SEATTLE (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs will be without starting cornerback Kendall Fuller and starting safety Ron Parker for Sunday night’s game against Seattle.Fuller was listed as questionable with a thumb injury Daniel Sorensen Jersey , while Parker’s absence was a surprise after not being listed on any injury reports during the week. The Chiefs were also without a pair of starters on the offensive side with wide receiver Sammy Watkins (foot) having already been ruled out and running back Spencer Ware missing his second straight game with shoulder and hamstring injuries. Ware had been listed as doubtful.Seattle was without starting safety Tedric Thompson (chest) and starting right tackle Germain Ifedi (groin). But the Seahawks have both guard D.J. Fluker (hamstring) and safety Bradley McDougald (knee) active after both players did not participate in practice all week. The Seahawks also played without rookie running back Rashaad Penny for the second straight week because of a knee injury. TEMPE, Ariz. — When the season started for the Arizona Cardinals, Sam Bradford was the quarterback and Mike McCoy was offensive coordinator.Now both are gone.On Saturday, while the team was enjoying a long weekend off, the Cardinals released Bradford, who lost his starting job after three games to rookie Josh Rosen and had been inactive for the last five. Bradford’s departure came a little less than two weeks after McCoy was fired and replaced by quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich.Coach Steve Wilks said Monday that in releasing Bradford “we did what we thought was best for the team. We needed that position to be able to add quality depth at different positions.”The Cardinals made several roster moves during their bye week. Last week Harrison Butker Jersey , they signed tight end John Phillips and offensive lineman Colby Gossett. Gossett was signed off the Minnesota practice squad. On Monday, Arizona signed offensive lineman Zack Golditch from the Indianapolis practice squad. The team also re-signed wide receiver Kendall Wright, who had a 10-day stint with the team in October.Arizona was looking to add depth on the offensive line even though all five starters might be healthy enough to play Sunday at Kansas City. John Wetzel, a backup at both tackle and guard, was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a neck injury.Right guard Justin Pugh said he is hoping his broken hand will be healed enough for him to play Sunday, which would be four weeks from the day he injured it.The Cardinals (2-6) are coming off a come-from-behind win over San Francisco but face a much more daunting challenge against the Chiefs (8-1) Demarcus Robinson Jersey , who opened as 15-point favorites with the advantage moving to 16 points on Monday.“Dynamic in every area,” Wilks said of the Chiefs, “particularly on the offensive side of the ball. (Patrick) Mahomes is playing outstanding, an MVP-caliber player right now, and all the weapons around him. Again, it’s just about trying to eliminate the big plays Sammy Watkins Jersey , and that’s what they’re known for thus far this year is just creating big plays over the top. We’ve got to try to eliminate that.”It’s the first of several difficult road challenges for Arizona in the second half of the season. The Cardinals also play at Atlanta, Green Bay and the Los Angeles Chargers.Arizona’s practice Monday was its first since last Tuesday. A workout had been scheduled for last Wednesday but Wilks cancelled it.“A lot of injuries, I wanted to be able to give the guys an opportunity to recover,” he said.Despite the long weekend, Arizona got an extra day of practice this week. Players have Tuesday off before returning to their regular Wednesday-Thursday-Friday practice schedule.It gives Leftwich a little extra time to work on the offense, which slogged through three quarters before Rosen threw two TD passes in the fourth-quarter in the 18-15 win over San Francisco.“I think it was very beneficial Anthony Hitchens Jersey ,” Wilks said. “I’m out there, and I’m watching the flow of practice. I’m seeing it in action with Josh and the things that they’re doing. Not really to indulge a lot in the game plan, but you can see Byron trying to evolve and move this offense in another direction. I think the bye week was very beneficial to him, as well as to the offense.”Rookie wide receiver Christian Kirk said Leftwich brings “a lot of new energy.”“He’s such a smart mind and he’s just really good at putting his guys in the right position,” Kirk said.

Pretty early on the Raiders looked like they were in the midst of a rebuilding project. That’s a bitter pill to swallow for many fans because it means admitting the team will not be winning anytime soon. As each week passes and the losses stack up https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-carr-jersey , that reality has been setting in.Fielding a combination of past-their-prime veterans and rookies is a pretty sure sign of a rebuild. Many of these veterans know a primary function to them being brought to Oakland is to mentor the young players for future success.“There’s a lot of turnover obviously, not only for the coaching staff, but obviously on the guys that they brought in,” said Jordy Nelson. “A lot of it’s been changing the culture and the way they go about things, so I think it’s veterans who tried to come in and bring what we’ve learned, like for myself from the ten years I had in Green Bay, an incredible organization and a winning organization to bring the little things, not necessarily verbally, but just the way we go about the way we work and the details and everything and that just allows us to start setting that foundation for the rest of this year and then going on into the future.”This is the oldest team in the NFL, with several players over the age of 30 including a number of starters like Jordy Nelson, Reggie Nelson, Frostee Rucker, Leon Hall and, coming into the season, Derrick Johnson and Donald Penn. The result has been one win on the season.“Whether you’re a young team or a veteran team, winning one game is no fun. But I think we’re determined to continue building this team. A lot of these veteran players are here for that sole responsibility of laying down the foundation of how we want to play, how we want to prepare Derek Carr Jersey White , how we want to practice, and how we want to compete. And I’m proud of our team for doing that. We haven’t won a lot of games, but we’ve had our opportunities, we’ve been there. Hopefully we continue to do that and see the emergence of some young Oakland Raiders. . . we’re playing eight rookies right now, and before the season’s over, we might be playing more than that. So, we got a lot to prove, we need to see some people get healthy and help us, but we got a lot to prove.”No team should be playing eight rookies this early on. At least not a good team. Fans like to think that you can judge a rookie by how many starts they have. But that is not a good way to judge a class. It’s all about what they are able to accomplish with those starts.Barring a miraculous turnaround by this team, the more rookies the merrier. Only one of the team’s top 7 draft picks doesn’t play significant minutes for this team. Most of them are starters. Fourth round pick Nick Nelson hasn’t seen the field, only being active for one game.Nelson has sat behind veteran Leon Hall as the slot corner. That needs to change soon. Getting him snaps is good for his development and will allow the team to evaluate him better. Even if Leon Hall is playing better right now, he isn’t the future, Nelson is.After that there are a few rookies on the practice squad the team could get a better look at including seventh round receiver, Marcell Ateman. The more the merrier for this squad trying to find itself.