INDIANAPOLIS — Having a chance to sign quarterback Philip Rivers was a “crazy unique opportunity,” and one that the Indianapolis Colts couldn’t pass up, according to coach Frank Reich.
Reich has history with Rivers. He was his quarterbacks coach for a season and then his offensive coordinator for two seasons with the Chargers.
“Just being there on the inside in the three years that I was and knowing the quarterback position like I do, I was so confident physically he was the right player and he had not lost anything,” Reich said Tuesday. “I didn’t notice any physical gifts diminishing. From a locker room guy, this guy brings juice … When I tell you he’s elite intellectually, he’s at the top. There are a group of guys in the football world I would put in that category, not everybody gets those gifts. He has them.”
Reich had his eye on Rivers since it became known that the quarterback would become a free agent for the first time in his 16-year NFL career earlier this winter. The coach mentioned his interest in Rivers to general manager Chris Ballard and owner Jim Irsay because he believes the quarterback has what it takes to get them back to the playoffs.
The coach got his new starting quarterback when the Colts signed the 38-year-old Rivers to a one-year, $25 million deal.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — As the major new addition to the Baltimore Ravens’ defense, Calais Campbell needs to beat such offensive tackles as Jack Conklin and Alejandro Villanueva in the AFC North.
Campbell’s biggest battle, however, is against his age. At 33, Campbell is the second-oldest defensive lineman currently under contract. Only New York Jets nose tackle Steve McLendon is older at 34.
Whenever an NFL player reaches this point of his career, the concerns about performance increase along with the questions about retirement. Former Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs often called this time “the back nine” of his career.
Campbell wants to make sure he’s honest with himself and always goes back to study his film from the previous year. He believes he’s in his “ultimate prime,” and his numbers back it up.
Over the past two decades, Campbell is one of three players to total more than 200 tackles and 30 sacks with multiple touchdowns after the age of 30. The others were Julius Peppers and Jason Taylor.
“I can still do everything I want to do, and I can come away or do something in a game situation that nobody does,” Campbell said in a conference call with Baltimore media. “That’s when I’ll start worrying, when I can’t do what I want to do. But as of now, I did trim my body up to make sure that I can have control over my body and do what I want to do. I just felt like mentally, though, I’m so much more advanced than I have been in the past, and I think your prime is when you have the athleticism to take over a game, and the mentality to take over a game and the understanding of how to do it both at a high level. So, for me, my mindset has never been better; my understanding of the game and my matchup and how to win is at an all-time high, and my body can still do it.”
Campbell feels he’s much better than in his younger days. There have been improvements in his anticipation as well as his technique in terms of playing with a lower pad level. Sure, he was more athletic a decade ago, but he hasn’t lost his flexibility.
Critics will point to Campbell’s decline in sacks over the past three seasons, from 14.5 to 10.5 to 6.5. But Campbell had the NFL’s fourth-highest pass rush win rate last season among players double-teamed at least 200 times. Campbell’s 16.4% success rate ranked only behind Aaron Donald (23.5%), Grady Jarrett (21.3%) and Chris Jones (18.4%).
“I’m pretty confident that as long as I can take care of my body, I should be able to be dominant in the near future,” Campbell said. “… For me, I know the whole world tries to tell you that one day it’s going to stop, but I know there are guys who did it at a high level who were older than me, so it can be done.”
Campbell has already shown how much of an immediate impact he can make. In the year before signing Campbell from the Arizona Cardinals, the Jaguars ranked 19th with 33 sacks in 2016. In the first season with Campbell, Jacksonville produced the second-most sacks in the league with 55.
The Ravens, who traded a fifth-round pick for Campbell on March 15, are banking on Campbell elevating their pass-rush this season after managing 37 sacks in 2019.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The billboards are up on Florida’s Gulf Coast and folks are waiting on hold to buy tickets as Canton-bound quarterback Tom Brady readies to reset everything for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
And if Bucs fans want to see a preview of how a future Hall of Fame quarterback can completely impact his new franchise, they need look no further than when Peyton Manning joined the Denver Broncos.
On March 20, 2012, Manning stepped to a podium in south suburban Denver and said, “I’m very excited to begin the next chapter of my playing career with the Denver Broncos.”
Manning, who had played 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before a neck injury derailed his entire 2011 season, was already a no-questions-asked Hall of Fame-bound quarterback, just as Brady is. Brady has six Super Bowl rings and has played in nine of the league’s title games — a portfolio not seen since Otto Graham threw touchdown passes in the post-World War II NFL.
To celebrate 100 years of pro football, Peyton Manning travels the country to see the people and places that made the NFL the NFL.
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Broncos general manager John Elway, who knows a few things about being the hub of a franchise, said at the time that Manning’s signing “raises all boats.”
And that is what the fire-the-cannons Buccaneers are hoping for with Brady. Nothing will be the same in Tampa as long as Brady is there. He will be at the root of every decision, every practice plan, every person in the building, every single day.
The Broncos organization had experienced this before with Elway, but this will be mostly new to the Buccaneers. Because coach Bruce Arians has seen Manning up close as a former Indianapolis Colts assistant, though, he will have some quality intel on that front.
As former Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall once said: “You could just tell, by everybody, and that’s everybody, upstairs, downstairs, at lunch, whatever, if Peyton was even in the building, because of who he is, what he’s done and how he does it. He’s been successful at every point in his career — of course you want to be a part of that. But you could tell even with the coaches, people in the office, everybody, it’s rare because those players are rare.”
The late Broncos owner Pat Bowlen knew it, wanted it, and thought it was missing from his team. When he introduced Manning, he said: “We’re very fortunate to have two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in this room. One is already in. The other is definitely going in after he retires. Peyton is one of the best ever to play this game. I feel very fortunate to have him here. Our goal has always been to win Super Bowls; Peyton gives us a chance to win another world championship. I’m thrilled that he has decided to become a Denver Bronco. This is a great day for me, personally, and for our organization, our city and our fans.”
Throwback jerseys could be getting an assist as early as 2021.
The NFL is considering changes to its one-helmet rule prohibiting teams from donning alternate designs above the chin strap.
“There will be no change for the 2020 season,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy told ESPN. “There are ongoing discussions for a potential change for the 2021 season, but no decisions have been made.”
Bruce Arians mentioned the idea this week. When asked about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ famous Creamsicle uniforms on “The Dan Patrick Show,” the coach mentioned the league could tweak the rule and allow such jersey comebacks.
The NFL went to one helmet per team earlier this decade to maximize head safety.
Allowing multiple helmet designs gives teams a chance to tap into nostalgia, including the