Odell Beckham Jr. - Pro Football Rumors

East Notes: Deflategate, Bills, Beckham, Cowboys

December 21st, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL filed its final salvo in the Deflategate saga, countering the NFLPA’s 73-page appeal earlier this month with a 38-page response that centers on how the Patriots‘ alleged manipulation of footballs does not compare with uniform or equipment violations as the Players’ Association previously stated.

The case that resulted in Tom Brady being suspended for four games, then being permitted to play during that period by Judge Richard Berman, will reach the appeal stage March 3, 2016.

Let’s look at some more news coming out of the Eastern division as Week 15 wraps up.

Rex Ryan said today he’s “pretty sure” Tyrod Taylor will be the Bills‘ starting quarterback next season, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports. After winning a three-man quarterback race as a newly signed free agent this offseason, Taylor will be able to further develop with an entire offseason shaped around him being atop the depth chart, Ryan said. After beating out the since-traded Matt Cassel and ex-first-rounder EJ Manuel, Taylor has completed 63.2% of his passes — although the ex-Ravens backup’s failed to surpass the 60% plateau in each of his past five games — and thrown 20 touchdown passes compared to just five interceptions.
Mario Williams continued his recent path out of Buffalo on Sunday in criticizing Ryan’s defensive scheme, and Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News said the 30-year-old defensive end’s team-high $19.9MM cap number next year makes that an easier decision. Dunne also sees Kyle Williams ($7MM 2016 cap figure) having a potential uphill battle to remaining on the roster.
Odell Beckham took issue with Panthers practice squad players allegedly lobbing homophobic slurs at him before Sunday’s eventful Giants-Panthers game, sources inform Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. Jones also notes Beckham was, per sources, intimidated by Panthers defensive backs swinging a baseball bat during pregame warmups, a ritual that’s spawned this season for the unbeaten Panthers. Carolina sources obviously don’t believe the bat routine could have necessitated Beckham’s rampage.
In its letter communicating Beckham’s suspension, the NFL found six violations committed by the Giants second-year wideout, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Two of the three transgressions for which Beckham wasn’t penalized involved punches being thrown. “Your actions adversely reflected on the NFL and have no place in the game because incidents like this erode public confidence in the orderly conduct of our game as well as the good character of our participants,” NFL V.P. of operations Merton Hanks told Beckham in the suspension letter.
Kellen Moore‘s late-season audition for the Cowboys will be for the No. 2 job and won’t influence what the team does this coming offseason in pursuing Tony Romo‘s potential heir apparent, Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). The 26-year-old Moore, a UDFA who the Lions cut this year, completed 15-of-25 passes and threw three interceptions against the Jets.
Eagles high-priced corner Byron Maxwell sprained his SC joint in Sunday night’s loss to the Cardinals and may miss Saturday’s pivotal tilt with Washington, Les Bowen of Philly.com reports.

NFC Notes: Cards, Payton, Giants, Lions

October 13th, 2015 at 8:24am CST by Luke Adams

While initial estimates suggested Cardinals outside linebacker Alex Okafor would miss two to four weeks, it’s now believed his calf injury will sideline him for up to six weeks, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network.

Okafor’s extended recovery timetable, along with Kenny Demens‘ season-ending ACL injury, makes Arizona’s signing of Dwight Freeney even more important. And speaking of Freeney, Ed Werder of ESPN.com provides a few more details on his contract with the Cards, tweeting that the veteran pass rusher can earn up to $1MM in sack incentives — $200K for four sacks, then another $100K for each one after that, up to 12 ($1MM).

Here’s more from around the NFC:

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Saints head coach Sean Payton addressed the annual rumors about his potential departure from New Orleans on Monday, suggesting that he has no plans to go anywhere in the near future: “I’ll say what I said before. This is where I see myself. And I’ve said that now, for however many years.” Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune noted (via Twitter) that he can’t picture the Saints firing Payton.
After Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle got banged up in Sunday night’s game against the Niners, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin acknowledged that the team may have to look at adding a receiver this week, though he’s optimistic his players will be ready to go next week (Twitter link via Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network). Jordan Raanan of NJ.com examines some potential outside options for the team in the event that a free agent signing becomes necessary.
Lions head coach Jim Caldwell admitted on Monday that team owner Martha Firestone Ford isn’t happy with Detroit’s play so far this season, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. For now, the Lions don’t intend to make any coaching changes, but we’ll see if that changes in the coming weeks.
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly praised the job Caleb Sturgis did for the team on Sunday, telling reporters on Monday that Philadelphia won’t have any kicker tryouts this week (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News). Sturgis missed another extra point in his second game for the Eagles, but made seven other kicks, including four field goals.
Although Sunday’s loss was a tough one for Washington, there have been signs that the team’s culture is changing, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com, who identifies Terrance Knighton, Chris Culliver, and Dashon Goldson as newcomers who are helping to change the attitude in the locker room.

