Joe Burrow gets Advice from Former No.1 Pick

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April 22, 2020

Joe Burrow throwing the football while playing for LSU

Joe Burrow gave Peyton Manning a phone call, which apparently is something that one No. 1 overall pick can just casually do with another. Technically, Burrow isn’t the No. 1 overall pick — yet. But barring insane circumstance, he will be. And in an effort to prepare for the rigors of being the top pick in the NFL draft, Burrow picked Manning’s brain.

Peyton Manning gives Joe Burrow advice

Manning, the No. 1 overall pick in 1998, recounted his conversation with Burrow. Manning relayed the advice the retired Indianapolis Colts quarterback bestowed upon the LSU Tigers product. Manning also admitted there’s one of his records that he’s hoping Burrow will break.

“And he just called me about some of the things that I tried to do when I was a rookie that maybe he can apply to his NFL career — looks like it’s going to be with the Cincinnati Bengals — and, look, what I told him, I said, ‘Joe, when you’re the first pick in the NFL Draft, you are going to a team that has really earned the first pick in the NFL Draft. There are going to be some holes there and there’s a reason the Colts are picking No. 1 that year, there’s a reason the Bengals are picking No. 1 this year, the Giants when they had Eli (Manning). So other people have to step up. You have to give them some help.’

Manning preaches patience

“I tried to tell him, ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Look, I lost more games my rookie year than I had in my entire high school and college career combined. I threw 26 interceptions,’” he said. “That’s still an NFL record. If Joe wants to break that, Hannah, I’d be OK with that. We’d still be friends. But I tried to learn a lot that year.

“I played every game. Jim Mora never took me out. I learned some things in the fourth quarter of those blowouts about what it took to be an NFL quarterback. And the next year, we went from 3-13 to 13-3. That wouldn’t have happened had I not hung in there and kind of learned the ropes as a rookie, even though we took some bumps and bruises.”

After Manning’s first season, it wouldn’t have been wild to have creeping doubts about his pro prospects. His surrounding cast was an abomination, so he completed 56.7% of his passes for 3,739 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. It wasn’t pretty. And perhaps Burrow is in store for something similar, despite his profound talent. But his career shouldn’t be made or undone in a single season.

As Manning showed in 1999, an excellent quarterback can turn around a franchise and fast. That’s likely what Burrow will have to do with the Cincinnati Bengals after they pick him at No. 1 on Thursday. Hopefully, Manning’s advice will work for Joe Burrow.

This article was first published by For the Win.

When is the 2020 NFL Draft?

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April 21, 2020

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaking at the NFL Draft

For the first time ever, this Thursday, the 2020 NFL Draft will begin as part of a completely virtual event. Originally planned to take place in Vegas, the NFL his shifted said plan due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Fear not — your team will still be making all of their picks over a three-day span. As commissioner Roger Goodell has insisted repeatedly, the show will, in fact, go on.

So when, exactly, is the 2020 NFL Draft? And how long does it last? And where can you watch it? We’re so glad you asked. Let’s review everything you need to know about the upcoming rookie showcase right here:

When is the 2020 NFL Draft?

This year’s draft starts on Thursday, April 23, and runs through Saturday, April 25.

Thursday, April 23: Round 1 (8 p.m.)
Friday, April 24: Rounds 2-3 (7 p.m.)
Saturday, April 25: Rounds 4-7 (12 p.m.)

Where is the 2020 NFL Draft?

Due to local and national restrictions stemming from the pandemic, the planned physical Las Vegas location was scrapped in favor of a remote, virtual selection process that will see all 32 NFL teams operating from their homes. Commissioner Goodell is set to announce picks from his home in New York.

After 50 straight years in New York City, where it was most recently held at Radio City Music Hall, the draft has been physically held in Chicago (Auditorium Theatre), Philadelphia (Museum of Art), Arlington (AT&T Stadium) and Nashville (Lower Broadway) since 2015.

