Month: May 2018

Washington defensive back DeAngelo Hall is still finished playing football.

But the timeline of the announcement might not have been what he or his team wanted, which led to some confusion yesterday when he started talking about it.

The saga began yesterday morning at teammate Ryan Kerrigan‘s golf tournament, when he told John Keim of ESPN.com he was weighing whether to join a front office or pursue broadcasting jobs, but added: “I’m not playing. That’s for damn sure,”

He said he’s talked to a number of different outlets about possible jobs, and there’s a sense Washington would bring him in for some role if he wanted to work for a team.

None of this takes away from the fact his 14-year-career was very good, as he was once one of the top corners in the game, and transitioned to safety late in his career before injuries took their toll. He finished his career with 43 interceptions, and returned five of them for touchdowns. And now that he’s talked about it at least twice, it’s hard to imagine how much more ground there is to cover at any potential press conference.

Straining to see the horses come out of the starting gate was like watching the Preakness from the deck of the Titanic. Against such a backdrop a 3-year old chestnut colt named Justify went from the latest equine rookie star to one step away from horse-racing glory.

Justify had enough left to  hold off several hard-charging challengers and win the Preakness on a sloppy, slippery track, and he will try to become the second Triple Crown champion in four years in the Belmont Stakes on June 9 .

The drama heightened because nobody — but actually nobody — saw this entire race. Once they hit the backstretch, the cream of the Class of 2018 morphed from race horses into ghost riders of the night. For roughly half of the race, they were totally invisible to the close to 135,000 spectators.

At just that point, every single pilgrim in the joint knew that something tremendous was building. Justify and Good Magic, his closest rival in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, were running head to head, with little room between them.

And to all the live spectators they were invisible.

Texans defensive end J.J. Watt plans to personally pay for the funerals of the Santa Fe High School shooting victims, according to a report by Houston’s Fox affiliate.

Santa Fe High School officials have been notified that @JJWatt is personally going to pay for the funerals of all the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting tragedy.

Ed Oliver, defensive tackle, Houston: Sometimes a prospect has a body of work so strong that declaring for the draft early as a junior becomes a forgone conclusion. Oliver announced his intentions for the 2019 NFL Draft before even taking a snap in his junior season. Oliver has exceeded the expectations of being a five-star recruit for the Cougars, and his long list of accolades on the field back it up. At 6-3, 290 pounds, Oliver already has NFL measurables and has punished opposing offenses with 139 total tackles, including 10.5 sacks.

Nick Bosa, defensive end, Ohio State: Bosa has NFL pedigree, as his older brother Joey was the third overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Chargers. Their father, John Bosa, was the 16th overall pick by the Dolphins in 1987. The younger Bosa, according to SN’s Bill Bender, has a chance to go higher than both due to his edge rushing ability.

Others to watch: While Oliver and Bosa are the headliners, next year’s class is extremely deep in defensive line prospects. As for quarterbacks, Bender has provided a list of signal-callers to watch.

Graham made a career-high 9.5 sacks last season.

Consider this, too, from the News’ story, which quoted veteran defense attorney and former federal prosecutor Keith Corbett about the impact of charges like this:

“(On) a personal level, it’s a brand that stays with you forever. There’s no way to get around it. (They) never had a chance to defend against it, and there was no finding of guilt but from a public-perception standpoint; this is a thing that may follow them for the rest of their lives.”

For Patricia, though, it did not. He got around it for 22 years. Explain that.

But Barkley, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, joins the Giants with as much hype as any running back in more than a decade, already being labeled a future Hall of Famer before taking his first carry.

You never know how a season is going to work out, Dickerson said. “He could have a great season. I hope he does because I’m always pulling for the running back because they try to say the running back position is down.

Most definitely I want him to have a great season. Do I want him to break my record? Absolutely not. But he ain’t going to break that record.

I think I could still throw it.’ Still, it’s funny to think about Warner coming back to play (and he has some extra time now that ESPN chose Jason Witten over him for theMonday Night Football gig).

Sports Illustrated had a memorable cover touting Jim Brown’s comeback threat in 1983 when he was 47, so we’ve been down this road before.

Herschel Walker once said in his 50s he could still play in the NFL, and somewhere at this moment Terrell Owens is telling someone he can still be a productive NFL receiver.

