Jeanty practices for the first time as Raiders hope he's the answer to their rushing problems By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer The Associated Press HENDERSON, Nev.
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Ashton Jeanty won't be able to do what he does best for quite some time — make tacklers wish they never even thought of putting a hand on him.
So not much can be read into Jeanty breaking free into the open field at the Raiders' rookies camp Friday, but Las Vegas hopes it's at least a preview of what's to come.
The Raiders placed a lot of faith in Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up out of Boise State, by drafting him sixth last month. He was the highest-drafted running back since the New York Giants took Saquon Barkley second in 2018.
Jeanty also received a four-year, $35.9 million contract that includes a $22.7 million signing bonus, his agent, Henry Organ, said. His $8.97 million annual salary is the 11th-highest among running backs, according to Over the Cap.
He called it a “lifelong dream” to even be in an NFL rookies practice.
"So to finally be out here, get to work with the team, it’s just exciting,” Jeanty said.
Jeanty fits the profile of a Pete Carroll-coached team. Carroll relied on a similar type of back in Seattle, and Marshawn Lynch was instrumental in the Seahawks making back-to-back Super Bowls and winning one. His rugged running style and 5-foot-11 inch, 215-pound frame made tackling him an often painful experience for defenders.
At 5-8, 211, Jeanty used a similar bruising style in leading the nation with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. More telling, he rushed for 1,970 yards after contact, which by itself would have led the FBS.
That's why the Raiders decided to use such a high pick on a running back, even though it goes against the general current thinking. They could have addressed a different position at No. 6 and still taken a quality running back later in what was a deep draft at the position, but found a potential generational type of player too difficult to pass up.
Especially for a team that had the worst ground game in the NFL last season, averaging 79.8 yards per game.
“It’s one of those deals where it meets the need and the best player meet together,” general manager John Spytek said the night the Raiders drafted Jeanty. "You kind of feel like that’s a perfect storm at that point too, and it’s just too much to ignore at that point. He’s the perfect player for us this year, and we were thrilled to make him a Raider.”
And now Jeanty is getting his first taste of the NFL with other players who also are beginning to learn what it takes at this level.
One of his new teammates, offensive lineman Caleb Rogers, played against Jeanty in Texas high school scrimmages and runs in much the same social circle.
“I had players who played with him,” said Rogers, a third-round draft pick out of Texas Tech. "So just hearing a lot about him, I’m excited to continue to be around him, see how he works, see how he’s a pro. I’ve heard a lot about how he approaches the game and how he does a great job, and so I’m excited just be a part of that.”
Rogers, though, said he doesn't remember those early interactions with Jeanty.
“I don’t because he happened to have (Denver wide receiver) Marvin Mims on his team," Rogers said. "He has the record for high school football receiving yards, so he was kind of doing his thing back then.”
Jeanty hopes to give Rogers and the rest of his new teammates performances they won't be able to forget.
They are excited to have him. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby live-streamed his podcast on the first night of the draft with center Jackson Powers-Johnson. Both were ecstatic when the Raiders selected Jeanty, with Crosby pumping his right fist and Powers-Johnson raising both arms and yelling.
There also is video of Powers-Johnson meeting Jeanty, embracing him and saying, “I'm your center.”
Expectations certainly are high inside and outside the Raiders facility. Now it's a matter of whether Jeanty meets them.
He has a long way to go, but Friday was a start.
“Getting out just seeing everything, how it all works,” Jeanty said.
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Saints QB Derek Carr is retiring because of 'significant degenerative changes' to his right shoulder By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints veteran starting quarterback Derek Carr is retiring because of a labral tear in his right shoulder and “significant degenerative changes” to his rotator cuff, the team announced Saturday.
Carr, 34, has played for 11 pro seasons since being selected out of Fresno State by the then-Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft.
He was acquired by the Saints as a free agent in 2023 but had mixed results in New Orleans, going 14-13 as a starter while struggling through oblique, hand and head injuries that caused him to miss seven games last season.
