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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Browns Send Strong Message to Shedeur Sanders After First NFL Practice
Shedeur Sanders had a rough first pass at Cleveland Browns rookie minicamp on Friday, then turned things around to end with a stellar day -- and a nod of approval from his new team. Sanders took an unexpected slide down the NFL draft board, falling all the way to the Browns in the fifth round after once being projected as a potential Top 5 overall pick. The former Colorado quarterback had a lot to prove as the first practices kicked off on Friday, falling behind veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett on the depth chart and taking second-team snaps behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. Advertisement ESPN reporter Brad Stainbrook noted that Sanders appeared to outplay Gabriel on the day. "Yes, it's just the first day of rookie minicamp — but Shedeur Sanders looked sharper than Dillon Gabriel," Stainbrook shared in a post on X. "This is only the beginning. The competition is real, and it's going to be one of the stories of the season." The Browns send a message to Sanders after his stellar day, posting a video of his touchdown pass to running back Quinshon Judkins along with a strong message. "S² + Q = 6" the team wrote in the post's caption. Sanders has plenty of support from the organization and mentor Tom Brady, who said he told the former Colorado standout to use his draft slide as motivation. Brady said he told Sanders to use his first NFL experiences as a fresh start to prove himself. Advertisement "I actually texted Shedeur because I know him very well," Brady told Logan Paul on the "IMPAULSIVE" podcast. "And I said, 'Dude, like whatever happens, wherever you go, that's your first day. Day 2 matters more than the draft.' I was 199. So, who can speak on it better than me? Like what that really means. Use it as motivation, you're going to get your chances, go take advantage of it." Related: Shedeur Sanders Roasted After Rough Start at Browns Rookie Minicamp
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Raiders' flier on free agent Jaylon Smith is a sign of an unsettled linebacker corps
HENDERSON, Nev. — It made sense that the Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 draft picks practicing for the first time received most of the attention at rookie minicamp last week, but coach Pete Carroll was also considering making changes to the roster. The Raiders had over 70 players participate in the three-day camp, including undrafted rookies and veterans vying for roster spots. Advertisement On Monday, after the front office had time to deliberate, the Raiders made a series of transactions. They let go of receivers Tyreik McAllister and Kristian Wilkerson, offensive tackle Dominic Boyd, defensive tackle Matthew Butler and linebackers Brandon Smith and Amari Burney. Those moves made room to sign receivers Ketron Jackson Jr. and Key'Shawn Smith, defensive end Jahfari Harvey, linebackers Jaylon Smith and Wesley Steiner and safety Jonathan Sutherland. Of the newcomers, Jaylon Smith stood out the most. The soon-to-be 30-year-old was once a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker, but he spent 2024 out of football. Ironically, his last game action came when he played one game for the Raiders in 2023. Smith has familiarity with defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's system. Besides his brief stint in 2023, he started 11 games for the New York Giants when Graham was their DC back in 2022. That was the last time he played multiple games in a season. It's hard to know what to make of Smith at this point in his career. The last time he played significant snaps, he was inconsistent both as a run defender and in pass coverage. The fact that the Raiders are still taking a flier on him speaks to the precarious situation in their linebacker corps. After losing starters Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo in free agency, they signed Elandon Roberts and Devin White, who would likely be the starters if the season began today. 'Devin, obviously, I have a ton of familiarity from my time in Tampa with him,' general manager John Spytek said in March. 'I still maintain that, other than Von Miller in the Super Bowl run in 2015, what Devin did in the 2020 playoffs is the best I've ever seen a defensive player play. It was incredible.' Roberts has been a solid starting mike linebacker for years now. Defensive line coach Rob Leonard overlapped with Roberts in Miami for two seasons when he was an assistant on the Dolphins staff. Assistant defensive line coach Kenyon Jackson also coached him with the Dolphins in 2021, and defensive assistant/linebackers coach Ty McKenzie worked with him on the Dolphins in 2022, so there's plenty of familiarity with the coaching staff. Advertisement 'Knowing some people in the building brings a certain level of calmness,' Roberts said in March. A major blemish in Roberts' game has been pass coverage. That's largely why he's never played more than 59 percent of his team's defensive snaps in a single season. To be a difference maker, he'll need to shore up that area of his game. 'Being physical and being that type of player, you have to take into account that teams know that,' Roberts said. 'When you're a downhill guy, they might do a lot of play action, a lot of bootlegs, they'll try to slow you down by doing draw plays and stuff like that. So, you've just got to be cognizant of that.' White hardly played last season and hasn't been an effective starter since 2022. Not only has he struggled in pass coverage, but he has also fallen off as a run defender and pass rusher. 