The Daily Briefing Wednesday, June 15, 2022

AROUND THE NFL

CHICAGO

A second NFL season – and a second NFL offense to learn for QB JUSTIN FIELDS.

The Bears installed a new offense after hiring Matt Eberflus as their head coach and Luke Getsy as their offensive coordinator earlier this year and the transition remains a work in progress as the offseason comes to an end.

Rhythm and timing are important to the scheme and those things are still developing, which is why Tuesday’s practice showed the defense was well ahead of the offense in Chicago. Quarterback Justin Fields said that “they’re throwing a lot at us” and that there are predictably mistakes that follow, but he’s focused on “not making the same mistake twice” at this point in the calendar.

As they move closer to Week 1, that focus will shift to fully putting the offense into motion because Fields knows that the team isn’t ready for game action at this point.

“Uh, no,” Fields said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’m not ready for the season to start. I’m the type of guy that would like to know I’m prepared. So, right now, I’m just being honest. We’re not ready to play a game right now. And when that time comes, we will be ready. So, right now, no — not ready to play a game.”

The Bears’ offseason moves have drawn criticism for not doing enough to surround Fields with the talent needed to thrive this season, but the final word on that will come once the team actually hits the field. If training camp puts them in a more comfortable place in the system, the chances of surpassing low expectations will look a lot better.

CAROLINA

James Person of The Athletic on the continued rumors the QB BAKER MAYFIELD is of interest in the Panthers:

At least some in the Carolina Panthers organization remain interested in Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, but only if Cleveland is willing to pay a sizable percentage of his $18.8 million salary, league sources told The Athletic.

The Panthers begin a three-day, mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. Talks about Mayfield continue, though minicamp was seen as a soft deadline by the Panthers because they would want to get him acclimated and familiar with his teammates and the offense.

Mayfield was excused from this week’s Browns minicamp. The No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield asked to be traded after Cleveland began exploring a trade for Deshaun Watson. Mayfield is entering the final year of his contract.

Carolina’s current quarterback depth chart features the No. 3 pick in the 2018 draft, Sam Darnold, rookie third-round pick Matt Corral and P.J. Walker.

The Panthers could try to get Cleveland to take Darnold in the deal. Like Mayfield, Darnold is set to make a guaranteed $18.8 million after the Panthers picked up his fifth-year option.

ARIZONA

Coach Kliff Kingsbury admits to angst over the contract negotiations of QB KYLER MURRAY.  Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com:

Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury wants quarterback Kyler Murray’s contract situation to be resolved before the team reunites for training camp late next month.

“I’m praying before training camp,” Kingsbury said Tuesday after the first day of Arizona’s minicamp.

If Murray, who was on the field for Tuesday’s practice, doesn’t receive an extension or a new deal by then, Kingsbury cast some doubt on the quarterback reporting on the first day of training camp.

“I’m not sure,” Kingsbury said of Murray showing up for camp without a new deal. “That’d be a Kyler question. But I, just personally — I’m being selfish here — would love for him to be there the first day of training camp.”

Murray is set to earn $5.5 million this season and $29.7 million next year after his fifth-year option was picked up for 2023. However, Murray wants a new deal that is on par with the contracts of some of the top-tier quarterbacks such as the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, Cleveland Browns’ Deshaun Watson and Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott.

Whenever the deal is reached, Kingsbury expects it to set a franchise record. Kingsbury reiterated Tuesday that Murray is the “leader of this franchise,” a sentiment he has been saying since Murray was drafted in 2019.

“We’re about to make him, I’m sure, the highest-paid player in this franchise’s history and so he understands what comes with that,” Kingsbury said. “The guys know what he can be at his best, and anytime we can get the whole band out there, things pick up.”

LAS VEGAS

The attorneys for WR HENRY RUGGS hope to exclude the evidence that he was massively drunk when he had a fiery fatal crash.  They say that since he was unconscious after crashing at 156 mph that there was no probably cause, such as a field sobriety test, to think he might be as drunk as it was proven that he was.  Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com:

Former Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs had an illegally high concentration of alcohol in his blood when he smashed his Corvette at 156 mph into another car last year, killing the young woman driving it. Ruggs, facing years behind bars, is arguing through his lawyers that the blood sample used to confirm that he was legally intoxicated should be excluded from the trial of the charges pending against him.

