Tag: defensive

Categories
NFL News

Ray Lewis, ranked No. 17 in the NFL 100, ‘was the perfect defensive player’ when he entered the league, despite being undersized.

The Athletics’ initiative to select the 100 greatest players in football history is known as the NFL 100.
We’ll reveal new members of the list every day until the season starts, starting with the No.
On Wednesday, September 1st, one player will be crowned.
8.It was the entire experience that drew me in.
Ray Lewis defined a football Sunday in Baltimore for 17 years, with his pregame dances, passionate speeches, and crushing hits. When Ray Lewis was drafted by the Ravens in 1996, the team didn’t have a logo, jerseys, a state-of-the-art football stadium, or a contemporary training facility.
The Ravens had become one of the most recognized and dependable franchises in the league by the time his “final ride” ended in a sea of confetti in February 2013.
The two gleaming Lombardi trophies on display in the lobby of their magnificent training facility serve as proof.One of the players most responsible for the franchise’s success is now immortalized in bronze in front of the team’s downtown stadium, inviting a fan base that has embraced the team’s blue-collar, defensive-minded approach.There stands Lewis, 9 feet tall and 1,200 pounds, a fittin’s son, a fittin’s son.
Lewis is posing, preening, and encouraging his teammates to follow in his footsteps. Few NFL players are as synonymous with a franchise as Lewis is with the Ravens.
That hasn’t changed in the more than eight years since his final game. “He could motivate not only a defense, but an entire community,” said former Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George, a longtime foe of Lewis’.

Categories
NFL News

Jackson Carman’s displeasure, the defensive ceiling, and guessing starters are among the topics discussed in Dehner Jr.’s Bengals mailbag.

When the starters pass through these group interviews, you start to run out of questions to ask.Thankfully, you have questions.
As the Bengals prepare to go to Washington for the second of three preseason games, there are plenty of questions on your minds, and I’ll try my best to address them.The most frequently requested question concerned Jessie Bates III and the status of his contract extension in the aftermath of the Jamal Adams deal.
I had a lot to say about it, so I published a second column about it.
Let’s get started on the remainder of your questions.Note: Submitted questions have been changed for clarity.From J.R.G: I understand Jackson Carman is having a rough start to his NFL career, but when is it time to panic?
Several of us liked the JaMarr Chase pick at five because we were promised we may get a starting-caliber offensive lineman in round two, so if he doesn’t turn out, it appears to be a misfire.

Categories
NFL News

Bruce Smith, ranked No. 20 in the NFL 100, dominated blocks to record levels of output.

The Athletics’ initiative to select the 100 greatest players in football history is known as the NFL 100.
We’ll reveal new members of the list every day until the season starts, starting with the No.
On Wednesday, September 1st, one player will be crowned.
8.You know you’re a big deal when Dennis Hopper huffs the insoles of your soiled shoes.Younger Buffalo Bills fans may think Josh Allen has Western New York by the blue collar with his many commercial roles, but in the early 1990s, the franchise’s greatest player was the focus of an classic campaign, starring an iconic actor for an iconic corporation.
“It took on a life of its own,” says the author.
Smith’s numbers have also survived the test of time.”
Smith was such a devilish force that advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy picked him to be the fixation of imaginary, mentally unbalanced referee Stanley Craver (played by Hopper) in a famous Nike commercial loaded with highlights. Smith was such a diabolical force that advertising firm Wieden & Kennedy chose him to be an obsession of fictitious, mentally unstable referee Stanley Craver (played by Hopper) in a famous Nike commercial loaded with highlights

Categories
NFL News

Carl Lawson is out for the season after suffering an Achilles tear, which is a significant setback for the Jets.

