NFL Rumors: Mike McDaniel gives 1 key reason for Chase Claypool trade
Leave it to Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to rehabilitate ex-Bears wideout Chase Claypool.
The Bears traded Claypool to the Dolphins for essentially a sixth-rounder, finally ridding themselves of a lost cause. During Claypool's short stint in Chicago, the Bears had never won a game that Claypool had played. The former Steelers draft pick had some redeeming qualities but ultimately rubbed the Bears' franchise the wrong way with his lackluster effort and seemingly immature attitude early this season.
Remember, this is the guy who celebrated a first down when Pittsburgh was losing in the final seconds of a game and had no timeouts.
Unceremoniously ousted from Chicago, Claypool enters Miami on his third flyer and joins a dominant Dolphins offense firing on all cylinders. Some Fins fans may have been asking why Miami traded for Claypool in the first place because, well, he hasn't been very good lately.
Head coach Mike McDaniel gives a rather succinct answer: He's fast.
McDaniel regurgitated the same messages that the Bears relayed when they traded for Claypool back in 2022. Can Claypool change the narrative in Miami? It helps that he doesn't have as high expectations as he did in Chicago, and he likely won't take on a starting role.
Looking at the physique and build of the other Dolphins' wideouts, it makes sense as to why McDaniel brought on Claypool in exchange for peanuts. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Braxton Berrios, the team's top three receivers, all stand 5-foot-10 or shorter and weigh less than 200 pounds. Claypool, on the other hand, looms at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds and could develop into a valuable red zone target.
Also, he's fast.
NFL Rumors: Ron Rivera slammed for Commanders' lack of 'intensity' in Week 5's loss to Bears
Riverboat Ron no more, the Washington Commanders head coach is under fire for his team's pitiful 40-20 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday night.
The Commanders dug themselves a 27-3 hole by halftime and were unable to muster a comeback. Falling to the previously win-less Bears was nothing short of humiliating for Washington, and after the game, minority owner Magic Johnson went off on the team for failing to "compete in the first half" and playing with "no intensity".
Johnson, who is part of the new ownership group following the Dan Snyder fiasco, has a point. The Commanders' defense had no business giving up 27 points to Chicago in a single half, and the offense was outscored 307-84 in total yards at halftime.
One of Ron Rivera's second-half decisions particularly drew the ire of Commanders fans, many of whom believe the Rivera-Del Rio era is over.
Late in the third quarter, Rivera opted to kick a field goal rather than try to convert a 4th-and-2. The Commanders were down 27-14 at the time.
Joey Slye's missed 46-yarder in the fourth would stamp out any remaining hope from the Commanders to complete the comeback, and the team suffered its third consecutive loss of the season.
Rivera is now 24-30-1 in his head coaching tenure in Washington, and there are few stats that suggest he's doing a good job. His last three seasons ended in losing or tied records; since he took over in 2020, the Commanders have been outscored 744-492 in the first half of games.
Increased "intensity" would probably help Washington start games on the right foot. Maybe it's time to give Eric Bieniemy the reins and inject fresh blood into this low-spirited Commanders team.
NFL Rumors: 49ers GM John Lynch not worried about Cowboys' spy Trey Lance
The Dallas Cowboys will play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night in one of the most highly touted matchups of the regular season. History favors the West Coast side, but could the Cowboys benefit from a spy?
The two teams have butted heads in each of the last two postseasons with the 49ers coming out on top both times. The Cowboys are grinding their teeth looking for long-awaited revenge against their NFC rivals, and they may run through every tactic to finally thwart the 49ers.
One tactic could be picking ex-49ers quarterback Trey Lance's brain for inside information. Lance was traded to the Cowboys this past offseason, joining Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush in the quarterback room.
He has yet to feature in a game for the Cowboys this season, yet the Cowboys may value him more for what secrets he can divulge about his former team.
49ers GM John Lynch isn't concerned, though. He said on Friday, "There is information you can share. My experience with that as a player is it tends to screw you up more than it does help you. I mean, this isn't the Houston Astros banging a drum for fastballs. [Lance] can't do that over there. And now, everything's through the headset."
Lynch added, "I do know that playing the quarterback position, he's probably been more privy to a lot of the scheme thoughts and all that, but I don't think there's a whole lot."
Lance, a 2021 No. 3 overall pick by San Francisco, spent two years with the 49ers and played in just eight games. While there may be a tip or two Lance can offer his new team, the Cowboys and 49ers have played against each other enough in recent history that each team's coaches should already have a stout game plan in mind.
May the superior NFC team win.
