Latest news with #BillBarnwell
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals' defense expected to take big leap, per ESPN analyst
Arizona Cardinals' defense expected to take big leap, per ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell called last season's bad Cardinals defense "critically acclaimed." He believes they will be productive in 2025. The Arizona Cardinals put a lot of effort in their defense this offseason. They made their biggest moves in free agency on defense. They used six of their seven draft picks on defense, addressing every position. Needless to say, this group should be better in 2025. That's what ESPN's Bill Barnwell believes. In his NFC offseason superlatives analysis, he says the Cardinals are mostly likely to make a leap defensively. Barnwell called last year's Cardinals defense "critically acclaimed," as it was creative and fun to watch. The problem was that it wasn't good. The problem is the Cardinals didn't really have the juice up front. They were hoping for a breakout Year 2 from BJ Ojulari, only for the edge rusher to miss the entire season because of a torn ACL. They traded for Baron Browning in midseason, but the former Broncos edge rusher was only a part-time contributor. Gannon mixed in defensive backs as pass rushers to try to create protection problems for teams, but when Arizona rushed four front-seven players at opposing quarterbacks, its 28.6% pressure rate ranked 26th. The Cardinals got better as the season went along, but they finished 20th in points allowed per drive and 21st in EPA per play allowed. They added juice up front. They get Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols back from season-ending injuries. They signed interior defenders Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell. They brought back L.J. Collier. They re-signed Browning and gave a big contract to pass rusher Josh Sweat. Then they drafted Walter Nolen in the first round. And that doesn't include adding cornerback Will Johnson in Round 2. The Cardinals ranked ninth in EPA per play on offense a year ago, putting them ahead of seven playoff teams, including the division champion Rams. If Gannon and his new defenders can just propel the defense a tiny bit forward, Arizona should have a real shot at competing for the NFC West crown and making it back into the postseason. The Cardinals struggled to get off the field. They didn't generate pressure and didn't create turnovers. They overachieved as a group defensively. That play, especially late in the season, put pressure on the offense, which led to turnovers by quarterback Kyler Murray. How good can this defense be? That will depend on health. If Sweat is equal to last season and Ojulari plays like he was supposed to before getting hurt, and if they keep their defensive line healthy, they will be a handful. They don't need to be a top-five defense, but they could surprise the way the Cardinals' 2021 defense did before injuries in the second half. That play in 2021 is why they started 9-1. Their decline in play was why things fell apart. The offense was productive and efficient overall last season. With a better defense, this Cardinals team could be surprisingly good. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL insider admits to what Eagles fans have known all along about league-wide jealousy
NFL insider admits to what Eagles fans have known all along about league-wide jealousy ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently offered his take on the NFL offseason and labeled Philadelphia as the franchise "most likely to inspire jealousy in other teams. Moments of clarity can sometimes spotlight things that should have been obvious. For instance, if you're like most, you've realized you spend too much time on your phone. It truly makes no sense, scrolling for hours in search of some Philadelphia Eagles news or an intriguing take. More often than not, irritation is easier to find than information. Every so often, we find good fortune. Something interesting in the timeline... Finally, we can click and give the thumb muscles a rest. Thank one of the game's most trusted insiders for this one. It's an honest and engaging read. It confirms something Eagles fans have known for a while now, something fans of other teams refuse to admit. Bill Barnwell's Eagles superlative is a spot-on diagnosis of the current NFL climate. Midnight and Kelly green are two of the Eagles' team colors. Green is also often associated with jealousy. Coincidence? It may not be. Wouldn't you know it? ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently offered his take on the NFL offseason and labeled Philadelphia as the franchise "most likely to inspire jealousy in other teams." If you're interested, the Dallas Cowboys were named the team "most likely to look at their old scouting reports". That sounds about right. But, here's a news flash... The Eagles already inspire jealousy in other teams, but for the sake of argument, here's some of what Barnwell said anyway. "When you go 14-3, roll through the postseason and stomp all over a seemingly unbeatable (Kansas City) Chiefs team in the Super Bowl, there are going to be other teams that want what you have. The Eagles responded to a disastrous collapse in 2023 with a storybook season, and stars around the league noticed." It's often been joked that the rest of the NFL is jealous of pro football's franchise in Philadelphia. Everyone tried not to believe it. Then came the Brotherly Shove. For three years now, Philadelphia has been ridiculed and attacked publicly simply because it runs a legal play and does so better than anyone else. What's next? Do we ban A.J. Brown from running slant routes because he's so good at doing that? Recently, a league-wide feud sparked discussions of a ban and eventually the Eagles' day of judgment. They won, thanks in part to the words of a franchise legend. The 'tush push' lives to fight for another season, but don't expect the haters to go quietly. Have you seen the anti-Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni rhetoric? The hate doesn't stop there. Whispers of some of the league seeing Howie Roseman as overrated have existed for a while, and if that doesn't scream 'envy' or 'misinformed', nothing will. Oh well... Here's the bright side. Philadelphia can use this for fuel, bond together, and catapult itself toward another phenomenal season. We've seen them do this too many times to believe they're incapable of doing so.
