There was never any doubt that Jacoby Brissett was the man Eliot Wolf wanted to play the role of bridge quarterback for the Patriots. Not only can Brissett play a little — he's a better quarterback than he gets credit for — but he's also embraced whatever role the team needs, including being a mentor for the future 21-year-old Drake Maye.
"If you ask anybody that I've ever played, I'm that with everybody," said Brissett of his approachable nature. "I'm a teammate, and the competition shouldn't take who I am as a man away from anything I do on the field.l I want to see us all succeed, and obviously, the best player is gonna play, and if that's me - I hope it is - and if not, I got to do my job to, you know, to help others and find a way to serve this team."
Brissett joked about being one of the oldest players in the locker room; only Joe Cardona (32) and Matthew Judon — by a few months — are older than the veteran signal-caller. Bailey Zappe jokingly referred to Brissett as an "old head," something the nine-year pro seems to relish. He constantly interacts with teammates — both young and old — on offense and defense and isn't afraid to engage in some trash talk, either.
It no doubt helps Brissett that he knows this offense, having played in it during the 2022-23 season with the Browns (Alex Van Pelt was the offensive coordinator, though head coach Kevin Stefanski called the plays). He's been poised and accurate during the sessions we've seen, seemingly picking up where he left off in Cleveland.
"It allows you to bring out the best player in you," he said. "They obviously tailor the offense around the quarterback and the things that we can do, and obviously, the players that we have. As a quarterback, you want to make sure that you have a wide variety of things you can do, and It think we have the players to help us do that."
Brissett's experience in the system also allows him to be another resource for his teammates. He tells us he has "the ability to help those guys in other rooms and tell them what I know we're looking for in this offense and what I'm looking for from the quarterback position on certain plays. I think it just helps me play faster and helps me help other people."
After nearly two seasons of unabashed failure at the position, those are magic words and - hopefully - actions from a guy who understands what it takes to be a professional and how to be a leader, two things that will be important for mentee Maye, whenever that time comes.
MONEY TALKS
Nico Collins and Jaylen Waddle are the latest wide receivers to strike gold. The Texans agreed to pay Collins $72.75 million - $52 million guaranteed - over three seasons. Waddle also got a three-year extension (from the Dolphins) for $84.75 million, but with $76 million guaranteed, vaulting him into the top-5 of highest-paid WRs in the game.
Collins didn't break out until this past year, his third in the league. The former third-round pick reeled in 80 passes (double his career high) for nearly 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns. He is just the fourth player in franchise history to go for a thousand-plus, joining Andre Johnson, Brandin Cooks, and DeAndre Hopkins.
The 6-4, 215-pounder certainly benefited from playing with one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league in C.J. Stroud, but a closer look at some of the receiving metrics shines a nice light on just how good Collins was.
For a man that size (and minus a blazing 40), the 25-year-old had 646 yards after the catch, sixth best in the league, trailing only Rashee Rice, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Puka Nacua, Ceedee Lamb, and Tyreek Hill. His average of 3.11 yards per route run was second in the NFL, behind only Hill. In addition, Stroud knew where his bread was buttered. His passer rating when throwing to Collins was 127.8. That was the best QB-receiver combo in the league.
With Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon being added to Houston's offensive mix, along with a healthy Tank Dell, it's clear GM Nick Caserio (remember him?) and head coach DeMeco Ryans feel like their team has a chance to go stride-for-stride with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
"We want to put defenses in binds, and I think with those three guys (Collins, Diggs, and Dell) it allows us to do that because they are so different, and they can all do different things," said Ryans. "But at the end of the day, they are all explosive finishers with the football, and that is what makes those guys great players. They can win on third down, and they can finish and get in the end zone, and that's what we look for at all skill positions on offense."
As for Waddle, his new money doesn't kick in until 2026, allowing the Fins to load up in the short term, continue to pay Tyreek Hill (who's now on the wrong side of 30) big money, sign Odell Beckham Jr., and push $200-plus million on the table for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (I wouldn't, but I think they will).
Waddle has three straight 1,000-yard seasons to start his NFL career.
COLTS READY TO RUN?
Could the Indianapolis Colts have one of the best offenses in football this season? I know what you're thinking. Peyton Manning is not walking through that door, fans. Marvin Harrison Sr. is not walking through that door, and Edgerrin James is not walking through that door. If you expect them to be walking through that door, they're going to be gray and old. (I wrote that in my Rick Pitino voice. You're welcome)
But what the Colts are - maybe - is young and exciting.
