Monthly Archives: June 2017

Drew Stanton has been Palmer’s backup for the past four years and is still on the roster.

Despite Palmer flirting with retirement, the Cardinals didn’t do much to find his successor. They didn’t get anyone in the draft, though they signed undrafted free agent Trevor Knight. Their only other free agent signee was Blaine Gabbert, who put up a paltry 68.4 QB rating last season and was benched for Colin Kaepernick.

Drew Stanton has been Palmer’s backup for the past four years and is still on the roster. Stanton has filled in for an injured Palmer before but hasn’t done much to impress. He completed just 51.8 percent of his passes and threw nine touchdowns to 10 interceptions in those nine games.

So if Palmer gets hurt again, the options are two quarterbacks with a combined starting record of 17-36 and a rookie who wasn’t drafted. Yikes.

If the Cardinals have any hope of reaching the mountaintop this season, they need to commit to protecting Palmer and taking pressure off him with the running game.

A third-round pick out of Northern Iowa in 2015, Johnson spent his first season splitting time with veteran back Chris Johnson. The rookie showed tremendous potential in limited action, so in 2016, Arians took off the leash and rode Johnson as a full-time back.

The division is on the rise, but Luck remains its best quarterback. Although he could be challenged by Marcus Mariota in Tennessee and, eventually, Deshaun Watson in Houston. Blake Bortles in Jacksonville … probably not so much.

The pressure is on Luck to ascend to the throne as king of NFL quarterbacks. It Cheap Bike Jerseys will require Super Bowl victories to do that.

So Luck has a lot of work to do to match the achievements of the quarterbacks considered the best of all time. He has the talent and work ethic to get there, but he needs to stay healthy Cheap Braves Jerseys and get the excellent supporting cast needed … and then be at his best to elevate his team in the biggest games.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s absence doesn’t bother Landon Collins: ‘He’s good’

Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. risks losing $80,405 in fines if he doesn’t attend the team’s upcoming minicamp.

However, one of his star teammates is optimistic Beckham will be there June 13 when the three-day session begins for all Giants players.

“When it’s time and it’s mandatory, he’s going to be here,” Giants safety Landon Collins told co-host Bill Polian and me Thursday night on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

Media reports earlier this week indicated the same, but there are no guarantees when it comes to Beckham. He hasn’t attended any of New York’s OTA sessions for reasons that still aren’t publicly known.

Is the 49ers’ league-worst defense going to turn around overnight because of the Dumervil signing in June? No. But in a rebuilding season, he’s the right kind of influencer and producer to have on the roster.

“I am honestly shocked right now and unfortunately do not know what to say,” Abdollahian said about both payments. “I was just doing my job and wanted to have Mr. Wright get to his destination. I’d like to thank both Mr. Wright and BlueRock Energy for their generous offers. This will go towards paying off my school loans once I am done.”

Abdollahian may be humble in saying he was just doing his job, but Wright greatly appreciated the long trip.

“It may seem crazy to request someone to drive anywhere more than 10 miles, but to have Mr. Abdollahian drive me more than 500 miles to get me to my job, it truly means a lot,” Wright said. “I’d like to thank Mr. Adbaollahian for stepping in and making sure I wouldn’t miss OTAs as I begin my first year as a Buffalo Bill. The payment of $932.08 is a testament to his character and commitment to helping others.”

On Thursday, Bills coach Sean McDermott said he Create Cheap Jerseys loved the Design Cheap Jerseys story of Wright’s effort to make it to Buffalo. “Any means necessary. I love that.”

Patriots receive Super Bowl rings with 283 diamonds

The Patriots received their Super Bowl rings during a ceremony Friday night at the home of team owner Robert Kraft.

New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Falcons in Super Bowl 51 on Feb. 5. It’s no coincidence their championship rings, made by Josten, contain a total of 283 diamonds (nice touch, Patriots).

