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USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Cowboys 53-man projection after voluntary OTAs, before mandatory minicamp
The Dallas Cowboys have a strong idea of what they plan to work with in the upcoming season and the recently completed Organized Training Activities helped solidify some things heading into the mandatory phase of things. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer had a relatively strong attendance record, minus the teams two biggest defensive stars. While there's the possibility Dallas looks outside the organization to bring in additional veteran help, for now the Cowboys have a 91-man roster (thanks to the International Player Pathway exemption) that they'll take into next week's minicamp. There could be some shuffling after that, and to help identify where help may be heading, a projection of the 53-man roster is in order. Here, a look at which players should be roster locks, pretty secure, possibles, cut and PUP/NFI candidates is a must projection. Quarterbacks (2 on roster, 1 on practice squad) Roster Locks Dak Prescott Joe Milton III Pretty Secure None Think They Make It None Practice Squad Will Grier Cut or Trade Candidate None PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Running Backs (4 + 1) Roster Locks Javonte Williams Jaydon Blue (R) Pretty Secure Hunter Luepke Think They Make It Phil Mafah (R) Practice Squad Miles Sanders PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Deuce Vaughn Tight Ends (3 + 1) Roster Locks Jake Ferguson Luke Schoonmaker Brevyn Spann-Ford Pretty Secure None Think They Make It None Practice Squad Tyler Neville (UDFA Rookie) PUP/NFI/IR Stash John Stephens (knee) Cut or Trade Candidate Princeton Fant Rivaldo Fairweather (UDFA) Wide Receivers (6 + 3) Roster Locks CeeDee Lamb George Pickens Jalen Tolbert Jonathan Mingo Kavontae Turpin Pretty Secure Ryan Flournoy Think They Make It None Practice Squad Parris Campbell Jalen Brooks Traeshon Holden (UDFA) PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Kelvin Harmon Jalen Moreno Josh Kelly (UDFA) Offensive Linemen (9 + 4) Roster Locks Tyler Guyton Tyler Smith Cooper Beebe Tyler Booker (R) Terence Steele Asim Richards Pretty Secure Robert Jones Brock Hoffman Think They Make It Saahdiq Charles Practice Squad Hakeem Adeniji TJ Bass Nathan Thomas Anaji Cornelius (R) PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Matt Waletzko Dakoda Shepley Jack Anderson Defensive Ends (6 + 1) Roster Locks Micah Parsons Dante Fowler Donovan Ezeiruaku (R) Marshawn Kneeland Pretty Secure Sam Williams Payton Turner Think They Make It None Practice Squad Luigi Vilain PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Tyrus Wheat Defensive Tackles (4 + 3) Roster Locks Osa Odighizuwa Mazi Smith Pretty Secure Solomon Thomas Think They Make It Jay Toia (R) Practice Squad Denzel Daxon (IPP) Justin Rogers Tommy Akingbesote (R) PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Earnest Brown Linebackers (6 + 1) Roster Locks Kenneth Murray Marist Liufau Shemar James (R) Pretty Secure Jack Sanborn Think They Make It Damone Clark Darius Harris Practice Squad Justin Barron (UDFA) PUP/NFI/IR Stash DeMarvion Overshown (knee) Cut or Trade Candidate Buddy Johnson Brock Mogensen Cornerbacks (6 + 3) Roster Locks DaRon Bland Kaiir Elam Shavon Revel (R) Pretty Secure Israel Mukuamu Think They Make It Caelen Carson Alijah Clark (UDFA) Practice Squad Bruce Harmon (UDFA) Josh Butler Kemon Hall PUP/NFI/IR Stash Trevon Diggs (knee) Cut or Trade Candidate Andrew Booth Troy Pride, Jr. Luq Barcoo Safeties (4) Roster Locks Malik Hooker Markqueese Bell Juanyeh Thomas Pretty Secure Donovan Wilson Think They Make It None Practice Squad None PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Mike Smith, Jr. (UDFA) Zion Childress (UDFA) Special Teams (4) Roster Locks Brandon Aubrey Trent Sieg Pretty Secure Bryan Anger Think They Make It CJ Goodwin Practice Squad None PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate None
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Louis Rees-Zammit's new influencer girlfriend has a famous ex and sporting past
Louis Rees-Zammit's new influencer girlfriend has a famous ex and sporting past The couple have been sharing pictures since February, with a new love blossoming. Louis Rees-Zammit's girlfriend is a talented footballer. (Image: drewknotts on Instagram ) Louis Rees-Zammit is back in America ahead of the new season, and is loved up with new girlfriend Drew Knotts. The former Wales rugby star spent the off-season back in the United Kingdom with family and friends following his first full season in the NFL. A Jacksonville Jaguars player, Rees-Zammit was part of the 17-player practice squad as their designated International Player Pathway player, but did not get elevated to the main roster to play at any point during the 2024/2025 season. However, he's aiming to get his opportunity this year having re-signed with the franchise. During the off-season, as well as spending time back in the UK, Rees-Zammit visited Thailand with his brother Taylor, and also went public on his relationship with Knotts. The couple have shared photos and videos on holiday in the Dubai desert, taking part in sand-boarding and enjoying an evening meal. More recently they have been pictured at the Strawberry Ball in Plant City, Florida, as well as various other social events. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. So, who is Drew Knotts? She is 26-year-old social media influencer from Plant City, Florida - where Rees-Zammit plays his American football. She shot to fame online when it was revealed she was dating internet celebrity Tayler Holder. In 2023 it was reported that she was working as a sales development representative for a consumer analytics company called Buxton, but since then, her Instagram following has doubled and it seems her attentions have now been drawn to creating social media content. Article continues below Content cannot be displayed without consent Sporting background Knotts is an accomplished footballer, and has been involved in sport since the age of four. According to the Plant City Observer, she tried her hand at basketball, flag football, gymnastics, tennis, soccer, softball and swimming before settling on football, and always had a passion for running. Despite being made fun of in school for "having a boy name", she grew a reputation for being incredibly speedy, and faster than most of the boys, too. She played at a good level for a number of years as a young child and teen, trying out her hand with Plant City Lancers and Brandon Flames before being selected to play for Elite Clubs National League U14s (which is one of two in Florida). She went on to play for Plant City High School, with whom she scored 10 goals - being the only non-senior player to pull this off. Knotts succeeded further in High School, receiving the Swope Rodante Vanguard Student Athlete Award in December 2016 and winning player of the game six times. Content cannot be displayed without consent Due to injury, when she started at Georgia Southern University in 2017, she did not play any football. She transferred to Southern Mississippi University and played there before graduating in 2021 with a degree in Hospitality Administration and Management. This was the last time she played football competitively. Her brother is also a sportsman, and plays American football for Texas Tech University. Beauty career Alongside her sporting exploits, Knotts has been involved in pageants from a young age. She told the Plant City Observer as a 15-year-old that one thing she liked about the long dresses at pageant competitions was the length of them, and this was because it hid her bruises from playing football. She played many of her football games alongside pageant shows, balancing two of her favourite hobbies. Eleven years ago she was crowned Junior Royalty Pageant in the same season she banged in 10 goals for her high school. Competing in beauty certainly runs in the family, with grandmother Ruby Jean Redman being crowned Florida Strawberry Festival Queen in 1953, with cousin Chelsea Bowden picking up the same award in 2012. "My grandmother has a hallway full of old pictures of my mom and her sisters from when they were growing up," Knotts told the Plant City Observer. "And her Strawberry Queen photos are on the wall. It's so cool because she was in the same pageant. Every time we see it, we ask her about it. She's been able to tell us all these stories from how it changed over time." She suffered a serious knee injury playing football on her 18th birthday in 2016, which required surgery. It threatened the prospect of her competing in the upcoming pageant. "Three weeks before the pageant I was on crutches," she explained. "I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to compete. But I set goals, we got into physical therapy and I worked really hard." However, she fought back to full fitness and managed to compete and won the competition. Content cannot be displayed without consent While she does not take part in any similar competitions right now, she has a big presence on social media, with her style and following online having earned her brand deals and sponsorships, and she models clothes for various brands. For example, last year, she teamed up with Kickstand Cocktails for a collaborative Instagram post. She has almost 30,000 followers on Instagram and regularly posts about her lifestyle and adventures. She has a TikTok account which has a large following but that has not been active lately. Famous ex-boyfriend Knotts shot to fame when it was revealed she was dating internet star Tayler Holder. Their relationship became public in 2023, with Knotts appearing in multiple TikTok videos with Holder, who is also a musician. Holder gets over half a million listeners on Spotify per month, with his top two tracks having around 10 million listens. Content cannot be displayed without consent Article continues below Holder's genre of music is country, which is of course hugely relevant in pop culture right now, and has picked up Male Artist of the Year and Artist of the Year from Up N Country. He has almost 20 million TikTok followers and is therefore the most followed country music star on the app. He also has a stunning 1.2 billion likes in total on his videos. Holder and Knotts announced their breakup in January 2024, meaning that she had been single for almost a year before linking up with Rees-Zammit.
