But what makes a
great NFL player is a lot more than that. It’s those..." Raiders Draft
2019Raiders rookie safety Johnathan Abram ‘sounds like a veteran’ on practice
fieldNew
Antonio Brown Raiders Jersey ,21commentsPDTWe have plenty of film on Johnathan Abram that shows he takes good angles and packs a load when he gets to
the ball carrier. But what makes a great NFL player is a lot more than that.
It’s those intangible things. The things that may not show up on film, but show
up in the play of the defense.Things like smarts, instincts, and leadership.
With just 8 OTA practices under their belts, the Raiders pick at 27 overall has
already showed he has those intangibles.“He’s smart. He’s real smart,” Defensive
Coordinator Paul Guenther said of Abram. “From a rookie player with all the
stuff the safeties have to know, he’s on top of it each and every day.”Middle
linebackers get dubbed the quarterback of the defense, but the safeties must
line up the secondary as well, which mean they must be vocal. That’s not always
easy for a rookie to do as they are still feeling their way around and it can be
tough to try tell veterans what to do. Apparently Abram isn’t having those
issues.“As I stand in the back of the defense and I hear him communicate, he
doesn’t sound like a rookie player, he sounds like a veteran player out
there
Womens Antonio Brown Jersey , so that’s encouraging,” Guenther continued.Through most of OTA’s, Abram has taken the field with the second team.
Tuesday according to at least one observer, he saw some time with the first team
alongside Karl Joseph, with Erik Harris playing second team.Few have filled that
role better than Charles Woodson did for three years until his retirement after
the 2015 season. Not only is Abram sporting Woodson’s number, he seems to be
channeling that swagger. The Raiders gave him a tough number and legacy to
follow. “Big expectations, big shoes to fill, that’s what I see,” said
Guenther.Abram doesn’t suffer for confidence. Just ask 8-year veteran linebacker
Tahir Whitehead. He came to the Raiders prior to last season and played nearly
ever snap on defense. Abram had words for him too.“I’m always going back and
forth with him, he likes to talk a lot,” Whitehead said of Abram. “That’s my
guy. I love it. Young guy going in there
Antonio Brown Jersey White , you’re coming in and you’re showing how confident you are. I love that because we can build off of that. That’s what we
need, we need more guys that are confident in their skillset and then you’re
bringing that to the team. That’s going to take us a long way.”The next open
media availability is mandatory minicamp June 11-13. We’ll see at that time if
Abram sees more first team work. The Raiders are clearly envisioning him as a
starter sooner rather than later.Follow @LeviDamien There was a moment when
Jared Cook might have still been available to the Patriots. That moment seems to
have passed.According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Saints’ contract with
the free agent tight end will be signed today.Via Jeff Duncan of the , Saints
coach Sean Payton said during this morning’s coaches breakfast: “My
understanding is he’s signed (with the Saints). We’re excited to have him.”It’s
a two-year deal worth $15.5 million, with $8 million of it guaranteed this
year.That’s a solid payday for the nearly-32-year-old Cook, and a big get for
the Saints offense.The Patriots were interested in him previously, and after the
somewhat surprising retirement of Rob Gronkowski, the door was open for them to
make another run. They made similar overtures to wide receiver Adam Humphries
after it was reported he had agreed to a deal with the Titans.But Cook will be a
Saint, and he can continue to gush about the idea of catching passes from Drew
Brees, after his career season with the Raiders.