“It helps a lot. Just knowing that we’re all trying to grow together and just try to motivate each other to be as great as we possibly can be,” said fifth round rookie defensive tackle Maurice Hurst. “Just trying to get the coaches’ trust, trying to get the players’ trust, that’s a biggest thing I feel like as a rookie is having the other guys on the field trust that you’re going to do your job and do it correctly. That’s the biggest thing for me is making sure that I have my teammates’ trust.”Sunday the Raiders face the Seahawks in London. Another showing like last week in Los Angeles or really any of their first three games of the season Womens Bo Jackson Jersey , would mean another loss heading into the bye week where among the team’s self reflection needs to be getting these young players on the field. And that means not just rookies but others as well like third-year safety Karl Joseph and second-year linebacker Nicholas Morrow.Follow @LeviDamienRaiders fan confidence takes expected dip, but nothing like the nose dive of Broncos fans If you know a Broncos fan, maybe give them a call. Make sure they aren’t on any ledges or near any sharp objects. It was just three weeks ago, they were a mile high on their team. Their confidence level in their team has dropped like a rock off a skyscraper since then.Broncos fans came into the season with 93% confident in the direction of the team. That may seem high, but it’s in line with most fans; thirty NFL team’s fans had confidence levels in the 80’s and 90’s. The only team fans who were below 80% were Washington (76%) and Detroit (68%). Raider Nation came in at 82%.Starting the season 0-3 dropped the Raiders fan confidence to 32%. The OT win over the Browns bumped it up a little bit, but just so the brutal loss to the Chargers could drop them to 19%.That incremental drop seems logical. As does the confidence levels of the Chiefs (99%) and Chargers (58%), who are both coming off wins. The Chiefs, of course, are 5-0 on the season and many are asking whether they are the best team in football. Though the only fans who think they’re better than the Rams are Chiefs fans.Perhaps it’s watching the Chiefs run away with the division with a young star at quarterback. Perhaps it’s the Broncos own journeyman QB or the bad coaching that’s led to them losing three straight. But the Broncos fan confidence is now at 4%. FOUR PERCENT!This for a team that started the season 2-0 after beating the Raiders on a late drive for a game-winning field goal. Now they’re 2-3 and just got destroyed by the Jets with Isaiah Crowell running for 219 yards (!!!) and a touchdown on 19 carries. And Bilal Powel added 99 yards on 20 carries. The Broncos got trampled.That defense was supposed to be the Broncos’ strong point, so giving up that kind of yardage to anyone, let alone a mediocre Jets team, has drained all the hope from Broncos fans. Even less hope than Raiders fans, despite the Raiders having a worse record and losing to them this season already.I guess when you expect too much from the start, you are just setting yourself up for disappointment. That’s why we do our best to keep our readers grounded. Sugar is nice, but it burns away and then you crash hard. Follow @LeviDamien

T.J. Lang went on injured reserve in November with a neck injury and the Lions right guard battled other injuries earlier in a season that saw him appear in only six games.Lang’s inability to stay healthy and a cap number over $11.5 million have created uncertainty about his future in Detroit. There’s a $500 Womens Calvin Johnson Jersey ,000 roster bonus due early in the new league year and General Manager Bob Quinn said from the Scouting Combine on Wednesday that the team is still working out how they’ll proceed.“Everyone’s kind of different in terms of the evaluation process on each player,” Quinn said, via ESPN.com. “Some players you can have the evaluation done in a couple weeks after the season, some guys linger a little bit longer. I would say T.J. is in that category of someone that we’re still kind of going through the process of thinking about what we want to do and kind of talking to T.J. a little bit here and there. Those conversations between myself and him we’ll kind of keep private.”One possibility is that those conversations will be about Lang taking a pay cut that makes it easier for the Lions to keep him and see if 2019 brings better health for the veteran lineman. The Detroit Lions were the laughingstock of the league when they drafted wide receivers in the first round three straight years from 2003 to 2005, and none of them panned out for the franchise.Detroit drafted tight ends in the first round twice over the past decade and ended up releasing both players.Putting history aside, it looks as if the Lions need help at tight end and wide receiver during the draft after largely ignoring both positions in recent years. Detroit has the No. 8 selection overall and a total of nine picks, including a pair in each of the last two rounds.Since 2014, Detroit has drafted only one receiver and one tight end and both picks were made two years ago.Receiver Kenny Golladay , a third-rounder, has become a promising player while tight end Zach Zenner Jersey White , Michael Roberts, a fourth-round pick, has not been very productive.The Lions can't be sure how receiver Marvin Jones will bounce back from a season-ending knee injury and they have only a short-term solution at slot receiver, signing 33-year-old Danny Amendola in free agency.They attempted to address their desperate need at tight end this offseason, signing free agent Jesse James, but they don't seem to be satisfied."We're going to do the best we can to obviously try to improve that situation for us, whether it's through free agency or the draft," Lions coach Matt Patricia said."We're looking at those guys pretty hard and trying to make sure we get somebody in there that puts as much stress on the defense as possible."Former Lions general manager Matt Millen believed the NFL was becoming a pass-happy league. Millen did correctly predict the future trend, but he missed on key picks.Quarterback Joey Harrington was a bust as were receivers Charles Rogers and Mike Williams while Roy Williams had a decent career before being traded to Dallas.Fans in the Motor City were not happy the franchise used first-round picks on tight end Ebron in 2014 and Brandon Pettigrew in 2009 and may not like it if general manager Bob Quinn drafts Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson early in the first round."In all due respect to the fans out there, I can't take the fan sentiment into who I draft and who I sign Womens Matt Prater Jersey ," Quinn said.Here are other things to watch when Detroit drafts:TRADE TALKQuinn sounds very interested in acquiring extra selections to slide down in the draft in exchange for the No. 8 pick."There's a couple of players right at the top that you would obviously would love to have," Quinn said. "I just don't think I have enough ammunition to get up there."I'd rather move back a couple spots."If Quinn backs up his talk with action and moves down, he may draft a wide receiver such as Oklahoma's Marquise Brown, Mississippi's D.K. Metcalf or A.J. Brown.SOUTHERN FLAVORQuinn has drafted seven players from the Southeastern Conference the past two years, including both first- and second-round picks. The trend may continue with him taking LSU linebacker Devin White and Alabama offensive lineman Jonah Williams in the first round.NEW TERRIORTYDetroit reached double digits in losses last year in Patricia's debut season for the first time since 2012, giving it the No. 8 pick overall. Quinn had the No. 20 pick last year, No. 21 in 2017 and No. 16 three years ago in his debut as a general manager after helping the New England Patriots scout for prospects to take late in the first round for many years."This is unchartered territory for me," Quinn said. "I don't really love it."BEST AVAILABLEThe Lions addressed many needs in free agency , signing player such as defensive end Trey Flowers and cornerbacks Justin Coleman , to put any position in play during the draft."With what the board looks like and what our perceived needs are Womens Kerry Hyder Jersey , probably a little bit more pushing toward the best available player," Quinn said."I think that's a good thing. Now, things can change between now and September. But going into it this year, we feel a little bit better about the depth at certain positions."HELP UP FRONTQuinn might not draft an offensive lineman in the first round for the third time in four years, but it seems likely he will take at least one player to add depth."It's a position we studied really hard," Quinn said. "Our offensive line coaches were out more than in previous years. There's good depth at that position from the first round all the way down to the fifth and sixth round, a little bit more on the interior."