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bengals' updated roster by jersey number as OTAs start
Bengals' updated roster by jersey number as OTAs start The Cincinnati Bengals start OTAs on Tuesday, ushering in a new era and roster ahead of this summer's training camp. As of this writing, the team's roster count sits at 91, with the team awarded an extra spot for Dante Barnett via the NFL's International Player Pathway program. The majority of the roster projects to take part in the proceedings, too. Exceptions are first-round pick Shemar Stewart, Trey Hendrickson and Germaine Pratt. RELATED: Shemar Stewart's contract beef with Bengals revealed in report Here's a look at the current roster going into the workouts, sorted by jersey number: 1 - WR Ja'Marr Chase2 - K Evan McPherson5 - WR Tee Higgins6 - QB Jake Browning8 - P Ryan Rehkow9 - QB Joe Burrow10 - QB Payton Thorne11 - QB Logan Woodside12 - WR Rashod Owens14 - WR Jordan Moore15 - WR Charlie Jones16 - WR Jamoi Mayes17 - WR Cole Burgess18 - WR Isaiah Williams19 - WR Kendric Pryor20 - CB DJ Turner II21 - CB Bralyn Lux22 - S Geno Stone23 - CB Dax Hill24 - CB Marco Wilson25 - RB Tahj Brooks26 - S Tycen Anderson27 - S Jordan Battle28 - CB Josh Newton29 -CB Cam Taylor-Britt30 - RB Chase Brown31 - RB Zack Moss32 - RB Gary Brightwell33 - S Daijahn Anthony34 - RB Samaje Perine35 - CB Jalen Davis36 - RB Kendall Milton37 - S PJ Jules38 - CB DJ Ivey39 - CB Lance Robinson40 - RB Quali Conley41 - CB Nate Brooks42 - LB Oren Burks43 - S Jaylen Key44 - LB Demetrius Knight Jr.45 - LB Maema Njongmeta46 - LS William Wagner47 - S Shaquan Loyal48 - LS Cal Adomitis49 - LB Barrett Carter50 - LB Shaka Heyward51 - DE Isaiah Thomas52 - DE Cedric Johnson53 - LB Joe Giles-Harris55 - LB Logan Wilson56 - DE Raymond Johnson III57 - LB Germaine Pratt58 - DE Joseph Ossai59 - LB Craig Young60 - G Jaxson Kirkland61 - G Cody Ford62 - G Lucas Patrick63 - G Dylan Fairchild64 - C Ted Karras65 - C Matt Lee66 - G Tashawn Manning67 - G Cordell Volson68 - C Seth McLaughlin69 - DT Dante Barnett71 - T Amarius Mims73 - T Andrew Stueber74 - T Jalen Rivers75 - T Orlando Brown Jr.76 - T Devin Cochran77 - T Caleb Etienne79 - T Andrew Coker80 - WR Andrei Iosivas81 - WR Jermaine Burton82 - WR Mitchell Tinsley83 - TE Erick All Jr.84 - TE Tanner McLachlan85 - TE Cam Grandy86 - TE Kole Taylor87 - TE Tanner Hudson88 - TE Mike Gesicki89 - TE Drew Sample90 - DT Kris Jenkins Jr.91 - DE Trey Hendrickson92 - DT B.J. Hill93 - DT McKinnley Jackson94 - DT Eric Gregory95 - DT Howard Cross III96 - Cam Sample97 - Shemar Stewart98 - DT T.J. Slaton99 - Myles Murphy RELATED: Bengals takeaways and thoughts on Jermaine Burton, contract drama
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NFL players in Olympic flag football? League could vote as soon as next week
NFL owners will discuss a proposal at the spring league meeting in Minneapolis next week that would allow players to try out for flag football teams at the 2028 Olympic Games. If the proposal proceeds to a vote, then 24 of 32 votes will be required for it to pass. The proposal would only allow one player on each NFL roster to try out for an Olympic team. Additionally, each team's player added via the International Player Pathway program would be eligible to try out. Advertisement Any flag football team that includes an NFL player would also be required to 'implement certain minimum standards for medical staff and field surfaces.' The team would also need to alter its schedule for practices, games and events to ensure that there's no conflict with players' commitments to their NFL teams. At last month's annual league meeting, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expressed optimism that a resolution would soon come when asked about NFL players potentially participating in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. 'I've heard directly from a lot of players who want to participate and represent their country, whether it's the United States or the country that they came from, to have them participate in that,' Goodell said. 