Don’t expect Jalen Ramsey to be stationary in the Dolphins moving forward

Jalen Ramsey’s main complaint about the 2023 season is that he was bored for most of the games.

In Vic Fangio’s defense, the seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback was locked on the right side of the field for all but one of the 11 games he played last season, and rarely allowed to switch sides, change roles, or shadow the opposition’s best players.

As a result, teams shied away from throwing to the receiver Ramsey was defending, and he often left games feeling underutilized, and was vocal about it.

In his introductory press conference as Fangio’s replacement as the new Dolphins defensive coordinator, Anthony Weaver labeled Ramsey the prototype for what an NFL cornerback should look like and vowed to vary up his usage to keep opposing offenses guessing.

Ramsey was utilized in multiple roles, and often shadowed the opposition’s best receiver during his tenure with the Los Angeles Rams.

“There’s a guy at least every there’s probably multiple guys on every level of defense that you can get excited about,” said Weaver, who will begin his second season as a defensive coordinator, previously serving in that capacity with the Houston Texans in 2020.

Weaver plans to run a multiple defense, one that will fluidly move from a 3-4 and a 4-3 front, and will utilize man and zone coverage, and he prefers to blitz with “calculated” intentions.

As for the cornerbacks, he plans to vary Ramsey’s role, calling him the “ultimate chess piece.”

“To have him sit outside and be a field corner or something like that, I think is a detriment,” Weaver said of Ramsey, who allowed a career-best 51.1 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks this season. “We got to find ways to move them around where he can be most impactful, and we’re committed to doing that.”

Ramsey likely will serve as the cornerstone of a secondary that gets remade this offseason.

Xavien Howard, who has started 99 of the 100 games he’s played for the Dolphins the past eight seasons, is recovering from a foot fracture he suffered in the Baltimore Ravens loss, and is a prime candidate to be released in an effort to clear cap space since the Dolphins are $52 million over the NFL’s projected salary cap and need to cut payroll.

Cutting Howard, and declaring him as a June 1 release would clear $18.5 million in cap space, but it’s not a complete certainty he’ll be gone because he has injury protections in his contract, and there’s a possibility he could restructure his deal to remain in Miami.

Who could potentially replace Howard will be one of the biggest decisions made this offseason.

Cornerback Cam Smith, the Dolphins’ 2023 second-round pick, sparingly played on defense as a rookie because he spent the entire year in Fangio’s doghouse, and Kader Kohou had a second-year slump, which featured significant regression from his impressive rookie season.

Last season Kohou allowed eight touchdowns, and opposing quarterback completed 89.1 percent of passes thrown to receivers he was supposed to be defending, and had a 131.0 passer rating when throwing to offensive players Kohou was responsible for.

The Dolphins secondary will likely feature an influx of newcomers since Howard’s future is uncertain, and Nik Needham, Eli Apple, and safeties Deshon Elliott, Brandon Jones, and Elijah Campbell are all expected to become unrestricted free agents when the free agent period begins in March.

But with a healthy Ramsey as a cornerstone piece, one that possible defends the opposition’s best receiver, the Dolphins should have a solid foundation to build the secondary on.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Dolphins and was syndicated with permission.

The Bengals are beginning to prepare for the 2024 season and the return of QB Joe Burrow by making their first cut of the offseason.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Cincinnati is releasing backup QB A.J. McCarron, who joined the team for depth following Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury, which he suffered in Week 11.

Parting ways with McCarron makes sense after the emergence of QB Jake Browning this year.

The 27-year-old had the Bengals fighting for a playoff spot while throwing for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two months of the season.

Browning also became the first quarterback since the NFL began tracking quarterback starts in 1950 to have 1,000+ passing yards and complete over 75 percent of his passes in his first four starts, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

However, if Cincinnati wants Browning to return to backup Burrow in 2024, it will need to resign him this offseason as he was playing on a one-year deal. But the release of McCarron shows the team’s confidence that that will happen.

