Patriots reportedly signing veteran OT Riley Reiff, expect him to start

 

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Riley Reiff (71) lines up during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Atlanta. The Atlanta Falcons won 27-24. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)

 

By ANDREW CALLAHAN | acallahan@bostonherald.com

PUBLISHED: March 15, 2023 at 10:07 a.m. | UPDATED: March 15, 2023 at 10:20 a.m.

 

The Patriots are expected to sign free-agent offensive tackle Riley Reiff, according to ESPN.

Reiff, an 11-year veteran, started 10 games last season at right tackle with the Bears but can play both sides. The Patriots expect him to win a starting job in training camp, per The Athletic.

Reiff started his career at left tackle and has enjoyed previous stints in Detroit (2012-16), Minnesota (’17-20), Cincinnati (2021) and Chicago (2022). Last season, Reiff allowed pressure on 6.1% of his pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and posted an average run-blocking grade. In New England, he joins Trent Brown and the newly-signed Calvin Anderson as the top contenders to start at offensive tackle next season.

The Patriots had a revolving door at right tackle last year between Isaiah Wynn, Yodny Cajuste and Conor McDermott. Reiff might also serve as a swing tackle if Brown, Anderson and/or a draft pick win the starting jobs. The 34-year-old is a former captain who also crossed paths with Pats interior lineman James Ferentz in college Iowa.

Before reaching terms with Reiff, the Pats re-signed McDermott and tendered Cajuste, a restricted free agent.

In a postseason press conference, Bears GM Ryan Poles raved about Reiff’s impact on his young team.

“That guy did more than a lot of people think for that O-line room and the mentality,” Poles said. “When I first got here, I wasn’t fired up on how we protected the quarterback in terms of getting ’em off the ground and that attitude and that physicality. He’s a reason why we ran the ball so well. We finished. We had an attitude. We had an identity and that’s a lot because of guys like him.”

Riley played only one snap in the Patriots’ 33-14 loss to Chicago last October, but started the team’s final 10 games. He also started all 12 games he played in with the Bengals in 2021.

Nate Ebner: The best Buckeye value from 6th round of the modern NFL Draft

 

These Scarlet and Gray legends produced the highest ROI relative to when they were selected in the NFL Draft.

By Josh Dooley  

Mar 17, 2023, 5:01pm EDT  

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Since 1936, the first year in which an official pro football draft took place, 481 Ohio State Buckeyes have been selected in the NFL Draft. Two players – Russ Thomas and Bob Meyers – were actually drafted into the NFL twice, in back-to-back (but separate) years. And 14 of those 481 former Buckeyes were also taken in the AFL Draft, including the legendary Hall of Fame wideout Paul Warfield. That makes 497 total draft picks for OSU since Gomer Jones was selected by the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals nearly a century ago.

Of the nearly 500 Buckeyes taken, hundreds have enjoyed successful pro careers, while others flamed out and/or never playing a snap after their time in Columbus. The Ohio State football program has produced NFL Hall of Famers, Pro Bowlers, Players and Rookies of the Year, ten-year tackling dummies, one-and-doners, monumental busts, and everything in between.

All of these former OSU football players share one thing in common, which is their affiliation with THE greatest university on the planet. Conversely, one thing that sets them all apart is their varying degrees of success (or lack thereof) in the NFL.

Another way to look at it is in terms of value. Each of these players produced value – positive or negative – for the team which drafted them. And that is what I am going to look at in the weeks leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. I am going to attempt to identify the seven best Scarlet and Gray values, picking only one player from each round (length of the modern draft, and going in reverse order).

Before we get started, “best” and “most” must be sorted out. Best value is not the same as most valuable. And most valuable is not same as best value. Warfield, Eddie George, Orlando Pace, Jack Tatum, or Jim Parker would inarguably be among the most valuable (former) Buckeyes at the professional level. All became team captains, Pro Bowlers, eventual Hall of Famers, you name it. But they were also taken within the first 20 picks of their respective drafts, whereas Dick LeBeau made the NFL Hall of Fame as a fifth-rounder.

