Matthew Schmidt Articles - Page 125

Throw in linebacker Joey Porter as the latest former Pittsburgh Steelers player to criticize quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Porter, who was a teammate of Roethlisberger’s for three years from 2004 through 2006 and also served as a Steelers coach from 2014 through 2018, says that the 37-year-old abuses his authority: “It’s clear he has the power, […]

The Los Angeles Rams are not used to seeing star defensive lineman Aaron Donald at organized team activities, so when he is in attendance, it is a pleasant sight to see. Rams head coach Sean McVay is happy about Donald’s presence, joking that it’s nice to see him in May: “It’s nice having him around […]

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released defensive lineman Gerald McCoy earlier this week, and while it must be rough to have to change homes after being with one team for the first nine years of your career, the Buccaneers may have done McCoy a favor. McCoy, who visited with the Cleveland Browns on Friday and is […]

The Baltimore Ravens will meet with free-agent defensive lineman Gerald McCoy on Tuesday, according to Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times. McCoy visited with the Cleveland Browns on Friday but left without a contract. However, Stroud adds that the Browns are still “very much a candidate to sign him.” The 31-year-old was released by […]

The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a rough 2018 campaign in which they won just seven games, two years after making the Super Bowl. Last season also marked the first time they missed the playoffs since 2015. Yet, with a talented offense and some pieces returning from injuries, the Falcons could be a sleeper contender […]

All eyes are on Kyler Murray heading into his rookie campaign. The Arizona Cardinals selected Murray with the first overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft last month. In order to clear room for Murray as the starter, the Cardinals traded Josh Rosen, whom they chose in the first round a year ago. Obviously, Arizona […]

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Randall Cobb is coming off of his least productive season since his rookie campaign, as he hauled in just 38 receptions for 383 yards and a couple of touchdowns in his final year with the Green Bay Packers. Earlier this week, Cobb posted an Instagram story that showed a potato chip […]

A large number of people have lofty expectations for the Philadelphia Eagles going into 2019. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is certainly part of the reason why. Jeffery is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2018, when he hauled in 65 receptions for 843 yards and six touchdowns while posting a […]

The New York Jets have certainly had an interesting offseason. They started things out with a bang by signing running back Le’Veon Bell, quite arguably the most prized free agent on the market. The Jets then nabbed wide receiver Jamison Crowder and linebacker C.J. Mosley, further bolstering their roster on both sides of the ball. […]

The New Orleans Saints suffered a rather big loss this offseason, as Pro Bowl center Max Unger decided to retire. Obviously, that means Drew Brees will have to become accustomed to taking snaps from someone else, and given that Unger played 67 of his 68 regular season and playoff games with the Saints during his […]

The New England Patriots were in desperate need of help in their receiving corps this offseason, so much so that they used a first-round draft pick on a wide receiver for the first time in 23 years by taking Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry. The Patriots also signed veteran Demaryius Thomas, although he is coming off […]

The Kansas City Chiefs are already without running back Kareem Hunt, and now, they may also be without stud wide receiver Tyreek Hill. That means Patrick Mahomes is going to need to find another top target going into 2019, and while he is surveying the options, he is coming away very impressed with rookie wide […]

The Jacksonville Jaguars did not exactly have a great season in 2018, and running back Leonard Fournette was one of the players who labored most. Limited to just eight games due to injuries, Fournette rushed for just 439 yards and five touchdowns while averaging a meager 3.3 yards per carry, one season after he racked […]

Thanks to an incredibly busy offseason in which they added a number of big names to both sides of the ball, the Cleveland Browns have sky-high expectations heading into 2019, and general manager John Dorsey isn’t liking it. According to Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Dorsey has urged that fans “don’t believe the hype” to […]

There were plenty of questions about Duke quarterback Daniel Jones when the New York Giants used the sixth overall pick on him in the 2019 NFL Draft last month, but perhaps the biggest concern was his arm strength. Well, apparently, that has not been an issue for Jones in offseason workouts, as Giants wide receiver […]

New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Cameron Jordan has two years remaining on his contract and has seen a lot of other pass rushers big deals this offseason and in recent years, but he isn’t worried about getting paid. “All that can take care of itself. Honestly, I just want to be a Saints lifer. I […]

Antonio Brown may not be a fan of Ben Roethlisberger’s leadership, but that does not mean the rest of Roethlisberger’s teammates feel the same way. Second-year wide receiver James Washington, whom Roethlisberger criticized on his radio show at one point this past season, said he takes no issues with Roethlisberger’s leadership style. “He’s a captain,” […]

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods has always been solid, but last season, he completely broke out, hauling in 86 receptions for 1,219 yards and six touchdowns, all career highs. Prior to 2018, Woods never even totaled 800 yards in a single season, and he had only caught 60 passes once. So, was Woods’ […]

New England Patriots running back Sony Michel is coming off of a terrific rookie campaign in which he rushed for 931 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He was then very impressive in the playoffs, totaling 336 yards while racking up six scores on the ground in helping the Patriots win […]

Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Vic Beasley and linebacker Deion Jones are both absent from organized team activities, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Beasley and Jones join wide receiver Julio Jones and defensive lineman Grady Jarrett as players who are not attending. “Deion and (Julio) are still working on some rehab,” said […]

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is entering the final year of his current deal, but with the Saints have limited wiggle room under the salary cap, they don’t seem in any rush to get a deal done. And Thomas is fine with that. In spite of the fact that New Orleans hasn’t even […]

The Los Angeles Rams not only brought in safety Eric Weddle to help shore up their shaky defense, but also to provide some veteran leadership for the younger players on the roster. Not surprisingly, Weddle has seen to taking young safety John Johnson under his wing and thinks he can be a terrific player: “I’m […]

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Yannick Ngakoue is entering the final year of his contract, but with pass rushers all around the league landing big deals, he knows his time is coming: “That [the amount those players received] is not a secret,” Ngakoue said, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. “We all can go on the […]

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield may have an outgoing personality and may have a loose attitude in the locker room, but that does not mean he is not a hard worker. Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken is very impressed by Mayfield and says that people seem to be misunderstanding the type of guy Mayfield really […]

Joe Haden was once a member of the Cleveland Browns in their lowly years, but for the past couple of seasons, he has been on the other side of things with the AFC North division rival Pittsburgh Steelers. But going into 2019, the Steelers are actually underdogs for a change as a result of a […]

Le’Veon Bell is no longer a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that doesn’t mean the Steelers don’t think they will be able to run the ball this coming season. Pittsburgh has a very deep backfield that includes James Conner, Jaylen Samuels and rookie Benny Snell Jr., and Samuels thinks that the Steelers running game […]

Before Aaron Rodgers was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, he was Brett Favre’s backup for three years. The Green Bay Packers drafted Rodgers back in 2005, but the eventual two-time MVP did not get to start under center until the 2008 campaign. Could something similar occur with Daniel Jones in the Big […]

For the first time in his NFL career, Antonio Brown is playing for a team other than the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he is heading into the 2019 campaign as a member of the Oakland Raiders. That means a new set of players will now get to witness his ridiculous work ethic, and Raiders quarterback Derek […]

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL this past season, as injuries limited in to eight games and he finished with just 439 yards and five touchdowns while averaging a meager 3.3 yards per carry. Still, the Jaguars have hope that he will rebound in 2019, and […]

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott found himself in trouble again last week, as he was arrested for allegedly pushing a security guard to the ground in Las Vegas on Saturday. This isn’t the first time Elliott has had a run-in with the law, as he was also suspended for six games during the 2017 […]

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new quarterback, and, as a result, they have a new playbook with it. Nick Foles arrived on the scene earlier this offseason, so the Jaguars will have some new wrinkles in their offense in 2019. Foles says there is a lot to learn, but notes that everyone seems to be […]

The New York Jets made a rather surprising move earlier this month, firing general manager Mike Maccagnan, an interesting decision considering that Maccagnan’s dismissal came after free agency and the draft. Jets safety Jamal Adams was not too taken back, saying that’s simply how things work in sports: “Business is business, man. That’s just how […]

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has had one of the more interesting NBA careers we have ever seen. During the regular season, he has been one of the most dominant offensive forces of the modern era. He has unlimited range, ridiculous handles and what he lacks in athleticism he makes up for with almost […]

Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon back in March, the latest devastating blow in what has been a career full of them. For Exum, who was finally getting into a groove in the NBA after landing a three-year extension from the Jazz last summer, says that this […]

With Lonzo Ball leaving Big Baller Brand, LaVar Ball has faded into obscurity this season. Once a controversial and yet lovable public figure, LaVar has become somewhat of an afterthought, but that doesn’t mean his bold statements have ceased. LaVar still has big plans for his sons and for his business in general, saying that […]

In hiring Monty Williams, the Phoenix Suns are now on their fourth head coach in the last five years — which is not exactly a good look. Jeff Hornacek was fired midway through the 2014-15 campaign, clearing the way for Earl Watson. Watson remained the head coach through 2017; however, he was fired three games […]

Juwan Howard once starred as a player for the Michigan Wolverines, and now, he will be coaching them after his stint as assistant with the Miami Heat. The former Fab Five member has accepted a job to become the Wolverines’ head coach, replacing long-time coach John Beilein who accepted the vacant HC post with the […]

There has been a heck of a lot of talk about at least one big-name free agent signing with the New York Knicks this summer, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving being mentioned as the prime candidates to do so. But would joining the Knicks be the best move for a star player? Former NBA […]

Should the Toronto Raptors be concerned about Kawhi Leonard? FOX Sports analyst Chris Broussard thinks so. With Leonard clearly playing through pain as seen in Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Broussard wonders if the Raptors All-Star forward is breaking down. "Kawhi's body may be breaking down on him. … That would […]