Via the Associated Press, Ruggs’s lawyers contend that police lacked a basis for having a judge authorize a warrant to obtain blood from Ruggs without his consent.

 “True probable cause did not exist,” attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld argued in a filing submitted last month. “The mere fact of Mr. Ruggs’s involvement in a fatal vehicle collision does not, in itself, give rise to probable cause to believe he was driving under the influence of alcohol.”

Because Ruggs was hospitalized, he did not undergo a field sobriety test to determine potential impairment. Per the paperwork filed by Ruggs’s lawyers, a police officer asked his supervisor what to do. The supervisor said that “driving behavior and death alone is going to get you a warrant all day.”

A hearing will be held next month on the issue. A preliminary hearing in the case was moved from the coming week to September, due to the challenge to the securing of the blood sample.

The issue underscores the difference between factual guilt and legal guilt. Ultimately, the prosecution must present sufficient evidence to prove legal guilt, in a manner that respects all rights of the accused. Even if Ruggs was impermissibly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, his rights can’t be trampled in an effort to prove it.

Still, what’s law enforcement supposed to do when a driver is injured in the crash and in need of medical care? Conduct a sobriety test before letting him get in the ambulance?

There has to be a way to balance the rights of the driver with the rights of the victim. Especially where, as in this case, Ruggs’s lawyers don’t seem to be challenging the accuracy of the test result.

The mere existence of the argument shows that anything and everything will be fair game when it comes to proving that Ruggs is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of all elements of the charges against him — including a potential defense based on the possible existence of reasonable doubt as to whether Ruggs or his girlfriend was driving the car. Rumors have lingered for months that, eventually, Ruggs potentially will contest that point. If he’ll fight the question of whether BAC evidence that points squarely to guilty should be rejected, any reasonably plausible argument is on the table.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

S DERWIN JAMES is limited after labrum surgery.  Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:

Chargers safety Derwin James has not been able to do everything on the practice field this offseason as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.

Coach Brandon Staley revealed today that James had labrum surgery after the season and that the team is holding him out of some drills to keep him healthy.

James suffered a separated shoulder early in the season but continued to play through it, and the Chargers do not seem overly concerned about the injury.

The Chargers’ first-round pick in 2018, James is heading into the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. When healthy James is one of the top safeties in the NFL, but he missed most of the 2019 season and all of the 2020 season with injuries.

CLEVELAND

Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com gets a transcript of testimony by the Houston police detective who testified in the civil case against QB DESHAUN WATSON:

As the depositions in the Deshaun Watson case continue to unfold, the trenches being dug by each legal camp are becoming more defined. Few exchanges may have been more revealing than last week’s lengthy questioning of Houston Police Department detective Kamesha Baker, whose 230-page deposition has been obtained by Yahoo Sports.

Baker is one of two officers previously assigned to investigate 10 criminal complaints against the NFL quarterback, who is currently facing 24 civil lawsuits alleging a range of sexual misconduct or sexual assault. Eight of the 10 women who brought criminal complaints against Watson also have pending civil suits against him, making Baker a potentially key witness in that litigation. Her deposition was sought by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing the 24 women suing Watson.

Those 10 criminal complaints and the ensuing investigations that followed failed to produce indictments from grand juries in Harris and Brazoria counties. But the internal workings of those probes, along with the notes and opinions of the two investigating officers — Baker and 25-year HPD veteran Emma Rodriguez, who is also expected to sit for a deposition in the coming weeks — could become instrumental points of contention in the civil litigation.

Focused through Baker’s deposition, three of the central courtroom arguments between Buzbee and Watson’s defense attorney, Rusty Hardin, appear to be taking shape: whether Watson was entitled to any presumption of innocence during the course of the HPD investigation; whether the burden of proof should have been placed on Watson to show his innocence; and the concept of coercion versus consent.

As a witness against Watson in civil court, Baker’s thought process on all three could carry significant weight. It’s already impacting the court of public opinion, with Buzbee referring on Instagram to Baker testifying under oath that enough evidence existed for prosecutors in two Texas counties to pursue criminal charges against Watson. That opinion was produced during a long span of direct examination from Buzbee, who followed up by asking if Baker had “any doubt” that a crime had occurred involving Watson. “No,” she replied.

