NFL News Summary for Thursday, June 8th, 2023

Arizona Cardinals 

• Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore target shares last season when they were both on the field AND DeAndre Hopkins wasn’t: Marquise Brown: 29% Rondale Moore: 24% If Kyler returns early in the season, these two will outperform ADP.

Carolina Panthers

• Solid day for Bryce Young. Had several nice throws, including a deep connection with WR who appeared to be Derek Wright.
• Another step in the Bryce Young era. The Panthers rookie is taking the first snaps with the first-team offense for the first time today (at least in practices open to the media). He had about three weeks behind Andy Dalton during OTAs.

Chicago Bears 

• “In our third opportunity to watch Bears quarterback Justin Fields operate with his new top wide receiver, DJ Moore, it’s evident how quickly the two have built a rapport, and how often No. 1 looks to No. 2.”

Detroit Lions

• “It shouldn’t be a surprise when the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft is the best player on the field, but that hadn’t yet been the case for Jameson Williams. He was just that on Wednesday.”

Dallas Cowboys

• Cowboys OC Brian Schottenheimer on WR Brandin Cooks: “Jalen Tolbert has had an incredible camp. If you talk to Jalen, what he’s gonna tell you is he has spent a ton of time with Brandin. Here’s a guy who has been there, done that, and he wants to encourage and invest in the younger guys. Those guys spend a lot of time together. What Brandin brings us is way more than just speed. It’s really fun to watch him run, but what I love is the competitor and the way he’s encouraging that entire room of receivers. It’s been awesome. … Drew Brees and I are very close. When we made the move to get Brandin, the very first text I got was from Drew. He was like, ‘You are gonna love this guy.’ And Drew is a hard guy to give out a lot of positive reinforcement.”
• Cowboys OC Brian Schottenheimer on running the “Texas Coast Offense,” a combination of the west coast offense and Dallas’ previous offense: “I’ve said it and I do believe it, it wasn’t broke. What they’ve done here over the last 5-6-7 years has been really good since Dak came into the league. We wanted to keep a lot of that in place. That’s what our players know. We’re a veteran, strong offense that has added some really cool pieces. We were very selective about the changes we made. We tried to protect some of the language, the things Dak has used for a long time. But we certainly added some wrinkles. Not to put a number on it, but we’re somewhere in that keep 70 percent-ish. We’ve certainly added some flavor.”
• Bears WR coach Tyke Tolbert: “Justin has put in a lot of work. He was here every day, coming into work, before anybody gets here, for the most part, and after people leave. He’s here all the time. I came back in on Memorial Day. I was out of town … and Justin was here.”
• Cowboys QB Dak Prescott on WR Brandin Cooks’ speed: “It’s beautiful. Yeah, real speed. …For him to be able to do it every play, every route, the start of every route — the cornerbacks, defense, they don’t know what they’re getting. It all looks the same. I’m thankful he’s here.”
• Dak Prescott on CeeDee Lamb: “I say it, I believe it, I think he can be the best receiver in this league. He’s really only scratched the surface of what he’s capable of doing. … This is just the beginning for him.”

Denver Broncos 

• Sean Payton told Jerry Jeudy he’s going to be on him to make him the best player he can possibly be. Payton knows the talent is there with Jeudy.

Detroit Lions

• Jameson Williams had 2 significant drops today after a standout day yesterday, but “Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to be the most consistent player on the field.”
• #Lions rookie Jahmyr Gibbs says he “loves” how the team has used him in different areas on the field so far. He says QB Jared Goff “is a great person” who has communicated how he wants him to run routes and plays, which has helped their chemistry early.

