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When Elijah Roberts transferred to SMU, he wasn’t looking for headlines — he was chasing snaps. Now, he’s headed to the NFL, drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round, and Mustangs fans have every reason to celebrate.
From Transfer to Top Producer
Roberts’ journey from the Miami Hurricanes to becoming one of college football’s most productive pass rushers is nothing short of remarkable. In just two seasons at SMU, the 6-foot-3, 292-pound defensive lineman racked up 17.5 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss, and — perhaps most impressively — 131 quarterback pressures, more than any other FBS player since 2023. Those numbers helped him become a key figure in SMU’s defense and a team captain by his senior season.
A Perfect Fit in Tampa Bay’s Scheme
Tampa Bay didn’t just draft Roberts for depth — they drafted him for impact. Head coach Todd Bowles has emphasized creating pressure with a four-man front, and Roberts’ violent hands, relentless motor, and ability to line up across the defensive line make him a valuable chess piece. Though he lacks elite testing numbers, the tape shows a player who understands leverage, diagnoses plays quickly, and wins with technique — traits that should translate well in the pros. Expect him to slide into a rotational role similar to former Buc William Gholston, with upside to become more.
Built for the Moment
Roberts has never shied from a challenge. From battling for reps at Miami, to transferring and emerging as SMU’s defensive anchor, his journey reflects the kind of persistence NFL teams covet. And now, he becomes the latest Mustang to make the league — a proud moment for SMU fans who watched him grow into one of the most disruptive defenders in the ACC.
Elijah Roberts is headed to Tampa — and he’s taking SMU pride with him. Mustangs fans, keep your Sundays free.
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Lakers Trade Pitch Brings Back Beloved Former 3-&-D Wing
The Lakers came out of the very eventful 2024-25 NBA season with a bit of a mixed bag, as the team reset its future with the trade for Luka Doncic and, at the same time, was left bitterly disappointed with the five-game elimination at the hands of the Timberwolves in the Western Conference playoffs' opening round. They've tried to retool the roster with low-risk gambles on point guard Marcus Smart, center Deandre Ayton and wing Jake LaRavia, but fans who hoped for a star-caliber swing on the trade market have been disappointed. Ah, but there is time. And the estimable Jacob Rude of the SB Nation site, "Silver Screen and Roll," sees some potential deals that could yet bolster the Lakers. One is particularly interesting: Bringing back top 3-and-D wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is now with his fourth team (Memphis) since the Lakers traded him in the disastrous Russell Westbrook deal four years ago. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Trade Would Be Welcome Rude proposes trading away Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber to bring back KCP to the Lakers, a sentimental move, given that he never should have been forced to leave in the first place. Caldwell-Pope was a big factor in the Lakers winning the 2020 NBA "Bubble" championship during the Covid-19 pandemic. He writes: "Lakers fans have seen how well KCP plays next to stars firsthand. Even if his game has dropped off, he’s still a 3 D wing and you can never have too many of those. It’s a far more useful way for the Lakers to spend their money than on Vincent and Kleber. "With KCP having a player option for next season, the Lakers could save the Grizzlies some long-term money by sending them two expiring contracts. Gabe Vincent is a lot more expendable with the arrival of Marcus Smart while Maxi Kleber is the third center on the roster." Lakers Likely Done Trading (For Now) Still, the feeling around the Lakers is that the team is pretty much set as it is, and that no major trades are forthcoming until the season gets rolling. The Lakers have had opportunities to include the likes of Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade packages already, but have declined to do so. 'They have not been attacking the trade market by any stretch of the imagination," one Western Conference executive said. "Most teams now are in a sort-of wait-and-see mode, and I would include the Lakers in that. They want to give it some time before they make a trade." Vincent averaged only 6.4 points per game last season, but the Lakers like him as a reliable veteran off the bench, with just one year at $11.5 million remaining on his contract. With the addition of Marcus Smart, though, Vincent could be more expendable as the year goes on. Vanderbilt has shown flashes, but he has not been able to stay on the floor--he has played only 91 games in two-plus seasons with the Lakers.
Las Vegas Raiders finally find a solution to a problem that has emerged since the beginning of training camp
When training camp started for the Las Vegas Raiders, they had a ton of depth all around the roster. But, after one week, they did a scrimmage, and that depth instantly went down. During the scrimmage, backup safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. got hurt and suffered an injury that is bound to keep him out for a while. Now, he will be back at some point, because, as head coach Pete Carroll said, the Raiders want and need him. So, they finally made a move in replacing him. The Raiders signed a guy who can give them some experience in a pretty young position group. Raiders sign safety Terrell Edmunds Terrell Edmunds played college football at Virginia Tech from 2015 to 2017, leading to his selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Edmunds spent five seasons with the Steelers from 2018–2022, playing 79 games, starting 75, and racking up 410 tackles, 5 sacks, five interceptions, and 26 passes defended. His best year was 2019 with 105 tackles. After the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, he re-signed for 2022 but moved on in 2023, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans. In 2024, he briefly joined the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, he’s been jumping from practice squad to practice squad, but is looking to be a depth piece on the Raiders. Edmunds adds a veteran pretense to a room that has Chris Smith and Trey Taylor, two young guys who have never really played a full-time role in the defensive backfield. If Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jeremy Chinn went down, those two would be next in line, with little to no experience. So, the Raiders quickly got on the phone with Lonnie Johnson Jr. went down, but are finally making a change to the roster, bringing depth and experience. This is a very solid signing for the new regime.
