Avery Duncan Articles - Page 44

Some things get better over time. Think wine, Tim Duncan, Frank Gore, or even the grueling hours of an NFL training camp. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is entering his 16th training camp with the team. By now, the 37-year-old isn’t laboring over the practice, he’s having with it. Perhaps, appreciating the limelight of his […]

21 year NFL veteran kicker Phil Dawson has announced his retirement from the league. Dawson will retire as a part of the Cleveland Browns after signing a one-day contract with the team. In 2018, he played with the Arizona Cardinals. Dawson played in 305 regular-season NFL games, including 215 with the Browns. He ranks seventh […]

The Los Angeles Chargers are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Led by an offense boasting stars, an improved line, and Philip Rivers, and a defense with young talents and Pro Bowlers alike, that’s not a bold claim. However, before doing so, training camp takes place, where, unfortunately, a few favorites will ultimately be cut. 3. […]

Extending Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and Ezekiel Elliott is on the minds of Dallas Cowboys nation. Being America’s Team, it’s also on the mind of others outside of North Texas. FOX’s Colin Cowherd amongst them, as he ranted on his show earlier on Wednesday. “Dak Prescott has the second-winningest record to Tom Brady since he […]

A couple of offseasons can change everything in the NFL. After 2016, the Philadelphia Eagles had a problem on their hands; their receiving corps was devoid of talent. Now, in 2019, it can be dubbed as the NFL’s best, which Pro Football Focus did. PFF took a gander at each NFL team’s receiving corps and […]

Previously a gadget player with the Ohio State Buckeyes, speedster Curtis Samuel has faced a steep learning curve to transition to a full-time receiver with the Carolina Panthers. 2017 showed that, and 2018 brought progress. Despite a limited snap count in 2018, the 22-year-old produced a solid 494 yards and five touchdowns as a pass-catcher. […]

Budget-friendly airline Allegiant filed a trademark for “Allegiant Stadium” in May. Headquartered in Las Vegas, the assumption was it would be to own sponsorship of the Oakland turned Las Vegas Raiders new stadium. However, they denied allegations of doing so; subsequently ending talks of them and the Raiders. It turns out, a bit of fibbing […]

It seems like every year undrafted NFL rookies pop out of nowhere to (a) make NFL rosters and (b) thrive. Last year it was Phillip Lindsay, the year before it was Austin Ekeler, and in 2016 it was Robby Anderson. Now in 2019, there are ten (and more) offensive undrafted free agents that may follow […]

J.J. Watt and Kareem Jackson closed in, blitzing hard on a Sunday versus the Washington Redskins, and ultimately trying to sack Alex Smith. Then, matters took a turn for the worse. Smith didn’t get up, the play was replayed, and something became very clear; this wasn’t a regular sack. Smith shared the details of what […]

It doesn’t matter when you’re drafted; it matters how you perform when cleats hit the gridiron. That’s all too true for Green Bay Packers cornerback Ka’Dar Hollman, who was taken in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. So far, he’s playing above his draft status. Hollman caught the eye of Packers head coach […]

Royce Freeman was supposed to be the Denver Broncos’ lead back in 2018. A second-round pick with an impressive frame and body of work at Oregon, that was apparent. But, then, little known undrafted and undersized Phillip Lindsay took reigns of the position, then went to the Pro-Bowl for his efforts. Following Lindsay’s breakthrough season, […]

The Green Bay Packers have been without one of their offensive playmakers during training camp. For the fourth-straight practice, running back Jamaal Williams has been inactive due to a lingering hamstring injury, as reported on by The Athletic‘s Matt Schneidman, via Twitter. Fellow running back Aaron Jones joined Williams with a hamstring issue himself. However, […]

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner wants to cut down on running back Christian McCaffrey’s carries in some way, as reported earlier this week. He touched the ball 326 times in 2018 and held a league-high 91.3% of the offensive snap share. A hefty workload for a second-year back. But, that doesn’t worry head coach […]

Iron sharpens iron. That holds especially in football, and in NFL training camps. As starters align against their teammates, new things can be found out, and games can progress. For New England Patriots All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore, that’s especially true. He gets to go up against Tom Brady and Julian Edelman, and previously, Rob Gronkowski. […]

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette isn’t famed for his work at receiver. He’s a big, bludgeoning, power back that forces defenses to stack boxes. But, that may change. New offensive coordinator John DeFilippo told John Oehser of Jaguars.com that he plans to involve backs in the passing game. “That’s a role that position needs […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced, on Wednesday, that they have been awarded wide receiver Brandon Reilly off of the waiver wire. They also waived cornerback Alexander Myres to make room for him. We have been awarded WR Brandon Reilly off waivers & have waived CB Alexander Myres.@BordasLaw TRANSACTION: https://t.co/hd81JdW2t7 pic.twitter.com/0r6RPYB2cZ — Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 31, […]

The Green Bay Packers have added an extra linebacker to compete in training camp. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, via Twitter, the team was rewarded linebacker Markus Jones off of waivers. He last played for the Baltimore Ravens and was recently waived. Via the freelancing Dov Kleiman, through Twitter, the Packers waived defensive back […]

The Baltimore Ravens upgraded their safety position in a big way during the 2019 offseason. Veteran Eric Weddle was cut, somewhat surprisingly, and Earl Thomas III, a sixth-time Pro Bowler, came along to fill the void. The rest remained untouched, as Tony Jefferson starts on the strong-side. Youngsters Chuck Clark and Deshone Elliot continue to […]

