Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is the youngest player on the Cardinals, but head coach Mike LaFleur says he carries himself like a veteran. And LaFleur says that includes the 21-year-old Love knowing his place well enough to know he has plenty he can learn from his more experienced teammates. “Jeremiyah, what a mature young man,” LeFleur said. “He’s been awesome with the locker room. He is himself, but he also has some awareness that he’s a rookie, in terms of, ‘I’m gonna be a rookie in there and I’m gonna lean on these guys that have done it in the league.’” Love grew up with a police officer for a mother and an Army veteran and football coach for a father, and LaFleur says it’s clear to anyone who interacts with Love that he was raised to hold himself to high standards. “When I got a chance to meet his parents, and even before I met the parents, just seeing it Saturdays watching College GameDay and the tidbits they had, you kind of knew right there, what a foundation this guy — how lucky to have the situation he had growing up. Great for him to be able to absorb that, soak that in and then be his own man,” LaFleur said. The Cardinals took Love with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft not only because of his talent on the field, but also because of the way he carries himself off the field. We’re still a couple months away from our first look at how well his on-field talent translates from college to the NFL, but LaFleur is seeing exactly what he hoped for off the field
Here's what we need for the 2026 NFL season regarding the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award: Former Notre Dame tailbacks vs. the field. Jeremiyah Love was the first running back off the board in April's draft as the No. 3 overall pick to Arizona, and the 2025 Doak Walker Award winner is the +300 favorite for OROY at BetMGM . And he should be favored walking into a likely featured role. But I'm here to talk about the crazy amount of action that his former Irish backfield-mate Jadarian Price is getting at that book priced +750. He was the final pick of Round 1 by the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the only other running back chosen before the 90th overall pick. Wager on the NFL with the latest FanDuel promo code and get up to $1,000 in bet resets when you bet $5 for 5 days: Despite obviously playing second fiddle to Love last year for the Fighting Irish, Price was still named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press and a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award. Price had 113 carries for 674 yards and 11 scores, added two receiving scores and had 12 kick returns for 450 yards and two return touchdowns. He became only the ninth player in FBS history with at least 10 rushing scores and 10 kick-return scores in the same season and led the FBS in kickoff-return average at 37.5 yards per (minimum 10 returns). Seattle actually tried to trade out of Round 1 back in late April but couldn't find a taker, so it selected Price as the potential co-replacement for departed tailback and reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker Jr., who signed a big free-agent deal with Kansas City. Walker, just the fourth player to change teams the offseason after winning Super Bowl MVP, had career highs of 1,309 scrimmage yards and 5.2 yards per touch in 2025. The Seahawks weren't about to pay Walker to a deal averaging $15 million per season when they had other holes to address. And with a good running back already on the roster in Zach Charbonnet . Well, when healthy. What likely added some urgency to selecting Price is that Charbonnet tore his ACL during the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Charbonnet is not likely to be ready for Week 1, so that could mean a ton of touches out of the box for Price over the likes of George Holani and Emanuel Wilson . Check out Jadarian Price props and more NFL picks at DraftKings, where new users get $150 in bonus bets paid within 14 days after they spend $5+: Perhaps that explains why Price has taken the most tickets (10.3%) of any player at BetMGM to win OROY and is second in handle (12.8%) – Seattle also ran the ball at the third-highest rate of any team in 2025. The only player on the entire board the sportsbook is more exposed on is Cardinals third-round QB Carson Beck only because he's a +3000 longer-shot and is taking a fair amount of action but not top three in either tickets or handle. DraftKings offers some rookie totals, and Price to rush for at least 750 yards is -110, while 1,000 is +225. Remember, the Seahawks are featured on this summer's version of HBO's "Hard Knocks" so we will all get a good glimpse of Price. Seattle rookies have been in camp since last Friday and veterans report this Friday. It may surprise you to know that no Seahawks player has won Offensive Rookie of the Year. NFL teams rarely make their top running back a kick returner as well, but that might be the case to open 2026 with Price. "We're going to run wide zone and he's going to run wide zone," Coach Mike Macdonald said recently to the team site regarding the rookie. "We're going to run some gap scheme. He's going to run some of that too and then the pass game he can come alive, too. I think that's part of our offense in general, that we can take another step in including our halfbacks in the pass game. Then, he's a great special teams player as well. The kick return stuff, we'll see how it shakes out in other phases, but he's going to come in and compete with the rest of the guys."
