Latest news with #rookie
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Luther Burden won't practice Thursday with soft-tissue injury
The Bears have a bit of an injury concern with one of their key rookies. Head coach Ben Johnson told reporters on Thursday morning that receiver Luther Burden is still dealing with a soft-tissue injury that has lingered from the offseason program and will not practice. But Johnson added he's hopeful that Burden will be sidelined for just a few days. Additionally, Johnson noted Defensive end Shemar Turner suffered an ankle injury at the end of Wednesday's practice and will not be on the field on Thursday. The Bears aren't sure of the injury's severity. Cornerback Zah Frazier will not practice on Thursday due to personal reasons. Finally, Chicago signed defensive back Alex Cook, filling out their roster.
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Astros rookie Cam Smith now takes the later bus to games — and it could shape his career
PHOENIX — Three buses transport the Houston Astros to and from every road ballpark, a transit system based on service time and pregame schedules. Veterans have seats on the final shuttles. Manager Joe Espada, his coaching staff and some rookies ride the first bus, which sometimes departs six hours before first pitch. Advertisement At the beginning of his big league career, Cam Smith never missed the first bus. He is a precisionist with a meticulous pregame routine, but also cognizant of his place within the clubhouse hierarchy. Earlier this month, Smith said he prioritizes being in the batting cage 'before the veteran guys start to step in.' Smith's respect for the sport's status quo is admirable, one of the myriad reasons a man with just 32 games of minor-league experience has made such a seamless transition to major-league life. Prolonging it means protecting Smith from himself. The Astros' 22-year-old wunderkind is walking into uncharted territory, where such a dogged work ethic may do more harm than help. 'It kills him when we tell him that,' first-base coach Dave Clark said. 'He's just such a perfectionist. But he's taken to it. He's starting to understand a little bit.' Two months remain in what is already the longest season of Smith's baseball life, a fact reiterated to the rookie by those around him. Smith's preference is to not change a thing about the routine he's crafted, be it taking the first bus, being early to the batting cages or continuing to learn the intricacies of outfield play alongside Clark. 'Just tell him that he ain't f—ing doing it,' Clark said with a smile. 'Leave it at that. Say, 'Hey, you're not doing it. That's it. Go sit down. Go back inside.' Because if we left it up to him, he'd still be doing it. We just have to make sure we are adamant about what we tell him.' Clark has morphed into one of Smith's most trusted mentors during a season defined by confronting learning curves. The latest is a delicate balancing act, intended to preserve Smith for the future without eliminating his ethos. 'He's in the middle of like, 'Oh my God, OK, I didn't know this. Wow, that's wild,'' bench coach Omar López said. 'It's going to feel a little bit weird when he starts to do stuff differently that he hasn't done in the last three months, but then later on, he's going to see, 'This helped me, so let me do it more often at this point in the season.' He'll figure out how to manage his stuff. Advertisement 'He's 22 and wants to play all the way to 39, 40. The first five years are the most important.' Smith is 13 months removed from playing in the College World Series for Florida State. He never took more than 322 plate appearances or played in more than 66 games in any collegiate season, all of which contained ample off days with limited travel. Even Smith's draft year only featured a combined 98 games and 384 plate appearances between college and the Chicago Cubs' minor-league system. Carrying him on the Opening Day roster this year all but assured Smith would shatter those benchmarks. He has already appeared in 88 games and accrued 349 plate appearances — and he's feeling the effects. 'He does not look as fresh as he did on Opening Day,' Clark acknowledged, claiming the club's recent trip through Colorado and Los Angeles took a bigger toll on Smith than others. 'He's getting used to it, but (if) we start to see maybe he's a step slower or his bat is dragging a little bit or he's not running like he normally runs, we'll just shut him down.' Houston does not have that luxury, but even if it did, it is far from the team's intent. Tailoring Smith's pre- or postgame workload is the priority. Smith is taking fewer swings in the batting cage and has stopped daily work with Clark in the outfield, though the duo still throws to bases or tracks fly balls 'a couple times a week,' Smith said. 'He needs to understand it's a ramp-up, then you get to the middle and stay there,' López said. 'You're going to get some ups and downs when you get to the middle, but then the whole idea is not to go all the way down. It's to stay right there before you ramp up and finish strong.' Few coaches are better equipped to counsel Smith than López and Clark. López is an Astros lifer who managed for 12 seasons within the club's minor-league system, where he guided several players in Smith's predicament. Advertisement Clark parlayed his 13-year playing career into 15 years of coaching, including two stints on the Astros' staff. Clark's first Astros tenure included teaching Michael Bourn: another excitable young outfielder he needed to temper. 