It����ap walking past Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh in the hallway. It’s entering a room to meet Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin, and trying to contain the inner child that grew up watching former Steelers like Antonio Brown, Jerome Bettis and Ben Roethlisberger.

It’s standing inside a brightly lit ballroom, with a camera pointed directly at him, answering questions about his play style and scheme fits.

“Before I got into the room (with Tomlin), I had to breathe,” Kamara said on Wednesday.

Kamara’s trip to the NFL scouting combine has been a fantasy come to life. Now, the Newark, New Jersey, native hopes to make these moments pay off by landing on an NFL roster.

“I’ve been playing all my life, and not every day has been successful,” he said. “(Playing in the NFL) would mean the world.”

Kamara put himself in a position to get selected in the 2024 NFL draft in April after transforming himself into a sack machine during his five seasons in Fort Collins. He finished his career fourth in school history with 30 sacks and recorded 21½ combined over the last two seasons.

As a graduate student in 2023, Kamara was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year after totaling 56 tackles, 13 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. He was the third Colorado State player to receive that honor and first linebacker since Shaquil Barrett in 2013 — and that turned out pretty well for the two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ.

Kamara believes his combination of size, speed and aggression allowed him to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks. The 6-foot-1, 250-pound pass rusher had three games where he recorded multiple sacks, including three in a loss to Utah State.

“At the end of the day, you have to come up to my level to block me,” he said.

Kamara is hoping his versatility will pique the interest of NFL teams. He said he can line up either as an outside linebacker or defensive end and added that he’s not married to any particular scheme. Whether it’s a 3-4 or 4-3 base defense, Kamara is confident he can thrive.

While Kamara’s production might be taken with a grain of salt since he didn’t do it on a Power Five level, he trusts scouts and teams to stir away from that stigma.

“I’m here for a reason, regardless of whether I (played) in a Group of Five or not,” he said. “And there are a few guys (at the combine) from a Group of Five (school) that can rock with the best of them.”

Tuesday was a long day for Kamara. He talked about meetings with the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys before his mind went blank because he spoke with so many teams that it was hard to keep track of.

However, Kamara mentioned he met with the Broncos while in Texas for the East-West Shrine Bowl. He said it would be cool to play in Denver since Colorado has become a second home. He also said it would be great to end up in Tampa Bay even after the Bucs released Barrett, a former Ram whom Kamara keeps in contact with.

But at the end of the day, Kamara only wants a shot. Whichever team allows him to compete at the highest level, he says they will get his complete effort.

“I’m trying to get a job in a couple of months, so I don’t care,” Kamara said. “… Making that 53-man roster, even being a practice (squad) player shows a resilience that most people can’t fathom.”

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Simmons, 28, came in at No. 81 on this year’s list. It’s the second straight appearance for the safety after registering at No. 47 last year. He tied his career high last season with five interceptions and set a personal-best with 1.5 sacks for Denver.

Wilson, who was acquired from the Seahawks in the offseason, made the list for the 10th straight year. At No. 61, it’s his lowest-ever showing on the Top 100 — 10 spots lower than coming in at No. 51 in his debut in the rankings in 2013.

“He plays backyard football,” 49ers safety Jimmie Ward said in . “… Such a dynamic player, sooner or later, he’s going to make a play.”

The 33-year-old quarterback started 14 games for the Seahawks last season, completing 64.8% of his passes for 3,113 yards, 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He also added 43 carries for 183 yards and two touchdowns.

“Russell doesn’t even need offensive linemen,” Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan said in the video. “He’s the best scrambler in the world.”

Also making the list were former Broncos linebacker Von Miller (now with the Bills) at No. 93 and former CSU and Denver linebacker Shaquil Barrett (Buccaneers) at No. 86.

The 12th annual ranking is determined by votes from NFL players. Players ranked from Nos. 21-50 will be announced on the NFL Network on Aug. 21. The top 20 will be revealed on the network on Aug. 28.

2021 — Malik Reed (5 sacks in 14 games), Bradley Chubb (0 sacks in 7 games), Jonathon Cooper (2.5 sacks in 16 games), Von Miller (4.5 sacks in 7 games); Broncos ranked 18th with 36 sacks. Denver got no production from Chubb, who dealt with multiple ankle injuries, and patch-worked their pass-rush with Reed and the rookie Cooper.

