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Chase Claypool-Justin Fields connection needs time to mesh
The Bears traded for Chase Claypool to give Justin Fields another weapon and aid in the second-year QB's development. In the former Pittsburgh WR's second game with Chicago, however, his week-over-week reps declined.
Should Bears fans be worried? The short answer is no.
When asked about the process of building chemistry with a new receiver, Fields said, per The Athletic: “It’s just going to take time. I don’t think anybody expected him to just come and just start having 100-yard games.”
In his first game as a Bear in Week 9 against Miami, Claypool played 26 snaps, caught two of six targets for 13 yards and rushed once for four yards.
On Sunday, his snap count decreased to 19. He caught one of two targets for eight yards.
In 2021, Fields spent the offseason as the backup and did not get reps with the first team until he was named starter in Week 3. Then he struggled to find chemistry with his weapons. The only receiver he initially established a strong on-field rapport with was Darnell Mooney.
As the season progressed, Fields developed chemistry with the rest of the offense.
The Bears acquired Claypool because he is a big body (6-foot-4 and 238 pounds) with good speed (4.42s 40-yard dash) who has been productive at the NFL level.
In 2020 as a rookie, the last time Pittsburgh had steady QB play, Claypool had 11 touchdowns. He is a playmaker in an offense that needs more of them, and with time, he should justify Chicago trading its second-round pick for him (currently projected at No. 37 overall).
More must-reads:
- Bears waste another superstar performance from Justin Fields
- Bears QB Justin Fields makes bold promise after Lions loss
- The 'QBs to rush for 100 yards in an NFL game' quiz
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Mecole Hardman highlights Packers' practice squad signees after being left off 53-man roster
After making final cuts for the initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers have signed 13 players to the practice squad. Former Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman leads the list of signees, one of four offensive skill position players to get the nod. Following a lackluster performance in camp, it’s at least a temporary foothold as the three-time Super Bowl champ attempts to revitalize his career. In the battle for the final receiver spot on the 53-man unit, Hardman lost out to third-year player Malik Heath, who impressed in camp and was granted another shot to show he can be a reliable contributor. Across the past two seasons, Heath (25 catches) and Hardman (27) have occupied similar fringe roles in the receiving game. Hardman also returned 20 kicks last year as a member of the Chiefs, but the Packers are happy using cornerback Keisean Nixon in that capacity. On the 53-man roster, Hardman was unable to carve out a place despite a clear opportunity at the back end of the depth chart. For now, though, he will remain with Green Bay on the practice squad. Alongside Hardman, the Packers also signed receivers Isaiah Neyor and Will Sheppard, plus running back Israel Abanikanda. The latter, a 2023 fifth-rounder, is the only one to be drafted. He is also the only one of the three to see NFL snaps, accounting for 22 carries and seven catches with the Jets two years ago. With the Packers, Abanikanda saw decent involvement in the preseason and carried the ball 24 times. Neyor and Sheppard both played college ball last year, at Nebraska and Colorado, respectively. For his part, Hardman has had a better career than most No. 56 picks do. Aside from a brief Jets stint, he had spent his entire career in Kansas City before the Packers signed him this offseason. Once a key cog in the Chiefs offense, he has not seen regular receiver reps since 2021. In his career, Hardman has 178 catches for 2,302 yards and 16 touchdowns. A versatile gadget weapon in his heyday, he has a both a kick return and punt return touchdown, along with 26 career carries for 190 yards and three scores.
Patriots cut first-round bust, retain surprising players to set 53-man roster
Mike Vrabel‘s first roster as New England Patriots head coach is taking shape. The Pats announced the following moves as they set their initial 53-man roster: Released: S Marcus Epps Waived: CB Miles Battle G Mehki Butler G Jack Conley CB Brandon Crossley TE C.J. Dippre RB JaMycal Hasty OT Demontrey Jacobs RB Terrell Jennings WR John Jiles DE Truman Jones C Alec Lindstrom DB Kobee Minor DT David Olajiga LB Cam Riley DT Jahvaree Ritzie K John Parker Romo TE Gee Scott G Cole Strange LB Bradyn Swinson WR Jeremiah Webb Placed on IR (designated for return): LB Jahlani Tavai Placed on IR: WR Ja’Lynn Polk The Patriots moved on from a pair of notable offensive linemen. Cole Strange was a reach when Bill Belichick selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Chattanooga product struggled through his brief NFL career. The lineman was a full-time starter as a rookie, but injuries and inconsistent play limited him to 10 starts in 2023 and two starts in 2024. The organization also moved on from Demontrey Jacobs, who started 13 games for the Patriots last season. Elsewhere on the OL, it sounds like David Olajiga will land back on New England’s practice squad if he clears waivers, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. Perhaps the most surprising moves were the cuts the Patriots didn’t make. Kyle Dugger will stick around despite days of trade speculation. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Patriots did receive multiple trade offers for the safety, but his $9.75M salary (and how much the Patriots would be forced to take on) was a hurdle during negotiations. Meanwhile, the Patriots are temporarily holding on to eight wide receivers, with players like Kendrick Bourne and Javon Baker making the squad.