That wasn’t the totality of Baker’s deposition. She testified to a multitude of different aspects in the Watson case that could come up in a civil trial, including that she wasn’t asked to testify for the Harris County grand jury that heard nine of the complaints against Watson, but she appeared for questioning before the Brazoria County grand jury. Relating to her Brazoria testimony, Baker said in her deposition that the evidence before that grand jury had the strongest potential for a criminal charge. Neither grand jury ended up handing down indictments.

Ultimately, Baker made clear in her deposition earlier this month that she believed Watson was guilty of crimes in the 10 complaints HPD investigated. She pointed to similarities between the accounts of the women involved, underscoring a common “towel” thread in their interviews, in which Watson allegedly used a “small towel trick” to attempt to sexualize massages. Baker also lamented that she was not granted an interview with Watson in an attempt to get “his side” of the alleged encounters, while also stating that her work on the Watson complaints wrapped last September, which was roughly two months before civil lawsuit depositions began.

As Buzbee has made clear with his public comments about her testimony, Baker could be a powerful witness in a civil trial. That’s going to set up a fight between the lawyers about her methods and approaches as an investigator. And you could see it in Hardin’s cross examination.

Here are some of the key exchanges likely to be revisited at civil trial.

Presumption of innocence and burden of proof in Deshaun Watson case

While presumption of innocence is considered a fundamental right when someone is charged with a crime in a court of law, it’s not necessarily a guiding principle during police investigations. Baker’s testimony showcased that reality in direct examination from Buzbee and cross examination by Hardin.

The defense took issue with how Baker characterized her immediate approach, as well as her placing the burden of proof on Watson to prove his innocence. In effect, Hardin appears to be digging into how Baker performed her investigations, and as an extension, arrived at her opinion of Watson’s guilt:

Buzbee: You didn’t immediately think, Oh, he’s guilty and I’m going to prove it?

Baker: I — no, I didn’t immediately think he was guilty. I wanted to give Mr. Watson the benefit of the doubt and give Mr. Watson the opportunity to provide his side of what happened. Which I explained to you and Mr. Hardin that that’s what we do. We’re going to get both sides to get to the truth of it.

Later in the cross examination, Hardin returned to Baker’s approach to sexual assault claims. His emphasis was on whether or not Watson was entitled to a presumption of innocence when claims against him were first made to the HPD.

Hardin: And where in your world, Detective Baker, and I mean this very nicely, does judgment of credibility come? Does the woman always get the benefit of the doubt?

Baker: I start by believing all the victims. Absolutely. Stand by that 100 percent. Anyone investigating a sex crime should start by believing the complainant. Provided defense provides something that refutes it, we’re going to believe that complainant.

Hardin: So in your world of investigation, the defendant always has to prove his innocence?

Baker: Yes.

Hardin: Okay. Are you not aware that’s not the way the system is supposed to work? Isn’t it, Detective Baker, supposed to work the other way, that — that even when you’re investigating, it is — are you saying that all it takes is the woman makes an allegation and once she makes the allegation, the defendant has to disprove it?

Baker: Yes. The defendant has to disprove it.

Hardin: So that would mean, would it not, that in each of these situations where the woman made the allegation at the very beginning, then you’re going to believe it until and unless we can succeed and convince you otherwise?

Baker: It’s not about convincing. It’s about is there evidence to corroborate your — your client’s version of what happened. Because as you stated before, in the other world of investigating cases, the defendant is presumed innocent. This is the only crime — that’s the reason why they’re hard to prosecute and charge and do all of this — is that the women never get the benefit of doubt. They’re always presumed to be lying.

Coercion vs. consent when ‘power and influence is in the room’

This subject became testy at one point in the deposition, after Hardin took particular exception to one of Baker’s answers as she was under direct examination from Buzbee. The subject of coercion vs. consent was a driving point for both attorneys, making multiple appearances in questioning.

Baker’s assertion was that Watson’s status as a powerful and influential person created a scenario in which women could not consent to sexual activity with him. Hardin took exception to that notion, at one point reacting during Buzbee’s direct examination when Baker stated that a woman effectively had no choice but to engage in a sexual act because of Watson’s powerful and influential stature. (Yahoo Sports has redacted the name of the alleged victim, who has not filed a lawsuit against Watson but filed a criminal complaint against him.)

This portion of the deposition begins as Baker explains identifying elements of coercion during allegedly unwanted sexual encounters between Watson and accusers.

