After the Detroit Lions' 2025 disappointing season—a playoff-less 9-8 year—analysts have gone one of two ways with the future in Detroit. Some believe their Super Bowl window is closing or closed. Others believe it was a temporary step back, and they'll be back in contention in 2026. Well, you can count ESPN's Bill Barnwell as one of the people in the latter category.
On Monday, Barnwell put together his annual list of NFL teams most likely to improve in 2026, and the Lions were one of five teams listed. Barnwell's methodology for these list typically involves a set of statistics that tend to regress (positively or negatively) to the mean each year. That includes strength of schedule, records in close games, turnover margin, and point differential.
When it comes to the Lions, Barnwell pointed to several metrics that indicate Detroit could be in for a bounce-back season. One odd one was Detroit's terrible recovery rate on fumbles. Per Barnwell, Detroit recovered just 29 percent of fumbles last year, which not only was last in the league, but it was "just the fifth time since 1990 that any team has failed to recover at least 30% of fumbles in a season."
Barnwell also points to injuries as something that should (hopefully) regress to the mean in the Lions' favor in 2026.
"Detroit was last in adjusted games lost on defense, where the only starters who suited up for all 17 games were Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell, Aidan Hutchinson and DJ Reader," Barnwell wrote.

#games #fumbles #believe

We now know why third-year linebacker Ty'Anthony Smith was dismissed from Texas Longhorns football on Friday evening. After Saturday's team scrimmage, UT coach Steve Sarkisian says it was for "conduct detrimental to the team."
Smith played in 28 games over the past two seasons, making one start in 2025. He finished last season with 60 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
His two interceptions in the Longhorns 41-27 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl win over Michigan in January seemingly set Jasper, TX product as a probable starter in 2026. But new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp typically values size more than speed in his 4-3 system and it was becoming evident Smith would not be a starter to begin the season.
After Saturday's scrimmage, Steve Sarkisian addressed the situation.
"He was dismissed," Sarkisian said. "Conduct detrimental to the team, and that's just what it is. I didn't like it. It's an unfortunate situation. I hate that. For us as a team, I hate that. He's a quality player, but I have to think about the team first."

#conduct #scrimmage #season

The Miami Dolphins could be looking to make a move to bolster their defensive secondary. According to Easton Butler, the Dolphins have been in contact with the Green Bay Packers about the availability of cornerback Carrington Valentine. Given Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley moved to Miami this offseason after having been the Packers' defenisve coordinator, there is a familiarity with Valentine built into the Dolphins' decision makers.
Valentine was a seventh-round pick by the Packers in 2023. Since being selected, he has appeared in 49 games, including 30 starts, and recorded 107 tackles, 18 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
According to Butler, the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers have also reached out to Green Bay about Valentine's availability. The Packers have Valentine listed as a starter on their unofficial depth chart, and they could be looking to keep him in that role heading into the season – making a trade unlikely unless some team is willing to overpay in the deal. Green Bay already has question marks at depth for their cornerbacks and is dealing with injuries, including a hamstring issue for Valentine, and it would again seem to make a trade unlikely.
Would you make a trade for Valentine? What would you offer the Packers to add the former seventh-round pick? Head to the comments to let us know.

#valentine #packers #Miami #butler

A big unknown this season for the Atlanta Falcons is their linebacker unit. Divine Deablo will lead the group, having inherited the green dot role from Kaden Elliss, now back with the New Orleans Saints.
Aside from that, it's difficult to say how this unit will look in 2026.
On paper, Christian Harris looks like the other starter at this position, but that's far from certain. The Falcons do have two promising rookies who may eventually inherit big roles for Atlanta's defense, in Oklahoma's Kendal Daniels and LSU's Harold Perkins.
Daniels and Perkins made their NFL debuts this past Friday night against the Denver Broncos, and Perkins was mic'd up for the occasion. Watch.
Perkins (6-foot-1, 222 pounds) totaled five interceptions, 10 pass breakups, eight forced fumbles, 17 sacks and 220 combined tackles (35.5 for a loss) during his time at LSU.

