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NFL draft: Browns Twitter reacts to Shedeur Sanders pick

NFL draft: Browns Twitter reacts to Shedeur Sanders pick

USA Today26-04-2025

NFL draft: Browns Twitter reacts to Shedeur Sanders pick
The Cleveland Browns sent shockwaves through their fanbase and the Twittersphere by trading up in the fifth round to select quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the 144th overall pick.
This unexpected move, after already drafting Dillon Gabriel in the third round, ignited a firestorm of reactions across Browns Twitter. Fans and analysts alike immediately took to the platform to voice their surprise, excitement, and bewilderment at the team's bold decision to add the highly debated Sanders to a quarterback room already featuring Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
The digital landscape became a battleground of takes, ranging from those who lauded the potential upside of Sanders and praised the aggressive approach to finding a long-term solution at quarterback, to those who questioned the logic of the trade-up and the crowded quarterback room. Memes, hot takes, and fervent debates flooded timelines as the Browns faithful grappled with the implications of this high-profile selection. Join us as we dive into the real-time reactions and dissect the social media frenzy that erupted following the Browns' surprising acquisition of Shedeur Sanders.

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Bengals breakout player prediction from NFL analyst is wild
Bengals breakout player prediction from NFL analyst is wild

USA Today

time14 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Bengals breakout player prediction from NFL analyst is wild

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Frank Ragnow gave his all to Detroit Lions in career marked by toughness through ups and downs
Frank Ragnow gave his all to Detroit Lions in career marked by toughness through ups and downs

New York Times

time23 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Frank Ragnow gave his all to Detroit Lions in career marked by toughness through ups and downs