“I got a standing ovation. In fact, they said it was the biggest standing ovation since Peyton Manning had won the Super Bowl and they said it was equal,” Trump said. “I got a standing ovation. It lasted for a long period of time. … I know when I do good speeches. I know when I do bad speeches. That speech was a total home run. They loved it.”

Manning has been a regular fixture among Republican politicians since hanging up his cleats. He was a Jeb Bush supporter during the presidential primaries, and has made donations to several Republican politicians over the years.

Manning denied rumors that he was going to run for Senate in Tennessee earlier this year. He’s popular (outside of New England) with bi-partisan appeal and a lots of money, the main ingredients for a successful career in politics. However, endorsing Jeb Bush, golfing with Trump … he’s going to have to get better about choosing who to associate himself with. Tom Brady chose to skip his team’s visit to the White House this year, maybe the two-time Super Bowl winner can borrow a page from the five-time champion’s playbook.

Trump has even compared himself to Manning in the past. After his Cheap Dodgers Jerseys bizarre speech in front of the CIA in January (the one where he got mad about the size of the crowd at the inauguration and bemoaned his own persecution), he told ABC News that the reaction was comparable to Manning’s Cheap College Basketball Jerseys Super Bowl win.

NFL exec says Jets ‘might have the worst roster I’ve seen in a decade’

The Jets cut ties with veteran linebacker David Harris on Tuesday, and the team said a few hours later that wideout Eric Decker will be next. The New York franchise has also lost several Pro Bowl players in the last year or so, including Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Ryan Clady, Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Brandon Marshall.

He’s played six years in the NFL and, though his play has been inconsistent and he’s missed time because of injuries, his medical issues have not been heart-related.

Fairley left the Lions after four seasons to sign with the Rams in 2015, but finished the year on injured reserve. He signed a one-year contract with the Saints last year and started all 16 games while posting a career-high 6 1/2 sacks. The Saints rewarded him with a four-year, $28 million contract in March.

Payton said that because Fairley had a pre-existing condition, it’s common to “keep track of it” with regular follow-up examinations.

“When he came out in the draft, he was someone that at the combine physical had what is not very uncommon,” Payton said. “An enlarged heart is something a lot of the athletes we see in the physicals have.

“The one examination saw further concern and that’s why he hasn’t been doing anything right now until we get a better feel of where he’s at. We’re hoping, we’re obviously wanting to get every experts’ eyes on this study and examination. I’m sure Nick and his agent feel the same way, but it’s challenging.

“The most important thing right now is his well-being,” Payton added. “I want to make sure that if he’s playing again, that he’s playing with full confidence, that he’s Cheap Youth Jerseys healthy Cheap Zetterberg Jerseys to play and nothing severe would come from him playing. That’s why he’s not been here.”

Russell Wilson praises Colin Kaepernick as person, player

Russell Wilson sounds like he would have enjoyed having Colin Kaepernick as a teammate.

That’s not going to happen now, of course, as Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Friday the team has no plans to sign the controversial quarterback as a backup to Wilson.

He’s not an aging extra defensive back a la Jones, or an oft banged-up outside linebacker such as Burfict. In terms of faces of the franchise, running back comes with a much higher profile. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have gotten a fair share of attention as the principal cast members on offense, but circumstances in Cincinnati now have Mixon front and center.

Coach Marvin Lewis can’t ever shake the heat on the second-chance reputation the team has developed. That’s especially true when he says things like the league’s looser celebration rules don’t set a “very good example for young people.”

But beyond what may seem like semi-hypocrisy, that’s the identity of Cincinnati. It can’t be hidden. Nothing going forward with this regime can change that rep.

The Bengals have gotten mixed results on Jones and Burfict. They’ve been key defensive performers at times, but they still are remembered more for the meltdown that cost Extremely Cheap Jerseys Cincinnati that ever-elusive playoff win vs. the Steelers in 2015.

There’s no room for a mix with Mixon. His misstep, in today’s NFL, comes with a much bigger — and deserved — dark cloud than Jones and Burfict’s respective issues. He needs to be a model citizen Find Cheap Jerseys Online off the field and an impact player on it.