'I know what he's capable of,' Spytek said. 'He's had a little bit of a rough spot in his career here, but he's 27 and he's a good dude. It's good to give him a chance to maybe revitalize himself a bit. … We see Elandon as the mike (linebacker) and Devin as the will. They're two guys that can run and hit you and love to play.' Despite Spytek's encouraging words, linebacker stood out as a major need for the Raiders entering the draft. Despite that, they passed on addressing the position until they took Cody Lindenberg of Minnesota in the seventh round. 'I'm athletic and intelligent. I think I can do everything on the football field that linebackers are required to do and more,' Lindenberg said last month. 'Knowing my keys (and) taking the first step in the right direction before anybody else does on the football field. So then once I get in that right spot, I'll be able to make the play with my hard work and God-given abilities.' Learn more about one of the leaders and driving forces behind Minnesota's defense: Cody Lindenberg.#RaiderNationhttps:// — Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 27, 2025 Lindenberg has good size at 6-foot-2, 236 pounds, and was a three-year starter at mike linebacker in college. He has the speed and athleticism to hang at will linebacker, which is where he has a clearer path to carving out a role. 'I think he's a great fit,' Raiders director of college scouting Brandon Yeargan said last month. 'He's a high-character, high-intangible guy. He's tough, he's competitive. I think he's got really good value in the kicking game, too, so I think he's going to be a good addition to that room.' Advertisement Lindenberg is part of a group of wildly inexperienced linebackers on the roster. Tommy Eichenberg and Amari Gainer are second-year players who made the 53-man roster last season but barely played. Then there are three UDFAs in Matt Jones, Jailin Walker and Steiner. In an ideal world, one of those young linebackers would grow into a starting-caliber player. If that doesn't happen, however, then the Raiders will need a career resurgence from Smith and/or White. The Raiders entered the offseason with more holes than they could realistically fill with outside additions. Essentially, they're betting on the developmental skills of Carroll and the coaching staff to bridge the gaps. 'This is not a different process than the last couple times I had a shot at it,' Carroll said in February. 'We've got a lot of philosophy and approach that is unique to the way we do things. That takes some time to get that going. The urgency is there. It's so obvious. But yet, there's so much teaching and learning that's going on that's really exciting to me. So we'll see how it goes.'
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Bears rookie minicamp takeaways: Coaches offer early impressions of draft picks
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has been in the NFL for 23 years. He's got six seasons of head coaching — with two different teams — under his belt. It's probably fair to trust him when he sets the tone about rookie minicamp. 'Look, obviously, rookie minicamp, we're just getting into the introduction phase of what we're doing with these young guys, so we're not going to get into a lot of instant reactions in terms of how everybody's doing,' he said Saturday at Halas Hall. 'These guys are out here excited about working … and we're excited about working with them.' Advertisement We don't want to completely downplay the first opportunity to see the rookies on the field in Bears uniforms, but it's a nice reminder that there's only so much we can glean from the sideline. The coaches know how well the rookies are picking up the playbook and handling their assignments. One way the 2025 class of rookies aimed to prove themselves after Day 1 of rookie minicamp was meeting up in position groups at the hotel to go over the playbook. That initiative had to impress the coaches. Squad up, 🐻⬇️ — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 11, 2025 'We wanted to have a better practice today as a whole group and not just one person,' fifth-round corner Zah Frazier said. 'That's how we're repping each other, you know, no man left behind.' Fourth-rounder Ruben Hyppolite II helped get the linebackers together to help show improvement for the weekend practices. 'We got together, went over some of the install and then, for myself, just went over the install on the iPad, writing down, taking notes, doing what I do best and locking in and maintaining,' he said. 'I spent like an hour and some change last night just going through everything again before coming out today. Just want to be prepared and ready to go.' Rookie minicamp might be a little more of what we heard than what we saw, and over the weekend, we got to meet with Bears coordinators for the first time since the draft. At the end of the 2024 season, Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was in his office in Denver as the Broncos' tight ends coach when he started watching film of Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. His first reaction? 'He's competitive,' Doyle said. 'He's super competitive. … I was like, 'Man, I would love to be able to coach this guy.'' What stood out to Doyle, presumably in addition to Loveland's ability to separate and make big-time catches, was that competitiveness, reflected best at how he finishes the play. Advertisement 'I think that you see him finishing at a high rate and you'll see him jaw a little bit at whoever he is playing against,' Doyle said. 