Cam Jurgens' recent mention on a PFF ranking seems disrespectful
Cam Jurgens' recent mention on a PFF ranking seems disrespectful Cam Jurgens placement in new PFF ranking certainly raises eyebrows.
It's never an easy task to follow a legend. That's true in any sport. Ask anyone who has ever done so. Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty had a hard time living in Dean Smith's shadow. Steve Young is a deserving Pro Football Hall of Famer. Ask him how the journey in San Francisco began if you ever cross paths with him.
Those looking for a Philadelphia Eagles parallel needn't search any further than Cam Jurgens succeeding Jason Kelce. Cam had the unenviable task of following one of the franchise's beloved legends, but on that front, things seem to be going pretty well.
Philadelphia drafted Jurgens during Round 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 51st overall selection. He watched his mentor from the sidelines as a rookie before playing next to him as the Eagles' starting right guard a year later.
After playing 654 snaps for the Birds in his sophomore season, Kelce retired, and Cam became the full-time starter. That has worked out very well. He made his first Pro Bowl roster but missed the games as he anchored an O-line that helped spearhead another Super Bowl victory.
Big things are expected in year four. He enters his final year of his rookie deal, but he does so with peace of mind and some security. He recently received a pay raise as Philadelphia showed their appreciation with an extension for the job he's been doing, but the appreciation doesn't seem to be contagious.
Pro Football Focus snubs Cam Jurgens in recent ranking of NFL centers
Pro Football Focus hasn't disappointed with their offseason content, but that doesn't mean they haven't delivered one or two head-scratchers. They recently stacked all 32 starting centers ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Cam is ranked 13th.
Wait! What? Perhaps he has been hindered here due to his back injury?
"Jurgens has struggled at times as a pass protector, but his overall grading profile since becoming the Eagles' starting center shows an upward trend that should continue into 2025. If you exclude Jurgens' playoff performance, during which he was battling an injury, his PFF overall grade (67.1) charted as a top-10 mark at the position."
Those were the words of one Mason Cameron, the writer of this one. Okay, so maybe the back injury had little to do with the theory? No disrespect is intended to anyone else on the list, but the eyeball test suggests he is head and shoulders over several of the guys who are ranked ahead of him.
You're more than welcome to debate among yourselves about who that list should include and who it shouldn't, but don't stress or lose any sleep as the Eagles' season nears. Cam is teamed with Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Lane Johnson. That still ranks as one of the best O-lines in all of professional football.
We'll see what Philadelphia does at the starting right guard position, but they have plenty of talented players to analyze. No worries at the anchor, though. Cam has provided a smooth transition from Jason Kelce, and by the looks of things, the new guy has an opportunity to play at an elite level for a long time moving forward.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
29 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Saints receiver Chris Olave brushes off concussion concerns and laughs off trade talk
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Chris Olave, the New Orleans Saints leading receiver in two of his first three seasons, wanted to make two things clear. He is not concerned about the long-term implications of repeated concussions and sees himself spending his entire career with New Orleans. Olave has been a full participant in non-contact, offseason practices and this week's mandatory minicamp, but has not played in an NFL game since last Nov. 3. That was the day he was leveled by Panthers safety Xavier Woods during a downfield route across the middle of the field. Olave remained in a prone position on the field for several minutes, after which he was taken from the stadium to a Charlotte hospital. While he was permitted to return to practice in December, he never returned to the lineup. 'It was tough, man, at first.; I ain't never really sat out that long,' Olave said after practice on Wednesday. 'That was really my first major injury. ... Just not being able to go and practice and go to meetings with my guys was the worst part, but I feel like I'm ready. I was training and lifting and everything in December. So, I feel like I'm good.' Olave has had at least four confirmed concussions in his first three seasons. The first occurred when he was a rookie in 2022 during an Oct. 9 game against Seattle. He missed just the following game and finished the season with team highs of 72 catches for 1,042 yards. During the 2023 season, he did not miss a game after a Week 12 concussion against Atlanta and finished that season with team highs of 87 catches and 1,123 yards receiving. Last season, however, he missed nine games because of two concussions. He sat out just one game after his first against Tampa Bay on Oct. 13 before the Nov. 3 one in Carolina ended his third NFL season. Olave consulted with specialists after the most recent head injury. 'They said I was OK back in December when they cleared me. It was just unlucky situations I was being put in,' Olave said. 'God's got me at the end of the day. I'm not worried about nothing. So, just got to go out there 100% and be ready.' Saints rookie coach Kellen Moore, hired in February after winning a Super Bowl with Philadelphia as the Eagles' offensive coordinator, has largely brushed aside questions about Olave's concussion history. 'I don't worry too much about that,' Moore said. 'We feel really really good about Chris. He's had an excellent offseason, an excellent career so far and (has) an excellent future. 'We feel like we've got a good one in him,' Moore added. So, apparently, do some other teams who've reportedly asked the Saints about their willingness to trade Olave as New Orleans rebuilds from a five-win 2024 season. The Saints also have lacked a proven quarterback since veteran Derek Carr's sudden retirement in May . All three of New Orleans current QBs have less than three season of experience and not a single NFL win. But Olave expressed optimism about those young QBs — rookie Tyler Shough , second-year pro Spencer Rattler and third-year pro Jake Haener. 'The young QBs are good,' Olave said. 'I don't think they're going to come in and have hiccups. I feel like they got a good head on their shoulders. They got a good IQ. They're ready to play NFL ball. So, I'm excited.' Olave also laughed off reports that he's the subject of trade offers. 'It's all rumors, man,' Olave said. 'In the offseason, everybody's trying to have something for clicks. So, I love it here. I love the front office. I love my coaches. I'm excited to be here and I want to be here forever.' ___ AP NFL:
San Francisco Chronicle
31 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Saints receiver Chris Olave brushes off concussion concerns and laughs off trade talk
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Chris Olave, the New Orleans Saints leading receiver in two of his first three seasons, wanted to make two things clear. He is not concerned about the long-term implications of repeated concussions and sees himself spending his entire career with New Orleans. Olave has been a full participant in non-contact, offseason practices and this week's mandatory minicamp, but has not played in an NFL game since last Nov. 3. That was the day he was leveled by Panthers safety Xavier Woods during a downfield route across the middle of the field. Olave remained in a prone position on the field for several minutes, after which he was taken from the stadium to a Charlotte hospital. While he was permitted to return to practice in December, he never returned to the lineup. 'It was tough, man, at first.; I ain't never really sat out that long," Olave said after practice on Wednesday. "That was really my first major injury. ... Just not being able to go and practice and go to meetings with my guys was the worst part, but I feel like I'm ready. I was training and lifting and everything in December. So, I feel like I'm good.' Olave has had at least four confirmed concussions in his first three seasons. The first occurred when he was a rookie in 2022 during an Oct. 9 game against Seattle. He missed just the following game and finished the season with team highs of 72 catches for 1,042 yards. During the 2023 season, he did not miss a game after a Week 12 concussion against Atlanta and finished that season with team highs of 87 catches and 1,123 yards receiving. Last season, however, he missed nine games because of two concussions. He sat out just one game after his first against Tampa Bay on Oct. 13 before the Nov. 3 one in Carolina ended his third NFL season. Olave consulted with specialists after the most recent head injury. 'They said I was OK back in December when they cleared me. It was just unlucky situations I was being put in,' Olave said. "God's got me at the end of the day. I'm not worried about nothing. So, just got to go out there 100% and be ready.' Saints rookie coach Kellen Moore, hired in February after winning a Super Bowl with Philadelphia as the Eagles' offensive coordinator, has largely brushed aside questions about Olave's concussion history. 'I don't worry too much about that," Moore said. "We feel really really good about Chris. He's had an excellent offseason, an excellent career so far and (has) an excellent future. 'We feel like we've got a good one in him,' Moore added. So, apparently, do some other teams who've reportedly asked the Saints about their willingness to trade Olave as New Orleans rebuilds from a five-win 2024 season. The Saints also have lacked a proven quarterback since veteran Derek Carr's sudden retirement in May. All three of New Orleans current QBs have less than three season of experience and not a single NFL win. But Olave expressed optimism about those young QBs — rookie Tyler Shough, second-year pro Spencer Rattler and third-year pro Jake Haener. 'The young QBs are good,' Olave said. 'I don't think they're going to come in and have hiccups. I feel like they got a good head on their shoulders. They got a good IQ. They're ready to play NFL ball. So, I'm excited.' 'It's all rumors, man,' Olave said. 'In the offseason, everybody's trying to have something for clicks. So, I love it here. I love the front office. I love my coaches. I'm excited to be here and I want to be here forever.'
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey is poised to return to his MVP-level play from two seasons ago.
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey is poised to return to his MVP-level play from two seasons ago. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The San Francisco 49ers are desperate to return to playoff contention after falling to the bottom of the NFC West after winning the entire conference the year prior. Advertisement One major factor in that bounce back is the health of star running back Christian McCaffrey. When he is available, McCaffrey remains one of the best players in the NFL and one of the most versatile running backs in league history. Unfortunately, he has dealt with major injuries throughout his illustrious career, forcing him to play less than 10 games in half of his eight NFL seasons. Last year, he only suited up in four games for the Niners after dealing with Achilles and knee issues. This offseason, however, McCaffrey appears to be back near full health. He is putting every ounce of his energy toward performing like his 2023 self again, where he won Offensive Player of the Year with over 2,000 all-purpose yards. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had some notable remarks about McCaffrey's work ethic during this week's mandatory minicamp. Advertisement 'If I said it, I'd be making up because Christian is — I mean, he is a psycho in a good way and so like he does everything imaginable every single day,' Shanahan told reporters, via the team transcript. "Last year he couldn't because he was battling injury all last year. And this year he is healthy, so he is right back to being who he is always been and it's really fun to watch.' His San Francisco tenure is still rather young, but the 49ers offense clearly runs smoother with McCaffrey effective in the backfield. His record-breaking season directly correlated to the team's dominance on the way to a Super Bowl berth two years ago. Last year, the dependent relationship was proven again in his absence. In 2023, McCaffrey ran for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns. He added 67 catches for 564 yards and seven more scores through the air. Advertisement If he can produce anything near those totals in 2025 - and most of all, stay healthy - the 49ers will be poised for an immediate return to contention in the NFC. Related: 49ers' Brock Purdy Has Huge MVP Opportunity in 2025 Related: Niners' Blockbuster Trade Piece Named Biggest Loss This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
