Carroll acknowledges violation, but happy with players' effort

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 5, 2012, 7:02 PM EDT

AP

Shortly after the NFL and players’ union announced that the Seahawks would lose two days of Organized Team Activities, coach Pete Carroll acknowledged that his team broke the rules about contact at practices. But he put a positive spin on that acknowledgment, saying his players are such good competitors that it’s tough for them to know how hard they can go.

In a video posted at the team’s website, Carroll said the Seahawks only violated the contact rules on a few plays, and did so because they wanted to give a solid effort.

Lions to heed Sapp's advice and move Suh around

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 5, 2012, 4:38 PM EDT

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NFL Network analyst (not reporter) Warren Sapp criticized the Lions after the season for getting too predictable in the way they used defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The Lions’ coaching staff thought those criticisms were valid.

Detroit defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham says he has decided to move Suh around rather than just planting him at left defensive tackle and keeping him there, and Cunningham is even telling Suh to play the defensive tackle position the way Sapp played it.

“Warren will be happy; I’m going to move him all over the place now,” Cunningham said, via the Detroit Free Press. “As a matter of fact, I showed him some of Warren’s tape. Warren should be really happy.”

Sapp said he texted Lions G.M. Martin Mayhew last season and told him the Lions have to start getting more creative in the way they use Suh. Cunningham says he liked that idea.

“Warren played both sides,” Cunningham said. “I told Martin to call Warren and tell him I still love him.”

And Cunningham would love to see Suh play like Sapp.

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Brian Cushing's knee is fine

Posted by Josh Alper on June 5, 2012, 4:28 PM EDT

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Texans coach Gary Kubiak played down the fact that linebacker Brian Cushing wasgetting an MRI on his knee on Monday, but having such a scan is always cause for concern for a player who has dealt with knee problems during his career.

You can feel free to extinguish any candles lit on Cushing’s behalf. Kubiak addressed Cushing’s status after Tuesday’s Organized Team Activity and said that there’s nothing wrong with Houston’s leading tackler.

“He’s fine. Everything is fine,” Kubiak said, via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com “We will err on the side of caution here. I don’t even know if I’ll practice him the rest of the week. He did work out, he just didn’t go with the team.”

Cushing’s knee issues, which led to surgery after his rookie year, have never kept him from playing in a game since he joined the Texans. It doesn’t appear that the current soreness is a sign that he’s going to be in any danger of missing one this season, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye on once the Texans get to minicamp and training camp.

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Michael Phelps helps Aaron Maybin gain weight

Posted by Josh Alper on June 5, 2012, 4:00 PM EDT

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Michael Phelps has said that he’s planning to retire from swimming after the Summer Olympics.

That means he’ll need to find another career path to fill his days. You might not expect it, but Phelps might have a future as a trainer for NFL players looking to add weight to their frames.

Jets linebacker Aaron Maybin lives near Phelps in Baltimore and spent some time with the swimmer this offseason to get a look at his famous 12,000 calorie a day eating regimen. Maybin wasn’t planning on consuming quite that much, but he was interested in adding some weight to his frame before the 2012 season. The idea is to get big enough to stay on the field for three downs after making an impact for the Jets as a situational pass rusher last season.

“Having a little bit of extra weight on you, it helps you deal with the ground and pound of the season and all that kind of stuff,” Maybin said, via Brian Costello of theNew York Post. “It definitely gives you a better anchor when you’re playing against the run. That was a big goal of mine during the offseason, to become a better run defender as well as improve my pass rush.”

Maybin played at 229 pounds last season and hopes to be around 250 pounds this time around. With Bryan Thomas coming off an Achilles injury that cost him most of last season, the Jets could use an every-down outside linebacker but they also need Maybin’s ability to pressure quarterbacks to survive intact. Gaining weight could have an impact on that part of Maybin’s game, making the change in diet less of a sure thing for the linebacker than it is for Phelps.

We’ll find out this summer how well Maybin’s plan works out while Phelps concentrates on adding to his gold medal count in London.

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Ochocinco blasts man on twitter

I just happened to hop on to twitter to find this lovely tweet from Ocho in my timeline.

Click for link to tweet.

Follow us @TheTigerReport

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Jeff Otah's knee checks out fine

Brad Biggs - National Football Post

The Carolina Panthers were ravaged by injuries last season on both sides of the ball.

Right now, they’ve got a little good news when it comes to their offensive line. An MRI on the left knee of right tackle Jeff Otah has checked out fine, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.

Otah had swelling in the knee last week and as a precautionary measure the team had it checked out. Swelling isn’t a good sign but hopefully with some rest the situation can be managed. Otah has missed 31 of the last 35 games, per Person, and the hope was shutting him down early after only four games last season would help him heal up for this season.

Of course, Otah’s absence last season helped the Panthers get Byron Bell experience at the position. Carolina would prefer to use Otah though as Bell was an undrafted rookie free agent last season.

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Riley Reiff looks ready to start as a rookie

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 5, 2012, 9:00 AM EDT

AP

The Lions spent their first-round draft pick onRiley Reiff with the hope that he’ll succeedJeff Backus as their starting left tackle after a year or two as their starting right tackle. So far they think he appears ready to follow that path.

Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan isn’t ready to say that Reiff will supplant Gosder Cherilus at right tackle — or when he might supplant Backus at left tackle — but all indications are that Reiff is ready to be a starter.

“It’s still early to say who’s going to play where,” Linehan said. “But Riley’s on track to play a lot of football for us really early. He’s an exceptional talent, and he’s a great kid. He’s going to really help us on our offensive line. Where he ends up this year really hasn’t been determined yet. But we’re just happy with what we’ve seen so far. We think he’s going to be a heck of a player.”

Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz noted that it’s tough to evaluate linemen in non-contact Organized Team Activities, but that Reiff seems to be picking things up quickly.

“He’s done very good in the classroom; he’s a quick study; he’s also very good in the weight room and in his individual drills,” Schwartz said of Reiff. “When you really think about the process now for OTAs, it’s installation, so learning the offense or defense, whatever you have to learn, but also individual improvement.”

If Reiff continues to improve for another three months, he should be in the starting lineup in Week One. And, the Lions hope, for several years after that.

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Tuesday morning one-liners

Posted by Josh Alper on June 5, 2012, 8:39 AM EDT

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Bills LB Kelvin Sheppard has dropped 10-15 pounds since last season.

How soon should the Dolphins hand the reinsto QB Ryan Tannehill?

WR Troy Brown has been voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Two of the Jets’ minicamp practices next weekwill be open to the public.

The ability to deal with free agent losses will help determine the Ravens’ fate this season.

Bengals WR A.J. Green has no problems with QB Andy Dalton’s arm.

QB Brandon Weeden is looking forward to picking up the pace in practice.

The Steelers passed on practice Monday and took a team outing to an entertainment complex.

The Texans expect RB Justin Forsett and DB Alan Ball to catch on quickly.

RB Donald Brown shouldn’t be short on opportunities this season.

Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com thinks more than poor judgment is to blame for DUI arrests of players like Jaguars WR Justin Blackmon.

Can Titans RB Chris Johnson top the 2,000-yard mark again?

WR Brandon Stokely’s diving grab was the highlight of Broncos practice.

What are the Chiefs’ chances of going from last to first?

John Clayton of ESPN likes the job the Raiders did in free agency.

DT Cam Thomas has been a solid performer for the Chargers.

Cowboys WR Dez Bryant’s diet doesn’t match up to his physical condition.

Giants T William Beatty is dealing with back problems.

CB Curtis Marsh is moving into a bigger role with the Eagles.

RB Alfred Morris could surprise with the Redskins this year.

Bears DE Shea McClellin is trying his best to fit in as a rookie.

Ankle soreness kept Lions RB Mikel Leshoure out of practice on Monday.

Packers CB Tramon Williams feels he can get back to being the player he was in 2010.

Some charities are worried about the impact the Vikings stadium deal will have on them.

Former Falcons WR Andre Rison will be featured in a documentary about athletes with financial problems.

Panthers TE Gary Barnidge hit a home run during batting practice at a Triple-A Charlotte Knights game.

LB Curtis Lofton asked a lot of questions of the Saints before signing with them as a free agent.

The Buccaneers will announce the next member of their Ring of Honor on Wednesday.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt likes WR Michael Floyd’s work ethic.

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks the Rams will have an easier time getting the stadium they want if they post better records.

John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com doesn’t think 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh waslying when he denied pursuing QB Peyton Manning.

Seahawks FB Michael Robinson has started preparing for a post-football life as a broadcaster.

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Blackmon was argumentative, won't get plea bargain

More details continue to emerge following Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Justin Blackmon's arrest over the weekend. Blackmon, who pleaded not guilty to DUI charges on Monday, will be able to answer some of the questions after the incident when he returns to the team.

He blew a .24 and .26 on his breathalyzer test, over three times the legal limit. The District Attorney in Stillwater, Okla., indicated Blackmon will not be able to plea to a lesser charge.The Florida Times-Union noted Monday that police said Blackmon was "argumentative" when he was pulled over. He failed to yield to police for four blocks. When questioned, Blackmon reportedly said, "I just flew in. I don't know why you are harassing me."

Blackmon is expected to return to the Jaguars for offseason conditioning Tuesday and is likely to hold a news conference this week. Blackmon's arrest came at a time the team was starting its caravan to try to sell season tickets outside of Jacksonville. The No. 5 overall pick was scheduled to appear at a team event in Georgia on Friday.

There have been suggestions that the Jaguars will not offer Blackmon a fully guaranteed contract like the Arizona Cardinals gave last year's No. 5 overall pick: LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.

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1st round signings

Here is ESPN's current list of 1st round picks and their signing status

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Taylor Mays could start in Cincy this year

Posted by Evan Silva on June 4, 2012, 10:41 PM EDT

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Though Taylor Mays ran a forty time in the 4.3s coming out of USC in 2010, many NFL prognosticators were down on him due to stiff hips and a lack of playmaking ability. Mays runs really fast in a straight line and can lay wood when he’s locked onto a target, but he didn’t cause turnovers in college and struggles mightily in space.

The 49ers drafted Mays with the 49th overall pick three Aprils ago. They dumped him for a 2013 seventh-round pick last August. Mays is now in position to start for the Bengals.

According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Mays “is the guy that seems to be playing the most” with free safety Reggie Nelson on the first-team defense at Bengals OTAs.

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer confirmed that the position is open to competition, with Robert Sands, Jeromy Miles, and rookie George Iloka all pushing Mays.

“Still got a ways to go,” Zimmer said of Mays. “[He needs] consistency. Doing things right. Discipline. Accountability. Whoever lines up there, that is what I want: accountability. Day in and day out.”

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Felton's DUI came at McDonald's drive-thru

Posted by Mike Florio on June 4, 2012, 8:05 PM EDT

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On Saturday, Vikings fullback Jerome Feltonbecame the latest (until Sunday) NFL player to be arrested for drunk driving.  But he became the first NFL figure since former Lions defensive line coach Joe Cullen to be arrested in connection with the drive-thru lane at a fast-food restaurant.

In 2006 (my gosh has it been that long?), Cullen was busted for driving naked, after pulling up to the in-car window at a Wendy’s.  (At least he stayed in the vehicle.)  The incident came not long after Cullen had been arrested for driving drunk, while fully clothed.