Carr, who was entering the third year of a four-year, $150 million contract, experienced unexpected pain in his throwing shoulder when he began to ramp up training on his own this offseason. That led to the diagnosis which now has cut short his career.
“Surgery was an option, jeopardizing the entire 2025 season, yet there was no guarantee Derek would return to the level of strength, function and performance of play to which he was accustomed,” the Saints said in a written announcement.
The Saints did not acknowledge Carr's injury until the day before this year's NFL draft in late April. Carr did not speak publicly about the injury until a few days later, when he delivered a guest sermon at a Las Vegas church . In that sermon, Carr said his critics were “lying” about him when they questioned the unusual timing of the injury, as well as both the team's and Carr's initial reticence to address it openly or answer questions about it.
Carr has career passing totals of 41,245 yards, 257 touchdowns and 112 interceptions. The four-time Pro Bowler retires with a 77-92 regular-season record as a starter, 0-1 in the playoffs.
Carr said he made his decision in consultation with his wife, Heather, and “upon reflection of prayer.”
“For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience,” Carr said. “It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special."
“I sleep well knowing that I gave my teammates, my coaches, and my cities my all,” Carr added.
The decision also comes after New Orleans, heading into its first season with Kellen Moore as coach, used a high second-round draft choice to select Louisville’s Tyler Shough .
Now Shough, who learned of Carr's decision just before taking the field for a rookie camp practice on Saturday, will have a chance to compete for a starting job.
“All I want is an opportunity,” said the 26-year-old Shough, who, in part because of injuries, spent seven years at the college level with three programs, starting with Oregon and Texas Tech. “I've been at points in my career where I would just be dying to get on the field because I was injured. I was a backup before and I was a starter. So, I know a lot of those roles and what it looks like, and I think I can operate well in any of them."
"I'm just really excited for that opportunity to go out there and prove myself,” he added.
Other QBs on the Saints roster include second-year pro Spencer Rattler and third-year player Jake Haener, who did not post a victory between them in seven games last season, six of which Rattler started.
Carr's retirement "will provide some of those younger quarterbacks a chance to just get ready from a rep standpoint and opportunity standpoint,” Moore said. “Obviously, those guys will be ready and fired up for that.”
Moore was noncommittal about the possibility of bringing in an established veteran QB through free agency.
“We'll certainly have awareness of it,” Moore said. “We're ready if the opportunity presents itself.”
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1966, just 12 quarterbacks who were not drafted in the first round have started season-openers as rookies. One of them was Carr. Another was the Cowboys' Dak Prescott in 2016, when Moore was a reserve QB in Dallas.
Prescott “was obviously a fourth-round pick and probably wasn't anticipating being a starter that year," noted Moore, who also coached Prescott as Dallas' QBs coach in 2018 and as offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022. "These guys all come from different paths."
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Steelers GM Omar Khan says trading talented but mercurial WR George Pickens was right for both sides By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan wasn't planning to trade wide receiver George Pickens .
Then the Dallas Cowboys called with an offer Khan couldn't pass up, and after three years of trying to balance Pickens' dazzling behavior on the field with his petulance off it, Khan decided it was time to move on.
Pittsburgh sent Pickens to Dallas on Wednesday in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a fifth-rounder in 2027. The Cowboys get a sixth-round choice in two years.
“We just kind of talked about it, you know, (and had) lots of serious conversation, honest conversations,” Khan said Friday. “And we just felt that a fresh start for both sides was the right thing.”
Pickens was about to enter the final year of the rookie deal he signed after being selected in the second round in 2022. While he caught 174 passes for 2,841 and 12 touchdowns across three seasons, he also consistently found himself making headlines for something other than catching a football, be it fighting opponents , getting fined for writing an expletive on his eye black , or inattentiveness to downfield blocking .