With Josh Jacobs, Doug Martin, Jalen Richards, and DeAndre Washington entrenched in the Oakland Raiders’ backfield, Jon Gruden’s team looks to have a potent rushing attack. But, they aren’t resting on their laurels. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, via Twitter, the Raiders are working out free agent, 28-year-old, running back Mike Gillislee. Gillislee last […]

New city, same Earl Thomas. For the 30-year-old six-time Pro Bowler, it doesn’t matter if he’s taking snaps as part of the Seattle Seahawks or Baltimore Ravens. He’s going to continue doing his thing. That showed in training camp, as he decided to ramp up his efforts, intercept a ball, then take it all the […]

The Detroit Lions passed the torch of No. 1 wide receivers from Golden Tate to Kenny Golladay in 2018. He impressed doing so, recording 70 catches for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns, despite missing one game and starting all but three. Now as the top option for the offense, expectations are high, and he doesn’t […]

The Green Bay Packers have aspirations of defensive dominance in 2019. That’s all too apparent considering their bevy of additions, including Preston Smith, Adrian Amos, Za’Darius Smith, Rashan Gary, and Darnell Savage Jr. Smith, in particular, has been dominating in training camp. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein, Smith won all three of […]

Training camp can be an odd time for NFL athletes. Take Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Tremon Smith for example, who appears to be making the switch from defense to offense, specifically running back. It looks like Tremon Smith has moved to the offense. He moves from CB to RB here at #ChiefsCamp. pic.twitter.com/1meR07Rs1k — Chiefs […]

Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen shouldn’t be classified as a back; he’s an all-around weapon who contributes whether he’s returning kicks, running the rock, passing the ball, or catching passes. He even went to the Pro Bowl in 2018 for his abilities as a returner. The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs answered questions about Cohen’s […]

NFL training camps can get lively, and not just with football. With playing time, roster spots, and a future in football in-store, adrenaline and testosterone can take over in frustrating times, often leading to fights. In Green Bay, that’s just what happened, as Packers safety Josh Jones got in a tussle in practice, according to […]

The Indianapolis Colts are back; figuratively and literally. After some down years, they found themselves winning a playoff game in 2018, and now, are a hot pick to take it all by the end of 2019. They are also back in training camp and boast a roster filled with fresh faces, including rookies and veterans. […]

Chemistry matters. With quarterbacks and wide receivers, that is even more the case. If a signal-caller doesn’t trust his pass catcher, a passing offense can stagnate. With Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, that couldn’t be truer. He has declared his trust or distrust of a receiver; it then shows on the field. With Antonio Brown […]

In response to the most infamous NFL no-call of the 21st century — an illegal hit by Nickell Robey-Coleman against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game — many around the nation and in Louisiana are demanding answers. Roger Goodell could be asked to provide them. Now, some are taking action. According to […]

Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett cracked the NFL Top 100 for the first time in his career, following the 2018 season. After earning a Pro Bowl nod by tallying 13.5 sacks, 29 QB hits, 12 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and 44 total tackles, the players voted him in as the 49th-best player […]

As a No. 1 pick, expectations can be burdensome. Freddie Kitchens knows this, and so does Myles Garrett. Some don’t live up to a top pick’s expectations; others do. Once in a while, a few blow them out of the water. Edge rusher Myles Garrett, the No. 1 pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2017, […]

Robert Nkemdiche, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals and a 2016 first-round draft pick, hasn’t had the career he hoped for. He tore his ACL late in the 2018 offseason, had an incident with the police in that same offseason, showed up overweight to training camp, got his fifth-year option declined, and finally, was waived. Now, […]

Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson has been wanting out of the organization for a while. With Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in-place, the talented former Miami Hurricanes star is looking for a bigger role than Cleveland can offer. Despite earlier trade talks, a hiring of NFL super-agent Drew Rosenhaus, and public trade requests, he’s […]

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has always felt free to state what’s on his mind. With Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott’s holdout on the mind of Cowboys Nation, Jones didn’t refuse to give his two cents on the situation. In an interview with CBS Dallas-Fort Worth, Jerry Jones spoke his mind about the situation, […]

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t showing their hand pertaining to the safety position. Arguably the team’s biggest weakness, Dallas is currently set to trot out both Jeff Heath and Xavier Woods as their strong and free safeties, respectively. Yet, with five-time Pro Bowler Eric Berry still on the market, their faithful have clamored for a new […]

After being selected at No. 12 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, pass rusher Rashan Gary hasn’t taken any days off. That’s easily indicated by an endless supply of Instagram workout montages. It appears, his hard work in honing his physique has paid off. Gary, who measures in at 6-foot-4, […]

A lot has been made of the Los Angeles Rams drafting running back Darrell Henderson in the third round. It’s justifiable. Darrell Henderson, to many, looks the part of a future bellcow back, but the Rams already have that in Todd Gurley. However, Gurley’s knee injury (arthritis) has been a catalyst of conversation revolving around […]

Last week went as poorly as possible for the New York Giants and their receiving room. Kelvin Benjamin will not be their solution. The Giants lost speedster Corey Coleman to an ACL tear, Golden Tate to a PED suspension for four weeks, and Sterling Shepard to a thumb injury for an unknown period of time. […]

In 2018, his second year in the NFL, Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey had a historically significant season. On the ground, the Stanford product recorded 1,098 yards and seven touchdowns on an average of 5.0 yards per carry. His ability to produce as a receiver enabled him to break records. He broke the single-season […]

The Cincinnati Bengals can’t catch a break. John Ross is part of the story. First, rookie left tackle Jonah Williams went down and will be out for the season. Then, perennial Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green suffered a foot injury that could sideline him for a while. Now, John Ross — a perpetually injured receiver […]