As for McCarron, he hopes to continue his NFL career, which also includes stops with the Bills (2018), Raiders (2018), Texans (2019-2) and Falcons (2021), elsewhere.

Although, he doesn’t have a very strong case after throwing for just 19 yards on five attempts in relief of Browning this season.

The 33-year-old made his way back to the league after leading the XFL in touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating in 2023 and it looks like he is going to have to take a similar path to return to the NFL once again next season.

McCarron is expected to sign back with the St. Louis Battlehawks for the 2024 XFL season, and with another strong showing, the Bengals or another team may give him another shot in the league. But right now, Cincinnati is solely focused on building up other parts of its roster as a healthy Burrow is working his way back to contend for another Super Bowl in 2024.

With free agency and the start of a new league year approaching March 13, teams are already deep into planning for the 2024 season. While NFL front offices begin re-shaping rosters, Yardbarker league writers project the most surprising cut for each NFC team. NFC East DALLAS COWBOYS | WR Brandin Cooks | The Cowboys thought they found Robin to CeeDee Lamb’s Batman by trading fifth- and sixth-round picks to the Texans for Cooks, but second-year tight end Jake Ferguson was the team’s second-leading receiver in 2023. With a $10M cap hit in 2024, Cooks will save the team $8M if it releases him after June 1. NEW YORK GIANTS | WR Darius Slayton | Slayton was New York’s leading receiver with a career-best 770 yards last season, but the team’s passing offense ranked 31st in the NFL (169.8 YPG).

The Giants must do better, and with over $6M in cap savings upon his release, the 27-year-old receiver could be one of the team’s first cuts.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | CB Darius Slay | Slay may have been Philadelphia’s best cornerback with two interceptions for 84 yards and 15 passes defended, but the team’s passing defense ranked 31st in the NFL (252.7 YPG). The Eagles must do better, and with nearly $11M in cap savings following a post-June 1 release, the 33-year-old cornerback could be one of his team’s first cuts.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | TE Logan Thomas | New head coach Dan Quinn may want to keep a veteran like Thomas around, but new owner Joshua Harris may prefer over $6M in cap savings with his release. The 32-year-old had four touchdown catches for the Commanders last season but also lost a pair of fumbles and averaged 14.4 yards receiving in his last five games.

— Bruce Ewing NFC West ARIZONA CARDINALS | Edge Cameron Thomas | Thomas looked like a potential breakout candidate for the Cardinals when the 2023 season began, but he took a huge step backward (zero sacks) and had a reduced role by the end of the season. The Cardinals need impact players on defense and have not received the pass rush they had hoped for from Thomas

LOS ANGELES RAMS | Tight end Hunter Long | The Rams lack depth at the position and fellow TE Tyler Higbee (torn ACL) may not be ready for the start of next season, but Long doesn’t make that much money (roughly $1.3M) and the team could do better. He was a key piece of the trade that sent CB Jalen Ramsey to Miami, but he appeared in only four games last season and didn’t make a catch.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Defensive line Arik Armstead | Armstead has spent his entire nine-year career with the 49ers, but there are a lot of factors that could make him a potential cut. He is set to make a little more than $17M next season, his production has decreased and he is going to be coming back from a torn meniscus injury that could slow him. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Wide receiver Tyler Lockett | Lockett has played well in Seattle (894 yards receiving in 2023), but he is set to make $17M in 2024 and will be 32 during the season. That could be a risky investment, especially when Seattle still has D.K. Metcalf and 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba to lead its wide receiver group. — Adam Gretz NFC North CHICAGO BEARS | Wide receiver Velus Jones | Jones regressed in 2023, playing only 11 percent of the offensive snaps — down from 22 percent his rookie year — despite appearing in 14 games. He finished fifth in the NFL in kick return yards (435), but the Bears envisioned a more significant role for the 2022 third-rounder, so he’s a good candidate to be jettisoned. DETROIT LIONS | Defensive lineman John Cominsky | Cominsky saw his numbers decline in 2023, posting only two sacks while finishing 42nd (33) in pressures among defensive linemen. He’s a heart-and-soul type of player and a contributor to the rush defense, but his production might not be worth a $6.2M cap hit in 2024, especially when cutting him would save $4.5M.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | Edge Preston Smith | Smith is still productive, recording eight sacks and 52 pressures (35th among edge rushers) last season, but at 31, his declining years are here. Meanwhile, the Packers have a lot invested in Rashan Gary and 2023 first-rounder Lukas Van Ness on the edges and may feel the $12.4M in cap relief they’d get for cutting Smith outweighs his current value. MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Safety Harrison Smith | Suiting up for all 17 games in 2023, Smith is durable, but at 35, his best days are in the rearview, so a changing of the guard might be on the horizon.

