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The Maxwell Football Club announced Wednesday that Alabama safety Caleb Downs has earned the 2023 Shaun Alexander Award Winner.
The Shaun Alexander Award is given to the top freshmen in college football.
Downs led the Crimson Tide and finished fourth in the SEC in tackles in 2023 with 95. He started all 13 games for Alabama defense this season adding two tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two interceptions.
The 5-star recruit out of Hoschton, Ga., earned SEC Freshman of the Week Twice this year, against Middle Tennessee State in Week 1 and against Mississippi State in Week 4.
More must-reads:
- Saints' QB picture remains unclear with end of preseason nearing
- Who could be the odd man out in Browns QB room?
- The 'Season rushing TD leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Who could be the odd man out in Browns QB room?
The Cleveland Browns entered the preseason with four quarterbacks competing for the starting job, but don't expect all of them to be on the 53-man roster. On Sunday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced he will name a starting QB before the team's final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network. He also indicated they won't keep all of them on the active roster. "I think we'll let it play out as we get closer to the cut down," Stefanski told the media. "Those are all conversations that we are always having, but those are tough decisions. You know, I'd like to keep everybody, but that's not realistic." Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel have been competing for the starting QB job throughout the offseason. Flacco will likely win it. The 40-year-old played for Stefanski in 2023, helping the Browns make the playoffs. That season, he went 4-1 in five starts, winning Comeback Player of the Year. Sanders and Gabriel, meanwhile, have flashed potential in their preseason starts. Sanders — a fifth-round pick out of Colorado — finished 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. Gabriel —a third-round pick out of Oregon — went 13-of-18 passing for 143 yards and one interception in a 22-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday. With that in mind, Pickett seems like the odd man out. The 27-year-old didn't look like a viable starter in his first three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, tossing 15 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions in 30 regular-season games. Teams that need another backup QB (Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys) may be interested in Pickett. This past Tuesday, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer told WKRK-FM in Cleveland he could see a team trade for the former Pittsburgh Panthers star. Regardless, figure on the Browns moving on from Pickett before the start of the regular season in September. He lacks a clear advantage over the other QBs.
After Watching the Film, Critical Assessments Arise Regarding the Raiders
HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders began the preseason with a record of 0-1-1 after losing to their former Bay Area rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, last night. I had the opportunity to review the film today, as did Pete Carroll. After discussing it with him, several observations emerged that can only be made with the clarity of hindsight. In our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast, we take you to today’s joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers to highlight specific players who had standout performances, those who faced challenges, and those who may have secured a spot on the roster. You can watch the entire podcast below: Pete Carroll’s leadership has been phenomenal for a franchise desperate for a winner. He has been the exact prescription the Raider Nation needed After watching the film of the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Carroll addressed several questions, and below is a partial transcript of his responses. Head Coach Pete Carroll Q: I was curious on what your thoughts are on the play of your linebackers and your quarterbacks last night? Head Coach Pete Carroll: "Thought the linebackers were really downhill, really aggressive, flashy. I really liked the way those guys played. I thought we took a step forward in the run game and just attacking line of scrimmage like we want to. We played to the nature of our players, I thought, which is really good because we're aggressive in the tackling, and that showed up. Geno [Smith] was on the money. He was right on everything. Tempo was good. I thought Aidan [O'Connell] continued to little bit -- we're not quite as fast when he's playing. We don't play as quick from huddle to the snap, still trying to work that out. And he made a poor choice on the throw for the pick, unfortunately. It was a crucial time, that was tough. Just the guy was covered, and if he had to it throw away or take off, we would have preferred that." Q: I wanted to ask you about Geno Smith. Back when the two of you were in Seattle when he was playing backup to Russell Wilson, was there ever a time or a moment in practice or in the meeting room where you kind of had this idea that, if given the opportunity like he has the last few years he was in Seattle, now in Las Vegas, that he can be this quality star? Was there ever a moment when he was a backup under Russell that kind of gave you that idea that Geno had that potential? Coach Carroll: "Yeah, I think it was probably in the middle of those first couple of years, and you'd just see him maintain the competitive edge because it's kind of hard to believe that a guy could compete like he's going to play. What I keep telling you is the very next play, he knew he could be in. He seemed like he held onto that long enough, I sensed that and respected that. And his arm talent was always there, the ability to throw and rip the ball, so I was cheerleading for him. And that's kind of when he finally got his chance, I might have been his biggest cheerleader because he had waited and deserved it, and he came in and played really well and almost won a game that way, and then played well the next couple weeks. That was, at the time, when he finally got his chance, and he got out there, he demonstrated it, but you could sense it earlier than that just because he was so dedicated and he looked so good in practice all the time." Q: Obviously your offensive line has been performing well, but there's a clear drop off between the first and second team. How concerned are you about that second string offensive line? Coach Carroll: "Well, we're just so young on the second group. It's just going to take time. We feel like we move well. We have good movement by the young guys. They get out of their stance, and they get on people well. We're just not as accurate with our calls. We're not as clear with our technique stuff, but that takes time. And so I'm not worried about that. Athletically, we're okay, and we just need to find our consistency, and that's just going to take time. They won't play all at the same time very often. They'll spot in, and they'll have the benefit of experienced guys making calls around them and helping them play better. And so I think that the individual development is pretty good. As a group, they're still learning. That's going to take a bit." We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and let’s talk about the Silver and Black’s training camp and Pete Carroll’s comments.
