On Facebook
On Flipboard
Eagles OT Lane Johnson discusses expectations after 2023 collapse
During a Monday appearance on NFL Network's "The Insiders" program, Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson discussed his expectations for the upcoming season following the club's collapse during the second half of the 2023 campaign.
"Obviously we have to go prove things and are eager to do so," Johnson acknowledged, as shared by Bobby Kownack of the league's website. "But when you just look at the guys walking around the building, we've got size, we've got speed and guys willing to work."
Much has been written about the 2023 Eagles going from 10-1 to 11-6 before they made a rather uninspiring wild-card exit from the playoffs. With that said, a Philadelphia offense that is returning key figures such as quarterback Jalen Hurts along with wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith could be an even more dynamic unit this fall thanks to the addition of former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
"He's ultra-competitive," Johnson said about Barkley. "When you see what he can do at the running back position and we can flex him out at receiver, he can go. It's unbelievable. I never thought that he would be playing for us, but here it is. I know that he's excited. We're definitely excited up front. I think he's poised for a big, big year."
There are legitimate reasons to believe that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie could consider moving on from head coach Nick Sirianni if the club fails to win at least one playoff game for a second straight year. Living legend Bill Belichick remains available and reportedly would consider replacing Sirianni assuming Belichick wants to set an NFL record for career victories earned by a head coach (regular season and postseason combined) as most assume.
As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Eagles third among the betting favorites at +700 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX. During Monday's show segment, Johnson sounded eager to put the woes of the past campaign behind him with the help of new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
"I wish I had the answers to why the second half of the season went the way it did," Johnson added. "It was something that went by so fast, and I know after it wasn't a problem."
More must-reads:
- Eagles veteran believes his 'best years are ahead'
- NFC: Dominant storyline if every team appeared on 'Hard Knocks'
- The 'Philadelphia Eagles head coaches' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Troubling news emerges on Bears QB Caleb Williams’ workout with HC Ben Johnson
It might have been a good thing the Chicago Bears didn’t play Caleb Williams on Sunday. The Bears might need to hide their second-year quarterback as he irons out his wrinkles in the pre-snap process and with accuracy issues. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft struggled with timing and accuracy during the Bears’ joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Caleb Williams was inaccurate in the red zone against no defenders On Sunday, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson chose not to play second-year quarterback Caleb Williams against the Dolphins in their first preseason game. Instead, Johnson led a workout with Williams and wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore before the game. Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears ran a total of 87 plays during the workout. All of the plays were routes in the air with no defenders on the field for the scripted practice. Despite going against no defenders bringing pressure or guarding his receivers, Williams struggled to hit his targets in the red zone. "Williams would stand next to Johnson, who would give him the play," Biggs wrote. "Then, the quarterback simulated a huddle with the player (only one ran a route on each snap) and gave the play call. They’d break the huddle, go to the line of scrimmage, Williams would simulate pre-snap actions and then the play would be run… "Before ending the session with eight deep balls, there was a 25-play set of snaps in the red zone. One thing Williams struggled to connect on was out routes to Moore and Odunze near the goal line. Those throws were not close and Williams consistently led the receivers too much." A closed-door problem for the Chicago Bears The throws weren’t close during routes on air… in the red zone? Williams wasn’t ready to take the field for the preseason game. For all of the flak he’s been getting from practice reports, the quarterback would have been relentlessly mocked for having these issues shown during an NFL Network broadcast. Biggs’ report is troubling, with a month to go before the season. Williams has much to improve upon, and the Bears are very much trying to do so without cameras present for a reason.
Milwaukee Brewers: Bryan Reynolds Shows Respect for Brew Crew After Brutal Pirates Sweep
The Milwaukee Brewers may never lose ever again. Sure, that’s not going to happen, but the Brewers have indeed been the hottest baseball team today, and that continues to be the case following their completion of a three-game sweep of the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. After demolishing the Bucs on Tuesday to the tune of a 14-0 score, the Brewers wrecked the Pirates in the series finale, 12-5. Pittsburgh showed some fight, cutting a six-run lead down to a run after Bryan Reynolds’ back-to-back multi-RBI home runs in the fifth and the sixth inning, but the Brewers were simply too good and too hot for the Pirates. Brandon Woodruff had a solid start for the Brewers, pitching four scoreless innings before the bullpen gave up five earned runs to the Pirates, with Shelby Miller and Nick Mears struggling on the mound. Jared Koenig and Tobias Myers, however, combined to shut down the Pirates the rest of the way, as the Brewers collect their 76th win of the season. Reynolds praises Milwaukee Brewers after sweep Reynolds, who gave the Brewers lots of trouble by going 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs, had nothing but flowers to give to Milwaukee. “I don’t think anybody wants to play this team right now,” said Reynolds after the game, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “We just ran into that. They’re a great team.” The Pirates will look to snap their five-game losing skid on Friday, when they face the Chicago Cubs in Windy City for a series opener. As for the Brewers, they will deal with the Cincinnati Reds next on the road, beginning on Friday as well.
