Former NFL lineman Kenyatta Jones dies at 39 Torrey Hart,Yahoo Sports 1 hour 35 minutes ago Former NFL lineman Kenyatta Jones died Saturday at 39. (Getty Images) Former NFL offensive lineman Kenyatta “Bear” Jones has died at age 39, according to the Tampa Bay Times. His mother, Jessica Hadley-Brown, told the Times that he died Saturday of cardiac arrest. Jones, the New England Patriots’ 2001 fourth-round pick, was the first-ever University of South Florida athlete selected in the NFL draft. He got minimal playing time in 2001, but does have a Super Bowl ring to his name thanks to his team’s win that season. He played 11 games in the NFL at right tackle in 2002, then underwent double knee surgery prior to the 2003 season, sidelining him for the year. In October 2003, he was arrested for allegedly dousing a house guest and administrative assistant with scalding hot water, and the Patriots released him shortly thereafter. He was arrested again in a 2008 Tampa narcotics sweep for allegedly trying to obtain a small amount of marijuana and cocaine, but was never prosecuted. He was also arrested for carrying a concealed firearm before his final year at USF. Jones signed with the Redskins in 2004, where he played his final three games in the NFL. In 2008, he played one season for Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League.
Earl Thomas won't attend minicamp without new deal Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has his answer now. Earl Thomas will not be participating in any team activities. The All-Pro safety addressed his frustrations with his contract situation on his official Twitter account Sunday morning. "I will not be attending the upcoming minicamp or any team activities until my contract situation is resolved," Thomas said. "I want everyone, especially the 12s, to know that I want to remain a Seahawk for the rest of my career but also believe that based on my production over the last 8 years that I've earned the right to have this taken care of as soon as possible. "I want to have certainty in regards to the upcoming years of my career. I'm going to continue to work my craft and put in work so that I can add to the team and give us the best chance to win. I hope my teammates understand where I'm coming from I believe this is the right thing to do." After the Seahawks wrapped up organized team activities last week, Carroll stated that he expects everyone to show up for the three-day minicamp, which starts on Tuesday. "Yeah, it's mandatory. So we expect everybody to show up," Carroll said during a press conference when asked about Thomas' status. The 29-year-old Thomas enters the final year of his contract, which pays a base salary of $8.5 million. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on May 21 there had been no contract discussions and none were currently planned. Seattle's organized team activities were voluntary, but Thomas is now subject to fines should he miss the mandatory minicamp and potentially any time in training camp. Thomas, a three-time All-Pro selection, has been the subject of trade speculation throughout the offseason. With a showdown over his current contract looming with each passing day, the grumblings linking Thomas to a potential suitor should only get louder. The Seahawks currently have $10.6 million in available salary cap space. (NFL.com) ___________ ________________________ You have to wonder who some of these guy's think they are. I guess $8.5M isn't enough pay to put aside differences and work things out in a team friendly manner.
Brice Butler out to prove he’s Cardinals No. 2 receiver Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks said recently that it is “hard to say” who will be the team’s No. 2 wide receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald, but one of the competitors believes he will make it an easy call before the regular season gets underway. The Cardinals signed Brice Butler as a free agent this offseason and his starting experience over five years with the Raiders and Cowboys is limited to seven games. Butler, who has 73 career catches, doesn’t think that will keep him from making it clear that he’s the best choice for such a role in Arizona. “Yeah, I’m going to prove it,” Butler said, via AZCentral.com. “That’s why I came here. I definitely didn’t come to not be on the field with Larry. But it’s not going to be given to me.” Butler’s limited starts leave him in a similar boat as his competition. J.J. Nelson and Cobi Hamilton have made occasional starts, Chad Williams made one as a rookie last year and Christian Kirk was drafted this year, so someone’s going to be getting a lot more experience as a first-teamer even if Butler fails to deliver. (PFT)
What type of contract is he expecting? Hasn't he also had some injury concerns as well? $8.5 million sounds pretty high to be holding out during negotiations. I understand he wants some kind of security which comes from a long term deal, but that's a pretty big number. That team is in rebuild mode, and I believe he's the last holdover from the Legion of Boom and he isn't wrong about having outplayed his contract. Damn good safety. Almost able to talk his way to Dallas, pretty sure they almost got a deal to trade him done before the draft.
The two big rumours about Dallas Goedert were that Dallas wanted him for themselves or that Seattle would only trade Thomas if they could draft him with the pick they would get from Dallas.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...er-bowl-rings-in-most-agonizing-way-possible/ Giants player loses 2 Super Bowl rings on same night. Gets 1 back by a honest person. Other is MIA... Was he drunk or just stupid to leave not 1 but both rings on the top of the car ? Wow. Why weren't they on his fingers ?
When Seattle craters this year, we'll see those Thomas-to-Dallas talks again come the trade deadline. After clearing Dez, Romo and Witten off their books after this year, Dallas will be around $65 million under the cap for 2019.
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has acknowledged he is facing a four-game suspension under the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, but he also said he doesn’t know what happened. It appears the league’s drug testing experts aren’t completely sure what happened either. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, Edelman’s result was triggered by a substance that wasn’t immediately recognizable, and the drug testers are still analyzing it. That might sound strange, but it’s not unprecedented for the drug testers to need time to determine what substance a player took: In 2003, four Raiders players tested positive for tetrahydrogestrinone, or THG, a substance that wasn’t initially detectable in urine tests. It was only after the lengthy Balco investigation that drug testers re-tested stored urine samples and detected the substance. Breer adds that Edelman’s test took place a couple months ago, during the offseason. That means that whatever substance he tested positive for, it wasn’t a stimulant like Adderall. Use of stimulants in the regular season is considered a performance-enhancing substance issue, but during the offseason it’s considered a substance abuse issue. (PFT)
Zack Martin, Cowboys closing in on six-year contract The Dallas Cowboys are on track to secure a key member of the offensive line for the long haul. Right guard Zack Martin and the Cowboys are zeroing in on a new six-year contract, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday. Rapoport adds the imminent deal will make Martin the highest-paid guard with the largest guaranteed payout at his position in NFL history. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Martin hasn't been around the team during the voluntary organized team activities. But Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News there is hope Martin will be present Tuesday when the teams kicks off a three-day mandatory minicamp. Martin, who has been named to three Pro Bowls since entering the league in 2014, enters the final year of his contract, which pays a base salary of $9.3 million. According to Over the Cap, Martin's current 2018 salary-cap value places him fifth among right guards in the league behind Kevin Zeitler, T.J. Lang, Gabe Jackson and Marshal Yanda. Martin appears set to perhaps overtake Zeitler for the top spot. (NFL.com)
"Perhaps"...? Yeah, I'm pretty sure he'll be the highest paid guard when he signs (hopefully within the next day or two).
Randy Gregory in New York to meet with NFL officials https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...egory-in-new-york-to-meet-with-nfl-officials/ Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory has arrived in New York for his meeting with NFL officials, including Roger Goodell, according to sources. Gregory recently filed for reinstatement, so his Tuesday meeting is the next step in the process. He spent more than six weeks in intensive drug and alcohol rehab in addition to counseling and has continued with his treatment program in California. Gregory hasn’t played since the regular-season finale in 2016. The league suspended Gregory on January 6, 2017, for at least a year for violating its substance abuse policy. Gregory has 20 tackles and a sack in 14 games since the Cowboys made him a second-round pick.