Matthew Schmidt Articles - Page 98

The Chicago Bears are known for being a defensive club, and that reputation remained true this past year, as the Bears finished ranked third in the NFL in defense on their way to 12 wins. But it should be noted that Chicago is improving offensively, and the Bears are working hard to fix any bugs […]

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera says that neither quarterback Cam Newton nor linebacker Luke Kuechly will play in the Panthers’ preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. Newton is still on the mend from arthroscopic shoulder surgery, a procedure he underwent back in January. It […]

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is still on the mend from a back injury that knocked him out of the final five games of the 2018 campaign, and as a result, head coach Doug Pederson is not sure if the will play in the preseason opener on Thursday night, per Josh Alper of Pro Football […]

Midway through the 2016 campaign, the New England Patriots acquired linebacker Kyle Van Noy in a trade with the Detroit Lions. He started just two games for the Patriots that season, but the following year, Van Noy became a full-time starter and has held that role ever since. New England head coach Bill Belichick loves […]

The Oakland Raiders have had a very busy offseason in which they have landed big names such as Antonio Brown, Trent Brown, and Tyrell Williams, not to mention pieces like Vontaze Burfict and Lamarcus Joyner. As a result, there are some relatively lofty expectations for the Raiders heading into 2019. At the very least, they […]

The Dallas Cowboys may not have agreed to contract extensions with any of Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, or Amari Cooper just yet, but that does not mean they are not making an effort. According to Jane Slater of NFL Network, the Cowboys have “generous” offers on the table for all three players, offers that would […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off of a very disappointing 2018 campaign in which they went 9-6-1 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013, largely due to locker room issues. The Steelers’ locker room lost a couple of distractions this offseason, as Pittsburgh traded away Antonio Brown and saw Le’Veon Bell walk […]

Vontaze Burfict spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals, but that does not mean that the linebacker has fond memories of his time there. Now a member of the Oakland Raiders, Burfict took a little shot at the Bengals this week. “I just think it’s exciting for people to […]

Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt suffered the third torn ACL of his playing career early last season, and the road to recovery has not exactly been easy, both from a physical and a mental standpoint. Butt appeared to be on his way back in training camp before what head coach Vic Fangio would call […]

With Cooper Kupp returning from a torn ACL and preparing to join a receiving corps that includes Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, and Josh Reynolds, defenses around the league are likely panicking. That’s because the Rams may very well have the deepest group of wide receivers in the league, and Woods calls it a “four-headed monster.” […]

The New York Giants are entering what will likely be a bridge year in 2019, as Eli Manning is going into the final year of his deal and appears destined to clear the way for Daniel Jones. As a result, the Giants likely won’t be contending for much of anything this season, but with a […]

The Dallas Cowboys and running back Ezekiel Elliott are engaged in a contract standoff, and no resolution appears to be in sight. Not only is Elliott currently holding out of training camp, but he is not even in the country, as he want to Cabo. However, former NFL safety Ryan Clark feels that eventually, Elliott […]

The Atlanta Braves have called up right-handed pitcher Mike Foltynewicz from Triple-A Gwinnett on the heels of fellow righty Kevin Gausman being claimed off waivers, according to the team. Foltynewicz will take Gausman’s spot on the active roster and will start on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins. The 27-year-old has made 11 starts with […]

Chicago Cubs right-handed relief pitcher Brandon Morrow has not pitched at all in 2019 as he is recovering from elbow and forearm issues, but he does have hope that he can return at some point this season: “I faced hitters just last week, so I’m pretty built up,” Morrow said, according to Jesse Rogers of […]

Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras will be out for four weeks as a result of a hamstring injury he suffered during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers this past Saturday, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago. The Cubs placed Contreras on the 10-day injured list on Sunday morning, marking the second time in less […]

Late last month, it was announced that New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate had been suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. On Tuesday, Tate will get the chance to appeal his ban, as he will head to New York City after practice for the opportunity to cut his suspension […]

On Sunday, the New England Patriots agreed to a contract extension through 2021 with legendary quarterback Tom Brady, but there is a bit of a catch: due to a provision that does not allow the Patriots to franchise or transition tag Brady after this coming season, he will actually be a free agent next offseason, […]

The Washington Redskins are entering a 2019 campaign in which they are clearly not contenders, but this year still represents one of their most important seasons in quite some time. The Redskins are clearly in rebuilding mode, as they drafted quarterback Dwayne Haskins with the 15th overall pick back in April and see him as […]

With Baker Mayfield under center and a receiving corps that includes Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, you would think the Cleveland Browns would be a very pass-heavy team going into 2019, but head coach Freddie Kitchens says that won’t be the case. Kitchens said that the Browns “won’t be a pass-happy team” and that […]

