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USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
30 Most Important Ravens of 2025: No. 24 Daniel Faalele
Every day from now until the start of training camp, we're counting down our 30 Most Important Ravens for the 2025 season. The Baltimore Ravens are gearing up for the 2025 NFL season, which features plenty of new and returning faces within the organization. Several players, coaches, and front-office members are crucial to the team's success this season. Every day from now until the start of training camp, we're counting down our 30 Most Important Ravens for the 2025 season. We'll recap their 2024 season, look ahead to 2025, and tackle the most significant question facing them this year. Next up is Daniel Faalele, a talented and gigantic offensive lineman who flourished after being moved to the offensive guard position. Background Position: OL Age: 25 Experience: 4th-year pro 2025 cap hit: $3,606,085 2024 recap After moving from offensive tackle to offensive guard, Faalele was named a Pro Bowl alternate after surrendering one sack and 30 pressures in 504 pass-blocking opportunities last season. 2025 outlook Off-season workouts with Ronnie Stanley should allow Faalele to take the next steps in his development as a full-time right guard. In 2024, Faalele logged the 11th most offensive snaps in the NFL with 1,107 and the most run-blocking snaps at 529, playing 99% of the snaps on the season. Biggest question: Can Faalele develop into a perennial Pro Bowler? After a much-needed position switch and difficulty playing in space, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher had the best season of his career, earning Pro Bowl Alternate honors by the end of the regular season. The next step for Faalele is to produce efficient results and better run blocking every week. Faalele showed drastic improvements from 2023 to 2024. Faalele earned an overall grade of 49 in 2023 from PFF as an offensive tackle. In 2024, the move to guard saw an improved grade of 60.5. He also graded out above average as a pass protector with a 63.2 grade on pass-blocking downs. 30 Most Important Ravens of 2025 We're counting down our 30 Most Important Ravens of 2025. Check back every day leading up to the start of training camp. No. 30 QB Cooper Rush, No. 29 OLB Tavius Robinson, No. 28 Keaton Mitchell, No. 27 Trenton Simpson, No. 26 Mike Green, No. 25 Travis Jones
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Buccaneers star defender seen to have a 'player friendly' deal
The Bucs and their front office have done a good job over the years of navigating the salary cap, while also making sure their players are well compensated. Recently, ESPN's Dan Graziano compiled a list of player and team-friendly deals, and the contract for safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The former Golden Gopher safety earned a dub for having a player-friendly contract of four years, $84.1 million. Graziano writes, "Winfield is the league's second-highest paid safety by average annual salary, just slightly behind Joseph. But the rest of the deal is great for Winfield in comparison. Winfield got a $20 million roster bonus in 2024 and fully guaranteed salaries of $4 million in 2024 and $21 million in 2025. He's sure to make $45 million over the first two years of the deal and would make $64.5 million over the first three if he stays in Tampa Bay. It's strong money, given the rest of the safety market." Winfield being on a player-friendly deal may seem like it isn't helping the team, but when he is healthy, there are not many safeties who are better than him. He has become the leader of the Bucs' secondary, and when Lavonte David retires, he will assume the role of captain of the entire unit.
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF sees a Buccaneers defender playing with something to prove in 2025
PFF sees a Buccaneers defender playing with something to prove in 2025 The Bucs' 2024 season was marred by injury after injury, and it affected the team throughout the season in a litany of ways. They never came at the same time, it never allowed for the team to have much momentum, and it again resulted in a quick playoff exit for them. A lot of the players on the roster have something to prove but PFF picked one player specifically who will playing with not just a chip but a boulder on his shoulder in 2025. Zoltan Buday wrote up 10 players with something to prove in 2025, and rounding out his selections were Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Bucs. While the former All-Pro safety did get to play in nine games, he never looked himself during the season and had career lows across the board. Buday writes, "The Buccaneers made Antoine Winfield Jr. not only the highest-paid safety in the NFL, but also the highest-paid defensive back last offseason. . . .2024 was Winfield's worst season to date in all regards. He played a career-low 601 snaps due to multiple injuries. Even when he was on the field, he did not play like his usual self. His 57.8 PFF overall grade was the lowest of his career, in line with his 50.8 PFF coverage grade and his 125.1 passer rating allowed in coverage. One year after his historic contract extension, Winfield is looking to prove that he is still among the best safeties in the NFL." Winfield Jr.'s injury coming off that mammoth contract may be a blessing in disguise, though, as most people have new deals to focus on with new players. Thus, it allows the former Golden Gopher to fly under the radar and return to form. Look for the Bucs' All-Pro safety to start his revenge tour beginning in July at Training Camp.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
On this day: Maxwell, McHale drafts; Clyde, Shannon born; Brightman passes; G3 2008 Finals