2020 — Bradley Chubb (7.5 sacks in 14 games), Malik Reed (8 sacks in 13 games); Broncos ranked ninth with 42 sacks. After losing Von Miller to season-ending ankle surgery shortly before the season opener, Chubb turned in his first Pro Bowl season and Reed again took advantage of an injury to assume a starting role.

2019 — Von Miller (8 sacks in 15 games), Malik Reed (2 sacks in 15 games); Broncos ranked 17th with 40 sacks. Bradley Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game, leaving Miller (who made his eighth Pro Bowl) and Reed (an undrafted free agent who made the team out of training camp) to carry the load.

2018 — Bradley Chubb (12 sacks in 16 games), Von Miller (14.5 sacks in 16 games); Broncos ranked eighth with 44 sacks. In the lone full season that Chubb and Miller got to play together, Chubb set Denver’s rookie record for sacks while Miller dominated with his second-highest single-season sack total.

2017 — Von Miller (10 sacks in 16 games), Shaq Barrett (4 sacks in 16 games); Broncos ranked 22nd with 33 sacks. Miller had a then-career low for sacks in a full season, while Barrett was starting to show the form that eventually made him a superstar in Tampa Bay.

2016 — Von Miller (13.5 sacks in 16 games), Shane Ray (8 sacks in 16 games), DeMarcus Ware (4 sacks in 10 games); Broncos ranked third with 42 sacks. Denver’s pass-rush remained dominant coming off the Super Bowl victory, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a third-place divisional finish and missing the playoffs.

2015 — Von Miller (11 sacks in 16 games), DeMarcus Ware (7.5 sacks in 11 games), Shaq Barrett (5.5 sacks in 16 games); Broncos ranked first with 52 sacks. Denver’s pass-rush was elite thanks to a pair of future Hall of Famers in Miller and Ware, plus an undrafted rookie in Barrett who played above his pay grade. The Broncos kept up that pressure in the playoffs, including a battering of New England’s Tom Brady in the AFC title game and Carolina’s Cam Newton in a Super Bowl 50 victory. ]]> /2022/03/15/broncos-pass-rushers-randy-gregory-signing/feed/ 0 5130377 2022-03-15T12:10:46+00:00 2022-03-15T12:10:46+00:00 /2022/01/16/eagles-buccaneers-nfl-wild-card-game/ /2022/01/16/eagles-buccaneers-nfl-wild-card-game/#respond Sun, 16 Jan 2022 22:02:22 +0000 ?p=5021702&preview_id=5021702 TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers launch their bid for a return to the Super Bowl with a dominating 31-15 NFC wild-card playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The defending champions set the tempo from the start, with Brady leading a pair of long TD drives in the opening quarter and building the lead to 17-0 by halftime.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner finished off the Eagles with TD passes of 2 yards to Rob Gronkowski and 36 yards to Mike Evans, improving his dazzling playoff record to 35-11 in a record 46 postseason starts.

The Bucs defense did its part, too, intercepting Jalen Hurts twice in the Philadelphia quarterback’s playoff debut.

“We did some good things,” Brady said. “I think we’re just going to have to keep doing what we did today. Everyone’s got to touch it, make some explosive plays. Did a good job possessing it, the defense played great, so it was a great team win. Special teams played awesome — one of the best days we had on special teams all year.”

Brady completed 29 of 37 passes without an interception while extending his postseason record for TD passes to 85.

But the Bucs (14-4) had matters well in hand before the reigning Super Bowl MVP found Gronkowski wide open in the middle of the end zone to make it 24-0 midway through the third quarter. The 6-foot-5 Evans punctuated his TD catch for a 31-0 lead with a front flip over the goal line.

The Eagles (9-9) scored on Boston Scott����ap 34-yard run and Hurts’ 16-yard TD pass to Kenneth Gainwell in the fourth quarter. A 2-point conversion trimmed Philadelphia’s deficit to 16 with 4:45 remaining, but that was as close as it would get.

Giovani Bernard scored on a 2-yard run and Ke’Shawn Vaughn, a second-year pro filling in for injured running backs Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones, covered the final yard of a 70-yard drive that put the Bucs up 14-0.

