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Oakland Raiders

Michael Vick on returning to the NFL at age 37: ‘I still have dreams about it’

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Michael Vick on returning to the NFL at age 37: ‘I still have dreams about it’ More Michael Vick has plenty to keep him busy these days. The former No. 1 overall draft pick and Pro Bowl quarterback is fresh off his arrival as offensive coordinator with the newly formed Alliance of American Football’s Georgia team, and he’s quarterbacking a pro team in the upstart American Flag Football League, which will be seen on NFL Network this summer.

If it were up to him, though, an all-out return to the NFL at age 37 might not be out of the question. Or at least that’s what Vick told Bill Reiter on Thursday’s Reiter’s Block on CBS Sports HQ. I’m still nice, said Vick, who last played in 2015 as a backup for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I still have dreams about it. I still can play.

Carolina brought in speedster Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright during free agency and used a first-round pick on former Maryland standout D.J. Moore. With Devin Funchess, Smith and Moore potentially serving as the team’s starting trio, Shepard will be battling for a backup role. If second-year man Curtis Samuel takes a positive step, Shepard could be the fifth receiver at best—and that’s if the Panthers feel he’s worth the money.

Two weeks after becoming the 10th overall pick in the draft, Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen has become the first top-10 pick to sign a contract. The Cardinals have announced that Rosen has inked his first NFL deal, on the eve of the team’s rookie minicamp. It’s smart for Rosen to want the deal in place before setting foot on the field, and it’s easy to work out the slotted contract. He’ll have four years of fully-guaranteed money, and the team will hold an option for a fifth year. Last year’s No. 10 pick, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, received a four-year, $16.4 million deal.

The good news for Rosen is that, because the Cardinals traded up to No. 10 to get him, his option year in 2022 will be the transition tag for quarterbacks in 202One pick lower, and the fifth-year salary would have been much lower. The Cardinals signed veterans Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon in March. It remains to be seen whether Rosen will have a chance to be the Week One starter.

While Washington can still be a valuable rotational player, general manager Brandon Beane has two reasons to consider moving on from him. For one, Washington was a piece of the defensive front that allowed 124.6 yards per game on the ground last season. Beane traded away defensive tackle Marcell Dareus last season and recently released defensive end Ryan Davis.
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Lions, Patricia issue statements in wake of report regarding 1996 indictment

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On Wednesday night, a story emerged regarding an indictment of Lions coach Matt Patricia for sexual assault in 1996. The Lions and Patricia have issued statements regarding the situation.

The Lions issued a joint statement from owner Martha Firestone Ford, G.M. Bob Quinn, and team president Rod Wood.

“Responding to a published report this evening from the Detroit News, the Detroit Lions are aware that a criminal charge involving sexual assault was brought against Matt Patricia in 1996,” the statement explains.

Cowboys scouting chief Will McClay cited Bryant’s inability “to win one-on-one, to win downfield” and the receiver’s “inconsistency.” Bryant, who has not had a 1,000-yard season since 2014 and has gone 23 games without a 100-yard game, was scheduled to make a $12.5 million base salary and count $16.5 million against the cap.

Jones, who has a close relationship with Bryant, was asked about McClay’s comments from a radio interview last week.

“I don’t feel that way,” Jones said. “That’s not to disagree at all with Will, but I wish and want Dez to have the opportunity to compete in the NFL. I think he can, and I think he will. He’s certainly got the right stuff and the real question is: As every player in his career deals with injury or deals with the length of his career, I think he’s very capable mentally as well as physically to do the kinds of things that you have to to adjust as you move on through your career.

Rodgers’ long wait in the green room after he had hoped to go No. 1 to his hometown-area 49ers (instead of Alex Smith) still stands out in our minds. So does the fact that he was taken by the Packers when Brett Favre was still their starter.

Given extra time to develop and after that chip on his shoulder grew, Rodgers got the last laugh as the best all-around QB in the NFL. It’s unfortunate that few first-round rookie QBs now have the same luxury of being groomed into a superstar.
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Tom Brady’s agent expects Patriots QB to play in 2018

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New England fans can expect to get Tom Brady back in 2018 and beyond.

While the Patriots quarterback has yet to commit to playing this upcoming season, his agent, Don Yee, insists he will return to the field.

Getting with the right team will be critical for Serigne, who’s projected to go somewhere in the late rounds and might even go undrafted and have to catch on as a free agent. Either way, somebody’s going to get a steal. He’s the ACC’s all-time leader among tight ends in career receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions. His nine touchdown catches last season tied for the ACC lead, and it’s impossible to ignore his consistency over the course of his four-year career.

