Bengals
Bengals HC Zac Taylor was asked about the contract of first-round pass rusher Shemar Stewart, including the rookie’s comments that the team wants to “win arguments more than winning games.”
“There’s a first for everything,” Taylor said of the contract squabble, via NFL.com. “Every year, you kinda learn something new in this position, and this is just one of those things that the players have managed really well. We keep the team moving, and when he jumps on the field, that’ll be great for our team.”
Asked if he’d prefer Stewart had kept the matter in-house, Taylor tap-danced around the question.
“I think there’s education that happens with all the rookies that we do our best to educate them,” Taylor added. “No. 1, we want to protect our team and our locker room. I understand when there’s some frustration there. That’s how he chose to do it. That’s his prerogative. We look forward to getting him back in the fold. I think for all the rookies, you’d like them to be out on the field, but certainly, there’s things that happen over the course of an NFL career, and this is one of them right now. He’s been in the meetings, he’s been positive in that way. He’s been learning. He’s a good learner. We look forward to getting him back on the field quickly.”
Browns
Browns K Dustin Hopkins had a phenomenal season for the team in 2023, but in 2024, he ended up having the worst season of his career as he quickly went from automatic to unreliable.
“I think as far as thought process on the field, I had to change it up a little bit the last couple of weeks,” Hopkins told the Akron Beacon-Journal. “And it seemed like it was beneficial, but it was something I’d never done in-game before. So it’s just like, I guess, add another thing to the toolbox and you hope that translates into next year. And I was really just trying to finish the year, thinking about trying to build into next year.”
Ultimately, the Browns kept Hopkins around and haven’t added any serious competition for him, indicating their confidence in his ability.
“Yeah, I think with any player, you know, it’s a new season,” ST coordinator Bubba Ventrone said. “Everything that you’ve done in the past, obviously, those things contribute and matter, but we’re a clean slate. I feel like he’s in a good space mentally. I think that he has hit the ball well in the spring to this point. Had a nice day yesterday and we’re just gonna keep working it like we have and understand that it’s a process, and we’re gonna get to where we’re going. I think that he’s been consistent in his entire career. He really has. He had a great year in ‘23, [then] for whatever reason did not have a great year this past year. And I think that he’s put it to bed, and as long as the player is focused on the task at hand and I think that he’s done that. His preparation, he’s in really good shape. He’s lean, he’s strong. Really don’t see any changes in his kicking mechanics, ball elevation, anything. So, I feel like he’s in a good spot.”
“I’m not saying that he wasn’t in a good space mentally,” Ventrone added. “But when you’re having that many missed kicks, you know, and the results aren’t coming and you’re working, you’re putting in the time and effort, you can be a little bit inconsistent there relative to the situation.”
Ravens
The Ravens recently hosted former Raiders and Buccaneers HC Jon Gruden as a guest to their offseason program. John Harbaugh said Gruden spent time studying their team and giving feedback to players.
“He loves football, he’s a great football coach, great football mind,” Harbaugh said, via Clifton Brown of the team’s site. “He studied our team, gave us some insight – players, coaches, schemes, all of it. We didn’t give him the playbook, we didn’t give him a script either. You can only go so far. He studied us. Basically, the message was, ‘If I were game planning against you on defense, what would I do, how would I attack you?’ He didn’t just stop there. He watched our offensive guys. He had something for each player. Very, very detailed.”
Harbaugh was glad to see Gruden give players advice on ways to improve.
“He was letting them know where they could get better, which I respect,” Harbaugh said. “I think a great coach is not afraid to tell people where they can improve. Doesn’t every player want to know that? He has so much respect for guys, but still letting them know, ‘Hey, this is what I see you can improve on.’”
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