NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Bears are placing franchise tag on WR Alshon Jeffery, per Schefter.

 

Combine News...

Ezekiel Elliott unofficially clocks in at 4.46 in the 40-yard dash, while Derrick Henry posts a 4.52. Georgia's Keith Marshall surprisingly posts a 4.29.

 

2016 NFL Combine: Joey Bosa prepared for possible position change

As one of the best players in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ohio State pass rusher Joey Bosa is prepared for the questions NFL teams will throw at him during the process, including the details behind his one-game suspension (which he declined to elaborate on). Bosa is also ready for a possible position change if teams wants him to transition to a stand-up role in a 3-4 scheme.

Bosa admitted that he is ?more comfortable? in a 4-3 formation because that is all he knows, but that hasn't stopped him from training to show his versatility.

?I can see myself playing anywhere on the defensive line,? Bosa said. ?I have been working standing up, I have been working on my linebacker drops. So I definitely believe I am ready to play in a 3-4 or 4-3.?

Six of the teams picking top-seven in the 2016 NFL Draft are expected to run a 3-4 scheme as the base defense and Bosa is doing what he can to be ready if those teams put him through space drills. He singled out Kansas City Chiefs pass rusher Tamba Hali as a versatile NFL pass rusher that he admires, mostly due to his hand technique and quickness.

Bosa played almost primarily as a left defensive end in Ohio State's 4-3 base, but he also saw snaps on the right side, inside as a three technique and on his feet as a spying linebacker. He is very physically gifted and perhaps his defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said it best: ?There's nothing he can't do.?
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Having watched this guy play, he is definitely a football player capable of shifting around.

(in part from, CBS)

 

This report though has been called BS because the guy with the source (Adam "Weasel" Schefter) heard from where ever that talks apparently have broken up and just assumed the Tag is coming.

 

I heard that too... talks were broken up and the situation is up in the air.

 

Slow to see this but that's all it is. They are making the cap larger this year and I guess you can say that rises the cap floor for anyone who is close to the 89% number but it doesn't mandate any team actually using the additional cap room.

 

Bosa leads pass-rush pack as teams seek the next Miller

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? The most coveted players in the NFL draft are, of course, the franchise-caliber quarterbacks.

The most important prospects might be the pass rushers. Just ask the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos how they snagged that shiny trophy.

"That's pretty much the whole example I have to give. Defense won that game, 100 percent. Von Miller, he really showed what a pass rush can do for a team," said Joey Bosa, the Ohio State defensive end who's first in line to be the next Miller.

Widely pegged for the first pick, held this year by the Tennessee Titans, Bosa's 6-foot-5, 269-pound frame ought to fit well in the lineup for some team at the top of the draft seeking an instant impact for the defense. He was an end in a 4-3 scheme in college, but he said Friday at the league's scouting combine that he has incorporated pass-coverage drops into his offseason training to prepare for possibly playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 system.

"I never could have dreamed to be in this situation, being considered the No. 1 pick," Bosa said. "It's kind of mind blowing."

Taking an outside pass rusher with the top slot in the draft would hardly be startling. Miller, voted the Super Bowl MVP less than three weeks ago, was the No. 2 pick in 2011 by the Broncos. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was the first selection by the Houston Texans in 2014. These days, the role is even more in demand.

"Von Millers aren't just falling out of the sky, all over the place," said Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano, whose team could use one.

Once elite quarterbacks are established, they rarely go anywhere until retirement. Plus, only one can play at a time. With pass rushers, teams can't have enough. Miller wouldn't have been nearly as dominant had the Broncos not had DeMarcus Ware pressuring the pocket from the other side.

"Only so many people are walking the earth with the skill set to be big enough, athletic enough and have the traits to be able to rush the passer," Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said. "That's generally why they are either drafted high or get overpaid in free agency."

 

Giants fear Larry Donnell?s neck injury could be career ending

When Giants tight end Larry Donnell suffered a neck injury in Week 8, it looked like something that would only keep him out for a couple games. It didn?t work that way, as Donnell ended up missing the rest of the season ? and it may have ended his career at the age of 27.