“Both sides are working towards it and we’re confident we’ll come to an agreement soon,” he said.

Although some are wondering why, if both sides are working on it, a deal isn’t done yet, Gutekunst said that both sides might wait to see if other quarterbacks get new deals, and if so how those deals are structured. The Falcons have acknowledged they’re working on a new contract for Matt Ryan, and the Patriots may give Tom Brady a new contract as well. But Gutekunst didn’t seem to think anything elsewhere would prevent a deal from getting done in Green Bay.

“We’re pretty confident that this is something that’s taking its normal course, its normal time,” he said.

Rodgers has two years left on his current deal at about $21 million a year, which is a bargain rate for a player of Rodgers’ caliber, given what lesser quarterbacks are making. If the Packers wanted to play hardball with him, they could force him to play out those two years, then franchise him once his contract expires. The only way for Rodgers to play hardball in return would be to threaten not to play at all.

One of the most memorable moments from the 2017 season came when the always-unflappable A.J. Green was decidedly flapped by Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey got under Green’s skin, and officials sent both to the showers.

More Former Channel Five baseball co-host David Lengel believes Major League Baseball can make a splash in Britain despite a late start For the tightly knit baseball community scattered throughout the UK and Ireland, Tuesday’s announcement from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and London mayor Sadiq Khan was as big as it gets: the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will play a pair of regular-season games at London’s Olympic Stadium in June 2019.

“It’s a good thing. They’re trying to find helmets the players will wear that will absorb force better. I think that’s a positive,” Brady said, via ESPN. “I still wear a very old helmet, probably out of habit. You talk about behavioral changes are hard; I’ve tried new helmets and I’m like, ‘Doesn’t work, get that out of here!’ You just have to get comfortable with it.”

Although no new players will be allowed to use the helmet model, Brady is allowed to keep wearing it this season, and he will. For a player who’s conscious of his health, it’s a curious choice.

That’s what Dezman Southward was supposed to be, but he never took, not even after moving to cornerback once head coach Dan Quinn came aboard.

Ra’Shede Hageman also never quite took, despite outstanding size (including long arms) and flashes—but only flashes—of impressive initial quickness.

Prince Shembo came into the league with red flags after a highly publicized sexual assault accusation while at Notre Dame (Shembo was never charged; the school came under heavy criticism for its investigation of Shembo).

Two former Lions employees are suing the organization, alleging that racial and age discrimination led to their firings.

“There was no altercation here in this building that any of us are aware of,” Roseman said Saturday, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I don’t know where that report came from. I can speak for everyone in here that nothing like that happened here in Philadelphia. There was no altercation. When you hear the word altercations, it’s like fisticuffs or something or yelling and screaming. I don’t know that I’ve ever been in a room where a player has yelled at anyone.”

Vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas and head coach Doug Pederson joined Roseman at the press conference and concurred with that assessment.

Guice wound up being drafted by the Redskins in the second round, so he’ll be seeing the Eagles again soon in a setting where physical contact will be expected.

No more creepy team slogans like, Football’s Fabulous Females, or marketing the cheer team as, the most beautiful ladies of the South.

The NFL needs to focus on the athleticism and detailed precision that it takes to be an NFL cheerleader.

It’s easy to brush off complaints about making little more than minimum wage, or adhering to a controlling rulebook, or facing harassment from fans and their own coaches—after all, no one is being forced to be an NFL cheerleader.

McGough’s name popped up a few times in the latter stages of the pre-draft process as teams had him in for conversations after he did not take part in the Scouting Combine. McGough was a four-year starter at FIU and his selection comes shortly after Seahawks General Manager John Schneider said the team has not addressed the position enough in the draft.

They’ve also looked in other directions for a possible backup, although they decided to postpone a scheduled workout for Colin Kaepernick recently. Coach Pete Carroll said last week that “there may be a place for him,” although they may be taking a look at what they have on hand for a while before bringing in anyone else.

Ware says laxative abuse was common, and Davis says teammates would often sweat themselves out in their cars and starve themselves to make weight.

The severe consequences of failing a weigh-in create an environment where eating disorders are normal.

At the end of Ware’s rookie season, a teammate was called into the coach’s office during practice.

