🏈 The Touchdown Collective: Kelce to put a ring on it
Travis Kelce, Jaxson Dart and Kyler Murray all feature to keep you ahead of the game, one play at a time
In today’s Touchdown Collective there’s the latest on Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes in Press Coverage, it’s all about aura in Get to the Post, while Inside Zone has the scoop on Emery Jones Jr. Plus, check out all the dates for training camps in Play Ball!
📰 Press Coverage
Kansas City Chiefs
Travis Kelce only has one ring on his mind. Another one from the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs were put to the sword by a rampant Philadelphia Eagles side in February’s showpiece, but Kelce is back for another go-around and insists that winning the AFC title won’t be enough to satisfy him this coming season.
“I’m only interested in Super Bowl rings,” Kelce said after the Chiefs concluded their second minicamp practice. “I know what the AFC championship means to this organisation and the [Hunt] family and the 15 wins and everything is something special that I’ll let everybody else be happy with.
“Last year wasn’t a success for me and I’m motivated to make sure that we get that other ring this year.”
Meanwhile, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes says he hasn’t watched the Super Bowl horror show against the Eagles back unless absolutely necessary.
“I haven’t watched it too many times,” Mahomes said with a laugh following his team’s mandatory minicamp practice, reports The Kansas City Star. “We did some film study, and you do scheme stuff. But you watch it after the game.”
New York Giants
Jaxson Dart is loving life in the NFL and says he is learning at a rapid pace in a packed Giants QB room as he looks to get to the “next level”.
The rookie, drafted at No.25 by the Giants, has slotted straight in, with staff impressed with what they have seen from him so far - and he’s delighted too, the New York Post reported.
Dart said: “I feel like I’ve made tremendous strides especially from my first day to now, just being able to understand the pictures of the offense and whatnot. Obviously, I have to dive into a lot more but I’m definitely just trying to take it to the next level over the summer.
“Really just lock in, hone in on as much as I can throughout this time, so that way when I get back for training camp, I’m on an even better level than I am now.”
Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray is fully focused on being better off-script this season but accepts that it’s hard to do in practice.
The Cardinals QB averaged an NFL-leading 8.2 yards per carry last season (of all players with 50+ carries) but insists he can do more.
“It’s just we have to be better on off-scheduled plays because, obviously, I have that ability to make extended plays and we have the guys to go do it off schedule,” Murray said, as reported by ESPN. “So, I believe that’s an area we got to be better at.
“It’s tough to do it in practice because some of it, it’s not live and it’s not real. So, I think it’s just reps, reps, reps, reps. Practising it as much as possible and you get into the game [it’s] second nature.”
Seattle Seahawks
New Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp has given some great insight into how NFL defenses have upped their game in recent years, partly because of Sean McVay’s offensive structure in LA.
Kupp, who was told he was no longer part of the Rams’ future plans this past off-season, signed a three-year deal with Seattle and has given his thoughts on how the game is currently being played on the Bump and Stacy show.
He said: “So, in 2017 and 2018, Sean McVay’s offense is ahead of the game. There were times we were running plays and [defenses] have no idea what was going on. And we were just manipulating them, moving them ... manipulating them to where we wanted to go ... it was just, it was stupid.
“Now more and more of this has shifted and moulded into defenses now that are holding these shells and being able to say, ‘You’re not going to see what we’re doing pre-snap. We’re going to show you late. We’re going to bring pressures from all different directions’.”
LA Rams
It looks like a move for Jalen Ramsey back to the Rams might not be on after all.
The three-time All-Pro corner - who helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI - and the Miami Dolphins have mutually agreed to seek a trade, who is due to earn just north of $24m this season.
But Rams head coach Sean McVay, who is a massive fan of Ramsey’s, says a deal might be tough to sort, especially given the new contract for Matthew Stafford and signing of free agent Davante Adams, as Gary Klein of the LA Times reports.
McVay said: “Usually, those are scenarios and situations that you have to have plans in place prior to executing some of the decisions that have occurred. Definitely don’t want to rule anything out... but there would be some obstacles that are real that are in the place of maybe preventing that from occurring.”
Jacksonville Jaguars
Liam Coen has loved the start of his first pre-season as head coach - especially with getting to know his players.
While the focus from outside might be on how much time Travis Hunter will play on each side of the ball - as Demetrius Harvey of the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union dives into here - the thinking inside the Jags camp is on building relationships.
“The highs and lows you ride a little bit as a head coach in terms of offense doing well, defense, special teams, all that,” Coen said. “But in terms of the connection with the guys and getting to know them a little bit more on a personal level, and ultimately to gain trust. ... We have to build a relationship and a foundation in order for those guys to trust us.”
🤳 Insider special
NFL Insider Adam Schefter says he may end up branching out into other sports. He has previously worked as an NBA sideline reporter and this week will report from golf’s PGA Tour event at the Travelers Championship.
Speaking to the Pat McAfee Show (below), Schefter said: “Well, it’s just tomorrow’s the opportunity to be honest, but I do think there is an opening in the golf space.
“And I think that in time, that’s something that would interest me. I love what I do. I’m very happy doing what I do. I want to keep doing it. But I’ve done it for 35 years, too. And if you have grilled chicken every night, every once in a while, it’s nice to have the stir-fried chicken and just mix it up a little bit, right? And so try some different things. And that's all this is.”
↗ Get to the Post
Got to love off-season NFL team socials…
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Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson passes on his knowledge…
Cleveland Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders was given a speeding ticket for allegedly driving 101mph in a 60mph zone.
🤫 Inside Zone
Houston are set to sign former Houston Roughnecks CB Damon Arnette Jr after Ronald Darby’s retirement.
Baltimore’s Emery Jones Jr is not expected to be ready for the start of training camp as he battles a shoulder injury.
The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms with former Green Bay Packer CB Robert Rochell.
The Denver Broncos have signed former UFL cornerback Mario Goodrich. Terms were not disclosed.
Five-time former Jets and Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker CJ Mosley announced his retirement yesterday after 10 years in the NFL.
🏈 Play ball!
Trying to find out when your side returns to training camp this summer?
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📩 Who am I? I’m Michael Ham, the Daily Star Sunday and Sunday Express Sports Editor – and an avid NFL fan. I have almost 20 years of experience in sports news journalism and I’m the writer behind The Touchdown Collective.
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