Cardinals director of college scouting Ryan Gold has two different problems arising from allegations of violating the NFL’s gambling policy. First, Gold has been suspended indefinitely by the league. Second, via David Purdum of ESPN, the Arizona Department of Gaming is investigating the situation . A spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Gaming told Purdum that the department has been notified of the incident and “regularly work[s] with integrity monitoring organizations and sports leagues in situations like this.” Gold is accused of making parlay wagers and sharing inside information regarding the team’s draft picks. His lawyer, Mike Caspino, previously told ESPN that Gold’s wife was making bets with a group of friends, and that Gold didn’t know the team’s draft picks before they were made. There has been some online chatter that Gold personally placed a wager on a parlay regarding the Cardinals’ first five picks in the draft. That would be, even if Gold had full information as to the team’s draft board, a difficult prediction to make because it takes only one team taking one player sooner than expected to send everything sideways. As we understand it, Gold is accused of sharing information about the team’s intended first-round pick, running back Jeremiyah Love. Gold will say, we believe, that he didn’t know Love would be the third overall pick, and that only owner Michael Bidwill and G.M. Monti Ossenfort knew. The league will say, we believe, that Gold’s title and job duties put him in position to make a strong educated guess — especially since there were no surprises with the first and second overall picks. It creates a gray area regarding inside information. Gold possibly wasn’t in position to know the exact truth, but he knew more than the average person by nature of his employment. As a source with another team explained it, the NFL wouldn’t have made the accusation if they didn’t believe they had the proof they needed. Really, why would the NFL shine a spotlight on what has become its first inside-information scandal in the age of legalized gambling if they weren’t sure a violation had occurred. Gold nevertheless will appeal, and he should have a full and fair chance to defend himself
The NFL Players Association released its annual Rising Stars list on Tuesday and the first overall pick of this year’s draft is one of the players at the top. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza is No. 1 on the list of the 10 rookies that the NFLPA projects to be future members of the Top 50 list of licensed player product sales. There is also a list of 10 players with NFL experience who have not been on the Top 50 and it is topped by Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. Mendoza is followed on the list by Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate, Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon, Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles, Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, Giants linebacker Arvell Reese, Ravens wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, and Buccaneers edge rusher Rueben Bain. The list of veteran players also includes Bears tight end Colston Loveland, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker, Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, Bills running back James Cook, and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
With training camps opening up around the NFL this week, one of the main storylines to watch is the rookies. Will quarterback Fernando Mendoza outperform Kirk Cousins on the practice field in Vegas? Could Carnell Tate skyrocket up fantasy big boards by showing he has an automatic connection with Cam Ward ? Since several rookies are about to make headlines, this is a good time to revisit the odds for Offensive Rookie of the Year. You could probably guess the favorites. Over at DraftKings Sportsbook, No. 3 overall pick running back Jeremiyah Love of the Arizona Cardinals has the shortest odds at +400, followed by Mendoza at +425, Tate at +550, New Orleans Saints wideout Jordyn Tyson at +600 and Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price rounding out the top five at +750. But what about some sleepers? Below, we will break down four Offensive Rookie of the Year sleepers to consider. These players will have odds listed outside of the top five with a minimum of +1000. The No. 20 overall pick of the Philadelphia Eagles is the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner, as he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns for USC last season. Makai Lemon had four games in which he recorded 150 yards receiving and a touchdown in 2025, which tied a Big Ten single-season record, and recorded the most yards after catch (502) in the conference. Lemon wasn't just a playmaker after the catch, but also a deep-ball weapon. His 16 receptions of 20+ air yards were tied for third-most in the FBS. Lemon isn't A.J. Brown . He's a slot weapon, not a big-bodied perimeter threat. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who played and learned under Sean McVay, could use a reliable playmaker like Lemon as a pillar in his new offense. I think it could be easy to scheme up quick touches for him. As the Brandon Aiyuk saga continues to drag on, it seems very unlikely he will join his former college teammate Jayden Daniels in Washington. The Washington Commanders needed to add another wide receiver to help Terry McLaurin , who is coming off his worst season as a pro, and the most notable addition Adam Peters and Co. made this offseason was Antonio Williams in the third round. Williams leaves Clemson with the fourth-most career receptions (208) in program history, and is tied for the fourth-most receiving touchdowns (21). He caught 15 touchdowns over the last two seasons, which ranks most in the ACC. This is a solid slot weapon that doesn't drop the ball and can create after the catch. He also possesses the vision necessary to create those game-changing splash plays. The only question I have with Williams is his ability to stay healthy, as he missed 12 games due to injury during his collegiate career. But he's someone that could play a big role in Washington's offense if Daniels can also remain healthy. He has a clearer path to picking up touches than another talent like Germie Bernard in Pittsburgh. No one expected De'Zhaun Stribling to be the sixth wide receiver off the board, as he was CBS Sports' WR19 in this class. However, I trust John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, and they clearly wanted this prospect. Stribling is known for his blocking ability and physicality, but he also ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine at 6-foot-2. He caught 55 passes for 811 yards last season for the Ole Miss Rebels and led the team with six receiving touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 122 yards in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal upset against Georgia. Surely he can find a role in this efficient San Francisco 49ers offensive attack -- and should have the opportunity, too. The 49ers signed soon-to-be 33-year-old Mike Evans , who has missed 12 games over the last two seasons due to injury, and Christian Kirk while losing Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne in free agency. Jennings was the most reliable wide receiver Shanahan had over the past couple of seasons, and Stribling has the potential to wear the hat he did in this scheme. If the 49ers' weapons stru
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The NFL is suspending Arizona Cardinals director of college scouting Ryan Gold indefinitely for violating the league's gambling policy, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirms . After an investigation, the NFL revealed that Gold had given insider, non-public information regarding the team's 2026 draft picks. The investigation shows the information was revealed before the Cardinals announced the picks. Gold was also found to place parlay bets on NFL and college games. He has the right to appeal. The league released a statement, noting that it doesn't believe any game was affected by Gold's actions but that it takes violations of the gambling policy seriously. "The Gambling Policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, strictly prohibits anyone in the NFL from participating in or facilitating any form of sports gambling, and from providing third parties non-public information," the league said in a statement. "Although there is no reason to believe the integrity of any NFL game was affected, the League takes any violation of the Gambling Policy with the utmost seriousness." The Cardinals also issued a statement, explaining that the accusations only point to one employee and that the focus of the upcoming season remains top of mind. "The NFL's policies and expectations for all employees are clear, comprehensive, and consistently communicated. We fully support the league's decision in this matter, which involves a single employee. Our focus remains on preparing for the start of training camp next week and the 2026 season," the Cardinals statement said. In April's draft, the Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick, Texas A&M guard Chase Bisonti in the second round, Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the third round, Southeastern Louisiana defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor in the fourth and Texas Tech wide receiver Reggie Virgil in the fifth round. Their last two draft picks of 2026 were Iowa linebacker Karson Sharar in the sixth and Mississippi offensive tackle Jayden Williams in the seventh round. According to Jones, this is the first public gambling-related punishment in the league since 2023. Gold is in his second season as director of college scouting and his 13th season overall with Arizona. He was promoted ahead of the 2025 season after serving as the assistant director of college scouting. The Cardinals open their regular season on Sept. 13 against the Chargers in L.A
There are inherent expectations cast upon prospects drafted early in the NFL Draft , but there are other scenarios which also add pressure. For example, if a player was drafted earlier or later than anticipated, taken first among his position group or is tasked with replacing a veteran who had constructed a bulletproof legacy, then those are situations that could create more stress. Who are those prospects from this year's draft class facing pressure to produce early in their respective careers? A glimpse into the thought process that led to the construction of the list: Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza was excluded because he is not expected to see the field early. Las Vegas has been adamant about its intentions to allow him to sit and learn behind veteran Kirk Cousins . Buccaneers edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr . was critiqued for his lack of length, but the burden of expectation was alleviated by his descent to No. 15 overall. Without further ado ... The Cardinals used the No. 3 overall selection on a running back when they could have addressed premium positions, such as edge rusher or offensive line. The pick has to work out immediately and in a big way. The running back position is not one where rookies are afforded grace to develop at their own pace. Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty had nearly 1,000 rushing yards last season and yet the narrative is that he was underwhelming as a rookie. The reality is that Las Vegas' supporting cast was so bad that they averaged just 0.50 yards before contact, according to TruMedia; the worst in the league. For reference, the league average was 1.39 yards before contact. For months, New York's decision between Ohio State's Arvell Reese and Bailey was debated in a public forum. The Jets settled on Bailey, who may be more prepared to hit the ground running in the role Aaron Glenn has designed for him. Glenn, himself is presumably on the hot seat, so player and coach can bond over shared experiences in 2026. Bailey was the first non-quarterback selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. He is going to be compared to Reese and every other player throughout his career. Otherwise, New York had done a good job insulating the rookie from those expectations through the signings of Kingsley Enagbare and Joseph Ossai . Banks was one of the more heavily critiqued selections of the first round. The massive interior defender was limited to just three games while recovering from a foot injury. Minnesota got the most out of its defensive tackle group, but the reality is that was unsustainable with the talent in that room. Banks could lead to sustainability if he is able to stay healthy. He gets the nod over the next player on this list because he carries the first-round label. No prospect sparked more discourse regarding the consensus big board than Boerkircher. The Texas A&M product was regarded as a Day 3 prospect by those in draft media, including myself, but spurred a run on the position Day 2. There is pressure on the player and the team to justify that selection. Fortunately, Liam Coen is a head coach most capable of elevating offensive talent on the roster. Success for Boerkircher does not simply equate to receiving statistics, however. He is a proficient run blocker and that is a skill set Jacksonville had been missing last year. The team finished with the fifth-lowest explosive rush rate last season, according to TruMedia. Brenton Strange will be the primary receiving outlet at the position, but Coen comes from a Rams coaching tree that has set historic marks for multi-tight end usage. Lemon's presence on this list is directly tied to the A.J. Brown departure. The Eagles acquired Dontayvion Wicks and signed Hollywood Brown, but the wide receiver need was not satiated until Lemon's selection. He figures to be an integral part of Sean Mannion's new look offense. No. 20 overall is roughly where Lemon had been projected. He is smaller in stature but plays bigger than his size. Stribling and In
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The Giants were seen as a potential landing spot for running back Jeremiyah Love in the first round of this year’s draft, but they never had a chance to consider him while on the clock because Arizona made Love the third overall choice. It doesn’t sound like that’s an issue for head coach John Harbaugh. Tyrone Tracy had 2,151 yards from scrimmage over his first two seasons and Cam Skattebo returned to practice at the end of the team’s minicamp last month. Skattebo, who scored seven touchdowns in eight games as a rookie, is coming off a serious ankle injury, but Harbaugh expressed little concern about his ability to pick up where he left off last year. “I thought he was just what you saw, a downhill runner, a tone-setter type runner,” Harbaugh said, via a transcript from the team. “He’s a tough tackle. That’s what you look for. How many guys can make yards when they’re not supposed to make yards on their own? It seems to me he was that kind of guy at Arizona State and the exact same guy that I saw on tape last year. You guys know better. You watched him up close and personal. He’s a top-tier back, and he’s planning on playing that way this year.” A strong run game was a consistent part of Baltimore’s offenses during the Harbaugh era. Skattebo should be front and center as the Giants try to establish the same in Harbaugh’s first year on their sideline
The Giants were seen as a potential landing spot for running back Jeremiyah Love in the first round of this year's draft, but they never had a chance to consider him while on the clock because Arizona made Love the third overall choice. It doesn't sound like that's an issue for head coach John Harbaugh. Tyrone Tracy had 2,151 yards from scrimmage over his first two seasons and Cam Skattebo returned to practice at the end of the team's minicamp last month. Skattebo, who scored seven touchdowns in eight games as a rookie, is coming off a serious ankle injury, but Harbaugh expressed little concern about his ability to pick up where he left off last year. "I thought he was just what you saw, a downhill runner, a tone-setter type runner," Harbaugh said, via a transcript from the team. "He's a tough tackle. That's what you look for. How many guys can make yards when they're not supposed to make yards on their own? It seems to me he was that kind of guy at Arizona State and the exact same guy that I saw on tape last year. You guys know better. You watched him up close and personal. He's a top-tier back, and he's planning on playing that way this year." A strong run game was a consistent part of Baltimore 's offenses during the Harbaugh era. Skattebo should be front and center as the Giants try to establish the same in Harbaugh's first year on their sideline
Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy! A to Z Sports It’ll take a down year for a late-drafted WR to win this award, but this looks like a down year. Only two quarterbacks were taken in the first two rounds, and one of them ( Ty Simpson ) has no chance of earning a starting job. Should Mendoza not surpass Cousins until midseason or struggle statistically when he starts, the field opens up. The running back class this year was historically weak. RB3 (Kaelon Black) left the board at No. 90 — the latest the third running back has been taken in the common draft era (since 1967). Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are the two first-round running backs, but Price is reportedly facing a timeshare in Seattle , while Love will labor on a bad Cardinals team eyeing the 2027 No. 1 pick. The likelihood a running back wins the award this season is as thin as I can remember. There is hardly any competition in the Commanders’ receivers room behind Terry McLaurin . Williams will catch passes from Jayden Daniels , a remarkably better quarterback than players such as KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston (Browns) or Omar Cooper Jr. (Jets) will work with in 2026. Williams still needs to dodge the late-summer addition of a Brandon Aiyuk or Stefon Diggs , but his path to high-quality targets is shockingly clear for a third-round pick. Williams is also a hand-in-glove fit for David Blough ’s Detroit-inspired offense. Williams is an easy glider who makes fearless catches over the middle of the field. He is evidently cut from the Amon-Ra St. Brown cloth, and St. Brown’s reliability helped him break into the Lions’ starting lineup as a fourth-round rookie. If the Commanders suddenly need to funnel six-plus targets per game his way, he has the deep tool kit and reliable play style to sustain that volume. There are few middle-round rookies for whom I have rosier Year 1 projections than Williams. NFLcom 2025 stats: 17 games | 162 tackles | 8 tfl | 4.5 sacks | 2 INT | 4 FF The timeless linebacker continues to rack up standout seasons at the tail end of his Hall of Fame career. Wagner has never fallen short of triple-digit tackles in a season through 14 years in the league, and he now sits third all time — just 59 behind Ray Lewis’s record — with 2,000, per Pro Football Reference. Never out of place, Wagner was credited by Next Gen Stats with 69 run stops in 2025, second in the NFL. He’s as steady of a QB for the defense as there’s been in his (or any) era. NFL Pro insight for Wagner: Bobby Wagner played at least 98% of his team’s defensive snaps for the ninth time in his career. The Athletic (paywall) I am alarmed about these four situations, listed in order of severity (excluding the Browns, whose quarterback situation is perpetually severe): 3. Did Jayden Daniels get needed support? The honeymoon is over in DC. The miracle NFC championship appearance to begin the Daniels-and-Dan Quinn era was followed by a sophomore slump. Daniels was hurt, and the Commanders went 5-12. The coach’s job is safe for now, but new coordinators on both offense and defense hint at urgency. Daniels still deserves better weapons, and I’m not sure Brandon Aiyuk would be the answer . Pro Football Talk There have been no reports or suggestions that they are. Perhaps more importantly, there have been no reports or suggestions that they aren’t . It’s only tampering to express public interest in a player under contract with another team. It’s not tampering to make it known that a team isn’t interested. If they aren’t, why not make it known? If nothing else, it would save Aiyuk a lot of time and effort. This suggests that they are. And why wouldn’t they be? Quarterback Jayden Daniels, who played in 2019 with Aiyuk at Arizona State (and who recently got an earful from a 49ers fan [... truncated ...]
Cardinals tight end Trey McBride is signed through the 2029 season, so he has good reason to be interested in who will be doing the quarterbacking in Arizona over the coming years. Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew are the veteran options heading into 2026, but Brissett’s absence from most of the offseason program left plenty of work for Minshew and third-round pick Carson Beck. The prospect of striking gold with Beck is an appealing one for the Cardinals and McBride was asked for his early impressions of the rookie during an appearance on Bussin’ With the Boys . “He’s huge. He looks like a tight end ,” McBride said. “I’m like s—t, bigger than me, you know? But, no, he’s a stud. He throws the ball really well. I think he has a chance to be a really good player in this league. . . . I don’t know about Week 1 unless something crazy happens, but he definitely has a chance to be a guy for sure.” The Cardinals took running back Jeremiyah Love in the first round this April and they’ll have a core that involves Love, McBride and Beck in place for several years if everything can break their way this fall