Furthermore, he has a $19.2M cap hit for 2024, and after restructuring his contract the past two offseasons, he may not be willing to do so again, forcing the team’s hand.

— Mike Santa Barbara NFC South ATLANTA FALCONS | Quarterback Desmond Ridder | It’s no secret the Falcons must improve at quarterback, which could mean a parting with Ridder, Atlanta’s third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

He threw three red-zone interceptions in 2023, tied for the league lead, and owner Arthur Blank has made plain his feelings about the QB room. CAROLINA PANTHERS | Cornerback Donte Jackson | Entering his seventh season, Jackson — who has the Panthers’ second-highest cap number ($15.7M) — is coming off his worst season as a pro. The former LSU Tiger allowed a career-high 107.7 passer rating when targeted in coverage and didn’t intercept a pass for the first time in his career.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Safety Marcus Maye | The former New York Jet signed with the Saints in 2022 but has only played 17 games over the past two seasons. New Orleans is $83.7M over the cap, and by designating Maye a post-June 1 cut, the Saints would save $7.2M.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Wide receiver Russell Gage | The projected No. 3 wideout entering 2023, Gage suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason. Tampa would save $6.4M by cutting the former Falcons wide receiver — that’s money that could be used in deals to lock up WR Mike Evans and QB Baker Mayfield. — Eric Smithling

At varying points throughout the season, Steve Wilks’ fit as defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers seemed like a square-peg-in-a-round-hole situation.

And after the 49ers defense crumbled in the biggest moment on the biggest stage possible in Sunday’s 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, the writing was on the wall for Wilks, who was fired on Wednesday. “(It’s a) really tough decision because really it says nothing about Steve as a man or as a football coach,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday, via NBC Sports Bay Area.

“He’s exactly what we wanted as a man, and he’s a great football coach. But just where we’re going, where we’re at with our team from a scheme standpoint and things like that. Looking through it all throughout the year and these last few days, (I) felt pretty strongly this was the decision that was best for our organization.” Wilks made some questionable defensive play calls throughout the regular season that seemed to irk Shanahan, who relocated him from the booth to the sideline to call plays midway through the season.

Then in overtime of the Super Bowl against arguably the top quarterback in the NFL, Shanahan had to call a timeout because Wilks wanted to a run an ill-fated cover zero blitz on third-and-short.

As the first outside hire of Shanahan’s tenure with the 49ers, Wilks’ hiring at first glance seemed to be an optimistically bold decision. After all, the 49ers ranked first in the NFL in total defense and scoring defense the season before, and they had only gotten better, adding star defensive tackle Javon Hargrave during the offseason and former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young at the Oct. 31 trade deadline. But Wilks joined the organization with a defensive philosophy and background that differed from what San Francisco had run the previous couple of years. Wilks also didn’t bring in his own assistant coaches and he was made to work within the confines of what SF already had.

“We committed to not only the system but the players within the system, the D-line, the linebackers,” Shanahan added. “They’d played in it for such a long time. It was my goal to not have to change all of them.”

The idea was that Wilks would pick up right where DeMeco Ryans left off before taking the Houston Texans head-coaching job, just as Ryans had picked up where Robert Saleh left off two seasons before after Saleh left to take the New York Jets head-coaching job.