How do I watch the draft?

Here are all your options to catch the draft on TV or via live stream:

Thursday: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio
Friday: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio
Saturday: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio

2020 NFL Mock Drafts

If you want the best of the best draft projections, don’t miss our dozens of mocks at CBSSports.com, including R.J. White’s seven-round monster featuring 18 projected trades and team-by-team analysis. Want a two-round prediction, with some surprise QB selections? Want analysis of CBS Sports HQ’s live mock draft, with all 32 teams represented by different “GMs?” You can find it all right here at CBSSports.com.

This article was first published by CBS Sports.

Russell Wilson Workout

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April 20, 2020

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Russell Wilson playing quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks

At the beginning of his career Russell Wilson was a game manager while his defense did all the heavy lifting. After back to back Superbowl appearances, the Seattle Seahawks began to change their identity. Wilson has evolved into a superstar and one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

He didn’t get there by just going through the motions and hoping someone else would pick up the slack. Wilson took over the role that his defense had taken earlier in his career by introducing a physical fitness regime that changed his career path. He must a good leader too because DK Metcalf is a workout fiend as well. Here is the workout routine that Russell Wilson follows.

Russell Wilson Workout

Russell Wilson is one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the league, which is a big reason why he is one of the best in the NFL. The reason he has tons of variety in his workout is because brings so much versatility to the way he plays the quarterback position.

This is why Wilson’s workout regime consists of mixing things up and focusing on speed and strength, similar to Christian McCaffrey’s workout routine. Unlike a lot of quarterbacks in the league, Russell has to worry about explosiveness and power. Consistently escaping and taking on defensive lineman in open field and in the pocket is something he plans to do, not just worries about.

Wilson spends four days per week in the weight room, with each day dedicated to different things. The one thing that I’ve noticed is that he spends time each day on his core.

Upper Body Routine

For back day, Wilson will hit his traps and lats with exercises like trap raises, lat pulldowns, and suspended cable rows, both within the range of 4-6 reps to build for strength. Resistance band exercises like pull-aparts will complement these strength exercises.

For shoulder and chest day, Russell dials up the incline barbell bench press, dumbbell flys, and dumbbell hang cleans. All of these exercises are performed again in the 4-6 rep range. He will then complement these with weighted pushups in a higher range of 8-12 for a few sets and finish up with banded tricep pushdowns for a good pump.

Wilson has a couple days focused on legs. Here, he will utilize the power of the front squat and Romanian deadlift, which Saquon Barkley claims is the most effective lower body power exercise out there. Again, he’ll work in the lower rep range of 4-6. Complementary exercises include step ups, single leg squats, and single leg Romanian deadlifts.

Core Work

As previously mentioned, Wilson hits his core every day in some way or another. He likes to incorporate medicine ball work with exercises such as wood chops and sit ups (like Aaron Donald does). Unlike his strength work, he tries to work his core at a high tempo pace.

This is where he adds in single-arm ab rollouts, physioball planks, and medicine ball slams.

Speed and Agility Drills

Russell Wilson needs to keep his footwork and agility intact as he is dancing around in the pocket. This is where he tosses in things like ladder work or side to side shuffle, both while holding a football.

Another popular drill in Russell Wilson’s speed and agility routine is the point and move drill. This drill is as simple as it sounds but so effective for any athlete. Basically, Wilson will be holding a football to mimic game action and then sprint towards his training coach. His coach will then point to the left or right as his approaches him, forcing Wilson to quickly make the move towards the signaled spot.

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See you soon… Video Cred: @West2EastInc

A post shared by Russell Wilson (@dangerusswilson) on Jul 20, 2016 at 5:42pm PDT

Daily Routine during the season

Along with the intense workout, Russell Wilson also leans heavily on his diet and strict schedule. Just to show you, here is an example of a typical day during the NFL season. The day starts with him waking up at 5 am and jumping in the hot and cold tubs. He’ll then jump to stretching and yoga work and do a light lift before the clock hits 7.

