Latest news with #MikeClay
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN ranks Ravens above Eagles for best 2025 starting lineup
The post ESPN ranks Ravens above Eagles for best 2025 starting lineup appeared first on ClutchPoints. With the Baltimore Ravens entering the 2025 season, there is no doubt that the team will be under a lot of pressure and high expectations to compete for a Super Bowl. As ESPN listed Ravens star Lamar Jackson lower than people thought on their quarterback rankings, the same outlet had them No. 1 in the starting lineup rankings, even over the Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles. ESPN analyst Mike Clay would speak about Baltimore being the No. 1 team, speaking about their strengths and weaknesses, along with the X-factors and nonstarters to know about. Funny enough, he would label the strength of the team being the quarterbacks in Jackson and saying that Cooper Rush is a 'solid backup,' while a weakness for the team is the guard spots on the offensive line. 'Lamar Jackson, an All-Pro in each of the past two seasons and the NFL MVP in 2019 and 2023, is one of the best in the business,' Clay wrote. 'He fell just short of his second consecutive MVP last season even though he led the league in QBR (77.3) and produced career-high marks in passing yards (4,172) and passing touchdowns (41, the second most in the league).' 'New year, same 'weakness' for a roster that is otherwise pretty stacked,' Clay continued. 'On the left side, Patrick Mekari is out and will be replaced by Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland, or perhaps a rookie. Daniel Faalele returns on the right side after underwhelming as a run blocker and ranking among the worst in the league in run block win rate (71.8%).' ESPN explains why the Eagles are under the Ravens While the Ravens prepare for training camp, the team that rivals them as the top team in the league, according to ESPN, is the Eagles, who dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. As for their strengths, Clay would have offensive tackle, which makes sense since the team's offensive line is one of the best units every season, whereas edge rusher is a weakness for Philadelphia. 'The defending champs have many strengths, but it's tough to beat arguably the league's top tackle duo, with Jordan Mailata manning the left side and Lane Johnson on the right,' Clay wrote. 'Mailata ranked among the top tackles in PFF grade, pass block win rate, and run block win rate in both 2023 and 2024. Johnson is 35 years old but hasn't lost a step, ranking top 10 among tackles in pass and run block win rate last season.' 'Josh Sweat (free agency), Brandon Graham (retirement) and Bryce Huff (trade) are all gone, leaving Nolan Smith Jr. as the only established player on the depth chart,' Clay continued about the team's weakness. 'Smith is likely to be joined in the starting lineup by 2024 third-rounder Jalyx Hunt, who was a solid backup as a rookie.' It remains to be seen if ESPN's rankings will come true with the Ravens on top over the Eagles. Related: Ranking all 32 head coaches for 2025 NFL season Related: ESPN ranks Packers, Bears' 2025 NFL starting lineups back-to-back
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN roster rankings: New Orleans Saints are NFL's worst team in 2025
It'll take some big 'ifs' to prove them wrong This isn't a good look for the New Orleans Saints. ESPN's Mike Clay, Seth Walder, and Aaron Schatz ranked every starting lineup in the NFL going into the 2025 season, and they agreed on one thing -- the Saints are, on paper, the worst team in the league. A lot of Saints fans would tell you the team's edge rushers are their biggest weakness, at least defensively. ESPN argues that's the best position group for New Orleans, and things only go downhill from there. Here's why Clay says the Saints' quarterback situation is their worst vulnerability: Derek Carr's sudden retirement has left the Saints in rebuild mode under center. Second-round rookie Tyler Shough is the best bet to emerge as a viable starter, and perhaps he'll be more pro-ready than most first-year QBs, considering he's 25 years old. Recent Day 3 fliers Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener struggled in relief of Carr last season. That's a valid take. Shough, Rattler, and Haener have combined for seven starts and no wins in the NFL. While Carr wasn't a top-10 quarterback by any measure, he did give the team some kind of baseline at the game's most important position. Working with total unknowns is concerning. But that's not all. So much of the Saints' hopes in fielding a competent offense (led by an inexperience quarterback) relies on solid protection up front. While New Orleans does have two first-round picks invested in their starting offensive tackles, Walder suggests things could go either way: Tackles Kelvin Banks Jr. and Taliese Fuaga. The latter struggled in pass protection as a rookie at left tackle, recording an 84% pass block win rate that ranked 57th out of 66 qualifying tackles. But this season, Fuaga is moving to his college position of right tackle. If he can improve, and if Banks can be decent in Year 1, the Saints could be looking at a long future with their tackles in place. Those are big "ifs," though. Maybe they're right and the Saints are about to trot out the NFL's worst roster with the league's youngest head coach, which could be a recipe for disaster. Maybe they're wrong to be so down on New Orleans. The Saints may have a thin depth chart, but we've seen enough big-time plays from this group in recent years to believe they can compete with anyone and win anywhere. That doesn't mean they're world-beaters primed for a Super Bowl run. It just means that writing them off in July might look silly come December.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Run, Dak, Run!' Inside The Cowboys' Harsh Truth As a Duel-Threat Quarterback