'He comes out (and) wants to run down every fly ball when he's not hitting, and I had to make him stop doing that,' Clark said. 'I said, 'You hit, you go inside.' I know you're not a 10-year vet, but you make sure you go in and get your rest.' Smith is in impeccable shape and follows a strict diet, but many big leaguers can make the same claims. Adjusting to the travel, constant changes in time zones and quick turnarounds after a night game require more than the regimented routine Smith has. 'I think I've found a good routine to do in the weight room just to get my body ready, and I feel good every day,' said Smith, who lifts weights twice per week. 'I think I've found something I can rely on for now until I have to adjust, but I've been feeling good every day.' Smith did not start Wednesday's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks, part of manager Joe Espada's plan to protect the young outfielder as his workload grows. Smith has just eight hits in his past 57 at-bats, prompting an obvious question of whether the volume has caught up with him. Acquiring a left-handed hitting outfielder before the trade deadline could be beneficial if the Astros continue monitoring Smith's workload. General manager Dana Brown acknowledged as much during an appearance on the team's pregame radio show last week. Welcoming back injured outfield prospect Jacob Melton, another left-handed hitter, could serve the same purpose. Isaac Paredes' hamstring injury has already heightened Brown's desire to add another bat before the July 31 deadline, but even if he does, Smith will remain an everyday player. Ensuring that continues is crucial, even if it means breaking from precedent. 'It is tough, but having the coaches talk to me about it makes me realize, 'OK, maybe I should take a step back and show up a little bit later than I have been,'' Smith said. 'Nowadays it's not a bad idea to catch the second bus.'
New York Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Giants determined to remain patient with Jaxson Dart, embrace idea of redshirt season
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jaxson Dart appears to already be the beneficiary of a luxury not many NFL rookies are afforded: time. Though the New York Giants expect big things from the quarterback they drafted No. 25 in April, they've made it clear they don't expect them right away. Instead, they're practicing patience with their first-round pick and effectively hoping to make Dart's rookie campaign a redshirt season. Advertisement At least, that's the plan. For now, the Giants are Russell Wilson's team. Coach Brian Daboll made that clear Wednesday. 'These guys will be out here competing, but Russ is our starter,' Daboll said of the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback. With Jameis Winston a capable backup option, the pressure should be off Dart, the franchise's first drafted quarterback since the 2019 selection of Daniel Jones. However, though the Giants want to give Dart time to develop, Giants fans are eager to see what he can do. 'Let's go, Dart' chants could be heard as the QB took the field Wednesday for his first seven-on-seven reps of training camp. Though fans might want a glimpse of the future, the Giants aren't in a hurry to show it to them. In the Giants' ideal world, which means a season's worth of quality play from Wilson without any significant injuries, Dart wouldn't have to play much, if at all, this year. Remember, a key member of the coaching staff has experience with the redshirt method. Assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka's first NFL coaching gig was with the Kansas City Chiefs as an offensive quality control coach during Patrick Mahomes' rookie season. Mahomes played just one game in late December before the Chiefs traded QB Alex Smith in the offseason. Mahomes took over the starting job the next year. You know what happened next. 'I think there's some real benefits from sitting and learning, specifically from some of the guys in the room that have the experience that they have,' Giants general manager Joe Schoen said Wednesday. 'But if the coaching staff at some point feels it's right and (Dart's) ready, then I'll leave that up to them. 'We've got a really good offensive staff, and when they feel he's ready, the time's right or the circumstance is right, then we'll have those conversations.' Advertisement No one is expecting Dart to be Mahomes, but the year of development time certainly seemed to help Mahomes adjust to the NFL. Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love offer similar success stories. The Giants are hoping Dart can join their ranks. But that's if things go to plan. That hasn't often been the case for a franchise that's gone a combined 9-25 over the past two seasons. Then factor in that the Giants face maybe the toughest schedule in the league, and the path looks harder for the Giants to produce sustained success long enough before coaches feel forced to make the transition to Dart. But until that time comes, Dart's focus will simply be on getting better and adjusting to the NFL game. There are going to be bumps in the road, as we saw Wednesday when Dart's very first 11-on-11 attempt was intercepted by cornerback Nic Jones. Dart told The Athletic's Ian O'Connor that he didn't see Jones there. 