We are now less than four weeks (27 days) away from a July 15 deadline for NFL teams to sign their franchise tagged players to long-term deals. According to a report from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Buffalo Bills and free safety Jairus Byrd have yet to make much progress on that front.

"There hasn't been any real movement in these talks, according to sources, so based on that alone one might not be optimistic," La Canfora wrote earlier this afternoon.

La Canfora did, however, rate Byrd as the second-most likely franchised player to strike a long-term deal - trailing only Anthony Spencer of Dallas - citing the Bills' $18.7 million in cap space and urgent need for a new front office and coaching staff to get off to a strong start by keeping their top talent as rationale for a deal getting done.

As ESPN business analyst Andrew Brandt is wont to say, deadlines spur action - and as that July 15 deadline approaches, we're certain to see movement on the negotiations between the Bills and Byrd's agent, Eugene Parker. Whether or not the two sides get started soon enough to strike a long-term deal remains to be seen.

Source: SBNation.com

 

The Titans will hold three starting offensive linemen out of team drills during mini-camp this week in the hope of having them ready for training camp next month.

Guard Andy Levitre (knee) and tackle David Stewart (leg) will be limited to individual drills this week, while tackle Michael Roos (back) may sit out all drills.

Other players who missed Tuesday’s practice and will likely sit out the rest of mini-camp: wide receiver Justin Hunter (hamstring), wide receiver Roberto Wallace (ankle), safety Robert Johnson (foot), safety Markelle Martin (groin) and wide receiver Kevin Walter (back.)

Titans coach Mike Munchak said he expects all of the players to be healthy for the start of training camp.

Source: The Tennessean

 

Three more employees of Browns owners Jimmy Haslam's truck stop chain pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges related to a conspiracy to cheat trucking companies of fuel discounts.

Those who pleaded guilty were Kevin Clark, a regional sales manager who was in Kansas City, Mo.; Holly Radford, a regional account representative who worked at the company's Knoxville headquarters; and Jay Stinnett, whose position with the company is unclear.

Two other employees, regional sales director Arnold Ralenkotter and regional account representative Ashley Judd, pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy charges. Their plea deals, along with Clark's, require them to cooperate with authorities in the investigation.

According to court documents, starting in 2008, Pilot Flying J induced trucking companies to buy diesel fuel by promising price breaks, then shorted the companies on discounts and rebates.

Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer

 

Texas A&M Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel is expected to enter the 2014 NFL Draft.

Mike Freeman of CBS Sports asked several NFL general managers, assistant coaches and scouts for their thoughts on Manziel, the opinions varied wildly.

One general manager said Manziel, the first freshman to win the Heisman, will be better than the current crop of young athletic quarterbacks. He will rival or be better than Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck or Russell Wilson. This, to me, sounds patently insane.

Source: The Redzone

 

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis doesn't mind giving up one home game a year to play in London's Wembley Stadium.

But that is where he draws the line. The veteran tight end says two games a year for the Jaguars abroad would be too many.

Lewis tells CBS Sports that two games “would be highly stressful for a team. It would disrupt a big part of your season.

Source: National Football Post

 

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday afternoon that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski's back surgery is over and went well, according to a source informed of the procedure. The surgery was performed in Marina Del Rey, Calif., by Dr. Robert Watkins, who also handled Gronkowski's previous back procedure.

NFL.com's Albert Breer first reported late last month that Gronkowski would be having the surgery at some point in mid-June. Breer said it was unlikely Gronkowski would be back for training camp, and that even a return for Week 1 was no sure thing.

But according to USA Today Sports, there is growing optimism Gronk will be back before the end of the preseason.

Source: NFL.com

 

Browns rookie safety Jamoris Slaughter has been cleared for training camp, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Slaughter ruptured his Achilles tendon playing for Notre Dame last season.

"I've been doing all of the workouts, my leg feels great," he said. "I'm looking forward to training camp."