Baker: I felt that we had some instances of coercion.

Buzbee: Help me understand that, at least from what you learned in your investigation.

Baker: When I speak about [redacted] specifically, the young lady advised that the defendant, you know, told her that he was going to help her black business. So her objective was to, I’m assuming, have a successful business and she felt that having a client of his caliber would help her business. So understanding that, someone — their livelihood potentially being ruined, I could understand how one would feel they had no choice but to participate in the sexual act.

Buzbee: Does the idea of …

Cornelia Brandfield-Harvey (Buzbee’s co-counsel, speaking directly to Hardin): Something funny?

Buzbee (speaking to Hardin): You need to take a break? You need to take a break.

Hardin: No, I don’t need to take a break

Buzbee: I just didn’t know why you’d be laughing when she’s talking about.

Hardin: Because it’s an absurd answer.

Brandfield-Harvey: What the …

Buzbee: Okay. I appreciate …

Hardin: Just keep asking your questions.

Buzbee: Okay. Well, just don’t laugh at a detective. It’s not cool.

Hardin: Don’t instruct me. Just ask your questions.

Buzbee: Okay. We’re going to take a break if he laughs again.

Buzbee (returning to questioning Baker): Okay. Let me — let me continue, ma’am. This idea of coercion, does it also — do you also take into account a difference in physical stature?

Baker: We do.

Buzbee: A difference in perceived power?

Baker: We do.

Buzbee: A difference in economic power? In other words, one person’s incredibly rich and the other person is living hand to mouth?

Baker: We do.

Buzbee hits the point of coercion multiple times during his direct examination of Baker, a suggestion that he intends to argue Watson’s stature — whether physically, financially or influentially — creates pressure scenarios during massage encounters with women.

At one point, Baker states that consent is effectively overridden by Watson’s power and celebrity, due to the influence that it could wield upon the women who are giving massages. As Baker put it, “[W]hen power and influence is in the room, consent cannot be.”

Baker’s deposition a snapshot of what civil trial could look like

These exchanges are ultimately a snippet of Baker’s wide-ranging 230-page deposition. They add important context to what a civil trial could ultimately look like.

While Buzbee has been very forward in his civil lawsuit filings about how he intends to construct his legal arguments, Hardin’s defense has not been as transparent to this point. Baker’s deposition provided one of the first glimpses of how he will grapple with potential witnesses Buzbee calls. That’s going to be important when it comes to sorting out lawsuits that lack third-party witnesses to allegations.

It appears Buzbee is going to attempt to construct his courtroom arguments by leaning on the commonality between the allegations and the alleged victims. In that sense, Baker could be very helpful to Buzbee in alleging a pattern of behavior as viewed by the Houston Police Department.

Conversely, it’s clear from Baker’s deposition that part of Hardin’s defense will be to question the approach and mindset of the investigator — whether believing the alleged victim at the onset and requiring Watson to prove his innocence undercut a fair investigation.

Ultimately, these civil cases will rely on credibility to lead one side or the other to a legal win. And it’s clear that credibility is going to stretch far beyond Watson and the women who have brought litigation against him.

MIAMI

WR TYREEK HILL compliments QB TUA TAGOVAILOA, at the expense of QB PATRICK MAHOMES.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The first episode of It Needed To Be Said features Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill and agent Drew Rosenhaus saying plenty of things about his departure from the Chiefs. Hill also says a few things about his new quarterback, and about his former one.

“I’ve had a chance to see Tua [Tagovailoa] throw the ball, to myself, but. . . . he’s that dude, bro,” Hill said. “Like, what a lot of people don’t know, like, I’m not just sitting just saying this because he’s my quarterback now. . . . like, I’m not trying to get more targets right now, but what I’m trying to say is Tua is that deal, bro. . . . Bro, he has a heck of an arm, bro. He’s accurate. He can throw the deep ball, and he actually goes through his reads, where people are like on Twitter like saying, ‘Oh, he doesn’t go through his reads.’ Man, this dude is that dude.”

Hill’s co-host, Julius Collins, then asked Hill who has the stronger arm, Tua or Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes?

“Obviously, like I’m gonna go with 15 as the strongest arm but as far as accuracy-wise, I’m going with Tua all day,” Hill said.