#orleans

While the San Francisco 49ers had invested heavily in their defensive line last year's draft and in free agency, that didn't stop them from addressing the position early on Day 4 of the 2026 NFL draft.
With pick No. 107 overall in the fourth round, San Francisco took Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton. The 22-year-old earned All-SEC honors once in his four years with the Sooners and recorded 84 tackles, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two passes defensed in 47 games.
In his preseason debut against the Tennessee ****** ans, Halton impressed by taking 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward (even though the play was negated by a penalty). Then, he shed a block and stuffed running back Tyjae Spears on the very next play for a loss.
His performance caught the attention of teammates Trent Williams, who even compared him to another former 49ers defensive lineman.
"Boomer Sooner, Gracen Halton, you know it. G-Baby, man." Williams said in a recent media availability. "Obviously, Oklahoma guy, so I'm always gonna be a little biased, but I think the world kinda saw what he has to offer. Very explosive. Short-area quickness. Really powerful. He puts you in the mind of D.J. Jones a little bit, what he had when he was here. He definitely impressed."

#pick

The Green Bay Packers were awarded rookie edge rusher Arden Walker off of waivers from the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, per the league's transaction wire. The Packers had an open roster spot and did not need to make a corresponding roster move.
Walker, an undrafted rookie out of Colorado, was waived by the Vikings on Monday. The Packers may need depth at edge rusher with rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton out with an on-going illness and rookie Nyjalik Kelly now out with a new knee injury.
Walker (6-2, 250) played 17 snaps for the Vikings in their preseason opener. He produced two stops and earned a 69.8 grade at Pro Football Focus.
A transfer from Missouri, Walker (6-2, 250) played in 36 games at Colorado, producing 91 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks and two forced fumbles. He was an 11-game starter in 2025.
Per Pro Football Focus, Walker produced 27 pressures during both the 2024 and 2025 seasons. His best season came in 2024 when he finished with a career high 79.8 grade, including a near elite 88.5 pass rush grade.

#packers #Vikings #Colorado

The Miami Dolphins are signing edge rusher Seth Coleman-Lyles, according to a report from the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. Coleman-Lyles was waived from the team earlier in the month, but now returns as Miami continues to churn the roster heading into Preseason Week 2.
Coleman-Lyles originally signed with the Dolphins on a futures contract after the 2025 season. He went undrafted out of Illinois in 2025, signing first with the Seattle Seahawks, but was waived in the final roster cuts. He had a brief stint on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad during the season but did not make an appearance.
At Illinois, he appeared in 56 games, including 42 starts, recording 183 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 15 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
The Dolphins lost to the Washington Commanders last week in a game that exposed a lack of roster depth. After the game, the team made a series of roster moves, including signing defensive tackle Cam Rice. Miami was without defensive linemen Zach Sieler and Kenneth Grant during Monday's training camp practice.
Miami hosts the New York Giants in a joint practice later this week ahead of their Preseason Week 2 game this weekend.

#lyles #practice #game

49ers roster moves: D-lineman and O-lineman signed to one-year deals
"Throughout his five-year NFL career with the Cardinals (2021-24) and New York Giants (2025), he has appeared in 60 games (eight starts) and registered 51 tackles, 4.0 sacks, two passes defensed, and two forced fumbles. In 2025, Dimukeje appeared in five games with the Giants and registered one tackle and one pass defensed."
For 49ers' Nick Bosa, second ACL surgery is a 'different beast' as tendinitis lingers (paywall)
"Dr. Prem Ramkumar, an orthopedic knee and hip surgeon who consults for the X Games and Long Beach State athletics, termed an ACL revision a "very big deal" and a "different beast." Dr. Nirav Pandya, professor of orthopedic surgery at UCSF, said the trauma Bosa's right knee has suffered means it will be "asking a lot" for the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year to flash his pre-injury form next month, or perhaps, this season….Before Bosa was sidelined, he told Sports Illustrated that last year's surgery had also addressed "chronic" quadriceps tendinitis that had developed from the first ACL repair on his right knee. Pandya noted it would be more problematic if Bosa's current tendinitis isn't related to his most recent ACL surgery, which Shanahan suggested it was.
"He's had quad tendinitis since he was in high school and it's been this lingering, ongoing problem," Pandya said. "The issue that you get worried about long-term tendinitis is that that can eventually lead to degeneration of a tendon. It's more ******* e to kind of have chronic issues or even tear."
49ers TE George Kittle's 'eye-popping' recovery progress has Rapoport impressed
"When I was in Santa Clara about a week or so ago, finishing up Inside Training Camp, I had the opportunity to watch George Kittle do his workout, kind of alongside practice, pre-practice," Rapoport said on NFL Network's The Insiders. "It was eye-popping. It was really good. It was really fast. It was looking like a player who is basically going full speed.
"You listen to George Kittle say it—the fact that the numbers are basically what he wants—is an unbelievable thing. He is seven months out from an Achilles injury. Now, generally players do not get back on the field until nine months. The season starts about eight months after him tearing his Achilles."