Source: CBSSports

 

The Jets’ new No. 1 cornerback Antonio Cromartie believes if he can stay consistent he could be the best in the game, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

“I think so if I’m playing on a consistent basis and using my techniques and doing the things I need to do,” Cromartie said.

Even though he believes he can be the best, Cromartie said that is not his goal heading into the 2013 season.

“Can I be? Yes. Do I care to be? No,” he said. “If we’re winning and I’m doing the things I need to do, then that’s what it’s really all about.”

Source: The Redzone

 

Nine months after injuring ligaments in his toe, Redskins running back Roy Helu, Jr. was seen taking handoffs, catching passes, cutting and running full speed. The Redskins front office was forced to bring in competition for 3rd year running backs Helu and Evan Royster because of their injured and ineffective 2012 campaign behind 6th round rookie sensation Alfred Morris. The Redskins drafted Chris Thompson an electric, speedy, shifty running back from Florida State University in round 5 of the 2013 NFL Draft and Jawan Jamison, a do it all bowling ball of a running back similar to his predecessor from Rutgers University, Ray Rice in round 7. Both of these players should provide strong competition for Helu and Royster this season.

Last season seemed to end before it started for Helu, from the beginning of training camp he was hampered by an Achilles’ tendon strain.

Source: YardBarker

 

What constitutes a successful offseason?

Many coaches just hope no one gets arrested and everyone shows up to the field in August. For front offices, hitting on a first-round draft pick is all that really needs to happen to be kept around for another year. For players, the line between training hard enough to maintain one's competitive edge yet being scared silly about offseason injuries is a tough road to walk.

Overall, there are a lot of ways to talk about how "successful" a team's offseason has been.

Source: Bleacher Report

 

Free agent fullback Vonta Leach, who was released by the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens last week, will make a decision on his new team within the next two weeks, per Tony Castleberry of the Daily Reflector.

The Ravens attempted to trade Leach, but they were unable to find a business partner. Considering his age -- he'll turn 32 in November -- and his $4.33 million cap hit in 2013, Baltimore decided to cut ties with the three-time Pro Bowler. Seven teams are reportedly interested in Leach, including the Texans, Dolphins, Chiefs, Giants and Browns, and it's possible he could return to Baltimore at a reduced rate.

Leach has visited with the Dolphins, and Houston, where he played from 2006-10, is supposedly his top choice.

Source: SBNation

 

Ray Rice said he'd like to step into a leadership role for the Baltimore Ravens now that longtime team leader Ray Lewis is no longer with the franchise.

Joe Flacco has already been anointed as the Ravens' new team leader by owner Steve Bisciotti when the team received its Super Bowl rings. On Saturday, Rice said he'd like to assist his quarterback with those duties.

Entering his sixth season, the 26-year-old Rice told USA Today Sports that Lewis' mentoring has prepared him to lead by example.

"A leadership role is something I definitely don't mind taking upon now, because I was mentored by one of the greatest leaders probably ever to play the game in Ray Lewis," the Ravens' star running back told USA Today.

"A lot of his leading was by example, and when he spoke, everybody listened because they had that respect for him. So I think being a leader comes with how much respect people have for you. These guys look at the way I work, and they understand that my actions are going to show on the field."

Source: ESPN

 

The Jacksonville Jaguars passed on the chance to take a quarterback high in the NFL Draft this year and seem content with starting Blaine Gabbert in 2013. Per a report in the Florida Times-Union, the Jaguars will be naming Gabbert the starting quarterback this season “barring a horrific August”.

"It is more scientific than picking names out of a hat, but not to the point where we were afforded a seat at the table last week when the Jaguars’ coaching staff talked personnel with general manager Dave Caldwell. … And, yes, the belief here is that barring a horrific August, Gabbert will be the starter against Kansas City on Sept. 8."

It’s really not that big of a surprise nor was it that close of a contest hen it came to who would be the Jaguars quarterback in 2013. They passed on a top prospect in the draft and instead made a move to beef up their offensive line to protect Gabbert and allow him to grow into the role he’s struggled to find a footing in.