Brady led the NFL in passing yards, touchdowns, attempts and completions this season, but Tampa Bay gained the upper hand in this one by running the ball and keeping it away from Hurts and the league’s leading rushing attack.

The Bucs ran 25 plays to Philadelphia’s eight in the first quarter, outgaining the Eagles 137 yards to 17 and compiling an 11-1 edge in first downs.

It didn’t get much better after that, with a Tampa Bay defense fortified by the return of injured linebackers Lavonte David, Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul turning away Hurts’ most promising drive of the opening half with Mike Edwards’ end zone interception.

The Eagles won four of their last five games to earn the No. 7 playoff seeding in the NFC, however the turning point in their season came when running the ball became a focal point of the offense during the second half of a 28-22 home loss to the Bucs.

The Eagles ran for at least 130 yards in their next nine games, including seven in a row with more than 175. Hurt led the team with 784 yards and 10 yards rushing, becoming the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 3,000 yards and run for over 750.

Hurts finished his playoff debut 23 of 43 passing for 258 yards. He ran for a team-high 39 yards on eight attempts, with the Eagles finishing with 95 yards rushing overall — well below their season average of 159.7 per game.

SHORT-HANDED

Philadelphia played without defensive end Josh Sweat, who inactive after being admitted to the hospital and undergoing “an emergency procedure” for what the team described as a “life-threatening situation” earlier in the week.

The Eagles released a statement before the game saying Sweat, who tied for the team lead with 7½ sacks this season, was admitted to a hospital last Tuesday night.

“In the following days, Josh and our medical team did everything possible to help him return to play,” the statement said. “He improved every day, but it was determined by doctors today that he was not quite ready. The fact that Josh came so close to playing is a credit to his toughness and our medical staff.”

INJURIES

Eagles: LB T.J. Edwards (elbow) left in the second half and did not return.

Buccaneers: While David and Bernard were activated from injured reserve, RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring) was not. With RB Ronald Jones (ankle) inactive, that created a bigger role for Vaughn. … All-Pro RT Tristan Wirfs limped off with an ankle injury a little over a minute into the game. He returned briefly in the second quarter, before taking the rest of the day off.

UP NEXT

Eagles: Enter offseason with lingering questions about whether Hurts is the answer at quarterback moving forward.

Buccaneers: Host NFC divisional game next weekend.

AFC

Titans

Punter Brett Kern (Broncos 2008-09); center Daniel Munyer (CU 2011-14); nose tackle Kyle Peko��(Broncos 2016-17, 2019); special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman��(Broncos defensive assistant, 2010); tight end��Austin Fort��(Broncos 2019-20) on practice squad; quarterback Kevin Hogan (Broncos 2018-19) on practice squad.

Chiefs

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (CU 1987-90, ex-varsity assistant at Thomas Jefferson, former CU running backs coach and offensive coordinator); offensive quality control coach Connor Embree (Superior native and ex-receivers coach at Fairview).

Bills

Wideout Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos 2014-19); receiver Isaiah McKenzie (Broncos 2017-18); assistant receivers coach Marc Lubick (Fort Collins, son of longtime CSU coach Sonny, CSU assistant 2000-09, Broncos assistant receivers coach 2015-16); wideout Tanner Gentry��(Grandview) on practice squad.

Bengals

Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (CU 2013-16); defensive tackle Josh Tupou (CU 2012-16); quarterback Brandon Allen (Broncos 2019); offensive coordinator Brian Callahan (Broncos coaching assistant 2010, assistant coach 2011-15).

Raiders

Kicker Daniel Carlson (The Classical Academy); long snapper Trent Sieg (Eaton and CSU, 2014-17); offensive line coach Tom Cable (CU offensive line coach 1998, offensive coordinator 1999).

Patriots

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels (Broncos head coach 2009-10); tackle Will Sherman (CU 2017-19) on practice squad; tight end Matt LaCosse (Broncos 2017-18) on practice squad; tight end Dalton Keene (Chatfield) on injured reserve.

Steelers

Running back��Kalen Ballage��(Falcon); outside linebacker Derrek Tuszka��(Broncos 2020-21); cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon��(CU 2014-16).

