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New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Wan'Dale Robinson could have a different kind of Giants breakout with Russell Wilson
It wouldn't be a surprise if an achy Wan'Dale Robinson falls asleep at night dreaming of catching a pass in stride, turning upfield and weaving through missed tackles on his way to a big gain. No receiver in NFL history ever has complained about getting too many targets. After all, the title of Keyshawn Johnson's memoir wasn't 'Just Share the Damn Ball!' But Robinson (93 catches for 699 yards on 140 targets) is coming off one of the most unusual high-volume receiving seasons of all time and looking forward to expanding his repertoire beyond just the duty to run a five-yard route and get smacked. 'Obviously, I like being a guy that the quarterbacks can rely on to just be there whenever, so that way you have a completion,' Robinson said. 'But I want to impact the game a little bit more, too … with a couple big plays.' 3 Wan'Dale Robinson runs with the ball during the Giants' game against the Cowboys on Sept. 26 Robert Sabo for the NY Post Of the 374 NFL receiving seasons since 1992 with at least 140 targets, Robinson's was just the second (Chris Chambers, 2006 Dolphins) to result in fewer than 700 yards. What's crazier? Of the 311 receiving seasons in the Super Bowl era with at least 90 catches, Robinson's was the first to result in fewer than 700 yards, per Pro Football Reference. There is something to be said for quality over quantity. 'I definitely think I'll be moved around a little bit more,' said Robinson, who played 77.7 percent of his snaps in the slot. 'Might be outside a little bit more, get some deeper shots down the field. But just going to continue to get open and be a valuable target for our quarterbacks.' Robinson could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the change at quarterback to Russell Wilson — and eventually to rookie Jaxson Dart — after the failed six-year Daniel Jones Era. The former second-round pick averaged 4.1 yards-after-catch per reception last season — only 0.3 over expected, per NextGenStats. 3 Russell Wilson drops back to throw for the Giants on June 5. Bill Kostroun/New York Post Considering his 5-foot-8 stature and shiftiness, that number needs to be higher to justify both his workload and a significant pay bump in free agency after this season. 'Wan'Dale is like a running back: Every time he touches the ball, he's hard to tackle,' Wilson said. 'His ability to make people miss, his ability to get away from guys and his ability to escape. I've played with some guys like that before.' The Giants also appear headed back to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as the play-caller after a one-year hiatus with head coach Brian Daboll at the controls. 3 Wan'Dale Robinson addresses reporters during a press conference June 5. Bill Kostroun for the NY Post Even a watered-down version of the seen-it-all Wilson should provide improvement in throwing routes with timing and anticipation. And he certainly will push the ball farther downfield with his patented 'Moon Ball,' after leading the NFL last season in Completion Percentage over Expected on 20-plus yard throws. '[Wilson] tells you exactly what he wants out there running routes, and the spots he needs you to be in. So, it's been really, really nice,' said Robinson, who joined Darius Slayton and Theo Johnson for an Atlanta-based throwing session with Wilson after the Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback signed as a free agent in March. 'Even that little session of just the three of us … it was just kind of like we haven't had a quarterback that's going to command everything, and you know exactly what you want.' The decision by the Giants to keep the same top four receivers — Malik Nabers, Robinson, Darius Slayton (re-signed to a three-year, $36 million contract) and Jalin Hyatt — while tinkering with almost every position on the depth chart spoke volumes about the internal belief that there was untapped potential held back by quarterback play. The decision not to draft a mid-round slot receiver was particularly a vote of confidence in Robinson entering his walk-year. 'We're all confident in our abilities,' Robinson said. 'We just feel like whoever's back there — as long as we get some chances and can make plays with the ball after the catch and things like that — we're going to be just fine.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New York Jets' QB Destined For 'Break Out or Flop' 2025 Campaign
New York Jets' QB Destined For 'Break Out or Flop' 2025 Campaign originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Eras for NFL franchises are often defined by and associated with the quarterback. 2025 marks a new era of New York Jets football, as Justin Fields is the new man in town. Advertisement The Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract. It's a low-risk, high-reward venture for the Jets. If Fields can live up to the potential that got him drafted with the No. 11 overall pick, it's a bargain for the Jets. If Fields continues to struggle, it's not a franchise-hampering deal. ESPN's Bill Barnwell pegged Fields as an offseason signing who "could break out - or flop." "This might not be Fields' last chance as a starter, but it's probably his last chance at entering an offseason with a meaningful guarantee to start somewhere." Barnwell wrote. Barnwell hopes the Jets utilize his strength as a runner and play-extender, which the Chicago Bears did not take advantage of. Advertisement "The hope for Fields is that the Jets lean into his strengths in the QB run game, which the Bears didn't really do." Barnwell