#pandya #year #knee #months

Khalil Poteat, a defensive end transfer from Temple who was recently granted an injunction to play a fifth season, committed to Vanderbilt football for the 2026 season, he announced Aug. 17.
In 2025, Poteat appeared in 10 games, making 29 tackles with two tackles for loss and one sack. He also forced two fumbles.
Poteat, who played at two different junior colleges in 2022 and 2023 before spending the past two seasons at Temple, was one of many players granted injunctions after the NCAA's implementation of the "5-in-5" rule giving everyone five seasons of eligibility. Poteat entered the portal in January, making him eligible to transfer to Vanderbilt.
On the idea of adding a player, coach Clark Lea said Aug. 4: "I had conversations with our coordinators about where our needs are, what we'd be looking for. There's still some things that need to be settled, who's covered in the ruling. … There's a lot of restrictions involved in that so we just have to let that sort, but in the meantime, we can prepare for different approaches depending on what's available to us."
The Commodores will not need to cut anyone to make room for Poteat.

#vanderbilt #season #tackles #seasons

Khalil Poteat, a defensive end transfer from Temple who was recently granted an injunction to play a fifth season, committed to Vanderbilt football for the 2026 season, he announced Aug. 17.
In 2025, Poteat appeared in 10 games, making 29 tackles with two tackles for loss and one sack. He also forced two fumbles.
Poteat, who played at two different junior colleges in 2022 and 2023 before spending the past two seasons at Temple, was one of many players granted injunctions after the NCAA's implementation of the "5-in-5" rule giving everyone five seasons of eligibility. Poteat entered the portal in January, making him eligible to transfer to Vanderbilt.
On the idea of adding a player, coach Clark Lea said Aug. 4: "I had conversations with our coordinators about where our needs are, what we'd be looking for. There's still some things that need to be settled, who's covered in the ruling. … There's a lot of restrictions involved in that so we just have to let that sort, but in the meantime, we can prepare for different approaches depending on what's available to us."
The Commodores will not need to cut anyone to make room for Poteat.

#temple #transfer #different

All eyes are on Old Dominion transfer quarterback Colton Joseph, and rightfully so, but linebacker Mason Posa is on a mission this season with the Wisconsin Badgers.
Posa may only be a sophomore, but he racked up 58 total tackles as a true freshman. The New Mexico native had four sacks and a pair of forced fumbles, so it's safe to say the sky is the limit for him this season.
Wisconsin has gotten better across the board, whether that's with underclassmen who have begun to develop into stars or through the talent head coach Luke Fickell acquired in the transfer portal.
Joseph's dual-threat abilities set him apart from the rest, and that was showcased with his opening-play touchdown run against the 2026 National Champions, Indiana, in week one last season.
"You still gotta worry about the quarterback," Posa said. "Colton Joseph is a 21-mile-per-hour guy, if he wasn't playing quarterback, he'd be a receiver."