There is a possiblity that the Jaguars aren’t sold on Gabbert though but that hasn’t grown to the type of animosity that warrants a benching or a quarterback controversy.

Source: FanSided

 

Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano has won the George Halas Award from the Professional Football Writers Association for overcoming adversity, the Associated Press reports.

Hired in January 2012, Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia in September and took a leave of absence. The team began winning under offensive coordinator Bruce Arians while Pagano underwent treatment for 12 weeks. Pagano worked from his hospital bed on game plans and analyzing practices even as he was recovering from the disease.

After a Week 9 victory against Miami that he attended, Pagano gave an emotional postgame speech to the team.

"I've got circumstances," Pagano he said. "You guys understand it, I understand it. It's already beat. It's already beat. My vision that I'm living is to see two more daughters get married, dance at their weddings and then hoist that Lombardi Trophy several times."

Indianapolis kept on winning.

Source: The Redzone

 

A year has made a big difference for Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, dramatically improving his standing with the Super Bowl champions, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports.

Last year, McKinnie was taking up residency in coach John Harbaugh's doghouse. The former Pro Bowl blocker wasn't in good enough shape to participate in a series of offseason practices and was instructed to focus on his conditioning.

When McKinnie reported late to training camp after informing the team that he had injured his back during a slip-and-fall at his South Florida home, he didn't initially pass the conditioning test.

After the Ravens restructured his contract before the regular season, McKinnie was replaced at left tackle by Michael Oher before regaining his starting job in the playoffs.

Source: The Redzone

 

Robert Mathis made the switch from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker last year, and now he is on the move again.

This time, per the Indianapolis Star, Mathis is moving over from strongside linebacker to weakside or "rush' linebacker in the Indianapolis Colts defense.

That move should give Mathis more opportunities to sack the quarterback, as he moves into the spot vacated by Dwight Freeney, who was not brought back as a free agent and eventually signed with the San Diego Chargers. Free agent pickup Erik Walden is now starting in Mathis' old strongside spot.

Source: National Football Post

 

Adam Jones comes from a place of experience when discussing the pitfalls facing young professional athletes.

The Cincinnati Bengals defensive back made an impression when he spoke with incoming players at the NFL Rookie Symposium last June in Aurora, Ohio. He's scheduled to speak again at the event next week, though recent events have raised the question of if he should be involved.

Jones was arrested last week and accused of striking a woman with an open palm after she allegedly threw a beer bottle at him outside Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Jones, who pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge, tweeted that he was "protecting himself" and would not let the incident "break me or change what I have work so hard for."

Source: NFL.com

 

Former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason was back in the news Monday after penning a thoughtful edition of Monday Morning Quarterback on SI.com. (Peter King is on vacation.)

Gleason, who lives with ALS, wrote about the connection between football and the nerve disease, the efforts of his foundation and his world travels. And he does it all typing with his eyes. (Just check it out.)

Somehow, this article inspired some knuckleheaded radio sports talk show hosts to mock Gleason. Atlanta's 790 AM's "Mayhem in the AM" ran a segment Monday morning mocking Gleason's speech, which now comes out of a computer program.

Source: NFL.com

 

Not surprisingly, last season's Super Bowl participants feature on the list of the NFL's most talented position groups. Both the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens are strong along the trenches.

A four-time Super Bowl winner from the NFC boasts the best stable of receivers in the league. In the AFC, a perennial contender's strength is based on the best tight end rotation in the game.

Here is a breakdown of the teams that own football's most talented position groups.

Source: Bleacher Report

 

Did Russian president Vladimir Putin steal Robert Kraft's Super Bowl ring from 2005, or was the ring a gift as was originally reported eight years ago?

It depends upon your perspective apparently.

The New York Post reported Saturday that the Patriots owner told a gathering in New York that Putin put the ring in his pocket after their meeting eight years ago, even though Kraft wanted the ring, valued at around $25,000, back.

