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USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Former Texas A&M star and Green Bay LB makes PFF's Top 10 Linebacker List
Former Texas A&M star and Green Bay LB makes PFF's Top 10 Linebacker List Texas A&M has produced several top defenders over the decades, and the latest standout is Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently released its Top 32 linebacker rankings for the 2025 football season. The usual top contenders, including Fred Warner, Bobby Wagner, and Roquan Smith, made the list. However, former Aggie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper's strong finish to the 2024 season turned heads, putting him on the fast track for a starting role this upcoming NFL season. The second-round pick earned multiple accolades, including NFC Defensive Player of the Week and NFC Rookie of the Month. He has all the makings of a future Pro Bowler and a cornerstone of the Packers' defense as he plays out his rookie contract. Cooper closed out his rookie season with 57 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one interception. Things are just getting started for the young defensive phenom, and we can't wait to see what he accomplishes in his career. Below, you can see the top 10 of 32 from PFF's official X account: Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
Forbes
29-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
Urgency Is The Buzzword For The 2025 Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers want to play with more urgency in 2025. It's tough to measure the urgency of a football team in May. Players don't have pads on. There is no live tackling, or really, any contact whatsoever. As Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper said Wednesday, 'It sucks that we've got to go like 50% right now.' Yes, in many ways Organized Team Activities are the epitome of fake football. Still, there's still plenty that teams can accomplish. And the Packers are doing everything possible to attack the offseason with an urgency that was called into question when the 2024 season ended. Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst first dropped the U-word — urgency — in mid-January, four days after the Packers' 22-10 loss to Philadelphia in an NFC Wild Card game. 'I think for me, the thing that's been on my mind as we concluded this season is we need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,' Gutekunst said that day. 'If I'm looking at one thing, that would be it.' Now, four-plus months later, that word still seemed to be ringing in many of the Packers' heads as OTA's rolled along this week. 'You feel the urgency for sure,' Packers Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs said. 'You feel a lot of the younger guys growing up, you can definitely feel them coming into their own. You feel the urgency just from the way the guys are going about practicing and the details and the way they're on top of everything.' Cooper, Green Bay's rising second-year linebacker, agreed. 'As soon as we start ball, as soon as we enter this building, everything we try and do we try and have urgency,' he said. 'Everything we do.' With good reason. Green Bay played much of the 2024 campaign like lions, then exited like lambs. The Packers were 6-2, 9-3 and 11-4 at various points last year and were still in the mix for big things. Then, Green Bay lost its final three games in a collapse that was almost as surprising as it was disappointing. First came a 27-25 setback at Minnesota in a game Green Bay trailed, 20-3 and 27-10 before two late touchdowns made the final score both respectable and deceptive. Then, NFC North doormat Chicago came to Green Bay with nothing on the line and rallied for an improbable 24-22 win. That snapped the Packers' 11-game winning streak over the Bears, and also marked the first time Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur lost a game to his neighbors to the south. Finally came a dreadful offensive performance in Philadelphia, where the Packers lost the turnover battle, 4-0, and quarterback Jordan Love had a passer rating of 41.5 — his second-lowest since becoming the starter in 2023. Some Packers tried taking consolation in the fact they held the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles to their fewest points of the postseason. But don't forget, if Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley hadn't laid down late in the game to keep the clock running, he was on his way to a 76-yard TD scamper that would have made the final score much worse. When the season ended, LaFleur said he wanted Love to be more vocal in 2025. So far, the Packers' sixth-year quarterback has taken that message to heart. 'That's always something I'm trying to improve on, get better at, just be more comfortable being a vocal leader,' Love said. 