And to a degree, he did. It just didn’t show when it mattered most. San Francisco finished with the third-best run defense (89.7 yards per game) and third-best scoring defense (17.5 points per game) during the regular season.

But after reaching the postseason, the 49ers allowed 149.3 yards per game and 25.6 points per game while playing from behind against both the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Wilks is no question a good defensive coordinator, he’s just not the right coordinator for Shanahan’s system.

His disastrous play-calling in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Super Bowl all but solidified that he just didn’t mesh well with Shanahan’s vision for how he wants the 49ers to play. From the tone of his remarks on Wednesday, it seems like Shanahan plans to promote Wilks’ successor from within. Some names to keep an eye on include defensive passing game specialist Nick Sorensen, defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, linebackers coach Johnny Holland and defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks.

What was meant to be a day of celebration and joy ended in heartbreaking tragedy. Fresh off Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII victory, the Kansas City Chiefs hosted their celebratory parade on Wednesday commemorating their third title in five years and the birth of the NFL’s newest dynasty.

Tragically, gunmen opened fire and left one person dead and over 20 more injured, including children. According to NBC News, Kansas City Police Officers have taken three people into custody.

The entire NFL community is sending the Chiefs and the city of Kansas City their best wishes, and the Los Angeles Rams are no exception. Hours after the tragedy, the Rams released a brief statement of support on social media.

“We are heartbroken by the senseless and tragic violence that took place today. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the Kansas City community.”

No motive for the attack has been given, though officials do not believe it to be terrorism. Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas gave an update on the situation less than an hour ago, stating in part, “that’s what happens with guns.”

“But in a manner of seconds, someone who wants to disrupt anything, someone who wants to create any type of situation or someone who’s very simply reckless can change not just one life or two lives but almost two dozen,” Lucas said.

“And that to me is absolutely devastating, and it makes me feel vastly more concerned as a parent just in the world today thinking about that.”

The debate over the San Francisco 49ers’ decision to take the ball first in overtime of Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs remains a popular one. This year’s Super Bowl marked the first to be played under the NFL’s new overtime rules, which guaranteed both teams possession, even if the team with the ball first scored a touchdown.

San Francisco’s decision to take the ball meant that the Chiefs would know exactly what was needed to win the game or potentially extend the game had the 49ers scored a touchdown.

There’s an unquestionable advantage to getting the ball second under the new rules, and a slow-motion clip of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ face when San Francisco opted to take the ball showed that even he was a bit surprised.

When the video shows the close-up of Mahomes in slow-motion, his expression and eyes show a bit of surprise immediately after the decision. And as we saw in overtime over the Super Bowl, San Francisco took the initial lead after a 27-yard Jake Moody field goal, but giving Mahomes the ball last is never a wise move. In the end, the two-time NFL MVP facilitated a 13-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a three-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman for the walk-off victory and his third Super Bowl title.

Baltimore Orioles fans were dealt some rough injury news on starting pitchers Kyle Bradish and John Means on Thursday, putting the rotation in a precarious situation.

The Orioles have a new ace after landing former NL Cy Young award winner Corbin Burnes in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers at the beginning of February, but after that, there are some question marks in the starting five.

 

Bradish was arguably Baltimore’s best starter last season, going 12-7 with the top ERA (2.83) of the unit and recording the most strikeouts on the team (168).

Bradish also posted a 1.04 WHIP across 168 2/3 innings pitched (30 starts) and per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, had the best second-half ERA among AL starters (2.34).

He finished fourth in the league’s Cy Young voting in what was only his second season. Means was limited to just four starts at the end of the 2023 regular season as the team’s former ace made his long-awaited return to action in September after not having pitched since April 2022.

The southpaw suffered an elbow strain early in the 2022 campaign and subsequently underwent Tommy John surgery.

Means went 1-2 with a 2.66 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and registered 10 strikeouts over 23 2/3 innings pitched in 2023. The former 46th-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves was stellar in his 2019 rookie season, going 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA and 1.13 WHIP while striking out 121 batters across 155 innings pitched.

Means made his lone All-Star team that year and finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.