Extra Points: Titans, Beckham, Raiders, Bucs

June 25th, 2015 at 9:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Following the Titans announcement today of their 20-year agreement with Nissan, CEO/president Steve Underwood reiterated that the team is not for sale.

“The team is not for sale,” Underwood told John Glennon of the Tennessean. “We have not had any discussions with anyone about selling the team. Our owners are committed to continuing to maintain the team just as it is in their family, and we couldn’t be happier about that.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFL…

Following reports that Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. was peeved at his teammates’ teasing, the second-year player told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post that he gets along fine with the other players. “I have no problem with anybody on the team or inside or anything,” he said.
ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson took a look at the Raiders cap situation. The NFL requires teams to spend at least 89 percent of their cap between 2013 and 2016. The Raiders entered the offseason having spent just over 80 percent, and Williamson surmises that the team will need to spend nearly “all of their cap room” in the next two years.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht recognizes that it takes time to build a contender. However, as he told Steven Ruiz of USA Today, he believes his roster has improved drastically in his year-plus on the job. “This wasn’t a rebuild, this was a little bit of a retool,” he said. “When you have players like Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David and Mark Barron and Vincent Jackson and the list goes on and on, you can’t call it a rebuild. We just had a little retooling to do.”

NFC Links: Vereen, Foles, Cowboys, Vikings

June 6th, 2015 at 10:22am CST by Rob DiRe

It was presumably a tough decision for running back Shane Vereen to leave the Super Bowl-winning Patriots to join the Giants. The tough choice may have ultimately come down to the G-Men wanting the running back more, and the various recruiting calls, including one from Odell Beckham Jr., clearly left an impression with the 26-year-old.

“I asked around [about the Giants] with guys who played here, a couple guys in California I work out with, and previously I had met Odell [Beckham, Jr.],” Vereen said (via MMQB’s Jenny Vrentas). “So I hit them up, trying to talk to them and learn things I didn’t know. They filled me in.

“[Beckham Jr.] said it was a young team with a lot of talent. He loves it here, and he was excited for this upcoming season. That was really all I needed to hear. I love when guys are excited to be somewhere. That makes me want to be there and excited for the growth.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

Nick Foles may have wore out his welcome with the Eagles, but the Rams are excited to have him. The receivers are especially thrilled, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Two top targets, Kenny Britt and Jared Cook, both expressed their enthusiasm for the new quarterback’s abilities.
The running back position for the Cowboys is in flux, and Lance Dunbar will be fighting Ryan Williams for a spot on the roster again this season, according to Bob Sturm of DallasNews.com. Dunbar’s a limited player, but his abilities on special teams should give him the edge on Williams in terms of a roster spot.
New Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer walked into a tough situation amid the ongoing feud between Adrian Peterson and the organization. However, has has handled it quite brilliantly, without looking like a puppet for management or sucking up to Peterson, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com. “A lot of it was … It was tough for Adrian. It was tough for the Vikings, as well. So trying to be fair to both sides was important,” Zimmer said. “I always want to support my players, and still do the best thing for our football team.”

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

NFC Updates: Beckham, Romo, Moore

February 22nd, 2015 at 1:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the Pro Bowl, offensive rookie of the year Odell Beckham attempted to elevate his already-astounding rookie season in NFL lore by saying he played with two torn hamstrings. But Giants GM Jerry Reese debates the validity of Beckham’s diagnosis, Newsday’s Tom Rock reports.

“I don’t know about that,” Reese told Newsday. “I think he’s trying to be a hero. I don’t think you can play with two [tears in your] hamstring and run fast like that. … I think our doctors would’ve caught that.”

Reese said Beckham would not have been permitted to play in the Pro Bowl with two torn hamstrings.

Despite playing on the outside at 5-foot-11, 198 pounds, Beckham managed to catch 12 touchdowns in 12 games while averaging more than 100 yards per contest. The LSU product did miss the first four games of the season due to hamstring issues, re-injuring himself multiple times before making his debut in Week 5. Obviously, everyone heals at their own rate, but Beckham being able to accomplish anything resembling what he did in his debut season doesn’t depict a torn hamstring. Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane tore his hamstring in November and missed the rest of last season. Then-Buccaneers wideout Mike Williams tore his in October 2013 and missed the rest of that campaign.