Khan declined to describe Pickens' tenure as a “disappointment,” pointing out there were plenty of exciting moments when Pickens flashed his freakish ability.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin almost uniformly backed Pickens despite the missteps, save for one occasion last season when Tomlin said it was time for Pickens “to grow up” after he drew two penalties for taunting during a victory over Cincinnati last December.
Khan declined to speculate whether Pickens would have held out (or even held in) during organized team activities and minicamp, a tactic star outside linebacker T.J. Watt and former wide receiver Diontae Johnson have done in the past.
While the club had planned to go into the season with Pickens and recently acquired DK Metcalf paired together, Khan remains confident in the group behind Metcalf, which includes Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Scott Miller and veteran Robert Woods, who signed last week.
The team could also explore bringing in another veteran before training camp starts, one of many variables at play for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers remain in a holding pattern in regards to four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is continuing to weigh whether to return for a 21st season. The club has not set a firm deadline and all options remain on the table not just at quarterback, but elsewhere.
“We want to get good players, good people, and you know we’re chasing a championship,” Khan said. “And every decision we make is based on trying to win a championship not only in the future but this year. I mean, we’re focused on trying to win a championship this year.”
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The 49ers waive 2022 second-round defensive end Drake Jackson By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press SANTA CLARA, Calif.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers waived defensive lineman Drake Jackson on Friday, cutting ties with their second-round pick from the 2022 NFL draft.
Jackson was waived with a failed physical designation after missing the last season and a half with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. Jackson played 23 games for the Niners in 2022-23 with six sacks — half of them coming in the 2023 season opener at Pittsburgh.
Jackson was the first player taken by the 49ers in a draft class that has produced only one consistent starter in quarterback Brock Purdy, who was taken with the final pick of that draft.
San Francisco traded away its first-round pick that year in a deal to move up to draft Trey Lance in 2021 and had previously moved on from third-rounders Tyrion Davis-Price and Danny Gray.
The only players from that class on the current roster besides Purdy are backups Spencer Burford, Kalia Davis and Nick Zakelj.
San Francisco also added depth at offensive tackle on Friday by signing former Philadelphia first-round pick Andre Dillard and former Tennessee starter Nicholas Petit-Frere. They will compete with recently signed D.J. Humphries to be the swing tackle behind starters Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz.
San Francisco also signed cornerback Dallis Flowers. Offensive lineman Jalen McKenzie was waived and cornerback Tre Tomlinson was waived with an injury designation.
The 49ers also signed eight of their 11 draft picks: third-rounders Nick Martin and Upton Stout; fourth-rounder Jordan Watkins; fifth-rounders Jordan James and Marques Sigle; and seventh-rounders Connor Colby, Kurtis Rourke and Junior Bergen.
San Francisco signed five undrafted rookies before its rookie minicamp: running back Corey Kiner, offensive lineman Drew Moss, receiver Isaiah Neyor; cornerback Jakob Robinson and defensive Sebastian Valdez.
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Receiver George Pickens points north with Cowboys after Steelers tenure turned south By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
George Pickens says he joins the Dallas Cowboys focused more on a future with quarterback Dak Prescott and fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb than a past of why the Pittsburgh Steelers would trade one of their top playmakers in his prime .
Dallas gave up a third-round draft pick next year, and the teams swapped late-round choices in 2027 to end Pickens' three-year stint with the Steelers.
There were enough questionable antics for coach Mike Tomlin to declare bluntly last year that the former Georgia star and 2022 second-round pick needed to grow up. He isn't worried about that perception following him to Dallas.
“I can’t really change anyone’s opinion of me personally,” Pickens said in a conference call with reporters Thursday, a day after the trade was announced. “I feel like everybody in the world has to grow. You get older and older as you grow. We’re trying to build a winning culture, which they already have at the Cowboys. I’m just glad to be joining it.”
The Cowboys weren't winners last season, finishing 7-10 to end a three-year stretch of 12-5 playoff seasons. All three of those ended without a trip beyond the divisional round of the playoffs. Dallas is the only NFC team that hasn't played in a conference championship game since the 1995 season, when the Cowboys won their fifth Super Bowl title.
