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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan Breaks Top 10 NFL Best Coaches
49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan Breaks Top 10 NFL Best Coaches originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The San Francisco 49ers have had an immeasurable amount of success since the arrival of Kyle Shanahan in 2017. Advertisement Four NFC Championship games and two Super Bowl appearances make San Francisco the most successful NFC team from 2019-23, although a Super Bowl title still eludes Shanahan. And that's the goal, of course. The 49ers' last Super Bowl title came after the 1994 season with a 49-26 win over the then-San Diego Chargers. But the Shanahan train keeps rolling through Santa Clara, and he just cracked the top 10 of Pro Football Focus' best coaches in the NFL. "Kyle Shanahan remains one of the NFL's brightest minds, capable of building elite offenses and contending with flawed rosters," writes PFN's Brandon Austin. In a league dominated by star quarterbacks, the San Francisco 49ers have reached Super Bowls with Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy under center. There are several pieces of evidence to support Shanahan's prowess as an offensive architect, including Matt Ryan's 2016 MVP campaign. Advertisement "Shanahan's system is one of the biggest reasons why some people doubt Purdy. It just works. However, the Niners have experienced plenty of volatility under Shanahan, posting four 10-loss seasons in eight years. Injuries have derailed promising seasons, but as the head coach, he must answer the questions that come his way." "Despite never hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, Shanahan has four double-digit win seasons, including three in the last four years, and multiple NFC Championship appearances. He still has one of the NFL's most respected reputations." A lot of the credit to Shanahan is due to his prowess as an offensive mind. Maybe even more so than his accomplishments as a head coach. There's no arguing that he's good at both. Advertisement Related: 49ers Running Back Room Clears Top 15 in Recent Rankings Related: Analyst Concerned for Christian McCaffrey 'Workload' for 49ers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL analyst predicts New York Giants' Evan Neal 'won't bust' after slow career start
NFL analyst predicts New York Giants' Evan Neal 'won't bust' after slow career start New York Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal is running out of time to solidify is NFL career. The No. 7 overall pick from the 2022 NFL draft was the second selection of general manager Joe Schoen's tenure with the Giants, taken just two spots after edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. Between injuries and a lack of development at right tackle, it's been a rough start to his career for Neal, whose fifth-year option was declined by the team this offseason. With that said, Neal still has some believers. When looking at a handful of NFL players who are running out of time to prove themselves, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports predicted Neal will eventually shake the bust label. In many ways, Neal has been the face of the New York Giants' mostly porous offensive front since his arrival from Alabama, which initially brought plenty of promise. Injuries have torched his year-to-year availability, limiting him to 27 starts in his first three seasons, but he also made waves with frustrated fans in 2023 by suggesting he was above criticism. Neal apologized later, but his switch from tackle to guard ahead of 2025 indicates he's on his last opportunity to help Big Blue turn things around in the trenches. Why he will bust: He's not even guaranteed a starting gig while competing with veteran Greg Van Roten at he won't: He was a promising starting right tackle before; you don't just lose that degree of NFL traits up front. Our prediction: Won't bust Neal was finally moved off the right tackle position and is now competing at guard, taking reps on both sides of the line. Neal has yet to put it together as a pass protector during his short time in the NFL. During the 2024 season, he allowed two sacks and 17 total pressures on 314 pass-blocking snaps while committing six penalties, per Pro Football Focus. He did grade out with a pretty strong run-blocking grade (80.8), however. Time is certainly running out for the Alabama product, but if he can make the most of his opportunity at guard, there's still a path for him to have a solid career.