'That's the biggest thing that stands out is just his ability to finish and his willingness to play through the whistle.' Doyle was with the Saints when they drafted tight end Adam Trautman in the third round in 2020, who then headed to Denver to reunite with Doyle and coach Sean Payton. Having worked under Payton, Doyle probably has a good sense of how tight ends can be used as a weapon. Payton had a pretty good one in Jimmy Graham. Loveland is at practice with a helmet, doing a few things, but still isn't full-go. 'He's really inquisitive and he's very involved just right from the tip,' Doyle said. Just Lovely — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 10, 2025 Second-round wide receiver Luther Burden III had the highlight of Saturday's practice when he hauled in a deep ball, but he came down hard on the ball and was slow to get up. He returned Sunday and participated in the final practice of rookie minicamp. As far as Doyle's evaluation of the former Missouri wideout, it mirrors what we heard from head coach Ben Johnson. 'He's an explosive athlete,' he said. 'He's really exciting. His tape was really impressive in college. He's a playmaker and when the ball's in his hands, he was one of the best guys that we evaluated in this process.' Burrrr Down 🐻⬇️ — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 9, 2025 Veterans are in the middle of their offseason training program. They had three days of practices in April, and otherwise have been limited to strength and conditioning, and classroom work. That's allowed Doyle to get to know his quarterback, Caleb Williams. Something Williams did last weekend, in the dead time of the NFL calendar, caught Doyle's eye. Advertisement 'He is very eager to do work, he's here after hours. He's really trying to get it right. We're giving him scripts. He came in last Saturday and he's in the indoor (facility), trying to walk through it by himself,' Doyle said. 'I think it's really important to him that he gets it right. I think his teammates can feel that. I think his teammates feel a guy that's trying to take the next step. It's been a really positive exposure thus far.' The Bears' first practice as a full team begins in two weeks with OTAs. Year 2 loading 📶 — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 8, 2025 Allen likes second-round pick Shemar Turner a lot. He talked about the athleticism, the explosion and power, and that Turner's 'got the right temperament for what we're looking for.' Then the Texas native gave us a metaphor for how they'll bring Turner along. 'I think we'll have to put the saddle on him and break him a little bit but we'd rather have to pull the reins back rather than have to whip him to get him to go,' Allen said. 'We're excited about working with him.' That career for Turner will begin at defensive tackle. While he played end earlier in his career at Texas A&M — also Allen's alma mater — Turner is best-suited, for now, inside. 'The first thing we got to do is we got to play him in at defensive tackle and let him learn there, let him develop there, both as a three-technique and a nose, and then we'll worry about trying to see that flexibility,' Allen said. 'From a skill set standpoint, yeah, he's got some flexibility. We'll just have to see what he can learn, how quickly he can learn and adapt to what we're doing.' The best thing going for Frazier is his size — 6-foot-3 with 32 7/8-inch arms. Allen said, who better to learn the position from than secondary coach Al Harris, the former 6-foot-1 corner? Advertisement Frazier said that Harris is working with him on his stance, and there was already a pass break-up on the stat sheet for Frazier. On a deep ball down the left sideline for first-year receiver John Jackson, Frazier was able to make a play. 'I was press-man. He gave me a good release,' Frazier said. 'I kinda, I stabbed him. I just played my technique and I didn't panic. And once you don't panic, good things happen. So that was a good thing, having a little PBU. I want the ball, though.' Getting the ball was something Frazier did at a high level last year at UTSA when he had a school-record six interceptions. 'Probably the biggest thing is you got a big, long press corner that can run,' Allen said. 'He made a play out there today along the left sidelines — defensively, as you look at it — and that's kind of what we saw with him. Here's another guy that's a young, developmental corner. He's got a lot of things that he's got to learn, but he's got the tools for us to work with.' Offensive lineman Luke Newman earned the Bears' interest because of his positional versatility, particularly at center during the East-West Shrine Game. But the Bears narrowed his focus this past weekend at Halas Hall. 'So since I got here, majority focus has been at left guard but obviously that versatility was a huge reason why I was drafted, why I'm here,' Newman said. 'And I look forward to working the other spots, right guard, center as well. I think working the interior three will kind of be my main focus going forward. I have the tackle background but obviously working interior three is going to be a major focus.' Big guys at work 😤 — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 11, 2025 Newman said he feels natural at guard. He started on the left side at Michigan State last season after being a tackle at Holy Cross. But it's apparent that playing center intrigues him. 'Intellectually, obviously, it's a new playbook here,' he said. 'There's an adjustment period for that as well. But I really think that center, all in all, fits more of my body type. It's kind of more of what my strengths are. Obviously, I have that guard flexibility as well. But I really look forward to learning and adapting to center a lot more.' Advertisement The brash and direct coaching style of running backs coach Eric Bieniemy was on display during rookie minicamp. Running back Kyle Monangai, the Bears' final draft pick this year, is happy to be on the receiving end of it. 