Latest news with #cornerback
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cornerback Jamel Dean Named Top 20 in Position Rankings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cornerback Jamel Dean Named Top 20 in Position Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense was its Achilles heel in 2024. While the offense was excelling and posting top five numbers across major categories, the defense was falling apart due to injuries and poor play. Advertisement But there was at least one bright spot on the team, as cornerback Jamel Dean had another good season even after being slowed by a hamstring injury and played in just 10 contests. Pro Football Focus ranked Dean at No. 17 on their cornerbacks list, citing his consistency since turning pro. 17. Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers "Consistency is highly valued in the NFL, and there might not be any cornerback more consistent year-to-year than Dean. His worst season resulted in a 72.5 PFF overall grade, while his best produced a 78.9 figure. He ranks 11th in PFF advanced coverage grade over the past two seasons and did not allow a touchdown in coverage in 2024." Advertisement Dean has been every part of consistent - even with the injury bug. And that's the only thing that's held him back. Dean hasn't played more than 15 games in a season and he's done that twice. He's played 14 games once, 13 games twice and 12 games a season ago. But he's been able to post 313 tackles with 247 solo and six for loss, with eight interceptions with a pick-6, 52 passes defended, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Last season, across 12 games, he posted 59 tackles - the third-most in his pro career - with 45 solo. He added an interception, seven passes defended and one forced fumble. Advertisement Next season, Dean will enter Year 3 of a four-year, $52 million deal signed ahead of the 2023 season, and he's showing he's worth every penny. Related: Tez Johnson Called His Shot to Play with College Teammate with Buccaneers Related: Coach Reveals Reason for Buccaneers' Biggest Defensive Deficiency in 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Minnesota Vikings Defender Mekhi Blackmon Delivers Strong Statement at OTAs on CB Room Concerns
Minnesota Vikings Defender Mekhi Blackmon Delivers Strong Statement at OTAs on CB Room Concerns originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Vikings' OTAs were open to the media on Tuesday, and some players had to come to the defense of their roster. Advertisement It's the second week for the Vikings at OTAs as this is voluntary workout for the players. This is an opportunity for new players and veterans to get back into game shape and establish a routine before training camp begins next month. There have been questions surrounding the cornerback room after the team did not select one in the 2025 NFL Draft. One Vikings defensive back was not having any of the criticism of the room on social media. Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mekhi Rempel-USA TODAY Sports Vikings cornerback Mekhi Blackmon spoke with the media on Tuesday where he shut down the social media talk of the cornerback room not looking as strong. 'We got a real good room this year. I see a lot of stuff on Twitter. We got a real good room from Zay, Jeff, you know we brought Theo back, TT. A lot of new guys coming in we got a real good room.' Advertisement 'Y'all know. A lot of people are concerned about our room. I would say we have a real good room. A lot of good people coming in.' Blackmon is making a return to the field after missing all of last year with a torn ACL injury. He was originally a third-round pick of the Vikings back in 2023. Some of those additions he was talking about were Jeff Okudah and Isaiah Rodgers, who entered their first year in Minnesota. Byron Murphy Jr. is the veteran in the room alongside Blackmon, who is expected to compete for a starting job. At safety, Harrison Smith is the veteran and leader everyone knows as he is back for potentially his final season in the NFL. Josh Metellus is expected to compete for the other safety job. Advertisement The concern with the room is that they lost their top cornerback, Stephon Gilmore, to free agency. This is a Vikings secondary that was the fifth worst against the pass in 2024, allowing 242 yards per game. There is a ton of potential in the room, but it will all fall on how newcomers Okudah and Rodgers play. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been high on Rodgers all offseason and sees him as an every-down starting corner. OTAs are only in week two, so it's premature to come up with conclusions, but it's fair to say the Vikings' cornerback room has heard the criticism and is ready to prove the NFL wrong. Related: Vikings Named Landing Spot for NFC North Rival Defender Related: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Dealt Josh Allen Comparison by Former Bills Teammate This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Michigan State football extends offer to top 50, 3-star CB Xavier Jackson of Oradell, N.J.
