Think you can figure out which Eagles player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! We’re back for another day of BGN’s in-5 daily trivia game. Just a reminder that this remains a beta that we’re testing out this week. Today’s game is down below and you can play yesterday’s game here. The goal of the game is to guess the correct Eagles player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS this week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. The game appears in slot #3 of the BGN layout each day this week, with a new article each day for the game. Additionally, there is a more general version of this at SBNation.com, which features a variety of random players that do not necessarily have Eagles history. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. What we need from you Play the game (reminder that the answer could be EITHER and active or retired player) Share your result in the comments and on social media Provide feedback (Google Form or in comments below) Bleeding Green Nation in-5
Test your Eagles knowledge on Sep 4 with BGN’s new daily trivia game
Nick Sirianni says Saquon Barkley is giving him reason to be excited about Friday night
The Eagles head coach talked about Jalen Hurts’ development this offseason, being excited for Friday Night Football in Brazil, and about his DB coaching staff. The Eagles had one last practice on Tuesday before their big travel day to Brazil, and head coach Nick Sirianni spoke to reporters ahead of taking the field. He talked about how he’s excited to see Saquon Barkley in this offense, he’s excited to play Friday Night Football again, and he’s excited to play in front of passionate fans in Brazil — while noting he’s bummed they’re not playing in front of the passionate fans in Philly. As they prepare for a long nine-plus hour flight, Sirianni said that he typically falls asleep on long trips like that, but he and OC Kellen Moore, and Kevin Patullo, will watch some film and maybe a movie. He also doesn’t know exactly what the setup will be at the hotel and facilities, but said the Eagles organization has a wonderful staff that will keep everything as familiar to a regular road game as possible. Here’s what the head coach had to say: On playing a new DC in Week 1 Sirianni acknowledged that there will be a lot of unknowns and surprises around the league in Week 1 regardless of whether team’s had coordinator changes, but a team having a new DC does require digging a little deeper in their planning. As for the Packers, Sirianni said that they looked back at DC Jeff Hafley film when he was the head coach at Boston College, and he’s someone that Sirianni has a lot of respect for. “[Hafley]’s obviously done an unbelievable job to earn the opportunity to be the defensive coordinator – for the Green Bay Packers is obviously a huge honor too. We’ll have to be ready for anything. Without giving up secrets of what we’ve done, we’ve looked at a bunch of stuff as well, but also knowing everything is alive, right. There are other guys on the staff that probably have influence as well of what they talk about.” On seeing Saquon Barkley with the offense “Yeah, [Saquon Barkley] made a run at practice yesterday and I just remember – I was wearing sunglasses, it was sunny, I was just kind of taking my sunglasses off and looking at a couple of coaches like, ‘Alright, this is awesome that we got him here.’ Not only for the play that he brings to the field and the cut that he made yesterday at practice, but also his leadership and the person that we have.” Sirianni went on to say that as a coach, he’s excited for everything. He’s super excited about Barkley, but he also got goosebumps about playing a game on Friday night, taking them all back to Friday Night Football growing up. The head coach also admitted he’s excited to play in Brazil in front of very passionate sports fans – although, he is bummed to miss out on playing in front of Eagles fans in Philly. “Man, there are so many things to be excited for, and Saquon a obviously a big one of those.” On Jalen Hurts’ development “[Jalen Hurts] dove into everything that he needs to do to be a great quarterback and continue to be a great quarterback in this league. He’s worked his butt off not only on the offense, but also with his strength and conditioning, with his leadership, with his accuracy, with his decision making. And I’ve just seen him attack the off-season and the training camp like I’m so used to seeing Jalen attack everything. And I’m excited for him to be able to go out there and show everybody what he’s been working on, because he’s put so much time into it. I’m excited for his season that he’s going to have and who he is as a player.” On the Eagles’ DB coaches Sirianni had a lot of good things to say about the team’s new defensive back coaches, pointing out that he’s worked with Joe Kasper before and has so much respect for him and everything he brings to the table. He was excited to have to chance to bring Kasper back under DC Vic Fangio. He also talked about how much respect Christian Parker has around the league, and for someone as young as he is, that speaks to the impressive things he’s done. Fangio had worked with Parker in the past, but Sirianni noted that he’s exactly as advertised. The head coach also pointed out CB coach Roy Anderson, quipping that Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh raved to him about Anderson prior to the preseason game a few weeks ago. “Again, the guys get their foot in the door potentially because someone had worked with them, or we’ve heard a good thing about them. Then you do the research on the person, and just a lot of good reports coming back on all those guys. And then you don’t know it completely until they get in the building, and they’ve just done a phenomenal job.”
Daily Dawg Chow 9/4: Browns have new stadium name for the next twenty years
Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images More of the latest Browns news and notes from around the web in today’s dose of the Daily Dawg Chow. The latest Cleveland Browns coverage from Dawgs By Nature: Browns in AFC Championship game: Hall of Famer predicts matchup with Chiefs (Jared Mueller) As the 2024 NFL season kicks off Thursday, Shannon Sharpe believes the Browns have a Super Bowl chance Cowboys offense: Zeke Elliott, Dalvin Cook not expect to lead Dallas rushing attack (Jared Mueller) Little known Rico Dowdle could surprise many Browns fans in Week 1 Browns jumped the gun, needed “prior approval” from city for stadium name change (Jared Mueller) A formality for Cleveland Browns Stadium to become Huntington Bank Field but of note as negotiations continue Browns 1st unofficial depth chart has some surprises (Matt Wilson) The team’s first unofficial depth chart for Sunday is an interesting one More Cleveland Browns news: Cleveland Browns Star Amari Cooper Receives Bold Prediction (Sports Illustrated) “A bold prediction was made for Cleveland Browns star wide receiver Amari Cooper for this season.” Browns and Huntington Bank announce 20-year partnership that includes stadium naming rights (clevelandbrown.com) “Cleveland Browns Stadium to become “Huntington Bank Field” A few surprises in Browns’ first regular season depth chart vs. Cowboys (Browns Wire via Yahoo) “Everything on the defensive side of the ball is to be expected. The skill positions align just as one would think they would. There is, however, one small surprise along the offensive line room that might leave some puzzled.” Could Browns’ Jack Conklin Start At Left Tackle Against Cowboys? (Athlon) “On Monday, Cleveland Browns veteran right tackle Jack Conklin was seen taking snaps at left tackle.” Are Browns fans different now? W/Ken Carmen (Youtube) Quincy Carrier and Ken Carmen talk about the current state of Browns’ fandom
One model has Bengals projected at 10.2 wins
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) celebrates with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) after Chase’s first career touchdown. Chase hauled in a 50-yard touchdown just before halftime in the Bengals 27-24 overtime win against the Minnesota Vikings. | Sam Greene / USA TODAY NETWORK The Bengals have won 10 or more games in the two seasons Joe Burrow has stayed healthy. We are now about to have NFL football every Sunday until the week between conference championships and the Super Bowl. How good of a feeling is that? The hope is many of those Sundays will include wins for the Cincinnati Bengals, who, when healthy, are easily a 10+ win team. The Athletic released Austin Mock’s NFL betting model with win projections for all 32 teams. Ten thousand simulations of the 2024 season were run to produce the model and win projections. The Bengals checked in with the fifth-highest projection at 10.2, just a tick behind the Ravens at 10.3. Paul Dehner Jr., the Bengals beat write for The Athletic, had this to say about the ranking: “The Bengals had a fully healthy Joe Burrow for just five-and-a-half games last year. Their defense looked nothing like its previous self without Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell. They played one of the toughest schedules in the league. Very little went right. They still won nine games. A projection of 10.2 is solid, but I’d be more comfortable going over than under. They have questions, no doubt, but they added veteran safeties, the schedule appears dramatically easier, the offensive line is as solid as Burrow has played behind. As long as Burrow is healthy (all signs are good) with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins outside, 10 wins feels like the floor.” In those five games with a fully healthy Burrow, the Bengals went 4-1. That stretch included wins over the 49ers and Bills. Vonn Bell is back, and the Bengals bolstered their secondary by signing safety Geno Stone on the first day of free agency. Stone has seven interceptions in 2023. The last time the Bengals had a fourth-place schedule, they were less than 90 seconds away from winning the Super Bowl. Cincinnati is a better team going into this season than they were in 2021. Let that help you make your decision on this projection.
