Adam Peters, like the majority of Illinois supporters, was baffled by Johnny Newton’s escape from the first round. The general manager of the Washington Commanders, Peters, was so concerned about Newton not going to his club, which had the fifth pick in the second round, going into Day Two of the NFL Draft. In fact, he was so concerned that he thought about trading up a few spots to get the standout defensive lineman from Illinois. “We were amazed he remained there,” Peters said to reporters on Friday evening. “At 36, we were a little worried he wouldn’t make it to us. We considered going after him higher up. Quite unexpected. He received a first-round grade from us. Although most people had Newton ranked as a first-round draft pick, the two-time All-American was surprised to hear his name called later in the day. But on Friday night, Peters put in his name to be chosen at selection No. 36, so his wait was short. After an offensive-heavy first round, Newton was the 11th defender taken and the third defensive tackle chosen overall behind Clemson’s Rude Orhorhoro (No. 35 overall) and Texas’ Byron Murphy II (No. 16 overall). Throughout the previous two seasons, Newton recorded the most pressures (103) of any Power Five interior defensive lineman. His 52 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and nine quarterback hurries during the previous season made him a unanimous selection for the First Team All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Peters described him as “an explosive, violent player.” “He leads the team. We want to bring him into the building, and he has the commander tag. We believe him to be a skilled player. He may start playing straight away immediately. A three-down player, actually. He’s a capable player on pass and rundown plays. competent. He arrives at the ball with violence, his hands and feet bound together. He performs just as we would like. Just ecstatic to have Johnny.” Peters thought so highly of Newton that he passed on the offensive line in favour of more urgent demands. The Washington Commanders boast one of the league’s top interior defensive lines, despite being a rebuilding team.Two of the three highest-paid players on the team, Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen, were both selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022. In light of this, Newton and Phidarian Mathis, a 2022 second-round pick, will probably enter the rotation early. “In that defensive tackle group, we have two outstanding players on the inside and two additional extremely talented football players. At first sight, that appears to be a fairly packed room, but truly behind them, we have some really good players too,” Peters remarked. However, I discovered in San Francisco that having too many excellent D-linemen is a problem. We’ll figure out how to get each of them onto the pitch. I told [head coach Dan Quinn] just that. ‘Can we do this?’ I thought. Yes, we’ll figure out a way to get them all on the pitch,’ he replied. Joe Whitt was all over it when we spoke with him because, in all honesty, Johnny was plainly superior to everyone else on the board. The fact that everyone was on board was awesome.” Cards increase their lead over Illinois With a great deal of respect for the head coach of Illinois, Monti Ossenfort has known Brett Bielema for a very long time. He so instinctively gravitated towards two Illini players, both of whom Bielema extolled. Ossenfort selected Illinois tight end Tip Reiman (No. 82 overall) and guard Isaiah Adams (No. 71 overall) with 12 picks in the third round. At all-star games, Ossenfort said his coaching staff had a close-up look at both players. Assistant offensive line coach Chris Cook coached Adams at the Senior Bowl, while passing game coordinator Drew Terrell coached Reiman at the East-West Shrine Game. Despite helping his team last season by playing right tackle out of position, Adams was selected highly. However, Ossenfort was drawn to Adams’ guard tape because of his ability to block runs. On an offensive line that was among the worst in the NFL the previous season, Adams will have the opportunity to fight right away for a starting position with the Cardinals. “Interesting circumstance; I had to play right tackle for them this year after playing guard for them the previous one. That was such an outstanding thing for him to do. Not his ideal role,” Ossenfort said to reporters in Arizona on Friday. “But I managed to hold up out there. After that, he headed to the Senior Bowl, where he had a great week. He played largely on guard there before shifting back inside. It was fantastic to see him there. It’s derived from a quality programme. Coach Bielema and I got along well down there, and I had nothing but positive things to say about Isaiah. Thus, we were happy to have him join the group.” Adams, an American who was born in Ajax, Ontario, came to play at Garden City Community College before moving to Illinois in 2022 in order to gain recognition. Adams played guard full-time for Illinois, starting all 25 games and earning two All-Big Ten awards, including Third Team All-Big Ten as a junior. Very interesting tale. His trail was lengthy. It truly is a credit to him for how he achieved his current status, Ossenfort remarked. “Given that he is relatively new to major college football, I would say he also has a bigger ceiling to reach. During their conversation, Coach Bielema compliments the child for his accomplishments and acknowledges his progress, but he still believes there is more for him to achieve. He has impressed me with what he has accomplished and what he can do going forward. Reiman was one of the pre-draft process’s biggest risers. Reiman performed admirably as a blocker throughout his final two seasons, despite only having 38 receptions for 377 yards. In February, he also impressed during his physical examination at the NFL Scouting Combine.In talks with teams, the team captain and former walk-on also benefited himself. His presence as a true Y tight end who can play a significant role in the run game and