With three offensive linemen hurt Jason Taylor Jersey , Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was feeling the heat Monday.From his critics, that is.Tannehill took a pounding in the Dolphins’ latest defeat Sunday at Cincinnati, and then caught plenty of blame for his team’s second ugly loss in a row. Coach Adam Gase, ever loyal to Tannehill, mounted a modest defense by noting problems with pass protection.“I don’t think he was horrible,” Gase said. “When a (teammate) gets beat so fast he can’t defend himself unless he’s Houdini, not many guys are getting away.”The Dolphins are 3-2 and tied with New England for the AFC East lead, but it hardly feels that way. In the past two weeks they’ve lost at the Patriots 38-7 and blown a 17-point lead at Cincinnati , leaving Gase forced to address the question of whether Tannehill remains his starting quarterback (the answer was yes).Tannehill took responsibility for the Dolphins’ collapse Sunday, when they were outscored 27-0 by the Bengals in the final 21 minutes left and lost 27-17. His ill-advised pass under pressure was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, and a strip sack produced Cincinnati’s final score.“It all started with the turnovers,” Tannehill said. “That’s on me.”In Tannehill’s defense Nat Moore Jersey , he was hit 11 times in the second half. Protection by Miami’s injury-riddled line disappeared after left tackle Laremy Tunsil was sidelined with a concussion.This season’s offensive line was expected to be the best Tannehill has played behind, but instead the perennial problem of poor pass protection persists. The Dolphins lost left guard Josh Sitton and center Daniel Kilgore to earlier season-ending injuries.“Anytime starters go down, it’s hard,” Tannehill said.When Miami was 3-0, Tannehill had a quarterback rating of 121.8. But in the past two games it’s 54.0, with one touchdown pass, four turnovers and five sacks. He has struggled mostly on third down and late in the game, a career-long pattern.No letup in pass pressure is likely this week, when the Dolphins face the Chicago Bears (3-1) and Pro Bowl end Khalil Mack, who has at least one sack and at least one forced fumble in every game.How will the Dolphins slow Mack down?“You’re not going to slow him down,” Gase said.Sam Young flopped as Tunsil’s replacement in Cincinnati. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said the Dolphins missed Tunsil, especially because they left Young in one-on-one situations.“It makes a difference when you lose a tackle at this level of football Mark Duper Jersey ,” Lewis said. “And they didn’t seem to want to help the guy when they left the guy out there. Our guys did a nice job. We had blood in the water, and we went after it.”Gase said he’ll re-evaluate the line this week and make “a couple of decisions” regarding who plays where.“We’ll figure it out,” Gase said. “That’s what we do. They’re not going to stop the season. We’re going to play next week no matter how many guys we’ve got.”___ The top three positions of Miami’s wide receiver depth chart are relatively set headed into the 2019 season. Who will rise to the very top?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteThe Phinsidera Miami Dolphins communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpSectionsFanpostsFanshotsLibraryDolphinsOddsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteSections 2018 NFL Draft2018 NFL Free Agency2018 Mock Drafts2018 Draft ProspectsWho will be the leading receiver for the 2019 Miami Dolphins?New,76commentsThe top three positions of Miami’s wide receiver depth chart are relatively set headed into the 2019 season. Who will rise to the very top?EDTShareTweetShareShareWho will be the leading receiver for the 2019 Miami Dolphins?Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesThe Dolphins wide receiving corps has seen a slight shakeup since the end of the 2018 season. Gone are Danny Amendola and Leonte Carroo, but returning from injury will be Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant. All the while, the ever-reliable Kenny Stills and enigmatic DeVante Parker are back for another season in aqua and orange.With a new quarterback taking the reins of Miami’s attack and little certainty present around the offense in general, which wide receiver will lead Miami’s aerial charge going forward?First, let’s break down the obvious candidates:Kenny StillsWith 2018’s leading receiver (Amendola) now playing for the Detroit Lions, we can look to last season’s second leading receiver as a possibility to accumulate the most receiving yards in 2019. That would be Kenny Stills, whose downfield playmaking ability has been a staple of Miami’s offenses since the veteran pass catcher arrived in South Florida back in 2015. Stills seemed to be a favorite target of Ryan Tannehill, but with Tannehill now with the Tennessee Titans, it remains to be seen whether Stills will develop a similar rapport with Josh Rosen or Ryan Fitzpatrick.Regardless Mark Clayton Jersey , Stills’ experience, ability, and the lack of other star power on Miami’s receiving corps will certainly culminate in the 27-year old netting a spot atop Miami’s depth chart, but how will he be used in new offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea’s offense?It would make the most sense to place Stills exactly where he’s been for the majority of his time as a Dolphin: on the outside, taking the top off of defenses. Yes, his yards per reception mark has dipped just below 15.0 over the past two seasons from its height of 17.3 during Miami’s playoff run in 2016, but Stills is still at his best and most dangerous on the perimeter, which I believe will work to his advantage when it comes to racking up a significant yardage total. Given Fitzpatrick’s penchant for throwing down the field, having the grizzled veteran at quarterback to start the season would probably result in more big plays for Stills.DeVante ParkerWhen it comes to Parker, availability will be the key. Given his reputation for being fragile and often injured, Parker surprisingly played in 13 or more games in each of his first three seasons before appearing in just 11 in 2018. That said, even when he’s on the field Adam Joseph Duhe Jersey , he’s often been at less than full strength and has struggled to make many big plays for Miami’s offense. If (and that’s a