If Reese’s judgment is closer to correct than Beckham’s, the slight hit to the young receiver’s credibility will be offset by a healthier superstar in a corps dealing with a rehabilitating Victor Cruz (knee).

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones provided an expanded indication to how long Tony Romo‘s time leading the franchise will be, according to the DallasCowboys.com. Despite Romo entering his age-35 season, Jones is planning moves around the thought his quarterback will play until the end of the decade. “I feel very comfortable … with a five-year time frame,” Jones said via the team website. “When I say comfortable: I’m ready to make decisions based on him being our quarterback that far into the future.” Last year’s leader in QBR, Romo is now the league’s fifth-oldest starting quarterback, behind Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Carson Palmer.
Jones also told the Cowboys site Romo he’s open to restructuring Romo’s contract, which has a $27MM cap hit this season. It more than doubles the Cowboys’ second-highest figure of left tackle Tyron Smith. “We haven’t ruled it out,” Jones told DallasCowboys.com about the possibility of restructuring. “When we did his contract, we thought at some point and time that we would be going to it.”
A much younger quarterback won’t be offered a restricted free agent tender, putting his future in question. But Kellen Moore may have a chance to return to the Lions and be their backup quarterback, GM Martin Mayhew told the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. Veteran Dan Orlovsky is a free agent, and Moore, a 25-year-old undrafted free agent out of Boise State in 2012, completed 68.6% of his preseason passes in 2014.

Beckham, Donald Win ROY Honors

January 31st, 2015 at 8:29pm CST by Zachary Links

As expected, Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was named as the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. Meanwhile, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald took home the honors on the defensive side of the ball, as NFL.com’s Marc Sessler writes.

Beckham, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2014 draft, started the year on the bench thanks to injuries. After sitting out for the first four weeks of the season, the LSU product was eased into the offense over the next three games. After that, however, it was off to the races for one of the most naturally talented young athletes in the NFL. Beckham finished the year with 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, becoming a bright spot for a Giants team that struggled on the whole.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said prior to the season that he expected Donald to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Ultimately the No. 13 overall pick made his coach proud as he became the second straight defensive lineman to win the award. Donald had nine sacks on the season and Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d) had him rated as the best defensive tackle in the game.

Beckham, Donald Named Top Rookies

January 13th, 2015 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. has been named the NFL’s 2014 Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year, the Professional Football Writers of America announced today in a press release. The PFWA also voted Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as 2014’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Beckham, the 12th overall pick last May, got off to a late start, missing the Giants’ first four regular season games due to hamstring issues, but made up for lost time the rest of the way, compiling 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 receptions. In his final nine contests, the LSU product averaged an incredible 133 yards per game, helping to rejuvenate a passing game that was without Victor Cruz.

As for Donald, the Rams rookie was selected 13th last spring, one pick behind Beckham. The former Pittsburgh defender made a strong Rams line even better, recording nine sacks and grading as the league’s best defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).

Here are the full All-Rookie teams, per the PFWA:

Offense:

QB: Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings)
RB: Jeremy Hill (Bengals), Tre Mason (Rams)
WR: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
TE: Jace Amaro (Jets)
C: Corey Linsley (Packers)
G: Joel Bitonio (Browns), Zack Martin (Cowboys)
T: Taylor Lewan (Titans), Ja’Wuan James (Dolphins)

Defense:

DL: Aaron Donald (Rams), Timmy Jernigan (Ravens), Kony Ealy (Panthers), Justin Ellis (Raiders)
LB: Chris Borland (49ers), Khalil Mack (Raiders), C.J. Mosley (Ravens)
CB: Kyle Fuller (Bears), E.J. Gaines (Rams)
S: Deone Bucannon (Cardinals), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Packers)

Special teams:

K: Cody Parkey (Eagles)
P: Pat O’Donnell (Bears)
KR: Jarvis Landry (Dolphins)
PR: De’Anthony Thomas (Chiefs)
ST: Trey Burton (Eagles)

49ers Notes: Beckham, Tomsula, Harbaugh

December 29th, 2014 at 10:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers liked Odell Beckham Jr. quite a bit in the 2014 draft, but GM Trent Baalke says the price was just too rich for his blood, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. “He’s a heck of talent,” Baalke said. “He was graded as a heck of a talent by our scouts, by our coaches, by all parties. But what it would have taken to make that move would have cost us our first-, our second- and one of our third-round picks and maybe something on top of that. So, in essence, you would have been giving up (cornerback) Jimmie Ward, you would have been giving up (center) Marcus Martin or (linebacker) Chris Borland and you would have given up (running back) Carlos Hyde, plus somebody else. So you would have given up three young quality players to get one. And that was decision that collectively we weren’t willing to make.” Tonight’s look at the Niners..

