” And Williams got a talking-to from his coordinator.

Via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Jeff Ulbrich told reporters that he had a “long talk” with Williams about the hit on Hurts. Ulbrich explained that Williams needs to control his “super powers” of speed and aggressiveness.

In other words, all gas . . . maybe some brakes.

The deeper reality here continues to be that defenses are becoming more aggressive about physicality with quarterbacks who become runners. Officials supposedly will treat those players like running backs in 2022, refraining from throwing flags simply because a quarterback takes a big hit.

That said, no player should take a major hit once he’s clearly out of bounds. Hurts was.

Again, maybe some brakes.

THIS AND THAT

EMERGING IN 2^nd YEAR

Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic has a list of players who did not shine brightly as rookies, but could/should emerge in 2022.  We edited some:

So, how’d those rookie years go, anyway?

By now, we’ve heard plenty about the likes of Najee Harris, Ja’Marr Chase, Creed Humphrey and Micah Parsons — a number of players from the 2021 NFL Draft class were budding stars squads last season. Others, not so much.

But some had better-than-you-realize debuts. Others just need a healthy restart. Here’s a look at 22 second-year players — 11 on each side of the ball — you might have forgotten about a bit and probably shouldn’t have.

Offense

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars: Can you forget about a No. 1 pick? If he plays in Jacksonville and had to start his career with Urban Meyer as his head coach … maybe? A little? Lawrence’s rookie season was overshadowed by a bunch of stuff that had nothing to do with him, but in reality, he was one of many Jaguars forced to make the best of a rough situation. The roster is better this year, Lawrence will have more weapons, and he gets another year with Marvin Jones Jr. — one of the smoothest vets in the league.

When Lawrence is under control, he can be lethal. People can forget how athletic he is, but you never have to squint to find examples of how Lawrence moves the pocket with his feet before uncorking beautiful, vertical throws from weird angles. There are also times when he wants to throw off his back foot too much or sticks too long on his second read.

Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor should be a big help for him in Year 2. Expect an uptick.

Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears: There are some bowling-ball-with-agility qualities to Herbert’s game that are tough to ignore. However, the Bears gave him limited exposure last season — Herbert had 103 carries as a rotational back behind David Montgomery, picking up 433 yards and two touchdowns. Seventy-eight of those carries (and 344 of those yards) came in a four-game stretch in Weeks 5-8.

Herbert (5-foot-9, 212 pounds) runs low to the ground, shows very good vision and will run through arm tackles without a problem. He had a great cutback run against Green Bay, in which he changed direction on a dime, pressed the linebacker, then took the corner for a big play. Can he show more with his hands? And will Chicago give the sixth-round pick more work in 2022?

Michael Carter, RB, Jets: He has a running style similar to that of D’Andre Swift, with great agility (hello, 3.98-second shuttle) and the potential to be a real weapon in the pass game. Carter had 36 receptions for 325 yards last season and wound up as New York’s leading rusher despite missing three games because of an ankle injury.

The Jets didn’t overload Carter last year, instead having him split carries with Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson. He’ll share a workload with Breece Hall this season, but Carter’s strengths in space — and potential as a weapon in the pass game — could give Jets coach Robert Saleh exactly what he wants for his backfield tandem.

Elijah Moore, WR, Jets: Another weapon for Zach Wilson, if he can get his feet under him and play under control in 2021. Moore was limited to 11 games last season (538 yards, five TDs), before being shut down by a quad injury. He’s another recent example of a smaller receiver (5-9, 178 at the 2021 combine) who combines terrific agility with great second-level speed to get himself open against bigger defenders.

He’s a small package, but Moore is a complete athlete. The second-rounder out of Ole Miss plays with great body control in the air and will finish on difficult throws. He’ll be a problem for NFL defenses if he stays healthy.

Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens: Bateman missed the first five games of his rookie year with a groin injury, but he started to look like the first-round pick he is as 2021 went on. His length and outstanding body control make him really hard to deal with, especially at the line of scrimmage. Defensive backs backed off Bateman quite a bit when he was on the field last season, respecting his 4.41 speed. But he can slam on the brakes with the best of them and create separation against any cushion with stop routes.

Bateman doesn’t waste much movement and plays with good hands. He’s a good all-around football player who really never got the full Lamar Jackson experience last season. Jackson, of course, dealt with injuries later in the season — when Bateman was finally at full strength.

John Bates, TE, Commanders: Bates was a bit of a different athlete coming out of Boise State in 2021 — not great speed and 250 pounds at 6-5. But he’s very agile and plays with a whole lot of bend as a blocker, especially out in space. Bates proved to be a very good second-level blocker versus athletic defenders last season for Washington. He’s a sneaky athlete with plenty of balance and body control, which allows him to recover and stick on blocks a lot longer than most. Bates was Pro Football Focus’ top-graded run-blocking TE in 2021.