monstrous if) Parker can remain healthy, it’s possible that the former first-round pick can finally capitalize on his potential and ability. The Dolphins’ front office was smart to strike a one-year, $5 million contract extension (club option) with Parker instead of picking up his $10.1 million fifth-year option. If Parker makes strides this season and shows his worth, the Dolphins have him on a relatively cheap contract for 2020. If not, the team can jettison him with no dead cap hit. My feeling is that O’Shea will attempt to use Parker (6’3”) as a red zone weapon who will be looked to when the Dolphins need a contested catch on the outside.Albert WilsonWilson was on track to be Miami’s leading receiver last season before an unfortunate hip injury ended his 2018 campaign after seven weeks. Through those seven games, Wilson had accumulated 391 yards which would total just under 900 yards if that per game average is extrapolated over a full 16 game season. That number is way above Amendola’s team leading 575 yards.Wilson’s yards were largely accumulated after the catch. The 26-year old’s ability to make defenders miss in space allowed him to turn short receptions into massive gains. His speed is truly game-breaking, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him once again be a key weapon in Miami’s offense if O’Shea can find ways to get the ball into his hands. What about the rest of the bunch?Jakeem Grant, Brice Butler, and Isaiah Ford all have a chance to make an impact on the team’s offense. Grant showed his value on the perimeter last season despite his short stature, while Butler made some big plays when injuries began to mount. Ford has yet to record his first NFL reception because injuries are keeping him off the field, but he seemed poised to get some snaps before landing on injured reserve last season. With all that said, none are in line to see starting time unless injuries befall Stills Larry Csonka Jersey , Parker, or Wilson.What about a non-wide receiver? Tight ends Mike Gesicki and Dwayne Allen are also likely to see significant time on the field, but until the Dolphins make the tight end position a significant part of the team’s aerial attack, I’ll refrain from even remotely suggesting that someone at the position has a chance to lead the team in receiving yards. Running back Kenyan Drake has also had a big impact in the passing game, but I don’t see him accumulating more receiving yards than the likes of Stills, Parker, or Wilson if any of the three play a full 16-game slate.My pick: Albert WilsonO’Shea was the wide receivers coach for the New England Patriots for the past ten seasons. He’s seen the likes of Julian Edelman and Wes Welker accumulate massive yardage totals under Tom Brady and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. That’s not to say O’Shea will use offensive philosophies that are identical to those employed by McDaniels, but if Miami asks Josh Rosen to start for a significant portion of the season, I believe O’Shea will use a quick rhythm passing game to get the second-year passer acclimated. That means many throws to a fast, agile slot receiver, and that translates to Albert Wilson.

The Chiefs have made it clear that they are trusting wide receiver Tyreek Hill Tyreek Hill Jersey , and hoping there’s not another incident which demands a league investigation.So Hill was back on the practice field this weekend, and his bosses seem content with that.According to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said that the team never considered any penalties beyond suspending him from offseason activities while the league investigated. The NFL said it would not punish Hill for the incident between him and his fiancée, of which there are tapes of them discussing the injuries to their son. Hill wasn’t charged with a crime by local authorities.Hunt said he spoke with Hill recently about his return.“It was a very frank conversation talking to him about his responsibility as he comes back to be a Kansas City Chief Carlos Hyde Jersey ,” Hunt said.For now, that means going back to football as normal, and he was back to making the kind of plays they’re used to seeing in Saturday’s practice, catching deep balls to the cheers of the crowd.“Whenever you go out there on Sundays Juan Thornhill white jersey , it’s about stuff you did in training camp,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “It’s about that hard work, that dedication you put in each and every day. You saw that today. We had a great practice to start it off, and I think we’re going to keep building as the training camp goes on.“The whole offense was really rolling and we were really connecting on a lot of deep balls. . . . It’s obviously good to get out there and get those reps and get those big passes completed. That’s a big part of our offense.”And as long as you’re willing to confine the conversation to football Juan Thornhill Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys , that’s undoubtedly true. The AFC Championship Game will be Bill Belichick’s 343rd game as the Patriots head coach, his 425th game as an NFL head coach and he’s been in the league for more than 40 years overall, so there’s not much he hasn’t seen on a football field.That doesn’t mean that he’s immune to feeling nerves when gameday draws near. Belichick was asked at Friday’s press conference if he gets nervous before games and the coach said it happens “every week.”“Nervous, yeah. Sure. You want to go out there and do well Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys Stitched ,” Belichick said. “There’s an anxiety. We all have things in the game that we have to do. You want to perform them well, not let your team down because everybody’s counting on you to do your job. You’re counting on everybody else to do theirs. You don’t worry about everybody else. You just worry about doing what you can do and make sure you don’t screw up what you’re supposed to do, what you’re responsible for, because nobody else can do that. That’s your job Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys 2019 , and we all have jobs to do. We all want to do them well.”Worrying about doing your job ahead of everything else has long been a mantra in New England. Given the team’s record of success, it would seem to be an effective way of dealing with nerves that might cause others to slip up.

