NFL Opinion: Knees, Paychecks and Bravado -

The end of July begins the opening of NFL training camp. The season is six weeks away. Take a look inside this week’s stories.

When the heat seems to rise at its worst levels, late summer, the NFL returns to the field. In late July, all thirty-two teams open up camps. Veterans line up for another year in the sun. Rookies and back-of-the-roster players vie for limited spots. Yet, the thrill of that NFL paycheck and living a childhood dream keeps people playing.

Jalen Ramsey’s Knee

Yesterday, the perennial Pro Bowl cornerback hobbled off the field. Luckily, the subsequent MRI rules out an ACL tear. However, Ramsey requires surgery and the timetable remains unclear. Less important, how does this affect the Dolphins? Immediately, Ramsey’s loss, even if temporary actually gives the Dolphins the chance to evaluate his backups. Now, that is the hyperpositive approach. If you look coldly at the facts, Miami still possesses a decent defense. Now, given the injury history of their quarterback, how much does the onus of responsibility lands on the defense? UPDATE: Ramsey underwent meniscus surgery at 1pm ET.

Reality Sets In

After hearing endless stories about NFL running backs working together to force teams to pay them more, Saquon Barkley wizened up. Instead of letting groupthink affect his wallet, Barkley sign his adjusted franchise tag. Meanwhile, other running backs sit dumbfounded. Look, playing runningback in the NFL looks like painful business. At the same time, teams won’t pay backs any higher salaries. Barkley reads the financial tea leaves better than his colleagues. Like most leaguewide issues, you should see a domino effect. If backs don’t sign, teams will immediately look for their replacements via the draft. The workhorse continues to head down the fullback path to oblivion. NFL running backs deserve huge money. Sadly, those megadeals will not occur.

Ep 134: NFL Week 2 Studs And Duds
by Full Press Coverage on September 20, 2023 at 7:07 pm

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Payton Sounds Off

When Sean Payton took the job in Denver, he knew expectations would be high. However, in going scorched earth on former head coach Nathaniel Hackett, Payton showed himself. Here, a coach, presumably respected in NFL circles, acts like a clown. Hackett lost his job. Shouldn’t that be enough for the former Saints’ coach? Nope. Payton goes on and on about how poorly coached the team was last year. It’s not candor, rather disrespect, levelled for no purpose. Why? To me, this signals an insecurity afloat. Denver faces an uphill battle, trying to conquer the Chiefs and Chargers. Payton understands this issue. As a result, he tries to tamp down the critics early. Granted, the Broncos played terribly last year. That falls upon Hackett. Now, this year sits squarely Payton.