The New York Post reports that there is concern that Donnell could be facing retirement as he still hasn?t been cleared to return.

When asked about Donnell at the Combine, Giants G.M. Jerry Reese ominously could not say for sure that he?ll be able to play again.

?Hopefully he?ll be able to continue to play,?? Reese said. ?We?re expecting him to be back, but necks can be tricky. We?ll have to wait and see where that goes.?

Donnell had a strong season in 2014, catching 63 passes for 623 yards and six touchdowns, and he started the first eight games of 2015. Now he?s a restricted free agent, and he doesn?t know if he?ll play again. (PFT)

 

This is important news. This is how Canadians keep their beer cold during the NFL Combine.

 

Injury ends Combine early for Cardale Jones



Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones pulled up with an injury during his second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine Saturday.

Jones told NFL Network on-field reporter Kim Jones he?s done for the day due to the injury and won?t throw in the on-field workout set for later this afternoon. That?s obviously disappointing for Cardale Jones, who never lost a college game as a starter and helped Ohio State win the 2014 national championship but was benched last season.

 

Cowboys meet with QB prospect; Tony Romo to have shoulder surgery
By Will Brinson | NFL Writer
February 27, 2016 11:23 am CT


Here's an interesting juxtaposition of NFL news stories: The Cowboys spent Friday night meeting with a quarterback prospect and Saturday Tony Romo told the world he's going to have shoulder surgery.

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These two things are not mutually exclusive. Romo is old (about to turn 36), has dealt with serious injuries the past few seasons and the Cowboys are holding a high draft pick with multiple options at quarterback on the board.

First the Romo news, because he is the quarterback for 2016, the face of the franchise and Jerry Jones' hope to bring a Super Bowl to Dallas.

He confirmed he'll have surgery and is getting a plate put in his shoulder, something he called "preventative" at a Legoland event Saturday.

?We're just going to do it for preventative,? Romo said. ?As far as the way I feel, I feel good. We just want to make sure that obviously it doesn't happen again, so we'll probably just put a plate on it and go from there."

The preventative part is supposed to keep Romo safe if he takes a shot (which he has routinely taken) from a defender.

"Putting a plate on it ... really you're just doing it to ensure next year when you take a hit,? Romo continued. "If I can do something that helps me to ensure that the bone doesn't break next time, I think that's good for everybody. It's a small procedure; it's not very big.?

Romo will probably miss some offseason activities but having surgery in March isn't going to prevent him from starting the season.

Tony Romo could be sidelined for another 6-8 weeks if he has surgery. (USATSI)
Tony Romo could be sidelined for another 6-8 weeks if he has surgery. (USATSI)
Now about that prospect. The Cowboys can deny interest in taking a quarterback at No. 4 all they want but the reality is it's a situation for a franchise where you have to consider doubling down on the position. Romo turns 36 in April and has been frequently injured.

They haven't denied, per se, with Jason Garrett saying they'd meet with several of them while in Indianapolis. One of those guys is Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, who had a formal visit with the Cowboys on Friday night scheduled.

"Whatever I need to do to help that team, I will do," Lynch said. "If it's coming in and sitting behind a guy, I'm still going to compete and push him. That's how teams get better in my opinion."

Going to the Cowboys would mean at minimum one year of sitting and watching Romo, almost like a redshirt season. Lynch didn't seem to have a problem with that.

"I'd be more than OK with doing whatever was best for me and the team and whatever team I got picked up by. When I first got to school, I didn't want to redshirt or anything. I thought I could go in there and play, but I realized later on down the road as I grew up and matured, I realized that redshirting is a good thing," Lynch said.

"You get a chance to sit back and learn what you need to learn and take care of your business off the field. I know if I got to sit behind somebody like a veteran quarterback, whoever it may be, I know that that would be a great learning experience to develop me mentally and physically in the game, give me a year just to sit back and see how you handle things professionally."

For a team always so set on "win now" mode, it would be surprising to see the Cowboys draft and develop a new quarterback as high as a No. 4 pick.

But the reality is it would be a smart decision if Dallas is confident they can identify a franchise quarterback.

