Latest news with #NFLDaily
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL analyst says he'd rather have Kyren Williams than Christian McCaffrey
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard seasons as one of the best young players both on his team and in the NFL. However, he remains on the fringes of the elite players at his position heading into his fourth NFL season. Williams also enters 2025 seeking a new contract, which he and the Rams have continued to discuss this offseason. But while he may not have produced at the same level as, say, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, NFL Network's Gregg Rosenthal said he'd take Williams over McCaffrey on a recent episode of NFL Daily. "I want to have some love for the consistent player," Rosenthal said of Williams. "He played the most snaps last season — this shocked me — of anyone in the league. ... I'd actually would rather have him than McCaffrey because I'd just rather have a guy I'd know is going to be there even though that I know, at their peaks, McCaffrey is a better player." On its surface, this is a bold take. Only because 2024 was Williams' first full season since he joined the Rams as a fifth-round rookie three years. Before this past year, Williams missed five games in 2023 and seven in 2022. But even more so, Williams has never eclipsed 1,500 scrimmage yards. McCaffrey has done it four times in his eight years. However, McCaffrey has also missed more than 10 games in those four other seasons. Their age differences notwithstanding (Williams will be 25 this year and McCaffrey is 29), they also play the position differently. Williams has never caught more than 34 passes for more than 206 yards in a season, while McCaffrey is a dual-threat running back. But that isn't Rosenthal's point. He values availability and durability over production. And because Williams was durable in 2024, the Rams haven't needed to go to their Blake Corum. On top of that, as Rosenthal's co-host, Nick Shook pointed out, "It's obvious, painfully so, when he's not on the field. They are so much worse as a running team without him when he's not on the field." Does this make Williams more valuable than McCaffrey? We'll see when and if the Rams open their checkbook to sign Williams to an extension.
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL Analyst: Bucs would make Super Bowl with 'slightly better' QB
NFL Analyst: Bucs would make Super Bowl with 'slightly better' QB The NFL offseason is a time when teams and analysts alike participate in the activity that is looking over the state of things. For one analyst, that spotlight meant getting shown on the Bucs and one player specifically for the team. On a recent episode of NFL Daily, Greg Rosenthal examined the issue that was keeping the Bucs from being Super Bowl contenders. 'If (the Buccaneers) had a slightly better quarterback, I'd think they'd be in the inner circle of Super Bowl contenders. . ." He would be asked about why he felt that way and was challenged on his opinion but doubled-down and said, "It's not hate, he's great... I think they would be in the inner circle of Super Bowl favorites if, like, Justin Herbert was their quarterback.' The Bucs have had a lot of issues pop up in recent years. I'm not sure we can blame a quarterback coming off a career year and leading the team to the best offense in the league as the root of the problem. Could the turnovers be better? Sure. That being said though, Mayfield is an easy target, the quarterback always is. Injuries hindered things in 2024, a lack of turnovers was generated by the offense, and no consistent pass rush. But alas, Mayfield is used to this by now.