Now, the Patriots are saying the story is one that Kraft tells for laughs on the banquet circuit and at speaking engagements.

"It's a humorous, anecdotal story that Robert re-tells for laughs. He loves that his ring is at the Kremlin and, as he stated back in 2005, he continues to have great respect for Russia and the leadership of President Putin," Patriots team spokesman Stacey James said via NFL.com. "In particular, he credits President Putin for modernizing the Russian economy."

A spokesman for Putin denied that the ring, now on display at the Kremlin, was stolen by the Russian leader.

Source: National Football Post

 

Peyton Manning can throw a football.

A year ago, that was news.

Since then, Manning led the Denver Broncos to a 13-3 record and the AFC's No. 1 seed, was named to his 12th Pro Bowl, earned first-team All-Pro honors for the sixth time and was christened AP Comeback Player of the Year.

Now, as the Broncos enter the season with Bovada's second-best odds to win the Super Bowl, there's no doubt Manning's fully healthy. If, as receiver Eric Decker told Andrew Mason of the Broncos official site, Manning's "come back stronger," he's primed to have an even better season.

Source: Bleacher Report

 

Darrius Heyward-Bey, now with the Indianapolis Colts, may be getting ready for his best season yet. According to Dan Pompei of the National Football Post, Colts coaches want to use the speedy wide receiver much more than he was used with the Oakland Raiders. Here's Pompei:

"What's more, they believe they have the resources to be one of the better teams in the league at stretching the field. Part of their enthusiasm has to do with the acquisition of Darrius Heyward-Bey. Indy coaches see him as a potentially explosive playmaker who can get behind coverage. The Colts will be trying to get Heyward-Bey more opportunities than he ever had in Oakland."

Heyward-Bey was a maligned draft pick when he was selected by Al Davis and Co. with the No. 7 overall pick in 2009. He hasn't quite matched the expectations of a top-10 pick, but he was a solid deep threat in Oakland when the passing game was functioning.

Source: SBNation

 

Ravens defensive lineman Chris Canty had a dominant minicamp, disrupting passing lanes and shoving offensive linemen into the backfield, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports.

He looked explosive and showed no lingering effects from a knee injury that bothered him last season and drew scrutiny from teams during free agent visits, including the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans.

"The knee is not a problem at all," Canty said as the Ravens wrapped up their mandatory minicamp. "The knee is fine. I feel great."

Listed at 6-foot-7, 317 pounds, Canty is actually even lighter than that. The former New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys starter appears leaner than the past.

Source: The Redzone

 

Neither Santonio Holmes nor New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is confident in the wide receiver's availability for training camp, much less the season opener. Now we have a better idea why that's the case.

Holmes revealed that his Lisfranc fracture was diagnosed as a Grade 4 injury, which is the most serious variety. He had a joint separation and a muscle tear in the middle of his foot, according to ESPNNewYork.com. A plate was removed in a March follow-up surgery, but two screws will remain in his foot permanently.

Source: NFL.com

 

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster was sporting crutches three weeks ago after going down with what head coach Gary Kubiak termed a "pretty good calf strain."

But wide receiver Andre Johnson quickly downplayed the severity of the injury. Now, Foster is doing the same.

"Yeah, it's going good man," Foster told FOXSports.com. "It's just a small calf strain. News is dry in the offseason, so it made headlines." Foster said he will "more than likely" be ready for training camp, thanks in part to daily use of a hyperbaric chamber to speed up the healing process.

Source: NFL.com

 

Did a 2012 injury factor into Willis McGahee's recent release by the Denver Broncos?

Upon reporting to the Broncos' mandatory minicamp last week, the veteran running back insisted he was fully recovered from a torn medical collateral ligament and compression fracture in his leg. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase corroborated McGahee's take the next day.

There's a difference between healthy enough to practice and healthy enough to remain effective against NFL defenders. Paul Klee of the Colorado Springs Gazette has it "on good authority" that McGahee's questionable health was the "No. 1 reason" for his release.