make a contribution as a receiver will complement that of Trey McBride, one of the NFL’s most productive receiving tight ends (82 receptions for 825 yards). Large, solid obstacle. I really came on this week and had a great week at the East-West Game. Really tested, impressive test athlete,” Ossenfort remarked. “He can be useful in both the pass and run games, in my opinion. Despite his massive build, he tested much smaller than he actually is due to his athleticism, gait, and quickness. But more significantly, in my opinion, is that he carries that speed onto the pitch. It’s not only what’s on the hourglass. Although he didn’t get many pass-game opportunities at Illinois, he was productive when he did. The defence is under constant pressure anytime a tight end has the ability to impact the game in both the run and pass games. We believe he can take care of things for us.” For the Falcons, Washington “has the traits.” Because Isaiah Williams, an All-Big Ten First Team selection, played with Casey Washington in the Illinois receiving room, Washington wasn’t the clear favourite to be drafted out of the programme. Nevertheless, Washington finished his career with a bang, hauling in 22 passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns in his final four games. After that, he dominated the pre-draft process with a strong pro day and interviews. Williams unexpectedly was not selected, even though he signed with the Detroit Lions; nevertheless, Washington was chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round (with pick No. 187 overall). His vertical is forty-nine and a half inches. Speed and size of the prototype. This person is quantifiable. Terry Fontenot, general manager of the Falcons, told reporters in Atlanta on Saturday that “he has traits.” We enjoyed spending time with him and his makeup. has a grudge against his mentor. He is an opponent. We therefore have faith in his ability to contribute in different capacities.” Washington becomes a part of Atlanta’s potentially explosive passing assault, which also features offensive weapons like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Darnell Mooney, Rondale Moore, and Bijan Robinson, in addition to quarterback Kirk Cousins and No. 8 overall pick Michael Penix Jr. Washington was a starting receiver at Illinois, so he didn’t play much on special teams, but his ability to contribute on special teams will likely play a factor in his battle for a roster position. “We’re not going to draft a receiver in the sixth round and not believe that he’s going to [contribute on special teams],” Fontenot stated. “As a gunner, he must be able to go down on kickoff.” To truly join the team, they will need to fulfil those requirements.” Wide receiver Calvin Ridley of the Atlanta Falcons, who hasn’t played since leaving the NFL in October due to mental health issues, is most likely to wind up with the Philadelphia Eagles or Miami Dolphins.This week on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, NFL Media’s Steve Wyche conjectured that the former Alabama standout “may be looking for a fresh start” in 2022 and might not play for the Falcons again if the team decides to press on with the 2022 season—which is the last year of his current contract. In that scenario, the Eagles and Dolphins would rank first and second on his list of suitors, according to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin. Given the abundance of trade possibilities available to the team and the fact that Ridley was a member of the Crimson Tide’s wide receiver DeVonta Smith and quarterback Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia is an obvious choice. According to Benjamin, the Dolphins are expecting to lose four pass-catchers to free agency, so Miami will need depth outside of Jaylen Waddle. CBS Sports has identified nine teams that could be interested, including the Bears, Patriots, Jaguars, Raiders, 49ers, Browns, and Colts. On Halloween, Riley made his decision to take a break from football for an unspecified amount of time, as stated in a statement. As much as Ridley would like to be competing with his teammates on the pitch right now, he posted on Twitter, “These past few weeks have been very challenging. I need to step away from football at this time and focus on my mental wellbeing.”I can be the best version of myself both now and in the future because of this. I want to express my gratitude to my friends, family, the Atlanta Falcons organisation as a whole, our amazing fans, and my teammates for their unwavering support throughout this difficult time. Ridley has 31 catches for 281 yards this season, two touchdowns, and an average of 9.1 yards per catch. Since leaving Alabama, Ridley has amassed 248 receptions for 3,342 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 13.5 yards per reception in his career. Following the transfer of Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans, Ridley emerged as the Falcons’ top receiver for the current campaign. The 2018 NFL Draft’s 26th overall selection, Ridley, is coming off of his best-ever NFL season. In 2020, Ridley caught 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns, a career high. As a result, Atlanta won, and Jones only appeared in nine games because of injuries. Get the most recent results, statistics, news, live streaming, and more. Download the CBS Sports Mobile App by clicking HERE to stay up-to-date on your team’s news right now. When rookie tight end Kyle Pitts joined the Falcons receiving corps in August of last year, Riley was thrilled to see him. According to McClain Baxley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ridley stated, “I’m excited for the football world to see the guys we have, too. We have a tonne of speed in there, a tonne of guys who can make plays.” We play wide receiver, really. We are skilled. Basically, we can accomplish anything that receivers of all sizes can. We can play zone football, go up and get the ball, beat the press, and catch and run. We are capable of everything.
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