The Falcons sign a star and tonight the second week of NFL preparation begins
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I have to admit, I’ve never had so much fun preparing for football. Maybe it’s the six first-round quarterbacks. Maybe I’m putting off wedding planning. Either way, I’m glad Week 2 starts tonight. Today’s newsletter includes:
- 🤝 Falcons address Pass Rush
- 📺 What to watch tonight
- 🎙 Kevin O’Connell on McCarthy
- ✂️ Squad predictions
Falcons sign star Matthew Judon
Last night, the Patriots traded their star pass rusher Matthew Judon to the Falcons in exchange for a third-round pick. Two quick takeaways:
1. In Atlanta, Their normally inept pass rush is bolstered by a four-time Pro Bowler who arrives less than a week after losing their third-round pick – pass rusher Bralen Trice – to a torn ACL. Sending a Day 2 pick for a now 32-year-old (happy birthday, Matthew!) is another sign that the Falcons are now serious about winning.
2. In New Englandfans will want to click “Simulate Next Season.” While a third-round pick is a solid return for an unhappy player, a Patriots defense without Judon and star DT Christian Barmore out indefinitely means New England will likely draft high in next year’s draft. As you’ll read below, their offense won’t be much help.
Learn more about what it means for each team.
Eagles at Patriots opens Week 2: Pre-game notes
The Olympic Games are over and although sports continue everywhere, the focus is now on football.
Since you’re probably tuning in tonight at 7 p.m. ET for Eagles-Patriots (NFL Network) — because you’re subscribed to an NFL newsletter and because NFL preseason games are usually just as attractive as prime-time MLB games — let’s talk about it:
The Eagles are giving their key players a break. Too bad. As Brooks Kubena noted, Philly’s longest-serving starters are unlikely to play in the preseason. Still, one to watch is former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett — now the backup to Jalen Hurts — who Brooks said “has shown an improved feel for the long ball.”
A beneficiary of Pickett’s improvement? Eagles WR John Ross. Yes, The John Ross, the former ninth-rounder, holds the second-fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL history (4.22 seconds). Ross, now 28, retired last July but returned this offseason, vying for a spot on the Eagles’ roster.
In New England they need representatives. Patriots Sports reporter Chad Graff wrote that Tuesday’s joint practice with the Eagles “showed that the team’s offense … is really, really bad.” A team that averaged 13.9 points per game last season (which was the NFL’s worst since 2012) and barely improved in the offseason now has, as Chad puts it, “a brutal combination of a bad offensive line and bad wide receivers.”
That makes tonight’s game even more important. HC Jerod Mayo called this a great week for QB Drake Maye, who will play more tonight after going 2 of 3 for 19 yards in a series last week. As Chase Daniel noted in his rookie QB evaluations, Maye looked inexperienced, struggled at quarterback, and was outplayed by Joe Milton (who I’ll be watching closely tonight). Watch all three of Maye’s throws here.
For more on tonight’s game, see Which Patriots Chad is watching, including a WR3 battle behind Demario Douglas And Ja’Lynn Polkthe only two wide receivers “that you would have a good feeling about at the beginning of the season,” according to Chad’s training camp notes.
What Dianna hears: O’Connell on McCarthy: “We have the right man”
I was at the Browns-Vikings joint practice in Berea, Ohio, on Wednesday, talking with Kevin O’Connell, just hours after the team announced that first-round quarterback JJ McCarthy will miss the entire 2024 season due to meniscus surgery on his right knee.
That’s disappointing, of course. But it’s also a reminder that this season has been about the development of the 21-year-old McCarthy. And as O’Connell told me, there’s plenty of reason for optimism given what the quarterback showed them this summer:
“All he really did on Saturday (in the preseason game) was a continuation of his training camp. That’s what hurts the most, obviously. It feels like it was a player who was getting better day by day. Now our challenge will be how do we continue that development when we don’t have tangible results of reps to see the growth. And I’m telling you, I’m going to sleep easy knowing we have the right guy in our building.”
Back to you, Jacob.
Cuts to duty rosters are imminent
Under current NFL rules, teams can keep 90 players until the final cut day on August 27, less than two weeks away.
In preparation, I read every single The athleteThe sports reporter’s predictions for the 53-man roster. Here are three things that caught my eye:
Steelers: RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson, a long-time fantasy football enigma, is playing wide out and catching backfield pitches in training camp. Mike DeFabo’s latest roster projection projects him as the third running back behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. The kickoff maestro is worth a look in the final rounds.
Broncos: QB Zach Wilson is the third quarterback on the roster in Nick Kosmider’s projections, which is now “more realistic considering Wilson’s development over the past few weeks.” Most interesting is their running back room, where Nick has Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audrice Estimé in that order, noting that it’s hard to imagine four running backs on a roster with three quarterbacks.
Giants: Quarterback Tommy DeVito, last season’s sensational player, doesn’t make the roster in Charlotte Carroll’s latest projections, as No. 2 quarterback Drew Lock is “100 percent confident” he’ll be ready to play in Week 1. If the Giants believe DeVito can stay on their practice squad without being poached by another team, expect him to end up there.
All about the NFL
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh Former 49ers QB receives offer Colin Kaepernick a coaching job with the team in January. Kaepernick, 36, recently said he still wants to play in the NFL.
49ers angry WR Brandon Aiyuk was able to watch his teammates train for the first time in two weeks. Still no news about his contract.
Aries QB Matthew Stafford had to leave training early due to a strained thigh. We will keep you updated on the 36-year-old’s status.
Ravens TE Mark Andrews was involved in a car accident yesterday. Fortunately, he was uninjured and will be back in training in the next few days.
The Shades of brown extended the contract of LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who was in the final year of his rookie contract, for an additional three years worth up to $39 million.
The Cowboys signed experienced DE Carl Lawson, formerly of the Jets and Bengals, to bolster their line.
The Cowboys also acquired DL Jordan Phillips from the Giants via a pick swap and traded a sixth-round pick for a seventh-round pick in 2026.
Most clicked yesterday: The 25 best players in the NFL, 25 and younger.
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The bounce 🏀 | The winding ⚾ | Full time ⚽ | Prime tires 🏁 | Until Saturday 🏈
(Photo: Jaiden Tripi / Getty Images)