Source: NFL.com

 

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman denied accusations that the leader kept a Super Bowl ring that New England Patriots' owner Robert Kraft wanted back, Alla Eshchenko and Faith Karimi of CNN report.

Both sides agree that the ring, with its 124 diamonds, changed hands during Kraft's visit to St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2005.

"I took out the ring and showed it to (Putin). And he put it on and he goes, 'I can kill someone with this ring,'" Kraft said, according to the New York Post. "I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out."

Kraft made the comments at an awards gala Thursday night in New York.

A few days after the incident occurred, amid confusion as to whether the ring was a present or was kept by mistake, Kraft issued a statement that said it was a gift.

That's the way Putin sees it, the president's spokesman said Sunday.

"What Mr. Kraft is saying now is weird," Dmitry Peskov said. "I was standing 20 centimeters away from him and Mr. Putin and saw and heard how Mr. Kraft gave this ring as a gift."

Source: The Redzone

 

It's the circle of life.

Every year, all 32 teams in the NFL hit the draft and look for new talent to replace aging or departing players.

Sometimes, there's no real talent to replace (which is why you end up picking first), and sometimes, you have enough depth to allow even a first-round player to come along slowly.

Sometimes, though, a rookie has to step up, or do even more. Occasionally, he needs to replace a player who was a vital piece of the team.

Source: Bleacher Report

 

Not only is Cincinnati Bengal Adam “Pacman” Jones not guilty of punching a 34-year-old woman in the head, his attorney said in court Friday, but the football player is the real victim, Kimball Perry of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

That’s what Ed Perry, Jones’ attorney told Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Megan Shanahan at a Friday hearing in Jones’ assault case.

Jones, 29, is accused in an incident in the early morning hours of June 5 of punching Shannon Wesley in the head after she threw a drink on or at him. Jones’ agent said his professional athlete client was acting in self-defense when he struck the woman.

"She was the instigator in the act," Perry told the judge. "She actually assaulted Adam Jones."

Mary Jill Donovan, the attorney Wesley hired after the incident, was in court for Friday’s hearing to see what the judge would do to the order put in place after Jones’ arrest requiring him to stay away from Wesley.

Source: The Redzone

 

Fans have heard Don Criqui call preason games since 1994 with Randy Cross providing the color over the last decade, but the duo will be replaced this year as part of a more innovative approach that includes sweeping changes to the current format.

While their replacements have yet to be announced, the Boston Globe reports that Channel 4’s Dan Roche will likely serve as “host” during the broadcasts – not to be confused with a traditional play-by-play man – and former Patriot Christian Fauria will be the lead analyst.

During the games, a former Patriot will be on the sideline to serve as an additional analyst and Patriots Football Weekly reporters Paul Perillo and Andy Hart will be stationed in another, separate studio to provide commentary throughout the games.

Matt Smith, the executive producer of Kraft Sports Productions, explained to the Globe that he’s had this vision for a while and that “the standard down-and-distance approach to calling a preseason game can get pretty stale.”

“How long are the starters in there for? The first game, a couple of series. The fourth game, a couple of series,” Smith said. “When they’re in, we’re going to cover the game in a very traditional way.

“But that’s a small portion of the game. In the fourth quarter, it can get pretty stale. A preseason game is the perfect outlet to try it.’’

Source: MassLive.com

 

When Texans running back Arian Foster was carted off the team’s practice field last month, several fans gasped. The franchise running back told FOXSports.com on Friday that Houston fans need not worry, he’s on the right path to recovery.

“Yeah, it’s going good man,” Foster told FOXSports.com in an exclusive interview on the set of a Foot Locker Under Armour commercial. “It’s just a small calf strain. News is dry in the offseason, so it made headlines.”

When asked if he’ll be ready for training camp, Foster quipped: “Yeah, more than likely.”

While the calf strain isn’t that serious, Foster’s recovery has been aided by spending time inside a hyperbaric chamber.

