Latest news with #DianaRussini
Miami Herald
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Cote: Our live NFL Draft analysis & ongoing Mock Draft report card -- right here, tonight at 8!
COUNTDOWN! CHECK BACK HERE JUST BEFORE 8 P.M. FOR THE KICKOFF OF OUR 'NFL DRAFT NIGHT LIVE!' OUR FULL 34TH ANNUAL OFFICIAL MIAMI HERALD MOCK DRAFT Welcome to our online-only NFL Draft-night analysis, live and as it-happens, updated within seconds of every pick in the first round of Thursday night's talent show in Green Bay. You heard it talked about on today's Dan Le Batard Show and discussed by The Athletic's NFL insider Diana Russini -- now experience it for yourself. We'll have a reaction to every selection and give you an ongoing MDRC (Mock Draft Report Card) on how my 34th annual Miami Herald mock is faring (just for laughs) vs. that of ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., arguably the king of mock drafts ... or at least the most noted. Last year I scored a whopping nine Exactos a.k.a. Zagacktos a.k.a perfect bull's-eye picks: Exact player to exact team or in exact draft order. That beat Kiper. Can I do it again? We differ on 22 of 32 1R picks, so it's anybody's game. Couple of quick notes: I do one and only one mock draft per year, first round only, do not attempt to predict 1R-related trades, and do not change what first appears online. I have a personal disdain for mockers who do multiple drafts, (Mock 7.0!), pick all seven rounds or try to predict trades. It's asinine. The past eight years my mock drafts have totaled 49 Exactos. Overall last year I correctly had 26 of 32 first-round selections. Explaining the three symbols you'll see below tonight: The red bull's-eye is an Exacto -- a perfect pick. The green check mark is a correct first-round player, but not to the right team. A black X mark indicates a player drafted who was not in my first round. I'll be on the clock all night and hope you'll join us for the fun ride or check back in frequently. Almost time... ▪ 1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami — Ward almost certainly will be the Miami Hurricanes' third-ever overall No. 1 selection, joining QB Vinny Testaverde in 1987 and DT Russell Maryland in 1991. ▪ 2. Cleveland Browns: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado — ▪ 3. New York Giants: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State — ▪ 4. New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU — ▪ 5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan — ▪ 6. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State — ▪ 7. New York Jets: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri — ▪ 8. Carolina Panthers: Jalon Walker, LB/Edge, Georgia — ▪ 9. New Orleans Saints: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado — ▪ 10. Chicago Bears: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan — ▪ 11. San Francisco 49ers: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT/G, Texas — ▪ 12. Dallas Cowboys: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona — ▪ 13. MIAMI DOLPHINS: WILL JOHNSON, CB, MICHIGAN — Mentioned as other possibilities if they are available and if Fins stay at No. 13: Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Alabama OG Tyler Booker, South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori, Texas CB Jahdae Barron and Ole Miss D-lineman Walter Nolen. However a trade-down looms possible, a hint Miami does not love its likely options here in an overall down-year draft. ▪ 14. Indianapolis Colts: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State — ▪ 15. Atlanta Falcons: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall — ▪ 16. Arizona Cardinals: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas — ▪ 17. Cincinnati Bengals: Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia -- ▪ 18. Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama — ▪ 19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama — ▪ 20. Denver Broncos: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina — ▪ 21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss — ▪ 22. Los Angeles Chargers: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas — ▪ 23. Green Bay Packers: James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee — ▪ 24. Minnesota Vikings: Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss — ▪ 25. Houston Texans: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State — ▪ 26. Los Angeles Rams: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky — ▪ 27. Baltimore Ravens: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina — ▪ 28. Detroit Lions: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M — ▪ 29. Washington Commanders: Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M — ▪ 30. Buffalo Bills: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss — ▪ 31. Kansas City Chiefs: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri — ▪ 32. Philadelphia Eagles: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia —
USA Today
14-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Aaron Rodgers really wants to be a Viking it seems
Aaron Rodgers really wants to be a Viking it seems Aaron Rodgers is stuck in the middle of a hard decision, and unfortunately for him there is no dark cave or hallucinogenic mushroom for him to take to make a decision. For the NFL community, this means that we get to have extra days of indecision and that does include the Minnesota Vikings. The Athletic's Diana Russini reports that the former MVP quarterback is waiting to make a decision, seemingly to see if the Vikings want him as much as he wants them. Russini says, "Vikings decision-makers are still evaluating their options at quarterback, including the possibility of signing Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP is intrigued by the idea of playing in Minnesota. For now, it's a waiting game." It seemingly makes no sense for the Vikings to bring in Aaron Rodgers. We have seen what he can bring to a team and for someone who is as close to the Super Bowl as the Vikings are, it is seemingly a step back. Not to mention, J.J. McCarthy is ready to take the reigns. This is going to be interesting to follow along over the coming days.
Fox Sports
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Packers, who lost to Eagles in NFL playoffs, propose a 'tush push' ban
The Packers might still hold some resentment toward the Philadelphia Eagles, who dismantled Green Bay 22-10 in the wild-card round en route to winning Super Bowl LIX. More than a month after that defeat, the Packers filed a proposal to the NFL's competition committee to ban the "tush push," the Athletic's Diana Russini reported on Monday. It makes sense that Green Bay would complain about the "tush push," as its president/CEO Mark Murphy published a postseason column in which he expressed his distaste for the play. "There is no skill involved," Murphy wrote. "It is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less." Early in the fourth quarter of Philadelphia's wild-card win over the Packers, Jalen Hurts converted a fourth-and-1. "The series of plays with the Commanders jumping offsides in the NFC Championship Game to try to stop the play was ridiculous," Murphy added. In that game, the Commanders jumped offside four times while trying to prevent the Eagles from scoring on the "tush push" play. They received a warning from the referee, who almost rewarded Philadelphia with free points. Although the Packers' proposal didn't directly target the Eagles, it would heavily impact them. Similar iterations of the "tush push" have graced the NFL over the years, but in 2022, the Eagles popularized the play — otherwise known as the "Brotherly Shove" — to gain an advantage in short-yardage situations. The Eagles converted over 90% of their attempts in 2022, 88.1% in 2023, and 82.4% in 2024. The Eagles also scored the first touchdown of their 40-22 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with their signature move. The play is effective because the offense knows exactly when they're going to snap it, while the defense just has to anticipate the snap. In that split-second, when the offense is ahead of the defense, the offensive line can get a push and then the players lined up behind the ball-carrier — usually the quarterback — can help push the runner forward and past the line to gain. Whining about the "tush push" isn't uncommon in NFL circles and among fans, but the Eagles aren't the only team to do it. The Buffalo Bills employed it regularly with their bulky quarterback, Josh Allen, but on a crucial play in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 26, Allen was stuffed on a fourth-down "tush push" try. The Chiefs took over with quality field position and went on to score a go-ahead touchdown that helped them defeat the Bills 32-29. Even so, Bills coach Sean McDermott brought up player safety concerns while speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine on Monday. "The way that the techniques that are used with the play, to me, have been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the players," McDermott, a member of the NFL's competition committee, said. "You have to go back through, in fairness, to the injury data on the play, but I just think the optics of it I'm not in love with." The Eagles had the ideal personnel for the play when sturdy veteran Jason Kelce was at center, and Hurts, with his ability to squat 600 pounds, as the ball-carrier. In 2024, after Kelce retired, and with Cam Jurgens playing through constant back pain, their success rate took a hit, proving the play is a function of the players' ability and overall durability. NFL owners will vote on any rule changes when they convene for the league's annual meeting at the end of March. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
