Johnathan Franklin struggling in pass protection

Jul 31, 2013

As impressive as fourth-round draft pick Johnathan Franklin of UCLA has looked carrying the ball -- his speed and shiftiness have been on display daily -- he appeared overmatched on Tuesday morning during a one-on-one drill that called for the running back to block a blitzing linebacker.

Franklin had all kinds of trouble with outside linebacker Nick Perry. To be sure, Perry has a 60-pound advantage over the 205-pound Franklin, but the Packers expect the running back to at least slow down the blitzer’s path to the quarterback. Instead, Franklin allowed Perry to overpower him. Later in the same drill, Franklin fared no better against rookie outside linebacker Donte Savage.

“I felt like the outside linebackers clearly got the best of the running backs today,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after practice. “We were too high. We weren’t sitting down. We didn’t have our head up. So it’ll be good tape to watch. So that’s a drill I’m sure we’ll do again.”

Fantasy Impact:

Pass protection is important because Franklin is viewed as a possible third-down back in the Packer offense. It could take a while for the Packer RB hierarchy to shake out.

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Steelers call WR George Pickens doubtful, outside chance to play

Pro Football Talk

2 hours ago

The Steelers did not have receiver George Pickens for their Week 14 victory over the Browns and they are likely to be without him again against the Eagles on Sunday.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said in his Tuesday press conference that Pickens could be characterized as doubtful for Week 15, but there is still an outside chance he’ll play.

Fantasy Impact:

The Steelers thought Pickens would play last week but was eventually ruled out. After Sunday’s contest, Pickens underwent an MRI, which revealed the injury was more significant than initially believed, the story said. Reports from those who follow the team on Monday mentioned it was unlikely Pickens would play, and that's certainly looking like the case.

Cowboys don't expect to make change at QB

Pro Football Talk

4 hours ago

The Cowboys’ loss to the Bengals on Monday night dropped them to 5-8 on the season and left them with scant hope of making it to the playoffs this season, but that’s not going to lead to a shift in their plan at quarterback.

That was the word from team owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday morning. Cooper Rush has been the team’s starter since Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury, but there have been questions about whether the Cowboys will take a look at Trey Lance before his contract expires at the end of the season.

Fantasy Impact:

The story said Jones has been resistant to playing Lance and that he hasn't changed his mind about who will start against the Panthers in Week 15. Jones added in a quote he thought the team "did some good things out there" against the Bengals, and that he believes Rush "gives us our best chance." Unless things change over the final couple of weeks, it doesn't look like Lance is going to get any kind of chance in Dallas.

Raiders Beat: Team will be looking for a QB in 2025

The Athletic

5 hours ago

Looking ahead to 2025, the Raiders will find themselves searching for an answer at quarterback for the third offseason in a row.

Related players: Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew, Desmond Ridder

Fantasy Impact:

The author said O'Connell is the best bet to be in the mix, but it's only because he hasn't really played much. Minshew is under contract for next season, but hasn't played well in his time this season. The Raiders are on pace to have one of the top picks in the NFL Draft, but also could opt to go another direction and take the best player, much like they did last draft with Brock Bowers at TE. The author said the Raiders could once again explore the available veterans: Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Jameis Winston are scheduled to be free agents. Either way, it appears the Raiders will probably have a new starting QB in 2025.