After meetings run from about 8 am to the early afternoon, Wilson does shoulder activation work before practice which runs from 1-330 pm. He’ll either do some lifting, watch some film, or a combination of both until he leaves about 7 pm. After some much needed family time, Russell gets a deep tissue massage for stress relief and calls it a night.

Russell Wilson Diet

Like a lot of athletes, Wilson makes sure to drink a ton of water throughout the day and find an adequate balance of protein and carbs. His breakfast consists of oatmeal and almond butter with a side of fruit. Lunch will just be chicken and rice with some vegetables. Then, dinner he will spice it up with either salmon or steak along with vegetables again.

Wilson avoids sugar as much as he can and tries not to cheat when he can help himself. But if he does end up cheating, it’s usually with some comfort food like mac and cheese, which is his favorite meal since he was growing up as his mom used to make it for him.

NFL Holding a Virtual Mock Draft

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April 19, 2020

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NFL draft virtual picking for mock draft

The NFL will hold a virtual mock draft Monday, giving teams a chance at a trial run before the actual draft kicks off under unprecedented circumstances later in the week.

The exercise could give general managers the opportunity to redraft some NFL legends. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, teams may choose from former greats as opposed to current prospects, as no one wants to tip their hand before the big event.

Virtual Mock for 2020 NFL Draft

“We’re going to do a couple of internal tests and trial runs here, and the league is going to have a mock draft, mock trial run on Monday that we’ll participate in,” Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn said.

“We’ll have fun making some mock trades,” said Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, one of the biggest wheelers and dealers in the business.

With team facilities closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, draft operations have moved to individual households, and IT departments have been working overtime to outfit home offices so decision-makers have all the tools they need and are able to communicate with their staffs while working remotely. Clubs are using Microsoft Teams software for their virtual meetings, which Roseman described as a “godsend.”

Backup Plans for Connection Issues

There are safeguards in place should issues arise during the draft. The NFL can stop the clock if a team is having trouble communicating its pick.

“Three separate team individuals are able to submit the pick. So, if there’s an issue at one person’s house, two other team execs could submit,” a league spokesman said. “If a team is experiencing technological issues, the player personnel department would be in position to stop the clock. They could then ensure a pick is submitted or a trade occurs.”

Teams are running simulations to get as comfortable as they can with the new approach to draft day.

“We have a state-of-the-art draft room, an amazing draft room. And we’ll miss that and we’ll miss the contact,” Roseman said. “… Before we start the draft, I [like to] go around and give fist-bumps to everyone in the draft room, and after we make a pick, having that clapping and everyone is excited and watching the highlights together. We are going to try to do that. We are going to try to have all those things that we have there and have those opportunities.

“Again, we are not making any excuses for this. There are people who are dealing with a lot worse than we are dealing with. We feel fortunate that we have this opportunity to improve our football team next week.”

This article was first published by ESPN.

Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning – Inside the Rivalry

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April 17, 2020

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Peyton Manning and Tom Brady shake hands after the 2006 AFC Championship during the Brady vs Manning saga

When talking about the best rivalries in sports a lot of matchups come to mind. Celtics vs Lakers. Red Sox vs Yankees. Tiger Woods vs Phil Mickelson in golf. Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal in Tennis. The list goes on and on. When it comes to NFL quarterbacks there is one that sticks out for everyone – Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning.

NFL Beginnings

It’s crazy to see how different the beginning of Brady’s and Manning’s career was. Manning was a highly touted prospect and was drafted first overall in the 1998 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He was pegged to be a franchise quarterback from day one.

Tom Brady had quite the different path. He was drafted in the 6^th round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. I want to add in that the Patriots already had then-franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe. It wasn’t even a guarantee that Brady would make the team out of camp until Bledsoe got injured.