'And I think that's something that we'll continue the discussions with, not just the union, but also the clubs. I think both of those are things that we will probably resolve sometime in the next 60 days.' The NFL has greatly increased its investment in flag football in recent years. Each club has a local flag football program through the league-run program NFL FLAG, which promotes the sport nationwide and had a commercial air during the Super Bowl in February. Flag football is a sanctioned varsity high school sport in 15 states. It has also become a collegiate sport at the NAIA, NJCAA and the NCAA Division I, II and III levels. The NFL has even discussed creating professional flag football leagues for men and women. The league is hopeful that could lead to the growth of football both domestically and internationally. 'We are very excited about the potential of that, not just for young women and a professional league, but also for young men and to give them the ability to play this game,' Goodell said. 'It works for us internationally, but it gives people a chance to understand this game, and particularly the young women, the feedback I get from them is how helpful it is to them in building their self-confidence, and to be able to play this game is a joy for them. Advertisement 'And so for us to share that, I think, is a positive thing, whether it's as a future Olympian or a high school player or a young youth athlete. I think those are things we're seeking to do. It's clear that there's a lot of interest in the pro flag league. We have been getting bids on people who want to invest in that, either financially or invest in the operations of that, so we're hard at work, and I expect there'll be progress soon.' The introduction of flag football in a five-on-five format at the 2028 Olympics will provide the sport with its largest platform yet. Clearly, the NFL wants to be involved. Scott Hallenbeck, USA Football's CEO and executive director, told The Athletic in a statement that USA Football has been in 'regular communication' with the league about NFL players potentially being eligible to participate in the Olympics. 'If participation is approved, we stand ready to provide opportunities for NFL players to be part of Team USA and compete alongside established flag football stars and talent-transfer athletes from other sports,' Hallenbeck said. 'We will field the best team possible in pursuit of our ultimate goal of earning two gold medals for the United States in flag football.' At the spring league meeting, NFL owners will also discuss a proposal to ban the 'tush push' play that the Philadelphia Eagles have become known for. Goodell said the proposal could also be expanded to consider other plays. 'We have very little data from it, but it's beyond data,' Goodell said. 'There's also the mechanism of injury that we study, that type of thing that leads us to show the risk involved with a particular player or particular tackle. So those are things that we did discuss. I do think there's a lot of discussion about going back to the previous rule, back to pre-2004. Advertisement 'It's a dispute about how long that rule was in play, but the reality of it is, I think that makes a lot of sense in many ways because I think it expands it beyond just that single play. There are a lot of plays where you see someone pulling or pushing somebody that are not in the tush push formation that I think do have an increased risk of injury. And so, I think the committee will look at that and come back in May with some proposals.' Before 2004, it was illegal for there to be any pushing or pulling anywhere on the field. Goodell noted it's possible the league could return to that. There will also be continued discussion about a proposal to change playoff seeding based on teams' records rather than divisional winners. At this point, there's no expectation for there to be a formal discussion about adding a potential 18th regular-season game. (Photo of flag football at the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Sign up for NFL news with our free newsletter The Touchdown Collective