He’s never going to be a bruising blocker and is a bit of a tweener, but as Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson points out, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Serigne knows how to set defenders up and knows how to get open. Go watch Serigne run away from the Texas A&M safeties in the Belk Bowl last season and how many diving third-down catches he made during the season to keep Wake Forest drives alive. In time, he’ll become some NFL quarterback’s best friend.

Bryant stoked that speculation Thursday night by posting a video to Instagram in which he is seen working out next to Odell Beckham Jr. The full package qualifies as performance art, as the two receivers work out in slow motion with a large television screen behind them showing a commentator with the caption “Are the Cowboys a playoff team without Dez Bryant?” The effect is capped by the Instagram post’s caption, which features lyrics from BlocBoy JB and Drake’s “Look Alive.”

The Giants did their part to keep the rumor alive by releasing Brandon Marshall on Thursday, days after he had said there was no room for both him and Bryant (along with Beckham) in New York.

That move prompted a question about Bryant to general manager Dave Gettleman at a pre-draft news conference.

New York went ahead 3-2 in the 10th when Luke Gregerson loaded the bases with a walk to Adrian Gonzalez and forced in a run with a walk to Jose Lobaton.

Pham singled with two outs in the bottom half and scored when Martinez doubled off the center-field wall against Jeurys Familia, who blew a save for the third time in 12 chances.

“That guy’s nasty,” Martinez said.steelers_041

Tebow before Tebow: Danny Wuerffel’s competitive fire, faith persist post-Florida

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He was Tim Tebow before Tim Tebow.

In an official statement, the district attorney’s office said Foster’s live-in girlfriend was bruised and suffered a ruptured eardrum. The girlfriend also told authorities Foster dragged her by her hair, physically threw her out of the house, and punched her in the head eight to 10 times.

Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph meets all of Bill Parcells’ criteria for quarterback prospects as a three-year starter and senior graduate with over 30 games started, 23 or more wins, a 2-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 60-plus completion percentage. Oklahoma State’s all-time leading passer also displays great touch. 

When asked about the Instagram post, Embiid told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne: “I promised the city the playoffs and I’m not on the court and I may not be on Thursday either. I wish more than anything that I was out there. I just want the green light to play.”

There are still a few medical hurdles for Embiid to clear as he returns from surgery, sources told ESPN. The recovery is a process of ramping up to different stages of activity.

Internally, there is optimism that Embiid will return when the series is in Miami, though it’s unclear if he will play in Game 3 on Thursday, according to sources.

Brown said Monday that he did not have a problem with Embiid showing frustration about his absence.

“He just wants to play basketball. He wants to be with his team. He wants to play in front of the fans and he wants to see this through,” the coach said after the Sixers’ 113-103 loss. “And when he’s not able to do that, he gets frustrated, and we respect his frustration. It’s born out of competitiveness, and it’s born out of him wanting to be with his team.”

Brown added that he did not want to discuss the specific medical issues that have kept Embiid from making his return. The coach said earlier Monday that Embiid had not yet been cleared to take contact during workouts.
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Packers G.M. talked to Aaron Rodgers after decision made to release Jordy Nelson

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Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst wouldn’t say whether Jordy Nelson was offered an opportunity to stay in Green Bay on a restructured deal.

I think Jordy is a really good er, and you certainly don’t want to let him walk out there, Gutekunst told beat writers Tuesday night, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. But this is a big puzzle. There are limitations, and you can’t keep everyone.

Ideally, the Jets would go into the season with McCown, Bridgewater, and the draft pick.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Cardinals apparently will have some interest in former Bears quarterback Mike Glennon when he is officially released and he’s officially available tomorrow.

That’s a huge step down from the parenthetical interest they apparently had in guys such as Kirk Cousins and Case Keenum.

Weber now finds his own name inseparable from the incident depicted the video, where he inconsequentially smashes Henrik Zetterberg’s head into the glass the waning moments of the first game of the Red -Predators playoff series this year.Happy trails and best of luck!With MVP awards, for example, it becomes difficult to decipher the pure value of a given player, as the results of his absence are usually not present.But it won’t be quite the same for us fans, getting to watch him every night, having him the day’s news for us.I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia’s Terms and Conditions with respect to use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia’s Privacy Statement.

The Bears applied the transition tag to free-agent cornerback Kyle Fuller, who will be eligible as of Wednesday to sign an offer sheet with another team. The Bears would then have five days to match.

Longtime NFL tight end Martellus Bennett appeared to announce his retirement from the league Friday following a 10-year career.

