Tampa Bay Buccaneers Lose Promising Rookie to ACL Tear
The announcement from head coach Todd Bowles regarding the team's fourth-round draft pick out of Central Arkansas didn't come for several days because the non-contact injury at the July 25 practice session didn't look serious at first.
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USA Today
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Tennessee Titans training camp: Position battle to watch for Day 5
Will James Williams be a starter on the #Titans defense this year?He snagged a nice pick off Cam Ward today 🔥 #TitanUp(🎥 @Titans on IG) Day 5 of the Tennessee Titans' 2025 training camp will transpire on Tuesday at the Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park, and the competition will continue to heat up as jobs are on the line. With the pads going on for the first time, the battle for the starting inside linebacker position next to Cody Barton could kick into high gear. Early on during practice in shells, second-year linebacker James Williams flashed and has created some buzz. A former college safety, Williams has opened some eyes with his athleticism and ability in coverage, an area that the Titans must improve in 2025. Veteran Otis Reese was widely considered the front-runner to land the starting role opposite Barton, and while he has been steady, he hasn't flashed the big-play potential Williams has displayed in the early stages of camp. Head coach Brian Callahan even spoke on Williams' development during one of the initial media sessions. Asked #Titans Head coach Brian Callahan about James Williams' development at linebacker.... "He's done a really nice job,' Titans coach Brian Callahan said. 'He's matured from his first year to his second. He's starting to understand at the linebacker position, with your eyes and your reads and how quickly you have to diagnose and react, those things have improved leaps and bounds from his first year to his second year. Combine that kind of mental improvement with his maturity, and he's put himself in a really nice position.' While Williams has been a name rising during the initial days of training camp, there is still a long way to go in this competition, and things can change once the physical practices in pads begin. With those practices kicking off on Tuesday, Reese, Cedric Gray, Anfernee Orji, and Curtis Jacobs will receive every chance to compete and stake their claim to that starting role. There is a long way to go in training camp, and with joint practice sessions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons on the horizon, there will be plenty of opportunities for one of these linebackers to carve out a role in the Titans' defense.
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Will Hernandez announces he's cleared to return from his torn ACL
Teams in need of offensive line help heading into the regular season can consider adding veteran guard Will Hernandez to their roster. Hernandez tore his ACL in the fifth week of the regular season while playing for the Cardinals last year and has been rehabbing since having surgery to repair the injury. Hernandez announced on Instagram on Monday that he has been cleared to return to action and wrote that he's 'hungry' to resume his playing career. Hernandez's contract with the Cardinals was up after the 2024 season, so he's free to sign with any team. The Giants drafted Hernandez in the second round in 2018 and he started 56 games in four years before moving on to Arizona. He started all 35 games he played for the Cardinals.
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Watch Benjamin Morrison looking fully healthy for the Buccaneers with a camp pick
Many teams passed up the opportunity to pick Notre Dame star cornerback Benjamin Morrison, as he was finally selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 53 pick of the second round of the NFL draft. While the hip injury ended his final season with the Irish early, it should not have made him drop that far, but it's becoming much clearer that Morrison is healthy and ready to contribute this coming season. It's looking like many of the teams that passed him over will regret that choice. The NFL has already started camp, and on Monday the Bucs shared an interception that he made during a portion of practice. It was a vintage play from the former All-American, as he had the wide receiver in his hip pocket, looked back to find the ball and showed great hands to make the pick. Morrison does look a bit weird wearing the No. 21 jersey, but that doesn't change the fact that he can be a lock-down corner in the NFL. Morrison has all the talent to be one of the best at the highest level, and he should continue to make plays like the one we saw on Monday as he starts his professional career. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen
