Ivan from Little Chicago, WI
Thanks for the article on Daniel Whelan. Disappointed that his holding skills are not mentioned.
I guess today is the day to defend myself. Paragraphs 7-10if you want to check again.
Last year, TJ Slaton was the second-best nose tackle in the league. It looks like he’ll start in the infield next to Kenny Clark. You all mentioned Wyatt showing up in camp. What does that mean for Karl Brooks? He showed more than just glimpses last year. Will he be able to get his swing back?
Sure. Deep rotations up front are hugely useful in the fourth quarter for fresh legs, but coaches don’t like to rotate when there’s a drop in performance. Players have to have sessions. There are plenty of situations and packages where different players can be used and the starters can get a breather. When everyone is healthy, Brooks won’t get 50 snaps per game. But a few dozen? Definitely.
Kevin from Dalton Gardens, ID
Regarding Nate from Blue Springs, MO, I’ve seen some pictures of the Commanders and Chargers with covers on their Guardian caps. They look better than I expected. But it will definitely take some getting used to when a player wears one in a game.
I saw that too. Seems like a good starting point.
Much of the focus at this stage is (understandably) on Jordan Morgan and the other highly drafted players, but do any of the UDFAs stand out so far and have a good chance of making the roster at some point?
I haven’t seen anyone really stand out and work their way up the rankings yet, but the preseason can bring changes in that area. Last summer, no one was talking about running back Emanuel Wilson until the opening game in Cincinnati. We’ll see what happens Saturday in Cleveland and if anyone’s assignments change next week.
With so much talent and head-to-head competition at the LB, Safety, Corner and WR positions, the question is how realistic it is that we can place this talent on the practice squad without another team poaching our talented guys.
The guys who really shine in preseason games are the most likely to be claimed, as teams don’t have practice footage from other clubs. However, the likelihood of waiver claims always seems overblown, as it’s a pretty bold decision to put someone at 53 before a team has players they know much better from their own camp. That happens, of course, but each year the number of waiver claims is generally lower than many predict.
I’ve heard a lot about the battle for the second safety position alongside Xavier McKinney, but I’m wondering who’s next in line for his spot if he goes down. Are the guys battling for the second spot also competing to replace X, or are there other traits required in a certain safety?
Safeties are trained to be interchangeable, so the pecking order they establish applies to the entire position group, with the exception of certain situational subpackages.
Hi II, Wes wrote a good article on Xavier McKinney and his approach to the game is impressive. I looked at a few rankings of NFL defenses this season and the NY Giants are ranked 20th. The general accusation against them is that their unproven secondary will rely heavily on inexperienced players in 2024. With that in mind, I wonder how the Giants could let him go? Whatever the reason, good for us!
Leading up to free agency, it was clear that McKinney would test the market to see what he could get as the best safety available. Individual teams’ valuations for players can vary widely depending on salary cap, current state of the team, etc., and besides, the player is largely in control of his own fate.
Can people please stop using the term “inside linebacker” now that the Packers have moved to a 4-3 (or 4-2-5)? It was an important distinction when the OLBs were edge rushers in the 3-4, but now those guys are DEs and we have two (or three) off-the-ball LBs. That being said, the Packers list three LB positions on the lineup, but there’s no designation of who is Mike, Will, and Sam. Do you have any inside knowledge of who plays what and who is off the field when the defense is in the nickel?
Hafley doesn’t seem to care about the distinctions, and all the different alignments he uses make the designations somewhat redundant. What I’ve seen mostly on base is Walker (green dot), McDuffie, and Wilson as the first trio, and Wilson kicks out in nickel.
Jeff from Indian Lake, NY
You’ve both been asked this question several times, but I’ll ask it again! Who are you most excited to see in this first preseason game? I’d say MarShawn Lloyd. I want to see his speed and power in a live-action setting.
As I mentioned on Unscripted, linebackers and running backs are viewed from a completely different perspective in preseason games because they involve tackling.