“I try to get in there once a day. I try to get in there for 45 minutes or an hour or two hours. Some guys believe in it, some guys don’t.

“It creates the white blood cells in your body and helps with oxygen flow to promote the healing process and recovery. I feel like it works.”

Source: Fox Sports

 

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will play at least two more seasons in the NFL, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Responding to a question on Twitter, Mortensen said that Manning will play "at least two more years, maybe more."

At this time last season, many were still doubting Manning's ability to come back and play another down in the NFL, let alone another season. Manning was coming off multiple neck injuries and subsequent surgeries, and the reports ranged from, "he's retiring tomorrow" to, "he'll play but don't expect anything more than five-yard passes."

Few seriously predicted he'd return to form, but return he did.

Source: SBNation

 

While some NFL starting quarterbacks come from stellar bloodlines (the Mannings) and phenomenal collegiate careers (Andrew Luck, among others), others have different, winding roads to the big time.

This is an examination of how all 32 starting quarterbacks made their way to the pros, from high school to college and all the twists and turns that got them there.

Source: Bleacher Report

 

Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski is 35-years-old and has already spent 13-years in the NFL, but that doesn't mean he sees his career ending any time soon. The Raiders first-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft says he wants to play seven or eight more years and he wants to play those years in Oakland.

"I would love to stay here and finish my career. This is where I started and where I would like to finish," Janikowski said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. "I can go seven or eight years, if I stay healthy, I can keep going."

Janikowski might keep going, but starting this year he's going to have to do it without his holder of 13-years, Shane Lechler. Lechler signed with the Texans in March.

"Shane and me were such good buddies, but it's business," Janikowski said. "You gotta move on. We've got some new guys and we gotta work on it. It was the weird the first day, but you get used to it."

In 13 seasons Janikowski has been a weapon for Oakland, scoring 1,389 points in his career, which is over 500 points more than the Raiders No. 2 scorer in team history, George Blanda (863).

Source: CBS Sports

 

New England owner Robert Kraft doesn't get to handpick the Patriots final 53-man roster, which is too bad for Tim Tebow, because he would almost certainly be on it.

Kraft has already said it's ''really exciting'' to have Tebow in camp and now he's added to that by saying he hopes Tebow makes the Patriots's 53-man roster.

"We want high-quality people who work hard, are team players," Kraft said on CNBC via ESPN.com. "I don't think there is a nicer person that I've ever met, and now he'll get to compete with all the other people at the position, and our hope is that he's on our 53-man roster."

Even if Tebow makes the team, don't look for him to play much -- at quarterback at least. Kraft is very happy with the team's current starting quarterback and seems to be happy with the Patriot's No. 2 guy.

"I think Tom Brady, we're privileged to have the best quarterback in the history of the game," Kraft said. "But we're a physical game. Injuries happen. We have another very good quarterback in Ryan Mallett."

Even with Brady and Mallett on the roster though, Kraft said there's still room for Tebow.

"We're allowed three quarterbacks. We're in the business of quality depth management. We have a salary cap and we need a number of different competitive players for depth," Kraft said. "You never know what's going [to happen]; Tom Brady missed the whole season a few years ago. You can't have enough quality people in any of your businesses."

Source: CBS Sports

 

Look at last season for a second. It can easily be stated that not many people expected Alfred Morris to finish among the top rushers in the NFL or both Bobby Wagner and Casey Hayward to contend for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

First-year starters at the quarterback position represented 25 percent of those under center when the playoffs rolled around.

Meanwhile, the likes of Eli Manning and Drew Brees led struggling clubs to disappointing seasons.

Such is the nature of the NFL, and 2013 promises to be no different.

Source: Bleacher Report

 

You can see the flashes in Ryan Mathews' game, suggesting he could be a star running back for the San Diego Chargers, which is what they and fans expected when he was taken with the 12th overall pick in 2010. However, injuries and inconsistent play have caused those flashes to be nothing more, mere fleeting glances at what he could be. Fans haven't been shy about expressing their disappointment in Mathews, but perhaps he's his own worst critic.

