Month: May 2018

NFL won’t discipline Matt Patricia, Lions over past sexual assault case

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Matt Patricia and the Lions won’t be subject to any discipline regarding a sexual assault allegation against the head coach that surfaced this month, the league said Monday.

“Rodgers, he throws that back-shoulder throw so well and Dez has great chemistry with a good quarterback that can put the ball wherever he wants,” Witten said on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “I still believe Dez can high-point the football as good as any other wide receiver in the National Football League.”

The Packers released veteran Jordy Nelson, who spent nine seasons with the team, in March. They selected three wide receivers, J’Mon Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown, in the 2018 draft.

Former NFL quarterback and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel is trying to resume his football career in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. (AP) More So rest assured, when Manziel took the first step toward potentially returning to the NFL this April, when he completed 19 of 31 passes for 271 yards, a touchdown and an interception (while running for two more scores) in two games of the Spring League, there were plenty of NFL eyes watching.

With the Raiders poised to leave Oakland and enter a stadium that will become part of the Super Bowl rotation, their Bay Area partners hope to lure another Super Bowl of their own.

The 23-year-old Henry essentially took over as the Chargers’ main tight end in 2017, finishing with 45 catches for 579 receiving yards and four scores. The team went 7-1 in games in which he was targeted at least five times and 0-6 in games he was not.

While known for his toughness, the Arkansas product has had his share of injuries during the first two NFL seasons. He suffered a lacerated kidney that forced him to miss the last two games of 2017. And he missed one game as a rookie due to a knee injury.

As for Gates, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco told reporters during the draft that the team decided to move on from him because his targets would be limited and it wanted to expand Henry’s role.cowboys_078

NFL owners unanimously approve Panthers sale

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David Tepper has agreed to purchase the Panthers and now has the NFL owners’ approval, commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday.

The Steelers minority owner and hedge fund manager met with the NFL’s finance committee at the annual spring meetings on Tuesday before later gathering with the other owners for the vote.

Texans owner Bob McNair, who heads the committee, told reporters before the meeting he expected the decision to be approved given Tepper’s established minority ownership in his hometown team.

“I don’t think there will be any surprises,” McNair said, via The Charlotte Observer.

They bring a built-in audience. There’s a reason the NFL’s TV partnersESPN, CBS, Fox and NBCpractically kill each other for the rights to air Cowboys games. Win or lose, “America’s Team” draws the highest ratings. When a Witten or a Romo enters the broadcast booth, the networks can highlight a former player who is already a household name.

The last update on Lamp’s condition came in February when he said he had started running and “feeling really good.” Lamp hasn’t gotten full clearance for football activities over the last three months and Steve Wyche of NFL Media reports that a “minor procedure” on the knee has contributed to the lack of clearance.

Wyche adds that Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said Lamp has started some drills and it sounds like the expectation is that he’ll be ready to go for training camp. Assuming that’s the case, he will be the favorite to start at right guard and join Williams in trying for the kind of impact the team hoped to get from their top two picks last year.

The family surrounded Kirk as he died. He was 27. His father gave him last rites. The family still doesn’t know what made Kirk so sick, and they have to live with the knowledge that they might never know.

“I think getting to be together in that last moment, getting to sit around his bed together as he passed was, I think, really healthy and really good,” Klayton said. “And we just got to sit around and say that we love you. We’re proud of you. You’re a good brother. You’re a good man. And you can go. And so I think that was why it all happened that way.”ravens_151

More changes to the kickoff apparently are coming

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The broncos_029_d884c04e6b13ded7-180x180NFL isn’t killing the kickoff yet. But it’s moving closer and closer to getting whacked.

Judy Battista of NFL Media lists some of the key developments from Wednesday’s session of an ongoing “safety summit” as it relates to the kickoff. She says that the next wave of changes to the play will likely include eliminating the two-man wedge, preventing players on the kicking team from getting a running start, and allowing only three players on the return team to stray beyond the row of blockers who are in closer proximity to the members of the kicking team.