#wisconsin

The Los Angeles Rams beat the Kansas City Chiefs by a final score of 20-9 in their preseason Week 1 matchup. It was a low-scoring affair for about three quarters until the Rams pulled away with multiple touchdowns late with passing scores from Ty Simpson to running back Dean Connors.
The running back room as a whole looked solid today, credit the blocking, but it was Connors who had the two scores to really put the game out of reach.
Stetson Bennett went 4-6 for 38 yards, and he started on Saturday, but it was Simpson who was given the longer leash as he went 21-25 with 190 yards and two passing TDs. He looked comfortable often, he took what was there, he let his receivers run after the catch, he opened up on couple throws late in the game to Max Clare and CJ Daniels.
Simpson looked and played like the best quarterback on the field today.
Throw in L.A.'s defense holding their ground by bending with some field goals allowed, but they kept KC out of the endzone (the Chiefs did have a few penalties to take away what would've been scores). L.A.'s special teams looked solid with Xavier Smith having a nice showing in the return game (no fumbles). Ethan Evans got his punts off and Harrison Mevis made his kicks with 2 field goals and 2 extra points.

#field #Rams

Tennessee Volunteers safety Edrees Farooq is expected to miss the 2026 college football season with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. He was hurt during Friday's practice on Aug. 14. He was carted off the field and taken by ambulance to UT Medical Center for further evaluation.
Tennessee spokesperson Bill Martin told local media that Farooq suffered a lower-body injury. Reporters at practice said the ambulance arrived with its lights on. Farooq was seen sitting up on the cart as he was loaded in. Tennessee continued its seventh preseason practice while it happened.
The 6-foot, 202-pound junior started all 13 games last season. He made 76 tackles, which tied for third on the team. He added two interceptions, three pass breakups and four forced fumbles. Those four forced fumbles tied for second in the SEC and tied for sixth in the FBS.
Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles speaks to the media during Tennessee football's media day on Aug. 4, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The safety position is central to what new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles runs, which often uses three-safety looks. Tennessee brought in five new safeties this offseason because of it.

#farooq

Tennessee junior defensive back Edrees Farooq suffered a leg injury in practice during fall training camp on Friday. He was also transported to UT Medical Center.
On Saturday, Tennessee released a statement on Farooq's injury.
"Tennessee junior safety Edrees Farooq suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon in his right knee at practice on Friday morning," Tennessee announced. "We stand with Edrees and support him as he begins the recovery process. We know he will continue to make a strong leadership impact on our team this fall."
The 6-foot, 202-pound safety appeared in 26 games, including 13 starts, for the Vols from 2024-25. He has totaled 89 tackles, one tackle for a loss, two interceptions, five pass deflections, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery during his collegiate career.
Farooq returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown at Kentucky on Oct. 25, 2025. His career high for tackles in a game is 10 against Oklahoma on Nov. 1, 2025.

#farooq

RENTON, Wash. — DeMarcus Lawrence debated carefully whether to return for the 2026 NFL season. In his 12th year, the Seattle Seahawks edge rusher had stayed healthy enough to play every game, forced six fumbles between the regular season and playoffs, and won a Super Bowl.
Should he hang it up?
"I'm doing everything that a player can wish for," Lawrence told Yahoo Sports in a sit-down interview from training camp. "So now do I cut that light off and turn the lights [off]? … I ain't think it was time to hang it up yet."
But with six children and his wife, Sasha, back in Dallas, the Dallas Cowboys' 2014 second-round draft pick says he has just one season left.
"This will be my last year," Lawrence said. "Through the grace of God, I'm able to play another year and soak it all up one more good time before I hang it up."

#season #dallas #renton

Atlanta defensive end James Pearce Jr. will be suspended eight regular-season games in 2026, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
"ESPN source: Falcons DE James Pearce Jr. is being suspended eight regular-season games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy," Schefter announced. "Pearce was arrested in February, in Doral, Florida, after a domestic dispute involving his ex-girlfriend, Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson."
The 6-foot-5, 243-pound former Vol was a rookie with the Falcons in 2025. He recorded 26 tackles, 10.5 sacks, five pass deflections and one forced fumble in 17 games last season.
Pearce Jr. played at Tennessee from 2022-24. He totaled 71 tackles, 29.5 tackles for a loss, 19.5 sacks, one interception, one touchdown, three pass deflections, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery with the Vols.
Pearce Jr. was selected by Atlanta in the first round (No. 26 overall) of the 2025 NFL draft.

