Category: National Football League (NFL)

Senior defensive analyst Matt Patricia is new to the Philadelphia Eagles, but he’s very familiar to the team’s top cornerback.

Darius Slay spent the 2013-19 seasons with the Detroit Lions, where he had an acrimonious relationship with Patricia starting in 2018, when the latter took over as head coach.

Slay, who was traded to the Eagles before the 2020 season, said Patricia met with him upon joining the Lions and told him he was not an “elite” coverage defender.

“He said I wasn’t an elite corner and that I’m not in their category. I was coming off an All-Pro year, eight picks,” Slay said in 2020. “That told me right there that he didn’t have no respect for me. He told me I was a good player, but then to tell me what I’m not, so I said, OK. I just took that to the chin and said, ‘OK, that’s cool.’ Then I bounced back to two back-to-back Pro Bowlers on him. Let him know how elite I was.”

Slay said the final straw with Patricia was accusing him of taking it easy, to put lighter words to the actual phrase Slay alleges the coach used, on a young wide receiver. Slay said “I lost all respect for him.”

Slay, who signed a three-year, $42 million extension with the Eagles in the offseason, told the Detroit Free Press that he and Patricia have been cordial since the Eagles hired him to assist with the defense.

“We both got the same goal, just going out there to compete and win a championship, so that’s the main focus,” Slay said.

The Eagles nearly traded Slay, who was named to the Pro Bowl each of the past two seasons, to the Baltimore Ravens in March, according to Slay.

Patricia went 13-29-1 in two-plus seasons with the Lions, getting fired after Week 12 of the 2020 season.

–Field Level Media

Odell Beckham Jr. is expected to slowly get up to speed with the Baltimore Ravens while working his way back from an ACL injury.

Signed to a one-year, $15 million contract in April, Beckham said Tuesday that he’s encouraged by the progress he’s made since sustaining the injury during Super Bowl LVI.

“It feels good to be able to get out of bed and not feel pain,” said the 30-year-old Beckham, who sat out all of last season.

“It feels good to feel like if I needed to take off running right now, I could take off running. It’s been a long journey this time around and it was its own process, so I just had to take that for what it was.”

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Beckham is considered a “full go” for practice.

“He’s learning the offense for the first time like a lot of guys have been,” Harbaugh said. “So, I think we’ll kind of be a see as we go. (He’ll) go through individual (work), take a few reps in group (work) and team and see how he and the other guys feel and go from there.”

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Beckham has recorded 531 catches for 7,367 yards and 56 touchdowns in 96 career games (91 starts) with the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams. He exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in five of his first six seasons.

One of Beckham’s new teammates, fellow wide receiver Rashod Bateman, is not participating in minicamp. Bateman is working his way back from a Lisfranc injury and recently received a cortisone shot in his left foot. He did work out during organized team activities in May.

“I’m not expecting Bate to a part of” minicamp, Harbaugh said. “Right now, he had a shot for healing purposes, so that will keep him out for a couple of days. We just decided to let him just keep rehabbing and make sure he’s ready to go for training camp.”

Bateman was a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2021 and has played in just 18 games (nine starts) over his first two NFL seasons due to injuries. He has 61 career catches for 800 yards and three touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott is “very concerned” by the no-show of star wideout Stefon Diggs for the team’s mandatory minicamp.

However, Diggs is in Buffalo and took part in pre-minicamp medical testing on Monday, according to WGRZ Buffalo and ESPN, citing Diggs’ agent.

Agent Adisa Bakari told ESPN that Diggs met with McDermott and Bills general manager Brandon Beane the past two days and “will be there for the entirety of the minicamp.”

Save for the part where Diggs didn’t show up Tuesday.

Diggs skipped the team’s entire offseason program, but those sessions were all voluntary until Monday.

Whatever the reason for his absence, it likely isn’t financial; Diggs signed a four-year, $96 million extension in April 2022. He’s set to make $24.415 million in 2023. That puts him fifth among all wide receivers for the 2023 season, per Spotrac.