On this day: Maxwell, McHale drafts; Clyde, Shannon born; Brightman passes; G3 2008 Finals On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team drafted small forward Cedric Maxwell out of UNC Charlotte with the 12th overall pick of the 1977 NBA draft, their sole selection of note. Maxwell would play eight seasons for the Celtics, averaging 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, and would win two championships with Boston in that stretch (in 1981 and 1984), winning Finals MVP in 1984. After losing his starting role to forward Kevin McHale after an injury, the North Carolina native would be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for legendary sixth man center Bill Walton. Maxwell maintains a close relationship with the Celtics and their fans to this day, hosting an eponymous podcast and making frequent appearances on local sports media. In that same draft (there were many more rounds to the draft in that era), the Celtics also selected Skip Johnson of Wake Forest, Jeff Cummings of Tulane, Bill Langloh of Virginia, Roy Pace of Rutgers, Dave Kyle of Cleveland State University, and Tom Harris of Bowling Green. None of them ever suited up for the Celtics, however -- not an uncommon occurrence for those taken so late in the draft. It is also the anniversary of the 1980 NBA draft, in which the aforementioned McHale was drafted out of Minnesota with the third overall pick by Boston. The former Golden Gopher had a Hall of Fame career with the Celtics, winning three championships (in 1981, 1984, and 1986), and would be elected to seven All-Star games and six All-Defensive teams among many others. McHale would play 13 seasons for Boston, the only team he would play for as a professional. He would average 17.9 points, 7.3 boards, and 1.7 assists, and as many blocks per game over that stretch. Along with McHale, Boston also drafted Purdue's Arnette Hallman, Holy Cross' Ron Perry, Idaho's Don Newman, Iona's Kevin Hamilton, Maine's Rufus Hamilton, Norfolk State's Kenny Evans, Virginia Tech's Les Hanson, Boston's Steve Wright, Northwestern's Brian Jung, and Providence's John Nolan. As was the case in the 1977 draft, none of these players made the team. Today is the birthday of Boston wing Earl Shannon. Born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1921, Shannon played his college ball at his hometown University of Rhode Island. He kept things local when he made the leap to the pros, signing with the now-defunct Providence Steamrollers. He'd play three seasons with that team before finally leaving his home state to sign with the Celtics in 1949. In the 5 games he played for Boston before retiring, Shannon averaged just a point per game. Shannon shares his born day with Benny Clyde, who came into the world on this day in 1951. A product of FSU, Clyde was picked up by the Celtics in the 1974 NBA draft and played 25 games with Boston in the subsequent season. He recorded 2.8 points and 1.6 boards over that stretch. It is also the date that the Celtics dropped Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers 87-81 as Lakers star guard Kobe Bryant went off for 36 points. Guard Ray Allen scored 25 points and 5 assists in the loss, but no other Boston starters broke double digits in scoring besides star forward Kevin Garnett, who had 13 points, 12 boards, and 5 assists. "As bad as we played, we still had opportunities," Allen said at the time via ESPN. "That's the positive. We can look at it, but I don't think on either side of the floor we were good. We had so much more room for improvement." Boston of course went on to win the series and its 17th banner. Finally, it is also the date that we lost forward Al Brightman in 1992. A member of the Celtics' inaugural season, he played 58 games with Boston in 1946-47 after playing his collegiate ball at the University of Charleston. Putting up 9.8 points and an assist per game (rebounds were not yet being recorded), Brightman would retire and go on to coach in the rival American Basketball Association many years later, helming the (defunct) Anaheim Amigos in their first season of play. He was replaced by fellow Celtics alum Bill Sharman in that role the following campaign when the team moved to Los Angeles and renamed itself the Stars.
USA Today
08-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
One Vikings QB is making a big first impression on coaches at OTAs
One Vikings QB is making a big first impression on coaches at OTAs The Minnesota Vikings quarterback room has been among the best in the league for several years now. Kevin O'Connell has done a tremendous job of developing younger players, maximizing veterans, and fixing players down on their luck. It has resulted in several players getting the most out of their careers, and now the hope is that their former top pick, J.J. McCarthy, can be his long-term project. It isn't just McCarthy though, it seems that O'Connell will also have another young quarterback vying for his attention. Purple Insider's Matthew Coller discussed how undrafted free agent quarterback Max Brosmer made a great first impression with coaches at OTAs. Coller spoke about his thoughts about the former Golden Gopher quarterback, saying, "The guy that's impressed me, just to tell you the truth, and I'm not trying to be that guy, but I keep liking what I see from Max Brosmer. Every time we see Max Brosmer out there (first during rookie mini-camp, and now today, he ran a drill at the red zone and had a couple of touchdown passes. . .I like what I've seen from Max Brosmer so far. I don't think he competes for QB2, but he might compete for QB3.' The Vikings quarterback room, without Brosmer, consists of McCarthy, Brett Rypien, and Sam Howell. It is not common anymore for teams to carry more than three quarterbacks across the active roster and practice squads. However, if Brosmer continues to play the way that Coller is describing, then he may be making life difficult for O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah when it comes to making decisions.
