Browns expect Weeden to be the starter

Posted by Mike Florio on May 21, 2012, 9:26 PM EDT

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Some mixed signals have emerged from Berea regarding whether the Browns will install quarterback Brandon Weeden as the starter in his rookie season.  On Monday night, G.M. Tom Heckert provided perhaps the clearest description yet of where things stand.

“I think when we say open competition, the best guy is gonna play,” Heckert told reporters at the 33rd annual Akron Browns Backers banquet, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.  “That’s the way it is, but we drafted Brandon Weeden to be that guy   You draft a guy 22nd in the draft, you think he’s gonna be that guy.  You can write it and talk about it however you want.  The best guy’s gonna play, but we fully expect Brandon to be that guy.  Now if he’s not, and Colt [McCoy] plays better or Seneca [Wallace], whoever, but right now that’s our goal is to have [Weeden] be the guy.”

Heckert also said he can envision both McCoy and Wallace being on the final 53-man roster, even though speculation has persisted that McCoy will be traded.

Given the team’s experience in 2007, when Derek Anderson played before then-rookie Brady Quinn and played well enough to keep Quinn on the bench into 2008, when neither guy was able to succeed, it makes much more sense to install Weeden as the starter and see what happens.

It also makes sense to move McCoy, who could quickly become more popular than ever before if Weeden struggles early in his career.

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Dallas Clark signs with the Bucs

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 21, 2012, 6:56 PM EDT

Reuters

After nine seasons in Indianapolis, Dallas Clark has found his new NFL home in Tampa Bay.

Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio reportsthat Clark has signed and that the contract has been officially submitted to the league office.

The signing comes after Clark worked out for the Bucs last week, and after today’s revelation that tight end Kellen Winslow is done in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs planning to trade Winslow or, failing that, release him. Bucs head coach Greg Schiano wants a new tight end, one who can provide some veteran leadership, and in Clark he has him.

The question now is whether Clark, who will turn 33 next month, has anything left on the field: He has struggled through injuries the last two seasons and is coming off a year in which he caught just 34 passes for 352 yards. It’s highly unlikely that Clark can give the Bucs the kind of production at the tight end position that Winslow gave them last year.

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Jay Gruden denies report about Dalton's arm stength

Posted by Josh Alper on May 21, 2012, 5:06 PM EDT

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Earlier on Monday, Silva shared Greg Cosell of NFL Films’ thoughts about Andy Dalton’s lack of arm strength.

Cosell said that he thinks Dalton has some limitations when it comes to arm strength and that he’s heard there are members of the Bengals organization that feel the same way. Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden responded to Cosell on Monday, telling Joe Reedy of theCincinnati Enquirer that he doesn’t have any doubts about Dalton’s ability to do the job.

“I don’t know where that came from and why he said it,” Gruden said. “If there were reservations about Andy Dalton there would be a lot more quarterbacks here right now. We know and he knows he has to get better. … I have no reservations about arm strength. I think he can do it all.”

Dalton’s play tailed off in the second half of last season as the Bengals’ schedule got harder and their reliance on A.J. Green to catch passes became common knowledge. While his arm will never blow you away, Dalton was pretty comfortable running Gruden’s offense and that’s surely why Gruden has no reservations about his arm strength.

Just about every quarterback has limitations, but plenty of them succeed anyway because they find ways to succeed in spite of them. After one year we can’t know if Dalton is such a player, but he certainly did enough last year to make you think he’s got a pretty good shot.

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San Diego Chargers 2012 Season Preview

by Niles Pender of NFL Fan Appeal

After a disappointing 2011 season where the Chargers finished 8-8 despite being loaded with talent and experience, the team is anxious for the 2012 season to begin. The AFC West will likely be a very competitive division as the Raiders continue to gel and the Broncos await the chance to experience life with Peyton Manning at the helm, so the Chargers are wise to get their affairs in order.

The Chargers were able to add a small fleet of big bodies in April's NFL Draft, led by outside linebacker Melvin Ingram. Coach Norv Turner will return for his sixth season at the helm, and the vast legion of Bolts fans in Southern California and elsewhere are expecting at least 10 wins.
Veteran quarterback Phillip Rivers and perennial Pro-Bowler Antonio Gates will power an offense that has been able to put points on the board consistently since the former arrived in San Diego in 2004. It is true that Gates has been slowed by injury in the past few years, but he recently said that he is back to full form. His route running skills and incredible knack for finding the holes in any defensive formation have made him the favorite target of Rivers in past years, and the upcoming one should be no different.

The 2012 season will mark the third professional campaign for running back Ryan Matthews, and the young man out of Fresno State University is poised to have a monster season. If the offensive line can stay healthy and create a few holes for the speedy Matthews, expect him to rush for well over 1,000 yards.

