Avery Duncan Articles - Page 45

With success in the NFL comes changes. The New England Patriots’ coaching staff is an excellent example of that. Often, after successful seasons, Bill Belichick sees some of his coaching staff poached by other NFL teams desperate to replicate their success. In 2019, that continued. Brian Flores, the defensive play-caller for the Super Bowl-winning squad, […]

Last offseason, the San Francisco 49ers must have viewed Jerick McKinnon as their future lead back. The team signed him to a four-year, $30 million contract coming off the heels of two straight 790+ scrimmage yard seasons. Unfortunately, just days before the start of the 2018 regular season, McKinnon tore his ACL. He found himself […]

The Tennessee Titans have, once again, not seen wide receiver A.J. Brown in training camp due to an injury, according to the Tennessean‘s Erik Bacharach. The former Ole Miss product had an undisclosed injury on July 26th and the severity of it is unknown at the time. However, he donned a left leg sleeve yesterday, […]

The New Orleans Saints, following the departure of Mark Ingram, continue to look for running back mates to Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara. Though both Latavius Murray and Javarious Allen found their way to the Bayou City, the team is bringing in another veteran back. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Alfred Morris will be the […]

The Green Bay Packers’ offseason has been all about improving the defense. From free agency signings, draft picks, and cuts, Cheeseheads are expecting a better result than last year’s hit-or-miss unit underlined with promise. Part of improvement doesn’t come with just new players; it’s also returning ones. One player that has shown improvement is third-year […]

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made former University of Miami standout quarterback Vinny Testaverde a No. 1 pick in the 1987 NFL Draft. He played six seasons for the team, then thrived elsewhere. Now, 32 years later, another Testaverde, hailing from a litany of schools, can call Tampa Bay home too. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, […]

Being a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft comes with high expectations and replacing an icon for the Pittsburgh Steelers — Ryan Shazier — adds to that. Both statements become truer when that top pick was acquired on the basis of a bevy of picks given up. Devin Bush, the No. 10 overall pick and […]

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ training camp is underway. Still boasting one of the NFL’s best defenses and an offense devoid of Blake Bortles, they are, at this point, a contender out of the AFC South. However, before the season starts, some players will be gone. We’ve seen cuts all offseason of big-time players and starters. Now, […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers have endured an offseason that has been all about reducing the drama in the locker room. Their training camp will test the waters and hopefully shape a team which will contend for yet another season. With a team ready to make its mark, the Steelers could become that team. Before then, some […]

With training camp underway for most of the NFL, teams continue to look for ways to bolster their rosters. Whether it be through trades or signings, don’t expect most to stay put with their current depth charts. That should ramp up when cuts roll around at the end of the preseason. However, there are still […]

The New England Patriots are going back to work in training camp. After winning yet another Super Bowl, the team reloaded after key departures via free agency and retirement. Their roster, after tinkering and toying in away, is not yet finalized, though. Expect Bill Belichick to waste no time upgrading when cuts to start to […]

I may not know much, but I do know one thing; Baker Mayfield’s stock is rising, and fast. When a quarterback gets a pairing of Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., that tends to happen. When they break the record for most touchdown passes by a rookie quarterback, it helps. On the field, Mayfield is […]

Shockingly, the Green Bay Packers cut two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Mike Daniels. Widely known as one of the better defensive linemen in the NFL, Daniels is undoubtedly set to be a hot commodity and the best free-agent currently available. As Pro Football Focus’ Ben Cooper notes: Daniels finished [2018] with a 78.5 pass-rush grade […]

Led by Brian Flores and devoid of both Adam Gase and Ryan Tannehill, the Miami Dolphins are ushering in a new era. As training camp begins, the quarterback battle between Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen will get more intense, and the Dolphins will attempt to shift culture. While many don’t see a competitive team spawning […]

The Detroit Lions had a busy off-season shaping the roster in head coach Matt Patricia’s eyes. From signing big-name free agents, including Trey Flowers and C.J. Anderson, to drafting the uber-athletic tight end T.J. Hockensen at No. 8 overall, they are one of the most improved teams in the NFL. But, before they can be […]

The Dallas Cowboys are releasing wide receiver Allen Hurns, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The cut comes after the team and player couldn’t work out a scenario to shave money off of his $5 million contract. As he told NFL Network, the talks about cutting money off the deal began on Monday: Just wished they […]

The Washington Redskins surprised many by way of releasing long-time defensive starter Mason Foster, per Washington insider Erin Hawksworth. Many figured it would happen, pre-Reuben Foster torn ACL, as he was unhappy with the situation in D.C. But after the injury, the likelihood of so decreased. In 2018, Foster led the team in total tackles […]

Training camp starts for the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, July 27th. After an off-season where America’s Team retained more talent than lost and added several valuable contributors, you’d be hard-pressed not to see a playoff team in them. With a litany of contracts about to expire by way of their stars, their Super Bowl window […]

Ding, ding, ding, get ready for round two. The Kansas City Chiefs, entering the second year of the Patrick Mahomes era, are prepared to go into what appears to be their second Super Bowl chase led by the MVP. However, before all that can happen, the Chiefs must go through the ringer of training camp. […]

The Atlanta Falcons started training camp Monday (July 22) to get a head start on their earlier-than-usual preseason bout. The team will face the Denver Broncos in the Hall of Fame exhibition game on Thursday, August 1. With that known, players are competing for roster spots sooner than expected. Some will make it; some won’t. […]