NFL free agency: Veteran pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil to sign with 49ers

SN’s David Steele believes the Jets are headed for “rock bottom with a threadbare roster,” and Bowles, who has a 15-17 record over two seasons in New York, including a 10-6 year in 2015, might be forced to go down with what’s left of the ship. Maccagnan might, too, even if his 2017 draft picks show promise.

One possible silver lining to New York’s apparent submission: Nobody in the AFC East is going to dethrone New England this season, anyway. The Jets can save themselves the disappointment and, until the Patriots release their divisional stranglehold, keep reciting JFK quotes.

Elvis Dumervil spent years chasing quarterbacks around the AFC West. Now he’ll give the NFC West a try.

The veteran pass-rush specialist has agreed to terms with the 49ers, he and general manager John Lynch announced Monday.

Dumervil, 33, spent the last four seasons with the Ravens after seven years with the Broncos. A two-time All-Pro player and five-time Pro Bowl selection, he recorded 17 sacks as recently as 2014 but has been less productive the last two seasons.

That drop-off was apparently due at least in some part to an Achilles injury that he played through in 2015 before finally having surgery in February 2016. He ended up playing in only eight games last season as he struggled to return to full health, and the Ravens released him in March.

Dumervil has 99 sacks in his career. The Seahawks were definitely interested Hockey Jerseys in Kaepernick after the two offseason arrests of undrafted second-year QB Trevyone Boykin clouded their situation behind Wilson. They had Kaepernick in for a workout, and signs pointed to him finally get his second NFL chance after his breakup with the 49ers.

Then coach Pete Carroll threw a little shade at Kaepernick Kids Basketball Jerseys Cheap even when throwing him a compliment, saying he was still a starter in this league but not the right choice as the Seahawks’ backup.

Seahawks add Austin Davis; Colin Kaepernick’s job search jumps the shark

“Can you believe Team A signed Quarterback B over Colin Kaepernick?”

It’s natural for those who cover the NFL — and know how good Kaepernick once was and might be again — to ask that question every time another QB ends his free agency, leaving Kaepernick still without an NFL job for 2017.

In this scenario, the distraction theory is bound to be thrown out again as the latest explanation, as in “Team A doesn’t want Quarterback B” to draw that much media attention in a backup role. The Seahawks don’t stir up anything with Davis beyond the initial outrage of the pro-Kap camp.

In SN’s breakdown of the 49ers’ depth chart last month, that was a big question mark in their front seven. At the moment, in some combination, NaVorro Bowman, rookie first-round pick Rueben Foster (strongside and middle) and former Seahawk Malcolm Smith (weakside) are the projected three starting linebackers.

Before Dumervil, Aaron Lynch was in the lead for LEO duties, but as a converted 3-4 outside linebacker, he had some conditioning issues this offseason. For a specialized end position that requires getting to the QB wide from the weak side, that couldn’t have made John Lynch comfortable. The other option, Arik Armstead, is talented, but he was drafted to be a 3-4 end in the previous regime.

Enter Dumervil and his hybrid history. As an undersized pass rusher who has overachieved throughout his career as a 2006 fourth-rounder, he will set the example of a relentless work Lakers Cheap Jerseys ethic for the team’s young, transitioning defensive ends, Armstead and DeForest Buckner.

At the same time, Dumervil will get enough of a break in his snap Kobe Bryant Cheap Jerseys count to be as effective as possible with what he has left in the tank. Lynch, while roaming as a Bronco, saw what Dumervil’s impact could do on the field. Dumervil now serves in the role of what an older Lynch was in Denver.

Dallas’ bid to host 2018 NFL Draft jeopardized by transgender bathroom bill

Should it be passed by Texas state legislators, a law requiring people to use the bathroom that corresponds to the sex on their birth certificates could prevent Dallas from being chosen as host of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Dallas News reports.

North Carolina dealt with major consequences when its lawmakers passed a similar bill. The state lost several sports events, including the NBA All-Star Game and ACC football championship, in addition to the expansion of businesses and concerts.

