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Nolan, Richard discuss the Lions’ top storylines after OTAs.<\/p>\n
Nolan, Richard discuss the Lions’ top storylines after OTAs.<\/p>\n
Green Bay, Wis. \u2013 Green Bay\u2019s Bo Melton still considers himself a wide receiver first and foremost even as he spends part of the Packers\u2019 minicamp working out at cornerback.<\/p>\n
Melton also isn\u2019t about to make any comparisons to Jacksonville Jaguars rookie receiver\/cornerback Travis Hunter, who proved his credentials as a two-way player while winning the Heisman Trophy at Colorado last season.<\/p>\n
But he\u2019s more than happy to test himself out in this role.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just something that came up,\u201d Melton said Wednesday. \u201cI want to give it a shot. I\u2019m still a wide receiver, so I\u2019m not really transitioning to cornerback, but if it works, it works.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old Melton started giving cornerback a chance as the Packers opened their minicamp Tuesday, one day after Green Bay released two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander. The idea of testing Melton out on defense actually came up long before that.<\/p>\n
Melton said it started shortly after the Packers signed Melton off the Seattle Seahawks\u2019 practice squad in December 2022. Melton hasn\u2019t played defense since high school \u2013 he says he worked out on defense early in his college career at Rutgers before getting assigned to receiver \u2013 but the Packers like the tackling ability he has shown on special teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach (Matt) LaFleur came up and asked me, \u2018Would you ever think about doing it?\u2019\u201c Melton said. \u201cI was like, \u2018If it\u2019s going to help the team, I might as well,\u2019 you know what I mean? That\u2019s my motto since I\u2019ve been here. I\u2019m a team-first guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The scenario still caught his teammates by surprise.<\/p>\n
Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine said he wasn\u2019t aware of the possibility until Melton joined the defensive players in Tuesday’s practice. Melton insisted he told his teammates this might be happening, but nobody believed him.<\/p>\n
Melton\u2019s younger brother \u2013 Arizona Cardinals cornerback Max Melton \u2013 also was stunned. Bo Melton didn\u2019t tell his brother about it, so Max learned only after he went on social media Tuesday and saw evidence of Bo backpedaling like a cornerback.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018What the hell?\u2019 \u2026 It\u2019s just shocking. I\u2019m still in shock,\u201d Max Melton said from the Cardinals\u2019 minicamp.<\/p>\n
Max did say that he believes his brother can succeed as a cornerback. Bo agrees that this can work but realizes it will take time. That became apparent when a reporter brought up Hunter\u2019s name during Melton\u2019s time with reporters Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cTravis is a different athlete, as everybody knows,\u201d Melton said. \u201cHe\u2019s a Heisman Trophy winner, won a lot of awards. I\u2019m not going to compare myself to somebody that\u2019s done that. But what I will say is I like to run for days.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also possesses a work ethic that has enabled him to stick on an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent.<\/p>\n
Melton was on Green Bay\u2019s practice squad late in the 2023 season when the Packers activated him for a critical game against the Minnesota Vikings. He caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay\u2019s 33-10 victory.<\/p>\n
The Packers signed him to their active roster shortly afterward, and he caught a touchdown pass in a playoff loss at San Francisco. He played all 17 games for the Packers last season as a reserve receiver and special teams contributor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just love everything about the guy, how he shows up every day ready to compete and give his best effort,\u201d LaFleur said.<\/p>\n
The Packers are set with Keisean Nixon, Valentine and Nate Hobbs as their top three cornerbacks following Alexander\u2019s departure, but they lack proven players behind them. Any contribution Melton could provide would add depth while increasing his value.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a feel thing right now,\u201d Melton said. \u201cI still don\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to be true or not. Coach Matt, we\u2019ll figure that out. When I meet with Coach, we\u2019ll see what\u2019s going on. Right now I\u2019m just going to go train for wideout. I feel like that\u2019s where I thrive at, that\u2019s where I make plays at. And defense, if it comes, it comes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valentine likes what he\u2019s seen so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been embracing it,\u201d Valentine said. \u201cI\u2019ve been trying to show him the ropes a little bit. Give him some DB 101. But he looks natural to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melton believes he can thrive in both spots. His younger brother is eager to find out, even as he gets ready for his own season about 1,800 miles away from Green Bay. Perhaps those cornerback skills run in the family.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to seeing how it unfolds, to be honest,\u201d Max Melton said. \u201cI\u2019m just excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flacco pleased with offseason work<\/p>\n