The 35+ year development of the Air Raid scheme brought to light by Hal Mumme has matured from a widely considered gimmick to a lethal college attack to now an NFL offense. By way of the hiring of Mike Leach protege Kliff Kingsbury — and the subsequent getting of his guy (Kyler Murray) — the […]

Starting July 25th, the Chicago Bears — under the watchful eye of Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace — will begin prepping for a second Super Bowl run. This time, they are aiming to get further than the WildCard round, and it all starts in training camp. During the heat of practice, some will look to […]

Following the debut of 2019’s rendition of Amazon’s All or Nothing featuring the Carolina Panthers, all eyes are on Charlotte’s beloved team. However, now is not quite the time to reminisce on the 2018 season and what could’ve been, because the Panthers are entering training camp. One of the NFL’s most improved teams of the […]

As training camp nears for the new-look Cincinnati Bengals, players on the roster bubble are on alert. The Bengals off-season lacks continuity for the better. Replacing the 16-year head coach Marvin Lewis is former Los Angeles Rams and Sean McVay assistant Zac Taylor. With a change in a head coach, roster cuts to previous staff […]

Now in his third year as an Indianapolis Colt, former Ohio State Buckeye Malik Hooker is a key cog on an improved defense. The 6-foot-2, 213-pound safety has proven to be the right pick at No. 15 in the 2017 NFL Draft, as he’s been a focal point to a shored up secondary. With that […]

It feels like yesterday when Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, then took the league by storm. Over the years, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound dual-threat has built a reputation of the NFL’s most celebrated game-changers, and his resume backs that up. He’s a 2011 Rookie of The […]

Despite contemplating retirement, running back Darren Sproles is back with the Philadelphia Eagles for what appears to be one last run. The 5-foot-6, 36-year-old back has continued to defy expectations throughout his career. Returning yet again for another season is the latest transcendent feat in his NFL journey. However, his role may be different — […]

The Green Bay Packers began to secure their future at tight end in the 2019 NFL Draft by selecting Texas A&M’s Jace Sternberger in the third round. A former Kansas transfer turned JUCO star, Sternberger thrived in his lone year at College Station. He finished the year as Jimbo Fisher’s favorite tight end, compiling 832 […]

At 34 years old, Adrian Peterson is ancient for the running back position, but that hasn’t slowed him down. After joining the Washington Redskins as an emergency addition when Derrius Guice tore his ACL, Peterson scampered for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns on an average of 4.2 yards per carry. He proved, quite literally, that […]

The Philadelphia Eagles began their offseason by trading for former Pro Bowl back Jordan Howard. They then got his running mate in the 2019 NFL Draft. Miles Sanders, a Penn State product, is that very running mate; he was selected in the second round (the second back taken). An elusive back comparable to former Eagle […]

The Baltimore Ravens ushered in a new brand of their football in 2018, replacing pocket statue Joe Flacco with the dual-threat Lamar Jackson. Though the move still has its kinks to work out, the Ravens resurged under the latter and once again visited the playoffs under John Harbaugh. The offseason continued to bring change in […]

The Arizona Cardinals have been no stranger to change in 2019. After going 3-13 in 2018, the Redbirds swapped head coach Steve Wilks for Air-Raid extraordinaire Kliff Kingsbury, then got his guy in Kyler Murray at No. 1 overall. The differences don’t end at coach and signal-caller; as they drafted 11 players, got a deep […]

Georgia running backs are something else. Throughout the years, the Bulldogs have built up a stockpile of NFL greats, including Herschel Walker, Todd Gurley, Terrell Davis, Garrison Hearst, and, now, possibly Nick Chubb. The second Georgia running back selected in the 2018 NFL Draft (Sony Michel – New England Patriots), Chubb found himself buried behind […]

It’s been a seesaw offseason for the New York Jets. From firing Todd Bowles and replacing him with Adam Gase, to signing Le’Veon Bell and C.J. Mosley to massive contracts, having a good draft, then firing their general manager, it’s been an up-and-down affair. However, the Jets are in better circumstances than in years past, […]

After yet another Super Bowl win, the New England Patriots are the epitome of success in the modern NFL. Despite some issues, the Patriots still found themselves on top of a podium holding up a sixth Lombardi Trophy. But, in true Patriots fashion, the hard work to prep for another has already started. Patriots training […]

The No. 29. In the 52 year history of the San Antonio Spurs, no player has donned such number, yet it carries a fair share of weight. Since 2011, the team has gone on a bit of a streak finding players with the second to last pick in the first round, No. 29. In the […]

In 2017, the Los Angeles Chargers hired Gus Bradley — architect of the legendary Legion of Boom in Seattle — as their defensive coordinator. The thought process behind the hire is, and was, that the Bolts would attempt to replicate the success Bradley had with the Seahawks; implementing a 4-3 cover 3-heavy defense that hinges […]

The Dallas Cowboys enter 2019 with a roster stack full of superstars, stars, and high-quality starters. The team is coming off of their second playoff birth, led by Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot for the second time in three years and looks the part of a contender. But, that doesn’t mean they don’t have their […]

The Arizona Cardinals have spent their 2019 off-season as one of the more polarizing–and subsequently busy–teams of the NFL. From hiring an all-out Air-Raid coach in Kliff Kingsbury to dumping their 2018 first-round pick, Josh Rosen, for the coach’s hand-picked signal-caller in Kyler Murray, the Redbirds have stayed in the spotlight. Via that quarterback swap, […]