Looking to rebound under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas didn't address the need for a No. 2 receiver behind Lamb during the draft. The trade for Pickens might have been why. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said before the draft the Cowboys were working on a couple of “substantive” trades.
Pickens has the skills to match Lamb, who was an All-Pro in 2023 when he set career highs in catches (an NFL-best 135), yards (1,749) and touchdowns (12). The 24-year-old Pickens — two years younger than Lamb — led the Steelers in receiving yards each of the past two seasons and is among the NFL's best in yards per catch.
“You guys making a 1A, 1B, and all this, honestly, that’s the first time I’ve heard any of that stuff,” Pickens said. “I feel like two receivers are kind of normal. When I used to watch football, there was always a good receiver, and then there was also another good receiver on the side of him.”
Pickens has consistently struggled to keep his emotions in check. Last season alone he twice ended games by getting into dust-ups with opposing defensive backs, first when he grabbed Dallas’ Jourdan Lewis by the facemask and then when he tussled with Cleveland’s Greg Newsome II rather than try to get in position for a last-second desperation pass.
That doesn’t include a fine for using an expletive on his eye black against the Cowboys, a rule he said he was unaware of at the time . Pickens also drew criticism in 2023 for what could generously be described as inattentive downfield blocking for his teammates.
Pickens won't have to worry about making nice with Lewis, who signed with Jacksonville as a free agent in March. Prescott was among the first to reach out to Pickens, who will need time to get settled in his new home and meet most of his new teammates.
“I like the mojo here,” Pickens said. “I like the swag.”
Considering Pickens' volatility, the Steelers didn’t seem interested in a contract extension, and he became expendable when they traded for two-time Pro Bowler DK Metcalf in March. Metcalf promptly signed a five-year contract .
Pickens brushed off the question of signing an extension before the end of his four-year rookie deal this season.
“I’m kind of where my feet are right now, to be honest,” Pickens said. “I’m not really thinking about contract talks.”
Pickens led the league by averaging 18.1 yards per catch in 2023 and has 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 scores in 48 games. Lamb was a model of consistency and improvement his first four years, and now Pickens is trying to prove he can be reliable in his fourth year.
“It excites me a lot because ... we can work off each other,” Pickens said. “There’s no, ‘He gets the ball, I get the ball.’ We’re working off each other. That’s why I always come back to building a winning culture. And that’s kind of what we’ve been talking about in Dallas.”
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AP National Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.
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The Steelers move on from George Pickens by trading mercurial receiver to Cowboys By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have run out patience with wide receiver George Pickens , agreeing Wednesday on a trade that sends the talented but mercurial 24-year-old to the Dallas Cowboys .
The Steelers will get a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a fifth-rounder in 2027. The Cowboys get a sixth-round choice in two years.
The trade was first reported by ESPN.
Pickens is about to enter the final year of the rookie deal he signed in 2022 when the Steelers took the former Georgia star in the second round. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pickens has spent his first three seasons in the NFL being equal parts productive and petulant, mixing highlight-reel catches with bouts of immaturity along the way.
Pickens joins a Cowboys offense that could use another downfield threat to pair with star CeeDee Lamb. Dallas’ second-leading pass catcher behind Lamb last year was tight end Jake Ferguson, with Jalen Tolbert’s modest 49 receptions a distant third.
Dallas didn't address the need for a No. 2 receiver in the draft, with first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer saying he liked the youth that was already on the roster. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones made reference before the draft to “substantive” trades the Cowboys were pursuing. This qualifies as one.
The Steelers, particularly head coach Mike Tomlin, often backed Pickens as he endured what the team frequently described as a version of growing pains while he adjusted to life in the NFL.
Pickens has been one of the most dynamic receivers in the league when he's on the field and engaged, which is not always a given. Pickens led the league by averaging 18.1 yards per catch in 2023 and has 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 scores in 48 games.
