NFL Rumors: Bijan Robinson goes to bat for a Saints Super Bowl champ
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has a soft spot for Reggie Bush, a former Super Bowl champion with the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons and Saints have one of the meanest rivalries in the league, but that doesn't take anything away from Robinson's adoration for the now-retired star running back. Bush, who was drafted by the Saints in 2006, won a ring in 2009 and played some of his best football afterward, posting 1,000-plus yard rushing seasons with the Dolphins and Lions.
Prior to his 11-year NFL career, Bush played for USC and won the Heisman Trophy in 2005. The NCAA later found that Bush violated league rules; specifically, an investigation revealed that he received cash and other benefits from sports marketers, which was a violation of NCAA policy.
In 2010, Bush was stripped of his Heisman, among other consequences. At least one NFL player doesn't agree with the harsh punishment, and that's Bijan Robinson.
On Tyreek Hill's podcast, Bush said he believes Bush should get his trophy back given what he accomplished for college football.
"You can't take away what he did on the field. Everyone knows what he did… I don't think you should take away the Heisman, especially for what he did that season. He took over college football."
The Falcons would love to see Robinson mimic Bush's late-career numbers and have high hopes riding on their first-round pick. It doesn't matter that Robinson's NFL idol is an ex-Saint. All that matters is the Texas product does some damage on the ground in 2023.
NFL Rumors: Patriots could be best destination for DeAndre Hopkins, Dalvin Cook as a duo
Talk about a team of epic proportions. A few days ago, free agent running back Dalvin Cook hinted at his desire to play with DeAndre Hopkins on his next team, causing the NFL to go haywire.
A duo of both Cook and Hopkins? That could give a team an elite RB1 and WR1 in the 2023 season.
Two looming factors have to be considered when projecting a team that could feasibly land both superstars: team need and available cap space.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the New England Patriots potentially check the boxes to acquire Cook and Hopkins this offseason — if Bill Belichick wanted to, anyway.
The Pats' interest in Hopkins is already well-established, and why not throw in a talented veteran back like Cook in there, too?
Fowler mentions Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson as one reason the team may not want to pursue Cook. The 2021 fourth-rounder recorded 1,040 rushing yards and 421 receiving yards last season and is primed to build off of his success in another year in Belichick's offensive scheme.
Currently, the Pats have roughly $13 million in cap space, so bringing on two top free agents may be too gargantuan a task. Both Cook and Hopkins are somewhat salary-motivated, and on top of that, Hopkins in particular is reportedly leaning toward joining a championship contender.
Belichick would have to whisper some syrupy-sweet nothings in the two players' ears to get them both to come to New England. Never say never.
NFL Rumors: Steelers bring in hometown kid to help fill defensive need
The Pittsburgh Steelers love signing homegrown players as much as they love signing brothers.
On Tuesday, the Steelers announced they were inking linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski to a one-year deal after bringing him in for a tryout during minicamp.
The Pittsburgh native played football at Bethel Park High School and was drafted in the fourth round by the Bears. Kwiatkoski bounced around the league as a part-time starter, usually stepping into rotational roles on linebacker-needy teams. After short stints on the Raiders and Falcons in the last two years, he'll join the Steelers this summer and try to make a more consistent impact in the defense.
Kwiatkoski has only played 34 games in his seven-year NFL career with his best season arguably being 2019 when he posted 76 tackles and three sacks for the Bears.
Getting signed by his childhood team could be the spark he needs to grow into a dependable starter, but Kwiatkoski faces stiff competition against younger and more talented Steelers defenders.
Can the hometown kid turn into the comeback kid this upcoming season?