I might argue that LeBeau was the better overall value because of where/when he was drafted. But going round by round means I do not have to choose between Pace or LeBeau, which is a good thing because there are already plenty of difficult decisions ahead... Without further ado, let’s go bargain shopping.

Round 6: Nate Ebner, Safety

Ebner, a world-class rugby player, joined the Ohio State football team as a walk-on safety in 2009. While obviously familiar with the game, he never even played football for his high school team. And he was a third-year college student by the time he walked on in Columbus! Out of practice and out of his natural element, Ebner’s physicality and aggressiveness earned him an unlikely spot on the roster.

But in three seasons as a Buckeye, he made little if any impact at his DB position. Instead, Ebner made his mark on special teams. Blessed with good speed (4.5 in the 40), he sprinted down the field with reckless abandon on kick coverage. He was known for his win-at-all-costs mentality and willingness to sacrifice his body. Because of his mental makeup and toughness, he quickly garnered respect as a leader on the gridiron. He also earned the nickname “Leonidas” for his resemblance to actor Gerard Butler in the movie 300.

By the end of 2009, Ebner was already considered one of OSU’s best special teams players. And if you remember anything about those Jim Tressel-coached Buckeyes, you remember the emphasis placed on special teams. So to be mentioned as one of the best players on that unit was a real honor, and speaks volumes about how he was viewed by coaches and teammates.

The rugby-playing walk-on more than earned his spot on the roster during the next few seasons. He accumulated 30 special teams tackles during his Ohio State career, but made a larger impact than the stats would tell you. By 2011, Ebner was on scholarship and voted the team’s most inspirational player, as well as its best special teamer.

He also excelled in the classroom, earning All-Academic Big Ten each season he played for OSU. Ebner epitomized what it meant (and means) to be a Buckeye, and was revered by those in the program. His reputation and pro day performance would go on to earn him an unlikely opportunity in the NFL.

As most players do – even if they are not believed to be a highly-coveted draft prospect – Ebner participated in Ohio State’s pro day held after the 2011 season. Despite his limited role, NFL teams and personnel took notice. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, had a 39.5 inch vertical jump, and benched 225 pounds 23 times. At 6-feet and just over 200 pounds, he was viewed as a special athlete. Against all odds, the New England Patriots selected Ebner with pick No. 197 in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL draft.

And wouldn’t you know, he contributed right away as a rookie, finishing second on the Pats in special teams tackles and playing close to forty snaps as a safety. Ebner became a roster mainstay in short order and enjoyed plenty of success over the next eight seasons as a core special teamer with virtually no “traditional” positional value.

Ebner won three Super Bowls with New England, was named Second-Team All Pro in 2016, and received unusually high praise from Bill Belichick. The legendary coach once said of the former Buckeye:

“His development has really been outstanding. I would probably put him in the, not the all-time top, but maybe in the top-five percent all time of players that I’ve coached, from where they were in college to how they grew in the NFL.”

The Pats never won fewer than 11 regular season games with Ebner on their roster, although Tom Brady’s presence also played a role in the team’s unprecedented success. But Ebner was a key contributor. Furthermore, he was revered by coaches and teammates and provided leadership and attitude not easily found elsewhere.

Ebner spent years 9 and 10 of his NFL career with the New York Giants, for whom he last suited up in 2021... A decade in the league for a rugby-playing safety, taken in the sixth round of the draft, with one career pass breakup. Pretty unique. And pretty damn impressive.

Ebner only totaled 105 tackles, but played in 133 games during his NFL career — which again, lasted 10 seasons. He received an All-Pro nod in 2016 and legitimately contributed to three Super Bowl-winning teams in New England. While his traditional stats do not jump off the page, there is absolutely no question that Ebner provided tremendous value as a sixth-round draft pick.

Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone might enlist Josh Cribbs and Phil Dawson to help Cade York, returners

 

Updated: Mar. 10, 2023, 9:36 a.m.|

Published: Mar. 09, 2023, 4:59 p.m.

By Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio - New Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone played with former Browns All-Pro kicker Phil Dawson during Ventrone’s four years here as a special teamer, so he has the bar set high for Cade York at FirstEnergy Stadium.

But after scouting York, the Browns’ fourth-round pick out of LSU last season, when Ventrone was special teams coordinator of the Colts in 2022, he’s can’t wait to get his hands on him.

“It’s not too often you get to actually coach a guy you rank coming out of college at the highest at that position,” Ventrone said on a video conference Thursday. “Last year, grading all of the specialists, the kickers and the punters, I had Cade at the highest. I’m fortunate to be able to coach him this year. I think that he obviously can improve. We’re just going to coach him up, and we’re going to be as good as we can in the kicking phase.”

Ventrone might even enlist the services of Dawson, one of the best kickers in the history of the NFL, to help accelerate York’s progress. After York was drafted last April, he talked to Dawson for about 40 minutes about treacherous conditions at FirstEnergy Stadium and passionate Browns fans, but it might be time for another check-in after York went 10 for 16 at home, and 24 of 32 overall on field goals. He also had three blocked as a rookie.

“I actually touched base with Phil Dawson last year – we played at San Francisco – because he had kicked out there and put our kicker back then – it was (Michael) Badgley – in touch with him just to give him some insight on how the stadium was with the wind and things like that,” Ventrone said. “I think that would be a good resource for Cade honestly to reach out to Phil at some point, which he probably has already.”

Likewise, Ventrone might call on former Browns return ace Josh Cribbs to help inspire the Browns’ ball handlers. A first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, Cribbs has 11 returns for touchdowns, including eight on kickoffs and three on punts. The eight are tied for second in NFL history.

“Both of those guys would be great resources to bring into our room and talk at some point,” Ventrone said.

While he embraces the power of a big return or game-winning kick, Ventrone won’t swing for the fences.

“Just being able to impact the game is what we want to do,” he said. “First, we’re going to emphasize fundamentals and technique, and then those big plays will come. We’re not going to reach for them.”

Ventrone also understands the mentality of York, who’s such a perfectionist it can be hard to shake off a mistake. It’s one of the first areas he’ll emphasize with his young charge.

“The kicking position, I feel like the best guys, the guys that have the most successful and the best kickers – I have been around quite a bit Phil Dawson, (Adam) Vinatieri, (Stephen) Gostkowski – and the guys who I have coached in Indianapolis – Chase (McLaughlin) this past year-had a good year and (Michael) Badgley – those guys have done a good job of putting misses to bed and moving on and not being so caught up in missing a kick,” Ventrone said. “It’s how fast you can make the correction and then move on to the next kick. I have not had a chance to sit down and actually meet with Cade, but that will be one of the things that I am going to influence for him.”

If Ventrone can have the same impact on York that he had on McLaughlin, the former Browns kicker, in Indy last year, York will be kicking pretty. McLaughlin went 4 for 10 from 40-49 yards in 2021 with the Browns, and improved to 9 of 11 from that distance last season under Ventrone, who led top-10 units in Indy in each of the past three seasons.

“I feel like I have a good understanding of the techniques that are played within the scheme,” Ventrone said. “I’ve actually done it in my career. That’s all I did really. I feel like I have maybe a little bit more insight into the true intricacies of the techniques. I am big, big, big – we will drill it to death – on the fundamentals of the game: footwork, hat placement and playing with the base. I’m going to emphasize that ad nauseam to our players, and ultimately, that’s going to get us the best results. You can’t do anything unless you have good fundamentals and technique. That starts from Day 1.”

You can bet that when Bubba speaks, York will listen.