Want to stay on top of the NFL and the latest on players like Shedeur Sanders without getting lost in the noise? We've got you covered with our free newsletter – your ultimate NFL playbook – The Touchdown Collective The NFL is back, it's bigger than ever before and quite simply there is so much content to consume it's almost impossible to keep track of everything. We cut through the clutter at The Touchdown Collective to bring you the biggest headlines, smartest insights, and best moments from across the league. Our focus is giving you a simple, easy to navigate, collated and ad-free newsletter which is packed with the latest news, pre and post-match action and analysis so you never miss a crucial play, whether it's an amazing no-look pass, incredible run, ridiculous block or crazy interception. Delivered ad-free, the newsletter covers: Top stories and game-changing plays Pre/post-match analysis and player news Tactical breakdowns and coaching insight Smart summaries of pressers and podcasts Current Daily Star Sunday and Sunday Express Sports Editor – and avid NFL fan – Michael Ham has almost 20 years of experience in sports news journalism and is the writer behind The Touchdown Collective. He said: 'I've been watching the NFL since 2000 and have watched it become a global sport creating millions of new fans all over the world, especially in the UK and Europe, thanks to the International Series games and other initiatives like the International Player Pathway. 'With the enormous appetite of fans to keep up to speed with the latest in the game not only for their team but across the wider NFL, we're here to help. 'We'll closely follow all the latest press interactions from coaches, players, and team executives, while our in-depth summaries will pick up on the key quotes, controversies and tactical insights in the game. Breaking down the best moments from NFL-related podcasts, including from some of the most trusted voices in the sport, you'll feel like you're inside the game. 'Breaking news is constantly reshaping the NFL landscape, and we'll ensure you stay up to speed with every headline. 'We'll also offer a deep dive into team tactics, coaching philosophy, and game-day decisions. From offensive schemes to defensive adjustments, we explain what worked, what didn't, and where teams go from here. Are they too reliant on the run? Can their defense keep stopping teams in the red zone? Is that star receiver really worth building the offense around? 'Our goal is to help you become an expert not only on the players but also on the broader strategic elements which make NFL games so fascinating.' The Touchdown Collective aims to provide well-researched, fact-driven insights to keep you in the know. But we're more than just a newsletter – we're building a football community. A place where fans can come together to share ideas, discuss the highs and lows of the season – and dissect every key moment from between the hashmarks. Whether you're at work, home or in the stands, this is your space to talk football, grow your knowledge, and be part of something bigger. So where and how do I join? The Touchdown Collective will be published on Substack, an independent platform with no ads, making for a cleaner reading experience than on many other websites. You can read there on desktop or the app, or simply from your email inbox. So not only do you not have to go searching for the news itself – or wait for the algorithm to decide this is what you might like to see – you don't even have to search for the newsletter. Once it's live it's sent directly to you to read at your leisure. So what's in our playbook…? Each newsletter will consist of a number of different sections, each with just what you need to stay one step ahead of the game, one play at a time. Just some of those to look out for include: - Press Coverage: Bringing you the best news lines from respected sources who are inside the game, pre-match previews with the latest from inside NFL locker rooms, post-match analysis and so much more - Get to the Post: The best of socials from around the NFL, things you might have missed and the best light-hearted moments guaranteed to bring a smile to your face - Inside Zone: The latest rumours and updates from the heart of the game from those closest to it - Snap! This is our NFL picture of the day. It could be an amazing catch, clutch field goal, funny celebration, classic match action or just something completely different to the norm. Whatever it is, it will brighten your day.
