Latest news with #JoeMooreAward
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Eagles legend Lane Johnson earns the ultimate compliment from an offensive line expert
Eagles legend Lane Johnson earns the ultimate compliment from an offensive line expert Lane Johnson's greatness has again been put into legendary perspective. Often, Philadelphia Eagles fans and the media members shy away from certain phrases. 'Sure thing' is, no doubt, one of them. How can anyone ever be sure of anything, right? Players may not be ready for the bright lights. Unexpected injuries may occur that derail a career. Guys that we may not expect much from can excel. Still, that being said, though no one admitted it at the time, Lane Johnson kind of felt like a sure thing. He was drafted by Howie Roseman, but Lane was one of the few silver linings from Chip Kelly's era as head coach. He was taken during the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft with the fourth overall pick. Lane was drafted to do what he has done for more than a dozen seasons. Philly asked him to help anchor the offensive line. There were hiccups along the way, but he has more than given the Birds the proper return on their investment. Recently, he was given an elite compliment by one of the most trusted voices when it comes to elite NFL trench play. Lane Johnson's greatness is recognized with the most elite compliment possible They say, when you're good at something, never do it for free. Okay, it was actually the late, great Heath Ledger who said that as The Joker in The Dark Knight movie. You get the idea, though. Sometimes, wisdom can be found in the utterings of a cartoon character. Brandon Thorn has been featured on Bleacher Report, Establish the Run, and at the OL Masterminds Summit. He votes on the Joe Moore Award every season, an honor given to college football's top offensive lineman. He's also the creator of the Trench Warfare newsletter, where he breaks down the intricacies of elite line play. Recently, he offered his opinion on Lane Johnson's brilliance. It's hard to imagine 65 receiving a more elite compliment. Well, he's right. Who's going to argue with that logic? Like a fine wine, Lane Johnson has gotten better with age. The latter stages of his legendary run far exceed what he did early... And, he was damn good early. 6 Pro Bowls... Two First-Team All-Pro nods... Three Second-Team All-Pro nods... And, the most recent Second-Team mention felt like a snub. He should have been voted back to the First Team. Lane is a two-time Super Bowl champion, one of two who are walking the planet. Each season only adds to his Hall-of-Fame resume. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported recently that Lane hopes to play beyond the 2025-26 NFL season, and why wouldn't he? His play is still elite. Is he the greatest right tackle of all time? Here's a vote cast in his favor because, from here, it appears the only thing someone can do is equal his brilliance. He has made it impossible to be better.
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jordan Mailata has high praise for Eagles trio of rookie offensive linemen
Jordan Mailata has high praise for Eagles trio of rookie offensive linemen Jordan Mailata has developed into the best left tackle in the NFL and the Eagles star is already impressed by the teams trio of rookie offensive linemen this spring. The Eagles have the best offensive line in the NFL, and during April's NFL draft, Howie Roseman added three more intriguing prospects to the depth chart. In all, Philadelphia has 14 legit candidates to make the 53-man roster, and that includes three offensive linemen selected over the three-day weekend. Jordan Mailata has developed into the best left tackle in the NFL, and the Eagles' star is already impressed by the team's trio of rookie offensive linemen this spring. Mailata discussed both sixth-round pick Myles Hinton from Michigan and sixth-round pick Cameron Williams from Texas with Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. 'The effort, the grind,' Mailata said this spring. 'A couple days we had to get on them a little bit. I got on them a little bit. Now we're into the second week together. Man, just the effort they put into the drills. When they make a mistake, they correct the next day. 'That is showing that someone is coachable. It's not just the physical side. It's can they learn from their mistakes and can they apply it the next day when we're doing that drill? Myles and Cam are doing a great job.' Kendall was drafted in the fifth round after starting 36 games at the center position during his career at Boston College and was named first team All-ACC in 2024. Hinton, 23, is 6-7 and 325 pounds and played both left tackle and right tackle at Michigan and Stanford. The 6-foot-5, 335-pound Williams, a true junior, projects as an NFL tackle. He started 16 games for the Longhorns and played in 37 games, serving as an anchor of an offensive line that was a Joe Moore Award finalist in 2024. Williams was projected as the 28th best player available in the NFL draft, per initial ESPN rankings, and was slotted at No. 28 in the early mock draft by ESPN's Field Yates. ESPN's Matt Miller ranked Williams as his No. 3 overall tackle in the draft, while ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked him 7th at the position.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cameron Williams signs rookie contract with Philadelphia Eagles