The New York Jets were given a major setback on Wednesday when defensive end Carl Lawson tore his Achilles tendon.
He is now projected to miss the whole 2021 NFL season, according to several publications.
The MRI revealed that #Jets pass-rusher Carl Lawson had torn his Achilles tendon.
After being one of their finest players in camp, he’s gone for the season.
It was a devastating blow.
Lawson signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Jets in March and was anticipated to play a key role in the team’s overhauled defense this season. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 19, 2021
The Jets have been dealt a major blow by Lawson’s injury. The Cincinnati Bengals selected Carl Lawson in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and the Auburn alumni has shown to be a steal for the team.
Lawson had an outstanding debut season, recording 8.5 sacks and being named to the PFWA’s All-Rookie team.
In 2018, he experienced a sophomore slump, appearing in only seven games and registering only one sack.
But he bounced back in a big way, and he’s been a consistent contributor for the past two elections.
In the last two years, Lawson has racked up 11.5 sacks.
Lawson’s ability to get to opposing quarterbacks is unrivaled.
In 2019, he hit 22 quarterbacks, and he had 32 last year, which was the most in the league.
Lawson was a great fan of the Jets, especially new head coach Robert Saleh, who made him a significant offer to be the team’s defensive lynchpin this summer.
“If you look at Carl and just look at a piece of paper, he doesn’t check a single box in terms of height, length, size,” Saleh said of Lawson earlier in training camp.
Nevertheless, when you watch the footage, all he does is win over and over again.
You can never have too many guys in the NFL who just win play after play.
That’s why he’s a good fit.
He can be used in any scenario.
He’s a player that lines up and dominates one-on-one, which is especially important in money circumstances when you need someone to make an impact on the game.” Lawson had a great training camp and appeared to be on his way to having a breakout year.
Yet, his tragic injury will not only throw the Jets’ plans into disarray, but it may also have an impact on the defensive end’s career.
I can tell you from personal experience that if you tore your Achilles tendon, you’ll know almost instantly.
The Jets will now attempt to trade for a replacement or investigate the free agency market for a short-term remedy to their pass rush problem. — Damien Woody (@damienwoody) August 19, 2021 I’m hoping for positive news for Carl Lawson, but this is tough considering the type of camp he was having #Jets — Damien Woody (@damienwoody) August 19, 2021
Shivam Damohe edited the piece.

Categories
NFL News

Jamal Adams signs a four-year contract deal with the Seahawks.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Jamal Adams and the Seahawks have agreed to terms on a four-year, $70 million contract extension.
According to reports, the contract includes a $38 million guarantee, making him the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the contract may be worth up to $72 million over four years, with club and individual performance bonuses.
Adams, 25, was in the final year of his rookie contract, with a fifth-year option for $9.86 million this season.
While talks progressed, Adams, one of Seattle’s most important defensive playmakers, sat off practice.
In 2020, he set the NFL record for sacks by a defensive back with 9.5 in just 12 games.
Despite missing four games due to a groin injury, he still managed 83 total tackles and a forced fumble.
He was selected to his third Pro Bowl and was named to the All-Pro Second Team for the second year in a row.
Further NFL coverage:

Categories
NFL News

Rod Woodson, whose rugged, athletic performance was ‘before his time,’ is ranked No. 26 on the NFL 100.

The Athletics’ initiative to select the 100 greatest players in football history is known as the NFL 100.
We’ll reveal new members of the list every day until the season starts, starting with the No.
In September, one player will be proclaimed champion.
8.When you think of Rod Woodson, you think of a Hall of Fame defensive back who was both quick and athletic.
If you’re a Steelers fan, you might want to include one of the rare instances the team got it wrong when it came to letting a player go early because it’s still a touchy subject.No one considers Woodson to be the best defensive back in league history, right up there with Deion Sanders, but maybe they should.

Categories
NFL News

The Los Angeles Rams will rest all of their starters for preseason games once again.