Anthony Richardson is returning from shoulder surgery after a promising start to his rookie campaign, running back Jonathan Taylor enters the summer fully healthy for the first time in a long time, and chip-on-his-shoulder Adonai Mitchell (he's wearing #10 in honor of the ten receivers picked ahead of him) could give a nickel-and-dime passing offense the explosiveness it's been lacking for a dog's age.
"I think we could have the best RPO (run-pass option) game in the whole NFL," said fellow pass catcher Michael Pittman. "We went to the RPO a lot last year, and just being able to add Anthony's legs, I mean, he can add in a whole other aspect, which is that you can't really load up that box. He can pull it and throw it. You can't really (concentrate) most of the defense towards J.T."
"It's fun, and it's exciting," said head coach Shane Steichen. "Every week, we'll have things (in the game plan) for every single guy."
As it was, this past season, the Colts finished 10th in the league in scoring despite having to rely on Gardner Minshew far more than was expected. Steichen not only worked magic for Indy, but his previous stop, Philadelphia, struggled to be the kind of offense it was a year prior, with Steichen calling the shots. The Eagles demoted and fired the OC that replaced him (Brian Johnson).
"We just toss ideas around," said Richardson of Steichen. "He asks me how I feel about certain things, and, then if I see certain things on the internet, like if I see a sweep or an option play or something like that, I'll say, 'Hey, that's kind of nice.' I'll show it to him, and he'll be like, 'OK, we might be able to throw that in.
"It's amazing to have a coach like that because we get to use our offense and use our weapons."
The Colts visit New England on December 1st.
BENNETT BACK
Stetson Bennett had a fall and winter without football for the first time since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. The L.A. Rams hoped to develop the National Championship-winning signal caller as a backup to the aging Matthew Stafford, drafting him in the fourth round a season ago.
However, after dealing with shoulder soreness during training camp, Bennett surprisingly ended up on the non-football injury list, but not because of that or any other injury. Neither he nor the team would reveal the specifics of his season-long absence, with Bennett only agreeing that it was "mental health" related when he spoke earlier this week.
GM Les Snead recently said that Bennett was "an exhausted human being" and that being away was "very beneficial" to the former UGA star.
Bennett returned to the team several weeks ago at the start of OTAs and has been a full participant. It reminded him of what he missed.
"You kind of see the world for the first time without football," he said, "like the first time ever. What that might be like, whatever, you just don't have it. You kind of come (back) out here, and you're hungry every single day. It did make me think, 'Hey, you want to do this. You want to work hard every single day and get better.' It was different without it."
Bennett said it took a bit to kick some of the rust off.
"Hadn't played football in a while," he said, "hadn't talked to dudes in a huddle, right, which is a huge thing. You're relaying the play to them. A lot of nerves the first day. It's gone, I wouldn't say seamlessly, but it has gotten better each day just like you try to make it."
Bennett is listed as third on the team's depth chart, behind Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo, who signed this offseason but will serve a two-game suspension in September.
LEANER LAMAR
You figure winning a second NFL MVP award would encourage Lamar Jackson to stay on the same path physically this offseason as he was last. Not so. The Ravens QB showed up to OTAs looking significantly lighter, going from around 230 pounds to "2-something" this spring. Why?
Jackson says he wants to be "more agile and be able to move more."
Playing at a higher weight didn't stop him from running successfully in 2024. Jackson rushed for 821 yards, most since he went for over a thousand yards in 2020. But his yards per carry dipped from 6.8 to 5.5, and there were several plays where you could see the QB showing signs of frustration when he was tackled in the open field, including during their Ravens 17-10 playoff loss to the Chiefs. The pain of that defeat has lingered.
"I believe that just motivated us throughout the whole offseason," said Jackson. "People are still talking about it; us players still talk about it. It definitely left a bitter taste in our mouths just being that close. We worked so hard in getting there and didn't do what we wanted to do, didn't fulfill our dream. Definitely a little chip on our shoulder."
The Ravens were the best team in the league throughout the season, with a handful of impressive wins and the number one overall seed. But they fell short of their ultimate goal, and the offense's continued failures in the playoffs will stain Jackson's resume until - if? - he can break through.
"I believe it hurts more losing before the Super Bowl than actually being a part of it because we worked so hard for 17 weeks, plus the little playoff games, and we get to a game away and lose," he said. "We didn't really put any points on the board, and we were just scoring 30 points against crazy teams — great defenses. Don't get me wrong, that's a great defense, but we had played the top-ranked defenses. We just have to finish. We have to find a way to move the ball in the right direction and put points on the board because our defense did their thing the whole night."