Whiffing would be a devastating blow to the franchise. Landing a transition quarterback once Romo is done? It's the sort of thing only the best and luckiest clubs hope to pull off.

 

AP Source: O-lineman Anthony Davis to file for NFL return

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? A person with knowledge of the decision says former 49ers right tackle Anthony Davis plans to file for reinstatement after he retired in June last year following a head injury.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no move had been completed. Davis had always left open the possibility of making a comeback after sitting out a year to get healthy, and San Francisco still has his rights.

San Francisco's 11th overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Rutgers was affected by a concussion late in the 2014 season.

Davis started all 71 games in which he had appeared, as well as eight playoff games.

Last month, Davis responded to a question on Twitter about a return to the 49ers with, "Guaranteed."

 

2016 NFL Scouting Combine Results

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

40-Yard Dash

Charles Tapper, Oklahoma, 4.59 seconds

Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State, 4.63

Kamalei Correa, Boise State, 4.69

Bench Press

Chris Mayes, Georgia, 33 reps

Ronald Blair, Appalachian State, 32

Matthew Ioannidis, Temple, 32

Vertical Jump

Dadi Nicolas, Virginia Tech, 41 inches

Jason Fanaika, Utah, 35?

Emanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State, 35?

Broad Jump

Alex McCalister, Florida, 10 feet, 8 inches

Shawn Oakman, Baylor, 10-3

Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State, 10-1

Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky, 10-1

Three-Cone Drill

James Cowser, Southern Utah, 6.80 seconds

Joey Bosa, Ohio State, 6.89

Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State, 6.97

20-Yard Shuttle

Alex McCalister, Florida, 4.0

Joey Bosa, Ohio State, 4.21

Shaq Lawson, Clemson, 4.21

LINEBACKERS

40-Yard Dash

Darron Lee, Ohio State, 4.47 seconds

Travis Feeney, Washington, 4.50

De'Vondre Campbell, Minnesota, 4.58

Bench Press

B.J. Goodson, Clemson, 30 reps

Raphael Kirby, Miami, 27

Eric Striker, Oklahoma, 23

Stephen Weatherly, Vanderbilt 23

Vertical Jump

Travis Feeney, Washington, 40 inches

Leonard Floyd, Georgia, 39?

Devante Bond, Oklahoma, 37?

Broad Jump

Darron Lee, Ohio State, 11 feet, 1 inch

Travis Feeney, Washington, 10-10

Leonard Floyd, Georgia, 10-7

Three-cone Drill

Nick Vigil, Utah State, 6.73 seconds

Blake Martinez, Stanford, 6.98

Kentrell Brothers, Missouri, 6.99

20-Yard Shuttle

Nick Vigil, Utah State, 4.00 seconds

Kentrell Brothers, Missouri, 4.11

Darron Lee, Ohio State, 4.20

Blake Martinez, Stanford, 4.20

 

QUARTERBACKS

40-Yard Dash

Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech, 4.56 seconds

Trevone Boykin, TCU, 4.77

Carson Wentz, North Dakota State, 4.77

Vertical Jump

Cardale Jones, Ohio State, 36 inches

Paxton Lynch, Memphis, 36

Joel Stave, Wisconsin, 33?

Broad Jump

Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech, 10 feet, 2 inches

Paxton Lynch, Memphis, 9'10"

Carson Wentz, North Dakota State, 9'10"

Three-Cone Drill

Josh Woodrum, Liberty, 6.74 seconds

Vernon Adams, Oregon, 6.82

Carson Wentz, North Dakota State, 6.86

WIDE RECEIVERS

40-Yard Dash

Will Fuller, Notre Dame, 4.32 seconds

Kolby Listenbee, TCU, 4.39

Trevor Davis, California, 4.42

Bench Press

Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma, 20 reps

Aaron Burbridge, Michigan State, 20

Ricardo Louis, Auburn, 18

Michael Thomas, Ohio State, 18

Vertical Jump

Josh Doctson, TCU, 41 inches

Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma, 41

Corey Coleman, Baylor, 40?