'I just felt like I could beat him with the throw,' Dart said. 'Obviously, going back, you want to try to put it a little on the outside shoulder. That's just the closing speed of the NFL. You do your best to try to get used to it because there are a lot of really, really good athletes out here.' Jaxson Dart's first 11-on-11 pass was intercepted by Nic Jones. Jones took Dart to the house for six two plays later 😳 🎥 @ — The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) July 23, 2025 Two plays later, Dart threw a touchdown pass to tight end Theo Johnson. The QB finished the red zone-focused 11-on-11 period 1-of-5 passing. When it comes to the evaluation of Dart's development, Daboll will be looking at how Dart responds to his mistakes. 'What you evaluate is: Are you an error repeater? Do you make the same mistake the next day and then the next day?' Daboll said. 'And if that's the case, it's hard to put a player out there who does that. If they're learning from their mistakes, which all players are going to learn from them, but these young players, they got to learn quick.' Advertisement Throughout the spring, Daboll said Dart was the type of player who doesn't often make the same mistake twice. Now we'll see how that progresses in camp and whether Dart plays well enough to overtake Winston for the No. 2 job before the season starts. Dart took just one first-team rep Wednesday but otherwise rotated with Winston with the second team. 'Jaxson's a guy who puts the time in, has got the right qualities,' Daboll said. 'He'll continue to get better day by day, and that's what we're going to ask of him.'
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Travis Hunter tracker: Jacksonville Jaguars rookie plays mostly offense to open training camp
Some internet critics during the Jacksonville Jaguars OTAs and minicamp questioned how seriously first-round rookie Travis Hunter was taking the NFL, since he was spotted a few times joking with teammates and dancing to the background music at practice. Here's their answer: On the first day of training camp on Wednesday, July 23, Hunter was the first position player on the practice field. And he wasn't jogging around catching passes: Hunter was working with a coach on blocking techniques, pounding on a small sled. Is that serious enough? Hunter had a solid first day of camp, wearing a teal offense jersey and staying on that side of the ball for almost the entire practice. He did not drop a pass, either in drills or team periods and even put the work on blocking to good use on his first 11-on-11 play, when he successfully screened out veteran Jourdon Lewis on a running play. Jaguars coach Liam Coen gave a hint about how Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner for his two-way exploits at wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado, will be used during the beginning of camp. 'We'll probably ... give him a couple days offense, couple days defense, and then give him an opportunity to go flip-flop within the same practice," Coen said. "And then that will kind of become the norm. The whole camp's mapped out. Every single moment ... every single minute that he is in the building, it is accounted for ... trying to make sure that we maximize his time, our time, so we can ultimately get the best outcome.' Training camp No. 1 for Travis Hunter On Day 1, here's how the Jaguars used Hunter: Offense: Hunter had 14 reps in team drills: nine during 11-on-11 and five during 7-on-7. Hunter caught all three passes that were targeted for him, a bubble screen, an out pattern and a ball over the middle where he made a leaping catch. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw all three passes. Defense: Hunter spent an entire special teams period with secondary coach Ron Milus and two team staffers on footwork and other aspects of pass coverage. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter: Jacksonville Jaguars rookie takes team reps on offense
Al Arabiya
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Cardinals rookie 1st-round pick dl walter nolen iii will 'miss some time' because of a calf injury
Arizona Cardinals rookie first-round pick Walter Nolen III has a calf injury and is expected to miss some time, coach Jonathan Gannon said on Wednesday. The defensive lineman was the No. 16 overall pick out of Ole Miss in April's draft. Gannon said that Nolen injured the calf while working out and preparing for the season. The 21-year-old is expected to be a big part of the Cardinals revamped defensive line as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The Cardinals were 8-9 last season, which was a four-win improvement over the previous season. Gannon said he didn't know if Nolen's injury would linger into the regular season. One of Arizona's first-round picks last season – defensive lineman Darius Robinson – struggled with a calf injury that caused him to miss more than half of his rookie season. 'I really don't like to compare injuries, but (Nolen) hurt his calf,' Gannon said. 'It's a little different injury and they're obviously different people, so he's working hard to get back.' Gannon also said that defensive lineman Bilal Nichols (neck) and linebacker BJ Ojulari (knee) will be out at the beginning of camp as they continue to recover from injuries they suffered last season.