Colts lead the NFL in returning players from a season ago
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Indianapolis Colts are running it back this season, more so than any other team in the NFL. Last year was a season of development and ‘seeing what we’ve got’ as the Colts employed the 3rd-youngest roster among all 32 NFL teams. After enough progression to bounce back from a dreadful 2022 campaign, General Manager Chris Ballard and the rest of the Indy brass decided what they had was worthy enough to run it back altogether, but this time with a healthy Anthony Richardson leading the charge. The Indianapolis Colts lead the way with a staggering 81.7% of their active roster set to return for the 2024 season. Their high retention rate includes that of their practice squad members, which is a night and day difference for some teams. The #Colts lead the NFL in players returning to the active roster in 2024 while the #Commanders have (by far) the most turnover of any team in the NFLhttps://t.co/f2GFGfU3nj pic.twitter.com/7n6UrKfGdI — Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) September 3, 2024 For example, they are 3.4% higher than the 2nd-placed Dallas Cowboys (including 2023 Practice Squad) and 7.9% higher than the Cleveland Browns (excluding 2023 Practice Squad). The Colts lead the league in this statistic given they are the only team retaining 80%+ (regardless of practice squad members), however, they are 1 of just 4 teams to bring back more than 70% of their active roster from 2023. The Colts under Ballard have utilized the NFL Draft as its main source of roster addition but even their 81.7% retention rate is a unique case study. With uninspiring outputs in 2023 from certain position groups such as Cornerback and Safety, many have questioned Ballard and Co.’s decision to ‘run it back’ in these specific areas. Still, only time will tell if betting on ‘his guys’ will pan out as it did from 2022-23 when the same OL from their disastrous collapse was trotted out again in 2023 only to rebound back into a Top 5 unit.
PFF: Bills’ James Cook named a 2024 ‘fantasy football league winner’
PFF: #Bills’ James Cook named a 2024 ‘fantasy football league winner’ This is the year to invest in James Cook, according to Pro Football Focus. The football analytics outlet named five “league winners” for the upcoming fantasy football and NFL season. Cook’s name appears. Fresh off his first season as a Pro Bowler in 2023, Cook could be a big piece in fantasy football leagues this year. Especially since Joe Brady was named Buffalo’s full-time offensive coordinator. When Brady took over for Ken Dorsey last season in the middle of the year, he had a new-found commitment to the rushing attack which Cook benefited from. But the one concern Cook owners might have would be with his touchdown totals. Could fourth-round rookie Ray Davis cut into Cook’s totals? PFF’s full fantasy football breakdown on Cook can be found below: Cook flashed versatility in his second season, playing well on gap/zone plays and excelling on non-perfectly blocked plays and against eight-man boxes. He has been particularly good at breaking off longer runs, although they haven’t led to touchdowns. The Georgia product took major steps forward in his utilization from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign, playing significantly more snaps in every situation while receiving the ball roughly the same amount while he was on the field. Latavius Murray and Damien Harris were his primary competition early in the 2023 season, but neither is on the 2024 roster. Buffalo signed Leonard Fournette in the middle of the season, but he ended up playing only 26 snaps. Ty Johnson has been mostly a receiving back in his NFL career and could have that role again, while fourth-rounder Ray Davis may also factor in. The big question for Cook is what his goal-line work will look like. He ran the ball four times when the Bills were within four yards of scoring last season, which isn’t nearly enough. The other Bills running backs had 13 such carries. Davis may get those carries in 2024, given his size. The bigger problem is dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen, who ran 15 times in those situations. Ideally, Cook will get more goal-line carries, but even if he doesn’t, we should expect similar touchdown production to last season, if not better with more breakaway runs for touchdowns. The Bills fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey following Week 10 of 2023, and Joe Brady took over. That corresponds closely to when Cook started receiving the ball more often. He averaged 12 carries and 2.4 receptions per game in 2023 with Dorsey and 17 carries and 3.1 receptions per game with Brady. Cook finished at RB12 last season, in part thanks to his ability to stay healthy, but several factors, including less veteran competition, the offensive coordinator change, continuity on the offensive line and the Bills not being as strong, all point to Cook seeing more opportunities this season.