NFC

Packers

Left tackle David Bakhtiari (CU 2010-12); kicker Mason Crosby��(CU 2003-06); wideout Juwann Winfree��(CU 2016-18, Broncos 2019-20); defensive coordinator Joe Barry (Fairview); cornerback Isaac Yiadom (Broncos 2018-19); cornerback Kabion Ento��(CU 2016-18) on practice squad; wideout��David Moore��(Broncos 2021) on practice squad.

Buccaneers

Outside linebacker��Shaquil Barrett��(CSU 2010-13 and Broncos 2014-18); center��Ryan Jensen��(Fort Morgan and CSU-Pueblo, 2009-11).

Cowboys

Wideout Michael Gallup (CSU 2016-17).

Rams

Outside linebacker Von Miller (Broncos 2011-21); outside linebacker Justin Hollins (Broncos 2019); wideout Warren Jackson��(CSU 2017-19, Broncos 2021) on practice squad; special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis (Arvada, Broncos special teams coordinator 2015-16); assistant quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson (Chatfield).

Cardinals

������������Matt Prater��(Broncos 2007-13); defensive coordinator��Vance Joseph��(CU 1990-94, Broncos head coach 2017-18); offensive line coach Sean Kugler (Broncos offensive line coach 2018); defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson (Broncos defensive backs coach 2017-18); cornerbacks coach Greg Williams��(Broncos defensive backs coach 2018).

49ers

General manager��John Lynch��(Broncos 2004-07); head coach��Kyle Shanahan��(son of former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, Cherry Creek); offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel��(Smoky Hill, Broncos intern 2005); tight ends/assistant head coach Jon Embree (Cherry Creek, CU 1983-86, CU assistant coach 1993-2002, CU head coach 2011-12); running backs coach Bobby Turner (Broncos running backs coach 1995-2009); wideout coach��Wes Welker (Broncos 2013-14); quarterbacks coach��Rich Scangarello��(Broncos offensive coordinator 2019);��wideout��Austin Mack��(Broncos practice squad 2021) and inside linebacker Curtis Robinson (Broncos 2021) on practice squad.

Eagles

Tight end Jack Stoll (Regis Jesuit); cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. (Broncos 2021); special teams coordinator Joe Pannunzio (Pueblo County and Southern Colorado, Southern Colorado wideout coach 1981, Mesa College quarterback/wideout coach 1982-84, offensive coordinator 1987-90); linebacker Christian Elliss (Valor Christian) and cornerback Mac McCain III��(Broncos 2021) on practice squad; outside linebacker Davion Taylor��(CU 2018-19) on injured reserve.

The reigning Super Bowl champions open the 2021 NFL season against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, confident they have everything it takes — at least on paper — to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Brady led the 2003 and 2004 New England Patriots to consecutive crowns.

No one knows what it����ap like to have a target on your back every week more than Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner who turned 44 during training camp — a few days after reminding teammates the first order of business is leaving last season behind.

The Bucs return all 22 starters from a top 10 offense and defense, however Brady and coach Bruce Arians stress talent alone doesn’t guarantee continued success.

“In one way, you’re not really defending it much, it����ap kind of in the books. They can’t take away what we’ve done. It����ap really just a whole other year and experience,” Brady said.

“We have a lot of continuity. We have a lot of things to build on and a lot more experience together,” Brady added. “That����ap really all you can ask for as players is to be in the position that we’re in. I’d just like us to go out and take advantage of that.”

With Brady entering his second season working with a bevy of playmakers that includes receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown, tight ends Rob Gronkowski, Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard, the Bucs think they can be even more potent on offense.

The defense returns intact, too, with linebackers Devin White, Lavonte David, Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett leading the way and a youthful group of cornerbacks and safeties looking to make names for themselves.

“As good as we played with the same group of guys, I’d love to see where we can get this year,” Brady said.

“Again, all of it is earned. There’s nothing given. It����ap not about a bunch of hype or a bunch of buildup. We have to go do it,” Brady added. “I think that����ap about a bunch of guys that are really mature and see ourselves as professional athletes. We want to go out there and put our best out there.”

The Cowboys are coming off a 6-10 finish in which they played most of the season without quarterback Dak Prescott.

Prescott returns Thursday night for the first time since suffering the severe ankle injury that ended his year last October. He didn’t play in the preseason, either, after straining his right shoulder early in training camp.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is excited to get Prescott back on the field and spoke to his team about the opportunity to face a seemingly ageless Brady and the defending champs in the season opener for the entire NFL.