'He's a legend, No. 1, to begin with, just knowing his history, the people he's coached, the teams he's been a part of,' Monangai said. 'And he's really insightful, a great coach, gets me ready for practice every day. I'm excited for the future of what he's going to be able to teach me, and being able to work with him.' Monangai caught only 38 passes over five seasons at Rutgers but he's looking at the Bears' offseason program, which included rookie minicamp, as an opportunity to show Bieniemy and the rest of the coaching staff that he will be a threat out of the backfield. 'I didn't get as many opportunities to do it in college,' he said. 'I wish I could've, but my role on the team wasn't that. So whatever my role is going to be that Coach Johnson wants to put me in, Coach Doyle wants to put me in, if I can showcase that, then I'll showcase that. But it's definitely something that I work on each day.' (Photo of Luther Burden III (87): David Banks / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steelers to Try Out Massive Hawaiian Offensive Lineman
The Pittsburgh Steelers have invited massive Hawaiian offensive lineman Gareth Warren to participate in the team's rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, the Lindenwood football program announced on Thursday. Warren is a 6-foot-5 1/2, 328-pound offensive lineman from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii who started at Lindenwood, which is in Lake Charles, Missouri, in 2021, the program's final season at the NCAA Division II level. In 2022, Warren and Lindenwood moved up, becoming members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Advertisement Warren made four starts and played six games as a true freshman in 2021, earning All-GLVC third-team honors. In 2022, he started all 10 games at left guard and was an All-OVC second-team selection. For his junior season in 2023, Warren switched from left guard out to left tackle. The transition was a smooth one, as he allowed just two sacks on the season, per Pro Football Focus. In 2024, Warren and the Lions offensive line helped pave the way for an OVC-best 173.7 yards per game. After the season, he was invited to participate in the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he was first scouted by the Steelers. Gareth Warren, East-West Shrine Bowl Warren showed solid testing numbers in the pre-draft process, posting a 7.10 Relative Athletic Score out of 10, boosted by a 30-inch vertical and a 9-foot-2 broad jump. Advertisement Warren's flexibility as a guard or tackle could help him at the next Steelers will invite a number of players to tryouts for their three-day rookie minicamp, which will be held the second weekend of May at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Over the last few seasons, the Steelers have typically signed one or two players to contracts from rookie camp invitees. Among the team's rookie camp tryout successes have been quarterback Devlin Hodges in 2019. Last year, vets Anthony Averett and Jonathan Ward made the team after trying out at rookie camp. Warren is the 12th player to be revealed as a tryout, joining Pitt outside linebacker Nate Matlack, Rhode Island RB/WR Tommy Smith, William & Mary (Penn Hills) QB/WR Hollis Mathis, New Hampshire (Mt. Lebanon) quarterback Seth Morgan, Central Michigan (Thomas Jefferson) center Dom Serapiglia, Slippery Rock defensive back Eddie Faulkner IV, James Madison wide receiver Omarion Dollison, Notre Dame special teamer Max Hurleman, South Carolina linebacker Debo Williams and Arkansas safety Jayden Johnson. This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers to Try Out Massive Hawaiian Offensive Lineman
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chargers' Jim Harbaugh Gets Heartwarming Surprise at Rookie Minicamp
The Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs last season and brought in an intriguing draft class this offseason that included North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton among other college football standouts. The Chargers' new players got their opportunities to spend time with coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff this weekend at rookie minicamp, which wrapped up on Sunday in El Segundo, California. Advertisement The last day of minicamp also happened to coincide with perfect weather and one of the year's most cherished holidays, Mother's Day, which Harbaugh was able to celebrate in special fashion on Sunday as he received a surprise from his mother Jacqueline. Jim Harbaugh at a May 7 press conference in El Segundo, California. © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images "Mother's Day surprise," the Chargers' X account wrote with a yellow heart emoji on Sunday. The account shared a video of Jacqueline Harbaugh and her youngest son embracing on the field as Jim's father Jack watched from the sidelnes. The Chargers coach later embraced his father, spreading the Mother's Day love as he shared a few precious moments with his parents on a hazy yet sunny California day. "I love her pants," one fan said of the colorful bottoms Harbaugh's mother wore. Advertisement "Very nice James Joseph. Very nice," another fan of the Michigan Wolverines wrote with 'M' emojis included. "Jim and Jack look amazing for 85. Heck, they'd look amazing for 65 tbh," another fan added about Harbaugh's parents (Jacqueline Harbaugh will turn 85 on June 3, 2025). The Chargers' full 2025 schedule will be released on May 14 along with the rest of the NFL's teams. Related: Jim Harbaugh Clears the Air on Viral Photograph With First Round Pick Omarion Hampton