Yankees' key trade acquisition quietly struggling worse than Anthony Volpe
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has been consistently making headlines for his slumbering bat and inexcusable defense. Most recently, he was benched for two games as a part of a brief “reset” following yet another fielding error on Saturday. However, while Volpe has garnered most of the unwanted attention that plagues New York, one of the Yankees' new players is quietly underperforming even his meager numbers and has still been able evade the media firestorm. Third baseman Ryan McMahon came to the Yankees from the Colorado Rockies a week before the trade deadline out of pure necessity, replacing struggling infielder Oswald Peraza. McMahon got off to a hot start in pinstripes but has quickly cooled off, beginning to mirror his predecessor. In the month of August, and coming out of his hot streak, he is hitting just .150/.246/.233 with one home run entering Tuesday. This is far below what McMahon normally produces, being a career .240 hitter who has notched 20-plus home runs in every full season since 2019. His numbers this month sit just below Volpe’s .169/.213/.338 with two home runs in August. Outside of his hot streak, McMahon has slumped nearly all season long, hitting .216/.315/.384 with 17 home runs on the year. Making his acquisition a little questionable were his home/away splits, which heavily favored the mile-high atmosphere in Denver. We don’t yet know what to make of McMahon as the Bombers third baseman as it is far too early in his fledgling Yankees tenure, but it would be more than reasonable to expect better than his August stats. Although his year hasn’t been ideal, McMahon owns one of the highest average exit velocities in the game at 93.2 mph. At Yankee Stadium, one could easily imagine his slugging numbers begin to lift off at some point. For the most part, McMahon has been able to avoid the scrutiny that surrounds the team thanks to his solid defense, posting two outs above average during his time in the Bronx. With the Yankees' defensive ineptitude constantly costing the team as it did in last year’s World Series, McMahon’s glove is a much-welcomed sight at the hot corner. His glove aside, McMahon has been one of the game’s worst hitters throughout the month of August. Although his defense sparkles, the Yankees desperately need him to bounce back at the plate if they are going to go deep into the playoffs, much less, make it there.
Albert Breer highlights 3 missed details from Terry McLaurin’s extension, ‘this is truly…’
Terry McLaurin and the Washington Commanders finally came to a compromise over his contract negotiations, ending a holdout and quashing his trade request for the foreseeable future. Per sources at the time, McLaurin signed a three-year, $96M contract extension, making him the seventh-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. The Washington Commanders couldn’t have had a more ideal window to extend their star wide receiver, with star quarterback Jayden Daniels in the second year of his rookie deal. It was paramount that Daniels could link up with McLaurin this season as they attempt to best the Eagles to the Super Bowl in the NFC, and they got the deal done. However, NFL analyst Albert Breer was able to break down Terry McLaurin‘s new deal, and he highlighted three key factors the fans might not have realized. Terry McLaurin has effectively signed a two-year deal with the Washington Commanders NFL analyst Albert Breer broke down the deal that the Commanders agreed with their star receiver to keep him in Washington: On a full breakdown, the Commanders have extended McLaurin for another three seasons after the 2025 season, with $87 million in base value and $9.4 million in upside. Upon signing the deal, McLaurin immediately received $30 million of his fully guaranteed $44.65 million via a signing bonus. His 2025 base salary of $1.5 million was also fully guaranteed. However, this is where it gets interesting. McLaurin is contracted until 2028, and 2029 is a void year. From the outlook, it appears as if McLaurin received his desired DK Metcalf range deal. However, all of his guaranteed money is fronted up into the next two seasons. McLaurin has effectively reworked his deal into a one-year extension. Here is what Breer commented on X: “3 more things … 1) This is truly a 2-year deal, with team options for 2027 and ’28. 2) There’s a $5.35 million injury guarantee for ’27, but that doesn’t vest as fully guaranteed til 4/1/27. 3) With that and the roster bonuses, April 1 is the decision point in ’27 and ’28.” In essence, Terry McLaurin could be released by the Commanders ahead of April 1st, 2027. This is similar to how the Dolphins worked Tyreek Hill’s deal. McLaurin’s time with Washington likely to be decided around April 1st, 2027 Like the Dolphins have an out with Tyreek Hill ahead of the 2026 season, to avoid a cap hit of a staggering $51,898,750, the Commanders have worked themselves a potential out in 2027. As per Spotrac‘s estimation, the Commanders can do the following with McLaurin: Now, as Albert Breer mentioned, the $5.35 million injury guarantee for 2027 that doesn’t vest as fully guaranteed til 4/1/27 needs to be factored into their decision-making. There is also a roster bonus of $850,000 that needs to be considered. The post 6/1 release has total savings of $34,000,000 and pushes the dead cap of $18,000,000 to 2028, while the pre 6/1 release places the dead cap on 2027, with a total savings of $16,000,000. If McLaurin is still playing at an elite level at the age of 32, then they will likely rework his contract to be mutually beneficial.
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