Berea, Ohio \u2013 Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns’ coaching staff know what they have in Joe Flacco. That’s why Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders have received almost all the snaps during this week’s minicamp.<\/p>\n
While Flacco said Wednesday it would be nice to get a couple more snaps, the 40-year-old quarterback feels like he did what he needed to do during the Browns’ offseason program.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it\u2019s go out there and just kind of getting your feel back and getting the ball off your hand well, make sure you\u2019re going through your reads the right way. So I feel great with that,\u201d Flacco said. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m getting through things and spinning it well and the other things will come.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like I\u2019ve had a million reps, so it\u2019s tough to kind of get in a groove and do those things. But as far as when I\u2019m out there, just kind of getting through everything and just the vision of it all, I felt good, felt comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flacco signed a one-year contract in April and expected to compete with Pickett and one rookie for the starting job. The Browns took Gabriel in the third round and then surprised nearly everyone by trading up in the fifth round to select Sanders.<\/p>\n
Ever since Sanders’ selection, most of the questions to Stefanski have been about dividing the snaps for his four quarterbacks. Stefanski said throughout OTAs not to read too much into who did what, but his decisions will be scrutinized even more once training camp starts in late July.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what the plan is exactly, but I trust Kevin and that he has a plan for all us and that\u2019s really all I can do,\u201d said Flacco, who’s entering his 18th season. \u201cI\u2019d love to go out there and take 120 reps a day and get in a groove and do all those things, but like I said, the coaches have a plan, Kevin has a plan, and my job is to just trust that, go out there and do the best they can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flacco has enjoyed his interactions with Dillon and Sanders.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say I\u2019ve had a smile on my face a good portion of the time I\u2019ve been here this spring, so it\u2019s been a lot of fun,\u201d he said<\/p>\n
Flacco remains the favorite to be the Browns’ starter when they open the season against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. In 2023, he went 4-1 as Cleveland’s starter and averaged more than 300 passing yards per game as the Browns made the playoffs for only the third time since the franchise returned in 1999.<\/p>\n
The decision not to re-sign Flacco after that playoff run ended up costing the Browns. They went 3-14 in 2024 and saw high-priced starter Deshaun Watson suffer a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in Week 7. Watson will miss this season after rupturing the tendon again in January, but he has been participating in meetings and rehabbing at the team complex.<\/p>\n
Cleveland will wrap up its offseason program early next week. Flacco has been pleased with what has transpired the past two months.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time you take that field, you\u2019ve got to give yourself that reminder like, \u2018Oh yeah, this is where I want to be. And man, I can do this. I love doing it,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cAnd to go out there against your team and to actually complete some balls and bat balls down and do all the things that everybody\u2019s doing, it just gives you that little reminder like, \u2018OK, yeah, we look good. We\u2019re going to compete.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Sweat wants same success in Arizona<\/p>\n
Tempe, Ariz. \u2013 The most recent time edge rusher Josh Sweat was seen on an NFL field, he was making life miserable for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in February.<\/p>\n
Now he hopes to lead the Arizona Cardinals to that sort of success.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll you got to do is approach every day with your max effort,\u201d Sweat said on Wednesday during the second day of the team’s minicamp. \u201cI promise you’ll see a result. That’s what made the difference for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old Sweat signed a $76.4 million, four-year contract in March as the centerpiece of the Cardinals\u2019 rebuild of the defensive front. General manager Monti Ossenfort also added free agent linemen Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell, and selected Walter Nolen III with the No. 16 overall pick out of Mississippi.<\/p>\n
On top of that, Darius Robinson \u2013 a first-round pick last season from Missouri \u2013 hopes to make a big jump after an injury-filled rookie season. This year’s third-round pick Jordan Burch is also pushing for a role.<\/p>\n