GA Skol’s 2024 Season Preview
The Minnesota Vikings can be a tough team to predict. The team has been unable to string together successful seasons in recent years. However, when you think things are bad, they also sometimes surprise to the upside. Case Keenum knows how that works. Can the Vikings find the same magic in journeyman Sam Darnold? Can Brian Flores work his magic and piece together a top tier defense? Can Kevin O’Connell pull the team together for a run? There is a lot of reason for doubt, but there is always a chance it swings their way. You can see my previous two years here. 2023 Prediction Here, 11-5 might have been good if Kirk didn’t go down. 2022 Prediction Here, nailed that 13-4. Phase 1: Weathering the Tough Start Week 1: Vikings @ Giants They can’t lose to Danny Dimes again can they? Saquon is in Philly. Malik Nabers is in his first NFL game. The defense is decent, but not elite. The Vikings need to get off to a good start here with a tough stretch to start the season. It’ll be huge for Sam Darnold to build some confidence here. I’m going to say they pull off the road win. Vikings 23 – Giants 16 Week 2: 49ers @ Vikings The home opener is here! The Vikes are 1-0 and the bank is rocking. Brock Purdy rolls in with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and, recently extended, Brandon Aiyuk. Their defensive line is stout. The 49ers are one of the best teams in the league. It might be a long day for guys in purple. 49ers 30 – Vikings 17 Week 3: Texans @ Vikings CJ Stroud and our good friends Stephon Diggs and Danielle Hunter roll into town Week 3. The Vikings (1-1) are smarting from the 49er loss and are coming off 2-6 at home in 2023. They’ll want to go against that trend, but that Texans offense is no joke. The Vikings have a couple of former Texans too. It’ll be a fun game watching that Texans offense and each team’s new pieces gel. I am not fully buying the CJ Stroud hype. He had a great rookie year, but the NFL isn’t that easy for anyone not named Patrick Mahomes. Vikings 20 – Texans 17 Week 4: Vikings @ Packers The rivalry starts early this year. A September matchup with Green Bay might prove to be important later in the year. Is Jordan Love another one of Green Bay’s Hall of Fame QBs or was it just a good run to end last year. I don’t think this team sweeps the Packers, so I will give them this one in Green Bay. Packers 27 – Vikings 24 Week 5: Jets @ Vikings (LONDON) The return of A A Ron would’ve been fun in Minneapolis, but the NFL wanted to send it to London. I am planning on being at this one. How does Aaron look after the achilles injury? Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are the two big weapons he has to play with. The defensive line in NY is also a problem with Javon Kinlaw, Quinnen Williams and Hassan Reddick lining up. It will be a big test for the Vikings (2-2). I don’t think the Jets have enough fire power. Vikings 24 – Jets 20 Week 6: BYE Vikes are 3-2 and still in it. Week 7: Lions @ Vikings The reigning NFC North Champions roll into Minneapolis. The Lions didn’t lose much this offseason and the team appears to be stacked. I think the Lions are the class of the NFCN this year and the Vikings (3-2) wills struggle to stop Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs. Aidan Hutchinson and our old friend Marcus Davenport are on the defensive side. Although, Davenport is usually out by this point. Justin Jefferson plays big against the Lions and I think they’ll need it to win this one. Much like the Packers, I think the Vikings split the season series. They somehow win at home. Vikings 30 – Lions 28 Week 8: Vikings @ Rams Thursday Night game, on the road, coming off a divisional game. I don’t think this team is good enough to compete in a scenario like this. Chalk this loss up to the schedule gods