“We talked about … just how fortunate we are to be part of it on whatever level, most importantly the players,” McCarthy said.

“There’s definitely a youthfulness that has to exist to be successful, and I think (Brady’s) a good example if there ever was one that has played the game, or any sport, of the way you need to go about it,” McCarthy said. “He exudes with that every time he lines up. Very consistent. I think it����ap a big part of his continued success.”

FACING THE BEST

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott believes he can find the form that led to a pair of rushing titles in his first three seasons as he tries to rebound from a career-low 979 yards rushing.

If he wants a fast start, it’ll have to come against the league’s No. 1 rushing defense in 2020. And it����ap expected to be without four-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, who tested positive for COVID-19 five days before the game. Third-year pro Connor McGovern is set to replace Martin, as he did last year when Martin battled a calf issue and missed six games.

QUINN’S DALLAS DEBUT

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who missed the last two preseason games after a positive COVID-19 test, makes his debut with the Cowboys after getting fired midseason as coach in Atlanta last year. He replaced Mike Nolan, who lasted just one season after McCarthy hired him.

The Cowboys used eight of their 11 draft picks on defense, starting with Micah Parsons at No. 12 overall. Dallas hopes to have better luck with free agents, including two who played for Quinn with the Falcons. Damontae Kazee is expected to start at safety, while fellow former Atlanta safety Keanu Neal has moved to linebacker.

“My confidence is what I see every day,” McCarthy said. “I see a bunch that����ap connecting. I think just the fact that if you take something as simple as the missed assignments vs. the mental errors breakdown, our defense has been ahead of our offense.”

RESPECT YOUR ELDERS

Dallas rookie defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa didn’t seem too concerned about giving Brady bulletin board material before the third-round pick out of UCLA had even played a regular-season game.

“He’s not very mobile,” said Odighizuwa, who is 21 years younger than Brady. “The dude is a little older, not too mobile.”

Asked the importance of interior pressure in what is likely to be a starting role in his NFL debut, Odighizuwa said, “Get him off his spot and his passer rating goes down by a lot.” What����ap a lot? “I think they say it goes down by 50,” Odighizuwa said.

Given a chance to backtrack, Odighizuwa didn’t.

“I feel like he’s not a guy who’s too worried about what I’m saying,” he said. “He’s obviously going to be aware of it, but he’s been doing this for a while. People have been saying this, that and a third. He’s been doing his thing.”

AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.

1) Can Tom Brady continue to defy Father Time? The Buccaneers appear equipped for a repeat run after the future Hall of Fame quarterback won his seventh Super Bowl in 10 appearances last season. Tampa Bay brings back its entire offense as well as its linchpins on defense, including former Bronco Shaquil Barrett.

2) Will Christian McCaffrey return to All-Pro form? The Valor Christian High School alum had a historic 2019 when he became just the third player in NFL history with 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a season. But multiple injuries limited him to three games in 2020. The Panthers need McCaffrey healthy and dynamic again in 2021.

3) How will the Rams fare with Matthew Stafford? Los Angeles traded Jared Goff, a third-rounder and a pair of first-round draft picks to Detroit for Stafford, whom coach Sean McVay believes is the missing piece to making another Super Bowl run. Rams fans are hoping the gamble pays off after a disappointing 2020.

4) Can Green Bay set aside its drama? Quarterback Aaron Rodgers made it clear during the offseason that he did not want to play for the Packers in 2021. But the Packers, in turn, didn’t budge on moving him, so Rodgers will be counted on to get Green Bay to the Super Bowl after consecutive NFC championship losses.

5) Will Dak Prescott and the Cowboys return to relevance? Dallas has missed the playoffs two years in a row, and Prescott played just five games last year due to an ankle injury. Prescott was limited early in training camp due to a shoulder injury, but if he’s healthy, the Cowboys are capable of making noise in the weak NFC East.

6) What’s Kyler Murray’s potential in Year 3? The Arizona QB and former No. 1 overall pick was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019, then followed that up with a Pro Bowl season. But the Cardinals sputtered after a 5-2 start and feel the pressure to post their first winning season since 2015.

