3-2-1: Reuben Foster poised to return to Washington football
After a sluggish start and stumble, the NFL preseason camps seems to be rounding into something more familiar as players and their story lines begin to take center stage.
Today, we provide you with three things we’ve learned about Alabama’s players in the NFL, ask two questions, and make one prediction.
Three things we've learned
1. Reuben Foster poised to return
On Sunday, the Washington Football team activated linebacker Reuben Foster off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
His removal from the list shows he is trending in the right direction after missing all of last season after suffering injuries to ligaments on his left leg in May 2019.
Foster has yet to play a down of football since joining the team in November of 2018 after San Francisco waived him following then-unresolved domestic issues off the field.
Foster recorded 84 tackles in 16 career games, and he should prove a force for Washington should he prove healthy.
2. DT A'Shawn Robinson's availability thrown into doubt
The Los Angeles Rams placed Robinson on the non-football injury list on Saturday after a health issue was discovered during a routine check. The Athletic's Jordan Rodrigue reported on Sunday that Robinson's condition was cardiovascular in nature.
The fact that Robinson did not hit the injured reserve list suggest the Rams hope to bring him back sooner rather than later. However, if he remains on the NFI list when final preseason roster decisions are made Robinson will have to miss the first eight games of the season.
“I think most importantly (Robinson) is in a great place and he’s looking forward to really just getting around the guys and partaking in the meetings, the above-the-neck work that he can do," Rams coach Sean McVay said to reporters on Sunday. "And then we’ll be excited about when he can return to the physical part as well.”
3. Players return from Reserve/COVID-19 list
Over the weekend, both defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (Miami) and defensive back Savion Smith (Dallas) were activated off the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Davis' time on the list was exceptionally short-lived since he didn't receive that designation until Thursday.
Only two former players, defensive back Shyheim Carter (Jets) and linebacker Terrell Lewis (Rams), remain on the list.
Two Questions
1. What should we expect of Calvin Ridley in year three and is 1,000 receiving yards a lock?
In 2019, Ridley caught 63 passes for 866 yards and seven touchdowns before missing the final three games with an abdominal injury.
Had he maintained that pace, Ridley would have finished with 1,066 yards. It's a fact the former Alabama receiver didn't fail to notice.
"I'm not going to lie, I'm real hungry to show people that I'm easily a 1,000-yard receiver, easily - and even better," Ridley said to the media last week. "I think that's what it is for me. I'm always confident in myself, and I'm just really hungry and want to help the team win as much as I can."
Ridley said he expects even more work to come his way this season now that he is the unquestioned No. 2 receiver for the first time in his professional career. Mohamed Sanu previously split that role with Ridley until he was traded to the Patriots last October.
That's already been proven true.
Ridley averaged 8.17 targets per game after that trade. He averaged only 6.29 targets when Sanu was still on the roster.
2. Could Jonah Williams be Alabama's comeback player of the year?
William's position as an offensive lineman robs him of the visibility that the Tua Tagovailoas or even the Reuben Fosters of the world receive. Williams won't get his chance to fill up the box score, but that shouldn't disqualify him from consideration.
The offensive tackle missed his entire rookie season with a shoulder injury, but that doesn't seem to have stopped Williams from making the most of 2019.
"He looks like a pro, he doesn't look like a college kid anymore," Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. "His build and physique he kind of changed, not completely. But (when) he walked up to get tested when he first got here, I was like, 'Woo, hey, Jonah it's good to see you man.' He worked as hard as anybody last year. He was in every meeting. He was working on his own. He is well prepared to take that spot."
Williams' task will be even more important this year as he is tasked with guarding the No. 1 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, quarterback Joe Burrow.
The former LSU Tiger will likely receive a lot of the credit for any success the Bengals experience this season, but let's not forget the guy Pro Football Focus ranked ahead of all other offensive tackles in 2019.
One prediction
1. The best fantasy rosters built around Alabama players won't feature Julio Jones.
Five Alabama players are currently going in the first three rounds so you can't expect to draft all of them.
Current average draft positions according to ESPN:
RB Derrick Henry- 7th
WR Julio Jones- 11th
RB Kenyan Drake- 20th
RB Josh Jacobs- 24th
WR Amari Cooper- 28th
Most drafts this year feature running backs dominating at the top (six of the first seven picks on average). That's in large part because drafters feel they can grab quality wide receivers later on while there are only a few true work horse running backs.
That's true of Alabama players as well. Mark Ingram is the only running back projected to start that is going later in drafts. If you want more Alabama receivers, there's the aforementioned Ridley, plus rookies Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy.
That information alone makes all three backs worthy of picking ahead of Jones if building the ultimate Bama in the NFL roster is our goal.
Points scored per game in 2019 (point per reception leagues):
Henry- 19.64
Jones- 18.27
Drake- 15.3
Jacobs- 14.73
Cooper- 15.4
The numbers tell us Henry is both more valuable than Jones AND Henry plays a position with less quality options. So making him the first choice is simple.
But what if you miss out on the Titans running back? I'd argue against drafting Jones then as well.
Not only can you find wide receivers later in the draft, but it's possible both Drake and Jacobs take huge leaps this year that help them close the scoring gap with Jones. Under those circumstances it makes sense to try and grab one or both backs instead of Jones even if it means reaching just a bit.
I spelled out the case for Drake last week. To keep Jacobs' argument simple, he really fell off down the stretch last season due to injuries averaging only 10.3 points per game during his last four contests. For context, Jacobs averaged 16.7 points through his first nine games.
Ruggs should also help the Raiders keep opposing defenses honest. That can only help Jacobs in 2020.
Plus, there's still a good chance you can grab Cooper in the third round and while he might not be Alabama's best receiver he scores almost as well for fantasy purposes.
Suggested draft order:
1st- Henry
2nd- Drake OR Jacobs
3rd- Cooper
Remaining Alabama targets by position availible later in the draft.
RB: Ingram, Damien Harris
WR: Ridley, Ruggs, Jeudy