Welker talks getting “worse”
The New England Patriots Wide Receiver, Wes Welker, signed his Franchise Tag and it’s believed he has no intentions of holding out. When he signed his tender everyone thought that the contract issues with the team wouldn’t be a distraction and things would move along towards a long-term contract. That may not be the case and perhaps contract talks aren’t getting any better and according to Welker, contract negotiations with the Patriots have actually, “gotten worse”.
According to Welker, the Patriots recent offer was less than the offer that they made him last year, which was reportedly at 2 years and $16 Million.
“If they see me out there at OTAs and minicamps and everything else, and I’m still out there winning and doing what I need to do to help the team win, you know what, the ball’s in their court to make something happen,” he told the Boston Herald. “That’s kind of my mindset, to go out and show them I deserve it.”
THE SKINNY: It sounds like things could be getting a bit chippy between the Patriots and Welker, as the Pats never really like it when players go to the press and discuss contract issues. With that said however there still is plenty of time for the sides to work out a deal and we’d have to believe that the Patriots wouldn’t allow him to go anywhere else.
Steelers Move Colon to Left Guard
Gayle Saunders
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With the Steelers addressing the offensive line during the draft this off season, they have now moved Willie Colon to left guard.
Pittsburgh most likely felt that Colon was better suited to play inside versus outside with his size. Colon is 6’3 and weighs in around 315 pounds.
“I’ve made the transition to left guard,” he confirmed. “I like it. It’s just a matter of learning the verbiage.”
The Skinny: By moving Colon on the inside they will probably utilize his athletism for pulling purposes. Expect to see Colon and Decastro get their “pull” on. The Steelers’ starting O-Line will probably look like this as of now LT Mike Adams, LG Colon, C Maurkice Pouncey, RG David DeCastro, and RT Marcus Gilbert. I believe the Steelers O-line will be a force to be reckoned with if this unit stays healthy.
Jacoby Jones Ready for Change in Baltimore
Gayle Saunders
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After playing 5 years with the Texans, Jacoby Jones is welcoming change in 2012. Jones sounds like man whose dealt with change in his football career before.
“Change is good in life,” Jones I left one high school, went to another and I was successful. I left one college and went to Lane College and was successful. And now I’m leaving Houston and I will be successful.”
The odd thing with him signing with the Baltimore Ravens, it’s the last team he played against in the AFC divisional game during the playoffs. During that game in January, he muffed a punt return early in that game which lead to a Baltimore score.
As any professional would do, Jones has moved on, and he’s ready to put that game behind him with his new team. That new team now wants him to bring his talents to Baltimore in hopes he can elevate their return game and help their depth at wide receiver.
The Skinny: Last season he had 49 punt returns as well as a 79-yard touchdown for Houston. Currently the Ravens could use a return specialist now that they have Webb focusing on cornerback. David Reed is recovering from an injured ACL, so it’s the perfect match for Jones as he’s still a duel threat at WR and special teams. The Ravens WR corps still consists of Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Tandon Doss, Laquan Williams and rookie Tommy Streeter. It’s a full house but Jones is versatile playmaker with good open field speed.
Tebow improving mechanics?
The biggest knock on Tim Tebow has been narrowed down to one thing, his throwing mechanics. His elongated motion and inaccurate footwork has led him to be erratic when throwing the ball. Proof of this lies no deeper than his 46% completion percentage and the 38 Minutes without a completion in the Broncos vs Dolphins game last season.
Tebow is a proven winner however, shown in his late 4th Quarter heroics otherwise known as “Tebow Time”. The Broncos went and acquired Peyton Manning and then traded Tebow to the Jets for a 4th Round pick. Tebow has been said to have been working extremely hard on his mechanics this offseason and perhaps his efforts are working.
Jets QB Coach, Matt Cavanaugh told the New York press -
“I think he can be very good,” Cavanaugh said “I was pleasantly surprised when I saw him over an extended period of time . . . not just watching him play on film. I think he’s certainly got the arm strength. He has good mechanics. They’re getting better every day.”
THE SKINNY: If Tebow can in fact become a comfortable pocket passer and learn to make all the throws with proper technique and footwork, he could be a very dangerous QB. Big and strong armed, as well as being a powerful runner that you wouldn’t expect from a QB, Tebow might just be making strides to becoming one of the most complete QB’s in the League. If in fact he can learn to throw with accuracy, there won’t be anything he can’t do.
Kenny Britt to have 2nd Knee Surgery?
The Titans are hoping that their star WR doesn’t need to have an additional surgery on his right knee but there is a possibility. Britt, who had his right knee surgically repaired after tearing his ACL and MCL may be facing a scope and possible “clean up” surgery.