Yet he's also consistently struggled to keep his emotions in check. Last season alone he twice ended games by getting into dust-ups with opposing defensive backs, first when he grabbed Dallas' Jourdan Lewis by the facemask and then when he tussled with Cleveland's Greg Newsome II rather than try to get in position for a last-second Hail Mary.
That doesn't include a fine for using an expletive on his eye black against the Cowboys, a rule he said he was unaware of at the time . Pickens also drew widespread criticism in 2023 for what could generously be described as inattentive downfield blocking for his teammates.
Considering his volatility, the Steelers didn't seem interested in signing Pickens to a contract extension and he became expendable when they traded for two-time Pro Bowler DK Metcalf in March, whom they promptly signed to a five-year contract .
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AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon in Dallas contributed to this report.
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Steelers add wide receiver Robert Woods to crowded room that includes DK Metcalf and George Pickens The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran wide receiver Robert Woods to a one-year deal on Thursday.
The 33-year-old Woods has spent 12 years in the NFL, including the past two with the Houston Texans. Woods caught a career-low 20 passes for 203 yards in 15 games for the Texans last season.
Woods is joining a wide receiver group that includes two-time Pro Bowler DK Metcalf — acquired in a March trade with Seattle — and George Pickens, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
Woods has caught 683 passes for 8,233 yards and 38 touchdowns across his career and twice had more than 1,000 yards receiving. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams after the 2021 season, though he missed the playoffs after tearing the ACL in his left knee in November of that year.
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Commanders sign kicker Matt Gay and release Zane Gonzalez By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer The Associated Press
The Washington Commanders made an offseason change at kicker on Tuesday, signing veteran Matt Gay and releasing Zane Gonzalez.
A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that Gay signed a one-year contract worth $5 million with $4.35 million guaranteed. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because financial terms were not disclosed.
Gay spent the past two NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. They cut him earlier this month to save $3 million against the salary cap.
Last season, he made all 28 of his field-goal attempts from 49 yards or shorter and was 33 of 33 on extra points. He was 3 of 9 from 50-plus yards.
Now 31, Gay should stabilize the position for the Commanders after they used four kickers last season and did not pick one in the draft last week. Gay was a Pro Bowl pick in 2021 when he helped the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl and will be going into his seventh season in the league.
Gonzalez became Washington's kicker when Austin Seibert was injured, with Greg Joseph also mixed in after starting with Cade York. Gonzalez made the game-winning field goal at the buzzer to beat Tampa Bay in the wild-card round and went 7 of 8 on the run to the NFC title game before losing to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.
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Packers add depth at linebacker by signing Isaiah Simmons The Associated Press GREEN BAY, Wis.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Linebacker Isaiah Simmons, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft, signed with the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday.
Simmons had been with the New York Giants for the past two years after spending his first three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, who drafted him out of Clemson.
The 26-year-old Simmons has made 42 starts, but only five of them came over the past two seasons. He appeared in 17 games and made one start for the Giants last season while playing on 16.5% of their defensive snaps and nearly one-third of their special teams plays.
Simmons has 8½ sacks, five interceptions and two pick-6s.
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Shedeur Sanders’ dramatic fall to Day 3 of the NFL draft is still baffling By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Shedeur Sanders’ dramatic fall to Day 3 of the NFL draft baffled fans, analysts and some general managers and coaches.
Sanders was considered a top-five overall pick after finishing his career at Colorado, but he wasn’t even among the first five quarterbacks selected.
He slipped all the way to the fifth round without any obvious explanation, leaving everyone to speculate about his shortcomings and question whether Hall of Fame father Deion Sanders somehow scared teams away.
Shedeur Sanders was never involved in any off-field incidents, yet his character was criticized by various media outlets who cited unidentified sources in the weeks leading up the draft.