Diggs carries a dead cap hit of $45.5 million this season, making him untradeable.

Diggs, 29, caught 108 passes for 1,429 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022. His catches ranked fourth in the NFL, his yards fifth and his TD receptions tied for third.

He made the Pro Bowl all three seasons in Buffalo after a March 2020 trade from Minnesota. He has 703 catches for 8,812 yards and 59 TDs in 119 career games (111 starts) for the Vikings and Bills. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft by the Vikings.

–Field Level Media

Former New York Jets and Denver Broncos kicker Jim Turner passed away at age 82, his family revealed Monday.

According to reports, Turner died of heart failure on Saturday with his family at his side.

Turner kicked for the Jets from 1964 when they were a member of the AFL until the team’s first season after the NFL merger in 1970. He then moved on to the Broncos from 1971-79, playing 16 total professional seasons after he was a quarterback and kicker at Utah State.

The Crockett, Calif., native and straight-footed kicker made 304 of his 488 field-goal attempts over 228 games in both the AFL and NFL. He also made 521 of 534 extra-point attempts for 1,439 total points.

He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1968 and 1969 — topping the AFL in each season in total points — and was the NFL’s second-leading scorer when he retired following the 1979 season.

Turner kicked three field goals in New York’s 16-7 win over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, winning a title with the Jets, and also converted a field goal in the Super Bowl XII with the Broncos. He was also named to the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988.

“Jim was instrumental in helping establish the Broncos’ winning tradition in the 1970s as a key member of our first Super Bowl team,” the Broncos said in a statement. “While his competitive spirit and reliability defined him as a player, Jim’s dedicated mentorship and support of youth following his career with leave a lasting legacy in our community.”

Turner is survived by his wide Mary Kay and daughters Lisa, Chris and Allison.

–Field Level Media

The New England Patriots waived former 1,000-yard rusher James Robinson on Monday, ESPN reported.

The former Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets running back signed a two-year, $4 million deal in March.

Robinson rushed for 1,070 yards as an undrafted rookie with the Jaguars in 2020.

He rushed for 85 yards in four games with the Jets last season after being acquired in a trade in October.

Robinson, 24, has gained 2,879 yards from scrimmage with 23 touchdowns in 39 career games (32 starts).

Rhamondre Stevenson is the RB1 for the Pats, who also have Pierre Strong Jr. and Ty Montgomery on the roster.

–Field Level Media

The Washington Commanders called off their final day of organized team activities (OTAs) scheduled for Tuesday, with head coach Ron Rivera and his coordinators happy with how the spring went for their club.

The Commanders instead will have meetings and a light workout Tuesday to conclude their offseason program. The team held a minicamp last week.

Washington will reconvene for training camp next month, when Sam Howell will make his bid to be the 2023 starting quarterback. Veteran Jacoby Brissett remains in the mix for QB1.

The Commanders finished last in the NFC East last season with an 8-8-1 record. They haven’t had a winning record since 2016 but did make the playoffs in 2020 with a 7-9 mark.

Jack Del Rio is the defensive coordinator and Eric Bieniemy is entering his first season as offensive coordinator.

–Field Level Media

Minnesota Vikings three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Danielle Hunter will skip the team’s mandatory minicamp, choosing to hold out over his contract, NFL Network reported Monday.

Hunter, 28, is set to make $5.5 million this season after the team restructured his deal to move up money to him in 2022, per the report. He wants a new deal after signing a five-year, $72 million extension in June 2018.

Hunter has 71 career sacks for the Vikings, including 10.5 last season. He’s started 73 of 102 games in Minnesota since being selected in the third round of the 2015 draft out of LSU.

He has 85 tackles for loss, 112 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in his seven seasons.

The Vikings have received trade calls on Hunter, per the report.

Hunter is subject to fines totaling $99,000 if he skips all three days of camp.

