I know some of you had stars in your eyes after the Joe Milton draft pick - he's so big, strong, and fast. That continued after early reports from OTAs that had some of us agog over his arm strength. 'Will they create a package for him?' Pump the brakes, people. Hose off. Meditate. Save the crazy talk for crazy times.
Milton missed an OTA last week and was the least-repped quarterback in Tuesday's session, which makes sense. Of the four, the rookie from Tennessee has the longest road to travel. Despite spending six years in college - the first three at Michigan - Milton has thrown 302 fewer passes than Drake Maye, who is three years younger and who, as we have written over and over, has a long way to go. So where does that leave Milton? I'll tell you: with miles and miles to go before he sleeps.
"It's been very rewarding, but also a very humbling experience as well," Milton said after practice. "Coming from Tennessee, being the starter, and then coming here, you have other guys taking reps, it humbles you. At the same time, that's always been me - learning from the older guys, and when my time comes, I'll be ready."
Milton's approach has been simple: do what he's told and soak it all in, whether in meetings, film, or on-field.
"Just understanding that everything our quarterback coach and our OC says, AVP (Van Pelt) and T.C. (McCartney), they do a great job of telling you that your feet go along with your eyes," he said. "So whatever your feet are doing, your eyes should be doing the same," Milton said.
There's also the processing and decision-making, two critical components that separate real quarterbacks - quarterbacks who can start in this league - from the physical talents who can give you a moment or two - remembering some of you going pants off for Malik Cunningham last August - to those that see the game, go through their progressions and put the ball in the right spot.
"The number one trait with any quarterback, in my eyes – this is, I guess, a philosophical thing – it's just decision-making," said Jerod Mayo. "It's nice to have a big arm, but if you can't make the right decision, I mean, you'll be throwing cannonballs to the other side, to the other team. Accuracy, competitiveness, all that stuff is definitely important."
Will Milton access that part of his brain and body in the coming months? He didn't need to when playing Vanderbilt. He will when facing an NFL defense. And while Milton may not face the same critical eye classmate Maye will - he's the third overall pick, duh - internally, the Pats know there is great value in his development, and he will get their full attention. At worst, he becomes a cheap backup. At best, the 24-year-old becomes someone another team views as their starter and pays the price that comes with that.
IS IT NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY?
Dak Prescott said he doesn't play for money. If I'm Jerry Jones, I remind his agent of that when - if? - the two sides attempt to negotiate a new deal. The Cowboys have several pressing - and potentially massive - contracts to sort out, including Ceedee Lamb and Micah Parsons (two years from now). Prescott counts for $55.5 million against the salary cap, and an extension would allow Dallas to accommodate Lamb in the short term and Parsons, who still has another year before he's eligible to ink a new deal, in the long term. Considering those two are amongst the best at their positions, it would seem wise for Jerry to do so. But after declaring he was all in and then having to redefine that after doing very little, the aging boss and mouthpiece of/for 'The Star' has watched the market go bananas for QBs (Jared Goff got $170 million guaranteed), WRs (Justin Jefferson $110 million guaranteed), and edge rushers (Brian Burns and Jax's Josh Allen).
Lamb and Parsons both skipped out on OTAs (voluntary), but Parsons did show up for the mandatory mini-camp this week, even though he wasn't a full participant. The former Penn State star pointed to Aaron Donald winning the Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018, even though he, too, passed on this part of the calendar. "I'm just looking at a time for my body to heal," he said. "I'm playing as an undersized rusher who gets banged up every year. So I'm just letting my body heal. I'm just trying to grow, strengthen and really just get ready for the year.
"Understanding the business side of it, too. (My body) is all I have to offer the Cowboys. Before you sign a contract, you go through a physical. This is your engine. This is where all of my equity lies. I have no equity outside of this to offer them. So you have to understand that availability is the best ability. If I'm not available when it really matters because I'm banged up, or my body is not healing properly, or I didn't get all the rehab or treatment that I need to be successful, then that's on me. It's not on them. They'll just find the next me."
He's not lying. That may help explain Lamb's approach. He has been quiet and working out on his own. The parameters for his next deal have been set, and considering he has more receptions than Jefferson since entering the league, you can see how this might be troublesome for Dallas, especially if they ante up for Prescott. So maybe Jerry bites the bullet and lets Prescott play out the year, all while hoping Trey Lance finally delivers on the promise of being the 3rd overall pick in the 2021 draft (did you notice how they've been talking him up? Nothing like leveraging an eight-year starter with a guy who's shown little since coming into the league).
You might understand this part of the approach if you're a Cowboys fan. Prescott has only two playoff wins on his resume, and he hasn't exactly been nails in those moments. Combine that with a roster that has seemingly taken a step backward this offseason, and you have to wonder where this is all headed. Head coach Mike McCarthy has a reputation for developing younger signal callers, and maybe the Lance stuff is real. How they handle Prescott could be indicative of that or of an understanding that for as good as Dak has been, he's not 'it.' Either way, it will make for great theater.
WEIGHT WATCHER?
