We are just a month away from the opening game of the NFL regular season, when the Dallas Cowboys square off with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 9th.
While the focus has now shifted to teams cutting down to their final roster, there is still plenty of news around the league. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories in the NFL this week.
Colts And Leonard Have Long-Term Extension In Place
While many teams are focusing on trimming their rosters for Week 1, this is also a prime time for extensions to get done. On Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that the Colts finalized one such extension by locking up linebacker Darius Leonard.
Leonard was spectacular last season for the Colts. The 26-year-old had 132 tackles, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and three sacks in 14 games.
The efforts of Leonard helped Indianapolis rank 11th in scoring defense as they allowed just 22.9 points per game to opponents.
The deal gives Leonard an extra five years and a $99.25 million extension with $52.5 million guaranteed. That makes him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the NFL.
Indianapolis is currently +1700 to win the AFC Championship and +3100 to win Super Bowl LVI.
T.J. Watt Not Participating In Hitting Or Team Drills
While Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt arrived at training camp, it appears that he is holding out from some team activities as he hopes to get a contract extension finalized.
In fact, Keith Butler, the defensive coordinator, confirmed that he is not doing any of the defensive drills that include hitting. While he tries to hammer out an extension, he is trying to avoid drills that could lead to a serious injury, which could obviously compromise negotiations.
Last season, T.J. Watt had 53 tackles, 15 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception for the Steelers. This helped Pittsburgh rank fifth in scoring defense, allowing just 21.2 points per game.
Watt currently has the third-best odds of winning the Defensive Player of the Year award this season at +750. The Steelers are +4400 to win the Super Bowl.
Jackson Returns To Practice
For the most part of the last two weeks, the Ravens have had to have backup quarterbacks Trace McSorley and Tyler Huntley run with the first string in training camp. On Saturday, that changed.
Having been out due to a positive COVID-19 test, Lamar Jackson was back at training camp, and a full go Saturday.
Despite only being 24-years-old, Jackson shouldn’t have too much trouble catching up to speed after missing eight practices.
Entering his fourth season, he is coming off of another solid year after throwing for 2,757 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions in 15 games. He also rushed 159 times for 1,005 yards and another seven touchdowns.
Jackson currently has the sixth-best odds to win the Regular Season MVP this season at +1700. The Ravens are +1400 to win the Super Bowl, the fifth-best odds in the NFL.
Cardinals Sign Running Back Smith
In the NFL, depth is a great thing to have. On Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals added some depth at their running back position by adding former Atlanta Falcon Ito Smith.
Smith will likely be a third-string running back for the Cardinals behind both Chase Edmonds and James Conner. Given the injury issues Conner has had in his career, though, that might not be a bad idea.
Last season, with the Falcons, the 25-year-old Smith rushed 63 times for 268 yards and a touchdown. He also had 17 receptions for 75 yards.
The Cardinals are not expected to be major threats to make the playoffs this season. Their current over/under for total wins sits at eight, and they are just +4800 to win the Super Bowl.