For the first couple of years Brady sat behind Bledsoe while Manning gained valuable NFL experience as the Colts’ signal caller. Peyton’s rookie season saw him go 3-13 and then the following season he flipped that record around. That’s right, he jumped ten wins in a year to catapult the Colts to a 13-3 record in year two.

Brady vs Manning

Brady finally got his shot to start in 2001 and so began the Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning saga. We all know the story that comes after. Tom goes on to win three Superbowls in his first four seasons as a started, beating down Manning twice en route to two of his rings.

It was a bit of a struggle for Peyton Manning in the early 2000s as he couldn’t find a way to get over the hump and challenge for a Superbowl title. Through the 2005 NFL playoffs, he had a 3-6 playoff record with a single AFC Championship appearance. Meanwhile, Brady had accumulated a 10-1 playoff record and three Superbowl championships. It looks like the Brady vs Manning battle was a blowout.

Manning makes a comeback

Cue the turning point. The 2006 AFC Championship game in Indianapolis and the Patriots are in town trying to knock down Peyton once again in a playoff bout. After rushing out to a 21-3 deficit, Manning and the Colts stormed back to steal the AFC title with a thrilling 38-34. The game winning drive was magnificent. Manning went 3/4 for 57 yards passing and marched his team 80 yards downfield in 75 seconds. Incredible. The Colts would go on to beat the Chicago Bears in Superbowl XLI.

For the next six years, both Brady and Manning would reach the Superbowl again, but neither could take home the trophy. Those were some of the best statistical years for both Brady and Manning too.

Brady vs Manning down the stretch

After a seven-year hiatus, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning finally met in another AFC Championship. Two of the best in the business with already storybook careers at that point were finally back to face one another. Manning was part of a new team at this point, the Denver Broncos after leaving the Colts in 2011. He also broke the record for most touchdown passes in a season that year with his new Broncos squad. Manning would top Brady in that game 26-16 but lose to the Seattle Seahawks in the Superbowl two weeks later.

The final time the two future-hall-of-famers met was two years later in yet another AFC Championship game. It was another home game for Peyton and the Broncos and they held on a Patriot fury at the end of the game to record his third straight championship game victory over Brady and the Patriots. This marked the end of an era. A great finish to an illustrious battle between the two best to ever do it.

Inside the Numbers

Tom Brady holds the overall edge in terms of wins in the Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning rivalry. He was 11-6 against Manning throughout his career. But hold the phone – Manning was 6-5 in his last 11 starts against Brady, including a 3-1 overall record in AFC Championships, which is the biggest game these two could have played since they were both AFC quarterbacks during their rivalry. This shows that Manning may have finally proved that he had the clutch gene all along.

Both Brady and Manning knew how important it is to secure a top playoff seed for the NFL playoffs. During the final seven years of Manning’s career, the top seed in the AFC playoffs was either his team or Brady’s. Of those seven years, the AFC was represented in the Superbowl by either a Manning-led team or a Brady-led team five times! Wow, that’s a pretty solid shooting percentage. The last four years of the rivalry (2012-2015) saw Peyton’s Broncos and Tom’s Patriots be the top two seeds in the AFC. They were both the 1 and 2 seeds twice in the four final years.

Another interesting piece of this rivalry was the home-field advantage. Of the 17 games between the two famous signal-callers, the home team came away victorious 12 times. You know what is even more interesting? The home team won the last seven matchups dating back to 2009.

Although Tom Brady’s career is still going on, he currently ranks second for most passing yards in NFL history. Manning is right behind him at number 3. What about passing touchdowns? Brady at 2 and Manning at 3 once again. Active New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is number one in both categories.

Tom Brady not done yet

As I’m sure you know, Tom Brady isn’t ready to hang up the cleats while Peyton did four years ago. Brady credits his off the field nutrition and workout program to his longevity in the brutal game of football.

He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020 NFL season and joins a standout cast of receivers. Both Chris Godwin and Mike Evans have proven to be game breakers for the Bucs without Brady. So, what happens with him? Well, let’s just say that they might’ve snuck right into the conversation of Superbowl Contenders for 2020.