#pearce #atlanta #suspended

A former Nebraska football coach was recently named the archenemy of a Big 12 rival. ESPN named Tom Osborne as the archenemy of the Kansas State Wildcats.
Osborne coached Nebraska from 1973 to 1997 and finished his coaching career with a 25-0 record against the Wildcats. He would finish with a 50-0 record against the Big 12's two Kansas schools, KSU and KU.
The perfect record against Kansas State would make Osborne a logical choice for archemey. I would argue that Nebraska should have been listed overall; naming Osborne excludes the '99 matchup between the Wildcats and the Cornhuskers.
No. 7 Nebraska (8-1) would host No. 5 Kansas State (9-0) with control of the Big 12 North on the line. The Huskers would fumble a school-record ten times (fumbles were an issue in '99) but still overwhelm the Wildcats and win 41-15.
"But the Wildcats' success in the 1990s would have been even greater had they not constantly run into a Cornhusker roadblock manufactured by the legendary Osborne. From 1993 to 1999, K-State lost six games to Nebraska and eight to the rest of the nation. In 1997, it beat 11 opponents by an average score of 36-11 but fell 56-26 to the Huskers."

#state #Huskers #named #archenemy

It's hard to toss a rookie onto the field with an entire roster's worth of NFL veterans and have them emerge looking like the best player out of the bunch. But that's reportedly been the case for New York Jets defensive end David Bailey this preseason, and it continued on Tuesday.
Zack Rosenblatt, who serves as a senior writer with The Athletic covering the New York Jets and the NFL at large, was in attendance at the joint practice session between the Jets and Buccaneers on Tuesday and reported that "there's an argument" that Bailey was the best player on the field across both teams. He also showered Bailey with some lofty praise after watching him throughout the preseason so far.
"I've been covering the Jets for five seasons, and the NFL for nine. In that time I'm not sure I've seen a rookie that was appointment viewing quite like Bailey," reported Rosenblatt.
Bailey was the second overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after being named a unanimous All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year during his senior season at Texas Tech in 2025. He recorded 52 tackles (19.5 TFL), 14.5 sacks, three pass deflections, and three forced fumbles while anchoring a Red Raiders defense that made a run to the College Football Playoff.
For a Jets team that needs answers fast in Aaron Glenn's second season in charge of the program, a player of Bailey's caliber could go a long way in helping the team get turned around from their troubles last season. And early in camp, he could live up to that hype and make a major impact as a rookie. And if Rosenblatt is correct, Bailey might not just make an outsized impact, but end up being one of the best rookies we've seen this decade in the NFL.

#player #season #tuesday #i 've

Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo spoke with reporters after practice on Tuesday at Missouri Western State University. He commented on the reported signing of veteran defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah ahead of the start of the preseason and what he's looking forward to seeing from the group on Saturday.
"Always the first one is tackling, and that probably is preceded by what we call block destruction and getting off the blocks. And quite frankly, not so much today," said Spagnuolo, "I'd have to watch the film, but yesterday, I didn't like the fact that a lot of run plays—and we're getting a lot more run plays than we used to—a lot of those run plays were going right down the middle of our defense. Now, we're not tackling, and it's not live, but I would like to see us be a little bit more physical. So, I'm looking for physicality, tackling, the block destruction. Those would be the most important things."
Spagnuolo will be evaluating multiple positions in the preseason opener on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams, including a returning veteran who contributed to the Super Bowl LIV victory, who is reportedly signing with Kansas City this week.
"Yeah, I always had an affection for E (Emmanuel Ogbah). It was disappointing the one year we had him in 2019. I thought he was really coming on and then he got hurt and then we didn't have him at the end of the year," said Spagnuolo. "But I've always periodically been in touch with him. We've got to get through the physical and all those other things, but if he's part of our group, I'll be excited about that."
Ogbah has a career total of 48 sacks through 136 games, securing nine forced fumbles and two interceptions.

