Jets
Jets DB Brandon Stephens is looking to bring his playmaking ability over to New York with his new team.
“Just being able to change the game,” Stephens said of his goal for 2025, via the team’s website. “Not trying to force your way into changing games but just being in the right spot at the right time.”
Stephens is coming from Baltimore, one of the best defensive back units in the league, and hopes that he can bring the success he experienced there over to New York.
“We have to prove ourselves each and every day,” Stephens said. “It starts on this practice field and that translates to Sundays. We’re just trying to be the best unit in the National Football League. We know that doesn’t come easy. We have to work for that and earn that. We have to stick to the process.”
Ravens
Ravens WR Rashod Bateman discussed his offseason, with the Cowboys emerging as serious contenders for his services in a trade before he signed an extension with Baltimore.
“I went through a lot of things with the Cowboys and all of that with my contract,” Bateman said, via NY Times. “There was a time when I didn’t know what was going to happen. (The Cowboys talks) were a thing, for sure. It was a possibility. I don’t want to deny that. But you know, DeCosta, he’s always making magic work, and he made it work. And I’m thankful for that.”
Bateman said that GM Eric DeCosta prioritized re-signing him, which made him feel like an important part of the organization.
“That’s the first thing I told him: I don’t want to go anywhere else. ‘I know you’ve got a lot of stuff to work through and we’ll figure it out when we figure it out,’” Bateman recalled of their conversation. “It took time, but it takes time with a lot of people’s contracts. He had a lot of contracts to get done, and maybe more to get done in the future. To be a priority for him in that way is important. He shows he values me.”
Steelers
Steelers WR Calvin Austin II said that QB Aaron Rodgers not only noticed his speed and ability to stretch the field, but his willingness to work the middle of the field and make catches in between the hashes.
“The first time I met [Aaron Rodgers], one of the first things he said was about my speed,” Austin said, via Steelers Wire. “Obviously, that’s my main thing. It’s something that got me to the point I’m at today. But one of the other things he was talking about was me going over the middle to make those tough catches. And that was something that I just really worked on last year and wanted to show — that I’m not just a straight down-the-field speed guy. Tough third downs, across the middle, I’m the guy that can make those catches and show up in those big, crucial moments.”
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