'Run, Dak, Run!' Inside The Cowboys' Harsh Truth As a Duel-Threat Quarterback originally appeared on Athlon Sports. FRISCO - It would be a gigantic weapon. It also, to us, seems unrealistic. Last season, just as Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott attempted to return to being the dual-threat he once was, his hamstring gave out in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, ending his season. Advertisement Now he's about to turn 32. He's got the ankle surgery and the calf issue and the torn-off-the-bone hamstring surgery and yet ... ESPN's Mike Clay is projecting that Prescott finishes the 2025 season with 49 attempts for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Cool. But ... the 49 attempts would be Prescott's second-highest since 2019. And at 4.4 yards per carry, that would mark his best number since 2021. Guys ... that stuff was, like, a half-decade ago. If he can get four yards a clip? That would be such a threat additive. But ... Kurt Daniels of sees it our way. "I think it's safe to say that Prescott's days as a true dual-threat quarterback are behind him,'' Daniels writes in a harsh truth. "We learned a tough lesson last year when those of us who wanted him to run more promptly saw him rip his hamstring tendon from the bone after a scramble. ...'' Advertisement This doesn't mean Prescott can't move or that Prescott can't win. But anybody pining for his rookie year performance of 2016, when he was truly "duel-threat''? We're here to tell Cowboys Nation that Dak had better be really, really good at being a single-threat, if you catch our drift. Related: Latest Trade Proposal from Media Sends Micah Parsons To NFC Rival Related: Should Cowboys' Dak Prescott Be A Running QB In 2025? Want more Cowboys? C'mon inside the Fish Report! This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 Projection Has Scary Outlook For Commanders' Jayden Daniels
2025 Projection Has Scary Outlook For Commanders' Jayden Daniels originally appeared on Athlon Sports. We have spoken at length all offseason about the Washington Commanders' offensive line and its ability to protect Jayden Daniels. Advertisement Coming off a superb rookie season, the only blight on Daniels was the 47 sacks he took, which was the sixth-most in the league. Given Jayden's slender build, that is just asking for the injury bug to come and sink its teeth into him. But this offseason, general manager Adam Peters traded for five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil to help fortify Daniels' protection. The thought being that keeping Jayden upright will lead to the Commanders' offense running like a well-oiled machine en route to what the franchise hopes is a Super Bowl win. However, not everyone is convinced that the front five will protect Jayden, and one of those is ESPN's Mike Clay. Advertisement In his 2025 projections, Clay has Daniels being sacked 43 times, just four shy of last season - that's nightmare fuel, my friends. Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. (3) sacks Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5).© Eric Hartline-Imagn Images So based on Clay's projections, the addition of Tunsil and the shift to right tackle for Brandon Coleman do little to stop Daniels from being tackled into the turf regularly. Granted, Clay also projects Daniels to have 146 rushing attempts for 810 yards and seven touchdowns, which is nearly identical to his numbers from 2024. Still, those sack projections scare us as we don't have to look too far back at Andrew Luck to see the pile-on effect of taking hits regularly. Yes, we know it is a projection, and Daniels' sack numbers could plummet in Year 2, and in truth, if the Commanders are to get to where they want to go in 2025, they will have to. Advertisement Related: Commanders' Magic Johnson Speaks Out on Los Angeles Lakers Blockbuster Sale Related: Commanders Reveal Injury Update on 'Dog-Ass Competitor Noah Brown This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can Buccaneers' Bucky Irving Squash Sophomore Slump?
Can Buccaneers' Bucky Irving Squash Sophomore Slump? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The rise of Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving from backup to bonafide starter in his rookie season was a sight to behold. Advertisement Initially starting behind Rachaad White, Irving proved with each touch that he was the star of the running back room, and eventually usurped White as the starter for Liam Coen. A rookie season that ended with 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns, along with 47 receptions for 392 yards, paints the picture of a fourth-round pick exceeding expectations in a big way. But as we turn for 2025, the big question facing Bucky is, can he do it again? ESPN's Mike Clay thinks so. In his 2025 projections, Irving continues his ascension to be one of the best backs in football. Irving's 2025 projection: 1,227 yards, eight touchdowns, 53 receptions, 409 yards, three touchdowns. Dec 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) carries the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium.© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images So 1,636 all-purpose yards and 11 combined touchdowns isn't too bad for your second act in the NFL. Advertisement That would likely equate to Pro Bowl buzz for Bucky and further establish his standing as the clear No. 1 back behind Baker Mayfield. With his bruising, yet speedy running style, plus his ability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, Irving is the very definition of a dual-threat back, and one that new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard will be leaning on in 2025. Yes, this is just a projection, but there is nothing stopping Irving from hitting the numbers Clay put up, and if he does, it would mark quite the start to an NFL career for a running back who just 12 months ago wasn't even the starter. No sophomore slump here, folks. Advertisement Related: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Named 'Borderline Star' In QB Tiers Related: Buccaneers' Mike Evans Credits Baker Mayfield For His Return This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
