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It hasn't even been a week since the Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, but he's already proving why he was made the top selection.
Ward is expected to be the team's franchise quarterback moving forward, and he already showcased those leadership qualities over the weekend by reaching out to his fellow members of the rookie class upon being drafted by the team.
Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi praised Ward for his willingness to be a team player.
"That's the type of teammate Cam is," Borgonzi said via team reporter Jim Wyatt. "And that's everything we heard about him through the process, is he's one of the guys. I think that's why a lot of his teammates gravitate toward him. He was tweeting at them right after that, but that just shows you his leadership, his team-ability."
Borgonzi is excited to see Ward develop and believes that he has a skillset to lead a group of men, most of whom are older and more experienced than him.
"A lot of that, we talked with him before the draft, he has great awareness in terms of where he is at," Borgonzi said of Ward via Wyatt. "He knows that stepping into an NFL locker room, he's going to have to earn the respect of everybody in that locker room. First, building relationships with everyone on the team is a big part of it.
"But that's one of the special things about him that we kind of learned through the process, that he has great awareness. And I think he knows he has to earn the respect of everyone here."
Ward will have the opportunity to earn that respect during minicamp, OTA's and training camp before the start of his rookie season.
More must-reads:
- Colts' QB decision makes no sense, sets stage for wasted season
- New report sheds light on how Cowboys view Micah Parsons situation
- The '2024 NFL rushing TD leaders' quiz
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Packers HC bothered by rookie's 'unacceptable' behavior during preseason game
Green Bay Packers right tackle Anthony Belton had a forgettable first half against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday when he committed five penalties in the first half. The rookie was called for a false start, two illegal formation penalties, a face mask and unnecessary roughness. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was peeved by the unnecessary roughness penalty, which the second-round pick was called for when he pushed Colts cornerback Johnathan Edwards from behind after the play. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur "let Belton have it" at halftime. Following the game, LaFleur explained to the media why that behavior bothers him — it hurts the team. “That’s the one that really bothers me because that is — I mean, they all bother me — but you can’t be getting personal fouls because that really hurts the team, puts you in a really tough position,” LaFleur said. “That is completely unacceptable in my mind. I appreciate the effort that he plays with and I thought he did a really nice job…I love the effort. It’s just, you got to be smart in those situations.” Belton's penalties were costly for the Packers. One of the illegal formation flags took away what would have been a touchdown pass from quarterback Taylor Elgersma to tight end Ben Sims. The 15-yard penalty on the unnecessary roughness call turned a manageable 3rd-and-5 into a 3rd-and-20. Saturday's preseason game is a learning experience for the 2023 third-team All-ACC offensive lineman. The Packers can't have Belton on the field if he's going to commit that many penalties, and the unnecessary roughness mistake would have been easy to avoid.
Giants have firm stance on possible Jameis Winston trade
The New York Giants have one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the NFL, and there has been speculation that Jameis Winston could be the odd man out when the regular season begins. It does not sound like Winston is going anywhere, however. Russell Wilson is expected to be the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 1. The big question is whether Jaxson Dart or Winston will enter the year as Wilson's primary backup. Dart has played well through two preseason games, and Brian Daboll and his coaching staff have raved about the former Ole Miss star. Some have wondered if the Giants could entertain trade offers for Winston should they decide they view Dart as their No. 2 quarterback. Assistant general manager Brandon Brown was asked about that on Tuesday, and he all but ruled it out. "I appreciate people that are interested, but Jameis is a New York Giant. The way that he's gone about his business from day one, he's made it very intentional of the fact that he wants to be here and he wants to be here for the long haul," Brown said. "Teammates love him. His preparation process, whether it's the off-field things that he does in terms of community relations, Bible studies, things in the locker room, galvanizing the group together — not just the quarterback room, but the offense as a whole. "He's been comic relief, but he's also been a really good example of how to be a pro and handle your business in terms of prehab, rehab and postgame care. So, I'm happy he's here, and he's gonna continue to do those things. He hasn't wavered, and he hasn't been shaken by any distractions at all." Winston signed a two-year, $8M contract with the Giants in free agency this offseason. The deal could climb as high as $16M with incentives, but he would need to play quite a bit to hit those. The Giants value Winston's extensive experience, just as they value Dart's upside. There is a reason they signed both Wilson and Winston and traded up to draft Dart. They believe in all three players, and they likely will not be inclined to trade Winston unless they receive an excellent offer.