#spagnuolo #ogbah #always #saturday

The Michigan Wolverines have entered their second week of fall camp, with the season approaching faster and faster with every passing moment. There are numerous things to keep an eye on until the season kicks off on Sept. 5 against Western Michigan, with the health status of two of the Wolverines' top defenders near — or at — the top of the list.
Sixth-year safety Rod Moore and senior edge rusher John Henry Daley will be paramount to Michigan's defense in 2026. Moore elected to return for one final season of eligibility following back-to-back unhealthy seasons and earning a sixth year of eligibility. Daley, meanwhile, transfers over from Utah after putting up an All-American season in 2025 where he compiled 48 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Both players are fully cleared for football activities, but they are still on "pitch counts," as head coach Kyle Whittingham put it on Monday during his press conference. The reason for that — years of experience being a coach and seeing players rush through a recovery to get back on the football field.
"(Rod) and John are completely healthy," Whittingham told the media. "Now, that being said, we as coaches are trying to bring them along slowly. They're cleared. They're cleared to do whatever the doctors say — 'they're yours.' But too many times in my career, I've seen guys come back and overdo it early on and get chronic soreness and swelling, and we don't want that to happen. And so they are on pitch counts, but it's self-inflicted by the coaches, not because they can't function. We just want to continue to ramp them up. Hopefully in a couple weeks, they'll be able to practice everything.
"(I) love what we see with both those guys."

#moore #john #daley

Some cornerback help could be on the way to the Motor City.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Detroit Lions tried out former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers cornerback Trevon Diggs over the weekend.
Diggs was limited to just nine games played and seven starts last season as he suffered a concussion in an at-home accident and then had an injured reserve stint with a right knee injury.
While with the Cowboys, Diggs was a two-time Pro Bowler (2021, 2022) and a first-team All-Pro in 2021 when he led the NFL in interceptions with 11 picks. In his career, Diggs has totaled 242 tackles, 63 passes defended, 20 interceptions, a pair of forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one sack.
Diggs also suffered a season-ending ACL tear to his left knee, which ended his 2023 campaign after just a pair of games played. The former Cowboys second-round 2020 draft pick would return in 2024 to start 11 games before undergoing a second season-ending injury on his left knee to repair cartilage issues.

#games

The Pittsburgh Steelers have historically held a "Friday Night Lights" practice during training camp but this year the team was forced to move it to Saturday. It didn't stop nearly 10,000 fans from showing up to get a closer look at the team as they head into prep for the team's first preseason game.
Here are the winners and losers from Saturday's practice.
With every deep completion Allar throws, he endears himself more and more to the fanbase and puts pressure on Will Howard. Allar has made up all the ground he lost to Howard in minicamp and frankly has overtaken him in terms of optimism that he can be the team's starting quarterback at some point.
Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson both had fumbles on Saturday night, which is a bad sign. Nothing to panic about but with Warren battling Rico Dowdle for reps and Johnson fighting to make the team, these errors are magnified.
Even as a seventh-round rookie, nothing seems too big for safety Robert Spears-Jennings. On Saturday, the team asked him to move to slot cornerback and he did so without hesitation. It really feels like the rookie is being set up for a fairly significant role on defense this season.

#saturday #night #practice #move

The Arizona Cardinals placed two players on injured reserve on Saturday and had six players in for a tryout on Saturday. They have filled their two roster vacancies with two of the players they tried out.
The Cardinals announced they signed tight end Shawn Bowman and linebacker Eugene Asante.
Bowman is 6-4 and 249 pounds and has yet to play an NFL game. He went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2024 and signed with the Carolina Panthers. He spent time on their practice squad as a rookie. Most recently, he was in the UFL with the Orlando Storm. He played in 11 games and had seven catches for 53 yards.
Asante is six feet tall and 226 pounds. He went undrafted last year out of Auburn, signing originally with the Miam Dolphins. He did not make their roster and spent time on the practice squads of the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons. He played for the Houston Gamblers in the UFL in the spring. In nine games, he had 34 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
Don't expect either to be guys who push for the roster. They fill the back end of the 90-man offseason roster and will see action late in the last preseason games the Cardinals have.