If unsuccessful, get ready to say goodbye to the kickoff for good.

A cynic would say that, eventually, the kickoff is indeed going away for good, and that these changes are aimed at simply getting everyone comfortable with the inevitable.

While there had seemed to be a bit of a chasm between Smith and O’Brien with football operations, Gaine and O’Brien seem to be off on the right foot.

“Everybody coming together, working together hand-in-hand to achieve the best results. But, I would describe it as a great team effort,” Gaine said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com.

“Bill spends a lot of time evaluating the players, too. We had the head start with the Senior Bowl, of course, with our coaches coaching in the game. To Bill’s credit, he spends a lot of time evaluating the players, watching the tape, but as well as the coaches. Bill then [builds a] consensus with his coaching staff and then the two of us come together and we blend our vision for the player, the prospect.”

The Texans didn’t have a pick until the third round as traded to acquire Deshaun Watson and dump Brock Osweiler left them without first- or second-round selections.

The previous relationship was described as “toxic” and “dysfunctional” between Smith and O’Brien toward the end of last season. Smith stepping aside has allowed for the head coach and G.M. to work together with joint investment in the direction of the team.

Report: No sign of Earl Thomas as Seahawks begin Phase 2 of workouts

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It appears Earl Thomas remains a no-show as the Seahawks began Phase 2 workouts Wednesday. The team posted 23 photos of the workouts, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports that the safety wasn’t represented.

Thomas’ continuing absence from the voluntary work isn’t a surprise.

Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley emerged as strong cornerbacks outside for the Saints in 2017, but New Orleans entered the offseason with room for a boost in the slot.

Somehow, the Saints signed one of the top slot corners in the NFL for just $5 million per season on a four-year deal.

The Philadelphia Eagles might not have won Super Bowl LII if not for Patrick Robinson, who had four interceptions and 18 passes defensed in the regular season and added a pivotal pick-six in the playoffs. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked fourth in the league with an opposing passer rating of just 61.8 in the slot and second with an opposing completion percentage of 54.5 when targeted there.

The Broncos have until Thursday to make a decision on the option, which is guaranteed only for injury and can be otherwise rescinded.

Denver used the fifth overall pick on Chubb, who plays Ray’s position. Ray played only eight games last season because of a wrist injury, and he made 16 tackles and a sack.

But it’s clear Peppers—who, according to Spotrac, has made nearly $160 million in his career—is cool with finishing his career in Carolina on the cheap, because he’s worth a hell of a lot more than $5 million. Thanks to that hometown discount, 21 other 4-3 defensive ends will cost their teams more than Peppers will charge the Panthers in 2018.

The Oakland Raiders have attracted a lot of criticism in the first offseason of the Jon Gruden redux, but one thing they did get right was signing starting-caliber cornerback Rashaan Melvin to a one-year prove-it deal worth just $5.5 million. broncos_068_5f281d4a512a9f4c-180x180

Jags won’t pick up Dante Fowler’s option

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The third overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft won’t have the option on his contract for the 2019 season exercised before Thursday’s deadline.

Over the weekend, offensive lineman Orlando Franklin announced that he was retiring from the NFL in order to focus on raising his son.

Franklin, who was released by the Washington Redskins last week, announced his plan to quit football in an open letter on Instagram.

In the note, he explained that he missed being able to see my family every day after work.

Over the past few days, the message continued,I’ve realized that FaceTiming my son is just not enough.

In the end, Franklin would rather be an active parent than an active Tackle in the NFL.

“It’s been a priority to get Darren back,” Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman said. “I think I got the message when coach would come by my office, maybe once a day, twice a day and say, ‘when are we getting Darren? When are we getting Sproles back?’ I said, ‘I got the message, coach.’ But we all wanted Darren back. We talked after the Super Bowl with Darren that it would be a priority for him to come back. He’s a freak. The things he’s doing in his rehab, it’s amazing.”

None of the five players they picked this weekend happened to be a running back, but that probably wouldn’t have mattered.

