Latest news with #offensiveLine
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Steelers Sign 3-Time Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman
Pittsburgh Steelers Sign 3-Time Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman originally appeared on The Spun. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense in general hasn't looked its best through the early days of training camp. But a new addition to the offensive line could help. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Steelers are signing three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Andrus Peat to a one-year contract. They have also signed journeyman Logan Woodside to a similar deal. "Steelers signed G Andrus Peat and QB Logan Woodside to one-year contracts," he wrote on X. Peat was a first-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2015 NFL Draft. He quickly earned the starting left guard job in New Orleans and within a few years emerges as one of the league's best. Between 2018 and 2020, Peat was selected to three straight Pro Bowls despite missing 12 games spread over the three seasons. He signed a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2024 offseason and played in 15 games for the team last season. It remains to be seen how much high level football peat still has in him, but if he has any, he can be quite a boost for the team. Woodside has bounced around the league since 2018. He has completed four of seven passes for 34 yards and an interception during his career. Reaction Fans aren't all that convinced that signing Peat will do much help for the Steelers. Many seem to believe that Aaron Rodgers is just too old and washed-up to lead the team to the promised land: "Steelers still gonna be trash. Rodgers is washed," one user replied. "That's really gonna be the difference maker for Pittsburgh right here," another mocked. "Oh good. An old injury prone guard and a career backup QB," a third wrote. "Steelers are gonna be disappointed in Rodgers." Not every move is the difference between a Super Bowl and the first-overall draft pick though. Can the signing of Peat be a boon to the Steelers? Pittsburgh Steelers Sign 3-Time Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman first appeared on The Spun on Aug 7, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Minnesota Vikings Add More Depth to OL
The last few seasons the Minnesota Vikings offensive and defensive lines have been talking points. No, not the good kind either. Kevin O'Connell has a strong roster that is ready to win now. That doesn't mean he shouldn't have contingency plans in place. Last season Minnesota needed to swing a trade for tackle Cam Robinson after Christian Darrisaw suffered a season-ending injury. This time around they have veteran Justin Skule in tow, but Matt Nelson joins him as another potential option. Matt Nelson signs with Minnesota Vikings Ideally the Minnesota Vikings wouldn't need any help at either of their tackle positions. Brian O'Neill and Christian Darrisaw are among the best bookends across the entire league. If depth is to be called upon though, they have at least continued to make that a focus. Related Headlines Minnesota Twins Trade Two Relievers at Last Minute Timberwolves Bring Back Fan Favorite Uniform; Tease Full Rebrand Chicago Cubs Stop at Twins Garage Sale for Willi Castro Matt Nelson joins the Vikings after playing his first four NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions. Undrafted out of Iowa, he has 43 professional games under his belt and has drawn 14 starts. He originally worked as a defensive tackle for Detroit, but shifted to right tackle in 2021 and started 11 of the 13 games he played that season. He was signed by the New York Giants in March of 2024 but was a roster cut in August and didn't play in the league last year. Related: Minnesota waived Alexander Williams to make room for the new tackle. Williams started his college career in 2018 with Ohio State, and finished it by playing six games for Middle Tennessee State last season. Related Headlines Minnesota Twins Trade Two Relievers at Last Minute Timberwolves Bring Back Fan Favorite Uniform; Tease Full Rebrand Chicago Cubs Stop at Twins Garage Sale for Willi Castro
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former All-Pro Publicly Calls Detroit Lions' Penei Sewell Overrated
While they were once viewed as the NFL's laughingstock, no one is poking any fun at the Detroit Lions anymore. Head coach Dan Campbell has drastically turned around the culture in the Lions' locker room, and one of the roster-building aspects he's placed great emphasis on is reinforcing the offensive line. One of those investments came in the form of selecting Penei Sewell seventh overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. We typically see top-10 selections reserved for left tackles, but Lions general manager took no issue with selecting Sewell and plugging him in at right tackle instead. Either way, the move has paid off in a big way, with Sewell coming away with three Pro Bowl nods plus two All-Pro selections in four seasons with the Lions. He was also recently ranked second in an ESPN poll that went out to NFL executives, coaches, and players. Yet, former All-Pro Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz doesn't think as highly of Sewell as some of his NFL peers do. While he could have kept that opinion to himself, Schwartz decided to go on a Twitter rant about the Lions' starting right tackle, specifically criticizing Sewell's performance in pass protection. 'Whoever is running Sewell's PR firm needs a raise. I don't care how good of a run blocker you are, being an average or above average pass blocker means you aren't the best at your side or the 2nd best overall tackle. Everyone is going to think I hate Sewell, I don't, he's still the 2nd best RT for me. He's just not good enough to be getting the accolades and praise he currently is.' Mitchell Schwartz on Penei Sewell Schwartz believes other linemen, such as Philadelphia's Lane Johnson, Tampa Bay's Tristan Wirfs, and San Francisco's Trent Williams, all deserve more credit than Sewell, particularly because he places a great amount of weight on how linemen perform in pass protection. Wirfs did rank No. 1 in ESPN's survey, while Johnson and Williams came in third and fourth place, respectively. For the record, Sewell only allowed one sack last season, but Pro Football Focus still had him with just a 74.1 pass-block grade, which ranked 39th among tackles. PFF's grading system would certainly match Schwartz's critique of Sewell. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Sewell ranked as the second-best run-blocking tackle, which is likely why he receives so much praise as a key cog in the highest-scoring offense in the NFL a season ago. Related: Related Headlines Manny Pacquiao's next fight: 46-year-old 'Pacman' returns for title fight this weekend Max Holloway next fight: 'Blessed' defends BMF belt against a UFC legend this Saturday Dustin Poirier next fight: 'The Diamond' is back for the final time at UFC 318 this Saturday Baltimore Orioles game today: TV details and start times for upcoming 2025 Orioles schedule