The Philadelphia Eagles are going into 2019 with sky-high expectations, as many in the media are lauding them as a potential contender. But is the hype warranted? The Eagles won nine games and snuck into the playoffs this past year, upsetting the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Round before falling to the New Orleans […]

The New York Jets are entering 2019 with somewhat high expectations for a change thanks to a busy offseason in which they added talent on both sides of the ball. Those additions will be on display this Thursday night, when the Jets open up their preseason against the New York Giants. Of course, most eyes […]

The Indianapolis Colts are entering 2019 with Super Bowl dreams, but those dreams will disintegrate if Andrew Luck doesn’t get healthy soon. Luck is dealing with a calf injury and will miss the Colts’ preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, casting a dark cloud over training camp in Indianapolis. Remember: two years […]

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. missed practice on Monday as a result of an illness, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Beckham’s illness comes just three days before the Browns’ preseason opener, as they will play host to the Washington Redskins on Thursday night. The Browns acquired Beckham in […]

The Dallas Cowboys are entering 2019 with big expectations, and they’ll get to begin their quest to get back to NFL prominence when they take on the San Francisco 49ers in their first preseason game on Saturday night. The Cowboys are coming off of a season in which they won 10 games and captured the […]

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was knocked out halfway through this past season due to a torn ACL, but he is on the mend and is ready to return to action this year. Kupp has already taken some hits in practice, and he says everything has gone just fine: “A guy gives you […]

The Cleveland Browns are set to get their preseason underway this Thursday when they play host to the Washington Redskins, which will be the first time in what seems like forever that a Browns preseason game has drawn any attention whatsoever. Thanks to an incredibly busy offseason in which Cleveland made high-profile additions such as […]

The San Francisco 49ers have a very crowded backfield. There is third-year running back Matt Breida, who had a very impressive 2018 campaign in which he rushed for 814 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. There is free-agent signing Tevin Coleman, who just enjoyed a terrific year with the Atlanta Falcons. […]

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown has only partially participated in one practice thus far in training camp, which is due to the fact that he is having problems with both of his feet. Brown went to see a foot specialist, but the Raiders don’t seem too concerned. Apparently, Brown is having more issues with […]

Oakland Raiders rookie running back Josh Jacobs is taking part in his first NFL training camp, and with plenty of expectations surrounding him heading into 2019, it’s important that he heeds whatever advice the veterans give him. As for the best advice he has gotten thus far? “Push the reset button whenever you mess up. […]

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has been dealing with a pesky calf injury in training camp, but Luck is confident that he will be good to go once the regular season begins next month, even if he is a bit worried. “I certainly believe I will [be ready],” Luck told Peter King of NBC Sports. […]

Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt has been cleared to practice for the Browns’ training camp scrimmage on Saturday, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hunt missed the first eight practice of training camp while dealing with a groin injury. The Browns signed Hunt earlier this offseason, but,  he will be […]

Those excited to watch the Lakers and Clippers battle for Los Angeles supremacy won’t have to wait very long to see the first matchup, as those two teams will open up the regular season by going head to head on Oct. 22, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Also getting opening night billing will […]

Odell Beckham Jr. hasn’t exactly had any kind things to say about Eli Manning since being traded from the New York Giants earlier this offseason, but that doesn’t mean Manning is going to fire back. Speaking with Sal Paolantonio of ESPN, Manning said he thoroughly enjoyed the five years he spent with Beckham: “Obviously I […]

The Philadelphia Eagles have a crowded backfield, but that did not stop them from taking Penn State running back Miles Sanders in the second round of the NFL Draft back in April, which speaks volumes on how highly they view him. Now in his first NFL training camp, Sanders is loving that fact that all […]

When the Miami Dolphins traded for Josh Rosen on draft weekend, they did so with the idea that Rosen still needed a lot of work and would probably end up backing up Ryan Fitzpatrick during his first year with the club. But with Fitzpatrick struggling in training camp, Rosen has had an opportunity to try […]

When the Washington Redskins selected Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins with the 15th overall pick of the NFL Draft in April, the general consensus was that Haskins would start at some point in 2019. Haskins believes the same thing. While Case Keenum may end up winning the starting job and is a perfectly capable signal-caller, […]

Khalil Mack may have played the entire 2018 campaign with the Chicago Bears, but he did not spend training camp with the club. Mack was dealt to the Bears from the Oakland Raiders shortly before last season began, so this summer actually marks his first offseason in Chicago. Not only that, but Mack didn’t even […]

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley may only be entering his second year in the league, but he still wants to assert himself as a leader on the team and is working to do that this summer: “I’ve definitely asserted myself in more of a leadership role,” said Barkley, according to Dan Benton of […]

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was left out of the top 100 NFL players in the league this year, a list voted on by NFL players only. But, instead of complaining about the omission, Prescott is using it as motivation: “One of the biggest compliments is from a peer. So I guess you can take […]