Ware watched in horror as her teammate exited the office crying, packed her bags and left the building.

Shaquem Griffin said he has no problem with all the attention he has received as perhaps the biggest story of the 2018 NFL draft. But after what he described as a whirlwind period of media interviews and an unforgettable experience on draft day, he’s turning his focus squarely to football.

Now that’s over with and it’s time for us to get to work and make sure I give high competition, he said, make sure I give the coaches a chance to see who I am and make sure I can do my best to make sure I can make my players better and help anybody I can.

The speed that the Seahawks had to temper Friday was part of what drew them to Griffin, who was clocked at 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine the fastest time by a linebacker in more than a decade. The Seahawks are putting him at the weak-side linebacker spot, where they feel his speed and relatively smaller frame are best suited. For now, he’s projected to back up former Pro Bowler K.J. Wright and compete for a part-time role on defense in addition to playing on special teams.

The Packers acquired Kizer via trade from the Cleveland Browns this offseason in exchange for cornerback Damarious Randall.

Kizer wasn’t far from a first-round pick in 2017 when the Browns selected him in the second round after he played at Notre Dame. He struggled to establish himself as a consistent playmaker in his first year by completing 53.6 percent of his passes for 2,894 yards, 11 touchdowns and a head-turning 22 interceptions.

There is something to be said for the talent he was playing with considering the Browns went 0-16, but it is still a stretch to say he would measure up against Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson considering he wasn’t a first-rounder last year.

McCarthy’s belief in Kizer suggests the Notre Dame product will have the opportunity to become Aaron Rodgers’ backup after Brett Hundley struggled in the role last season with nine touchdown passes and 12 interceptions when the starter was injured.

Torres belted a walk-off three-run home run to cap a four-run ninth inning and give the Yankees a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

Torres, who hit a 3-2 pitch, became the youngest Yankees player to hit a walk-off home run at 21 years, 144 days. The previous Yankees’ youngest was held by Mickey Mantle, who was 21 years, 185 days.

Torres’ heroics followed a six-inning no-hitter from German, a fellow rookie, who was pulled at 84 pitches clearly because manager Aaron Boone didn’t want him getting hurt.

Redskins end Derrius Guice’s shock fall late in 2nd Guice was reportedly passed over by teams because of his immaturity, sources told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Moreover, Guice apparently performed poorly during visits with NFL teams. His nightmare scenario came to an end, however, as the Washington Redskins selected Guice with the 59th overall pick. Guice rushed for 1,251 yards and 11 touchdowns during his final season at LSU.

That leaves the Lions with just two selections on Day 3: No. 153 in the fifth round and No. 237 in the seventh. So, who is left? Trying to project who any team will take down the stretch of the draft is an exercise in throwing darts blindfolded, but we’ll give you a few names on the board at multiple positions the Lions could still address.

Prospects: Jaylen Samuels (North Carolina State), Ian Thomas (Indiana), Tyler Conklin (Central Michigan), Durham Smythe (Notre Dame)

Thoughts: Detroit could certainly stand to add a rookie to the mix at tight end. Samuels is a fascinating option because of his hybrid skill set as a ball carrier, pass catcher and blocker. Plus, he’d provide value on special teams. That versatility could appeal to the Lions.

Thomas is an athletic dual-threat who is a capable and willing blocker with a pass-catching skill set that is still developing. Conklin, a former basketball player, likely won’t cost as much as Thomas, while offering similar versatility.

The Jets mostly addressed their secondary in free agency this offseason, when they signed high-priced cornerback Trumaine Johnson and re-signed corner Morris Claiborne.

Those two guys combined with slot corner Buster Skrine and the second-year safety duo of Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye could help boost the Jets’ secondary in 2018.

But the Jets also drafted a cornerback, Parry Nickerson in Round 6. So what might his role be in 2018? Check out the video above for our thoughts on that, as the Jets on Sunday wrap up their three-day rookie minicamp with a closed practice.

The Packers didn’t get the desired veteran receiving results from tight ends over the past two seasons with Jared Cook and Martellus Bennett. Graham, like Nelson, has slowed down, but he’s still a devastating finisher and difficult cover in a short area.

Rodgers threw 33 TD passes inside the 20 to lead the league in 2016, with 25 of them coming inside the 10. Rodgers and Brett Hundley combined for only 16 red-zone scores in 2017. The combination of Adams and Graham guarantees a big spike.

