Latest news with #NFL-level
USA Today
2 days ago
- General
- USA Today
Fast-rising QB prospect puts Oregon among top schools
Fast-rising QB prospect puts Oregon among top schools The quarterback position is arguably the most important and complex role in all of sports. Being the most valuable player on the roster and having a big enough personality to lead an entire team is a responsibility that not everyone can handle. For this reason, great quarterbacks are hard to come by which is why teams are constantly looking to develop and add more players at the position. The Oregon Ducks have had an impressive run of quarterbacks as of late with Justin Herbert, Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel taking the snaps for seven of the last nine seasons. While they don't have any players of that caliber on the roster currently, there is a rising high school recruit who could be making his way to Eugene soon. Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports reported that four-star quarterback Matt Ponatoski has named Oregon as one of his four finalists. The Ohio native is likely only considered a four-star prospect because his lack of athletic ability, because all his other attributes are promising. Ponatoski is said to be a poised pocket passer who has great arm strength and touch on his passes. He is also one of the top baseball prospects in the country and this background is said to be evident in his quarterback play where he flashes off-platform throws and passes from weird arm angles. Ponatoski could develop into one of the top signal callers in the country if he lands with the right program who will develop him correctly. He would be the perfect fit in Eugene to continue their new trend of NFL-level quarterbacks. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NFL Draft: Drake Maye gets help as Patriots take OT Will Campbell with 4th pick
The good news about having a roster in disrepair is that practically any first-round draft pick will fill a position of need. The New England Patriots didn't need a quarterback coming into the NFL Draft, having selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick last year, but they needed just about everything else. The bad news was there was a quarterback (Cam Ward) and two generational prospects (Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter) in this year's draft and the Patriots had the fourth pick, meaning they didn't have a shot at that upper tier. They can thank a win in last season's finale for that. The Patriots decided that protecting that young quarterback was a priority. New England selected LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell fourth overall on Thursday night. Given the fireworks that happened with a stunning trade between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns for the second pick, which Jacksonville used on receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, the Patriots' pick of an offensive lineman flew as far under the radar as possible. Maye had to be happy to see that pick though. The Patriots were on track to get the first pick of the draft until a win in the season finale. Heading into a Week 18 game against the Buffalo Bills, New England would have clinched the first pick with a loss. But against a Bills team that had its playoff seed clinched, and perhaps didn't want their division rival to get the first overall pick, the Patriots won 23-16. Backup quarterback Joe Milton III, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, had a fantastic day in leading the win. That win pushed the Patriots from the first pick to the fourth. That meant they were likely out of the mix for Hunter or Carter, either of whom would have fit perfectly in New England's rebuild. But the Patriots need blue-chip talent at just about every position and there were options. They badly needed offensive line help to help Maye and could've picked any tackle in the class. The defensive line is still an issue, even after adding help in free agency, and defensive tackle Mason Graham was available. New coach Mike Vrabel would never turn down help on that side of the ball, as the Patriots' defensive-heavy free agency haul showed. The Patriots couldn't go wrong getting their second-year quarterback some help, however. Campbell was debated among the top offensive tackles in the draft. He has shorter arms than most teams prefer at offensive tackle, and that was discussed extensively. But the track record was too strong to pass up. Campbell is 6-foot-6, 319 pounds and a good athlete who tested well at the NFL scouting combine. He played against plenty of NFL-level talent in the SEC and was a first-team All-American. He started right away as a freshman at LSU and dominated throughout his career. Maye had a promising rookie season playing behind a poor offensive line, but the Patriots knew they needed to upgrade his protection. They signed tackle Morgan Moses this offseason, but a cornerstone on the line was still needed. Picking Campbell isn't as exciting as some other picks in the first round, but it made perfect sense for New England.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Texas A&M Edge still in contract limbo with the Cincinnati Bengals