The Cleveland Browns ended up taking Sanders with the 144th pick after they were thought to be considering him at No. 2 overall. The Browns even selected Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel in the third round at No. 94 but then moved up in the draft to snag Sanders one pick before the Philadelphia Eagles were on the clock.
Though the Eagles have a franchise QB in Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, Browns general manager Andrew Berry worked in Philadelphia with GM Howie Roseman and knows he’s not afraid to take the best available player on the board.
That’s how Hurts ended up on the Eagles in 2020 when Carson Wentz was already there. That doesn’t mean Philly was targeting Sanders, but Cleveland had waited long enough.
“We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position,” Berry said. “We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft. Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it’s a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot.
“I think, obviously, Shedeur has kind of grown up in the spotlight, but our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete. Nothing’s been promised. Nothing will be given.”
Sanders, who played for his father in college, said all the right things after he was finally selected.
“Nothing really affected me the last couple of days, just really pushed having faith, understanding God really had me,” Sanders said. “I’m blessed. Besides that, it’s not really anything that changes. The love of the game is still the same. When you get on the field, it wasn’t too much negativity being said. I know I’ve got to clean up some things in my game for me to be at my best, but that’s why I take each offseason one at a time and fix it. So I think that was just outside of football getting in the way, but therefore I have an opportunity now. Then we’re about to get on grass really soon.”
Three team officials told The Associated Press on Friday they had first-round grades on Sanders. Another team executive said he gave him a second-round grade. All four had starting QBs. Broncos coach Sean Payton and Patriots personnel boss Eliot Wolf both said it was “surprising” to see Sanders drop that far.
Payton watched his pro day and said Sanders was “outstanding.” Titans general Mike Borgonzi praised him. So did Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, though Pittsburgh kept passing him and wound up with Will Howard in the sixth round.
So what caused Sanders’ unprecedented slide?
The knocks against Sanders’ football skills are that he takes too many sacks, isn’t athletic enough and doesn’t have great arm strength.
Louis Riddick, an ESPN analyst who was a director of pro personnel with Philadelphia and Washington, called that “absurd.”
“It’s a personal discussion. It’s whether or not teams are comfortable with everything that comes along with Shedeur in terms of who he is as a person, all the people that are surrounding him in terms of his inner circle and whether or not teams deem that something they’re comfortable with,” Riddick said on Saturday’s broadcast. “Right or wrong, that’s the only conclusion you can come to at this point because, obviously, it’s a subjective argument as to what his actual physical skills are on the football field.
“But I think if you are trying to be objective about it, and remove everything else surrounding this young man and everything that comes along with him, he can play the game of football. This is a guy who’s extremely accurate. He’s extremely mobile. He has a lot of mental horsepower. He played the game at a high level. It’s as simple as that, but if you go into this whole evaluation process and you’re already biased toward feeling you want to emphasize the negative and I’m not saying that’s the case for me, but if you want to emphasize some of the things that really don’t have to do with anything on the football field and you get caught up in all the rest of it, it can start skewing your judgment as to what this young man actually brings in terms of value.”
Sanders, like his “Prime Time” father, oozes confidence that can be misconstrued as arrogance. He probably made more money off name, imagine and likeness deals in college than he will in his rookie contract. His flash and style could rub some folks — maybe old-school assistant coaches — the wrong way.
But plenty of athletes are confident, bordering on cocky. Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, turned to Tennessee’s coaching staff after an impressive throw at his pro day and said: “I’m solidifying it.”
Other players have had more controlling dads. Archie Manning forced the Chargers to trade Eli Manning to the Giants in 2004. John Elway refused to play for the Colts in 1983.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper, who covered his 42nd NFL draft, had Sanders listed as the top quarterback on his board. He said he was “disgusted” by the free fall and spoke strongly about Sanders several times.
“I think there’s a lot of perspective that isn’t reality in regards to Shedeur and Deion,” Kiper said.
Like him or not, Sanders will get his opportunity to prove the critics and the doubters wrong in the NFL.
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