Only time will tell, Bowles said.

Bowles said Hackenberg didn’t speak to him about making changes to his throwing motion, before he did it.

He just worked on it, and I learned about it after the fact, Bowles said. We’ll see how everything goes. I’m not saying [Hackenberg’s motion] needed to be revamped, or it’s not revamped. But production and everything else takes care of that.

Since the Jets drafted Hackenberg in Round 2 in 2016, he hasn’t been good enough to get into a regular season game. So they drafted Darnold. Hackenberg surely doesn’t have a future with the Jets as a starter. He might not even make it to Week 1 this year.

But it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Jets carry four quarterbacks into training camp this year, because they need to be skeptical about Teddy Bridgewater’s surgically repaired knee. Hackenberg would give the Jets a fallback option behind Josh McCown and Darnold if Bridgewater’s knee isn’t up to par.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported later Friday that Brian Cushing ‘s visit to Oakland has been cancelled.

After signing veteran Derrick Johnson, the Oakland Raiders are bringing in another 30-plus-year-old free agent linebacker for a meeting.

This offseason the Raiders have added Johnson, Tahir Whitehead, Kyle Wilber and Emmanuel Lamur to their linebacking corps. None currently projects as a game-changing talent. If Cushing signs in Oakland it would continue an offseason trend in which Jon Gruden’s team adds aging players who peaked a handful or more years ago.

Gutekunst takes over as the new general manager, and he already has had to do a ton of homework with his team sitting on a dozen draft selections. Although he is a long-time, in-house protege of Ted Thompson and Ron Wolf, there’s no doubt Gutekunst wants to be a little more aggressive.

Adding Graham and defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson were as bold of moves as the Packers make in NFL free agency, and Gutekunst followed them with the tough decision to cut Nelson. Starting with the No. 14 pick, many believe the Packers will think defense first, namely further boosting the secondary for Pettine. But the volume of picks allows the flexibility to go after solutions at wide receiver and the offensive line.

If the Ravens hadn’t traded out of the No. 16 spot, however, James wouldn’t have landed in Los Angeles as a godsend for Gus Bradley’s defense.

In a Thursday interview with Baltimore Ravens.com’s podcast, The Lounge, assistant general manager Eric DeCosta revealed that he and Ozzie Newsome would have drafted James had Baltimore kept the pick.

The Oakland Raiders released Armonty Bryant with a non-football illness designation, per the league transaction wire.

A proposed Cleveland-Kansas City trade has been nixed. The swap, which sent Browns tight end Randall Telfer to Kansas City in exchange for linebacker Dadi Nicolas, is no bueno. Both players are currently on waivers.

NEW YORK If they film a The NeverEnding Story reboot, it should be about this Yankees lineup.

Nos. 1-9, it just doesn’t quit.

Friday night was just another example why in their 7-6 win over the Indians on at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees veteran lefty CC Sabathia continued his incredible age-37 season with a dominant performance.

Sabathia hurled six scoreless innings against the Yankees’ 2017 American League Division Series opponents, his second start without giving up any runs in three outings.

Sabathia, who struck out a season-high seven, improved to 3-0 and watched his ERA fall to a minuscule 1.39. He gave up three hits two doubles but never let a runner reach third base.

Sabathia is undefeated in his last 14 regular-season starts since Aug. 19, posting an 8-0 mark.

Terrell Edmunds made a good story when he joined his brother, Tremaine (Bills), in the first round making history, but it was a bit of a surprising pick. Many expected Edmunds to be a second-day player.

From Steelers blog Behind The Steel Curtain:

“I’ll be honest when Terrell Edmunds got drafted by the Steelers my reaction was just silence. I wasn’t mad with the pick, I just was really surprised by it being so early. Don’t get me wrong, this was a huge area of need for the Steelers, but I just felt like this was a player that would’ve made more sense in the 2nd round.

“I had Terrell with an early 3rd round grade, so this is definitely considered a reach if we were just going based off my board.”

The Raiders left analysts scratching their heads after taking Kolton Miller 15th overall. Former Giants offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz noted, “Most [people] I spoke with had Miller with a late-second-round grade. So it’s not just me.”