As has been the case in many seasons past, the biggest question mark for the 2012 Chargers will be their defense. Coach Turner has been using the draft in an attempt to bolster the team's size and formidably on defense in past years, and everyone involved in the organization is hoping that this will finally be the year that the return on their investments begins to show. Over the course of Rivers' 8-year-career, San Diego has played in dozens of games where they scored over 30 points and still ended up losing. If the 2012 defense is able to hold opponents to less than 21 points-per-game, San Diego could be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

The NFL recently released the complete 2012 schedule, and the Chargers are faced with a lineup of formidable opponents. In addition to their division schedule, the squad will play a few games that are sure to draw the attention of the entire football nation. San Diego will host the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons in weeks 2 and 3, and they will need to win at least one of those two games in order to keep the team camaraderie and morale at a healthy level. Three non-conference road games against the New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets will all be tests of fortitude and will. A week 17 matchup against the Oakland Raiders could have major playoff implications.


San Diego Chargers Schedule 2012
Preseason
1 Thu, Aug 9 Green Bay Packers vs Green Bay
2 Sat, Aug 18 Dallas Cowboys vs Dallas
3 Fri, Aug 24 Minnesota Vikings @ Minnesota
4 Thu, Aug 30 San Francisco 49ers @ San Francisco
Regular Season
1 Mon, Sep 10 Oakland Raiders @ Oakland
2 Sun, Sep 16 Tennessee Titans vs Tennessee
3 Sun, Sep 23 Atlanta Falcons vs Atlanta
4 Sun, Sep 30 Kansas City Chiefs @ Kansas City
5 Sun, Oct 7 New Orleans Saints @ New Orleans
6 Mon, Oct 15 Denver Broncos vs Denver
7 Bye
8 Sun, Oct 28 Cleveland Browns @ Cleveland
9 Thu, Nov 1 Kansas City Chiefs vs Kansas City
10 Sun, Nov 11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Tampa Bay
11 Sun, Nov 18 Denver Broncos @ Denver
12 Sun, Nov 25 Baltimore Ravens vs Baltimore
13 Sun, Dec 2 Cincinnati Bengals vs Cincinnati
14 Sun, Dec 9 Pittsburgh Steelers @ Pittsburgh
15 Sun, Dec 16 Carolina Panthers vs Carolina
16 Sun, Dec 23 New York Jets @ NY Jets
17 Sun, Dec 30 Oakland Raiders vs Oakland

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NFL's newest proposed rule changes

Posted by Mike Florio on May 21, 2012, 12:12 PM EDT

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The owners gathered in Atlanta for their quarterly meetings are expected to take up a host of items that were tabled in March.

They are, as MDS listed them at the time they were tabled:  (1) an extension of the trade deadline from the Tuesday after Week Six to the Tuesday after Week Eight; (2) shifting the final roster cuts from the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend to Friday, given that the first game of the regular season has been moved from the Thursday after Labor Day to Wednesday; (3) the creation of an injured reserve exemption that allows a player to return that same year after missing at least six weeks of practice and eight weeks of games; and (4) one roster exemption per team per week for a player who has a concussion.

Also tabled was the increase in offseason rosters from 80 to 90.  That change was passed prior to the draft.

Each of the remaining tabled changes make plenty of sense, especially the adjustment of the trade deadline.  Currently, it lands too early in the regular-season calendar.  And while the NFL surely wants to avoid baseball-style fire sales, a two-week delay likely won’t prompt a rash of also-rans to fold the tents and trade star players to contending teams.

In 2011, a Week Six injury to Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell prompted a deadline-day deal with the Bengals for Carson Palmer.  Thereafter, the Broncos were able to get nothing for Kyle Orton, after the Bears lost Jay Cutler and the Broncos waived Orton at his request.  The Chiefs blocked the Bears’ effort to bring Orton back to Chicago by making a waiver claim from a position of higher priority.

We’ll keep you updated on all developments from the ownership meetings, primarily since there isn’t a whole lot else going on that doesn’t relate to maintaining the image and intellectual property rights of the Jets’ personal punt protector.

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Best, LeShoure and Broyles all at Lions OTAs

Posted by Josh Alper on May 21, 2012, 12:17 PM EDT

AP

The Lions took the field for their first day of organized team activities on Monday and they did it with three rehabbing offensive players on the field.

According to Tim Twentyman of the team’s website, running backs Jahvid Best and Mikel Leshoure and wide receiver Ryan Broyles all took part in the workout. Best hasn’t been cleared for physical contact after losing most of last season to a concussion, but he’s been taking part in the team’s offseason program all year and got on the field Monday. Leshoure is rehabbing a torn Achilles that wiped out his rookie season and Broyles, a second-round pick, is coming off surgery to repair a torn ACL.

None of the three players did more than individual and position drills, but that’s still a good first step for three players that Detroit hopes can be on the field for the first week of the regular season. While it will be impossible to judge where the players are in terms of that goal until they are asked to do a good bit more on the field, it’s certainly better than the alternative.