'But it's definitely something I've put a lot of work in since I've been here, trying to step out of my comfort zone and speak up. I think the more comfortable you get with the guys, the easier that all becomes.' Gutekunst also threw the 'urgency' log on the fire, knowing it's time for many in this group to sink or swim. Green Bay had the youngest roster in the NFL each the past two seasons. The 2023 Packers — with an average age of 25 years, 214 days — were the youngest team to win a playoff game since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger. In many ways, reaching the postseason the first two years after trading Aaron Rodgers was a pleasant surprise. Now, anything shy of a deep postseason run would be remarkably disappointing. 'Like, it's time,' Jacobs said. 'It's time. You know?' It seems like everyone in the building knows. The Packers' extremely strong 2022 and 2023 draft classes that included players such as Quay Walker, Zach Tom, Devonte Wyatt, Sean Rhyan, Rasheed Walker, Romeo Doubs, Tucker Kraft, Jayden Reed and Lukas Van Ness are just hitting their prime. Several of those same players, though, are coming up on contract years after this season or the 2026 campaign. That means the roster will look dramatically different in a year or two. So for a large number of players — and the 2025 Packers — this is undoubtedly a 'prove it' season. 'With this type of locker room, where we've got pieces all over the board, offense and defense, it just makes that urgency get a little bit more intense, because the only thing that can really stop us is us,' Jacobs said. 'If we lock in on the things we need to do, if we put the work in, then we'll reap the benefits.' Pro Bowl safety Xavier McKinney didn't mince words when asked where he thinks the 2025 Packers can eventually wind up. 'No. 1. It's that simple,' McKinney said. 'I'm just going to put it out there right now. That's what we're aiming for.' A lot more urgency figures to go a long way — even if it is only May.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Edgerrin Cooper stats, game log, news, injury status
Edgerrin Cooper stats, game log, news, injury status The Green Bay Packers' Edgerrin Cooper will be ready to play when his team begins the 2025 season versus the Detroit Lions, on Sept. 7 at 4:25 p.m. ET. On defense last year, Cooper helped keep opposing offenses in check with one interception to go with 77 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 3.5 sacks, and four passes defended in 14 games. Get Packers tickets on StubHub! Edgerrin Cooper injury news Cooper is not listed on the injury report this week. Edgerrin Cooper stats (2024) Tackles: 77 77 Tackles for loss: 13.0 13.0 Sacks: 3.5 3.5 Interceptions: 1 1 Passes defended: 4 Cooper game log (2024) Week 1 at Eagles: 3 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 1 PD 3 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 1 PD Week 2 vs. Colts: 1 Tackle (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 1 Tackle (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 3 at Titans: 3 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.5 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 3 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.5 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 4 vs. Vikings: 4 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 4 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 5 at Rams: 5 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 1.0 Sack, 0 INT, 0 PD 5 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 1.0 Sack, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 6 vs. Cardinals: 7 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 7 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 7 vs. Texans: 3 Tackles (2.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 3 Tackles (2.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 8 at Jaguars: 8 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 1.0 Sack, 0 INT, 1 PD 8 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 1.0 Sack, 0 INT, 1 PD Week 9 vs. Lions: 6 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 6 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 11 at Bears: 7 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 7 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 15 at Seahawks: 5 Tackles (2.0 TFL), 1.0 Sack, 1 INT, 2 PD 5 Tackles (2.0 TFL), 1.0 Sack, 1 INT, 2 PD Week 16 vs. Saints: 8 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 8 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 17 at Vikings: 10 Tackles (4.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 10 Tackles (4.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Week 18 vs. Bears: 7 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD 7 Tackles (1.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Wild Card at Eagles: 7 Tackles (0.0 TFL), 0.0 Sacks, 0 INT, 0 PD Next game: Edgerrin Cooper vs. the Detroit Lions Week 1 will see Cooper's Green Bay Packers (0-0) in action versus the Detroit Lions (0-0). How to watch Edgerrin Cooper and the Packers Matchup: Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions Time: 4:25 p.m. ET 4:25 p.m. ET Date: September 7, 2025 September 7, 2025 TV: CBS CBS Live stream: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply) Fubo Live stream: Paramount+ Watch Packers vs. Lions on Fubo!