Given his sturdy frame, Bates probably could get stronger without losing much in the way of athleticism. He was a good pass blocker when Washington asked him to be last season — at times, his pass sets look like that of a slender tackle. Really good football player who won’t light up the box score.

Penei Sewell, OT, Lions: This (like Lawrence) might be cheating, as Sewell was one of the top prospects in the 2021 draft. But he played on a bad Detroit team last season and began the year at left tackle before shifting back over to the right side (where he played last spring). When all the dust settled on the back-and-forth with Sewell, though, he quietly put together a very good rookie season — and proved to be one of the better run-blocking tackles in the NFL by season’s end.

With Taylor Decker back healthy opposite him, Sewell has settled in at right tackle this year.

Christian Darrisaw, OT, Vikings: Staying in the NFC North with another potential star in the making. A house of a man at left tackle, Darrisaw could be a mauler on the edge for years to come. The former Virginia Tech lineman missed the first month of 2021 with an injury, but he had little trouble fitting in upon his return. He plays with great length and power and, when he wants to, can be a dominating finisher in the run game.

Occasional hiccups aside, Darrisaw has everything he needs to be a great player for a long time.

Sam Cosmi, OT, Commanders: Cosmi’s rookie season was derailed a bit by an ankle injury in October, but he was very sturdy for Washington when he was on the field.

Quinn Meinerz, G, Broncos: Bounced around a bit last season — two appearances at left guard before he flipped over to the right side and really settled in midway through the season. A college center with a lot of power, Meinerz is very quick off the ball and gets his punch delivered with good speed. He keeps his head on a swivel and rarely has trouble maintaining leverage inside as a run blocker. That punch can, however, be erratic — especially when he’s on the move.

Jackson Carman, G, Bengals: Carman played three positions — left guard, right guard and left tackle — as a rookie on an AFC champion, and he lived to tell about it. A tackle at Clemson, Carman might find a home in the NFL at guard (if Cincinnati lets him settle in), as his quick hands and powerful first step can be a great combo.

Defense

Daviyon Nixon, DT, Panthers: When Nixon is coming off the ball with a hard, assertive first step, he can be a serious force inside. The first step isn’t as explosive as that of Carolina lineman Derrick Brown, but Nixon’s ability to get off the ball, get underneath a guard or center and create knock-back at the point of attack could — in time — form an interesting combination with Brown.

Alim McNeill, DT, Lions: “Twinkle Toes” McNeill is about as solid as it gets athletically at 320 pounds. There’s not much about McNeill’s game inside that you’d consider to be elite, but there really aren’t many holes in what he gives Detroit inside: versatility and the ability to play the run and pass effectively.

Payton Turner, edge, Saints: The 6-6, 270-pounder played inside and out in college at Houston and got off to a great start for Dennis Allen and company as an effective pass rusher. Turner’s length (84-inch wingspan) is a serious problem, and he knows how to use it. He also has plenty of athletic twitch, plays with a great stab move and has the ability to wiggle off blocks at the point of attack. He can eat tight ends, beat tackles head up and win with speed inside versus guards.

Turner, per PFF, had 10 pressures in just five appearances last season with the Saints — he had a shoulder injury that required surgery in November. He’s been back on the field with the Saints in training camp, though, and could have a second-year growth spurt.

Boogie Basham, edge, Bills: The Bills don’t have to overload Basham, so they can continue to let him blossom and grow with a talented position group. All great stuff, because Basham’s potential as a 280-pound ball of explosion is large. His burst and ability to move in space at that size will continue to show up in Buffalo’s rotation.

Quincy Roche, edge, Giants: A sixth-round pick by Pittsburgh, Roche was then waived and picked up by the Giants just before the 2021 season,. And he could turn into a sleeper. He’s a bouncy, nimble athlete on the edge, one who can change direction and retrack to the ball with a lot of speed and explosion. When he’s locked in, he can be a real problem against the run, as an edge-setter who’s just hard to move. However, he does get tired — it happened too much in 2021 — and that can limit his impact.

Divine Deablo, LB, Raiders: A safety at Virginia Tech, Deablo was eventually moved to stack linebacker last season. And so far, the results seem positive. The third-round pick does a good job of playing the run with his eyes from the middle of the defense as an oversized 6-3, 225-pound linebacker. His length as a coverage defender and in the box as a tackler is an advantage. But more than anything, he’s rarely fooled, finding his way to the ball more often than not.