Based on what we’ve heard from the Lions to this point, Broyles seems the least likely to answer the bell for the first game. He’s just five months removed from surgery at this point and may need a little bit of time on the PUP list in order to get himself back into optimal shape.

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Winsolw on the trading block in Tampa

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 21, 2012, 10:05 AM EDT

Reuters

Kellen Winslow is on the way out in Tampa Bay.

Winslow, who has played tight end for the Buccaneers for the last three seasons, said today on Sirius XM NFL Radio that the Bucs have told him they don’t want him and will help him find the right team to trade him to.

If the Bucs can’t find a trading partner, they’ll likely release him.

Winslow has been a solid player for his three seasons in

Monday morning one-liners

Posted by Josh Alper on May 21, 2012, 9:06 AM EDT

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A look at the changes wrought by a busy Bills’ offseason.

Previewing the Dolphins’ battle at safety.

Looking ahead to what will happen Patriots OTAs.

New Jets defensive line coach Karl Dunbarexpects to see improvement at the position this season.

WR LaQuan Williams won’t have an easy time of holding onto his roster spot with the Ravens.

The potential fallout of a suspension for Bengals LB Dontay Moch.

Stafford and Tirico give generous gift

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 21, 2012, 8:51 AM EDT

AP

When Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was approached about donating an item to a fundraising auction for University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, he came through with a package of tickets and travel to the Lions’ Monday Night Football game in Chicago in October. Then Stafford went to the auction, bought the item himself for $15,000, and gave it to a young patient at the hospital named Faith Falzone.

The Detroit News reached out to Stafford afterward, and he said he has gotten to know the Falzone family and wanted to see them enjoy the experience.

“They have been through so much in the past couple years, and to see how much they all supported each other and faith through their tough times was really inspiring,” Stafford said in a text message. “I wanted to give them something they could really be excited about and something I know they deserved.”

Others who deserve credit for their generosity include ESPN’s Monday Night Football play-by-play man Mike Tirico, who threw in two additional tickets to the package Stafford donated, and former Michigan players Brian Griese, Steve Hutchinson and Charles Woodson, who were the organizers of the fundraiser. Woodson has given $2 million of his own money to the hospital, and the fundraising efforts of Griese, Hutchinson and Woodson have totaled nearly $6 million over the last six years

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Cosell: Bengals have reservations about Andy Dalton

Posted by Evan Silva on May 21, 2012, 9:39 AM EDT

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Andy Dalton was available at the 35th pick in the 2011 draft because he has physical limitations. He isn’t particularly big, strong-armed, or athletic. And so Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden had to design creative ways to mask Dalton’s deficiencies in his first year, while maximizing the rookie signal caller’s strengths.

Gruden did a great job — particularly in a lockout-shortened offseason — but in some circles Dalton is now being billed as a future elite player. Not so fast.

Steve Smith's perspective change on life and football

Posted by Mike Florio on May 20, 2012, 10:45 PM EDT

AP

Panthers receiver Steve Smith has spent 11 seasons in the NFL.  And he now admits something that has, from time to time, bubbled up through his words, his actions, and his demeanor.

“I have not always enjoyed it,” Smith recently told Sonja Gantt of WCNC-TV in Charlotte.

Smith then explained a mentality that has plagued plenty of players over the years.  “The biggest challenge has been not letting that persona on the field carry off to off the field,” Smith said.  “I get to live the things that I go through out in the public eye sometimes.  It’s not the thing that you want to display.”

Smith now is trying to enjoy the ride, while also keeping his eye on the prize.

He also has gotten to a point where he can separate his professional and personal lives.  “One of the best things is if I catch 10 passes or I drop 15, having a hug and a kiss from my family and [them] telling me ‘Dad you were good enough. . . .  Can’t buy that.”

It’s great to see the maturity from a guy who has done plenty of immature things during his career.  And we hope that his example can help other players find perspective and balance a lot earlier in their lives.

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Tebowing in Madden 13

Posted by Mike Florio on May 20, 2012, 7:46 PM EDT

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We still don’t believe that there’s a Madden curse.  But it could be that the makers of the game are hoping to avoid a Madden plague.

Via Kotaku.com, Michael Young, the creative director of the Madden game, has disclosed via Twitter that the new version of the popular (in large part because it’s the only) NFL-licensed console video game will include Tebowing.

Reggie Bush's adventurous week

Posted by Mike Florio on May 20, 2012, 9:45 PM EDT

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Dolphins running back Reggie Bush has had an interesting week.  He co-hosted Live with Kelly! on Friday, with a performance that at times made Al Gore seem looser than overcooked pasta.  Then, Bush was delayed getting home from the Miami airport by a hazmat incident.

While watching a soccer match on Sunday from a European league about which I personally don’t know (and don’t want to know) many details, Bush posted a tweet containing the word “Nazi,” which is typically verboten in mainstream discourse.