Mathews said on Wednesday that he's only been an "average back" up to this point in his career, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee. Most would probably agree.

Source: SBNation

 

Mario Williams made news for all the wrong reasons this week, suggesting that his defensive coordinator, Mike Pettine, directed his players to "Kill 'em or hurt 'em," a mantra both Pettine and the Buffalo Bills -- and later Williams -- have denied.

As the Bills broke minicamp for a summer respite, Williams' sage advice for teammates was less controversial.

"This is not vacation time," Williams said, via the Buffalo News. "You can take a trip or whatever. That's fine. But this six weeks that everybody has is not just go home and eat Doritos."

Perhaps an unfair slam on a snack food that has brought millions delight (yes, often in front of the TV, on a seedy couch, in clothes that could use a wash -- but cut us some slack, Mario.).

Source: NFL.com

 

The Kansas City Chiefs have made a swap of defensive linemen, claiming end Austin Lane off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the club announced.

In order to make room on the roster, defensive tackle Dan Muir was let go by Kansas City.

Lane, a fifth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2010, has three career sacks.

Muir has been around, having played six NFL seasons with the Packers, Colts, Jets and Chiefs.

Source: National Football Post

 

Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, sidelined with a major knee injury since last October, now has a target date for his return -- and it's in plenty of time for the start of Texans training camp on July 26.

"I'll be cleared July 17," Cushing said Friday at Reliant Stadium. "I'll fly down to Pensacola and get cleared by Dr. Andrews, who was my surgeon for my knee. As far as camp goes, the first day, I'll be out there; I'll be in pads. As far as how much I'll do in camp, I'm not sure yet, but I know I will definitely be doing a good amount of it, try to get a preseason game in for sure, just knock some of that rust off and be 100 percent come the first game."

Coming off an outstanding 2011 season, Cushing was expected to be the centerpiece of Houston's defense in 2012, especially after the Texans let Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans get away. But he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a Week 5 game against the New York Jets.

Cushing, the 2009 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, has not participated in the Texans' OTAs and minicamp, but has been working out on the side.

Source: NFL.com

 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has made the rounds this week, dishing on Tim Tebow's "spirituality," and telling tales about his encounters with powerful men of the east.

You might recall that Kraft in 2005 joined a cadre of businessmen to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. The Patriots owner walked into that meeting with a jewel-laced Super Bowl XXXIX ring on his finger, but left empty-handed.

"I showed the president my most recent Super Bowl ring," Kraft said at the time, per The Boston Globe. Putin "was clearly taken with its uniqueness ... at that point, I decided to give him the ring as a symbol of the respect and admiration that I have for the Russian people and the leadership of President Putin."

Not so fast.

Source: NFL.com

 

Last summer, HBO and NFL films had a very difficult time finding an NFL team that was willing to let film crews into their facility to document training camp for the popular "Hard Knocks" series. The Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins passed on the series before the Miami Dolphins and first-year head coach Joe Philbin agreed to be the featured franchise.

Finding a subject will be easier in 2013 as reports on Friday night have the Cincinnati Bengals slated to appear on "Hard Knocks" for the second time in the last five years.

The news that the Bengals were the team was first tweeted by Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News but that tweet quickly disappeared, but Domowitch is close enough to the Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based NFL Films for his report to have the utmost of credibility. Confirmation would come later on Friday evening from Joe Reedy, who provides blanket coverage of the Bengals for the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

 

The Chargers team doctor who had the support of many veteran players amid recent years of controversy announced Thursday he has chosen to step down from his position after 17 seasons with the team, citing health and family reasons, Michael Gehlken of UT San Diego reports.

David Chao, 49, performed 204 surgeries on Chargers players in the past 10 years, he said in a phone interview, but called it time to devote his attention to his wife and three children, including two 7-month-old twins, and a back injury that will require surgery this month.