#cardinals #games #bowman #asante

The Arizona Cardinals made a pair of roster moves on Saturday, ending the season of safety Joey Blount and tight end Kenny Yeboah, who were placed on injured reserve. With two vacancies on the roster, they will make signings.
Those signings could come from the six players they tried out, per the NFL transaction report.
They had three tight ends and three linebackers in for a workout.
Asante has not played a game in the NFL. He went undrafted in 2025 and signed with the Miami Dolphins. He did not make their roster and spent time on the practice squads of the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons. He played for the Houston Gamblers in the UFL in the spring. In nine games, he had 34 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He is six feet tall and 218 pounds.
Jacobs went undrafted out of Penn State in 2024 and signed originally with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was cut before the season and claimed by the New England Patriots. He played in nine games and made two starts, logging four tackles. In 2025, he spent time on the practice squads ofd the New York Giants and Tennessee ***** ans, and played in three games for Tennessee, playing 39 snaps on special teams. He is 6-1 amd 241 pounds.

#tennessee #season

Florida State edge Jalen Anderson started his collegiate career at Pearl River Community College in Louisiana. He had two productive seasons there before coming to FSU.
Anderson registered 39 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown as a freshman. He earned First-Team All-MACCC honors, and he also won the South Division Defensive Player of the Year award.
Anderson already had plans to play at a higher level. In fact, he reached out to the Seminoles during his recruiting process. What he told them was pretty bold, but Anderson made it happen.
"I texted Coach Ris, Coach Devin Rispress, on Twitter. I said by the end of the season, you're going to offer me," Anderson said via Warchant. "I'm going to be the No. 1 Edge, and you're going to be begging to offer me. I'm going to be the No. 1 Edge, and y'all are going to be begging to have me in y'alls room."
Once he was available, the 6-foot-3, 240-pounder was listed as the No. 1 edge in 247Sports JUCO rankings and the No. 4 prospect overall. Florida State made him a scholarship offer Nov. 6 of last year, which was three weeks before their season ended. On Nov. 14, Anderson visited FSU, and three days later he committed. He signed on Dec. 3, and by Jan. 7 he was enrolled.

#state #defensive #tackles

Veteran Deion Jones returned to his home town on Friday when the New Orleans Saints signed him. Jones was the biggest name among three additions that the Saints made on Friday. The others were former UFL linebacker Garrett Nelson and undrafted rookie defensive lineman Brien Taylor Jr. Deion Jones returns to New Orleans, where he was born and raised, as a 10-year NFL veteran with the last two seasons spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A three-star recruit at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Jones landed with the LSU Tigers for his collegiate career. In four years at LSU, he had 5 sacks and 21 stops for loss among 165 total tackles. His senior campaign of 2015 was his best, as Jones recorded 2 interceptions, 5 sacks, a team-best 13.5 tackles for loss, and a team-leading 100 total tackles.
Jones was a second-round choice, the 52nd overall selection, by none other than the Atlanta Falcons in the 2016 NFL Draft. He saw immediate stardom with the Falcons, earning 2016 All-Rookie honors. That season, Jones had 3 interceptions, returning 2 for touchdowns, to go along with 11 passes broken up and 108 tackles. He'd lead the NFL with 165 interception return yards and led the Falcons in interceptions, total tackles, and solo stops.
Jones was just as formidable in 2017, earning the only Pro Bowl of his 10-year career. He had 3 interceptions that season, breaking up 10 throws with a sack and a team-best 138 tackles. Injuries limited Jones to only six games in 2018, though he still had 2 interceptions. He'd return in 2019 and has remained pretty durable since, though his production steadily declined.
Jones was with the Falcons for six seasons. Over that span he had 11 interceptions, 5 of which were returned for touchdowns. He also added 8.5 sacks, forced 5 fumbles, recorded 40 stops for loss, and had over 105 tackles in five separate campaigns. Upon leaving Atlanta Jones had one season with the Cleveland Browns in 2022, one with the Carolina Panthers in 2024, and the last two with the Buccaneers. Jones started just eight of his 43 games with those three teams in four years. He intercepted 2 passes and broke up 9 others, recording 3.5 sacks and 109 tackles with 10 for loss.