Kansas City Chiefs

• Chiefs QB Blaine Gabbert on Deneric Prince today: “It was unbelievable to see a rookie running back — especially a big running back like that — to jump, twist and catch a back-shoulder. So he’s doing a great job.”
• Highlight of Chiefs practice was UDFA RB Deneric Prince high-pointing a deep pass down the sideline from Patrick Mahomes. Rookie has shown good hands in early going and appears to be early favorite to start at kick returner.
• Skyy Moore has been OTA standout during our looks. Andy Reid said Skyy’s worked hard in offseason: “He looks like he’s on the same page with Patrick. …In these camps, he’s been doing a real nice job. Let’s keep on advancing as we go, and he’ll do that because he’s wired right.”

Los Angeles Chargers

• Chargers QB Justin Herbert did participate in 7-on-7 drills today during the team’s OTA practice. That’s the first time he has done so in front of reporters this offseason. Herbert had surgery on his left shoulder after the season.

Miami Dolphins 

• De’Von Achane had a couple of big lanes that might’ve produced long runs — tough to tell without live tackling, but he was 1v1 in the second level a couple of times. That’s it and that’s all. Podcast dropping later today and we’ll see y’all back here for training camp in July.
• Tyreek Hill said one of his 2023 goals is to break the NFL receiving record (Calvin Johnson, 1,964 yards, 2012).

Hill says he can reach 2K yards. He noted 2022 season (1,710 yards) “was a blur” & 2023 “should be a crazier year not only for me, but also for the other wideouts.”

 Minnesota Vikings

• Plenty of reasons why the Broncos would have interest in Dalvin Cook: George Paton was with the Vikings when they drafted Cook. Javonte Williams coming off a significant knee injury, but progressing well. Sean Payton wants to run the football a lot.
• The Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos are two of the teams that are expected to have an interest in signing running back Dalvin Cook once he officially is released, per sources. There likely will be others, but those two have been monitoring Cook for weeks.
• The #Vikings and four-time Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook are parting ways, per source.

One of the NFL’s most dynamic playmakers, Cook is coming off a fourth straight 1,000-yard season and has 52 career TDs. Now he’ll be a free agent at age 27 and will have multiple suitors.

New England Patriots

• “It looks like Stevenson is still growing his role as a pass catcher, too, as during special teams drills, the running back and tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki have often trotted to a side field for extra work with Mac Jones.”
• “I’m trying to take that step. It’s still early, but I’m trying to take that step to be a leader.” Rhamondre Stevenson embraces his new role as “the guy” in the Patriots running back room.

 Philadelphia Eagles

• Nick Sirianni says one player he would single out as being phenomenal this spring is Quez Watkins 

Says he can sense that Quez knows some people (outside the building) doubt him and he is responding to that with great play 

Pittsburgh Steelers

• “Speaking of guys gaining buzz, Calvin Austin has made sure to stand out at Steelers OTAs.”
• Steelers WR Allen Robinson said today was a step forward for him and the most he’s been able to do since OTAs began, and he was even able to get some full-team reps at the end of practice with Kenny Pickett.

San Francisco 49ers 

• “(Jordan) Mason also stood out. With Elijah Mitchell working through what appears to be a minor injury on a side field, Mason was the de facto No. 2 tailback in the minicamp. That meant a lot of passes went in his direction and he looked natural in that role.”

Seattle Seahawks

• Another Seahawks practice, more of what Jaxon Smith-Njigba does best: Catching ball away from his body with his hands, smoothest cuts. Just clean. “Oh, man,” Pete Carroll says, “he’s really, really natural….He’s got this great change of direction…Hands as natural as can be.”
• DK Metcalf on #Seahawks rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: “He’s come in and treated it like he’s a vet already. He knows how to run routes. He knows his body, he knows how to catch. So, it’s really just teaching him the playbook.” 

Tennessee Titans

• “Burks had a solid day on Wednesday…Burks looks like a different player on the practice field, and he sounds like a different one in his media availabilities as well. Burks said his confidence is through the roof, and it looks like it.”

Washington Commanders

• Rivera on whether Sam Howell is QB1 entering training camp: “He’s pretty much showed us what we wanted to see. … He’s also got arm talent, and that excites us.”