7) How will the Saints fare post-Drew Brees? Brees retired following a 20-year NFL career, the final 15 of which came in New Orleans. QB Jameis Winston, who was 28-42 across five seasons as a starter in Tampa Bay, takes over the reins under center.�� A fifth straight South title might be a stretch.

8) Can the Seahawks make a deep playoff push? Pete Carroll guided Seattle to consecutive Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and ’14, but Seattle hasn’t advanced to the conference championship in its five playoff appearances since. Quarterback Russell Wilson is still elite but the D remains mediocre.

9) Can Matt Ryan make the Falcons relevant again? Besides the Jaguars and Jets, Atlanta was the league’s other huge dumpster fire in 2020. Coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff were fired along the way. Does Ryan, 36, have anything left?

10) Should Jalen Hurts give Philly fans hope? Hurts made his first NFL start in Week 13 last year and led the Eagles to a win over the Saints, but lost his final three starts. His 52% completion rate leaves much to be desired, but in the unpredictable East, growth from Hurts just might make Philadelphia a contender. ]]> /2021/09/03/nfc-storylines-2021-nfl-season/feed/ 0 4705948 2021-09-03T05:45:15+00:00 2021-08-31T15:18:10+00:00 /2021/06/13/broncos-von-miller-pass-rush-summit-returns/ /2021/06/13/broncos-von-miller-pass-rush-summit-returns/#respond Sun, 13 Jun 2021 11:45:46 +0000 /?p=4604462

When Von Miller holds his fifth annual Pass Rush Summit this weekend in Las Vegas, he sees it as a chance to expand on a mentorship role he’s taken on later in his career.

“I feel so comfortable in my game, and I feel so comfortable in the type of player that I am and that I can help guys,” Miller said. “I feel like that will be a part of my legacy. If I could get one of these guys that came to the pass-rush summit and say, ‘Man, I went to Von Miller’s pass-rush summit and learned this,’ that’s what it’s about.”

Miller said this year’s summit will feature more younger pros than normal. And, ex-Bronco DeMarcus Ware is there again to provide guidance.

“We have (Patriots linebacker) Josh Uche coming, we got (Jaguars defensive end K’Lavon) Chaisson,” Miller said. “We got a lot of young guys this year. I kind of like it better that way. The young guys, they just have this spark about them where they just want to know more.

“Demarcus is already a walking pass-rush summit wherever he goes. It’ll be another great time in Vegas. We’re doing it at a private school. We have two hours on the field, an hour break and two hours in the meeting room. We’ll be out of there in five hours and I can go play some golf.”

The 2020 summit due to the coronavirus pandemic, with hundreds of pass rushers across high school, college and the NFL watching a presentation from stars such as Miller, Calais Campbell, Chandler Jones, Shaquil Barrett and Myles Garrett.

The 2019 summit where Aaron Donald joined Miller, Campbell, Ware, Derrick Wolfe, Bradley Chubb and about 35 others gathered for what Miller then described as a “crazy” turnout, and the highest yet since he founded the event in 2017.

After initially facing criticism from some football analysts for having a summit where Miller shares tips and tricks with the competition, offseason positional summits featuring elite players from across the league at one position are no longer taboo.

Miller had a nice laugh about that.

“You have the tight end summit, you got the offensive line summit and all these (other positional groups) doing (summit-type) stuff together,” Miller said. “I could’ve sworn when I started doing it, everyone was like, ‘Why is he doing this? Why is he giving tips away? Why is he giving tips away to other guys in the league and division?’ … Now all of these (elite players from different) teams are doing it, and everybody’s so for it.”

— , The Denver Post

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Winners

New England: After posting a losing record for the first time since 2000, Bill Belichick went on a spending spree. New England re-signed QB Cam Newton to a deal that includes $8.5 million in incentives, plus signed TEs Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, WR Nelson Agholor, LB Matt Judon and S Jalen Mills, among others.

Tampa Bay: The Bucs began by locking down QB Tom Brady through 2022 with another contract extension. The defending Super Bowl champs also re-signed dynamic pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett to a four-year, $68 million deal and brought back TE Rob Gronkowski (one year, $8M) and LB Lavonte David (two years for $25M).