and move on. Rams 27 – Vikings 13 Phase II: Winnable Games Week 9: Colts @ Vikings The Vikings (4-3) get an extended rest coming off the Thursday Night game against LA. The Colts will be coming off a divisional road game at the Texans. Anthony Richardson looked good until he got hurt last year. It’s unknown how good he’ll look in year two. This is definitely a game that could swing either way. It will all be about stopping Johnathan Taylor for the Vikings. Vikings 20 – Colts 17 Week 10: Vikings @ Jaguars The Jaguars are another interesting team this year. Trevor Lawrence looked to be on his way to superstardom a few years ago. Now, he’s dangerously getting closer to the Kirk Cousins tier. I think the Jaguars are headed in the wrong direction. Their offensive line isn’t great and they plan on starting our old friend Ezra Cleveland at LG. Look for the Viking pass rushers to have a day. Vikings 21 – Jaguars 20 Week 11: Vikings @ Titans Year 2 of Will Levis in Tennessee. They will be without Derek Henry this year and I don’t think that team is ready to compete. They’ll be picking top 5 in the draft. However, are the Vikings (6-3) mature enough to win back to back road games? Three potential wins in a row here. Vikings 24 – Titans 16 Week 12: Vikings @ Bears The Vikings (7-3) 3rd road game in a row here. That isn’t doing them any favors after spending back to back weeks in the Southeast. The Bears are improved and their WR corps are strong. Caleb Williams will be rocking and rolling at this point. I
Around SB Nation: Will Bengals and Chase get a deal done this week
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Brandon Aiyuk have all inked new deals. Will Ja’Marr Chase get one soon? Last week the Dallas Cowboys and CeeDee Lamb agreed to a new contract and then the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk agreed to a new deal. Big name receivers are getting paid, but Ja’Marr Chase has yet to strike a new deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. From the sounds of it, the Bengals are ramping up their efforts to get a deal done this week, so stay tuned for that news. Check out what the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and other NFL teams are talking about in our roundup. AFC EAST: New England Patriots (via Pats Pulpit) Jacoby Brissett reacts to winning Patriots starting QB job over Drake Maye – Pats PulpitThe Patriots name Brissett their starter over rookie Drake Maye last week. New York Jets (via Gang Green Nation) New York Jets: Rex Ryan shares his thoughts on the AFC East – Gang Green NationCan the Jets go to the Super Bowl this year? Buffalo Bills (via Buffalo Rumblings) 91 Buffalo Bills players in 91 days: WR Keon Coleman – Buffalo RumblingsColeman was almost Buffalo’s first Round 1 draft choice at wideout since Sammy Watkins in 2014 AFC NORTH: Baltimore Ravens (via Baltimore Beatdown) Eric DeCosta believes Ravens will have NFL’s ‘best tandem’ at tight end – Baltimore BeatdownThe duo of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely can “create a lot of problems for opposing defensive coordinators.” Pittsburgh Steelers (via Behind the Steel Curtain) Steelers vs. Falcons odds: How odds for Week 1 have shifted since May – Behind the Steel CurtainHere’s an updated look at the odds on the board for the Steelers’ Week 1 matchup against the Falcons. Cincinnati Bengals (via Cincy Jungle) Ja’Marr Chase Contract: Encouraging update on Bengals’ talks with hold-in WR – Cincy JungleWill the two sides get a deal done before Week 1? There’s some positive movement… Cleveland Browns (via Dawgs By Nature) Browns season predictions: David Njoku leading the team and 3 more half-baked takes – Dawgs By NatureFor the Browns, new wrinkles could surprise many AFC SOUTH: Houston Texans (via Battle Red Blog) The Value of Things: Houston Texans Final Roster Analysis – Battle Red BlogAre Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans finished putting together the roster? Tennessee Titans (via Music City Miracles) Titans trade Elijah Molden Chargers – Music City MiraclesIt’s been a busy few days for Ran Carthon Jacksonville Jaguars (via Big Cat Country) Reacts Survey results: Jaguars fans share thoughts on EDGE unit – Big Cat CountryThe results are in, and the majority of Jaguars fans are worried about the pass rush. Indianapolis Colts (via Stampede Blue) Colts’ Chris Ballard is sticking to his guns to the bitter end – Stampede BlueThe GM for the Colts isn’t worried about getting fired. Maybe he should be. AFC WEST: Denver Broncos (via Mile High Report) Looking at the average NFL rookie starting quarterback from 2010-2023 – Mile High ReportWhere should we set our expectations for Bo Nix as a rookie starting QB in the modern NFL? Los Angeles Chargers (via Bolts from the Blue) Chargers News: CB Asante Samuel Jr. 2024 player profile – Bolts From The BlueAsante Samuel has recorded at least 11 pass breakups in every year since entering the NFL as a second-round draft pick by the Chargers. Las Vegas Raiders (via Silver and Black Pride) Raiders 2024: Gardner Minshew, Davante Adams are keys to season – Silver And Black PrideLas Vegas Raiders starting quarterback Gardner Minshew getting in-tune with his wide receivers is key ahead of the season opener at Los Angeles Chargers Kansas City Chiefs (via Arrowhead Pride) Chiefs News: Confidence in supporting cast without Hollywood Brown – Arrowhead PrideThe Kansas City Chiefs added Hollywood Brown hoping he would be ready to play his former team, but the rest of the room has them confident. Justin Watson, Xavier Worthy and JuJu Smith-Schuster should pick up the slack. NFC EAST: New York Giants (via Big Blue View) Are the Giants better in 2024? They better be – Big Blue ViewThis spring and summer have felt more productive — now will the work lead to wins? Philadelphia Eagles (via Bleeding Green Nation) Vic Fangio Defense 101: Part 4 – Runs Fits and Pressure Looks – Bleeding Green NationThe “Fangio defense”. Named after its creator, Vic Fangio, who was recently hired as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, this defense is known for being complex. In particular, Fangio’s defense is… Dallas Cowboys (via Blogging the Boys) Dallas Cowboys roster: Dalvin Cook says he can produce at high level – Blogging The BoysThe Dallas Cowboys pulled in Dalvin Cook to add depth to their running back room, and the veteran still has confidence in his game. Washington Commanders (via Hogs Haven) One thought about each player on the Commanders roster – Hogs HavenWashington Commanders Roster NFC NORTH: Green Bay Packers (via Acme Packing Company) Packers Swing for the Fences at Backup Quarterback – Acme Packing CompanyI probably would have just taken the single. Detroit Lions (via Pride of Detroit) Lions believe 2 rocky seasons were ‘blessing in disguise’ for Jameson Williams – Pride Of DetroitJameson Williams’ first 2 seasons didn’t go quite as planned. But Lions GM Brad Holmes sees where the WR is at now, and believes the turbulence was a “blessing in disguise.” Chicago Bears (via Windy City Gridiron) 77% of NFL fans confident the Bears are headed in the right direction – Windy City GridironInteresting results on the SB Nation Reacts survey this week, as these went to fans of all 32 teams. Minnesota Vikings (via Daily Norseman) SB Nation Reacts: Not a Lot of Confidence in the Vikings Right Now – Daily NorsemanBut I guess that’s to be expected NFC SOUTH: New Orleans Saints (via Canal Street Chronicles) Saints march into Week 1 as 4.5-point favorites against the Panthers – Canal Street ChroniclesIt’s an early NFC South matchup for New Orleans’ season opener.