He lends depth at the position and return ability, but is also one of the respected leaders there.

The former University of Miami standout was drafted in the second round (46th overall) by the Broncos in the 2011 draft.

In his announcement, Franklin called his time in the leaguean amazing ride and thanked all of his fans for their support over his career.

However, he said that the demands of an NFL career were keeping him from being there for his son in the way that he always dreamed he would be.broncos_127_6e9afbd98ca7b8f6-180x180

Bengals WR A.J. Green says John Ross is ‘healthy and explosive again’

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Following the Cincinnati Bengals’ selection of former Washington wide receiver John Ross with the ninth overall pick in last year’s draft, there were plenty of high expectations laid before him. However, it was anything but a prosperous rookie campaign as Ross fell well short of meeting any of lofty aspirations.

The 2017 season was a forgettable first year for Ross as he only played in three games where he had zero catches on two targets and a fumble on 17 total offensive snaps. His season ended prematurely in early December as he placed on the injured reserve due to a nagging shoulder injury that required surgery. According to Alex Marvez of Sporting News, Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green has spoken quite highly of his teammate after seeing him work out this offseason.

Giovani Bernard will remain a key cog on passing downs (Jeremy Hill is gone, though he wasn’t much of a factor last year anyway) but that shouldn’t stop Mixon from seeing upwards of 20 touches a game and most, if not all, of Cincy’s goal-line work. If you’re looking for a sophomore running back to take a step forward this season, Mixon is probably your safest bet. As for running backs who could disappoint … maybe Fournette?

Following his suspension, Ingram is set to miss tilts against the Buccaneers, Falcons, Browns and Giants.

If he does have to miss games, he will be missed, defensive end Alex Okafor told Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune. You can’t replace anybody like that. He’s one of the best backs in the league. He’s dynamic, huge in the run and passing game. It’s going to be hard to cope with, but if anybody could find a way to do it, it’s going to be Sean Payton and Drew Brees. I’m sure we’ll be all right.

Ingram led the Saints in rushing last season with 1,124 yards on 230 carries with 12 TDs.

We know that he is a guy that is definitely needed on this team, tight end Benjamin Watson said. He’s a guy that contributes, and more important than that, he’s a father, he’s a husband and he’s a friend, so I look forward to catching up with him and seeing what happened.sharks-025

Whatever the current dispute or division, it means nothing.

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Landon Collins was voted in the top six percent of active NFL players, but he was in the 20th percentile when it came to his forearm injury.

One is good news. One is unfortunate news.

So Collins wasn’t too happy about being dropped year-over-year on the NFL Network’s list of the top 100 players.

I think that we can blame it on the (3-13) season that they pushed me back that far, Collins said on WFAN on Friday morning. At the end of the day, my game speaks for itself. I work really hard to be one of the best safeties in the NFL. I’m leading most safeties in a lot of (stat) categories. I just felt disrespected by the number.

Sounds like Collins will be on mission as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.

The rest of the depth chart looks talented. Carlos Hyde should provide some pop to the running game, and this might be the year the team figures out how to use the talented Duke Johnson in all facets.

Starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (elbow strain) could be on the disabled list for up to two months. Domingo German, a talented rookie, is expected to fill Montgomery’s spot. Harvey has said he wants to be a starting pitcher.

But with Harvey comes heavy baggage. He recently cursed at reporters trying to talk to him about a relief appearance and he’s been a lightning rod for his celebrity status.

The Miami Dolphins claimed the fourth-year quarterback off waivers on Friday, per the league transaction wire.

Petty joins a quarterback room already occupied by starter Ryan Tannehill, free-agent acquisition Brock Osweiler and incumbent third-stringer David Fales. The 26-year-old Petty will likely compete with Fales for backup-to-the-backup duties.

Miami was rumored to be targeting a quarterback with the 11th selection in this year’s draft, but ended up not taking one, opting for defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and tight end Mike Gesicki in the first two rounds.tigers_071-115x115