#falcons

The Saints signed linebacker Deion Jones, defensive lineman Brien Taylor and pass rusher Malaki Williams, the team announced Saturday.
In a corresponding move, the Saints waived defensive lineman Zxavian Harris.
Jones, whose agreement with the team was previously announced, is a nine-year NFL veteran. He was a second-round pick of the Falcons in 2016.
Jones has appeared in 128 regular-season games with 91 starts for the Falcons (2016-21), Browns (2022), Panthers (2023) and Buccaneers (2024-25). He has 746 tackles, 12 sacks, 13 interceptions, 53 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 15 special teams stops.
Taylor arrives in New Orleans after spending the past two seasons at the University of Florida, where he played in 22 games and recorded 38 tackles, five stops for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble.

#jones #saints #falcons #pass

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud likely still has a bad taste in his mouth from how last season ended.
In Houston's first playoff game, the Texans won despite Stroud's five fumbles. In their second playoff game against the New England Patriots, they could not overcome Stroud's four interceptions.
Even though the season ended in a downward spiral for Stroud, he is not letting last season affect his preparation for this year. During the early stages of training camp. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has seen a more confident Stroud who's willing to take ownership of the offense.
"With C.J., what I'm seeing show up is just a guy who's confident in what he's doing," Ryans said Friday. "That's how everything has looked better because again, it's year two in the system. Anytime you're doing something for the second time around, you're more comfortable with it. Come training camp, we're able to install and add volume to our offense more so than we were able to do the first year and rightfully so. Everybody's just getting started, it's new, it's fresh and we're trying to see what everybody does well. C.J.'s done a great job of taking ownership of the offense. He's really communicated to his guys, getting everybody on the same page and you're seeing a confident player."
Ryans also mentioned that Stroud's ability to create separation with his legs should be more of a weapon this season.

#texans #stroud #season #year

Five-star 2028 edge rusher Antonio Thomas Jr. is beginning the next phase of his recruitment and has emerged as a top target for the Florida Gators in the 2028 class.
The talented five-star showcased his skill set last season for Carrollwood Day, finishing the year with 54 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He also displayed his versatility by playing both sides of the ball, receiving reps at running back, carrying the ball 100 times for 927 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 240-pound edge rusher has already scheduled his return to the Swamp, planning to be in Gainesville for the Gators' matchup against Ole Miss on Sept. 26.
"I would definitely say they're a priority school," Thomas told Swamp247. "If I had to make a top three right now, they're in there," adding that Florida and Georgia are at the top of the list, playing a big role in his recruitment.
Thomas credits defensive line coach Gerald Chatman for being the main contact from Florida.

#Florida #five #star

A potential return to football for Aaron Donald is becoming more realistic. The retired defensive tackle participated in an official "tryout" with his longtime team, the Los Angeles Rams, on Wednesday, according to the NFL's transaction wire. Rams head coach Sean McVay jokingly described it as the "best tryout we've ever had," and the workout appears to be another step toward Donald ending his retirement.
Should Donald return within the next two weeks, the New Orleans Saints could be among the first teams to see the three-time Defensive Player of the Year back on a football field. The Saints are scheduled to hold a joint practice with the Rams on Aug. 20 before the teams meet in their preseason game at SoFi Stadium on Aug. 22. It is unlikely, though, that Donald would participate in a preseason game, but seeing him in a joint practice is certainly a possibility.
That could create a difficult test for a Saints offensive line that has made improving the running game one of its biggest offseason priorities. Donald would join a loaded Rams defensive front that included reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, a major catalyst in Donald's exploration of returning to the NFL.
Donald, who retired after the 2023 season, recorded 111 career sacks, 176 tackles for loss, and 24 forced fumbles in his 10-year career. He was a 10-time Pro Bowler and an eight-time First-Team All-Pro, and he terrorized the Saints offensive line at some of its strongest points over his decade in the NFL. Even at 35 years old, a return would immediately become one of the NFL's biggest stories — and the Saints might be given the first up-close look.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints could be first to see Rams star Aaron Donald if he unretires

#first