Christopher Wahl, chief of sports medicine at the UC San Diego Health System, was named Chao’s replacement.

Chao said he took multiple epidurals while traveling with the team last season to deal with back pain. Planning to continue his private practice at OASIS, he described his tenure with the Chargers as “the greatest time of my life.”

“At that point in time, I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Chao said. “I also wouldn’t trade what I’m about to embark on now for the world. … Today is about thanking the Chargers for the time, thanking all the players and coaches for allowing me to enter their special world.”

Source: The Redzone

 

The Miami Dolphins announced they have signed offensive lineman Dallas Thomas.

Thomas was Miami’s first third-round selection (77th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft out of the University of Tennessee. A versatile lineman, Thomas saw action at both guard and tackle while starting 37 of 50 games in which he appeared for the Volunteers.

Source: The Redzone

 

Police say a third suspect in the stabbing of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mike Adams has been captured in Florida.

Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard says 26-year-old Jerrell Whitlock of Pittsburgh was arrested Friday morning in Gainesville in central Florida and is being held there.

Whitlock had been wanted on charges of attempted homicide, attempted robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy for his alleged role in the June 1 attack on Adams. Two other men are already jailed on similar charges.

According to a criminal complaint, the men tried to rob Adams as he left a restaurant around 3 a.m. and tried to steal his vehicle.

Source: Sporting News

 

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will have back surgery on Tuesday, his fifth surgery since November, 2012, according to multiple reports. There is no clear timetable for Gronkowski to return to the field for the Patriots.

The 24-year-old tight end is expected to have his back surgery by Dr. Robert Watkins, who recently performed back surgery on the New York Giants’ Jason Pierre Paul. Gronkowski was experiencing chronic back pain and the Patriots anticipated the fifth surgery for Gronkowski.

Gronkowski underwent his fourth arm surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on May.

Source: Sports Illustrated

 

The Patriots released undrafted rookie kicker David Ruffer today.

Ruffer got a lot of reps during the Pats' offseason workouts, conceivably to rest Stephen Gostkowski, but he clearly didn't impress the coaches enough to remain in town until training camp. The Pats will likely add another kicker to continue spelling Gostkowski, which is standard practice.

Ruffer's Patriots tenure will now be mostly known for the time he surrendered his jersey number to Tim Tebow.

Source: Boston Herald

 

Kellen Winslow and the New York Jets were a marriage that made too much sense not to happen. On Friday, it happened.

The New York Jets signed Winslow to a one-year contract, the team announced. Winslow had a three-day tryout with the team earlier this week. Financial terms were not disclosed. It previously was reported that the Jets were likely to sign Winslow.

Source: NFL.com

 

It didn't take long for the Buffalo Bills and Mario Williams to backpedal from some inflammatory statements made Thursday.

The Buffalo Bills defensive end is a central cog in new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine's frenzied, blitz-happy defense. Asked this week to describe Pettine's overarching philosophy, Williams told the Buffalo News, "He usually says 'Kill 'em or hurt 'em' That's what I always hear."

In this post-bounty scandal world, it didn't take long for the team to realize this mantra wouldn't fly.

Bills coach Doug Marrone released a statement to The Associated Press on Friday in which he addressed Williams' remarks.

"Mike has assured me that he has never used the word 'kill' in his terminology regarding our defensive strategy," said Marrone in the statement. "He has used the word 'hurt' as a term that essentially means beating the running back to a spot in a pass-rushing drill and not in a physical sense. Mike is aware that the term 'hurt' could be taken out of context, and he is changing his terminology."

Source: NFL.com

 

The Buffalo Bills have their young quarterback under contract.

The team announced Friday that EJ Manuel has signed his rookie contract, ensuring that the draft's 16th overall pick will be ready for the start of next month's training camp on July 28.

Terms of the deal were undisclosed.

Manuel is just the eighth first-round draft pick to sign. The former Florida State passer has spent time improving his uneven footwork this offseason, but his athleticism is unquestioned.

Source: NFL.com