Cameron Williams signs rookie contract with Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles continued solidifying their 2025 rookie class Tuesday, signing sixth-round offensive tackle Cameron Williams to a four-year contract. The Philadelphia Eagles have signed rookie offensive tackle Cameron Williams to a four-year contract, the team announced Tuesday, as they continue to finalize their 2025 draft class. Williams, selected with the 207th overall pick in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, was a standout at Texas, where he started 16 games and helped anchor an offensive line that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation's top unit. Williams, 21, measures 6-foot-6 and 317 pounds, bringing notable size and reach to the Eagles' offensive line group. During his college career, he played in 37 games and earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors in Texas' first season in the conference. He allowed only two sacks in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus, but was flagged 16 times, making him the second-most penalized offensive lineman in the FBS that season. The Eagles are expected to develop Williams under veteran offensive line coach and run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland, who has a reputation for molding young linemen into reliable starters. Williams will likely enter training camp as the fourth tackle on the depth chart, behind Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata and Fred Johnson. Williams' contract is valued at $4.1 million, with $320,000 guaranteed. He joins a Philadelphia draft class focused on bolstering both sides of the line of scrimmage, with only Jihaad Campbell and Drew Mukuba remaining unsigned as of Tuesday. 'I'm here to learn from the best. However long that takes, I'll be ready,' Williams said after signing. While Williams' physical tools and experience at a high level are clear, the Eagles will look to reduce his penalty rate and refine his technique as he transitions to the NFL.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Eagles sign offensive tackle Cameron Williams to 4-year rookie deal
Eagles sign offensive tackle Cameron Williams to 4-year rookie deal Only Jihaad Campbell and Drew Mukaba remain unsigned after Philadelphia inks sixth round pick Cameron Williams to his four year rookie deal The Eagles selected an impressive ten-player class in April, and only two players remain unsigned after the team inked former Texas offensive tackle Cameron Williams to his standard four-year rookie deal on Tuesday. Philadelphia drafted two offensive tackles and a center after adding four defensive players in the early rounds. The 6-foot-5, 335-pound Williams, a true junior, projects as an NFL tackle. He started 16 games for the Longhorns and played in 37 games, serving as an anchor of an offensive line that was a Joe Moore Award finalist in 2024. Williams was projected as the 28th best player available in the NFL draft, per initial ESPN rankings, and was slotted at No. 28 in the early mock draft by ESPN's Field Yates. ESPN's Matt Miller ranked Williams as his No. 3 overall tackle in the draft, while ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked him 7th at the position. Here is what Lance Zierlein said about the Duncanville, Texas native. Williams' blend of desirable physical traits but subpar bend and foot quickness make him a tougher pro projection. The technique will likely need a full year of work to help mitigate the aforementioned deficiencies and allow his traits to speak more loudly. He has the potential to impose his size on lesser opponents, but more skilled combatants will have the upper hand. Williams is more mauler than a mover in the run game, while his protection consistency should improve with more work. Experience should bring out his upside, but his ceiling could be an average starting right tackle.
USA Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Contract details for OL Hayden Conner, the Arizona Cardinals' sixth-round pick
Contract details for OL Hayden Conner, the Arizona Cardinals' sixth-round pick Conner was one of four rookies to sign with the Cardinals before rookie minicamp. These are the details of his contract The draft is only two weeks old, but as most of the teams conducted rookie minicamps this weekend, there has been a cascade of draft choices signing their contracts, including the Arizona Cardinals. They signed four of their picks before the start of camp, including guard Hayden Conner, their sixth-round pick, selected with the No. 211 overall pick. Arizona Cardinals OL Hayden Conner contract, salary details Here are the specifics of guard Hayden Conner's deal: As a sixth-round choice (No. 211 overall), the total value of his four-year deal is $4,374,280 and includes a signing bonus of $174,280. His salary cap charge for 2025 is $883,570. His base salaries are the minimums for all four years: $840,000 this year; $1.005 million in 2026, $1.12 million in 2027 and $1.235 million in 2028. He has a full split for the first two years, which means his salary would decrease to $490,000 in 2025 and $540,000 in 2026 if he is on injured reserve. Conner (6-6, 314) played 51 games in four seasons at Texas and started 43 consecutive games at left guard to end his college career. In 2023 and 2024, he was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the best offensive lineman in college football. Last season, Conner started all 16 games as the Longhorns advanced to the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs. Draft pick signing details around NFL As of end of day Friday, 148 of the 257 (57.6 percent) selections had signed and the Cardinals with four of their seven have a nearly identical percentage (57.1). The breakdown of rounds for the signed contracts league-wide is: First round: 6 of 32 Second round: 2 of 32 Third round: 26 of 38 Fourth round: 18 of 36 Fifth round: 28 of 28 Sixth round: 33 of 40 Seventh round: 35 of 41 Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