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2 Texas A&M OL return as PFF's highest rated offensive tackles in the SEC
2 Texas A&M OL return as PFF's highest rated offensive tackles in the SEC Heading into the 2025 college football season, Texas A&M's offensive line will be the key to victory in nearly every game, especially on the ground for the Aggies' deep running back room led by senior Le'Veon Moss and redshirt sophomore Reuben Owens. Returning every starter in the trenches, senior left tackle Trey Zuhn, left guard Chase Bisontis, and right guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams all possess first, second, or third-round NFL Draft potential. In contrast, Zuhn and Reed-Adams could have left for the NFL last offseason. However, right tackle Dametreous Crownover is also a name to watch, possessing the size at 6'7" and footwork to become a long-term starter at the next level. According to Pro Football Focus, Zuhn and Crownover are two of the top six highest-rated returning tackles in the SEC this coming season, bringing two to three years of starting experience in the toughest conference in the country, and will be responsible for keeping starting quarterback Marcel Reed clean throughout the demanding schedule. Against SEC pass rushers, Zuhn finished with an impressive 80.5 pass protection grade, while Crownover's run blocking grade (76.0) was better than his pass protection mark (69.1) last season. Still, under O-line coach Adam Cushing's tutelage, both players should improve in both areas. Texas A&M's offensive line depth will also play a significant role, including 2025 five-star offensive tackle signee Lamont Rogers, who might be took skilled to keep on the field in certain packages, and will be a player to watch this fall. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Browns Fourth-Round Pick Needs to Step Up in 2025
Browns Fourth-Round Pick Needs to Step Up in 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. For all the quarterback trouble the Cleveland Browns have seen over recent seasons, let's put at least some of the blame on the offensive line in front of them. Advertisement Last season alone, while the Browns were employing four different starters under center, the offensive line was responsible for a whopping 66 sacks. That was up from 45 sacks the season before, when Cleveland had five different starters. The Browns spent a fourth-round pick on Ohio State offensive lineman Dawand Jones in 2023, and he's failed to catch on so far across two seasons with the Browns. Pro Football Focus thinks that Jones is due for a make-or-break campaign next season. "Jones played three games at [left tackle] last year before suffering a fractured fibula that ended his season," analyst Dalton Wasserman wrote on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, he earned a subpar 44.1 PFF overall grade across those three outings. Veteran Cornelius Lucas could fill in if Jones is either injured or ineffective again, but the Browns desperately need young talent to emerge on their offensive line, and Jones is the most likely incumbent candidate." Advertisement After his rookie season, Jones was named the team's "most promising building block" heading into 2024 by Bleacher Report. He earned a 64.7 overall grade by Pro Football Focus for his efforts in his rookie season. But 2024 didn't go as planned. The former Buckeyes tackle sustained a major injury in the Browns' Week 11 loss to the Saints, but even before the injury, Jones was not playing to the standard he set in his rookie year. Pro Football Focus scored him an unimpressive 46.4 overall for the time he was on the field. The Cleveland offense was kind of a mess at that point, suffering from injuries to key players and from poor play at times. If Jones can completely recover and return to the play he displayed in 2023, he could help return the Browns' offensive line to the No. 2-ranked unit that it was in his rookie campaign. Related: Browns Coach Reveals 'Growing Pains' for First-Round Draft Pick Related: Insider Expects Nick Chubb to Return to Browns for One Reason This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
17 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Derrick Brown named Panthers' 'make-or-break' player for 2025 season
Derrick Brown named Panthers' 'make-or-break' player for 2025 season The hopes for this year's Carolina Panthers might hinge on a big return. Pro Football Focus contributor Dalton Wasserman recently named each NFL team's "make-or-break" player for the upcoming campaign. To qualify as such, a player would have to have the power to single-handedly make or break the success of his team in 2025. Wasserman tabs defensive lineman Derrick Brown, who was one-and-done in 2024, for the Panthers: Carolina's defense was futile last season in many facets, but the unit played at a historically poor level against the run. Part of that stemmed from star defensive tackle Derrick Brown suffering a season-ending injury in Week 1. Brown placed second among all interior defenders in 2023 with an elite 90.0 PFF run-defense grade. His presence in the middle makes the entire unit better. The Panthers acquired several pieces on the defensive line to improve their run defense, but Brown's return to his 2023 form would make the biggest impact. Along with that 90.0 run-defense grade, Brown amassed a whopping 103 tackles—an NFL single-season record for a defensive lineman. Those results, which also included 2.0 sacks and an interception, help send the former first-round pick to his first career Pro Bowl. This past year, however, wasn't as kind to Brown—who missed 16 of Carolina's 17 games after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in their opener. The Panthers went on to allow the most points ever as well as a league-worst 179.8 rushing yards per game. Brown, who has yet to fully participate in offseason workouts, was asked when he hopes to get back on the practice field. "Hopefully, very close," he replied. "I expect to be out there in training camp. Load management, and hopefully in the next few weeks, I get cleared. So that's the goal and then at that point, it's just getting back in football shape and being able to go out there and play with the team." Panthers veterans are set to report to training camp on Tuesday, July 22. So hopefully for Carolina and their defense, their 6-foot-5, 320-pound wrecking ball is back in working order by then. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