The Spartans have extended an offer to a big-time cornerback prospect in the 2026 class. Xavier Jackson of Oradell, N.J. announced last week that he's received an offer from the Spartans. Jackson posted about his offer from Michigan State on his social media X account. Advertisement Jackson is a three-star cornerback in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. He also holds a recruiting rating of 88 on 247Sports. Jackson ranks as the No. 47 cornerback in 247Sports' rankings for the 2026 class. He is also listed as the No. 9 player from New Jersey. Michigan State joins a long list of schools to offer Jackson, with the prized cornerback holding offers from nearly 20 schools. Other programs to offer Jackson includes Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Syracuse, Purdue, Wake Forest, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Army, Central Michigan, Charlotte, James Madison, Kent State, Liberty, Navy, Temple and UConn. According to 247Sports, Jackson is set to take official visits to Pitt and Minnesota next month. Michigan State will look to also add a visit for Jackson next month should they want to become a true player in his recruitment. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5. This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Spartans offer top 50, 3-star CB Xavier Jackson of Oradell, N.J.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles Ex Standout Linked As Right Fit For Rival
Rasul Douglas was never able to be the kind of consistent starter when he was originally a third round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. He certainly turned himself into one at this point of his journey. Advertisement The 30-year-old corner from New Jersey is entering his 10th season in the league, but is looking for a new team to play for after a successful run with both the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills. Top cornerback play is hard to come by in the league. And while Douglas certainly isn't a top player at his position, he has plenty of experience to be a commodity to teams around the league. Pro Football Focus' Ryan Smith believes Douglas could be a good fit for one specific NFC contender for that very reason. The Minnesota Vikings. "Douglas is coming off a disappointing season in which he ranked 102nd out of 116 qualifying cornerbacks with a 53.9 PFF overall grade," Smith said. "He was strong the previous three years, earning a career-best 81.0 PFF overall grade in 2023. The eight-year veteran has been a ballhawk in the NFL, recording at least seven pass breakups in six different seasons and picking off 14 passes from 2021-2023." Advertisement Douglas has picked off 19 passes in nine seasons around the league including a surprising four for the Bills after being shipped away by the Packers. Philadelphia was never going to be in on the former player in their system. They have too many corners as is. Minnesota does not. And that's why the Vikings may be interested in bringing a former opponent into the mix. Related: Cowboys CeeDee Lamb Rips Eagles Claim As '(Expletive) Dead' Related: Eagles Fans Worried About Ghosts Of Failure?
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will Jets Bench Overpaid Free Agent from Starting Lineup?
The New York Jets may have just spent a lot of money on a cornerback who could be a backup come Week 1. The Jets went into free agency with a clear mission of finding a starting-caliber boundary cornerback to start opposite of Sauce Gardner. Advertisement Just over two months ago, New York signed Baltimore Ravens free agent Brandon Stephens to a contract that makes you think they are committed to pairing him with Gardner for the long haul. His deal was worth $36 million ($22.9 million guaranteed) over three seasons. That marks the second-largest contract given out by the Jets this offseason, behind only new starting quarterback Justin Fields. Stephens' deal, however, is the longest commitment, with Fields' just at two years and all others set at one-year rentals. Sounds like they found their guy, right? Well, the move was greeted with a lot of initial skepticism from pundits online. Advertisement That includes Bleacher Report's Matt Holder, who is now predicting that Stephens won't even crack New York's starting lineup. 'The defense is looking at having at least one new starter at safety and cornerback. While free-agent signing Brandon Stephens is the favorite to start opposite Gardner, don't sleep on [Qwan'tez] Stiggers, who was a CFL All-Star and Rookie of the Year in 2023,' Holder explained. Holder had Qwan'tez Stiggers in the lineup at outside corner after he played in 14 games with one start last season with the Jets. The nickel corner spot was taken by Michael Carter II. Other free agent signings in the running for a starting job are defensive backs Isaiah Oliver and Kris Boyd. More criticism of Stephens' contract refers to his production in recent years not matching the money he was given, calling out the Jets for a massive over-pay. Advertisement Stephens' deal currently puts him as the 24th highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. "Yet, his body of work does not put him anywhere close to that tier of the position,' Michael Nania writes on Jets X-Factor. After he was a 2021 third-round draft pick out of SMU, Stephens has totaled 259 tackles, 32 passes defended and two interceptions. Last season, Stephens graded at a below-average 55.8 overall and a disastrous 50.7 in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. Diving deeper you'll find that Stephens allowed 65-of-96 passes thrown his way to be caught (67.7%). His 806 yards allowed were the second-most among all cornerbacks in the NFL last season. All 222 of them. Advertisement Before his departure, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta sounded pretty non-committal about his free agent. "B-Steve' is a great pro – an awesome attitude, a great teammate. He'd probably say he didn't have as good a year this year, but his attitude never wavered. … He's a free agent, so there is a lot of pressure on him in his mind. We'll have to see what happens with him." What happened? The New York Jets threw him a bag. For $12 million a season, $36 million over three years, and nearly $23 million guaranteed? Fans better hope what happens next is Stephens proves his contract's worth with improved play this season. Advertisement That is, assuming New York will try to get their money's worth by putting him in the starting lineup. After all, new head coach Aaron Glenn is one of the franchise's best cornerbacks ever. Maybe he can fix Stephens' game. If not? The Jets may have the most expensive backup cornerback in the NFL. Related: Jets Earn Surprising Offseason Grade As Glenn Lays Foundation Related: Jets Make Stunning Decision To Cut 16-Year Veteran With All-Pro Resume