ESPN was very nice the other day to the Arizona Cardinals , ranking their offensive weapons as the sixth best in the NFL. Yet, on Tuesday they brought a different take from ESPN and that is that they had the worst offseason of any team in the NFL . From ESPN: Biggest move: Releasing QB Kyler Murray Move I liked: Signing G Isaac Seumalo Move I disliked: Drafting RB Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 It is an interesting grade, but it makes some sense in a couple of way: The team has no plan at the quarterback position, so you made a big move in releasing Murray with no clear plan on what the next step would be. We discussed, the connection to Malik Willis , Jimmy Garappolo and Ty Simpson in the offseason meant that Jacoby Brissett was not necessarily plan A… or B… maybe not even plan C. And now, that backup plan is just holding out. A bad defense improved by adding… instead they opted for what fans hope is the best player in the draft in Jeremiyah Love, but his added value is not enough for ESPN. While their Murray process was not ideal, what the Cardinals did in the first round of the draft — selecting Love with the No. 3 pick — was a much easier mistake to avoid. Let me be clear — Love is an exceptional running back prospect. But to take any running back at No. 3 flies in the face of positional value, or lack thereof. The running back position doesn’t move the needle all that much. Even when running backs do hit early in the draft, they deliver less surplus value than other positions (because they are otherwise so cheap to sign and therefore immediately expensive even on rookie deals), and the opportunity cost of finding an elite player at a position you can’t land in free agency (like offensive tackle) is substantial. So, the Arizona Cardinals process of moving on from Murray was done so poorly, and the adding of a phenomenal talent on a roster that lacks talent at premium positions from an outside perspective, was not the move to make. If those are the ESPN takes, they are sound, even if they are something we may not agree with
The Arizona Cardinals had a very good draft this year. By taking RB Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick, all the tools that incoming head coach Mike LaFleur needs for his new offensive scheme are in place. LaFleur is an offensive coach and had particular requirements going into free agency and April’s draft. RELATED: ESPN RANKS CARDINALS #6 IN OFFENSIVE WEAPONS If you haven’t noticed, the Cardinals are stacked with offensive personnel. ESPN only brought that to everyone’s attention. Now, how will the changes alter the course of this year’s schedule and ultimately the win-loss column? WRs Kendrick Bourne and Devin Duvernay were signed in free agency, while another receiver, Reggie Virgil, was drafted out of Texas Tech. These will be melded with Michael Wilson , Marv Harrison, and Simi Fehoko . Of course, Arizona employs one of the best tight ends in the league with Trey McBride . But LaFleur’s offense needed some vagaries. Alterations. Modifications. Changes. Editor’s note: We had to look up “vagaries.” We just look smart. It all began with the offensive line. It had several issues. Right tackle was a particular problem. So were both offensive guard spots. Later, when LT Paris Johnson became injured, Kelvin Beachum was inserted. Ick. It’s no big secret why he is still unemployed. Both left and right guards were “no good.” Will Hernandez was supposed to start at right guard after returning to the roster, but he began the season on the PUP list as he got back to playing shape. Which seemed to be okay, because Isaiah Adams was the darling of the preseason and training camp and appeared to sew up the starting position. The plan was for Adams to be the starter at right guard and Evan Brown to be at the left guard spot until Hernandez was healthy, and then get him on the practice field and see where he was at physically. Adams started in Week 1. But it soon became clear that Adams played really well against other teams’ second and third string guys, but struggled when the big boys suited up. He was bull rushed easily and had an issue remaining engaged with his defender. It was just a few short seasons ago that Brown was an asset to the O-Line. But this past season, early on, he looked overwhelmed, and his on-field performance declined quite a bit. Brown was ranked the 61st-best guard out of 81 eligible players. He had family issues that needed his complete focus, but his play was just sub-par. When Hernandez returned and was ready to play, he supplanted Adams in Week 5, and it was deemed better late than never with the hope that the offensive line could recover. However, his comeback was cut short. He was placed on IR with hip and knee injuries on November 29. Adams was thrown back into the starting right guard position with an opportunity to show what he had learned since the beginning of the year and finish the season in the same role. With both guards playing poorly, Johnson and Williams were out at the tackle spots listed on IR. The offensive line was a combination of second-stringers and practice squad guys. At season’s end, this group was ranked #26. That’s out of 32 for anyone scoring at home. After losing 14 games, it was evident that the head coach and the majority of his coaching staff were headed for the unemployment line. LaFleur and his new OC, Nathaniel Hackett, took a looksy at the offensive line situation and highlighted several changes to be made. Center? Good. Left tackle? Check. Ummm…. Yeah, it was that bad. The offense will only go as far as the offensive line will take them. That is a known fact. It’s more than just being big. It’s greater than being a stud in college football. The NFL is a completely different level, and offensive linemen take a while to grow into their positions. Defensive tackles are bigger and, over time, develop girth. Defensive ends are quicker with a great first step. In college, some of these guys saw maybe three defenders that they struggled with. In the NFL, t