Baron Browning, edge/LB, Broncos: Denver coach Nathaniel Hackett is trying to convert Browning, a hyper-athletic former Ohio State linebacker, into an edge prospect. This has a “re-creating Micah Parsons” vibe to it, and it’s easy to see why Denver is trying. Browning, at 245 pounds, basically runs like a safety — a good safety, not a slow safety.

The early returns were terrific — Browning dominated on his 37 snaps in Denver’s preseason opener.

Greg Newsome II, CB, Browns: He has the perfect mindset for a corner: aggressive and quick to forget. Newsome is not afraid to walk up and challenge receivers in press, and he will get opportunities to do that as a slot defender. Newsome has had durability issues, and he missed five games last season. But if he can stay healthy, he’s a breakout candidate.

The first-round pick also gets to continue his development within a talented secondary that includes Denzel Ward and John Johnson III. PFF had Newsome’s defensive target catch rate at 63.8 percent on 58 targets.

Aaron Robinson, CB, Giants: Receivers have a really hard time separating from Robinson and beating him at the line of scrimmage. Robinson has good long speed, too, so he also challenges players who have second-level acceleration. He’s all-around fast and showed an ability to play without fear on an island last year as a rookie.

Camryn Bynum, S, Vikings: The Vikings got a terrific safety, Georgia’s Lewis Cine, in the 2022 draft. And as pointed out by The Athletic’s Arif Hasan, this could open the door for some real creativity on the back end with a versatile and exciting young prospect like Bynum already on the roster.

Andre Cisco, S, Jaguars: It took a long time for Jacksonville to give Cisco a full workload last season. But once it finally happened, the former Syracuse safety started to show the Jaguars why they were right to be excited about selecting him in Round 3.

TALIB

A youth football game went terribly wrong over the weekend – and former NFL player Aqib Talib was there when his brother pulled a gun.

Tristan Balagtas of People:

A disagreement between two youth football coaches in Texas allegedly led to a deadly shooting during a game Saturday evening.

According to a Lancaster Police Department news release, 43-year-old football coach Mike Hickmon was allegedly shot to death by 39-year-old Yaqub Talib — a coach on the opposing team and brother to ex-NFL player Aqib Talib.

Police said the shooting happened just before 9:00 p.m. at a community park in Lancaster, a city about 15 miles outside of Dallas.

Witnesses told police a “disagreement between the opposing coaching staff of two youth football teams over calls made by the officiating crew” led to a physical altercation that then escalated, prompting Talib to shoot Hickmon multiple times, the release reads.

Talib allegedly fled the scene, while Hickmon was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Talib faces a single count of first-degree murder, according to police.

According to WFAA-TV, Hickmon was the offensive coordinator for the D.E.A. Dragons.

Dragons’ president Mike Freeman told the outlet that Hickmon — who he saw lying on the ground following the alleged shooting — was “more than just a coach.”

“Great father, great man, great role model, great mentor,” he said of Hickmon.

“I held his son, Little Mike Jr., and I held him like my son, and it was very, very, very hard to hold him and console him because again… just letting him know that we’ll be there for him,” Freeman told the outlet.

Approximately 80 kids participated in the football games that evening, per the station.

“This is something that these kids will remember for the rest of their life. They’ll never forget this moment,” Freeman said.

Hickmon’s friend Tevar Watson, who was reportedly on another field at the time of the incident, called the shooting “senseless.”

“Yesterday was probably the worst day of my life,” he told the outlet. “Lost a good guy — what we call a standup guy, one of the guys that’s there for his family.”

Talib turned himself into authorities Monday, his attorney Clark Birdsall confirms.

“Mr. Talib regrets the tragic loss of life but went ahead and turned himself into the law this morning so his side of the story could be told,” Birsdall tells PEOPLE.

Birdsall confirms Talib is currently in custody and a bond hearing is set for Monday afternoon.

Talib has not yet entered a plea to the murder charge.

You bring a gun to a youth football game?  What possibly could be “his side of the story?”

TMZ.com:

Former NFL star Aqib Talib was just feet from the gunman — allegedly his older brother, Yaqub Talib — when a fight at a youth football game turned into a fatal shooting over the weekend, new video obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

We’ve chosen not to publish the actual shooting, but the original clip shows the moment five shots were fired at a man at a kid’s football game, with several of the shots coming as the man retreated. The man falls to the ground while running away.

In the moments immediately following the shooting, 36-year-old Aqib appears to make a beeline for the shooter — allegedly his 39-year-old brother — before both men seemingly turn to leave the field.

The video then ends as everyone scatters.

Although Aqib was in the middle of the incident, he is never seen participating in the violence.