Bennett, who hinted at his intention to retire via an Instagram post in October, was involved in one of the 2017 NFL season’s most bizarre stories.49ers_183

Lotulelei was a big loss for the Caroline Panthers, but even bigger was that of elite guard Andrew Norwell.

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That means it’s extension time. Both Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins have one year left on their contracts, and the team’s draft-and-groom approach to roster-building demands they keep both. The same could even apply to slot corner Darqueze Dennard, quietly one of last season’s breakout performers.

Bengals fans figured another typical offseason was coming and instead got the Glenn trade. Keeping fan favorites in town beyond this upcoming season seems like the next step.

Martin – a Penns Grove native – nearly had a takedown in the first 20 seconds, but Nickal wriggled free. The Ohio State junior got his takedown later in the period and looked like he might be on the verge of back points, but Nickal rolled through and ended up on top of Martin for the fall at the 2:30 mark.

“I’m not sure, I don’t really know, it was just a weird position and he rolled through,” said Martin, who said he thought he was ready to lock up a pinning combination. “I’ll probably watch it, see what I did wrong, then let it go. I’m happy with my game plan, but one small position I made a little mistake.”

The victory clinched the team championship for Penn State, which edged the Buckeyes in one of the most highly anticipated national championship team battles in years.

Ohio State needed wins from Martin and heavyweight Kyle Snyder to rally to knock off the defending national champions. Instead it was Penn State capturing a sixth national title in the last seven years.

Now Jackson needs to go and get cornerback Adam Jones, who had his option with the Bengals declined. While 34 years old, Pacman is still a quality inside presence and elite punt returner who could serve as quality rotational depth alongside new addition Damarious Randall.

The Dallas Cowboys don’t have much in the way of wiggle room against the cap.

According to Spotrac, they are slightly over the cap as of this writing, which puts the spotlight on Dez Bryant’s deal. NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported the team restructured center Travis Frederick’s contract, but the Cowboys shouldn’t stop there.
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Jon Lester says he’s using ‘Jordan-to-Pippen bounce’ to improve throwing

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Jon Lester is taking plays from another Chicago team to improve his throwing.

The Cubs lefty has been practicing bouncing the ball to first base, something he said he got from Bulls legends Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

It’s primarily two things: hitting mechanics and their approach to the game. So those are the things I watch and provide feedback to the player and the coach.

Over the years we’ve seen more and more Japanese players make the transition to America. You were one of, if not the, first former Japanese players to hold a front-office position. With that in mind, do you feel there is enough Japanese representation in MLB front offices as more players make the switch?

It’s hard to say. I could see that as players come here and sort of relay their experience back to Japan, I could see a lot of value there that could help Japanese baseball. As far as more players coming here and then staying here and eventually representing the ballclubs, it’s hard for me to say because that’s really up to the individual whether they decide to stay or if that opportunity is even there.

On that note, let’s talk about Shohei Ohtani. Have you had a chance to see him play at all? What are your expectations for him on the mound and at the plate?

“Obviously, you want to come back and show ’em you got it and shove it up their ass,” Morrow told the Athletic.

Both players will be taking on new roles this season. Darvish will be settling into the No. 3 spot in a rotation for a full season for the first time in his career, and Morrow will be taking over as Chicago’s closer after spending last year as the Dodgers’ set-up man.

They’re anxious to prove they are going to be pivotal pieces that could carry a team to the World Series. They’re prepared to take the Cubs back there for the second time in three years.
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Morrow is ready to see Darvish show off what makes him such a great pitcher and that two bad outings in a series don’t reflect what kind of hurler he is every time he goes out in the rotation.

LeBron James on LeBron James to the Warriors: ‘It’s nonsense’

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LeBron James on Friday called reports this week that he would consider playing for the Warriors “nonsense” and “a non-story,” while reiterating that his primary focus is on the Cavaliers reaching the NBA Finals this season.

“The first thing I did was start laughing, actually.” James told reporters (via USA Today) of when he heard ESPN’s report Thursday that topped virtually every U.S. sports website. “It’s nonsense. It’s a non-story. I think it’s a discredit to what I’m trying to do here.”

Nonetheless, Hood gives the Cavaliers another perimeter player who can space the floor for and provide some playmaking as the lead ball handler when needed. Not only has Hood made 38.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers over the last four seasons, he ranks in the 80.1 percentile with 0.94 points per pick-and-roll possession this season.

While he’s scoring less and less at the rim — only 8.9 percent of his shot attempts have come within three feet of the basket this season, down from 12.3 percent last season — he is comfortable pulling up from midrange and the perimeter, and his 6-7 frame helps him get his shot off against most defenders.

