49ers sue Santa Clara County for backing out of $30 million commitment

Posted by Mike Florio on June 28, 2012, 8:58 PM EDT

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At a time when the NFL and its teams are being sued with increasing frequency, it makes sense for the NFL’s teams to do a little suing of their own.

The Bills kicked it off earlier this week, suing over an alleged shortfall in payments for their radio rights.

Now, the 49ers have launched the process of legally forcing Santa Clara County to follow through on a commitment to contribute $30 million to the $1.2 billion stadium effort.

Demaryius Thomas admits to not being in his playbook or running routes

Posted by Josh Alper on June 28, 2012, 2:42 PM EDT

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We already knew that Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is excited about playingwith Peyton Manning this season.

Now Thomas is telling us just how different things will be with Manning running the offense than they were during Thomas’ first two seasons. During an interview with 790 The Zone in Atlanta, via SportsRadioInterviews.com, Thomas was asked about those differences and he pointed to something that’s usually considered a pretty significant part of a wide receiver’s job.

“So to get to play with a future Hall of Famer, I knew I had to step my game up and get in my book more, run routes more, because I never really ran routes much. So I thought it was gonna be a challenge, and it has been so far,” Thomas said. “But it’s been good, too. You’re gonna have to run the whole route tree now. The comebacks, the slants, the posts, the ins. And I didn’t have to do that much when I was my first couple of years in the league.”

Thomas missed six games in his rookie season and was able to rely on his physical skills last season because of the nature of the offense the Broncos ran with Tim Tebow at quarterback last season. Playing with Manning in an offense that is going to put a greater priority on timing will force him to step up the technical aspects of his play. It’s a good sign that Thomas realizes the need to do that, although it remains to be seen how much progress he can make on that front in a relatively short amount of time.

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Nick Fairley requests permission to attend Rookie Symposium

Posted by Mike Florio on June 28, 2012, 11:53 AM EDT

AP

The flesh may still be weak, but the spirit seems to be willing.

Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who along with the rest of the 2011 draft class didn’t attend the Rookie Symposium because there wasn’t one, made a special request for permission to attend this year’s session, according to Tim Twentyman of the team’s official website.

Fairley, whose offseason incidents include marijuana possession and DUI/eluding police, arrived with the AFC rookies, whose portion of the program began on Wednesday.

“Nick knows that his actions will speak louder than his words in accepting responsibility and moving forward,” Lions president Tom Lewand told Twentyman.  “Asking to attend this year’s symposium is clearly a positive action and a step in the right direction.”

We agree, as long as Fairley thought of it on his own, as a way to truly make a step in the right direction.  If Fairley or someone close to him is merely hoping to improve a troubled player’s image by going through the motions, it won’t matter.

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Former Buc Arron Sears has almost "total loss of function" at age 27

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 28, 2012, 10:09 AM EDT

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Former Tampa Bay offensive lineman Arron Sears is suing the Buccaneers and the NFLover health problems that he attributes to concussions suffered on the field, and the details of his lawsuit paint a bleak picture of his life at the age of 27.

Sears, who was taken in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft and started 31 games in his first two seasons, abruptly left the team in 2009 and never returned. He says his career ended because of neurological problems related to head trauma, and his lawsuit claims his parents now have to care for him because he can’t care for himself.

James Carpenter to start season on PUP list

Posted by Josh Alper on June 28, 2012, 11:12 AM EDT

The Seahawks are preparing to start training camp without a fully healthy James Carpenter.

The right tackle’s rookie year ended early after a torn ACL and Danny O’Neil of theSeattle Times reports that the team expects that he won’t be ready to go when training camp kicks off next month. The 2011 first-round pick tore the ligament in late November, which meant that the start of camp has always been in doubt while Carpenter progresses through his rehab.

Carpenter’s status for the start of the regular season would also be in doubt if he starts camp on the PUP list, especially with reports earlier this offseason that he might miss the entire 2012 season. Carpenter won’t be handed the job once he proves he’s healthy, anyway. The team was pleased with the way Breno Giacomini played after Carpenter got hurt last season and signed him to a two-year deal as a result.

They’ve also signed Frank Omiyale, Alex Barron and Deuce Lutui to provide more depth on the offensive line. Given the injury history of left tackle Russell Okung and the uncertainty surrounding Carpenter, that’s looking like a wise move on Seattle’s part.

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Thursday morning one-liners

Posted by Josh Alper on June 28, 2012, 8:40 AM EDT

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The Bills think S Jairus Byrd will have a breakout season.

T Jake Long thinks the sky is the limit for the Dolphins.

S Patrick Chung is the latest Patriot to takea walk down the aisle this offseason.

Peter Schrager of FOXSports.com responds to those angered by his decision not to put Jets QB Tim Tebow on a list of the top 100 players.

Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun wonders if Ravens QB Joe Flacco is overrated or underrated.

All signs point to Skelton leading the Cardinals

ArizonaCardinals.com

Sam Ingro - National Football Authority
Senior Writer

Heading into Cardinals training camp in just a few short weeks, the quarterback question still hangs over the head of the organization.

It was not supposed to be like this. When Arizona shelled out top dollar for Kevin Kolb, he was projected to be the answer at the position into the future; but unfortunately it has just created more questions for coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Broncos contribute $50,000 to wildfire relief

Terry McCormick - National Football Post

With wildfires burning out of control in Colorado, the Denver Broncos are pitching in to help.

Owner Pat Bowlen announced that the club would make a $50,000 donation to the relief efforts to help combat the fires and help those who have been forced out of their homes.

Aaron Rodgers tops the list of the NFL's Top 100 Players

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 28, 2012, 6:27 AM EDT

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Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the best player in the NFL, according to a vote of his fellow players.

Rodgers was revealed as the pick for No. 1 on NFL Network’s Top 100 show, which surveyed NFL players and asked them to name the best in their ranks. Rodgers’ selection was widely expected, as he’s the reigning league MVP.