'He's different': Vikings' J.J. McCarthy gets compared to future Hall of Famer
Before Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones shared a locker room with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Jones and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers were teammates with the Green Bay Packers from 2017 through the 2022 season. Jones recently claimed that he sees some of Rodgers in McCarthy heading into what could become a franchise-altering campaign for the Vikings. "[McCarthy] is a very, very hungry and driven player, but also a leader," Jones explained, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame shared. "He’s different. In terms of the smarts, I put him in that category with Aaron Rodgers, in terms of how smart he is and really having an understanding for the game." That's high praise considering Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP and a Super Bowl MVP who is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. That said, nobody knows what McCarthy will be as a pro after the 2024 first-round draft pick spent his first NFL season recovering from a meniscus repair. McCarthy returned to the playing field when he completed four of seven pass attempts for 30 yards in Minnesota's 20-10 preseason win over the Houston Texans on Saturday. He also tested his surgically-repaired knee when he used his legs to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-4 situation in the game's first quarter. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell could've pushed for the club to re-sign Sam Darnold after he guided Minnesota to a 14-3 record last season. O'Connell and Co. had "conversations" about possibly signing Rodgers before McCarthy received the keys to the Minnesota offense ahead of training camp. Jones seems to believe O'Connell and Co. made the right call. "He’s been amazing," Jones added about McCarthy. "I’m honestly confident in what we have here. I feel like we have everything we need, all the pieces we need here. I feel like J.J. is going to surprise a lot of people." As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Vikings seventh among the betting favorites at +1100 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX. It will be interesting to see how McCarthy handles the pressure when Minnesota opens the regular season with a "Monday Night Football" matchup at the Chicago Bears on Sept. 8.
Five best NFL offseason value signings on offense: Bills get great deal with RB extension
Few know how to spend money like an NFL front office. This offseason, teams handed out over $4 billion in extensions alone, not to mention the several other billions spent in free agency. But which were the shrewdest investments? Below, we examine the best value signings at five positions on offense: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and offensive line. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith Contract: Two years, $75 million ($65.5M guaranteed) Shortly after acquiring Smith in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks, the Raiders extended the 2022 Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year to a contract that raises the Raiders' floor while maintaining flexibility. Smith has a manageable $26.5M cap hit in 2026, when Over The Cap projects Las Vegas to have the third-most cap space ($78.7M) based on an estimated 5.8 percent cap increase. Since 2022, Smith has the third-highest completion percentage (68.5 percent) among 32 quarterbacks with at least 20 starts during that span. He's also tied with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the second-most fourth-quarter comebacks (10) and trails only Mahomes in game-winning drives. Buffalo Bills running back James Cook Contract: Four years, $48M ($30M guaranteed) Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams pierced Cook's bubble when he signed a three-year, $33M extension on Aug. 5. The Bills running back sought $15M per year, making his $12M in annual average value (AAV) a huge win for Buffalo. Over Cook's first three seasons, he's averaged 4.9 yards per carry. In 2024, he led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns. With just 533 career tackles, Cook doesn't have the wear-and-tear of other backs who've made splashes early in their careers, raising hopes that he can withstand the workload that comes with being Buffalo's featured back. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins Contract: Four years, $115M ($40.9M guaranteed) The Bengals retained Higgins at a remarkable price, keeping him in Cincinnati at less than $30M per year, the going rate for the league's top wideouts. Per Spotrac, while Higgins is No. 10 in AAV among wide receivers, he ranks just outside the top 20 in guaranteed money. Last season, Higgins averaged 75.9 receiving yards per game, his most since 2021, and scored a career-high 10 touchdowns despite missing five games due to injury. Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride Contract: Four years, $76M ($43M guaranteed) The 2024 first-team All-Pro ranks No. 1 among tight ends in guaranteed salary. However, if he continues producing numbers more akin to WR1s — last season, he had 111 receptions, 1,146 receiving yards and two touchdowns — his contract will be one of the league's better bargains. Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley Contract: Three years, $60M ($44M guaranteed) Stanley's journey back from a devastating 2020 lower leg injury culminated in the 2019 first-team All-Pro being named a Pro Bowler for the second time in his first nine seasons last year. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft was rewarded with a contract that will keep him in Baltimore through his age-33 season. In terms of average annual value, his extension ranks below other left tackles who signed contracts this offseason, and not just younger players such as Rashawn Slater (Los Angeles Chargers), who was recently lost for the season, and Bernhard Raimann (Indianapolis Colts). Atlanta Falcons tackle Jake Matthews, 33, is averaging $22.5M on his current deal, while Las Vegas Raiders tackle Kolton Miller, 29, is set to earn $22M per year through 2028.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
