Month: May 2018

John Ross: It’s all growth and progression from here

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Bengals wide receiver John Ross‘ rookie season got off to a bad start when he fumbled on his first NFL touch and it didn’t get much better from there.

Ross missed time in the offseason as he recovered from shoulder surgery, hurt his knee once he did get on the field in August and then went on injured reserve after playing 17 snaps in three games due to another shoulder injury. That led to criticism from inside and outside the organization.

The voices inside the Bengals have been more positive this offseason and Ross said he’s taken last year’s struggles, which he says went beyond injuries, to heart.

“You can’t just look at the tax revenue,” he said. “You have to also look at the residual of more people coming to New Jersey (to place bets).”

Christie’s comments came after the state stumbled out of the gate when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of New Jersey-led lawsuit that paved the way for expanded sports betting nationwide.

After the ruling, Monmouth Park announced it would be ready by May 28. But then the state’s top lawmaker, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, told the racetrack to stand down.

Kaepernick was also seen at Denver International Airport, according to Denver7.

The Broncos had interest in Kaepernick as Elway tried to work out a trade in the offseason leading up to the 2016 season, however, the two couldn’t reach an agreement. Kaepernick turned down the deal because he wouldn’t accept a pay cut. Elway went on to take Paxton Lynch in the first round of the 2016 draft.

Kaepernick’s collusion case claims that he has been unable to find a job with the NFL and has been blackballed by NFL owners as a result of kneeling during the national anthem as a form of social protests.

Elway joins a list of NFL figures who have been deposed in the case that reportedly includes Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, league executive VP Troy Vincent, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Texans owner Bob McNair, Ravens coach John Harbaugh and GM Ozzie Newsome.cowboys_047

Washington cuts six players, including A.J. Francis, Montori Hughes

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Washington released two other defensive linemen in addition to the previously reported departure of Terrell McClain. The team announced it has moved on from A.J. Francis and Montori Hughes, too.

Washington also waived tight end Chris Bazile, linebacker Cassanova McKinzy and defensive back James Sample.

The team drafted two defensive linemen promoting the cuts of McClain, Francis and Hughes.

Bottom Line: Walton has the tools to be a solid third-down option. He does a lot of the things Giovani Bernard does, which makes this pick interesting, because Bernard has not been nearly as productive over the last two years as he was at the start of his career.

DaeSean Hamilton caught 82 passes as a true freshman and then regressed when Christian Hackenberg left, Saquon Barkley became the focal point of the Nittany Lions offense and Hamilton himself began pressing and dropping passes.

That’s a drop in one game from last year’s preseason over/under total. And it’s a suggestion that perhaps things may not be as rosy for a team that has won 12 or more games for eight straight seasons.

Four other teams are pegged at 10 or more wins, with a pair of Pennsylvania teams (Eagles and Steelers) at 10.5 and a pair of NFC North teams (Packers and Vikings) at 10.

The Rams have jumped to 9.5, and the 49ers moved to nine — three more wins than they had in 2017.

Dorance Armstrong recorded 10 sacks in 2016 despite playing through a knee injury. His production dropped to just two sacks last year. Opponents adjusted, but Armstrong didn’t. He has decent initial quickness and an adequate burst, plus a spin move, but he relies too much on his bull rush. Armstrong is active in run defense and has demonstrated some awareness as a defender in space, so he can stay on the field for three downs as an outside linebacker. He has potential as a package player and developmental prospect. The Cowboys remain in extreme Everything is Fine mode at tight end, even though everything is not fine.colts_034