NFC East news: All-Pro tackle could help Washington, Injuries benefited career of Philly’s punter
The latest news from around the division.
Former Packers LT David Bakhtiari Determined to Play, Commanders Candidate? - David Harrison, Sports Illustrated
The Packers legend could be an option for fixing the offensive line.
Entering the 2024 offseason the Washington Commanders had a big circle around the left tackle position as an urgent area of need.
It appears, however, that the circle drawn by fans and media was much bigger than the one the Commanders had around the position.
Instead of going hard - and potentially overpaying - for a veteran free agent, trading back into the first round of the NFL Draft to get an upper-level prospect, or even spending one of three second-round picks on the position, Washington waited until the third round to get TCU’s Brandon Coleman.
While some have praised Coleman’s athleticism and potential in hopes that general manager Adam Peters knows what he’s doing - not that missing on this one pick would determine the opposite - some still have major doubts that the offensive line and left tackle position specifically has been fixed.
One candidate still on the market many have pointed to is former Green Bay Packers great David Bakhtiari who was released this offseason but still appears motivated to strap on the pads for a willing NFL partner.
“My goal right now is just to make sure that I not only fully recover but I can withstand and play the game that I want to play but also play and be there for a team no matter what,” Bakhtiari recently said on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “I’m not a reliever guy; I am your cornerstone guy. Someone that’s not only going to play in September but in December and into February and obviously hopefully for another couple of years.”
Those who have seen Bakhtiari on the field recently can’t deny the talent is still there, the issue has been his availability which many will point to as the biggest ability.
Giants’ Isaiah Simmons will play significant role in Shane Bowen’s defense - Dan Benton, USA Today
New York’s versatile defender will see a boost in playing time this season.
On Thursday night at Madison Square Garden during the New York Giants 100: A Night with Legends celebration, a preview of the upcoming HBO series, “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants,” was aired.
The two-minute clip focused largely on incoming defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and how his defense will be structured. There were several notable takeaways but perhaps none more significant than the role Isaiah Simmons is expected to play.
Early in the clip, Bowen outlined his plan for Simmons, who is going to fill a significant role in 2024.
“In our minds, (he will) be a first- and second-down nickel and then playing ‘money’ on third-down,” Bowen said.
Stating the obvious, Bowen anticipates Simmons will be a three-down player, which means a large increase in snaps from the previous season (377, 33%). It may also mean a decrease in special teams snaps from last year (224, 49%).
The versatile Simmons will see significant time in coverage, which has increasingly become a strength. He earned an 82.7 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus last season, allowing 17 receptions on 21 targets for 153 yards while recording three passes defensed and one interception.
Simmons will also be relied on to rush the quarterback at times, which will be easier to disguise given his versatility. He’ll see time at nickel, free safety, strong safety, inside linebacker, and along the edge.
Although Simmons has yet to reach his ceiling and even, at times, underwhelmed (largely during his time in Arizona), might Bowen finally be the guy to get the most out of him? He certainly seems to think so.
Back injuries forced Braden Mann to switch positions. Now, he’s “loving” being a part of the Philadelphia Eagles. - Tom Ignudo, Pat Gallen, CBS News Philadelphia
Injuries seemingly benefited the career of the Eagles’ punter.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Injuries can derail the careers of many aspiring professional football players across the United States, but it worked out differently for Braden Mann.
Mann, the punter of the Philadelphia Eagles, grew up in Cypress, Texas, and multiple back injuries forced to him to pick up a position that didn’t demand as much physicality as a linebacker.
Mann said he suffered two back fractures growing up — one in eighth grade and one in high school — but the injuries and position change benefited him in the long term as he’s entering his second year as the punter of the Eagles and the fifth year of his NFL career.
“Looking back, I’m glad it happened,” Mann said on an episode of “Gallen of Questions,” airing Saturday nights at 8 p.m. on PHILLY57 and CBS Philadelphia.
Before he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft by the New York Jets, Mann was one of the best punters in the country at Texas A&M University.
With the Aggies, Mann earned unanimous All-American honors as a junior and earned the Ray Guy Award, which is given to college football’s most outstanding punter. In that same year, he was the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-SEC. Mann also made the first team as a senior in 2019.
Mann also broke multiple NCAA Division I records at Texas A&M, including single-game punting average, single-season punts of 60-plus yards and single-season punting average.
Mann worked tirelessly to perfect his craft as a punter following his injuries in eighth grade and high school. Behind the scenes, he would work on his drops as a punter about 300 to 500 times in row and walk about a mile in the process.
It was tedious, but Mann just it took it one day at a time.
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