NFL News & Analysis

5 things you need to know for Friday

Good morning football fans! Here are the five things you need to know coming out of Thursday to get your morning started right:

  1. The Washington Redskins are optimistic edge rusher Junior Galette will be ready for training camp and can provide a boost to the team’s pass rush, just as he was supposed to when the team originally signed him. Galette has missed each of the past two seasons with a torn Achilles tendon, so any production is a long shot, but he was an extremely talented edge rusher, albeit with significant baggage, before injuries struck.
  2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken told reporters that the next step for WR Mike Evans is getting yards after the catch, stating that “Evans is just too talented to just catch and fall.” Evans was one of the league’s most devastating receivers in 2016, trailing only Julio Jones in overall PFF grade (93.3), but almost all of his work was done in the route, with only 188 of his 1,321 receiving yards coming after the catch.
  3. The Steelers were making roster moves yesterday, and the highest-profile one was cutting bait on TE Ladarius Green after a disastrous tenure in the Steel city. Green played in just six games for the Steelers and was practically never healthy after looking like he could be a real weapon in the passing game during his time with the Chargers. When he was on the field, he was again extremely productive, gaining over three yards per route run in 2016, a mark bettered by only Rob Gronkowski.
  4. Long snapper news! The Pittsburgh Steelers have released 12-year veteran, Greg Warren, with a failed physical. Warren has been dealing with injuries that haven’t let him continue into 2017, and we take a look at his long-snapping accuracy over the past four seasons like only PFF can.
  5. Looking down the road a bit, PFF Fantasy's Michael Moore offered up a three-round fantasy mock draft for the 2018 season, based on where our Steve Palazzolo had next year's rookies landing. The first three names off the board will look similar to this year's drafts, but it doesn't take long for some new names to pop up.
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