Seahawks CB Riq Woolen turning heads, but can Seattle keep him?
After a down 2023 season, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen re-established himself last season as one of the team's more reliable defenders. In training camp, the 26-year-old seems to be picking up where he left off. “Riq’s locked in this year,” Seattle third-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon said, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “He just continues to be better. Riq’s got a lot of stuff to show a lot of people.” But can Seattle keep him? Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Woolen will make $5.4 million this season (h/t: Spotrac). Per Over The Cap, the Seahawks are projected to have roughly $61M in cap space in 2026, but they also have other players to sign. Seattle soon will give a top-tier contract to Witherspoon, a two-time Pro Bowler. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and offensive tackles Charles Cross and Anthony Lucas also may merit bigger deals soon. The Seahawks won’t have a lot of salary cap space left if they want to extend most of their top young players. In training camp, Woolen frequently defends against Smith-Njigba, who is one of the more dynamic route-runners in the league. The Seahawks are labeling him as one of the top performers in training camp. Woolen could be one of the top options by the trade deadline later in the season. He could give a team a much-needed upgrade in defending against the passing game. The Seahawks could get a good package in return if they are unable to extend to a longer contract.
Notable PFF grades, standouts from Vikings' preseason win over Texans
The big storyline from Saturday's Vikings preseason opener was how J.J. McCarthy looked in his first game since tearing his meniscus a year ago. But what the preseason is really about are younger players and guys on the roster bubble looking to make an impression. After some starters played a bit in the first quarter, it was the second and third and fourth-stringers who got the rest of the work in the Vikings' 20-10 win over the Texans. Let's take a look at the Pro Football Focus grades from the game to see who stood out. Top 5 grades on offense (minimum 10 snaps) 1. RG Joe Huber — 94.7 (55 snaps) 2. C Michael Jurgens — 80.0 (43) 3. WR Jordan Addison — 79.6 (12) 4. LT/RT Walter Rouse — 78.4 (36) 5. WR Myles Price — 76.8 (15) Huber, an undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin, played more snaps than any other Viking in this game, so his team-best 94.7 grade is incredibly impressive. He was PFF's highest-graded rookie across all eight games in the NFL on Saturday. The catalyst was his 93.9 grade in the run blocking phase. Huber still faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, but he's a lock to at least stick around on the practice squad if the Vikings try to get him through waivers. Jurgens and Rouse also impressing is an encouraging sign for the Vikings' offensive line depth. Those two second-year players should have a good shot to make the roster alongside veteran backups Justin Skule and Blake Brandel if the Vikings keep nine offensive linemen. Price, who has had a solid camp, caught a couple passes from Max Brosmer in the fourth quarter, including a touchdown. He feels like a strong practice squad candidate. Two other standouts on offense who finished just outside of the top five were RB Zavier Scott (75.9) and QB Sam Howell (75.8). Scott racked up 51 yards from scrimmage on eight touches and stated his case to be the Vikings' No. 3 running back this year. Howell was 11 of 13 for 105 yards and at least temporarily quieted some of the doubts about his ability to be an adequate backup. The five lowest grades on offense went to WR Silas Bolden, WR Thayer Thomas, WR Dontae Fleming, TE Giovanni Ricci, and RG Will Fries (all on fewer than 20 snaps). Top 5 grades on defense (minimum 10 snaps) 1. OLB Gabriel Murphy — 80.2 (30 snaps) 2. DL Elijah Williams — 79.9 (21) 3. CB Reddy Steward — 76.5 (11) 4. S Tavierre Thomas — 76.5 (32) 5. CB Ambry Thomas — 75.4 (12) Murphy had 1.5 sacks and a team-high five pressures on just 19 pass-rush snaps. The second-year undrafted player out of UCLA was fantastic for the Vikings and looks like the obvious candidate to be the team's No. 4 outside linebacker this season, which is a role that comes with real playing time. "Gabe’s been a guy that has shown up daily at camp, I've highlighted it in front of the team," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. "He's, it feels like a man on a mission right now, in a lot of ways. And I'm just proud of him, proud of where he's at in camp right now, and now he's just gotta set his sights on continuing to compete." Williams was also outstanding. He had four pressures on 15 pass-rushing snaps. Williams, who starred at FCS Morgan State, signed with the Vikings after attending their rookie minicamp as a tryout player. "I remember vividly (assistant D-line coach) Marcus Dixon coming to me after day one of that tryout," O'Connell said. "And I always like to check in with all the coaches. 'Anybody catch your eye for me to look at tomorrow?' Just observing (Williams), the effort, had a little pop to him throughout the drills, and that's really what's shown up throughout training camp. He sits in the first row of my team meetings every single day. There's a lot to like about him, and it was good to see him make some plays tonight, too." Steward, Tavierre Thomas, and Ambry Thomas are veteran defensive backs hoping to make the roster. Another player in that category, safety Kahlef Hailassie, had two interceptions and nearly made the top five with a 75.1 grade. The five lowest grades on defense went to S Theo Jackson, LB Eric Wilson, S Jay Ward, DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, and CB Jeff Okudah. Most of those guys have had strong training camps, so there's no need to put much stock into this one-game sample. More Vikings coverage
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