Head Coach Mike Munchak told the press in Tennessee,
“I think it always is (possible),” Munchak said. “I don’t know if he will at some point, but I think that’s something that’s common with that injury. Derrick went through it last year. The good thing is that even if you do have it, it’s not a huge setback. It’s not something that sets you way back. But that is obviously part of the process, or could be, if that arises down the road.”
THE SKINNY: While the knee hasn’t required surgery yet and no date has been set to have it scoped or cleaned up, it’s still something the team and Kenny would more than likely hope to avoid. As the Coach said, it is very common for major knee surgeries to have follow up procedures, but the more times you’re under the knife the more likely you will be delayed getting back on the field.
McFadden back to 100%
Oakland Raiders Running Back, Darren McFadden appears to be 100% back from Lisfranc surgery. Raiders running back Coach, Kelly Skipper says that McFadden is out there looking great,
“He didn’t have any major surgeries, so he’s able to come back healthy and he’s playing at a high level right now and it’s offseason … He’s out here. You would never know he got hurt. He’s making cuts at full speed, everything.”
THE SKINNY: McFadden is a huge piece to the Raiders offense and the former 7th overall pick in the NFL is really starting to make strides as being one of the best Running Backs in the NFL. Raiders fans can expect him to be out there and ready to go.
Terrelle Pryor Getting Good Reviews in Rookie Camp
Gayle Saunders
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Not to long ago Terrelle Pryor wasn’t receiving praise for certain off field drama, however things have changed over the last year and Pryor’s coaches definitely see a future for last years third round supplemental draft pick.
Position coach John DeFilippo has given Pryor great reviews as of late after his performance in rookie minicamp.
“The first thing is, everybody knows how hard he’s working, He’s going to give himself a chance to be a good player in this league, because of his work ethic. He and I are in communication every day. He’s a gym rat here in this building. He loves being here, loves talking football, loves being around, playing the game. He’s getting better everyday.
“The fact is, his strides he’s made from his first day here in this offense to where he is now have been good. We’ve just got to keep doing that every day. We’ve got to keep moving him forward and he’ll do that with his work ethic.”
Right now the Raiders have Carson Palmer at number one and recently signed Matt Leinart at number two. Pryor is sitting at third on the depth chart and working on getting better each day.
The Skinny: In order for Pryor to make his presence known he’s going to have to make plays when given the opportunity. Whether it be in training camp or pre season, time is now for him to prove all the naysayers wrong.
Hard Knocks: Jets Get Scratched Off The List
Gayle Saunders
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Scratch the Jets off the list of teams that might be a part of HBO’s Hard Knocks. The New York Daily News reported that the team is no longer under consideration and that HBO still has time to decide which franchise to feature.
“Whatever,” Rex Ryan said, before stumbling on his words for a moment. He then added: “This is news to me, so that’s fine.”
The Skinny: Im pretty sure the Jets would have jumped at the opportunity again, especially with Tim Tebow in the house. With Tebow being one of the most talked about players in the NFL, the show was bound to be a ratings getter, which would have meant much merchandise sales.
Vince Young Signs 1 Year Deal with Bills
Gayle Saunders
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The Buffalo Bills have signed free-agent QB Vince Young to a one-year deal.
The former third overall pick signed for $2 million with an additional $1 million in playing time incentives. Young who turns 29 this year, had an up and down last season as the Eagles back up QB. He did have some flashes, but on the year he threw four touchdowns and threw nine interceptions in six starts for the Eagles.
“We think adding Vince to our roster will create more competition for the backup quarterback position,” Bills General Manager Buddy Nix told the team’s website. “He brings with him some unique physical abilities that most are aware of and that will make the competition interesting.”
The Skinny: Young will come in and compete with Tyler Thigpen and Brad Smith to backup Ryan Fitzpatrick. Young can give you a spark if he is thrown into a game, and it seems he still has the ability to make plays, it might not be the prettiest, but he gets it done somehow.
Browns DT Taylor awaiting MRI on Torn Pectoral
The Cleveland Browns are holding their collective breath as they await the MRI results of Defensive Tackle Phil Taylor’s test results to see if he did in fact tear his Left Pectoral muscle during workouts.
Taylor, a massive Tackle who clogs the middle, played exceptionally well in his first year as a pro an the Browns have high hopes for his future anchoring their Defensive Line.
According to a statement the team released:
“Defensive tackle Phil Taylor injured his left pectoral today lifting weights as part of the club’s off-season program. He will be further evaluated on Monday to determine a course of treatment.”
Hopefully for Phil, the news is a good one and he won’t miss too much time. As of right now it’s a waiting game to see what the exact damage is. We wish him and the Browns organization the best of luck with this tough blow to a young and rising player.
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