The 49ers will be interviewing their defensive line coach, Jim Tomsula, for the head coaching opening, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
Baalke said the 49ers will spend “seven to ten days interviewing” candidates to be team’s next head coach, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today.
Baalke says he will have control of the 53-man roster with the new head coach, according to Christian Gin of Examiner (on Twitter). He went on to say that at least one NFL team contacted him about some possible trade for Jim Harbaugh.

Poll: Which Rookie WR Will Have Best Season?

August 21st, 2014 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

They say there are some things you can’t teach in sports. One of them is size. Another is the ability to make a jaw-dropping one-handed catch after tripping just one second prior. Bills rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins is lacking in the first department but he’s got the latter down pat.

With top-level speed, excellent agility, and soft hands, Watkins was almost universally regarded as the top WR talent in the 2014 class. So, he’s a lock to win this poll, right? Maybe not. Second-year quarterback EJ Manuel boasts a strong arm but he’s far from elite and one has to wonder how many quality balls he can deliver to Manuel. The Clemson product is also working through a rib injury which could possibly hamper him to start the season.

Moving further down the draft board, there are plenty of other wide receivers with an opportunity to make a name for themselves in year one. The Panthers overhauled their entire receiving corps this offseason and many are expecting big things out of FSU’s Kelvin Benjamin. In New Orleans, many are skeptical of what the once solid Marques Colston can do and the hype around Brandin Cooks is reaching a fever pitch. And, without DeSean Jackson, Jordan Matthews could see a lot of balls thrown his way in Philadelphia. Beyond those guys, there are even more promising WR’s from this year’s receiver-heavy draft. Who among them will have the best 2014 season?

Which Rookie WR Will Have The Best 2014?

Brandin Cooks (Saints) 17.88% (142 votes)

Jordan Matthews (Eagles) 17.38% (138 votes)

Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers) 15.74% (125 votes)

Sammy Watkins (Bills) 11.59% (92 votes)

Mike Evans (Bucs) 11.08% (88 votes)

Other 8.94% (71 votes)

Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants) 7.43% (59 votes)

Cody Latimer (Broncos) 6.17% (49 votes)

Marqise Lee (Jaguars) 3.78% (30 votes)

Total Votes: 794

NFC East Notes: McClain, Williams, Beckham

July 27th, 2014 at 5:10pm CST by Rob DiRe

Cowboys‘ wideout Terrance Williams is going to have a chance to improve on his 2013 campaign, writes Jon Machota of DallasNews.com. The second year receiver is looking to avoid a sophomore slump by emerging as a dependable number two receiver and the third option in the passing game after Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Bryant is even more optimistic about Williams’ chances.

“Terrance done blew up,” Bryant said. “He’s lightning fast, outstanding hands, probably one of the best route runners I’ve ever seen. He’s going to do some big things.”

Head coach Jason Garrett said that Williams would have an increased opportunity to show off his talents.

“I think he has a little confidence based on how he played and he’s going to have a big role for our football team,” said Garrett. “He earned a bigger role on our football team last year. We’re excited to see him play.”

Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:

New Cowboys‘ linebacker Rolando McClain is being given every opportunity to win a starting job with middle linebacker Sean Lee out of the season, writes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. McClain has been working mostly with the second team, but showcased his natural talent during his first practice with the team.
If McClain does earn that spot on the Cowboys‘ defense, he will be part of a unit trying to go from worst in the NFL in 2013 to the best in 2014. At least that is the goal cornerback Morris Claiborne has set for the defensive squad, write Machota. “We were last in the league in defense and we’re trying to be No. 1,” said Claiborne. “That’s our goal. We’re not shying away from it.”
Giants‘ head coach Tom Coughlin is frustrated with his first-round pick’s absence from training camp, as Odell Beckham Jr. is sidelined with a hamstring injury, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Coughlin said that he was disappointed not to see Beckham on the field. “It would be nice to get him back practicing,” Coughlin said. “He actually looks pretty good out there. He’s moving around, catching the ball, he doesn’t favor anything. I’m just hoping it’s a real short amount of time.”
The Eagles have a shot to really hurt defenses in the passing game with their backfield in 2014, writes Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com. LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles are talented receivers out of the backfield, and could find some intriguing mismatches in the defense.
The two most important statistics of training camp for the Eagles thus far are a pair zeros, zero injuries and zero interceptions, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. The team has managed to get through camp unscathed so far, and none of the four quarterbacks has turned the ball over through the air. Of course, while this is a positive for the team’s offense, the linebackers and secondary are not so happy with their part in that second zero.