Hood will have plenty of motivation to show out, too. Playing well for the Cavs, who have an opportunity to make another run to the NBA Finals with this roster, would set him up nicely for restricted free agency in the offseason.

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I hoped nothing was wrong.Matheny’s approach support it 100 % and also not afraid to question motives or methods if need bewe work together for our kids!The centre-back has been a regular since returning from injury November, starting 13 of United’s last 16 games.Kiffin has played a huge role the careers of Seattle coach Pete and , who was ‘s defensive coordinator with the Seahawks prior to joining the Jaguars.Pass to Nash.

James, instead, is focused on the present, and “will handle my summer situation when my summer get here.”

James has a player option but can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Cavaliers (30-20) are enduring a tumultuous season, dotted with injuries, intrigue and uncertainty. Entering Friday’s games, Cleveland was in third place in the Eastern Conference, six games back of the first-place Celtics and four behind the Raptors. lions_127

The Broncos are a mess, mired in a stunning six-game losing steak, their longest skid since 1990.

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They’re in the throes of a quarterback crisis and just fired their offensive coordinator his week.

So finally, with failed stints by Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler, Denver will turn to Paxton Lynch at quarterback when they play the Raiders on Sunday.

After a feel-good 4-2 start, the Dolphins are mired in a three-game losing streak during which they’ve been outscored by a combined 112-45. Of particular disappointment has been their defense, which was supposed to be a strength of the team. The Dolphins have allowed 40 points or more in two of their past three games.

After the 45-21 loss at Carolina, Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke said, according to ESPN, said not having the bye week “helps us.’’

“If we had to sit two weeks and chew on that for a bye weekend and not play for two weeks … as a coach, particularly, it always helps being able to dive back in,’’ Burke said.

“There’s nobody that can come in and learn a playbook in that period of time, so there’s challenges that would be with any quarterback in any system and in any NFL building,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said this week.

“I’m new here, still continuing to learn, continue to get better and get familiarity with the offense and the team and go from there,” Brissett said. “Since I got here, I’ve been in the playbook and trying to learn as much and asking for advice in the quarterback room.”
Brissett started two games with the Patriots last season and figures to be able to better the 225 yards of total offense Tolzien and the Indy offense was able to muster against the Rams.

5. Colin Kaepernick, quarterback, 49ers (37): No matter what your opinion of Kaepernick’s decision to sit during the national anthem, it put him in the national spotlight and made him a household name again. And from strictly a football standpoint, how Kaepernick went from one of the sport’s rising stars to somebody who couldn’t even beat out Blaine Gabbert remains a fascinating question.bills_001

The next step for DeFilippo and Nagy is to take advantage of their opportunities as McVay seized upon his.

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Nagy is a former Arena League quarterback who is in his first season as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City; he was a co-coordinator with Brad Childress last season. With Nagy at the controls, the Chiefs ranked in the league’s top 10 this season in rushing offense, passing offense, total offense and scoring offense.

Few within the league seemed to view McVay as a viable head coaching candidate when last offseason began. Many thought that he’d get a head coaching interview or two but remain in Washington as Gruden’s coordinator, primed to become a head coach further down the road. But McVay wowed the Rams with his knowledge and wise-beyond-his-years polish. When the Rams hired him last January, he was less than two weeks shy of his 31st birthday.

Bill Belichick was once fired by the Cleveland Browns. When he resigned as the “H.C. of the NYJ” after one day on the job to go to the Patriots, the move was widely criticized. Meanwhile, Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft — No. 199 overall, to be exact. Now Belichick is the best coach in NFL history. I’d argue he’s the best coach in the history of sports. Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time, the GREATEST NFL PLAYER EVER (sorry, Jerry Rice and Jim Brown).

Brady and Belichick are going to their eighth Super Bowl together. That’s insane. Brady took over the starting job in 2001, after Mo Lewis delivered a crushing blow to Drew Bledsoe.

The league’s offseason decision to relax prohibitions on celebrations after touchdowns and big plays has turned into a rare unqualified source of whimsy. For years, the NFL punished any choreographed celebration and prohibited using the football as a prop for a demonstration. But a dozen weeks after officials decided to relent and permit such acts, only one question remains: What took them so long?

In short order, players concocted intricate and delightful dances. NFL players, upon reaching the end zone, have transformed into bobsledders, potato-sack racers and a family gathered around a Thanksgiving table. The Philadelphia Eagles defense performed the Electric Slide after an interception this past Sunday. The demonstrations have had almost no downside. Officials have called just three delay-of-game penalties after touchdowns this season, according to the NFL, and taunting penalties after touchdowns have remained static.cowboys_096