Adam Schefter's latest Micah Parsons update gives Packers fans even more reason to believe in a blockbuster trade
Days after Ian Rapoport reported that the Green Bay Packers would make total sense as Micah Parsons' landing spot if the Dallas Cowboys decide to trade the All-Pro edge defender, Packers fans have gained another reason to believe that a deal is actually possible. On ESPN Radio, NFL insider Adam Schefter mentioned that the Cowboys parting ways to Parsons truly is a realistic scenario. "It sounds like at some point in time—whether that's now, after the season, after two seasons—it sounds like the two sides are headed to a divorce at some time," Schefter said. On the Pat McAfee Show, Schefter said something similar. "These things always can change, and situations often change at the end of August and September. It changed for CeeDee Lamb last year. It changed for Dak Prescott last year. This one doesn't feel that way. It doesn't feel that way today. That doesn't mean it can't change, but the way that it's tracking, it feels more likely that these sides are headed for a divorce today than they would be for a new deal. Now, I don't know that it'll play out that way, but that is what I see when I look at the market, first of all. Now, I don't know whether that means there will be a trade. I think the most likely scenario would be that he's there this year, his contract expires, they franchise tag him, and then after they franchise tag him, then they have the ability to go and try and trade him." Micah Parsons is playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal with the Cowboys, and he will make $24.007 million in 2025. Even though he's slated to hit the free agent market next offseason, Dallas could utilize the franchise tag to keep him around—which would be 120% of his current salary, $28.8 million. Parsons wants a long-term deal with the idea of becoming the highest-paid non-quarterback in football, surpassing $40 million in yearly salary. To make that happen, the Packers would have to be willing to spend the combination of high draft picks and the big extension. But at 26 and with his extremely productive profile, Parsons is the type of player worthy of that effort. For now, though, the Cowboys control the cards.
'Fantastic club, but I only want to go to Chelsea' – Player dedicated to only joining The Blues
There is a player that is dedicated on only joining Chelsea right now and will go nowhere else, not even Bayern Munich. Oddly, Fabrizio Romano has been all over Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea all summer, almost as if he’s been pushing it to happen! I’m joking of course, but he has been putting regular updates out on it almost on a daily basis, and he had another one out yesterday. Sources: Chelsea now expecting permanent offers in for Christopher Nkunku! Xavi Simons is another attacker Chelsea are looking to try and sign before the window closes alongside Garnacho. The Simons stuff has become pretty frustrating really, but there is still an expectation that Chelsea will be signing him this window. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has also put out more info on it last night when he told DAZN that he gives Simons to Chelsea an 85% chance of still happening this window, which is very positive I guess. But yesterday it was reported that Chelsea are confident of signing both players this window still. Garnacho only wants Chelsea Fabrizio Romano spoke on his YouTube channel last night and said: “Bayern called Garnacho’s camp to understand the situation, and the answer was, ‘Thanks, fantastic club, but I only want to go to Chelsea.’ As I’ve been telling you, as of today he won’t go to any other club.” Why does he only want Chelsea? It’s great of course, that some players seem to really want to come to Chelsea. But why does Garnacho only want to join the club? I just find that really odd. What if Chelsea cannot sign him because they cannot agree a fee? Then what? He’s turning other clubs down and gambling on waiting for Chelsea? I find it very odd. But as I say, it’s great that he desperately only wants to join Chelsea!
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