“So which one would you rather have, the deep ball where you gotta scramble around the field to try to go find it, or do you want that accuracy to hit you breadbasket on the run?” Collins asked Hill.

“I want it to hit me right in the breadbasket, just like I did in the Buffalo Bills game and take it 70,” Hill said. “And the rest is history.”

Hill added that his game in Miami will consist of a lot more than tracking long throws.

“I love the deep ball, but guess what though? I done expanded my game,” Hill said. “So now I’m doing a lot more than just the deep ball now. I’m doing intermediate routes. I’m doing short routes. So now I actually need a guy who can just get me the ball now, on a dagger route, on a corner route, on a shallow cross route. You know, right now, right in my chest. So I can do the rest. I make you look good now.”

Hill pointed out that, during a game without Mahomes in 2019, he made Matt Moore look pretty good, while Mahomes was out with a knee injury.

“I just want people to understand I went for 150 with Matt Moore as my quarterback,” Hill said. “I love you, Matt Moore. Versus the Minnesota Vikings. If you don’t remember that game, 150 and one touchdown with Matt Moore as my quarterback. And Tua T. is 10-10 Matt Moores. I love Matt Moore, but Tua T. is 10 Matt Moores.” (Hill had six catches for 140 yards and a touchdown that day.)

So, again, it will be very interesting to see how the Chiefs do without Hill, and how Hill does without Mahomes. But here’s the simple truth. Hill’s boasting will serve only to put more pressure on Tua to perform at a high level in 2022.

THIS AND THAT

BREAKOUT 2^nd YEAR PLAYERS

From Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com:

If an NFL player doesn’t show something, anything, by Year 2, there’s a problem. Particularly if that player was an early-ish-round selection. And patience wears thin by then because, nowadays, the stars emerge in their second season, if they didn’t already do so in Year 1.

These are the second-year pros primed to breakout in 2022. I didn’t include those who I deemed to have already emerged as stars as rookies, like Ja’Marr Chase, Micah Parsons, Jaylen Waddle, and Kyle Pitts.

Trey Lance

SF • QB • 5

I’m compelled to start with a layup. Got to. Trey Lance is the most naturally gifted quarterback Kyle Shanahan has ever coached — especially during his time as a head coach. From his designed-run capabilities to his monster arm talent, Lance exquisitely fits the mold of the modern-day franchise quarterback. That’s not to say he is a franchise passer just yet, but he ticks the physical boxes for what it takes to become one.

Speaking of Shanahan, his track record with (lesser) quarterbacks is sterling. The play designs, the play calls, a scheme that accentuates YAC talent, Shanahan *always* fields a high-efficiency passer. As for the YAC talent around Lance, yeah, it’s incredible. Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk. Heck, even Jauan Jennings is a load to corral in the open field.

Lance is in for a monster Year 2, even if all the mechanical and accuracy kinks are worked out along the way.

Jaelan Phillips

MIA • LB • 15

Jaelan Phillips quietly had 39 pressures on 402 pass-rushing snaps as a rookie, good for a reasonable 10.9% pressure-creation rate. He’s a specimen who rocked at the Miami Pro Day in 2021, so there’s size and athleticism galore to be accentuated. Plus, the pass-rush move arsenal is far from barren. The Dolphins re-signed veteran Emmanuel Ogbah this offseason, so Phillips won’t have to be the alpha rusher immediately in Year 2.

Situationally, the Dolphins should be better than they were during a roller coaster of a 2021 season that featured a seven-game losing streak and a winning streak of the same length, thereby giving Phillips more opportunities to rush the passer.

Javonte Williams

DEN • RB • 33

As a rookie, Javonte Williams played a lot like he did at North Carolina: through tacklers’ faces. He averaged 3.42 yards after contact per rush, the 10th-highest figure in football among backs, and forced an astronomical 63 missed tackles on 203 attempts. Only Jonathan Taylor forced more during the regular season.

He does have Melvin Gordon to contend with in the backfield, but let’s not view that as a negative. Williams absolutely can handle a “full” workload, yet if he’s not instantly thrown into a classic feature-back role and his carries are somewhat capped each game, it’ll lead to a fresher Williams later in the season.