We check on each Raiders position to give it a condition of either Strong Bo Jackson Jersey White , Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesSilver And Black Pride homepageHorizontal - WhiteSilver And Black Pridean Oakland Raiders communityFollow Silver And Black Pride online:Follow Silver And Black Pride on TwitterFollow Silver And Black Pride on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchSilver And Black Pride main menuFanpostsFanshotsRaidersOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Raiders StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Raiders NewsYahoo Raiders Team PageYahoo Raiders ReportYahoo Raiders Depth ChartYahoo Raiders TransactionsYahoo Raiders PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕What condition Raiders position is in heading into 2019 training camp: Edge rusherNew,35commentsWe check on each Raiders position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.PDTStarters: Clelin Ferrell, Josh MauroBackups: Benson Mayowa, Arden Key, Maxx Crosby, James Cowser, Quinton Bell https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-carr-jersey , Alex BarrettAfter a season in which the pass rush was historically bad, the first chance the Raiders had to fix it was free agency. A week in and the Raiders had signed a total of zero edge rushers. A few days into free agency, they added former Giants defensive end Josh Mauro. The thing is about Mauro...he has 3.0 career sacks...in five NFL seasons. He isn’t rushing anything. He’s a run stopping defensive end and that’s pretty much it.The Raiders were midway through April and were no closer to having a pass rush than when they ended the season. They had Arden Key and his one sack from the edge rusher spot. And that was it. The final two weeks of April saw them add the largest portion of what figures to be their hopes at edge rusher. First they signed Benson Mayowa whose 4.0 sacks last season in Arizona would have led the Raiders. Then come the draft, they used three picks on edge rushers including Clelin Ferrell with the 4th overall pick.While Ferrell and Mauro currently look to be the starters, Key will be looked to as a third down rusher which is what the team drafted him to be last year. He has put on some weight, which one hopes is mostly muscle. He says he is up to 260 after playing around 240much of last season. The hope is that with his added strength and a year under his belt he will be able to finish off a few more of those 7 or 8 missed sacks from his rookie season.Competing with Key for that third down edge rusher job will be fourth round rookie Maxx Crosby. The others will have a hard time breaking through for a roster spot.Condition: UnstableAdding a proven pass rusher was a must for a team with a complete lack of pass rush last season. And they completely neglected it. Edge rushers flew off the board one by one and the Raiders seemed to sit back and watch. Building through the draft is a great strategy in theory and in general. But it’s a luxury to do so and it often takes time to feel the impact of those draft picks. Remember even Khalil Mack had just 4.0 sacks as a rookie. So, now their edge rush unit will be made up of two rookies and three players who had a combined 6.0 sacks between them last season. Assuredly there will be some improvement, but that’s not saying a whole lot. The secondary took another blow on Thursday night when Karl Joseph sealed the game with an interception. Unfortunately, Joseph hurt his foot jumping in the air and the prognosis is that the injury may sideline the four-year veteran for the rest of the season.Mike Mayock invited D.J. Swearinger in for a workout Nov. 4 and decided to add the journeyman safety after news of Joseph’s injury. Swearinger has played good football in his career and proven capable of handling a variety of roles (deep safety, box safety, dime linebacker) in his six year career. Let’s take a look at how he fits in a Raiders defense that is just hitting stride:Deep safetyRaiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther asks his safeties to play both free and strong safety. If the scheme stays intact with the addition of Swearinger, he will be asked to play deep safety often enough in a Cover 1 look that continues to be one of Guenther’s favorite calls.Disclaimer alert: Swearinger does not have the range or speed to be effective as a deep middle safety in a Cover 1 scheme. He was asked to play deep middle only in Cover 3, which requires less range. Swearinger can be a heady player in the right scheme and cleans up this blown coverage when the linebacker misses the crosser coming his way. This is a decent play. An All-Pro would have driven on this much sooner and possibly broken up the pass.Swearinger got exposed in Arizona’s scheme, which is why they chose to move on from him after 4 games. This play shows Swearinger make a technique mistake by turning and running with a 10-yard cushion on the receiver threatening his zone. If Swearinger pedals over the top of this route Derek Carr Jersey White , he’s in a better position to break back inside. This is Swearinger’s game in a nutshell. He guesses. Sometimes he’s right and sometimes he’s wrong.Man coverageThe Raiders scheme is heavily reliant on man coverage. Guenther gives defensive backs man responsibilities frequently in Cover 1 and in Cover 4 match, when a majority of blitzes turn assigned quarters into man coverage eventually. Since Erik Harris seems to have the deep safety spot sewn up, Swearinger will likely play man coverage on TE’s more often. He’s not much better here. Basically the same size as Joseph, Swearinger has the same problems getting out-muscled by TE’s in man coverage. This technically gets logged as a pass break-up for the safety, but more for a poorly thrown ball than anything he did to stop it.Here he gets beat in man coverage by a TE again, but this time the QB actually completes it. He isn’t explosive enough to make up for getting pushed off or leaned on by bigger receivers.Quarters coverageGuenther likes to have his defense in zone as well, which is a relief because this is where Swearinger has shined in his career. In the Raiders Cover 4 scheme, each safety has a half-field coverage. Usually, one side of the defense will be in quarters while the other side will be in Cover 2, 2 man, or Cover 4 MEG.Back in 2018 when Swearinger was rated as one of thebest safeties in the NFL by pro football focus, he was asked to execute this scheme often. The defense above is identical to what Guenther calls on most 1st and 10 situations and near the goal-line. The defenders at the top of the screen are in Cover 4 Meg, while the defenders on Swearinger’s side are in man-match quarters. Swearinger has spoken publicly about how he prides himself on film study and this is a play where that shows up. He doesn’t even take a read-step, simply identifying the route concept Antonio Brown Raiders Jersey , and breaking on the ball. Swearinger looks like a different player in Cover 4.Another example of Swearinger making a film-study fueled break on the ball in Cover 4 came against Andrew Luck in 2018. In this Cover 4 call, Swearinger is reading the No. 3 and No. 2 receivers for which route will threaten his zone. When the inside most receiver runs his route underneath the linebackers, he keys the No. 2. You can see Swearinger time his break perfectly and notch an interception. He had four of them in 2018.Run defenseInarguably the biggest shoes to fill in Joseph’s absence will be the run stopping ability. Despite his other shortcomings, Joseph is one of the best run support safeties in all of football. Swearinger, thankfully isn’t far off in that department.Swearinger has made a career off plays like this. He is known for being a brutal hitter and capable tackler. His play in the box against the run will provide a similar impact to Joseph. With this coaching staff’s emphasis on run-first players, it make sense why Swearinger was brought in despite his short-comings in the scheme. It’s easier to defend against the pass on third and long and you can only get there if you stop the run first.Potential locker room cancer?I usually like to keep my analysis strictly X’s and O’s, but I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up some alarming items about the Raiders new safety. He was released from Washington after having a fantastic season last year because, after being warned several times about not calling out the coaching staff through the media, he continued after a Week 16 loss to the Titans. Swearinger is that one friend you used to have but just can’t hang-out with anymore because he starts fights wherever he goes. While Joseph was an assassin on the field, he was much quieter off of it. Swearinger seems to keeps his brash persona on at all times.