Most Passing Touchdowns in a Season

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April 16, 2020

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Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos passing for the most touchdowns in a single NFL season in 2013

The NFL has heavily shifted to a pass first league over the last decade or two. This has put an emphasis on the quarterback position and if you don’t believe me you should see how much they get paid. So, what is the record for most passing touchdowns in a season? The answer is 55 set by quarterback Peyton Manning.

Most Passing Touchdowns in a Single Season

Manning passed for 55 touchdowns and 5,477 yards during the 2013 NFL season while playing for the Denver Broncos. That’s a video game number if you think about it. That means Peyton averaged over three touchdowns per game over the course of the 16-game regular season.

If you can remember, this was the year that the Broncos had one of the most prolific offense of all time but failed to put up double digits in the Superbowl that year against the Seattle Seahawks. Yes, Seattle had a historically great defense in 2013 but putting up only 8 points when averaging 38 is weak. That Broncos team scored 606 points in the regular season which is the most ever recorded by a team.

Peyton Manning’s NFL Career

Manning can be labeled as the best regular season quarterback of all time. Just look at his number and notice how consistent they are. I’m not just talking about his stats but also his team wins. Football is a team sport, but we all know how much fluctuation a team has from year to year. He was also well known for having a historic rivalry with longtime New England Patriots Tom Brady.

From 2002 on, Manning’s teams never had fewer than ten wins. That’s 13 straight years of playoff teams minus 2011 when he missed the year due to a neck injury. Going even further, he his teams had twelve or more wins 11 out of the 13 seasons during that stretch. What was the one consistent thing on all those teams? You guessed it – Peyton Manning.

Manning also led the NFL in most passing touchdowns in a season on four separate occasions!

Manning in the Playoffs

In my opinion, Manning definitely cracks the top five quarterbacks of all time and the only reason he isn’t number one is because he only had two Superbowl victories. It was more of an argument five years ago but now that Tom Brady has half a dozen rings it’s an unwinnable argument. Brady is also playing into his 40s due to extensive focus regarding his workout and nutrition.

Two Superbowl wins is nothing to scoff at but it’s the large amount of playoff blunders that hurt Peyton’s resume. A big difference between him and Brady is the first few years as a starter. Brady reached the top of the mountain three times in his first four season starting for the Patriots. Meanwhile it took Manning six seasons to get his first playoff win, despite being in the playoffs three out of his first five years.

The good news is the Manning seemed to find his footing after his first Superbowl victory in 2006. Counting the 2006 Superbowl year, he went 11-7 in his final 18 playoff games. This includes a 4-0 record in AFC Championships, beating Brady three times in those games. It looks like Peyton became more and more clutch as his career went on.

Christian McCaffrey Signs Contract Extension

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April 15, 2020

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Christian McCaffrey runs down the field for the Carolina Panthers

Colorado native Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers was rewarded for his eye-popping production Monday.

Christian McCaffrey Contract Extension

McCaffrey agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $64 million, according to multiple reports, giving him an average salary of $16 million that tops the running back pay scale. He turns 24 in June and is now under contract with the Panthers through the 2025 season. He has 2020 and the 2021 fifth-year option remaining on his rookie deal.

Related: Christian McCaffrey Workout

The eighth overall draft pick in 2017, McCaffrey is the second-oldest son of former Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey. He’s a Valor Christian High School graduate and ranks among the league’s top current players:

*Rushing: Eighth in carries (623), fifth in rushing yards (2,920) and tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns (24).

*Receiving: Among running backs, first in catches (303, 60 more than second-place Alvin Kamara of New Orleans) and receiving yards (2,523). He also put up a crazy high number of touchdown catches (15), which tied for the league lead. McCaffrey set a running back record in 2018 with 107 catches and broke it last year with 116 receptions.