Mailbag: Which Lions practice squad WR will win a spot on the 53-man roster?
Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK The Detroit Lions have a positional battle still happening at WR. Who will win out the job? We discuss in our Week 1 mailbag. While most of the Detroit Lions roster is set, there is one position that remains a bit of a mystery. Despite coach Dan Campbell’s pleas for a big-bodied wide receiver to step up in training camp, it never ended up happening, and now the Lions simply don’t have one on their 53-man roster. That said, they are still on the hunt. Detroit quickly added veterans Tim Patrick and Allen Robinson to the team to compete with Donovan Peoples-Jones for that role—with all three of them currently on the practice squad. Patrick comes with a lot of hype from Denver Broncos fans, but two serious injuries in the past two years have put a damper on his career, and leave many justifiably wondering if he still has it in him. Robinson is the eldest of the group, and while he has three 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, he only has 1,029 yards in the last three years combined. Peoples-Jones had his chance at the job and couldn’t win it in camp. So who will come out on top of that competition? Will any of them end up signing to the 53-man roster? Could more than one make their way onto the gameday roster? And who will take on the role for Week 1? That’s our (Jeremy Reisman and Erik Schlitt’s) big topic in this week’s Midweek Mailbag podcast. For the Los Angeles Rams game, it’s easy to see why Peoples-Jones may be the favorite to play. He’s been around the offense longer, knows the system better, and has had more in-person work with Jared Goff. But Goff explained on Tuesday how impressed he was with Patrick and Robinson, as their veteran status has helped them pick things up quickly. “It’s fun to work with vets like that where that learning curve seems to be a bit shorter, and you can kind of speak a language they can understand,” Goff said. We expand upon that conversation in the podcast below. Here’s a look at every topic we discussed, along with the timestamp you can find that conversation: 3:30 — What will the Lions do with the 53rd spot on their roster? 8:30 — Which practice squad WR will be on the field in Week 1 (if any)? 13:10 — How will they treat the WR-X position all season? 16:45 — What will Isaiah Williams’ role be in Week 1? Could he be the kick returner? 20:00 — Will we see more packages with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs on the field at the same time? 25:00 — Are we buying the Bears and Packers hype? What about them is a legitimate threat? What is noise? 31:30 — Will Derrick Barnes play much with the Rams in 11 personnel so often? 35:00 — Can the Lions exploit the loss of Rams LB Ernest Jones with Texas routes from Gibbs? 39:00 — What will Sione Vaki’s role on offense be this year? 42:20 — Will the Lions DBs hold up against a tough early schedule against good passing offenses? You can listen to the show below, or re-watch the live stream over on YouTube or Twitch.