Trent Williams: The 49ers made other significant splashes with the re-signings of FB Kyle Juszczyk and CB Jason Verrett, but Williams, 32, made history. San Francisco re-signed the eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle to a six-year, $138 million contract to make him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. The deal includes $55.1 million in guaranteed money.

Aaron Jones: Who says running backs don’t get paid? Green Bay’s Jones re-signed via a four-year deal worth $48 million, including a $13 million signing bonus. Jones, 26, led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2019 and then posted a second straight 1,000-yard season last year while averaging 5.5 yards/carry.

Dak Prescott: The Cowboys QB signed a four-year, $160 million contract (max value of $164 million), a deal that includes $126 million guaranteed. Prescott, who saw his 2020 season end after five games due to a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle, started all 16 games each of his first four years, and has a 42-27 record.

Losers

Receiver market: Wideouts who were hoping for a big payday in free agency have been sorely disappointed. Yes, Agholor found a home, as did Emmanuel Sanders in Buffalo, but a handful of other notable pass-catchers (Lions’ Kenny Golladay, Texans’ Will Fuller, Panthers’ Curtis Samuel, Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster, Colts’ T.Y. Hilton) remain unsigned.

Chicago: The Bears signed QB Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10 million contract. Landing the longtime Bengals starter and ex-Cowboys backup is a major disappointment for the Bears, who were also reportedly in pursuit of the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson and the Texans’ Deshaun Watson over the past few weeks. Chicago’s Super Bowl odds dropped with the signing.

Derek Carr: The Raiders’ QB saw his top WR, Agholor, sign with the Patriots (although Las Vegas did sign John Brown to a one-year deal). And Las Vegas also traded Pro Bowl tackle Trent Brown to New England and Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson to Arizona.

Cincinnati: The Bengals couldn’t retain DE Carl Lawson (three-year deal with Jets, $30 million guaranteed) or CB William Jackson (three-year deal with Washington, $26 million guaranteed), and then the Bengals replaced Lawson with a lower-ceiling pass-rusher in ex-Saint Trey Hendrickson (four-year, $60 million).

Russell Wilson: The QB wants out of Seattle, but his four preferred destinations don’t seem to be working out. The Cowboys’ re-upped with Prescott, the Saints re-signed Jameis Winston, the Bears settled for Dalton and the Raiders remain committed to Carr. Unless something dramatic happens, Russ is stuck in Seattle. ]]> /2021/03/17/nfl-free-agency-winners-losers-2021/feed/ 0 4493423 2021-03-17T15:35:52+00:00 2022-12-08T11:56:05+00:00 /2021/03/15/shaq-barrett-bucs-four-year-deal/ /2021/03/15/shaq-barrett-bucs-four-year-deal/#respond Mon, 15 Mar 2021 19:40:16 +0000 ?p=4491235&preview_id=4491235 TAMPA, Fla. — Linebacker Shaquil Barrett has agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are aren’t wasting time doing whatever’s necessary to retain key components of their Super Bowl-winning roster.

The former Bronco and CSU Ram has been one of the NFL’s top pass rushers over the past two seasons and earned $15.8 million in 2020, when he played under the franchise tag after leading the league with 19½ sacks in 2019.

The 28-year-old’s new deal — facilitated by Tom Brady signing an extension that cleared $19 million in salary cap space — includes $36 million guaranteed, agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Monday.

It����ap the fourth move general manager Jason Licht and coach Bruce Arians have made in a week to ensure key players on the verge of becoming unrestricted free agents would not wind up testing their worth on the open market.

The team placed the franchise tag on wide receiver Chris Godwin and signed linebacker Lavonte David to a salary-cap friendly, two-year deal worth up to $25 million before Brady agreed to an extension that will keep the seven-time Super Bowl champion under contract through 2022.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, wide receiver Antonio Brown, running back Leonard Fournette and kicker Ryan Succop are among other players the Bucs would like to retain.

Re-signing Barrett, however, was by far the top priority this winter. He followed his 2019 breakthrough season with eight regular-season sacks in 2020 last season and four more during Tampa Bay’s postseason run — three in the NFC championship game and one in the Super Bowl.

Barrett spent the first five seasons of his career primarily as a backup with the Denver Broncos. He signed a one-year, $4 million deal with Tampa Bay in free agency in 2019 and has 27½ sacks in 31 regular-season games since joining the Bucs.