So, last week, I wrote about Lamar Jackson's weight loss in this space. I didn't realize this would be a weekly thing, but have you seen Tua Tagovailoa? My goodness, get that man a steak, potatoes, and a side of more steak and potatoes.
It hasn't gone unnoticed. Mike McDaniel called him "svelte." Tyreek Hill joked that Tua must be on Ozempic. Jaylen Waddle smiled and said he preferred a chubbier Tua. The team claims he's only down to around 220 pounds, which would be about 15 lower than he played at last year. Why would he go this route, especially after remaining healthy for all 17 regular season games and the one in the postseason?
"Honestly, it's just Tua trying to find another level of his game and another level of being a professional," said McDaniel. "It happens to a lot of players where all of a sudden you become pseudo-dieticians several years into your career, but definitely not at the start. Seeing ways that he could maintain the strength but create some more flexibility and power, or however you want to look at it.
"I think he's maturing as a professional and really going after the annual offseason of, 'How do we get better?'"
"I feel better," said Tagovailoa. "Quicker on my feet. More nimble. I can extend plays more."
Perhaps, but there's a definite risk in this. Tagovailoa is a pocket passer, and while he showed some playmaking ability at Alabama and then his first couple of years in the league, he's not a run-first, second, or third kind of player. He's a read-it-and-get-rid-of-it guy. That's a big reason why he's thrived in McDaniel's offense — that and adding Hill and Waddle to the toy chest.
In addition, there's the whole contract thing. Tagovailoa is still under team control for multiple seasons, including the fifth-year option and the possibility of the franchise or transitional tags. I'm not sure why they wouldn't retain that control, but as to a lengthy extension, to this point, the two sides have yet to find that sweet spot.
"Well, that's the tough part about it," he said. "That's why it's business. That's why you got one side and the other trying to work to, to meet the middle."
Tagovailoa admitted he's getting "antsy" about getting a deal done, especially since others at his position are getting paid, but he believes there's been some progress made.
"Just want to get something done," he said. "That's it."
The 26-year-old threw for 4,624 yards, 29 TDs, and 14 INTs last year.
KICKOFF RULES
I heard the best explanation of the new kickoff rule, courtesy of Rams special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn.
"It's almost like freeze tag. You're frozen until the ball is touched or hits the ground," he said. "And it's just such a unique play with its own rules set right now."
I'm not going to break down those rules. This is a notes column, after all. However, per NFL.com, the baseline is this:
"Kickoffs will remain at the 35-yard line, but the remaining 10 players on the kicking unit will line up at the opposing team's 40-yard line. The receiving team lines up with at least seven players in the "set-up zone," a five-yard area between their own 35- and 30-yard lines, with a maximum of two returners who can line up in the landing zone.
"After the ball is kicked, the kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line, and the 10 kicking team players cannot move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or goes into the end zone. The receiving team's players in the set-up zone also cannot move until the kick has hit the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone. The returner(s) may move at any time before or during the kickoff."
We saw the Pats practice this at Tuesday's OTA, and it was interesting. On about half their kickoffs, the kickers (Chad Ryland and Joey Slye) had the ball on its side instead of the normal upright position. There were no mishits, so it appears they're already comfortable with the approach. Or, as comfortable as you can be with someone brand new and not yet seen in an NFL game.
"We've learned a lot this spring," said Jags special teams coach Perry Farwell. "We'll learn more in training camp, maybe some in preseason, depending on how much people show. Week 1, everybody is going to show their cards, and this is a copycat league. We're all going to look at each other like every other phase.
"We'll watch each other. Because of the unknown, we're going to learn a ton from Week 1 to Week 2 of the season."
Jay Harbaugh, who is making the leap from college football to the Seahawks, agreed, noting all teams will be eyeballing each other to see "what works, what doesn't work, so I think you'll see probably for five, six, seven eight weeks, pretty rapid changes. And anyone with an advantage early will probably be able to keep that advantage for a little while until people catch up."
I don't love change. I'm old. Set in my ways. But making the play interesting is long overdue. I'll have to pencil my bathroom breaks for another time.
BITS AND PIECES
- Von Miller promises this year will be different. The Bills' big free agent signing in 2023 blew out his knee that first year and recorded zero sacks this past season. "I've been practicing without a knee brace. That's something that I just could not do last year," he said. Miller is 35 years old.
- Christian McCaffrey signed a two-year extension that guarantees him another $24 million through the 2027 season and is worth up to $38 million. Great for him, yet all but signals the end of Deebo Samuel in a San Fran uniform after this year, especially if they pay both Brandon Aiyuk this summer, and Brock Purdy next. To his credit, Samuel's been at OTAs. "At the end of the day, the contract was signed, I know what I signed up for, and we're just focused on this year."
- New Jet Haason Reddick has skipped OTAs, reportedly over his desire for a new deal. Robert Saleh says he expects Reddick to be in attendance for mandatory mini-camp, but that has yet to be confirmed by Reddick's side. In fact, Saleh said he has yet to speak to the edge rusher since the trade. Ummm, what? Word is Reddick is eyeing a two-year extension in the neighborhood of $45 million.