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The latest
Predicting NFL Stat Leaders for 2019 | Bleacher Report
Sacks: Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
Assuming the Chiefs pay Jones, he’s primed to match or top his 2018 sack number. Last year, under former defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, the 6’6”, 310-pound defensive tackle handled double-teams in a two-gap odd-man front.
Now, under new defensive play-caller Steve Spagnuolo’s even-man front, Jones may see a fair amount of one-on-one matchups, especially with defensive end Frank Clark demanding attention on the edge.
Jones’ projected total: 19.0 sacks
Offensive fireworks: 5 NFL teams that will be explosive in 2019 | USA TODAY
Maybe Patrick Mahomes won’t be able to match or improve upon his MVP output of 5,097 passing yards and 50 touchdowns. But in 2018, the rest of the NFL looked flummoxed by the no-look passes, unorthodox arm angles and narrow-window completions he made appear routine. And after Andy Reid’s group finished with the third-most points (565) of any team in league history, opponents will have to do more than hope for a regression from Mahomes in his second year as a starter.
10. Tyreek Hill, Chiefs
On the field there is no denying how explosive Hill can be. In 16 games last season he had 87 receptions for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns. Hill also returns punts (he took one 91 yards to the house in the ‘18 season opener). He ranked No. 6 in value per play among all wideouts, according to FO, and No. 7 according to PFF’s grades.
Triple-threat wide receivers from the 2018 NFL season | Pro Football Focus
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City speedster put forth a career year a season ago, recording career highs in overall grade (89.6), receiving grade (90.3), receiving yards (1,479) and yards after the catch (524). With such blazing straight-line speed, it’s no surprise to see that Hill created separation on 63.1% of his targets, but it may surprise you to hear that the 5-foot-10 pass-catcher was especially dominant in contested-catch situations, where he hauled in 13-of-20 such targets. Hill also ended the year averaging 6.02 yards after the catch per reception, the third straight year in which he’d averaged 4.25 yards after the catch per reception or more.
Prospects PFF was rightfully low on in NFL drafts in the past three years | Pro Football Focus
LB DARRON LEE, OHIO STATE
Sometimes you bank on athletic freaks at linebacker and they end up like Deion Jones. Other times the result is Darron Lee, who didn’t even make it through his rookie contract with the Jets before being traded to Kansas City. He played a lot of overhang for the Buckeyes and not much traditional linebacker. That, combined with some maddening balance issues in space, led to us calling the first-rounder the 81st best player in the 2016 class.
Scout’s Take: Insider Fantasy Football Analysis for Every NFL Team | Yahoo! Sports
In this offense, you could plug a lot of backs in and they would be successful. Look what Damien Williams did at the end of last year, after they released Kareem Hunt. Williams will put up numbers because he plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. They added Carlos Hyde, who I’ve always liked. That’s going to be an interesting training camp battle because Hyde is a better runner, but Williams is a far better receiver.
Now, (Damien) Williams is in line to start in 2019 for the Chiefs and owners are currently putting him at the top end of RB2 territory by making him the No. 13 running back taken, according to the latest 2019 Fantasy football ADP. However, the Chiefs signed Carlos Hyde during the offseason, drafted Darwin Thompson and also have Darrel Williams in the mix for carries.
The model shows concern about how Damien Williams might hold up to a full workload and the threat posed by the other Chiefs running backs. He’s the No. 22 running back in their 2019 Fantasy football rankings behind players being drafted two rounds later like Chris Carson and Phillip Lindsay.
Clemson top 10 wide receivers: Sammy Watkins WRU era vs. Jerry Butler era | The Post and Courier
Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff initially weren’t sure about starting Watkins as a true freshman, but speed, size and shiftiness made the decision easy. Watkins came from Fort Myers, Fla., and left as first-round draft pick — and Clemson’s career leader in receiving yards (3,391). He is tied with DeAndre Hopkins for most touchdown catches (27) and is second in receptions (240).
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ 5 worst moments from the 2018 season | Chiefs Wire
All year long people have been singing the praises of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but he’s not always perfect.
From his 50 regular-season touchdown passes to leading the Chiefs to a long-overdue home playoff win and winning the first NFL MVP in franchise history, Mahomes more than deserves plenty of the praise he’s been getting this offseason. But in the spirit of Thanos, we will try to make the universe “perfectly balanced, as all things should be.”
2019 NFL preview: With Nick Foles, Jaguars try to recapture a brief run at glory | Yahoo! Sports
The Jaguars could also be in a better place overall had they been more decisive on Blake Bortles. They hoped for the best and exercised his fifth-year option during the 2017 offseason, despite some major questions about Bortles to that point. The Jaguars then found themselves in a spot in which Bortles needed wrist surgery after the season and his option was likely going to be guaranteed due to injury. Coming off that playoff run, the team gave him an extension to massage the salary cap. And what makes it all so much worse is the Jaguars passed on quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in the 2017 draft to pick running back Leonard Fournette fourth overall, because they weren’t ready to admit to themselves that Bortles wasn’t going to be the answer. Ouch.
As such and given the composition of the Patriots’ cornerback group as a whole, Williams should be expected to see regular playing time. When New England plays the Kansas City Chiefs, for example, he could be used to cover tight end Travis Kelce — a task that primarily fell on 6-foot-1 cornerback J.C. Jackson during the playoffs. Given his size and moving skills, Williams projects to play a key role against receiving tight ends such as Kelce.
Around the league
Dolphins DL Kendrick Norton injured in car accident | NFL.com
Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Kendrick Norton was involved in a serious car wreck early Thursday morning in Miami that resulted in the amputation of his left arm.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles accident report, at approximately 1:18 a.m., Norton was driving a black 2017 Ford F250 on westbound State Road 836. His vehicle, for unknown reasons, crashed into a concrete barrier wall and his vehicle overturned on to its roof. Miami Dade Fire Rescue transported Norton to Ryder Trauma Center.
The NFL’s defensive iron men of the 2018 season | Pro Football Focus
EDGE DEE FORD, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Grade: 88.6
Snaps: 1,022
In an era of platoon pass-rushers, Dee Ford hardly came off the field last season and logged the most snaps of any pass-rusher. He led the NFL with 78 pressures and led all edge rushers with a pass-rushing grade of 91.0.
49ers expect big things from pass rusher Dee Ford | The Press Democrat
Is Dee Ford the stud the 49ers think he is?
This offseason, they traded a second-round draft pick in 2020 to the Kansas City Chiefs for Ford, a 28-year-old defensive end, then gave him a five-year, $85.5 million contract extension, because they think he can transform their defense.
Rob Gronkowski ‘Can’t Say’ How He’ll Feel When NFL Season Begins | NESN
“There’s definitely going to be times when you miss it and everything,” Gronkowski told Eisen. “I would always say that it’s still the offseason right now. I mean I can’t really say how I’m going to feel about it when the games start rolling around and everything. You know, I just felt like it was time. I feel really good right now and it was just definitely something I thought it was the right time and the right thing to do.”
Man arrested in shooting of Ex-NFL quarterback Anthony Wright, police say | FOX News
A North Carolina man who police say shot former NFL quarterback Anthony Wright multiple times was arrested Wednesday, authorities said.
William Moses Hooker Jr., 46, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, Concord police said.
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