Paying attention to the Texans helps when offering advice on what they should do in the NFL Draft."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Texans StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Texans NewsYahoo Texans Team PageYahoo Texans ReportYahoo Texans Depth ChartYahoo Texans TransactionsYahoo Texans PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕2019 NFL Draft2019 NFL Mock Draft: There’s No Way The Texans Would Actually Do ThisNew DeAndre Hopkins Jersey ,24commentsPaying attention to the Texans helps when offering advice on what they should do in the NFL Draft.CDTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Mock Draft: There’s No Way The Texans Would Actually Do ThisKim Klement-USA TODAY SportsApparently, on the NFL Network’s “Path to the Draft,” they decided to try a new twist on mock drafting with “what teams SHOULD do.” How that varies from what teams will do is a little confusing, but not nearly as much as the actual pick mocked to the Texans.Adam Rank actually suggested the following:The first thing that jumps out as not wholly accurate was Lamar Miller Jersey , “You could probably use some help on the offensive line.”When your team is ranked DEAD LAST in an area, you can definitely use some help. Next up: “I’m done with Lamar Miller and all of the other nonsense.” You know, Miller, the only player in NFL history to break two 97-yard runs in his career Arian Foster Jersey , the latest behind the aforementioned worst ranked offensive line?Lamar Miller ain’t the problem.The third head-scratcher of this selection is expecting just about any team to draft a running back in the top 25 in a pass heavy league during a defense heavy draft class. If you were one player away, and that player happened to play running back, and you needed a running back who needed to work on his pass protection skills, then yeah Andre Johnson Jersey , maybe Jacobs is your pick. But Houston is not that team.At the end of the day, Houston might be more inclined to go after Penn State’s Miles Sanders or Ohio State’s Mike Weber, well outside the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.With so many mock drafts out there, it’s hard to not think some writers/TV personalities just make stuff up based on limited knowledge when they get to teams they aren’t wholly familiar with Jose Altuve Jersey , but they do get paid to do this.It’s hard to believe that penciling a running back in for the Texans in the first round is a legitimate attempt at figuring out what the team will or should do in two weeks.Can you foresee a scenario where a running back in round one is a good idea for the Texans this year?Give us your feedback in the comments section. Quarterback AJ McCarron is in need of a new job after being released by the Raiders and his search will bring him to Houston.Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that McCarron is set to visit with the Texans on Monday. Brandon Weeden and Joe Webb served as Deshaun Watson‘s backups last season, but both are currently free agents.McCarron signed with the Bills as a free agent last March and was part of a quarterback competition with Nathan Peterman and Josh Allen in the preseason. That ended with McCarron being traded to Oakland for a 2019 fifth-round pick and he appeared in two games as Derek Carr‘s backup.McCarron started three regular season games in 2015 after Andy Dalton was placed on injured reserve and also steered the offense in a playoff loss to the Steelers. Those starts are the only ones he’s made since entering the NFL as 2014 fifth-round pick.

CINCINNATI (AP) — After 16 years without a playoff win under Marvin Lewis Michael Jordan Cincinnati Bengals Jersey , the Bengals decided to try something different. But they had to wait more than a month before hiring Zac Taylor as their next coach in hopes of ending a long streak of futility.Taylor’s already been in town enough to know the history.The Rams quarterbacks coach reached a deal Monday a few hours after LA’s 13-3 loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl at Atlanta. Cincinnati had to wait until after the title game to make his hiring official. The Bengals and Dolphins were the last two teams to fill head coaching vacancies, with Miami getting the Patriots’ Brian Flores.After three straight losing seasons and 28 years without a playoff victory, Cincinnati joined the latest wave — turning to a young, offensive-minded coach.“Zach is a bright coach with an offensive mind and background, which is important to have in today’s NFL,” owner Mike Brown said in a statement. “And he’s young. He embraces new ideas and new ways to do things, which will be a good thing for us.”Taylor is the Bengals’ youngest head coach since they hired Dave Shula at age 32 in in 1992. Shula went on to lose 50 games faster than any coach in NFL history, finishing 19-52.The Bengals will introduce Taylor on Tuesday in what amounts to a homecoming for the 35-year-old coach.Taylor has a head start, familiar with the city’s affinity for chili parlors. He was offensive coordinator at the University of Cincinnati in 2016, when the Bearcats finished 4-8. Coach Tommy Tuberville was replaced after the season Michael Jordan Jersey 2019 , and Taylor headed back to the NFL.He also knows about the professional football team’s longstanding futility, too. During his one year in town, the Bengals were starting their streak of three straight losing seasons that ultimately cost Lewis his job .Taylor is taking a cue from his father-in-law, a former NFL head coach, in how to handle his new job.“My father-in-law, Mike Sherman, coached a long, long time, and he just said, ‘Be true to yourself. Be who you are Color Rush Michael Jordan Jersey , and people will follow you,'” Taylor said during Super Bowl week. “And I found that way to work for me.”His challenge is reminiscent of what Lewis faced when he arrived in 2003. He’ll be counted upon only to win games, but also to win back fans turned off by the owner’s aversion to change.Brown was loyal to Lewis and stuck with him despite an 0-7 mark in the playoffs, the worst in NFL history for a head coach. The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season under Sam Wyche, tied with Washington for the fifth-longest streak of postseason futility in league history.Since then, Shula, Bruce Coslet, Dick LeBeau and Lewis failed to get a playoff win. They managed only seven winning seasons combined, all by Lewis.Crowds at Paul Brown Stadium have shrunk each of the last three years, with the Bengals finishing next-to-last in the NFL attendance last season. By bringing in an outsider as head coach Cheap Michael Jordan Jersey , the Bengals hope to send a message that things are changing.It won’t be easy in the short-term.Last season, the Bengals had their youngest team in Lewis’ 16 years, and the inexperienced showed. Also, they’ve been unsettled at the coordinator positions in recent years, adding to the challenge. Quarterback Andy Dalton will be working under his third different coordinator in the last three seasons. The defense will have its fourth coordinator in three years — Lewis moved into the role last season after firing Teryl Austin.Taylor’s work with quarterbacks made him a head coaching prospect.He wasn’t much of a quarterback prospect himself. Undrafted out of Oklahoma, he played one year as a backup with Winnipeg in the CFL.He joined the Dolphins in 2012 and helped Ryan Tannehill develop into one of the league’s top passers. He took over as offensive coordinator for five games in 2015 after Bill Lazor — the Bengals’ coordinator last season — was fired. After the one season at the University of Cincinnati, Taylor hooked up with the Rams to work with Jared Goff.Now he’s going to run an entire team.