Did the Dallas Stars just get handed a surprise top-six option on waivers?
The NHL waiver wire is heating up as training camps approach, and the Dallas Stars could be positioned to make a sneaky claim that solves one of their biggest depth concerns. Every year, playoff-caliber teams see useful players slip onto waivers simply because of cap space or roster crunches. Waivers often surface players who can slot higher in the lineup than expected. Last year's examples included Eeli Tolvanen, who went from waiver claim to impact forward in Seattle. That kind of opportunity might now exist again, and the Stars have an opening in their top nine that could benefit from an under-the-radar pickup. In the case, the player in question is Jansen Harkins, who surprisingly hit waivers this week. Known for his speed and ability to drive play when given the right linemates, Harkins is the type of versatile forward who could slide up and down a lineup. He showed flashes of offensive skill in Winnipeg and Pittsburgh, and now at 28 years old, he might be hitting the stage of his career where opportunity and experience finally align. Why the waiver wire could be Dallas's hidden weapon As NHL.com pointed out, training camp always produces bubble players squeezed out of deep rosters. This year, names like former first-round picks and skilled but inconsistent wingers could be exposed. If Dallas wanted to roll the dice, they could target a cost-controlled forward who brings both energy and finishing ability. Adding a cap-friendly waiver piece could also free GM Jim Nill from needing to burn trade capital later in the season. "The waiver wire can be a goldmine if you're patient and know what you need. One man's cut is another team's solution," one NHL scout recently told Sportsnet. The Stars' depth chart shows room for such a gamble. With veterans like Evgenii Dadonov and Mikael Granlund gone, the bottom six has new minutes up for grabs. A waiver claim could be the simplest way to plug that gap without sacrificing draft picks. I think Dallas would be wise to keep an eye on the wire, because sometimes the quietest moves are the ones that swing playoff races.
Giants’ Abdul Carter Sends Heated Message to Jets After Embarrassing Play on Saturday
Once a proud franchise, the New York Giants have struggled to sustain themselves among the NFL elites this century. Legendary quarterback Eli Manning won the team two Super Bowls, but Giants fans have been in misery since he retired in 2020. Outside of Saquon Barkley, who left for the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason, New York hasn’t had many players to instill hope. However, the Giants selected Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, rejuvenating the fanbase. Although he wasn’t the first pick, Carter is widely believed to be the best prospect in the draft. He’s been compared to many star pass rushers, but the name that sticks out the most is Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons. Both men played for the Nittany Lions, and with eerily similar athleticism and body composition, the comparison makes total sense. Carter has been getting his feet wet in the preseason, and during Saturday’s game against the New York Jets, he got his welcome to the league moment. During a pass rush attempt, the rookie was immediately pancaked by a tight end making a chip block before being knocked to the ground again by the right tackle. The NFL’s official Twitter account posted the highlight, but likely after seeing all the jokes being made about the play, Carter fired back. The college star will learn over time that it’s better to just let these things pass, or not take yourself too seriously and laugh along with the crowd. The internet is a ruthless place, so now that Carter has shown signs of insecurity, he will almost certainly be provoked again in the future. As long as health is on his side, Carter will have a long and prosperous career, so he’ll have more than enough opportunities to redeem himself from this lowlight.
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