*All-purpose: Second in offensive touches (926) and first in yards from scrimmage (5,443). After averaging 30 touches per game his final two years at Stanford, McCaffrey has averaged 19.3 touches per game in the NFL.

“McCaffrey is a great player,” Jacksonville coach Doug Marrone said last October. “He can run well inside, outside and he’s deadly in space. … You almost want to put a corner on him, because what’s unique about him is not only is he outstanding with the route tree out of the backfield, he’s also outstanding with the route tree when he’s lined up as a receiver.”

Panthers new coach on McCaffrey

The Panthers have transitioned to coach Matt Rhule and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater this offseason. But the offense designed by new coordinator Joe Brady will continue to go through McCaffrey.

“Christian is obviously a special player,” Rhule said at the scouting combine. “He takes care of himself at an elite level.”

The first-year coach added this last week: “I think Christian McCaffrey is a centerpiece player that you can build around. And I think he really builds to the culture that you want to have within the building.”

Based on average salary, the Christian McCaffrey contract extension is the new running back leader, eclipsing Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott ($15 million). He also tops the New York Jets’ Le’Veon Bell ($13.125 million) and the Broncos’ Melvin Gordon ($8 million).

Related: Highest Paid NFL Players

Tennessee’s Derrick Henry ($10.278 million) and Arizona’s Kenyan Drake ($8.843 million) are playing this year under the franchise and transition tags, respectively.

“(McCaffrey) runs through arm tackles, he’ll make you miss, he’ll run right through you and he’ll outrun you,” San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said last season. “He can do everything, and that’s what really makes it hard (for defenses).”

This article was first published by the Denver Post.

Christian McCaffrey Workout

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April 13, 2020

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Christian McCaffrey doing a row during a back workout with a dumbbell

Christian McCaffrey has been an absolute workhorse during his short time in the NFL. He’s one of the best running backs in the game today and overall athletes. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he is a beast in the gym. Let’s take a look at what the Christian McCaffrey workout plan looks like.

College Career

McCaffrey attended Stanford University from 2014-2016, totaling over 5,000 yards from scrimmage, 3,922 of which were rushing.

His breakout year was his sophomore season in 2015 when he rushed for over 2,000 yards in just 14 games. McCaffrey led Stanford to a victory at the Rose Bowl to cap off a 12-2 season for the Cardinals.

After another productive Junior season and being named to the All-Pac-12 first team, McCaffrey declared for the NFL draft.

NFL Career

Drafted 8^th overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2017 NFL draft, McCaffrey has been a stud all three seasons. He’s rushed for 1,000 yards and posted 800 yards rushing in each of the last two seasons.

In the 2019 season, Christian posted 1,387 rushing yards combined with 1,005 receiving yards. His performance placed him third in NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting and a spot in the Pro Bowl. McCaffrey broke the record for most receptions in an NFL season by a running back with 116. This proves that this guy isn’t just a threat on the ground.

Christian McCaffrey Workout

Like Saquon Barkley’s routine, McCaffrey trains for speed and power which he defines as the two most important attributes for a running back. He spends his offseason trying to improve those two parts of his game while staying at a weight that fits his game best, which is about 210 pounds.

No need to overbulk in his opinion. Speed is more lethal. His trainer, Brian Kula, says the objective is to enhance his “mass-specific force”. They’ve identified the ideal weight for McCaffrey to play at, now they just focus on the force output.

“At his ideal playing weight, how much force can we produce to get that body to move as fast as it can possibly go?”

– Brian Kula, McCaffrey’s trainer

The Christian McCaffrey workout regime consists of a five-day cycle operating Monday through Friday. This generally includes three intensive lifting workouts, one football-specific movement workout, and an active recovery day. So, his schedule will look something like this:

Monday: Heavy Lifting

Tuesday: Heavy Lifting

Wednesday: Active Recovery Day

Thursday: Heavy Lifting

Friday: Speed, Football-Specific

Intensive Lifting Days

Prior to every intense workout session, McCaffrey will start off with dynamic warm-up routines that focus on linear and lateral movements. This is to promote improvement in his lateral and linear speed and power movements while on the football field.