Palmer’s accuracy on deep passes slipped from 2015, when he was among the league’s best. When asked why the Cardinals did not have as much success throwing the deep ball last year, Arians cited two reasons: an injury-plagued season by speedy receiver John Brown and that former Cardinals wideout Michael Floyd dropped “about five” deep passes.

“We have a lot of really good offense that isn’t throwing the ball 40 yards down the field,” Palmer told reporters, via The Associated Press. “We have so much good stuff where we can create mismatches underneath that that’s the most important — getting the ball out quick, not taking sacks, not holding onto the ball and making their guys tackle our guys.”

The Cardinals went from 13-3 in 2015 to 7-8-1 last year, but Top Cheap Jerseys Palmer still threw for 4,233 yards with 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 15 games.

As for his age, Palmer said it just means he has plenty of experience. But such positives are sometimes overshadowed by Beckham’s emotional game-day outbursts and off-field UK Cheap Jerseys decisions that raise questions about his maturity and whether a potential Hall of Fame career will get detailed.

What really (still) matters at annual Underwear Olympics

The Underwear Olympics has morphed into the Under Armour Olympics.

But don’t be fooled by the stylish, TV-friendly aspects of the NFL Scouting Combine. There are events of substance that still matter to teams trying to make all-important draft decisions.

How fast prospects run in a straight line over 40 yards or how many reps they can get up in the bench press have historically not been good indicators of how good they’ll be as pros.

— Everybody dominated with Vick in the video game Madden NFL 2004 … except Vick. He admits he’s proud to be one of the most unstoppable players in football video game history, but he was never able to experience his virtual self. And not because he never tried.

“To be honest, and I’m glad I can finally admit this, I never really understood what they were talking about,” Vick wrote. “Don’t get me wrong — I tried. Once in a Cheap Jerseys And Hats From China while, when no one was around, I’d turn on the PlayStation and throw on Madden. And I’d pick the Falcons. And I’d try to see what all the fuss was about. But the truth is … I was never very good at playing as myself.

Pittsburgh did not want to allow the Cheap Jerseys Direct Coupon All-Pro running back to hit the free-agent market next week and assigned an exclusive franchise tag to Bell on Monday, in what was an expected move.

“The tag is always an option, and it’s something we’ll use if necessary,” Colbert said on Feb. 16. “This thing is very fluid. It changes daily, once you start into talks with players and start to see how it’s all going to fit. We know that’s an option.”

No lead is safe: Patriots match Cavs, Cubs with historic comeback

Coming back from 25 points behind in the Super Bowl just doesn’t happen. Never happens. It’s unfathomable, unimaginable. It’s as inconceivable as … coming back from down three games to one in the NBA Finals.

Or coming back from being down 3-1 in the World Series.

Somehow, in the last eight months, between June 2016 and February 2017, the championships in America’s three biggest pro sports were decided when teams dug out of near-unprecedented holes to achieve the impossible.

What the Patriots did to the Falcons in Super Bowl 51 on Sunday night in Houston, as astonishing as it was, merely mimicked what the Cavaliers did to the defending-champion Warriors in the NBA Finals last June, and what the Cubs did to the Indians in the World Series in November.

The Falcons’ Robert Alford had leaped, twisted and tipped the high pass, but Edelman out-fought him, Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen, in a tangle of arms and legs, with the ball jarred loose again before Edelman managed to grip it before it hit the ground.

“I thought that Rico or one of my brothers would get it,” Alford said, “but they all were battling for it, and Edelman came down with it.”

“I don’t know how the hell he caught it,” said Tom Brady, who threw it. “I don’t think he does.”

“I knew I got it,” Edelman said, sounding certain — as certain as he looked when he jumped up with it as the Falcons players waved furiously that it might be incomplete. “I Cheap International Soccer Jerseys knew Cheap Indiana Pacers Jerseys I had a good feel on it. I didn’t know if a piece of the ball was touching (the ground).