And I can’t overstate how vital Russell Wilson’s presence will be to the run game. The run game? Yes. Those extra defenders will be removed from the box far more frequently than they were a season ago. Williams will ascend to “elite back” status in 2022.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

CLE • LB • 28

JOKer was an animal last season for the Browns but hardly garnered any Defensive Rookie of the Year hype. The ultra-fluid, impossibly athletic second-level defender was built for today’s NFL. He thrives in space, where many linebackers are uncomfortable.

On just under 54% of the defensive snaps, Owusu-Koramoah registered 76 tackles, four pass breakups, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. And he’s playing behind a solid defensive front that not only re-signed capable run defender Jadeveon Clowney but added two bodies in the middle round of the draft in Perrion Winfrey and Alex Wright.

By year’s end in 2022, we’ll consider Owusu-Koramoah the best young pure off-ball linebacker in the game. He’s that special.

Josh Palmer

LAC • WR • 5

Josh Palmer is both talented and in a high-powered offense with a tremendously gifted quarterback. After a somewhat slow but not totally unsurprising start for a third-round rookie receiver, Palmer got more involved late in the year. In Weeks 14, 16, and 18, he averaged more than seven targets per game and had 14 total grabs with 154 total receiving yards. Palmer also scored a touchdown in each of those contests.

A chippy, battle-through-contact type with deceptively good ball skills and route sharpness, the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder is set to be the No. 3 option for Justin Herbert, and there’s no Jared Cook, who saw 83 targets a season ago.

Palmer is simply a complete wideout who may not be spectacular in any area but can win at all three levels while providing some after-the-catch juice and trustworthy hands (only one drop on 45 target last season). He’ll be one of the best No. 3 receivers in football in 2022.

Ernest Jones

LAR • LB • 50

As a draft analyst, I’m always looking for traits. And Ernest Jones oozes them. He’s incredibly explosive at around 6-1 and 230 pounds. What he shows on the field matches his combine, a vertical in the 88th percentile and a broad in the 90th percentile at his position.

As a rookie, the high-energy second-level defender had 61 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions on fewer than 38% of the defensive snaps during the regular season. Injuries sidelined him for the first two playoff games, but by the Super Bowl, Jones was back to 100% and played nearly 100% of the snaps (93% to be exact). He was a force in Los Angeles’ title-clinching win, with seven tackles, three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup.

And now, Jones is penciled in as a the starter next to…Bobby Wagner, a future Hall of Famer who, yes, has lost a step, but remains arguably the NFL’s best run-stopping linebacker and is rarely out of position. Jones will be like a sponge learning from Wagner, which will help spark a sizable Year 2 breakout.

Thomas Graham Jr.

CHI • CB • 27

After nearly an entire rookie season spent on the practice squad, the Bears finally took the advice of The Practice Squad Power Rankings ahead of their Week 15 game against Justin Jefferson and the Vikings and elevated Thomas Graham Jr.. It led to probably the most glorious outing in PSPR history.

Graham had seven tackles and three pass breakups, all of which were of the highlight-reel variety, in his NFL debut.

Remember, this is a defensive back who registered eight picks and 32 pass breakups across three seasons at Oregon. If you’re that consistently productive at corner over three years in college, you know how to play the position. Throw the height/weight/speed metrics out the window. I’m serious. However, with Graham, his traits pop, too. He plays with the requisite aggression needed to be a smaller corner who lives on the perimeter. He never backs down from a challenge down the field and has phenomenal instincts in zone coverage that help him play faster than any combine drill would ever indicate.

BROADCAST NEWS

Richard Sherman is coming to Amazon on Thursday Nights.  Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post:

It’s officially official.

Amazon announced on Tuesday that Richard Sherman will be joining its Prime Video coverage of the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football.”

“I’m beyond excited to start this journey with Prime Video and be part of this incredible crew they are assembling,” Sherman said in a statement. “It’s going to be the start of something truly special.”

The Post’s Andrew Marchand previously reported that Charissa Thompson will be the host of the studio show, and that Sherman, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Marshawn Lynch are “likely” to be involved. Tony Gonzalez has also already been announced as a studio analyst.

The Post also has reported that Amazon has had talks with Pat McAfee about potentially contributing his unique brand of commentary to the games’ orbit.

The games will be called by Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit, and produced by longtime NBC “Sunday Night Football” guru Fred Gaudelli.

This is Amazon’s first year of airing these Thursday night games; the package had previously aired on Fox Sports.