Related: Aaron Donald Workout

When lifting for power, which is a specific goal for McCaffrey, the repetitions remain low. We’re talking in the range of 2-5 reps. This is to maximize his force output and limit his time under tension, which is important for keeping him fresh and reducing soreness.

Lifting for Power

If Christian were to work in a higher rep range, he would promote hypertrophy (muscle growth) instead of power, as well as increase the chance of soreness which could affect his on-field performance when it comes time for the NFL season.

McCaffrey focuses on heavy, core exercises for his power movements and cites the trap-bar deadlift as the most important. He can pull over 550 pounds for three reps! No wonders he’s jacked and can also run like the wind.

An interesting aspect of his power workouts is that each core exercise is paired with a plyometric movement. This is based on the post-activation potentiation effect, which is a phenomenon that shows an increase in force output when a heavy resistance exercise precedes a high-velocity movement.

For example, McCaffrey will do heavy sets of squats and then follow it up with sets of box jumps. Or deadlifts followed by sprints. The goal of this is to have a more forceful muscular contraction during the second exercise than you would without performing the first exercise prior to it.

Christian McCaffrey Sprint Workout

As previously mentioned, McCaffrey focuses on speed and conditioning training at least once a week with the goal of keeping his mechanics keen. Instead of doing endless sprints like he used to, Christian focuses on a more football-related approach.

McCaffrey mimics a two-minute drill and runs routes every 10-15 yards as he simulates marching down the field. He’ll then walk back and repeat the drill a few times. This is a big part of his conditioning but it’s also a way to keep his program sport specific.

Related: DK Metcalf Workout

He doesn’t need to be able to sprint the entire length of the field ten straight times in a game. Overdoing it just wears him out and he’s even said he’s felt himself “getting slower” when he used to run an unnecessary amount for his conditioning.

Active Recovery Days

Another big part of the McCaffrey’s workout schedule is the active recovery day. This usually falls mid-week and cuts up the heavy lifting into smaller bunches to give his body a break. Most of these days will consist of massage and chiropractic work to help heal his body after it being broken down almost every other day.

But it’s not a day of nothing, hence the active in active recovery. McCaffrey has also been known to do pool workouts and lots and lots of stretching.

Diet and Nutrition

Finally, McCaffrey is a big routine person if you couldn’t tell already. I mean he wouldn’t be as successful as he is when it comes to his training if he wasn’t. That’s why he puts extra focus on his nutrition. The key to his nutrition? Similar to Tom Brady’s nutrition plan – the right foods and sleep.

Christian hired a chef, who used results from the NFL player’s bloodwork, to construct the most efficient diet to keep him at his performance peak. McCaffrey first had to cut out foods that his body was sensitive to like chicken, tuna, wheat, and soy. Here is a typical day of eating for the Panthers running back:

Breakfast: Egg Yolks, sweet potato hash, fruit, oats

Lunch: Bison chile, potatoes, vegetables

Dinner: Steak, sweet potatoes, avocado

In addition to eating right, McCaffrey tries to get at least eight hours of sleep every night plus an additional nap after lunch. This gives his body plenty of time to rest with his intense workout schedule.

Tavaris Jackson Dies in Car Crash

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April 13, 2020

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Tavaris Jackson as a member of the Minnesota Vikings

Former Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson died Sunday night in a car crash. He was 36.

A Tennessee State spokesperson confirmed Jackson’s death to ESPN. Jackson was the Tigers’ quarterbacks coach in 2019 after spending a year as a quality control and quarterbacks coach at his alma mater, Alabama State.

Tavaris Jackson Dies in Car Crash in Alabama

According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Jackson was involved in a single-vehicle crash at 8:50 p.m. Sunday; the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro he was driving left the roadway, struck a tree and then overturned. Jackson was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The crash occurred approximately 7 miles south of Jackson’s hometown of Montgomery, Alabama.