DETROIT — The final battle of Frank Ragnow's career was one between body and mind. It was an all-too-familiar back-and-forth, unfolding over the past few months of his final NFL offseason. Ragnow's mind had won these sparring matches up until now. But clarity, as it so often does, declared a winner. Advertisement Ragnow, 29, is retiring from the NFL. 'These past couple of months have been very trying as I've come to the realization that my football journey is ending and I'm officially retiring from the NFL,' Ragnow announced on Instagram Monday morning. 'I've tried to convince myself that I'm feeling good but I'm not and it's time to prioritize my health and my family's future. I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don't. I have to listen to my body, and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life. 'It was an absolute honor going to battle for you all.' 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And when he wasn't anchoring one of the league's best offensive lines, Ragnow could often be found on a boat with his brother, Jack, fishing wherever the wind took them, or putting his heart and soul into his foundation — Rags Remembered. Ragnow's father, John, died of a heart attack in 2016. He never got to see his son play in the NFL. John Ragnow was Frank's best friend, and fishing is how they bonded. Ragnow's foundation strives to help grieving children manage the loss of a parent through outdoor activities. His work earned him a Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination in 2023. Advertisement Ask about Ragnow, and you'll quickly learn how the league felt about him. 'He's one of the best centers I've ever had the privilege of playing against,' Vikings safety Harrison Smith said of Ragnow on Monday. 'He does it the right way. I think the first time I actually had quality time with him was when I was nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year. And so was he. I got to learn about all of the things he does off the field and the type of husband and family man that he is. 'I know that every time I had to play against him, I had to buckle my chinstrap extra tight and watch a lot of extra film. There are centers I've talked to and our offensive linemen, after playing him, would come up and ask me questions about how he would block things. …His technique and fundamentals and the way he played were acknowledged by all players on both lines of scrimmage.' For the Lions, the extent of Ragnow's value often presented itself in ways initially unbeknownst to them. In the first quarter of a December contest against the Green Bay Packers in 2020, Ragnow informed former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford that Stafford would need to make the line calls for the rest of the day. Ragnow would if he could. But he fractured his throat and could barely speak. He finished the game without missing a single snap or allowing a single pressure. 'I didn't really notice it and didn't even know it until Monday,' former Lions running backs coach Kyle Caskey said. 'He did a good job of hiding it from us.' 'Pretty crazy that he was able to finish the game with that,' Stafford said. Ragnow was notorious for downplaying the status of his injuries — sometimes admirable, other times concerning. You wouldn't know how bad things were until someone close to Ragnow offered insight on his behalf, much to his chagrin. Advertisement Late in the 2023 season, Ragnow injured his knee in a game against the New Orleans Saints. It was significant enough to require meniscus surgery that December. The Lions were on the cusp of their first division title in 30 years, and the first playoff appearance of Ragnow's career, six years in. The timing was far from ideal. So Ragnow conquered time. Ragnow missed a grand total of one game — a 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears — before returning the following week. 'That's how Frank is,' Campbell said. 'Frank is going to will himself to play. His mind controls his body, which we talk about all the time. The good ones can do that. He's what we already know. He's a tough dude and he's mind over matter. …He is terrified of letting his teammates down. That means more to him than anything. It's just the way he is. That's why guys respect the hell out of him.' A week and a half after freaking meniscus surgery and he's playing. Dudes a certified psycho @KNARFWONGAR #ProBowlVote Ragnow#WPMOYChallenge Ragnow — Jack Ragnow (@Ragnow79) December 17, 2023 In Ragnow's final season, he felt discomfort in a game vs. the Arizona Cardinals. It was revealed shortly after the game that he had partially torn his pec. A painful injury — one that typically comes with a lengthy recovery time. Unless you're Ragnow. He again missed one game. Then let his head coach know he was ready to return in true Ragnow fashion. 'I'm walking down there to talk to our trainer and somebody punches me against the wall and I'm not even paying attention because I'm looking at our trainer,' Campbell recalled last fall. 'And I keep walking and I get punched again, and I realize it's Frank and he's trying to show me that his pec is great. So that's his way of telling me, 'Look how strong I am. It's good. It's healed.'' Advertisement 'I was just trying to demonstrate that I was OK,' Ragnow said bashfully when asked by reporters about the exchange. These kinds of stories are endless. They're what make Ragnow, Ragnow. They're why the Lions fell in love with everything he represented, and why this regime signed him to an extension before he ever played a game for them, in one of their first big moves guiding the franchise out of mediocrity. The Lions under Campbell and Brad Holmes tore the roster they inherited down to the studs. Campbell likes to refer to the holdovers from the previous regime as the 'old guard.' They hold a special place in his heart for how they helped him in the early years. He references them in postgame speeches often, and calls on those who oversaw the transformation from 3-13-1 to 15-2 to carry out his message to all newcomers. Ragnow was entrusted with the torch from Day 1, tasked with helping Campbell build one of the league's best cultures from the ground up. His final three seasons coincided with one of the most successful stretches in franchise history. The Lions aren't here without him. And they won't be the same without him. Earned it. — Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 25, 2023 'You gotta be out there for your guys,' Ragnow said months ago, when asked why he puts his body on the line week in and week out. 'I'm gonna do whatever I can to be out there. It ain't gonna be comfortable sometimes, I ain't gonna be pretty but I just care about these guys too much to not give it my all for them.' Words like that from Ragnow take on a different meaning given the context of Monday's news. He wanted nothing more than to bring a championship to this city, and how poetic would it have been for him to accomplish it, after all he's been through. The Lions have had conversations with Ragnow each of the past few offseasons about how long he wanted to keep going, how much he wanted to suffer and subject his body to new, gruesome injuries. But the decision, in the end, ultimately wasn't up to him. Advertisement This offseason, Ragnow tried to once again will his mind. To conquer time. He told reporters during locker room clean-out day that he was healthier than he's ever been — a silver lining after an abrupt playoff loss at the hands of the Washington Commanders, ironically, in part, due to injuries other than Ragnow's for once. Even so, Ragnow felt the weight of this one more than others. 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Which players can beat out Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty for Rookie of the Year?
Which players can beat out Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty for Rookie of the Year?

Yahoo

time24 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Which players can beat out Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty for Rookie of the Year?