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Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard has one of the most underrated active streaks in the NFL. He’s rushed for 1,000+ yards in four straight seasons. Only former Titans legend Derrick Henry has matched that productivity from 2022 onward. Pollard will attempt to rush for his fifth straight 1,000-yard season in 2026. The Titans have a new offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll. It’ll be interesting to monitor how the Titans utilize Pollard in the backfield, and what the offense’s pass-run split is. In fairness, Pollard has barely crossed the 1,000 yard mark in several of those seasons. Some of them included a concentrated effort in the regular-season finale to help ensure he gets his incentive pay. In all four of Pollard’s 1,000-yard seasons, he rushed for fewer than 1,100 yards, including outputs of 1,005 and 1,007. Pollard has been the Titans’ workhorse since signing a three-year contract in 2024. The Titans obviously feel better about Pollard and Tyjae Spears as their backfield tandem than fans thought they did. Jeremiyah Love was a popular mock-draft selection, but the team didn’t select a running back until getting Nicholas Singleton on Day Three . What’s interesting is that Daboll hasn’t had many 1,000-yard rushers as a coordinator. In four years as the Buffalo Bills ‘ coordinator, they did not have a single 1,000-yard rusher, though Pollard is more talented than Devin Singletary or Zach Moss were. In nearly four seasons as the New York Giants ‘ head coach, Saquon Barkley rushed for 1,000 yards just once, though an injury prevented him from doing it twice. Pollard may be the Titans’ workhorse again, especially because Spears has been injury prone in recent campaigns. If the offense leans on Ward’s gunslinging mentality, like Daboll’s Bills offense did with Josh Allen , then Pollard may have a difficult time keeping his 1,000-yard streak going
The run defense of the Los Angeles Rams will be the biggest beneficiary of the Myles Garrett-Jared Verse swap. While Garrett is a marginal upgrade from Verse as a pass rusher, he will dramatically move the needle in helping stop the run. This is one of the biggest pain points and regression for Verse from his first season to his second. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Verse earned a run grade of 81.0 as a rookie before falling to 62.4 as a sophomore. Verse has also struggled mightily at bringing down ball carriers through two years with a tackle grade of 29.7 and 39 total missed tackles. Garrett brings neither of these problems with him to Los Angeles . His resume as a defender is nearly flawless, although there should be questions about his transition from a traditional defensive end to more of an outside linebacker in the Rams’ scheme. While Verse ranked 32nd in run defense among EDGE players with at least 205 run snaps, Garrett ranked third with a PFF grade of 82.5. Despite playing over 7,000 snaps in his career, Garrett has fewer career missed tackles (33) than Verse. That is a wild statistic by itself. Garrett missed just two tackles a season ago with 46 run stops. Byron Young should pair well with Garrett. He finished eighth in run defense using the same snap and positional thresholds. Braden Fiske is the only other defensive lineman that struggles mightily in run defense, and he stands to benefit playing next to Garrett. A rising tide lifts all boats. In terms of timing, improving in run defense is not the worst idea from a front office standpoint. The Seattle Seahawks are a run-heavy offense that could unravel if they put too much weight on Sam Darnold . The San Francisco 49ers ask more of Christian McCaffrey than nearly any other team does from their running back. The Arizona Cardinals also inexplicably spent a top draft pick on Jeremiah Love. Stopping these rushing attacks will only pay dividends for Los Angeles. This is not the only change that Garrett will bring to the Rams’ defense, although it may be the easiest to see and measure. I wrote earlier this offseason that LA led the NFL in defensive line stunt rate . It was approaching “crutch” territory and they should be able to move away from using scheme and rely on personnel to rush opposing quarterbacks. Verse was a strong pass rusher. Garrett is still better in this facet. The more dramatic improvement the Rams will see from the swap of the two players will likely come in run defense
Chicago Bears news includes updates on potential new stadium locations in Illinois, training camp schedules, and joint practices. Player notes feature Brendan Sorsby's agent discussing supplemental draft eligibility, George Kittle's rehab speed and comments on Brandon Aiyuk, Jeremiyah Love's team-first attitude, Joe Thomas's take on trading Myles Garrett, and Mike Mayock's criticism of NFL Network's draft coverage. The article also touches on JC Tretter's views on indoor grass fields for the World Cup and a comparison of the Packers to their previous season