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Amedgadjie, Trapilo Look To Take Over As The Bears' Left Tackle
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 22: Braxton Jones #70 of the Chicago Bears reacts after an apparent ... More injury against the Detroit Lionsduring the second quarter at Soldier Field on December 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by) Braxton Jones was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2022 draft after spending his college career with the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, who play in the Big Sky Conference. He would have been a success if he started one NFL game but somehow enters his fourth season having been a full-time starter since his arrival. Yet it seems nobody except the forensic analysts who break down game films has ever truly bought into his ability to protect a quarterback's blind side. After all, how solid can any of the linemen be given the collapsing pockets in front of Caleb Williams and Justin Fields? To make matters more precarious for Jones, the 310-pound tackle broke his left fibula in gruesome fashion last December, forcing him to be carted off at Soldier Field. He's first going to have to show he's healthy when training camp begins, then win back his position. A three- or possibly four-headed battle for the No. 1 left tackle's job is among the intriguing storylines that will play out in three exhibition games and shared practices where they will scrimmage with the Dolphins and Bills. General Manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson overhauled the interior of the offensive line in March by importing Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman and used a second-round pick to select a versatile lineman, the 6-8 Ozzy Trapilo from Boston College. It's notable they didn't target the tackle spot more significantly. That's a sign they haven't given up on Jones' ability to line up opposite right tackle Darnell Wright, a 2023 first-rounder entering his third season. Jones has consistently received solid grades from Pro Football Focus. He ranked 21st among 81 qualifying tackles in his 12 games last season after ranking 19th as a rookie and 31st in 2023. His 80.8 pass-blocking grade in '24 was a career high. PFF reports he allowed a pressure on a career-low 6.4 percent of pass plays. The massive Wright (6-6, 330) was a four-year starter at Tennessee and played more than 1,000 snaps in both of his NFL seasons, missing only one game to injury. He made a notable step forward toward future Pro Bowl consideration in 2024. PFF graded him 16th among 81 qualifying tackles after ranking him 52nd as a rookie. But Wright's best trait was run-blocking, which may be why he isn't immediately being viewed as competition for Jones at left tackle. With Jones not yet cleared to practice, Johnson and Poles gave both second-year tackle Kiran Amegadjie and Trapilo first-team reps at left tackle this spring. . There's a clear battle between the two to see who becomes the leading alternate if Jones can't reclaim his spot. Amegadjie is listed as 6-5, 326 pounds. He played at Yale, where his junior season was ended early due to surgery to repair a torn tendon in his quad, and was viewed as a project when Poles selected him in the third round of the 2024 draft. Amegadjie played only a total of 125 snaps in six games last season but has impressed with his off-season work. He seems like a reach as a starter, as PFF ranked him 125th among 130 tackles last season. Trapilo started at left tackle for Boston College in 2022 but moved to right tackle for his final two seasons. He could be an ideal depth piece on both sides of the line but Johnson is giving him a chance to start at left tackle. 'The cool thing to see is Ozzy, for a guy that's a young player, he's really polished in terms of the mental aspect of the game,' Johnson told reporters during OTAs. 'We're looking to key up some things, quicken up his steps, his identification process, and Kiran's done a nice job for the little bit we're had him as well.'' Johnson says he's 'pretty comfortable' keeping Wright on the right side of the line. But if he and his line coaches believe Trapilo has a better chance to succeed on that side they could experiment with Wright on the left side. 'To me, the No. 1 job of an offensive tackle — doesn't matter right or left — is to pass protect,' Johnson said. 'You need to be able to block their best pass rusher one-on-one … We've got to find out who the best pass protector is, the most consistent pass protector, and really that's for all five guys up front.' Motivation won't be a problem for Jones when he is cleared to return. He's been a high-motor player since his days at Southern Utah, and that doesn't figure to change with him positioned for a lucrative long-term contract if he can retain his position in an upgraded line. There will be higher-profile position battles in other camps but much of the focus in Chicago is on what's happening at left tackle. Jones will get first dibs when he returns but the Bears look positioned to move forward if he doesn't look like himself when he gets back on the field.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals called out for surprising biggest remaining need before camp
When one thinks of remaining needs for the Cincinnati Bengals, the offensive line takes center stage after a generally agreed-upon underwhelming showing there this offseason. But need is a tricky word, as one could easily suggest the Bengals need pass-rushers to help the rebuilding defense, given the pesky holdouts of first-round pick Shemar Stewart and Trey Hendrickson. Advertisement That's the route Josh Edwards of CBS Sports takes when outlining every biggest remaining need for all 32 teams: 'Cincinnati selected Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart with its first-round choice, which many presumed would check off a need for the organization. Stewart and veteran Trey Hendrickson have held out of all team activities to this point. Both joining the fold would alleviate concerns about the position.' RELATED: Cincinnati Bengals' 53-man roster projection following 2025 offseason Right now, the Bengals still fixing both issues seems likely. There's a spat over contractual language with Stewart that should eventually end in a compromise. And there's an impasse on length and/or guarantees in Hendrickson's extension that, likewise, should see a compromise soon. Advertisement The sooner the better with training camp looming, of course. But Stewart and Hendrickson should eventually be in camp and on the field next season. As for a spot like guard, the Bengals are leaving it to a journeyman like Lucas Patrick, a rookie like Dylan Fairchild and/or a pseudo backup like Cody Ford. Unlike already rostering Hendrickson and Stewart, there's no viable alternative left on the open market or otherwise. RELATED: Joe Burrow feelings on Trey Hendrickson contract standoff revealed This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals called out for surprising biggest remaining need before camp