During last month's 2025 NFL draft, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko saw three of his starting defensive linemen hear their names called during the first two rounds, led by junior edge rusher Shemar Stewart, was was selected 17th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals, but every since his arrival, problems regarding his contract has persisted. Back on May 9, Stewart bluntly stated he was not pleased with the rookie contract the Bengals provided, stating that until the deal reaches his level of acceptance, he will continue to hold out. 'I just decided not to sign those papers. I hate being on the sidelines looking at everybody else do work.' Advertisement After sitting out of Phase 1 of the Bengals' offseason worrkouts, which are vital for rookies to get acclimated to the NFL-level of play, NFL reporter Jordan Shultz reported that Stewart wil sit out of Phase 2, which began on Tuesday. Outside of financial indiference, Stewart's reason for sitting out is somewhat confusing, given his need to improve as a pass rusher after recording just 4.5 sacks during his three-year Texas A&M career. Compared to the other Aggies defenders who were drafted, Nic Scourton signed his rookie deal with the Carolina Panthers, while Shemar Turner is also locked down with the Chicago Bears. 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 Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty. This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Edge Shemar Stewart continues to hold out of signing his rookie deal
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Texas A&M Edge still in contract limbo with the Cincinnati Bengals
Former Texas A&M Edge still in contract limbo with the Cincinnati Bengals During last month's 2025 NFL draft, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko saw three of his starting defensive linemen hear their names called during the first two rounds, led by junior edge rusher Shemar Stewart, was was selected 17th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals, but every since his arrival, problems regarding his contract has persisted. Back on May 9, Stewart bluntly stated he was not pleased with the rookie contract the Bengals provided, stating that until the deal reaches his level of acceptance, he will continue to hold out. 'I just decided not to sign those papers. I hate being on the sidelines looking at everybody else do work.' After sitting out of Phase 1 of the Bengals' offseason worrkouts, which are vital for rookies to get acclimated to the NFL-level of play, NFL reporter Jordan Shultz reported that Stewart wil sit out of Phase 2, which began on Tuesday. Outside of financial indiference, Stewart's reason for sitting out is somewhat confusing, given his need to improve as a pass rusher after recording just 4.5 sacks during his three-year Texas A&M career. Compared to the other Aggies defenders who were drafted, Nic Scourton signed his rookie deal with the Carolina Panthers, while Shemar Turner is also locked down with the Chicago Bears. 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 Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NFL Draft: Drake Maye gets help as Patriots take OT Will Campbell with 4th pick
The good news about having a roster in disrepair is that practically any first-round draft pick will fill a position of need. The New England Patriots didn't need a quarterback coming into the NFL Draft, having selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick last year, but they needed just about everything else. The bad news was there was a quarterback (Cam Ward) and two generational prospects (Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter) in this year's draft and the Patriots had the fourth pick, meaning they didn't have a shot at that upper tier. They can thank a win in last season's finale for that. The Patriots decided that protecting that young quarterback was a priority. New England selected LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell fourth overall on Thursday night. Given the fireworks that happened with a stunning trade between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns for the second pick, which Jacksonville used on receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, the Patriots' pick of an offensive lineman flew as far under the radar as possible. Maye had to be happy to see that pick though. The Patriots were on track to get the first pick of the draft until a win in the season finale. Heading into a Week 18 game against the Buffalo Bills, New England would have clinched the first pick with a loss. But against a Bills team that had its playoff seed clinched, and perhaps didn't want their division rival to get the first overall pick, the Patriots won 23-16. Backup quarterback Joe Milton III, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, had a fantastic day in leading the win. That win pushed the Patriots from the first pick to the fourth. That meant they were likely out of the mix for Hunter or Carter, either of whom would have fit perfectly in New England's rebuild. But the Patriots need blue-chip talent at just about every position and there were options. They badly needed offensive line help to help Maye and could've picked any tackle in the class. The defensive line is still an issue, even after adding help in free agency, and defensive tackle Mason Graham was available. New coach Mike Vrabel would never turn down help on that side of the ball, as the Patriots' defensive-heavy free agency haul showed. The Patriots couldn't go wrong getting their second-year quarterback some help, however. Campbell was debated among the top offensive tackles in the draft. He has shorter arms than most teams prefer at offensive tackle, and that was discussed extensively. But the track record was too strong to pass up. Campbell is 6-foot-6, 319 pounds and a good athlete who tested well at the NFL scouting combine. He played against plenty of NFL-level talent in the SEC and was a first-team All-American. He started right away as a freshman at LSU and dominated throughout his career. Maye had a promising rookie season playing behind a poor offensive line, but the Patriots knew they needed to upgrade his protection. They signed tackle Morgan Moses this offseason, but a cornerstone on the line was still needed. Picking Campbell isn't as exciting as some other picks in the first round, but it made perfect sense for New England.