Broad Jump

Ricardo Louis, Auburn, 11 feet

Josh Doctson, TCU, 10'11"

Chris Moore, Cincinnati, 10'10"

Three-Cone Drill

Devon Cajuste, Stanford, 6.49 seconds

Trevor Davis, California, 6.60

Braxton Miller, Ohio State, 6.65

20-Yard Shuttle

D.J. Foster, Arizona State, 4.07 seconds

Braxton Miller, Ohio State, 4.07

Josh Doctson, TCU, 4.08

60-Yard Shuttle

Braxton Miller, Ohio State, 10.84 seconds

Trevor Davis, California, 10.94

Josh Doctson, TCU, 11.06

TIGHT ENDS

40-Yard Dash

Jerell Adams, South Carolina, 4.64 seconds

Temarrick Hemingway, South Carolina State, 4.71

Thomas Duarte, UCLA, 4.72

Austin Hooper, Stanford, 4.72

Bench Press

David Morgan, Texas-San Antonio, 29 reps

Beau Sandland, Montana State, 23

Ben Braunecker, Harvard, 20

Vertical Jump

Stephen Anderson, California, 38 inches

Ben Braunecker, Harvard, 35?

Beau Sandland, Montana State, 35

Broad Jump

Beau Sandland, Montana State, 10 feet, 4 inches

Ben Braunecker, Harvard, 10'1"

Ryan Malleck, Virginia Tech, 10'1"

Three-Cone Drill

Temarrick Hemingway, South Carolina State, 6.88 seconds

Ben Braunecker, Harvard, 6.90

David Morgan, Texas-San Antonio, 6.93

20-Yard Shuttle

David Morgan, Texas-San Antonio, 4.19 seconds

Ben Braunecker, Harvard, 4.20

Nick Vannett, Ohio State, 4.20

60-Yard Shuttle

Ben Braunecker, Harvard, 11.32 seconds

Temarrick Hemingway, South Carolina State, 11.50

Nick Vannett, Ohio State, 11.50

 

Don't be surprised if the phones at the NFL Draft are ringing off the hook during the the first round on April 28.

 

Patriots, Tom Brady agree to two-year extension through 2019

Tom Brady is under contract with the Patriots until he?s 42 years old.

Brady and the Patriots have agreed on a two-year contract extension that locks him up through the 2019 season, Adam Schefter and Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN report. Brady is 38 now and will turn 42 in August of 2019.

There?s no immediate word on the financial terms of the deal. Brady is currently scheduled to cost $15 million against the Patriots? 2016 cap and $16 million against the Patriots? 2017 cap. When veterans agree to contract extensions, it often lowers the cap hit in the first year and pushes more money down the road.

Although Brady is getting on in years, he?s still playing well and has said he wants to play into his 40s. It?s not often that a 38-year-old has four more years on his contract, but there aren?t many pairings like Brady and the Patriots. (PFT)

 

Former CFL DL Cleyon Laing signs with Dolphins

MIAMI (AP) ? Former Canadian Football League defensive lineman Cleyon Laing has signed a free-agent contract with the Miami Dolphins.

Laing totaled 15 sacks in three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts. He also played at Iowa State.

The Dolphins signed defensive end Cameron Wake out of the CFL in 2009, and he became a four-time Pro Bowl performer.

The team announced the Laing contract on Monday.

 

Texans WR Jaelen Strong arrested for marijuana possession

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) ? Police say Houston Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong has been arrested for marijuana possession in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale.

A Scottsdale police spokesman say the former Arizona State standout was taken into custody late Sunday and booked into the Scottsdale City Jail. He was later released.

Police say Strong was a passenger in a Maserati that was stopped just before midnight when officers noticed the luxury car didn't have a visible license plate.

Officers say they detected the strong odor of marijuana coming from the inside of the vehicle.

They say Strong admitted he was possession of some marijuana and didn't have a medical marijuana card.

Police say Strong gave officers a cigar package containing three marijuana cigarettes.

Strong was a third-round draft pick of the Texans last year.

 

Well Strong might be an offseason casualty for my dynasty team to make room for a draft pick.