USA Today
01-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN analyst suggests trade where 49ers acquire $13 million pass rusher from Dolphins
ESPN analyst suggests trade where 49ers acquire $13 million pass rusher from Dolphins The San Francisco 49ers are in a good place to trade back in the 2025 NFL draft. ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell served up a trade idea where the 49ers move back and acquire a player who fills one of their biggest remaining needs. In his mock draft of trades, Barnwell has the 49ers sending the No. 11 pick in the first round and the No. 113 pick in the fourth round to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the No. 13 pick and defensive end Jaelan Phillips. This seems like a potential dream scenario for San Francisco. They move back two spots and add a 25-year-old pass rusher with 23 career sacks in four seasons while giving up only a fourth-rounder to do so. This puts them in position to still select a defensive tackle or address another need at No. 13 overall. There are a couple of major issues with this for San Francisco, however. Phillips is coming off an ACL tear he suffered in Week 4 of last season. In 2023 he only played eight games because of an Achilles tear. He's also playing on his fifth-year option and would be due a fully-guaranteed $13,251,000 this season before hitting free agency in 2026. A trade down in the draft makes a lot of sense for San Francisco depending on how the top 10 picks shake out. Taking a flier on Phillips is a significant risk given his injury history and the 49ers would probably be better off trying to acquire him for free as part of their trade down instead of giving up an early Day 3 pick in a year where they need to acquire young, cost-controlled talent for their roster.
USA Today
26-01-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Commanders will miss Daron Payne vs Eagles
It's easy to look at Washington's run defense rankings and say the Commanders have issues at defensive tackle. Washington finished the regular season ranked No. 30 in run defense. In two playoff games, the Commanders have allowed 302 rushing yards and face the NFL's second-ranked rushing offense — the Philadelphia Eagles — in the NFC championship game. And Washington will do so without defensive tackle Daron Payne. Listed as questionable on the injury report all week with a broken finger and a knee injury, the Commanders officially ruled Payne out on Saturday to make a roster move for more depth. Washington will rely on Jonathan Allen, rookie Jer'Zhan Newton, Sheldon Day, Jalyn Holmes and Carl Davis to stop MVP candidate Saquon Barkley. In two games this season, Barkley rushed for a combined 296 yards and four touchdowns — with Payne. Fans look at Payne's salary cap figure and say he doesn't do enough to justify his pay. In terms of pure statistics, it's a fair argument. Payne's best year came in 2022 — a contract year — earning him a four-year contract worth $90 million. On Saturday, Bill Barnwell of ESPN produced a statistic proving Payne's value to the Commanders' run defense. Big loss for the Commanders. On first-and-10 runs this year with Payne on the field, the Commanders had a 64.4% Success Rate on defense, which was about average. Over 97 first-and-10 carries without Payne, that dropped to 51.6%, which was last in the league. — Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) January 25, 2025 Something worth pointing out is that Allen missed nine games with a torn pec this season, so those numbers are somewhat skewed. Allen and Newton will start, while Day, Davis, and Holmes will see plenty of action. Day and Holmes have been pleasant surprises for Washington this season. Both veterans were added to the 53-man roster in October. So, while Payne's pass-rushing numbers may be down, he still produces against the run. Payne was a first-round pick in 2018, and Sunday's game will be just the second he's ever missed. Sunday's game is an 'all-hands-on-deck' situation. Washington will miss Payne.