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
‘I've failed him at times': Rich Bisaccia self-reflects as Packers coordinators discuss team
GREEN BAY, Wis. — For the first time since the season ended, all three Packers coordinators spoke with reporters on Monday at Lambeau Field. From one coordinator feeling like he's 'failed' head coach Matt LaFleur at times to expectations for linebacker Edgerrin Cooper after his breakout rookie season, here are the five most notable things we heard from special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. Advertisement Bisaccia, 64, was asked what brought him back to Green Bay for a 24th season coaching in the NFL. 'I had tremendous conversations with coach LaFleur, and the direction we're going, and felt like I've failed him at times,' Bisaccia said, in one of his most candid statements since becoming Packers special teams coordinator in 2022. Bisaccia specifically mentioned (without naming names) former Packers kicker Anders Carlson missing a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter of a three-point Divisional Round loss to the 49ers two seasons ago, Keisean Nixon fumbling the opening kickoff and Brandon McManus missing a 38-yard field goal against the Eagles in last season's wild-card round and the Bears returning a punt for a touchdown on a trick play in Week 18 last season. LIVE: Assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia meets with the media🎙️ — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 12, 2025 'I just have a high standard for what we're trying to do and the way in which we're trying to do it,' Bisaccia said. 'We don't get three downs to make it right on offense or defense. You get one shot to punt that ball. You get one shot to kick it off, return it and so on. And so I think in that manner, or that sense or that standard, that's kind of where I feel like we've failed them at times.' Added Bisaccia: 'I'm really excited about being here and being back with (LaFleur) and having the opportunity to win a championship. It's the only reason, really, we get up and go to work anymore in the NFL. … And that's my obsession, that's my personal drive, that's my personal ambition, and I feel like this is a great place to do that and I owe it to him to give him my best all the time.' It sounds like rational heads have prevailed since Nixon said on locker cleanout day in January that he didn't want to return kickoffs anymore, seemingly because he wanted to focus on being the team's No. 1 cornerback. But he also indicated he was frustrated with teams kicking away from him despite the new kickoff rule implemented before the 2024 season to incentivize more returns. 'I think him and I both, as well as other players, were not in a very good mood after that particular game and going into that press conference,' Bisaccia said. 'We've had conversations.' Bisaccia said Nixon, the first-team All-Pro kick returner in 2022 and 2023, is 'always going to be in the mix' to return kicks. Veteran Mecole Hardman, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, whom the Packers signed this offseason, will also return kicks and punts. 'He's got great experience in the league,' Bisaccia said. 'We're looking forward to him competing with some of our other guys, but it's good to have a veteran presence back there that's made big plays before.' Advertisement One of the Packers' marquee offseason moves was signing former Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs to a four-year deal worth $12 million annually. Hobbs said Bisaccia 'changed his life' during their time together in Las Vegas. You can read more on why here, but Bisaccia said Monday that Hobbs is 'a really talented football player.' Bisaccia also said that Hobbs saying what he did about Bisaccia's influence on him is one of the reasons why he still finds fulfillment in the job. 'He can really run. He's a physical player. He's got great length and he's played multiple positions,' Bisaccia said. 'He's played in the slot. He's played outside. A force in the kicking game his rookie year. He was all over the place on kickoff. Played outside at flyer on punt. So all that being said, what we've seen of him on defense, we've seen some of those in the kicking game, as well. I just think we're getting a really good guy that loves football and loves the opportunity to compete.' Hafley also discussed the addition of Hobbs for the first time Monday, saying the Packers will play him at outside cornerback and inside at nickel. 'He's had a lot of success inside, and I thought his tape outside was equally as good,' Hafley said. Hafley asked reporters on Monday if they had seen the linebacker Cooper yet this offseason. They had not. 'When you see him now, he looks different,' Hafley said, estimating Cooper is close to 240 pounds after being listed at 229 during his breakout rookie season. Aside from safety Xavier McKinney, Cooper might've been the Packers' best defensive player after they took him in the 2024 second round out of Texas A&M. A hip injury nagged Cooper during training camp and stunted his early-season growth, while a hamstring injury sidelined him for three games in the second half of the season. He still won NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice and likely would've been a Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist had he stayed healthy (he finished sixth in voting and there were five finalists). 'Now he knows what it's going to take to stay healthy in this long season, and you can tell he's dedicated that time into caring for his body and changed his body, and now when you sit with him in that room it's, I mean, he's locked in and he's focused,' Hafley said. 'Now it's getting the details down. Now it's lining up exactly where he needs to line up and doing it over and over and over again because then he's gonna show up faster and he's going to make more plays and he's going to become a more consistent player.' Advertisement Perhaps it's just the yearly May enthusiasm, but the often stoic Stenavich, Green Bay's offensive coordinator, couldn't help but crack a smile when asked about first-round pick Matthew Golden. 'Yeah, like him,' a giddy Stenavich said. 'Looks fast. … I'm really excited to see how we progress through training camp and all that stuff, the plays he's going to make. I'm fired up about it.' Stenavich also sounds high on third-round wide receiver Savion Williams, a Swiss Army knife who might play more of a gadget role than a traditional wide receiver after the 6-foot-4, 222-pounder saw substantial action in the backfield at TCU. 'He's a guy that is really interesting,' Stenavich said. 'You can come up with a zillion different ways to use him in your offense. That's one guy I'm really fired up about. 'We have a good core of older wideouts, and then we've got these two young guys coming in that are really special. It's not as if they have to start and be the guy at a certain position. We can put them in different places, see where they excel, and move them along from there.' • The Packers recently signed 2020 No. 8 pick Isaiah Simmons, who will start in Green Bay's linebacker room but offers intriguing positional versatility. Simmons may not start on defense, but Bisaccia said he 'loved' Simmons coming out of Clemson and hopes his size, speed and physicality can help him contribute on special teams. • Hafley said that new defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington's experience coaching in multiple systems, schemes and techniques made him an appealing candidate for the job after the Packers fired Jason Rebrovich, adding, 'I love his demeanor, I love the way he coaches, I love the relationship he has with his players. We did our homework on him. I kinda knew him when I was at BC (Covington was on the Patriots staff). They came to practices, I went to practices, so I had a chance to watch him a little bit. Very, very smart big-picture guy, has been a coordinator, so he can bring some new ideas.' Advertisement • The Packers signed 49ers left guard Aaron Banks to a four-year deal this offseason worth more than $19 million annually, and he'll stay at that position while two-time Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins moves to center. Stenavich said, 'Love Banks' physicality. I think he's really going to step up our game there. Just a good veteran presence. I think he's a guy that we're going to lean on in a lot of different situations. I'm excited about having him in there to up our physicality, for sure.' • Stenavich also said that coaches spent time this offseason examining how to elevate tight end Tucker Kraft's game beyond last season, during which he emerged as one of the NFL's best young tight ends. 'I think just his route-running ability, getting him on more individual things like that, and just kind of growing him there,' Stenavich said. 'I think he did a really good job in the run game … hopefully he can keep improving there to be a dominant player up front. Just trying to find different ways to give him the ball, that's gonna be the big thing for us.' Adam Stenavich said there will be a lot of competition at both tackle spots to determine the best five OL. Spoiler: Zach Tom will start at right tackle. Stenavich said Rasheed Walker has responded well to competition over the years. Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton this year. — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 12, 2025 • After working him primarily at right guard as a rookie, the Packers will have 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan, a college left tackle, compete on the blind side this offseason. 'One thing about him is he has that elite athleticism,' Stenavich said when asked why Morgan can play left tackle in the NFL. 'Guy moves well, he's fast, he can redirect. I think now is just a good time to put him out there and see how he does and just watch him compete.' (Top photo of Rich Bisaccia: Mark Hoffman / Imagn Images)
New York Times
28-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why Packers' Edgerrin Cooper can be one of NFL's top LBs: ‘He's got superstar potential'
INDIANAPOLIS — The Packers carry several questions on defense into this offseason. Will Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark bounce back from underwhelming seasons? Will the pass rush be more consistent? Is Lukas Van Ness a bust? Is Keisean Nixon good enough to handle No. 1 cornerback duties if the Packers move on from Jaire Alexander? Advertisement All carry somewhat of a negative connotation, but not all is lost on Jeff Hafley's unit as he enters his second season as defensive coordinator. Far from it, in fact, after a resoundingly successful season that saw Hafley earn a head-coaching interview with the Jets. Along with safety Xavier McKinney, who comes off earning first-team All-Pro honors in his first season with the Packers, the player who provides the most reason for optimism on that side of the ball is one who's played less than a season's worth of games in his career. 'I think he's got superstar potential,' head coach Matt LaFleur said of linebacker Edgerrin Cooper shortly after the season ended. 'I really do, as long as he continues to work, which I know he will … I think it was a huge learning curve coming from Texas A&M to here and you saw the more he played, the better he got and the more consistent he got. It's gonna be a great offseason for him. I think he's planning on staying in town and hopefully we can get him bigger, stronger, faster.' GO DEEPER Packers GM Brian Gutekunst doesn't rule out trading first-round pick for an edge rusher The Packers drafted Cooper in the second round last year after he led the Aggies in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles. Texas A&M had a top-10 scoring defense in 2023 and Cooper, the first linebacker off the board, was the only prospect in the draft class to lead his team in all four categories. Cooper missed almost three weeks during training camp with a hip injury, preventing him from catching stride until regular-season games had already started. When injured, he'd stand some 30 yards behind the secondary in practice with his helmet on and go through the motions before and after the snap to stay relatively up to speed. He played less than 15 percent of the defensive snaps in the first two games of the season against the Eagles and Colts before progressing into the 30s, 60s and then the high 90s by the end of the season. Advertisement Even after missing three games in the second half of the season with a hamstring injury, Cooper showed how good he can be with what he did right after an extended layoff. In his first game back against the Seahawks in Week 15, he earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting a sack, two TFLs and an interception in a blowout win. It was his second such honor in the last four games he had played. With everyone watching on SNF!#ProBowlVote + #EdgerrinCooper — Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 16, 2024 'I think he hit a stretch there in the middle of the season where he was just really comfortable with what we were doing defensively, with his teammates and everything around him,' general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL Scouting Combine this week. 'And he's a little different than some.' Cooper might've been a Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist if not for that midseason injury. He finished sixth for the award and only five players made the final cut. Fifty votes were cast for the award, with Cooper receiving one second-place tally, three for third place, four for fourth and eight for fifth. According to Stathead, Cooper was only the third rookie since 1999 with at least 80 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 TFLs and four pass breakups. The other two were Brian Urlacher and DeMeco Ryans. Cooper also got one vote for second-team All-Pro, meaning one of the 50 voters believed he was among the six best linebackers in the NFL. 'When he was on the field, he was dynamic and it changed our football team,' Gutekunst said. 'I think part of his maturation is making sure he's himself, ready to be out there each and every week … just continue to understand that we're basically in a 20-game-plus season and how you have to prepare, not only physically but mentally, to handle those challenges. 'I think after the guys get through their first year, there's a big exhale and then there's an understanding of what this is and what I've got to do to play at my best week in and week out and get myself the best chance to stay healthy.' The 3rd edition of the NFLPA Team Report Cards is here! 📊 With free agency ahead, these insights help players evaluate workplace conditions across all 32 teams. Progress is happening, but there's more work to do. See the full list of team grades here: — NFLPA (@NFLPA) February 26, 2025 In his second season, Cooper should rarely leave the field, if at all, when healthy. That was a talking point among fans last season, that he wasn't playing enough after he began playing well. But Hafley was careful not to overload the rookie who was still learning, even when sometimes it didn't seem like he had much learning left. Hafley was asked in late December about highlighting Cooper more. Advertisement 'I mean, he was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week a week ago and he led the team in tackles this last week, so I think that we are highlighting him,' Hafley said. 'I mean, we're sending him (on blitzes). He's running games. Yeah, I think we're doing a good job of highlighting him right now and I'm not sure there's much more we can do with him right now. I think as he continues to develop, we can, but I think we're doing a pretty good job of that right now.' GO DEEPER Packers 7-round mock draft 1.0: Will Brian Gutekunst hit immediately on first-rounder? Cooper, who doesn't turn 24 until November, can do it all. A two-drive sequence against the Jaguars in Week 8 proved that when he burst through the line for a sack-fumble that turned into a touchdown and then retreated about 40 yards downfield to break up a pass on the next defensive drive (he earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for that game, too). As Cooper enters his second season in the same system and if he keeps a clean bill of health that allows him to be an every-down player, there's no reason he can't make those sequences regular occurrences and become one of the NFL's best linebackers.