Cam Ward is a quarterback drafted No. 1 overall. Ashton Jeanty is an elite running back prospect drafted sixth. That already gives them an edge in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year race. Voters love quarterbacks, and Jeanty already has gotten a ton of attention (and he'll get plenty of touches from the Las Vegas Raiders too). Both are co-favorites at BetMGM to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at +250, and rightfully so. Advertisement That doesn't mean they're locks. Ward is joining a bad Tennessee Titans team that might not be able to support an award-winning quarterback. Jeanty should be good with the Raiders, but they were remarkably bad running the ball last season and maybe that was due to factors other than just subpar running backs. The door isn't closed for someone else to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Here are some possibilities, with odds from BetMGM: Jaguars WR Travis Hunter (+600) The one thing Hunter will have in his favor is publicity. He's going to be a big story this season if he can pull off a two-way act on offense and defense that has been incredibly rare in NFL history. Hunter playing productive snaps at cornerback shouldn't impact the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, but it probably would. The issue Hunter might have is volume. Brian Thomas Jr. is coming off a great rookie season and he'll be a huge part of the passing game again. Will there be enough targets for Thomas to put up another 1,250 yards and Hunter do do enough to push him ahead of someone like Jeanty? Probably not, but Hunter is too talented to ignore that possibility. Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan (+1300) McMillan was a bit of a surprise pick by the Panthers at No. 8 overall. Not that he wasn't worth the pick, but the Panthers had one of the worst defenses in NFL history last season. The fact that they passed on defensive needs to take McMillan is a clear indication of how much they like his talent. The Panthers could be in a lot of high-scoring games this season due to that defense, which will help McMillan's numbers. Carolina doesn't have anyone standing in his way of being the team's top target earner either, like Hunter does in Jacksonville. It's a little challenging to talk yourself into McMillan being the OROY this season, but he has a path to it. Chargers RB Omarion Hampton (+1400) The odds on Hampton keep dropping, and for good reason. He is an excellent contrarian pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Yes, the Chargers have Najee Harris, but did they really draft Hampton 22nd overall to play the average Harris over him? Hampton was productive at North Carolina, has all the traits of a feature back in the NFL, is with a team that really likes running the ball and should be in the playoff mix. Hampton is going to have a really good rookie season, and he'll be in the mix for the OROY award. Running back Omarion Hampton should have a big role for the Los Angeles Chargers as a rookie. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) (MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images via Getty Images) Broncos RB RJ Harvey (+2000) It's a good year to be a rookie running back in the AFC West. Harvey was a second-round pick so he doesn't have the draft capital of Jeanty or Hampton. But he will have opportunity. The Broncos don't have anyone blocking him from being the clear No. 1 all season. Sean Payton usually likes using more than one back and maybe that cuts into Harvey's production, but the Broncos also might reach a point in which it's clear Harvey is their best back and the other backs fall back into minimal roles. Giants QB Jaxson Dart (+2500) Dart is behind Tyler Shough and Shedeur Sanders in the OROY odds. Shough is a quarterback who might start all 17 games, so he'll have a shot, but he's also going to be on a Saints team that everyone believes will be terrible. Sanders shouldn't be anywhere near the 22-to-1 odds he has, considering he's likely to begin training camp as the fourth-string quarterback and his best case scenario is probably getting a start in the second half of the season for a bad Browns team, if he ever gets a start. He's 10th in the odds only because he has name recognition. Advertisement Dart at 25-to-1 is much more interesting. Right now he doesn't have a path to start early in the season, but it could change quickly. He is a first-round pick and could make things interesting with a good preseason. It's not like anyone in New York is dying to see Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston start games. He plays in New York, which helps his visibility in an award race. It's at least reasonable to imagine a scenario in which Dart starts early on and generates some excitement for a big-market team, leading to plenty of hype that would keep him in the OROY race. At least there's a more viable lane for Dart than there is for Sanders. Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue (+5000) OK, this one is way down the list. But there might be opportunity. The Cowboys didn't do too much to improve at running back this offseason. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders are two unexciting veterans at the top of the depth chart. Blue was a fifth-round pick but many late-round running backs have emerged to be productive rookies. The Cowboys' offense is good enough; Rico Dowdle had more than 1,000 yards rushing in it last season. Whether it's Blue or someone like Jaguars rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten, if there's a true long shot that will win OROY it's probably a mid- to late-round running back.

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