noted. "The Steelers jumped a little further in, but after he averaged just over five designed runs (excluding scrambles and kneel-downs) across his six games as a starter, he was benched for Russell Wilson." Fields is coming off his lone season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a starter, Fields went 4-2, with his two losses coming from a combined margin of six points. Fields was two scores away from a perfect 6-0 record with the Steelers, compared to Wilson who went 6-5 as a starter. But Fields' track record as a full-time starter in Chicago wasn't pretty. "While the Steelers went 4-2 with Fields throwing just one interception on 161 pass attempts, the best version of a Fields-led offense has to commit to his ability to create explosive plays" Wrote Barnwell. "He has taken sacks on nearly 12% of his dropbacks as a pro, plays that usually kill drives. His 40.9% success rate as a passer ranks 24th out of 25 quarterbacks with at least 1,200 dropbacks over the past four seasons, per NFL Next Gen Stats. With all of those negative or neutral plays, he has to produce big plays to survive as an NFL passer." Related: Could Giants Land High-Profile Lineman? Related: Mason Taylor Continues To Shine At Jets OTAs This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL's low-key MVPs: 4 players in the middle of the field who add tons of hidden value like Frank Ragnow
Frank Ragnow's retirement has me thinking about a few other NFL players that do some in-between things and have more of an impact on their team's success than first meets the eye. The center in football is naturally at the point of attack, and that is true in a philosophical sense. Just like there's a defensive spectrum in baseball regarding the importance of certain positions, the center in football has been growing in impact recently because of the increasingly complex mental checklist they have to go through on a snap-to-snap basis. (A checklist second only to the quarterback in length, and sometimes longer than the quarterback on a given play.) Likewise, the center of the defense is important as defenses put fewer bodies in the middle and ask their defenders to be more athletic and versatility with their asks. Advertisement The middle, center or spine of a unit will always be important in sports, from soccer to basketball to baseball to hockey. And football is no different. With the increased focus, talent and pay going toward more centrally located positions, I wanted to look at some of the more low-key MVPs around the NFL that have an outsized impact on the game from their spots in the middle. A center, an off-ball linebacker, a slot defender, and a nose tackle. With some always-fun on-off splits (with the usual NOISY DATA caveat attached) included for a flourish. Zach Frazier, C, Pittsburgh Steelers It might seem early to plop a second-year player on this list, and this section can be considered a quasi-breakout player prediction. Frazier was a plus-starter at the pivot spot as soon as he stepped on the field as a rookie last season. He missed a few games because of injury, but Frazier already showed off a high IQ (he's an excellent presnap communicator, and handled all protection and identification duties even with veteran quarterbacks behind him) and recorded the second-lowest one-on-one pressure rate allowed among qualifying centers, per Next Gen Stats. Frazier's 2.9% rate was only behind Luke Wattenberg, center for the Broncos' strong line. Even with a quarterback in Aaron Rodgers with 241 starts now joining the Steelers offense, Frazier will likely continue to handle the presnap mental load for the unit. That would Rodgers' burden if Arthur Smith and the Steelers' coaches feel comfortable enough with Rodgers playing point guard and adding some flourishes to the scripted offense with his love for hand signaling and ad-libbing. Advertisement There were some major protection issues during Rodgers' tenure with the Jets, sometimes because of talent level but also because of a surprising lack of awareness from the veteran quarterback. Frazier is more than up to the task mentally, on top of being a technician with athleticism to boot. (Frazier's excursions to block defenders on the second level are enjoyable to watch.) If he stays healthy, I predict that Frazier has an All-Pro nod in his future. And it might be sooner than later. If you want breakout linemen outside of the center position, Arizona's Paris Johnson Jr. looks like he's about to make a leap in his third year. There are also a couple of other highly drafted tackles that could be in line for a breakout year as their teams try to find starters around them. Seattle Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross should get a boost from the Klint Kubiak's offensive scheme, Abe Lucas healthy, the emergence of Olu Oluwatimi and the Grey Zabel draft pick. Cross' underlying numbers aren't overwhelming, but he's shown the upside of a Pro Bowl-level left tackle for stretches in his career. With some help around him, those flashes could turn into real sustained strong play as a pass protector and a run blocker (which Cross has improved tremendously on in his professional career). Darnell Wright is a similar discussion on the right side for the Bears. Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Texans It's hard not to notice Al-Shaair. He's a vocal player with a nose for the ball that seemingly had a knack for playing to — and pushing his opponents to — the limit. Advertisement Al-Shaair is also a good football player who was a cornerstone for the Texans' defense last season. Al-Shaair missed six-plus games in 2024 because of an injury and a suspension for a hit on Trevor Lawrence. The on-off sample size with Al-Shaair is actually stronger than usual because of the time Al-Shaair missed, and even without looking at advanced stats, his absence was felt when watching the Texans' defense over those 498 plays he wasn't on the field. The Texans allowed an explosive run rate of 10.9% with Al-Shaair off the field. Does that sound high? Because it is high. That would have been the highest rate allowed by any defense in the NFL if it were a season-long rate. (And 498 plays is not a tiny data set!) With Al-Shaair on the field, that explosive run rate dropped to 8.5%, which is still middling and would rank 16th, but is far more tolerable and also indicative of the other weaknesses with the Texans' defense last season. The yards per run allowed by the Texans dropped by a half yard (from 4.6 to 4.1) with Al-Shaair on the field, going from a bottom-10 number to a top-five mark. Advertisement Another one of those weaknesses that offenses picked at was the lack of consistent coverage ability by the other Texans linebackers besides Al-Shaair. Offenses could have their way on whichever Texans linebackers were defending in man coverage, with more savvy quarterbacks able to find workable areas over the middle against zone. The Texans were 30th in EPA per dropback allowed without Al-Shaair on the field, with quarterbacks averaging 0.16 EPA per dropback against them. (For reference, Joe Burrow's EPA per dropback last season was 0.15.) With Al-Shaair on the field, they allowed a minus-0.12 EPA per dropback. (Again, for reference, Will Levis was last among qualifying quarterbacks in 2024 at 0.15 EPA per dropback.) This number would have ranked first if it were over an entire season last year, above the Broncos, who held quarterbacks to a minus-0.10 mark. Offenses' yards per play (5.4 to 4.9) and net yards per pass attempt (6.4 to 6.0) all fell with Al-Shaair on the field. It should be noted that the Texans' schedule featured some stronger offenses when Al-Shaair was unable to play, including the Packers, Colts, Jets, Dolphins, Chiefs and Ravens. But it's obvious when he's on the field how he helped keep the Texans' run defense sound with his ability to read, run and recover behind the their hyper-aggressive defensive line. His athleticism and coverage ability helps unlock Houston's preferred third down looks of man coverage and five-man rushes. The Texans had an outstanding unit last season that was led by their speedy pass rush and tight man coverage, but Al-Shaair is just as important to their defense continuing that success, and mindset, as the Texans' young stars that surround him. Teair Tart, DT, Chargers Tart has been a mauler in the middle for a few seasons now, but since his reported disagreements with management in Tennessee led to his release in December 2023, he's bounced from team to team the last couple of years. He landed in Los Angeles in 2024 and was a part of a Chargers defense that played greater than the sum of its parts and overperformed throughout the season, even despite withering against the better offenses it faced. Advertisement On-off stats can be noisy in all sports, especially football because of the number of variables involved (situation, opponent, team health, the plain fact that there are 22 players on the field). But they can align neatly with what is plainly obvious for more rotational and situation players like Tart, who played 300 early-down snaps for the Chargers last season. It's striking how much better the unit played with Tart holding down the interior. Especially against the run, where the Chargers performed like one of the league's best units with Tart on the field, and mediocre with him on the sideline. The Chargers gave up 5.2 yards per rush with Tart off the field, which would rank 31st leaguewide, and 3.9 yards per rush with him on the field, which would be tied for second. Their rushing success rate also dropped from first with him on the field to 19th with him off it. The Chargers allowed just a paltry 32.1% success rate against early down runs last year with Tart on the field. (Think about that: two out of three first- and second-down runs with Tart on the field would put the offense behind the chains.) Advertisement Explosive rush rate allowed? Ninth with Tart on the field, 20th with him off. EPA allowed per run? Minus-0.07 without Tart, minus-0.20 with him. Which, again, would rank first just above the Broncos. (Sidebar: That Broncos defense is looking to also be quite excellent in 2025. Maybe 'best in the NFL' excellent. D.J. Jones was another name I almost included in this article.) Tart has had stretches of unblockable play when on the field, and I think the Chargers did a nice job to get him back on another one-year deal. As part of an astute unit under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter that would give underprepared offenses issues, Tart is one of the valuable role players that helps lift the floor by making life harder on what should be the 'simple' plays for the offense. Deommodore Lenoir, DB, 49ers A former fifth-round pick, Lenoir earned a nearly $40 million guaranteed payday in November that maybe makes this 'low-key' designation a little ill-fitting. But Lenoir has turned into one of the best defenders in the NFL at the critical slot defender position, with the versatility to still be a strong starting cornerback on the outside when needed. Advertisement Lenoir finished 2024 with five tackles for loss against the run (tied for second among slot defenders) and nine passes defended (ranking fifth), as well as a 63.6 QB rating when he was the closest defender targeted, fourth-best among slot defenders last season. He's a tough, explosive, smart player that helps make