Jeremiyah led the nation in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and overall touchdowns each of the past two seasons at Notre Dame. In 2025, he won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back and was a Heisman Trophy semifinalist. The Cardinals used the No. 3 overall pick on Love, and he likely will get plenty of chances to do what he did the past two seasons for the Fighting Irish. Love, though, said he has no personal goals for his rookie season. “I’ve learned throughout my time just playing football, the personal goals aren’t going to get you really where you want to get to . It’s all about the team at the end of the day,” Love said Monday, via NFL.com. “As long as you do your part on the team, usually you’ll get the personal accolades and the personal goals that you have in your mind. So, in my mind, my goal for myself is to jell really well with this team and do whatever coach [Mike] LaFleur wants me to do, and do it to the best of my ability.” Love is the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year ahead of Fernando Mendoza and Carnell Tate, but the 2025 All-American isn’t even thinking about the award. “That’s kind of how I’ve always been,” Love said. “Never really been the type to set . . . well, I’ve always been the type to set goals for myself, but they’ve always been connected to the team in some type of way. Like last year, I wanted to win the Doak Walker Award in college, wanted to win the Heisman, but those things weren’t going to happen unless I did what I had to do for my team and play my role for the team. Both of them go hand in hand, so I kind of try to make everything team-oriented. “At the end of the day, it’s a team sport. You can’t do anything by yourself, especially as a running back. Got to have a good O-line, got to have a quarterback that can read defenses and see a lot of things, and you’ve got to have receivers that can take the top off to lighten up the box, as well. Everything goes hand in hand, so I try not to make things personal and make it all team-oriented. Because if the team is good, a lot of times you’re going to do good as well.” As good as Love was last season, Notre Dame did not make the College Football Playoff. In 2024, Love played through a knee injury in the National Championship loss to Ohio State but had only six touches for 8 yards
The Arizona Cardinals have expectations of not being one of the league’s worst clubs for a second consecutive year. GM Monti Ossenfort worked overtime this offseason to address the weak spots and bring in new players to replace those who left the team. Training camp is approaching, and the air will be very clear on the final 53-man roster, and who is in and who is out. The focus will then be on which players will fit best at all positions. RELATED: TIME TO THINK ABOUT MICHAEL WILSON There are many good-to-great players on this year’s roster, and still some problem areas. But there is one player on offense and defense, plus special teams, who can change the narrative and perhaps be the difference in games. Here’s the list: While most would point to the quarterback position as being the key component to success this year, the fact is, QB Jacoby Brissett is a roller coaster right now, and the starting position is up for grabs. The running game should be the main focus anyway, with the new guys, Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier , with a dose of James Conner thrown in. The offensive line is redesigned for the run game, and guys love to run block. This does cut down on the number of passes thrown. But the passing game still needs to be successful and prevalent when called upon. The ideal situation would be for the rushing attack to consume 65%-70% of plays. Whether that becomes true for each game will be determined as the season rolls along. The offense will get back to featuring two tight end sets. That requires two exceptional bodies to man the positions. The passing game needs to be the complement and not the focus. In order to do this, the offense will require qualified pass catchers. WR Michael Wilson had a breakout year last season. What was supposed to happen was that Marvin Harrison would be the darling of the receiver room. After all, name a college football accolade, and Harrison is displaying that award on his father’s fireplace mantel. The player who will be this year’s offensive “X” factor is receiver Michael Wilson. It is realized that the MVP of the offense will once again become TE Trey McBride . Nobody is disputing this. But it is Wilson who will become the juice to get the offense’s motor going. Harrison was supposed to have a couple of Pro Bowls by now, and did have a decent year during his first year in the league. But Harrison didn’t even make the NFL All-Rookie roster, and is having a problem staying healthy. He came to the desert as a huge playmaker, but is his health going to be an issue every season? Wilson was second on the Cardinals in pass receptions last year behind McBride. He had 126 targets with 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and scored seven times. The bonus with Wilson is that he is an outstanding pass catcher with size, but he is also an excellent blocker. A lot of receivers act like they are going to get in the way of a defender and only want to catch the ball, but won’t block. But Wilson is able and willing to do the dirty work. There are plenty of candidates for the defensive “X” factor. Both S Budda Baker and EDGE Josh Sweat fit this description probably more than any other players. With the defensive tackle position being a group with a bunch of new names, that unit should be considered solved as far as being able to stop the run. And this may continue all season. Linebacker may be a concern. Is Cody Simon ready to start this year? How will the new guy, Jack Gibbens , find his place? There are high hopes that rookie Karson Sharar will develop sooner rather than later. Can Zaven Collins finally become that All-Pro he was projected to be? The area that needs the most attention, however, is middle linebacker. Mack Wilson is the defensive “X” factor. The reason is that going into training camp, this group is viewed as a strength. Wilson was the team’s leading tackler until he became injured with a rib injury in Week 9. The Cardinals have the luxury of having some really good li
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