–Field Level Media

The Houston Texans will induct J.J. Watt into their Ring of Honor on Oct. 1.

Watt, who cemented his legacy with the Texans as the three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a tireless philanthropist, will become the third person so honored. He joins the late Robert McNair, the founding owner, and wide receiver Andre Johnson.

The Texans made the announcement Monday in a video posted to social media.

9??9?? is coming home ?? pic.twitter.com/DHwWVkWUoi

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 12, 2023

“Everybody knows how much J.J. means to our family, the Texans organization and the entire City of Houston,” the McNair family said in a statement. “He is one of the most dominant players in NFL history and he created a unique and irreplaceable bond with our fans. J.J. has always kept a special place in Houston’s heart and we’re thrilled to welcome him back.”

The induction ceremony will be held when the Texans host the Steelers, meaning his brother — Pittsburgh star T.J. Watt — will be in the stadium that day.

Watt spent the first 10 seasons of his career (2011-20) in Houston after the Texans drafted the Wisconsin product with the No. 11 overall pick in 2011. He played two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before retiring.

Watt, 34, was named the NFL’s top defender in 2012 and 2014-2015 and a first-team All-Pro in those seasons, plus 2013 and 2018. He also earned the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year award after raising more than $41 million to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

He played in 151 career games, 128 of them with the Texans. Injuries limited him to just eight games in the 2016-17 seasons combined.

He set the franchise record for sacks (101) and made 172 tackles for loss, the most in the NFL since TFLs became an official stat. He also holds franchise records for quarterback hits (281), multi-sack games (26), forced fumbles (25) and fumble recoveries (16).

–Field Level Media

When the Buffalo Bills open training camp in late July, star pass rusher Von Miller expects to take the field, although it would be only about eight months after suffering a torn right ACL.

The two-time Super Bowl winner said he has “good information from my doctor and my knee is all healed up. It’s all about me and how confident I can be (over) the next three months,” he told the Buffalo News.

Miller sustained the injury last Nov. 24 against the Detroit Lions. He said earlier this month that he expects to play in the season opener on Sept. 11 against the New York Jets and offseason acquisition Aaron Rodgers.

Should Miller have to begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, he would not be eligible to return until Week 5 against Jacksonville.

Miller recorded eight sacks and 21 tackles while forcing one fumble in 11 games (all starts) last season, his first after signing a six-year, $120 million contract.

The eight-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro has totaled 123.5 sacks, 561 tackles, 27 forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries in 161 career games (all starts) with the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Bills.

He was part of Super Bowl-winning teams in both Denver and Los Angeles.

–Field Level Media

Two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley wasn’t willing to offer an opinion Sunday about his future with the New York Giants, who have designated him with a franchise tag this offseason.

Barkley, who has 4,249 rushing yards, 1,820 receiving yards and 37 total touchdowns over five seasons, has not signed the franchise tag, allowing for the possibility that he does not play this season.

Barkley wants a long-term contract, and the deadline for teams to sign tagged players to longer deals is July 17. He said the idea of skipping the season “comes up in conversation if something doesn’t get done” by the deadline.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about respect,” Barkley said. “That is really what it is.”

A more immediate consequence of not being under contract is that Barkley won’t be attending the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“I think they’re open to talking. I’m open to talking,” Barkley said. “If you really break it down and look at it as a whole, there is no rush. There is still time on the table to get to July 17. July 17 is not tomorrow. It’s not in a week.

“Maybe that is the naive way to look at it, I could be completely wrong. … Hopefully. I trust in the Giants that we could get something done.”

Multiple media outlets reported earlier this year that Barkley, the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, turned down multi-year offers starting at $12.5 million per season during last season, then incrementally higher offers of $13 million and later $13 million plus incentives that could be worth another $1 million.

The New York Daily News has reported that Barkley wants $16 million per season, similar to what 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey earns.

–Field Level Media