It’s awful that his family of five has to experience a life-changing event like this. Lots of former teammates and coaches expressed their condolences.

Jackson’s NFL Career

Jackson started 21 regular-season and playoff games for the Vikings but was a backup for most of his five seasons in Minnesota. The 6-foot-2 quarterback helped the Vikings win the NFC North title in 2008 before his sole postseason appearance, a wild-card loss to Philadelphia.

The Vikings expressed their condolences in a team statement on Monday.

“The entire Vikings family is saddened by the news of Tarvaris Jackson being taken from us too soon. One of Tarvaris’ greatest attributes was his positive outlook and approach. He genuinely cared about others, was a good friend and will be missed by family, teammates and Vikings fans everywhere. We send our deepest condolences to his family.”

Brett Favre on Jackson’s Class

Jackson ended his time in Minnesota as Brett Favre’s backup for the 2009-10 seasons. Favre remembered Jackson as “pure class.”

“Tarvaris could have been anything but welcoming, but [instead he] was pure class and as good a teammate as any I’ve played with,” Favre said in a statement. “[I’m] proud to call him friend!! Such sad news.”

Jackson signed with Seattle as a free agent in 2011 and won over the Seahawks’ locker room during his lone season as a starter by playing through a partially-torn pectoral muscle on his throwing side. He did not register a snap with the Bills.

Former players speak out after Tavaris Jackson dies

Tavaris seemed like a great teammate based on all of the stories and kind words spoken by his former teammates and coaches. He was a joy to have in the locker room even if he didn’t make a huge difference on the field.

When returned to Seattle in 2013 and was Russell Wilson’s backup in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl XLVIII victory over the Denver Broncos. Jackson was a serious dual-threat quarterback and fit in very well backing up Wilson during the Legion of Boom years.

This article was first published by ESPN.

Free agent LeSean McCoy Not Done Yet

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April 13, 2020

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LeSean McCoy, while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, jumping over a defender

LeSean McCoy said he isn’t ready to retire despite his decline in production the past two seasons. In fact, he believes he has multiple seasons left in the NFL.

“I really just want to play two more years,” McCoy said Friday in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I talk to Frank [Gore] about this. He always tells me, ‘Never put a ceiling on your career. Hey, if you feel good and you do well, do another one year and vice versa. If it doesn’t go well, just let your body talk to you.’ My body feels fine.”

Lesean McCoy is a free agent

The 31-year-old free-agent running back, who completed his 11th NFL season in 2019, added: “My body feels good. So I will let my body speak for when I want to be done.”

McCoy, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, said he has “a couple teams that I’m looking at.”

“I’m just waiting for the right moment,” he said. “This stuff is tricky now, because there’s no visits. There’s no real activities with the teams as much as it used to be. The thing I can control is just making the right choice, going to an offense that fits. I want to go to a team that’s a winning franchise that have all the right pieces that’s waiting for me. That veteran running back to help the room out. To add a spark. The teams I’m looking at right now are those teams. I won’t discuss who they are. I look forward to probably after the draft or right before the draft, signing on with a team.”

McCoy looking forward to mentor role

McCoy’s playing time with the Kansas City Chiefs dwindled as last season went on; he was inactive for the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LIV, but that didn’t diminish his satisfaction at finally being on a Super Bowl winner. He said in the interview he was happy to cross that off his “bucket list.”

McCoy said he embraces his role as a veteran mentor, just like Brian Westbrook did for him when he was a rookie with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009.

“If I could be that guy to help that young superstar to emerge into that superstar superstar, I would love to do that,” he said.

After rushing for 465 yards last season, Shady is ranked third among active players with 11,071 in his career, behind only Gore and Adrian Peterson. Like LeSean McCoy, Gore also is a free agent, and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told NFL Network last month that his client plans to play in 2020.

This article was first published by ESPN.

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