Sherman had an 11-year NFL career, most prominently with the Seahawks as a member of the “Legion of Boom.” He starred on Seattle’s team that beat the Broncos 48-3 in Super Bowl XLVIII in the 2014-15 season.

2023 DRAFT

Josh Edwards of CBSSports.com with an early list of the Top 50 prospects who could be in the 2023 Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is still more than ten months away but it is never too early to spotlight some of the talent for the upcoming football season. Ryan Wilson, Chris Trapasso and I compiled an early list of talent eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft, which should serve more as a watch list than stock projection. Here is the top 50:

1. Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama

2. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

3. Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia

4. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

5. Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

6. Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

7. Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU

8. Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

9. Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M

10. Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson

At this time of year, early rankings are often littered with power programs like Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and Clemson because they dominated the recruiting rankings for such a long period of time and it is so early in the process that the smaller school prospects are not evaluated until later. The upcoming draft class is no exception. Those four schools combined for seven of the top ten with SEC schools Kentucky, Texas A&M and LSU slipping one in as well.

As much as these quarterbacks are talked up, there is not a player that is just a slam dunk No. 1 overall selection like Trevor Lawrence, Andrew Luck or John Elway before him. Each has talent, but also deficiencies. Stroud and Young are also, in fact, young and still have time to work out some aspects of the game. Levis has more natural talent than any other at the position but needs to iron out some lower body mechanics. In addition to those quarterbacks, there is a talented list of defenders like Alabama’s Anderson, Georgia’s Carter, Clemson’s Murphy and Simpson, and more. Boutte is the top rated wide receiver because it is easy to draw comparisons to his former teammate, Ja’Marr Chase.

11. Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon

12. Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

13. Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern

14. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

15. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State

16. Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

17. Paris Johnson Jr., OL, Ohio State

18. Arik Gilbert, TE, Georgia

19. BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU

20. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

It is worth noting that these early rankings — which, again, should serve more as a watch list — are based off of projection and what the trajectory players appear to be on for the upcoming season. There is no better example of that premise that Ohio State’s Johnson and Georgia’s Gilbert. The former will be moving from offensive guard to tackle this season following the defection of Nicholas Petit-Frere and the latter is a once highly-regarded recruit that did not play for the Bulldogs last season. Gilbert is also the first player to have transferred on this list; he began his collegiate career at LSU. Mayer is a consistent producer that does everything well but the testing will be very important for him. Robinson is the top rated running back rather easily. He should be higher on the list, in my opinion, because his evaluation does not require projection. Onlookers do not have to squint hard to recognize how special of a talent he has already become.

21. Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama

22. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, EDGE, Washington

23. Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

24. Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

25. Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

26. Henry To’oTo’o, LB, Alabama

27. Jordan Addison, WR, USC

28. Tony Grimes, CB, North Carolina

29. Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami

30. Anton Harrison, OL, Oklahoma

Cornerbacks and wide receivers dominated this group with half of the selections. Addison only recently transferred to USC. Ricks transferred from LSU. To’oTo’o is in his second season with the Crimson Tide after transferring from Tennessee. Downs is a personal favorite. Although slim in frame, he does a good job setting up breaks and maintaining speed.

31. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

32. Jaquelin Roy, DL, LSU

33. Jordan Battle, S, Alabama

34. Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame

35. Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

36. Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State

37. Tykee Smith, S, Georgia

38. Zion Nelson, OL, Miami

39. Noah Daniels, CB, TCU

40. Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah

Gibbs transferred from Georgia Tech this off-season. He just does everything well on the football field. None of the offensive linemen are a finished product but there is a lot of talent to cultivate. A few that are not mentioned in this listing but are worth monitoring include BYU’s Blake Freeland, USC’s Courtland Ford and Maryland’s Jaelyn Duncan.

41. Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa

42. Brenton Cox Jr., EDGE, Florida

43. Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

44. Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame

45. Devin Leary, QB, NC State

46. Andre Carter II, EDGE, Army

47. Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse

48. Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford

49. Darnell Wright, OL, Tennessee

50. Jordan Morgan, OL, Arizona

Richardson will be saddled with a larger workload this season after the transfer of Emory Jones to Arizona State. Joseph transferred from Northwestern and is tasked with filling the shoes of first-round selection Kyle Hamilton. Syracuse offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron and Morgan would be in a similar category of linemen that may lack the top end athleticism but are calm and get the job done, like a Christian Darrisaw.