But it’s Sweat whom the Cardinals expect to lead the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI embrace it,\u201d Sweat said. \u201dAt the end of the day, I’m trying to be the best teammate I can be and help out however I can.”<\/p>\n
Third-year coach Jonathan Gannon is pleased that Sweat has embraced more leadership heading into his eighth NFL season. Arizona finished 8-9 last season, which was a four-win improvement over 2023.<\/p>\n
Now the franchise is trying to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuys pick his brain about certain things,\u201d Gannon said. \u201cHe\u2019ll help in that way, because he\u2019s played a lot of ball. He\u2019s been successful. I always say, \u2018You want to know ball, talk to the players.\u2019 He\u2019s one of those guys you can talk to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sweat\u2019s resume speaks for itself.<\/p>\n
He had 2 1\/2 sacks of Mahomes in Philadelphia\u2019s 40-22 victory over Kansas City in the Super Bowl. He added eight sacks during the regular season and has been a consistent pass rush threat with 39 sacks over the past five seasons, including at least six each year. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know he can impact a game,\u201d Gannon said. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons we signed him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gannon is familiar with Sweat’s talent after spending two seasons with him in 2021 and 2022 as the Eagles defensive coordinator. The Eagles made the Super Bowl in Gannon’s final year before losing to the Chiefs, which was one of the big reasons he earned his first opportunity to be a head coach with the Cardinals.<\/p>\n
Nick Rallis \u2013 Arizona’s defensive coordinator \u2013 was also with the Eagles during those two seasons as linebackers coach.<\/p>\n
The hope is the familiar faces will help Sweat make a quick transition to a new franchise.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a standpoint of what his job description is \u2013 that\u2019s not going to change much,\u201d Gannon said. \u201cThen it\u2019s just tweaking his game. There\u2019s some differences than what we did with him (in Philadelphia) to what we do now and he picked it up quick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sweat agreed: \u201cThe scheme, you can play fast in it. Picking it up is easy. It’s not going to take me very long at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown carted off field at Commanders minicamp<\/p>\n
Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown was carted off the field after getting injured during minicamp in Ashburn, Virginia, on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
It was not immediately clear what happened to cause the injury or its extent. Reporters in attendance reported Brown walked off slowly after making a catch, threw his helmet in frustration when he reached the sideline and was carted up the hill to the practice facility.<\/p>\n
Brown, who caught Jayden Daniels\u2019 desperation pass against Chicago for one of the Commanders’ signature moments last season, missed the final four games of last season and their playoff run to the NFC championship game with a kidney injury. He re-signed on a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million.<\/p>\n
Washington also took care of some longer-term business Wednesday, signing safety and special teams ace Jeremy Reaves to a one-year extension through the 2026 NFL season, according to a person with knowledge of the move. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce the deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrateful for the journey, the fans, this team and organization,\u201d Reaves posted on social media. \u201cMuch more in store!\u201d<\/p>\n
Reaves, now 28, was an All-Pro selection on special teams in 2022. He missed the majority of 2023 after getting sidelined by a torn ACL five games into that season.<\/p>\n
2025\u00a0Lions\u00a0schedule<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Sept. 7: at Green Bay, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Sept. 14: Chicago, 1 p.m. (Fox)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Mon., Sept. 22: at Baltimore, 8:15 p.m. (ABC, ESPN)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Sept. 28: Cleveland, 1 p.m. (Fox)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Oct. 5: at Cincinnati, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Oct. 12: at Kansas City, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Mon., Oct. 20: Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. (ABC, ESPN)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Nov. 2: Minnesota, 1 p.m. (Fox)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Nov. 9: at Washington, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Nov. 16: at Philadelphia, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Nov. 23: N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. (Fox)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Thur., Nov. 27: Green Bay, 1 p.m. (Fox)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Thur., Dec. 4: Dallas, 8:15 p.m. (Prime Video)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Dec. 14: at L.A. Rams, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Sun., Dec. 21: Pittsburgh, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Thur., Dec. 25: at Minnesota, 4:30 p.m. (Netflix)<\/p>\n
\u25b6 TBD-Flex Game: at Chicago, TBD<\/p>\n
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