“A lot of things stand out about him, but Zac is so good at communication and being open and honest,” Goff said. “He’s a lot like Sean (McVay) in that way. He’s got a bright future.” The last time the Bengals benched their starting quarterback midseason was in 2002 when Dick LeBeau pulled Gus Frerotte for Jon Kitna. 17 years and five weeks later, the Bengals have benched Andy Dalton for rookie Ryan Finley. And just like last time Michael Jordan Jersey Womens , it was the head coach who made the decision.Zac Taylor announced during today’s press conference that he was the one who decided to bench Dalton.The only alternative to Taylor making the call would be Mike Brown, the team’s owner. Considering Brown was quoted earlier this year about how Dalton would have to prove himself worthy of another contract extension this season, it’d be reasonable to assume he was the one that forced this change.But like it’s been this entire year, Taylor is the one making the decisions. The first-year head coach also clarified he didn’t believe that Dalton’s play was the reason behind the team’s 0-8 start, but added that they need to see what Finley, his replacement, looks like over a multi-game stretch. Finley was drafted by Taylor this year in the fourth-round and has yet to take a snap during the regular season. By seeing how Finley performs to close out 2019, Taylor and the Bengals will get to evaluate the roster and the formulate a plan for 2020.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has fought through ankle Womens Sammy Watkins Jersey , knee, and hand injuries this year. Currently, only one injury remains — and it didn’t slow him down on Wednesday.According to the official injury report, Mahomes fully participated in practice on Wednesday despite the hand injury. The Chiefs visit the Bears on Sunday Night Football.Mahomes told PFT by phone after a 23-3 win over the Broncos in the snow that the hand wasn’t 100 percent, but that he was able to do everything he needed to do. He had fully participated in practice all week in advance of the victory.Guard Andrew Wylie did not practice for the Chiefs on Wednesday, due to ankle and shoulder injuries, and illness. Limited in practice were running back Damian Williams (rib), cornerback Morris Claiborne (shoulder) Jordan Lucas Jersey , and cornerback Rashad Fenton (hamstring).Fully participating were receiver Tyreek Hill (shoulder), cornerback Kendall Fuller (thumb), punter Dustin Colquitt (right knee), and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (elbow). At a time when the NFL has chosen to say nothing about the Tyreek Hill situation, Hill’s lawyer has said plenty.Attorney N. Trey Pettlon has sent a four-page, single-spaced letter to the NFL, which was then obtained by (leaked to) ESPN.com. (Pettlon is the likely leaker. After all, no lawyer has ever written a four-page Jordan Lucas Jersey , single-spaced letter of which the lawyer wasn’t proud.)In the letter to NFL special counsel for investigations Lisa Friel, Pettlon denies on Hill’s behalf any and all allegations of abusing his three-year-old son. Somewhat surprisingly, Pettlon implicates Espinal, accusing her of using a belt on their child and quoting test messages to Hill in which Espinal says, “I hurt [our son]. I’m the one that did it.”Pettlon confirms that Hill’s voice appears on the disturbing audio that surfaced last week; predictably, Pettlon constantly refers to the audio as a “secret recording,” a device aimed at making Espinal look bad for creating it.Secret or not, nothing changes the fact that Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Jersey , while arguing whether the child is terrified of Hill or respects him, Hill said to Espinal, “You need to be terrified of me too, bitch.” Pettlon admit that the “comment is inexcusable,” and that Hill “wouldn’t ask me to defend that here.”Two paragraphs later, Pettlon tries to excuse and defend the comment, saying “it seems clear from the audio that Ms. Espinal is not in fact terrified of Tyreek.”Pettlon shouldn’t be faulted for any of this. Anyone accused of wrongdoing is entitled to a defense, and Pettlon is providing that service to Hill Terrance Smith Jersey , for a fee.But that doesn’t mean the letter should be regarded as entirely accurate and truthful. The challenge for Pettlon is to take an ugly set of facts and spin them as positively as possible. In one specific respect, he tries a little too hard.In the second paragraph of the letter, Pettlon confirms that the child suffered a broken arm, and Pettlon claims that the “investigation was closed with nothing about the injury to suggest it was anything but an accident.” Later in the letter, Pettlon claims that the district attorney “reviewed all the evidence . . . before he declined to prosecute either party in this case.” These contentions ignore the fact that the district attorney public declared that he <i>believes a crime was committed </i>against the child, and that the decision not to prosecute resulted only from an inability to prove conclusively who committed the crime.No matter what Pettlon now says, the district attorney would have charged Hill and/or Espinal but for an inability to prove that one or the other committed the crime. The audio potentially changes that analysis, or at least possibly emboldens the district attorney to charge both of them and let the jury sort it all out.There’s a separate problem for Hill. Pettlon wrote to Friel not to exonerate Hill in a court of law but in an effort to minimize Hill’s potential punishment under the Personal Conduct Policy. The final decision will be based in large part on whether the Commissioner finds Hill to be a credible witness Khalen Saunders Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys , whether Espinal will cooperate with the investigation, and whether she will implicate or exculpate Hill.The fact that Hill’s lawyer seems to blame Espinal for criminal conduct could embolden Espinal to blame the broken arm and other instances of potential abuse on Hill. Under the reduced standard of proof that applies to NFL disciplinary cases, it wouldn’t take much to trigger a ruling that Hill violated one or more provisions of the Personal Conduct Policy. And, as a practical matter, Hill’s admitted history of choking and beating Espinal while she was pregnant with the child will not cause the league office to view the evidence in the light most favorable to Hill.