THOUSAND OAKS (California)
— When it comes to preseason injuries, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay is taking no chances.
For the fourth straight season, McVay will not play starters in preseason games, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, defensive lineman Aaron Donald, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. McVay also appears to be taking his cautious approach a step further this season, sitting numerous rotating players and backups.
“We’ll get to see a lot of our depth guys because there’ll probably be about 35 players who aren’t playing in this game for us,” McVay said following training camp practice on Thursday at the team facility.
“The aim is always to try to stay healthy,” Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said. The Rams kick off their preseason campaign against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Saturday.
Players who will not participate in the preseason include backup quarterback John Wolford, who suffered an appendectomy last week, but McVay did not specify which non-starters will also sit out.
“Right now, we’re working through that,” McVay said.
“But John is absolutely one of those guys an — thought he gained a lot of good experience last week and especially given the circumstances around you having that appendectomy, just want to be wise,” Devlin Hodges said.
The Rams return seven starters on offense and seven starters on defense after a 10-6 season and a divisional playoff defeat to the Green Bay Packers.
McVay has relied on joint practices to prepare his starters for the regular season in recent years, and he will continue to do so as they prepare for the 2021 schedule.
The Rams exercised in Oxnard, California, last weekend against the Dallas Cowboys, and the Las Vegas Raiders will visit the Rams’ team complex for two practices next week ahead of their preseason meeting on Aug. 1.
SoFi Stadium, 21.
The Rams have had plenty of success since 2018, when McVay decided to rest most of his stars in the preseason, including a run to the NFC title and a trip to Super Bowl LIII, where they were defeated 13-3 by the New England Patriots.
McVay had led the Rams to a 43-21 record and three playoff appearances in his fifth season as coach.
The Rams are among the preseason favorites to win Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in February, thanks to the arrival of Stafford and the return of three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Donald and All-Pro Ramsey.

Categories
NFL News

Vikings’ offensive line and defensive backfield get a rough workout with the Broncos – The Athletic

Even after recognizing that patterns were broken and players had to acclimate themselves with a new, more crowded practice setting, the first Vikings-Broncos joint practice was about as sloppy as one can imagine. The sloppiness made it impossible to fully evaluate some of the positions, as receivers and cornerbacks werent seeing the accuracy or timing that generally comes with an OTA.

Categories
NFL News

Joe Schmidt, the Lions’ defensive quarterback and football’s first great middle linebacker, is ranked No. 65 on the NFL 100.

The Athletics’ initiative to select the 100 greatest players in football history is known as the NFL 100.
We’ll reveal new members of the list every day until the season starts, starting with the No.
On Wednesday, September 1st, one player will be crowned.
8.In the spring of 1956, football — at least the defensive middle of it — was irrevocably transformed.
That was the year the Detroit Lions made a complicated four-team deal focused on coach Buddy Parker’s desire to acquire an athletic defensive tackle. Parker was in his sixth season as Lions coach, and had already won two NFL titles.
Even in the 1950s, though, football success was a hardship.
After a terrible three-win season, a once-dominant offense was suddenly muted in 1955, and a promising defense led by 24-year-old outside linebacker Joe Schmidt sorely needed a fresh coat of paint.The deal essentially boiled down to the Lions shipping offensive lineman Dick Stanfel out of town to make place for experienced defensive tackle Ray Krouse of the New York Giants.
Parker had his heart set on Krouse, a 260-pound interior defensive lineman noted for his speed and agility.
Krouse was the final piece of the puzzle in that deal.
Schmidt, the guy who would become renowned as football’s first genuinely exceptional middle linebacker, was the final stage in the strategy. “Schmidt’s mobility eased some of the pressure off the defensive backs on pass coverage,” Parker would explain to the Detroit Free Press years later, before getting right to the point.
“In reality, his style of play was responsible for the development of the zone defense, revolving defenses, and (the) modern defensive look in professional football.

Categories
NFL News

According to sources, the Cincinnati Bengals have extended defensive end Sam Hubbard’s contract.

CINCINNATI — According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cincinnati Bengals and defensive end Sam Hubbard have come to terms on a contract extension.
According to reports, the Bengals inked the 2018 third-round selection to a four-year deal worth up to $40 million.
Hubbard was approaching the end of his rookie deal.
The Bengals’ top pass-rusher has matured into a former Ohio State player.
Hubbard has played in 44 games in three seasons, including the last two as a starter.
In 2020, he has two of his 16.5 career sacks.
As an edge rusher last season, he recorded a 15.9% pass rush victory rate (ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen).
Hubbard is the Bengals’ second significant offseason investment on the defensive line’s edge.
The Bengals signed former New Orleans Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $60 million contract in free agency.
Last season, Cincinnati had the fewest sacks in the NFL.