2024 Detroit Lions season preview: Breakout Player of the Year prediction
Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK Who will be the Detroit Lions’ Breakout Player of the Year? Our 2024 season preview and predictions continue here. Normally during our 2024 Detroit Lions preview, this would be where we predict the team’s Rookie of the Year. However, that’s a little anticlimactic this season, with only first-round pick Terrion Arnold set to take over a starting role this year (unless you include Hogan Hatten). What is a much more interesting question is figuring out which player will break out this season. There are a handful of players who have either flashed during last season, or shown something in training camp season. So let’s take a look at our predictions for 2024 Detroit Lions Breakout Player of the Year: Previously: Offensive MVP prediction Defensive MVP prediction 2024 Detroit Lions Breakout Player of the Year Morgan Cannon: Jameson Williams Give me all of the Jameson Williams stock. He is coming off of a Spring and Summer where he got a ton of praise from this coaching staff, including being called, “A man on a mission,” by coach Dan Campbell. During his post-preseason press conference, general manager Brad Holmes also talked about how far he thinks Williams has come as a person as well as a football player over the course of the last two years. At the end of the day, a lot of this offense is still going to flow through the running game, St. Brown, and LaPorta. But if Williams can take the steps many are hoping for in 2024—watch out. This offense could reach new levels of terrifying for opposing defenses. Jeremy Reisman: Jack Campbell After splitting time at the MIKE position with Derrick Barnes last year, Campbell is expected to take over full time, and if training camp is any indication, he’s ready for the role. With his rare combination of size, speed, and smarts, I expect Campbell to be a force in three phases of the game: pass rush, run defense, and—perhaps the biggest jump he’ll take—in coverage. Meko Scott: Levi Onwuzurike This really came down to Jameson Williams and Levi Onwuzurike for me. And while Jamo will have more opportunities and would be the more exciting answer, I can’t help but be excited about everything we’ve heard about Levi this offseason. As a former 2nd round pick, Onwuzurike has dealt with a number of setbacks in his young career due to injuries. Getting through camp and playing meaningful snaps last season was a big step in the right direction, and it’s sounding like this upcoming season we could finally season the type of player that nearly had Brad Holmes ready to trade up for him. So yeah, I’m rooting like hell for Levi and I believe we could see him make some big plays has a key rotational player on the defensive line. Ryan Mathews: Terrion Arnold Terrion Arnold could be a popular candidate considering he’s slated to be the starting outside cornerback opposite of Carlton Davis, but just because he’s the popular choice doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be the pick here for the Lions player to breakout in 2024. An opportunity like this for a rookie is about as high stakes as it gets in the NFL, and from all indications, Arnold looks ready for the challenge. If his learning curve isn’t steep and Arnold helps improve the Lions pass defense from being just an average unit from a year ago (16th in pass defense DVOA, 6.5%), he’s likely going to be an important piece to the overall improvement of that unit. Erik Schlitt: Levi Onwuzurike The Lions have several players who could find themselves in the “breakout player” category, but based on what I saw at training camp, Levi Onwuzurike should run away with this award. Now fully healthy, Onwuzurike has been sensational on the field and finally looks like the player we were expecting to see coming out of Washington. If you haven’t been out to training camp this offseason, buckle up, he’s been a lot of fun to watch. Brandon Knapp: Jameson Williams Jamo is going to pop off this year, as I even wrote about him hitting a 1,000-yard season. He took a few weeks last year to move into the WR2 role and he still missed time due to his suspension. This year he’s had another offseason to grow and improve and he’s looked good in a lot of training camp practices. With the offense having him, St. Brown, and LaPorta being the main targets, I don’t think teams will respect him enough to start the year to worry about him until he starts breaking out. Also, with his speed he can be used on jet sweeps, reverses, and other trick play ideas that he’ll be used creatively at times and get wide open. Hamza Baccouche: Levi Onwuzurike When I look up and down the Lions roster, it’s hard to see anyone competing with Levi Onwuzurike for this title, assuming reports out of Allen Park aren’t an exaggeration. We’ve heard nothing but phenomenal stuff all preseason, and I’m excited to see it with my own eyes come regular season. Onwuzurike is an established veteran with several offseasons under his belt, so I’m expecting to play like a force to be reckoned with from Week 1. John Whiticar: Derrick Barnes With Alex Anzalone as the leader of the linebacking corps and Jack Campbell as the heir apparent and partner in crime, Barnes might be forgotten by many. As the projected starting SAM linebacker, it is unclear how many snaps he will see during the 2024 season, but I think he could make a serious impact when he is on the field. He quietly had a great season at linebacker last year, and this year he will get to channel his college pass rushing skills at SAM. The Lions have pass rushers like Marcus Davenport and James Houston, but I think it could be Barnes that emerges as one of the Lions’ best weapons