throwing between the numbers against the 49ers a risky adventure for quarterbacks with All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner also nearby. The 49ers have been trying to add more beef to their front seven this offseason, but Lenoir has been an impact player in Santa Clara and could take another step forward as the 49ers continue to transform their defense. The league is littered with slot dynamos right now, from starters like Detroit's Brian Branch and the Ravens' Kyle Hamilton/Marlon Humphrey pairing to rookie needle-mover Cooper DeJean in Philadelphia to about another dozen other young talented players (Devon Witherspoon! Kyler Gordon! Roger McCreary! Andru Phillips! Jalen Pitre! I'm sure I'm missing one!) on top of vets like Mike Hilton and Taron Johnson. Advertisement Garrett Williams also deserves some love as a key player on the Cardinals' psychedelic defense that could be a surprisingly strong unit this season. Budda Baker is the skeleton key of that defense, but Williams has become a standout player in his own right as a versatile playmaker that is seemingly always near the ball. But I'll go with Lenoir as the low-key MVP at this position. And he'll have to play like it to fend off the competition from his own specialty across the league.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texans DE Danielle Hunter among PFF's top 30 players over 30
The Houston Texans have made several incredible moves this offseason, but one of their biggest was offering a new deal to All-Pro defensive end Danielle Hunter on a one-year deal worth $35.6 million following his dominant Pro Bowl campaign at NRG Stadium. After becoming a rising star with the Minnesota Vikings for nearly a decade, the Houston native set the tone opposite Pro Bowl Will Anderson Jr., helping the Texans reach the postseason for a second straight year. Finishing top 10 in sacks, tackles for loss and pressures, Hunter was worth every penny as the Texans set a record-setting 46 sacks in 2024 while securing another wild-card round victory as an underdog. Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman assembled a list of the 30 best players over 30, and it wasn't a surprise to find Hunter among the list. Hunter's first year in Houston was a standout. His 81.1 pass-rush grade marked the second-best of his career and extended his streak of seasons with a 77.0-plus pass-rush grade to five. Including the postseason, his 74 pressures ranked sixth among edge defenders. In 17 games for the Texans, Hunter finished tied for fifth in the league in sacks (12) while recording a pressure rate of 23.9%, second most among players with at least 200 pass rush snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. Pair alongside Anderson, the Texans forced plenty of turnovers in 2024, including 19 interceptions (second most in the NFL) and finished with 29 total takeaways (fifth most). Hunter's resume is quite impressive. He's a five-time Pro Bowler and former second-team All-Pro. He's also one of the more consistent pass-rushers in NFL, averaging 12.5 sacks since 2019. Now locked up through 2026, he'll provide stability along the defensive line that should be even more improved under DeMeco Ryans in Year 3.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN highlights one very specific area Indianapolis Colts' defense has to improve in 2025
ESPN highlights one very specific area Indianapolis Colts' defense has to improve in 2025 ESPN recently highlighted one very specific area on defense that the Indianapolis Colts have to improve in. Overall, the Indianapolis Colts need improved play on the defensive side of the football. This was obviously a clear emphasis this offseason with the team hiring Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator, signing free agents Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum, along with spending two top-100 picks on that side of the ball. There are several key areas where this unit has to get better, including in pass defense and generating a more consistent pass rush. However, Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently highlighted one very specific area that the Colts' defense must improve in: tackling. According to Next Gen Stats, the Colts were the only team to have four players record at least 100 tackles, but the efficiency wasn't there. The Colts gave up a league high 1,183 yards after missed tackles and had 10-plus missed tackles in all but six games. From a pure quantity standpoint, no team missed more tackles than the Colts did in 2024, and it wasn't particularly close. Barnwell would point out that the additions of Bynum and Ward should very much help the Colts in this regard. Bynum has a career missed tackle rate of just 7.1%, according to ESPN, while Ward has the lowest missed tackle rate of any player since 2018. Barnwell would also mention that linebacker Jaylon Carlies--while it was a small sample size--missed only 5.3% of his tackle attempts as a rookie. "Will better tackling make the Colts a great defense? No," wrote Barnwell. "But this was a team that ranked 30th in third-down conversion rate (44.4%) a year ago, in part because Colts defenders couldn't make tackles short of the sticks. Better tackling will get them off the field." Along with those additions, Anarumo's more aggressive scheme can hopefully have players better positioned to make plays, and more players in the area of the ball carrier to help bring him down. To state the obvious, sound tackling limits yards after the catch and yards after contact in the run game. That then helps limit explosive plays and can create longer down-and-distances, which should result in the defense getting off the field more regularly.