Editor’s note: With the Raiders set to travel cross-country to square up with the Jets at MetLife stadium during Sunday’s early window Womens Derek Carr Jersey , I had the pleasure of asking Gang Green Nation’s deputy editor MacGregor Wells some questions about the Jets and the upcoming matchup. Q: The Jets have quietly been elite when defending the run this season. Currently, they place at No. 2 in Football Outsiders’ run defense DVOA rankings. How have they been able to neutralize opposing rushing attacks?I think there are two major factors to the Jets success against the run. First, their personnel along the front seven is suited much better to stopping the run than stopping the pass. The interior defensive linemen, lead by second year surprise Folorunso Fatukasi, are all plus run stoppers, but poor pass rush guys. The same goes for the outside linebackers, Jordan Jenkins and Brandon Copeland, who are adequate pass rushers but excel against the run. Throw in star safety Jamal Adams and the Jets have talent at every level specifically suited to stop the run. In addition, the Jets are extremely sound at the fundamentals in the run game, missing fewer tackles than all but three NFL teams. Put the talent suited for the run game together with the fundamentally sound tackling and you get an elite run defense.Q: How do you expect Adam Gase to attack the Raiders defense? Are there any matchups he can exploit?The Jets can’t run the ball, though lord knows they try. So any success the Jets have on offense is usually through the air. The Raiders defense is a good matchup in that regard in that they have struggled to defend against the pass. I expect a fairly heavy dose of slot receiver Jamison Crowder, running back Le’Veon Bell and tight end Ryan Griffin to test the middle of the Raiders pass defense, which has had some problems. If the Jets have success in the short passing game, look for the Jets to then take some deep shots to Robby Anderson, who has had a quiet season but is always a threat to make a big play deep. The success, or lack thereof Antonio Brown Raiders Jersey , of the Jets attack will likely depend on whether the Jets bad offensive line can give quarterback Sam Darnold enough time to exploit the Raiders pass defense. If Darnold has time he can do some good things. If he is under constant pressure, look for Darnold to make some critical mistakes in terms of costly turnovers.Q: Who is an under-the-radar player on offense and defense for the Jets who more people should be discussing this year?On offense the guy is probably slot receiver Jamison Crowder, who is quietly having a career year on the way to a possible 1,000 yard season. On defense the unheralded guy having a great year is second year defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi, who, after barely seeing the field in his rookie season, is now one of the best run stuffing defensive tackles in the NFL, while also doing a decent job generating pressure on the quarterbacks, though that isn’t showing up on the sacks tally quite yet.Q: With a plethora of holes up and down the roster, what do you expect the Jets offseason checklist to look like?Offensive line, offensive line, and more offensive line. The entire line is in need of replacement, and though it may take more than a year to completely turn over the starters, new Jets general manager Joe Douglas has made it clear offensive line will be a big priority. I also expect the Jets to make cornerback, edge rusher and wide receiver priorities, all areas where the Jets have major deficiencies. Probably not big priorities are interior defensive line Womens Antonio Brown Jersey , safety, inside linebacker, tight end, running back and quarterback, all areas where the Jets are fine going forward, assuming Sam Darnold pans out.Q: What are your predictions for this game? And how do you project the Jets to finish the season?With the proviso that I am not exactly great at the whole prediction thing, and I am obviously biased as a Jets fan, I think the Jets defense will do a good job shutting down Josh Jacobs and force Derek Carr to beat them through the air. How Carr fares against a suspect Jets pass defense will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game. On offense I think the Jets will not be able to run the ball, but will have some success throwing against a suspect Raiders pass defense. The Raiders are the better team, but the long trip east, the early game time, and some favorable matchups for the Jets make for a close game which the Raiders pull out late. Raiders 24, Jets 23.As far as how the Jets finish, the Jets have games against the Raiders, Dolphins, Bengals Antonio Brown Jersey White , Steelers, Ravens and Bills remaining. The Jets have almost no chance against the Ravens. I think they will also lose to the Bills, Steelers and Raiders. Dolphins and Bengals provide good chances for Jets wins. So, the Jets go 2-4 the rest of the way to finish the year at 5-11. And if any of these predictions don’t work out, my account was clearly hacked. Fans in Canada are having to pay regular-season prices if they want to attend the preseason game between the Packers and Raiders in Winnipeg.The reports that the cheapest tickets available anywhere are $112. That’s far more than the Packers’ other preseason games (two at Lambeau Field and one in Baltimore), all of which have tickets available on second-hand markets for less than $20.The NFL will also have a preseason game in Hawaii this year, and fans have complained that tickets for that game, the Cowboys against the Rams, are overpriced as well.If fans in places like Winnipeg and Hawaii prove willing to pay more for preseason tickets, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the league put more preseason games in other markets, as the league once did routinely with preseason games overseas. Eventually, however, the low quality of preseason games seems destined to make fans everywhere realize that they’re simply not worth the price of admission.